Honey Almond Butter

I've been dying for some Almond Butter. I kinda prefer it to peanut butter, mostly because I'm a snob. Jk, actually I prefer the flavor. 


So while watching Toast (a British film about Nigel Slater, a British food writer) I decide it's bloody time to make some!  I got a cup of almonds for 3 bucks and made some. Once again, this was way easier to make than I thought. The blender was a pain in the butt (I definitely suggest using extra oil to help the process). But i n the end it worked out fine! I also added some honey for extra flavor and texture. 


Sea Salt and Honey Almond Butter 
from http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/04/sea-salt-and-honey-almond-butter/ 


Ingredients: 
- 1 cup dry almonds (you can get roasted as well)
- Honey
- Sea Salt
- Nut oil (optional) 


Directions: 
1. Blend the almonds in a food processor or in a blender. They blend in various stages, from chopped to fine to butter. It takes time, for sure, so be patient. Add
2. Scoop out and add to a container. Mix in honey and sea salt to taste. 


Notes: 
- The recipe I used said to use 1 teaspoon Sea Salt and 2 tablespoons Honey to start
- I used peanut oil so I opted not to use the sea salt. 
- I put it in the fridge. We'll see how it holds up. 


PS- Toast is cute. It's like if Beautiful People was placed in the sixties and instead of fashion it's food. It's on Netflix, like so many other fab British movies. I recently watched Fish Tank. Ummmghphrrrr Michael Fassbender = goooorrrrgeousssss!!! and horribly talented. A bit creepy when he has sex with a 15 year old (which is what the movie is kinda about) but still it's wonderfully good. 

Cocoa Nib Cookies

Let my 15 minutes begin!

So we've had some seriously wonderful new things pop up in the chocolate factory. We've gotten toffees, barks, stuff with almond butter and my favorite: the candied nibs! Basically they're nibs rolled around in oil and sugar and salt. And possibly crack.

I'm going to throw them in my frozen banana ice cream.

Speaking of ice cream, I'm trying my damnedest to give up on cow's milk. At least for the summer. See my allergies in Seattle are so utterly disgusting that I need either 1) get my nose replaced with a mucus filter, or 2) give up whatever is helping the production of phlegm in my system. Hence the milk.

This is especially important because I'm a singer. I also am a tour guide. And an actor. A very busy singer/actor. With allergies and swollen folds. I use my voice to make my living. I can't have swollen folds!!!!!

I'll be posting lots of recipes with goat's milk soon. Goat's milk doesn't have as much lactose, so it doesn't produce as much mucus. So I can eat all the goat's milk! And almond milk! Not so much rice milk, that's not as good.

Back to food:

I made this a while back ago when I was craving cookies. Working in a chocolate factory is great and all, but there's only so much chocolate I can eat before I want to die. But this was the perfect remedy. And I'm gonna throw in those candied suckers soon!

Cocoa Nib Cookies:
from cupcakeproject.com

Ingredients:

• 2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 3/4 C unsalted butter, melted
• 1 C packed brown sugar
• 1/2 C white sugar
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 C cacao nibs, or more, to taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (165 C). Grease cookie sheets or line them with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended.
4. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy.
5. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended.
6. Stir in the cacao nibs by hand using a wooden spoon.
7. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
8. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted.
9. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Notes: 
- Like I said, I'm using candied nibs eventually. I don't know how that will work with the extra coconut oil/sugar we use for candying will affect the texture. Experiments are necessary in this case. 
- I love a chewy cookie. And for anyone who watches Alton Brown, you'll know that the white-to-brown-sugar ratio is important for texture. I loved this texture so much, it might become my standard cookie base!

Read more: http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2009/03/cacao-nib-cookies-for-chocolate-lover.html#ixzz1yYQCUkT0

PS- You might also notice the new background. Yes, I changed it to rain, because I live in Seattle. It's raining right now, which means I don't have to water my garden!

Tomato Basil Frittata

Soooo I'm so far behind on sharing aspects of my life. Remember how I said I would write for 15 minutes everyday, if anything just work on writing. Well, I'm quite bad about the discipline of writing. 

In other news I have a garden to tend (full of herbs, blueberries, strawberries, salad greens, fennel, leeks, and beets. Still not sure why we have beets.) 

My job is going well, lots of chocolate and lots of people to educate about chocolate. 

Theatre is going even better. Last month I did at least 10 auditions/call-backs/dance calls. I also finished a show/started a new show/got cast in another show. I'm on a roll! Now it's time to get new audition pieces prepared, take some dance classes, and cook. All the cooking! 

I just got two fabulous new cook books and I'm hoping to begin making jams and preserves! This is my latest find: 

Mozzarella Tomato Basil Frittata

http://www.cookstr.com/recipes/mozzarella-tomato-basil-frittata

Yield : Makes 12 servings

Ingredients

• 12 large eggs
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 pound fresh or smoked mozzarella, diced
• 2 tablespoons slivered basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the broiler.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the milk.

Pour 1 tablespoon of the oil into a very large ovenproof skillet, or use 2 skillets with half the ingredients in each. Place over medium heat on the stovetop and pour in the egg mixture. Scatter the tomatoes, cheese, and basil over the eggs. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

When the bottom just begins to brown, place the skillet under the broiler just until the top is set, a minute or less. Remove from the oven and use a large spatula to transfer the frittata to a serving platter. Cool about 10 minutes, cut into wedges, and serve.

Notes

Fresh ripe tomatoes and high-quality fresh mozzarella (or, if you prefer, smoked mozzarella) are the keys to the success of this recipe. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet works extremely well.