Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Orange Cookie Butter

Category :Vegan, Jain, Fat-free, Gluten free
 Preparation Time : 5 min. 
Cooking time : 15 min.
 Skill level : Intermediate 

Ingredients :
1/2 c cashews + 2 tbs more
1/2 c oats
1 + 1/4 ts coconut butter (or Vegan fat)
1 +1/4 ts orange rind
1/4 ts orange oil or natural orange essence(optional)
1/4 + 1/8 ts salt
1/4 c + 2 ts vegan sugar
1 ts vanilla essence
1/4 c Candied orange peels, finely chopped
1/2 c fresh tangerine juice(or orange juice)
2 tbs agave syrup or any liquid sweetener + more if needed

1. Roast cashews until they are golden brown with 1/2 ts fat.
2. Roast oats until they are light golden brown with 1/2 ts fat.
Praline:
3. Heat 1/4 ts fat over low heat, add sugar and 1 tbs tangerine/orange juice.
4. Cook until syrup is thick(softball stage)
5. Add 2 tbs roasted cashews and 1/4 ts orange rind,  and 1/8 ts salt.
6. Roast for a little till all the liquid disappears and nuts are crispy.(Makes sound when you move them around).
7. Let it cool.
8. Chop the praline into bits.
Butter:
9. Make syrup with tangerine juice and 1/4 c sugar (1 string or soft ball)
10. Add all the ingredients but praline, and candied peel(liquid first), in a blender and blend in to smooth paste.
11. Add praline bits and candy bits and store it in a airtight glass container.
*Leftover? - Keep refrigerated.

Crunchy Cashew Cookie Butter

Category :Vegan, Jain, Fat-free, Gluten free
 Preparation Time : 5 min. 
Cooking time : 10 min.
 Skill level : easy

Ingredients :
1/2 c cashews + 2 tbs more
1/2 c oats
1 + 1/4 ts coconut butter (or Vegan fat)
1 + 1/4 ts cinnamon powder
1/4 ts nutmeg powder
1/4 ts allspice powder
1/4 + 1/8 ts salt
2 ts vegan sugar
1 ts vanilla essence
2 ts cocoa powder, unsweetened
1/4 c agave syrup or any liquid sweetener+ more if needed

1. Roast cashews until they are golden brown with 1/2 ts fat.
2. Roast oats until they are light golden brown with 1/2 ts fat.
Praline:
3. Heat 1/4 ts fat over low heat, add sugar and 1 tbs water.
4. Cook until syrup is thick(softball stage)
5. Add 2 tbs roasted cashews and 1/4 ts cinnamon and 1/8 ts salt.
6. Roast for a little till all the liquid disappears and nuts are crispy.(Makes sound when you move them around).
7. Let it cool.
8. Chop the praline into bits.
Butter:
9. Add all the ingredients but praline(liquid first), in a blender and blend in to smooth paste.
10. Add praline bits and store it in a airtight glass container.

*The butters we buy outside has lots of oil added to make smoother, So if you like you can add liquid fat (oil) but to save that fat we can keep it bit thicker (No effect on taste if it's blended smooth) or add other liquid like coconut milk or little more liquid sweetener,  just as much needed by the blender to blend. Again this is not a necessity that recipe calls for it but it is liquid which blender calls for it. If the blender is good enough to blend cashews till oil shows up. Indian mixer's small chutney bowl can do this, then we need less liquid.
*If we use vegan milk as extra liquid, it will have lesser shelf life.(Anyway this one is so yummy that it will be over way before shelf life ends if not immediately).