Tag Archives: treat

Marzipan Chocolate Miniature Sandwiches

I grew up making marzipan, but just last year discovered the secret ingredient to marzipan perfection.. rose water! See the recipe here. This year I made tiny Marzipan “sandwiches” for a holiday party. You roll a bit of marzipan into a ball and press two discs of chocolate to make the sandwich. I found dark chocolate ‘discs’ at the local gourmet foods grocery store, but chocolate coins could work well too! Because the marzipan is quite sweet, the less sweet dark chocolate is a nice complement!

I made these for Christmas, but marzipan is popular year round in Scandinavia and Germany (especially again around Easter).

marzipan chocolate sandwich blog (4)

Ingredients

One batch of Marzipan (you can also find this pre-made at some grocery stores.. look for almond paste if not marzipan)
Chocolate ‘discs’ (dark chocolate, should be around 1″ in diameter)

Directions

Roll a bit of marzipan into a ball (the size of a large marble) and press two discs of chocolate to make the sandwich.
Store in an air tight container and refrigerated for a week or more, or frozen for a month or so!

Super Mom Tip: Marzipan has the consistency of play dough and is a lot of fun for (older) kids to roll into various shapes and cut out with small cookie cutters, or decorate with chocolate chips!

Enjoy!

dit-elle-Esther

Rosemary Almonds

3 Replies

Earlier this week I published Spicy Maple Glazed Nuts. Enjoy the more savory notes of the rosemary almonds, below!

rosemary almonds blog (2) rosemary almonds blog (1)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups raw almonds
1 tsp maple syrup
1 Tbsp finely chopped rosemary
1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

Heat oven to 350*
In a bowl, combine almonds, syrup, rosemary and salt
Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until toasted and golden brown, about 10 minutes

dit-elle-Esther

Spicy Maple Glazed Nuts

1 Reply

Nothing fills the house with the comforting warmth of holiday cheer like toasted nuts.

I made a bunch of new dishes over the Christmas holiday that I will post here in the next few weeks. Related posts include Rosemary Almonds and Spiced Honey Almonds!

These Spicy Maple Glazed Nuts are wonderfully delicious – sweet, salty and a little spicy! A great holiday treat, but really.. who doesn’t like glazed nuts any time a year? Great for gifts, taking to parties, as an appetizer with cheese, meat and fresh fruit perhaps, or a simple dessert!

spicy candied nuts blog (2) spicy candied nuts blog (1)

Ingredients

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder or 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (I used 1 tsp cayenne and it was perfectly spicy.. for my taste, but keep in mind a little goes a long way. If you are sensitive to spice, just omit this ingredient!)
4 cups shelled nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, pecans)
3 tablespoons turbinado or muscovado sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 250° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
In a large saucepan combine butter, syrup, water, salt, cinnamon and chili powder. Bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Remove from heat, then mix in nuts and stir to coat evenly.
Spread nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake 30 to 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes (I forgot this part and the nuts were fine!).
Spread on waxed or parchment paper to cool.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Thanks PCC Natural Markets!

dit-elle-Esther

Dark Chocolate Covered Figs with Sea Salt

4 Replies

I recently posted about my fig tree. I finally had a chance to dip some of the figs in chocolate. Something about the combination of juicy ripe figs, dark sweet chocolate and sea salt.. amazing! These were SO yummy!

This fig had just been dipped. As soon as you set these in the fridge to cool the chocolate will harden and set with a matte finish. 🙂

Ingredients

12 figs, rinsed and dry
1 cup chocolate chips (I used 1/2 and 1/2 dark and sem-sweet chunks)
Sea salt for garnish

Directions

Put chocolate in a bowl and microwave for ~1 minute or until melted
Stir chocolate with a spoon to even out consistency
Dip figs in chocolate
Place on parchment paper covered cookie sheet and sprinkle some sea salt on
Set in fridge to cool
Enjoy! 🙂

Paleo(ish) Strawberry Cupcakes

3 Replies

Gluten free, grain free, high protein strawberry cupcakes? Yes! Yum! The kids had fun eating these. Whipped cream and fresh strawberries on top optional, but highly recommended! 🙂

Ingredients

½ cup coconut flour
1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (I used tapioca powder since I did not have this ingredient.. arrowroot powder is used as a thickening agent)
<¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt (optional)
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
½ cup agave nectar or honey (I used 1/4 cup, and these were plenty sweet)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
Whipped cream and more strawberries for topping

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 8 muffin cups with paper liners (or 12 mini muffin cups).
In a large bowl, combine the coconut flour, arrowroot powder, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, agave nectar, and vanilla extract. Blend the wet ingredients into the coconut flour mixture with a handheld mixer until thoroughly combined, then fold in the strawberries.
Scoop cup of batter into each prepared muffin cup.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 1 hour.

Thanks once again – ElanasPantry!

Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

Leave a reply

Rich almond meal, butter, maple syrup, chocolate chips.. a delicious combination of ingredients that make a wonderful gluten free, grain free, paleo(ish) cookie! 🙂

Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt (I omitted this and the cookies were great!)
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

In a food processor , combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda
Pulse in butter, vanilla, and maple syrup until dough forms
Remove blade from processor and stir in chocolate chunks by hand
Scoop dough one level tablespoon at a time onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Press balls of dough down gently
Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
Cool for 15 minutes (do not handle prior or cookies will break)
Serve

Thanks ElanasPantry!

Honeydew-Lemongrass Agua Fresca

2 Replies

Aguas frescas (or Spanish “cool waters”) are made by combining fruits, flavors, sometimes seeds and flowers with a bit of sugar and water to make a light non-alcoholic beverages. They are popular in Latin American countries – and I’ve been trying some recipes since Seattle is back in the close to 90 degree range. This Honeydew-Lemongrass version is totally refreshing!

Don’t have lemongrass? No problem, try a tablespoon chopped basil, mint or tarragon!

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups water, divided
1/8 – 1/4 cup sugar (I used 1 Tbsp agave syrup instead, but I like less sweet)
1 stalk lemongrass, lightly smashed
2 pounds honeydew – peeled, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons lime juice
Ice, for serving

Preparation

Combine 1/4 cup water, sugar or agave and lemongrass in a saucepan; simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 15 minutes. Remove lemongrass.
Blend together honeydew, lime juice and remaining water. Add sugar syrup, to taste. Strain and serve over ice.

Thanks PCC Natural Markets

Orange Cake

Leave a reply

This is a totally delicious cake! Eat it for breakfast or dress it up for high tea or dessert! You can enjoy this as is for paleo goodness, or add an optional sweet and citrusy glaze to make it even more amazing!

Though I haven’t tried it, Elana (from Elanaspantry.com) says there’s a Starbucks version out there that tastes just like this one.

The one tricky part of this recipe is that you have to boil oranges for 90 minutes. So plan ahead. The oranges are low maintenance while cooking, but keep an eye so you don’t run out of water. As an extra bonus, your house will be filled with a refreshing and natural citrusy aroma! 🙂

Ingredients

2 oranges
4 large eggs
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey (original recipe says 3/4 cup)
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/4 tsp celtic sea salt
1 tsp baking soda

Glaze (optional)

1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 orange, thinly sliced for decoration

Instructions

Wash the oranges and boil them whole (peel and all) for 1 ½ hours, or until soft
Place whole oranges (peel and all) in a food processor and blend until smooth
Process in eggs, agave, almond flour, salt and baking soda until well blended
Pour batter into a greased 9 inch cake pan
Bake at 375° for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean
Cool in the pan for 2 hours
Make glaze by working orange juice into powdered sugar. You can add more/less liquid to get desired consistency. Pour onto cake and even out with spatula. Decorate with optional orange slices.
Enjoy or refrigerate for a few days (if you can keep from eating it up)! 🙂

Thanks for the inspiration Elanaspantry.com!

Red, White and Blueberry Popsicles

2 Replies

These popsicles were inspired by our favorite summer ingredients – strawberries, blueberries, coconut milk! This is a great project for kids to help with. Getting molds ready, selecting ingredients, sampling the flavors! Have fun! 🙂

Ingredients

Red

1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
add some water if too thick

White

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup vanilla ice cream

Blue

1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup coconut milk
add some water if too thick

Directions

Blend individual popsicle batches and pour into molds in layers. And yes, layers may bleed a little (but this is the quickest way to do this!) and hey, give a pretty marbled effect! 🙂

There is another version using berries/water/honey on Elana’s Pantry that is worth checking out also! http://elanaspantry.com/red-white-and-blueberry-popsicles/

Lemon Basil Cookies

Leave a reply

My basil plant has been loving the heat wave in Seattle and growing like crazy! These lemon basil cookies are great for breakfast or as a quick snack – keep in the freezer for a yummy cold paleo cookie treat! Grain free, dairy free, soy free, egg free! Ingredients

2 cups blanched almond flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ cup coconut butter
¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

Combine almond flour and baking soda in a food processor
Pulse in coconut butter, honey, basil, and lemon zest
Scoop dough one level tablespoon at a time onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet
Press balls of dough down to flatten
Bake at 350° for 6-10 minutes
Cool for 2 hours
Serve or freeze for an easy protein rich snack!

Inspired and modified. Thanks Elanaspantry.com

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this:

Share this: