Showing posts with label snack. Show all posts
Showing posts with label snack. Show all posts

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Creamy Dirty Chai



I’ve had an obsession lately with getting coffee when I’m out. This is not normal for me. I could go a year, easily, without having coffee. Not lately, though. I have been particularly obsessed with dirty chai lattes.

I know, its cheating. Sugar and cream are so not Paleo. I also know it’s crazy over-priced to buy anything at a coffee shop. So I got on the ball and made it at home, without cheating. The results were good but not nearly strong enough for me. Part of the problem may have been my coffee beans, I was being careful to keep them coarse ground and not all the beans got ground up much at all. This is probably because it was my first time using my coffee grinder. It was also my first time using my French press coffee maker.  What I would really like is to get a special pot that can make espresso at home. Maybe someday.

I got this recipe from A Girl Worth Saving. I altered things a little for my taste.

Creamy Dirty Chai

3 TBS of whole coffee beans, ground
4 cloves
½ tsp peppercorn
1 stick of cinnamon
2 cardamom pods, slightly crushed
1 piece of ginger – ½” wide x 1 ” tall after peeling, dice
3 cups of boiling water
½ cup coconut milk
1-2 TBS agave syrup

1.       Add coffee, cloves, peppercorn, cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger in a French press coffee maker, pour water over and allow to steep for 5 minutes.
2.       While that is steeping pour coconut milk in a small pan over medium heat. Stir in agave syrup.
3.       When coffee is finished pour desired amount of sweetened coconut milk and coffee in a cup.

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Sweet Potato Apple Muffins and Cinnamon Butter



I had a five (plus) pound sweet potato. It didn’t take me long to realize that cutting a sweet potato of that size is pure insanity and, honestly kind of dangerous. So after hacking at my other giants I decided just to try to bake this potato. And what did I get? Five cups of sweet orange goodness. So what do you do when you have five cups of sweet potato? Look up piles of recipes.

Today is my start of using up my five cups of sweet potato. If I find anything worth repeating I may be going to the market to get more giant sweet potatoes, because they were a heck of a deal.

I haven’t made any Paleo muffins or cakes yet. I haven’t been crazy keen on Paleo baking, it rarely gives the right texture. I am all about texture; if it’s off I struggle. Now this has gotten better the longer I have eaten Paleo, but it is still a big deal to me.

I got this recipe from ThreeDietsOneDinnner. I didn’t change anything, I would, however, add more cinnamon, maybe up to 1.5 tsp. That or play around with other spices like pumpkin pie spice. Really, I just wanted it a little spicier. Also, mine made 30 mini muffins, but my muffin cups seemed just a little small in the mini muffin pan.

Sweet Potato Apple Muffins
Makes 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins

1/2 cup (packed) cooked sweet potato
1 small apple, peeled and grated
3 eggs
1/2 cup cashew butter
2 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 Tablespoon maple syrup (optional)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons coconut flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1.       Preheat your oven to 350º and line a muffin tin with paper liners (24 mini or 12 regular).
2.       In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
3.       Whisk together the sweet potato, apple, eggs, cashew butter, butter, maple syrup and vanilla in a separate, medium bowl, combining well.
4.       Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir to combine well.
5.       Using an ice cream scoop, divide the batter evenly in the muffin tin (filling them 3/4 way full). Bake at 350º for 15 minutes for the mini muffins or 24 minutes for the regular, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 
I made cinnamon honey butter to go with this. I don’t think you need it, but it does add a nice extra flavor. The muffins had more of a fluffy cupcake texture, I imagine cinnamon frosting would be super yummy, but that is for another day.

Cinnamon Honey Butter

½ cup softened butter
2 TBS honey
½ tsp cinnamon

1.       Stir honey butter, start with less and add more to your personal taste.
2.       Stir in cinnamon, again, add less first then more to taste.