Allergy-friendly Patriotic Berry Truffle

So I was watching Master Chef and feeling quite inspired. We started talking about truffles and I was thinking I haven't made one in ages and have yet to make one gluten, soy, egg and dairy free.  So, I decided to not just make one, but really go for it. These are the recipes I have found and the changes I want to make. Ambitious? Probably!  It may not be the real thing, but for this dessert deprived gal, it will be glorious. The berries alone make this heavenly. I throw tons of desserts on here dreamy eyed while doing it, but actually don't get the chance to make them as much as I like to. If this turns out, it will start making appearances at parties! Watch out!

This is an allergy friendly spin off of the recipe found here.

 Ingredients

• 1/4 cup plus 2/3 cup sugar (I will use maple)
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (I may throw caution to the wind and omit this)
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract ( I will use GF vanilla)
• 1 premade GF honey yogurt cake (see recipe below), cut into 1-inch slices
• 2 cups DF coconut yogurt with 3 TBS honey added
• 2 cups coconut whipping cream here, (It's so easy! I'm guessing two cans will be needed)
• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled and sliced

Directions

Heat 1/4 cup sugar, the lemon juice and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and stir in the almond extract.

Brush both sides of each slice of cake with the syrup. Cut the slices into 1-inch cubes.

Beat the remaining 2/3 cup sugar and the yogurt and honey with a mixer on medium speed until smooth and light. Add the whipped coconut cream (see recipe link above) and mix.

Arrange half of the cake cubes in the bottom of a 13-cup trifle dish. Sprinkle evenly with a layer of blueberries. Dollop half of the cream mixture over the blueberries and gently spread. Top with a layer of strawberries. Layer the remaining cake cubes on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with more blueberries and top with the remaining cream mixture. Finish with the remaining strawberries andblueberries, arranging them in a decorative pattern. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.

Photograph by Steve Giralt 

Honey Yogurt Cake (this is from one of my fav blogs here)

Serve this cake with sliced fresh strawberries that have been tossed in a little honey, though a drizzle of a fresh rhubarb sauce would be equally delicious. Be sure to check your oven temperature, as you could end up with too much browning if your oven runs on the hotter side. Use any variety of yogurt that fits your dietary needs (cow, goat, soy, or coconut), just be sure it's vanilla!

1 ¼ cups brown rice flour
¼ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup + 2 tablespoons potato starch
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup honey
1 cup vanilla yogurt* (I would use So Delicious Coconute yogurt)

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar* (I would use pomegranate)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil an 8 x 8-inch baking dish.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl whisk together the dry ingredients (brown rice flour through xanthan gum).

In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining wet ingredients (oil through vanilla extract).

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together well, until the ingredients are combined and the batter has thickened.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

Let cool completely before slicing and serving.

*I used the So Delicious vanilla coconut milk yogurt here.

*Omit apple cider vinegar if using cow or goat milk yogurt