How To Create Your Own Recipes

Blueberry Fig Newton
Blueberry Fig Newton

This morning I decided I wanted to make some raw vegan fig newtons. I had a few more fresh figs on hand that I need to use up. I spent time on-line looking for recipes. There were a number of interesting ones but they all called for dried figs. So I decided to try to create my own recipe using what I found as a jumping off point.

Many of the recipes called for oats to make the cookie part. I am always leery of using oats. I am never sure of which ones are raw and which are not. (I need to work on that) So I used buckwheat instead. I usually have sprouted and dehydrated buckwheat in my refrigerator but not today. So I just used the unsprouted buckwheat I have along with almonds and flax seeds and dates.

(BTW buckwheat is NOT wheat so if you have been avoiding it because of a gluten or wheat intolerance go ahead and try it. It makes a nice light flour when ground, and the sprouted dehydrated buckwheat is a nice addition to fruit salad, and other salads.)

Once I rolled out the cookie I tackled the filling. I put the figs in the food processor along with some vanilla and a couple of dates to help thicken it up. Once that was processed I looked at it and said “That is nowhere near enough filling!” Now what?!!! I DO have a lot of blueberries. So I added one container of blueberries.

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Of course now I had too much filling! But oh well. The resulting filling was more of a sauce then the paste that was called for. I spread it on the cookie and folded it over. I decided to put it in the dehydrator since to help dry the filling out. 

Here is the result. It was a tasty cookie but it needs some work. Dried figs really are needed. BUT that really is part of the process. I learned a lot about how to make it better. Don’t take your flops as failures. They are opportunities to get closer to your winner recipes. I’ll keep working on it and post it when I get it right.

So here is how to create your own recipes

  1. Start with some inspiration. Find several other recipes that are similar to what you want to create.
  2. Decide which ingredients you want to use (or have on hand)
  3. Think about what adjustment you might need to make (less liquid because of more liquid in another ingredient or more oregano because you are using fresh, etc)
  4. Taste, and test as you go along and continue to refine as you go. 
  5. Be sure to make note of what you do so you can do it again later or make more changes as necessary.
  6. Once your dish is complete critique it and decide what further adjustment you need to make next time.
  7. Try it again making the adjustments and critique it again.

 

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