I embrace the cold winter months by indulging in a warm cup hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is an essential drink for me in winter and it’s so comforting.

I like to try new flavors and spice up the original hot chocolate. The most important part is obviously the chocolate. Make sure to get the best chocolate you can as this will make a huge difference. For this recipe I’m using white chocolate from Callebaut (amazon)

This time I decided to try a recipe combining white chocolate orange and almond. With just touch of cinnamon. 

I love the combination of the sweet white chocolate paired with the zesty and fruity orange. I added some almond paste which rounds out the flavor perfectly.

 It adds a slight nutty flavor and also adds a wonderful creaminess. A pinch of cinnamon is a must and the perfect harmony in this drink. 

This recipe is made with a ganache as a base, which I let infuse for a few hours or better yet overnight so it can really intensify in flavor. 

It comes together super quickly and it can also be made a week in advance and stored in the fridge so you can easily make a cup whenever you feel like it. 

(Makes enough for about 3-4 cups)

120g white chococolate (I used  white chocolate from Callebaut (amazon))
1 vanilla bean (my preferred brand is “Vanilla Dream”) 
60g heavy cream
30g orange juice 
30g almond paste (I use Felchlin “Valencia” paste) 
good pinch of cinnamon (0.4g)
Zest of 1 large orange

Instructions:

Melt the chocolate, almond paste over a Bain Marie until melted. Set aside

In a small pot mix the heavy cream, orange zest, the vanilla bean-scraped and the pinch of cinnamon. 

Bring to a light simmer and immediately remove from the heat. Let it infused for 10-15 minutes. 

(I love to use a Microplane zester (amazon) to get the finest and best part of the zest so you don’t have to sieve out the peel. This way you are able to keep more flavor in the ganache. )

Add the infused cream into the melted chocolate and emulsify with a hand blender (amazon). While emulsifying pour in the orange juice little by little. Hand blend until you have a smooth and shiny ganache.

Let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.

300g milk of choice ( I used Alpro oat milk as I prefer to have a lighter milk that enhances the flavor of the orange better)

30g whipped cream (optional) 

Dusting of cinnamon and orange zest

Orange wedge for decoration

Once your ganache has set heat up your milk to about 85°C. Add about 50g of ganache (or more if you like it sweeter) and blend until you get a smooth and slightly frothy hot chocolate. I like to use either the hand blender (amazon) if im making just one cup for myself or if I have more to make then use a larger blender (amazon)

Garnish with the whipped cream, cinnamon, orange zest and orange wedge. Enjoy! 

Happy cocoa making!

Poppyseed in a baked good is probably one of my favorite things…EVER! I remember when I did my apprenticeship in pastry school in Germany and I would buy a poppyseed cake weekly at my favorite bakery and it was just the best thing and always such a treat. 

This recipe is adapted from the bakery/patisserie where I did my apprenticeship and it was one of my favorite recipes back then and still is today. I just realized that I certainly don’t make this enough. 

The filling is made of a cooked poppyseed and wheat semolina that is then baked in the oven and finished with a soft baked marzipan crossing on top. A finishing touch of icing sugar and some slivered almonds covered in powdered sugar.

In this version I filled the base into small tartelette shells to give it a more modern look. This can easily be prepared in a large cake tin with a the short crust/sablé bottom or one larger tartelette. To get super nice and even tartelettes or sablés I always use these silicon mats from Silikomart (Amazon). They are a game changer and honestly a must have in your kitchen. And for the tartelette shells I love these rings (Amazon)

Sablé or short crust is an essential in every recipe book. It can be used in so many different ways and it is just so versatile. This sablé recipe just happens with be plant based 🌱 and honestly you can’t tell the difference. I actually prefer this recipe to a standard sablé dough as I think you have a more neutral flavor, which then enhances the flavor of your filling. 

I love using these for practically everything. Wether its for a fancy patisserie or just a simple baked tart. Works everytime. The dough is really easy to make and once baked it can last you for weeks without loosing much crunchiness. (Just make sure to store them airtight)

Using the mats from Silikomart you get even crunchier tartelettes shells that have a longer shelf life. 

I do have to mention that depending on your filling and what you’re baking in your tarts they can soften after a day or so. This is the case with these poppyseed marzipan tartelettes. They taste best the day of baking. After a day or so they tend to soften due to the filling that is very moist and tender.  

So just be aware that they are always best eaten the day of preparation (finished with the filling, etc.) as they are super crunchy. 

So that being said, I’m really happy to be sharing this recipe with you.

305g all purpose flour
1g salt
1g vanilla powder (optional)
140g margarine ( I used Flora)
82g powdered sugar
35g water, cold 

In the bowl of your standing mixer add the flour, salt, (vanilla) and the sieved powdered sugar. 
Give it a quick mix with the paddle attachment. 

Cut the margarine into small cubes and add it to the flour mixture. Mix again until you have a sandy texture. Add the cold water all at once and mix again on low speed until you have a smooth and even dough. Don’t over mix as your dough will become too tough and greasy.

Roll out the dough thinly between 2 sheets of parchment paper and store in the fridge for 2-3 hours until firm. 

Cut the dough to fit your tartelette shells and bake in the oven at 175°C for about 10-12 minutes until a light golden brown.

Set aside while making your filling and marzipan topping.

125g marzipan
85g sugar
15g flour
15-20g Egg whites or egg white substitute ( for example Eggfield) 

Mix everything together in a bowl until you have a smooth and clump free batter. You don’t want to whip the batter, but just incorporate everything well. 

 You might need to adjust the amount of egg whites/egg white substitute until you have a pipe-able batter. (Just make sure it can still keep its structure when piping so it doesn’t loose the shape when baking)
Fill into a piping bag fitted with a small round nozzle and set aside for later. 

265g milk (or plant based for ex. Alpro)
35g sugar
72g margarine
53g marzipan
1.5g salt
1/2 tsp vanilla powder 
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
42g wheat semolina (fine)
75g poppyseeds

In a medium sized pot place the milk, about 1/3 sugar and about 1/3 of the margarine and place on medium heat (remember to keep an eye on it so it doesn’t boil over)

Mix together the poppyseed, semolina, cinnamon and vanilla powder and set aside until the milk comes to a boil. 

In a small bowl whisk together the rest of the margarine, rest of the sugar, salt and marzipan until you have a smooth and clump free batter. Set aside.

Once the milk has come to a boil, lower the heat slightly and add in the poppyseed-semolina mixture while whisking constantly. Keeps whisking until it thickens about 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add in the marzipan-margarine mixture and mix until evenly combined. 

Fill the hot mixture into your prepared tartelette shells and bake again at 175°C for about 8-10minutes until the filling set slightly. Remove from the oven and pipe the marzipan filling in a cross pattern on top. Place back in the oven and continue baking until slightly golden brown. 

Let it cool down completely before decorating with icing sugar.

Powdered sugar
Water

Mix the sieved powdered sugar and water until you have a thick yet pipe-able texture. Make sure to add the water little by little so it doesn’t end up being too thin in consistency. If that happens then just add more powdered sugar. 

Pipe fine lines on top of the marzipan stripes and decorate with an almond sliver (I dusted them with some powdered sugar) 

Happy tartelette making!

 

For me the summer essential is an iced coffee. Whether it’s an iced cold brew, with caramel or cream/foam. Whatever the variety might be…I’m here to enjoy it. Especially when the temperatures are high and you need your caffeine but don’t want to sip on a hot cappuccino, then iced is the way to go. And it looks and tastes even better in these bubble glasses (Amazon). 

But what makes a great coffee is obviously..the coffee. So make sure to get a really good roast/blend. 

You wouldn’t believe that these financiers are plant based! They are so moist and delicate with such a balanced fruity and nutty flavor. Making this one of my favorite recipes. 

This recipe is also so versatile and super easy to prepare. You can change the flavor with seasonal fruit and berries or even leave them out completely if you want and you would still have a super moist cake. 

The base of the cakes is made with marzipan which gives it extra moistness as well as that intense almond flavor. The fresh strawberries of course also add a lot of moistness to the cake.  This recipe also comes together super quickly especially using my trusty KitchenAid (amazon) that I’ve had for almost a decade now and that I couldn’t live without KitchenAid (amazon)

The strawberry season is slowly coming to end, so I‘m trying to enjoy them as long as I can. Although I have to say I‘m also looking forward to the fall. A roasted plum version of this would be insane! 🤩 I think I know which recipe I will be testing soon ;) 

This recipe was adapted from Ilse R. Pinners book called „Vegalicious Pastry 2“ which I can highly recommend. It has great basic recipes which you can adapt to you own needs or make them as written and they are amazing. 

100g plant based butter, melted (I used Flora)
150g plant based whipping cream (I used Alpro)
150g apple sauce
15g lemon juice
150g sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (for ex. Vanilla Dream)
220g all purpose flour
35g almond flour
50g marzipan ( for example Lübecker)
1g salt

12g baking powder
200g fresh strawberries (chopped into 1/4 or 1/6th pieces)
40-50g almond slivers, unroasted 

1/4 vanilla pod or 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (for ex. Vanilla Dream)
15g powdered sugar
250g Alpro whipping cream 

Melt the margarine/vegan butter in a small saucepan and set aside.

In the bowl of your standing mixer or a tall measuring jug. Mix together the apple sauce, cooking cream, sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon juice, marzipan and the warm melted margarine/butter. Mix everything with a handheld mixer until smooth and clump free. 

Place the mixture into the bowl of your standing mixture (if mixed it in a jug). With the whisk attachment add the dry ingredients little by little until well incorporated and there are no more clumps. Make sure to scrape down the sides after each addition. 

Once you have a smooth batter fold in the chopped strawberries and mix until evenly incorporated. Fill it into your piping bag (amazon)and fill it into your prepared silicone molds (amazon) almost 3/4 full. Sprinkle with the almond slivers.

Bake at 175°C in your pre-heated oven until nicely golden brown and slightly soft to the touch. About 25-30 minutes (Make sure not to bake them too long otherwise they will become too dry)

Let it cool down completely before garnishing with powdered sugar and the whipped vanilla chantilly. 

For the Chantilly whip the Flora whipping cream until almost firm peaks and add the sifted powdered sugar and the scraped vanilla seeds. Continue whipping until firm enough to make quenelles. 

Happy Baking! 

I have a big love for macarons. Always have, even before starting my apprenticeship in pastry school. 

It’s one of those things that for me has always been so fascinating. The process of making them with different techniques, for example with Italian meringue or French meringue. And of course the never ending variety of flavors that you can create.

I’ve done quite a few macarons in my days and I have also tested many different techniques. Mainly being  with a base of French meringue or Italian.

All of them have worked well but they differ slightly in the end result. For me personally I like the method of using Italian meringue. So far it has worked for me the best. But of course everyone will have their preference. 

At the moment I’m testing some vegan macaron recipe which does have its challenges but I’m always up for that. The recipe im inspired by is from @Toni Rodríguez who is an expert in his field and I highly recommend doing one of his courses in Barcelona if you the chance. 

Hands down…pistachio is one of my favorite flavors. I think sometimes the simplest is the best. Which of course doesn’t mean that I don’t  like experimenting and creating new flavor combinations. 

Normally I would fill my macarons with a buttercream or canache. Something that has more stability and that can freeze really well. 

With this recipe I decided to fill them with a really intense vegan pistachio cremeux. If you decide to try this recipe I suggest you fill them and eat them on the same day as this cremeux recipe doesn’t have the same stability as mentioned the canache or buttercream. So bear that in mind. 

But it is incredibly good! And I use this for a numerous different fillings, etc…

110g egg whites 
300g powdered sugar
300g ground almonds (fine)
300g sugar
70g water
110g egg whites 

225g water
30g sugar
0,5g salt    
40g glucose powder
6.5g gel creme, SOSA
40g cocoa butter
70g pistachio paste
2.05g sunflower lecithin 

Preheat your oven to 125°C

Place the first part of the egg whiles into the bowl of your standing mixer.

In a large bowl mix together the sieved powdered sugar and the sieved almond powder. (Make sure there are no clumps) add the other half of the egg whites. I add me coloring at this stage to the almond mixture.

Place the sugar and the water into a medium/small pot and bring to a simmer at medium-high heat. Once the sugar sirup reaches 112°C start whipping the egg whites at medium-high speed until they start to increase volume. 

Once the sugar sirup reaches 118°C immediately take it off the heat and in a slow stream pour it into the egg whites which constantly whisking. Still at high speed. Let it whisk for about a minute and then slowly decrease the speed slightly to medium-high.

In the meantime mix your almond mixture with a spatula until you have a thick and evenly spread batter. 
Keep whisking until the egg whites cool down slowly and feel Luke warm to the touch and have a glossy finish. 

Once your meringue is ready fold it into the almond batter in 3 parts. Combining well after each addition.

 
Your finished batter will have a somewhat “runny” consistency but make sure to not over mix the batter.

Pipe the batter onto the prepared silicone mats. Tap the bottom of the tray slightly just to flatten the macarons a bit. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes at 130°C and after reduce the heat to 120°C and bake for another 10-15 minutes until they are set. 

Let cool completely before removing from the mat. 

Once completely cooled fill with the pistachio cremeux and enjoy immediately or withing a few hours. 

In a small bow weight the gel creme and set aside. 

In a medium sized jug place the cocoa butter, sunflower lecithin and the pistachio paste. Set aside.

In a small pot bring the water, sugar and glucose powder to a boil. Once boiled remove from the heat and add the gel creme while hand blending . Hand blend for a bout 1-2 minutes until the gel creme has dissolved. Pour it onto the cocoa butter mixture.

Hand blend once again until you have a smooth and well emulsified mixture. 

Place in the fridge to cool down to about 30°C and emulsify one more time. 

Cover the cremeux with cling film and let it rest in the fridge overnight. 

Happy macaron making!

I love love love cheesecake! I would say it’s one of my favorite if not my favorite dessert.. Especially this recipe. Super velvety and creamy with a subtle fruity touch of passionfruit and vanilla. 

I’ve tried quite a few cheesecake recipes in my day and I still love to test a new recipe when I get the chance. But this has been my go to recipe for the past few years…and it never fails :) 

The base is made of Biscoff cookies which gives it that little extra spice and flavor. It is subtle and so it doesn’t overpower any of the other flavors and they crumble also stay perfectly crunchy. 

As for the decor I decided to go with a more modern look. Hidden underneath the mascarpone cream piping you have the cheesecake. The mascarpone cream gives this recipe extra creaminess and richness but it’s not necessary for this recipe.

Adding some fresh berries because we have to enjoy the summer right now and also for balance of sweetness. And I think it just looks beautiful, what do you think? 

(Makes 1x 24cm cake ring or about 12 mini 7.5cmx4.5cm molds)

250g biscoff cookies (finely crushed)
65g butter, melted 

1000g cream cheese ( Philadelphia)

330g sugar
255g eggs (whole)
55g egg yolks
50g whipping cream. (35%)
170g passionfruit puree
1 vanilla pod, (scraped out)

250g mascarpone cream
200g whipping cream (35%)
30g powdered sugar
1 vanilla pod (scraped out the seeds)

Melt the butter and mix it in with the cookie crumble until even mixed and has a “wet” consistency. 

For the crumble finely crush the biscoff cookies. (You can also leave them a little more corse if desired)

Spread the crumble into your prepared cake ring/molds and firmly press to the bottom of the mold.

Set aside.

For the filling add the cream cheese, vanilla  and the sugar into the bowl of your mixer and with the paddle attachment mix it until smooth. (Don’t whip! Just mix on the lowest speed)

Slowly add the eggs one at a time and mix well between each addition. Scrape down the sides.

Mix the egg yolk, cream and the passionfruit together and then slowly add it to the mixture. 

Mix on low/medium speed for 1-2 minutes and scrape down the aside to avoid any clumping. 

Once you have a smooth and even mixture, pour this into your cake tin/mold and bake it in your preheated oven for about 35-45 minutes (depending on size-for the mini molds reduce the time)

The cheesecake is done when it has a google “giggle” or “wabble” in the middle of the cake but still has a slightly firm touch to it. 

The cheesecake with still continue to set once left to cool down. 

Cool down at room temperature until completely cooled and place in the fridge overnight before cutting/serving. 

Happy baking! :) 

I don’t know if you are one of those people that either loves matcha or hates matcha. I clearly love it! 
Not only do I love using it in drinks but also in pastries and baked goods.

I find that it has a beautiful earthy natural flavor that is quite unique and pairs so well with so many other flavors. 

If you don’t like Matcha this might not be the drink for you. Although I find it has a well balanced flavor with the sweet/fruity strawberries and also the slightly sweet potato milk, combined with the matcha. So if you are willing to give matcha a go, then give this drink a go.

I was very curious to try the new potato milk from DUG! First time trying it… 

My opinion: It has a very neutral flavor with a slight sweet taste. It goes really well in this drink because of the slight sweetness and it doesn’t take away any flavor of the Matcha. Would recommend!

I haven’t tried frothing it, but I will test that for the next coffee drink. 

RECIPE 

85g mashed fresh strawberries
20g strawberry puree
200ml potato milk (alternatively other milk of choice)
1 tsp (2g) matcha powder (high quality)
40ml hot water
Ice cubes

Cut and mash the fresh strawberries and mix in the strawberry puree. Add this into your glass and top with ice cubes. Add strawberry slices if desired for decoration. 

Whisk the matcha powder with the hot water until clump free. Set aside.

Pour the potato milk (milk of choice) over the ice and lastly add the whisked matcha. 

Mix everything together and enjoy! 

Happy Latte making!

I can’t get enough of raspberry at the moment so I’ve decided to keep going with it. I still had some raspberry puree/berries and bananas in the freezer and let’s be honest, we all love smoothies right? 

I love having smoothies as a quick and healthy snack and it’s so easy to be creative with flavors here as well.

This smoothie is so good to drink any time of the day. To make it a breakfast type of smoothie you can add some granola (you can find the recipe here in this blog) and in addition it adds such a nice crunch, which I personally love. 

Smoothies is one of those things that there are just too many options out there and I’m definitely not going to tell you this is the best, also because it really depends on your taste. But I will tell you that this one is pretty damn good 😉 and that you should give it a go.

It’s super creamy due to the bananas and it has the perfect sweetness. In combination with the raspberry that has that slight sourness to it that for me adds the perfect balance. 

I honestly can’t wait for summer to get here when all the berries are in abundance and locally sourced. I have so many ideas for the summer! And a smoothie is just a start.  

160g (about) (2 pcs.) ripe bananas frozen
400ml plant based milk (or any milk of your choice)
10g oat flakes 
5g chia seeds
25g almond paste

150ml plant based milk
1/3 of the banana smoothie
100g frozen raspberries
100ml raspberry puree (for example: Boiron or Ponthier)

Add all of the ingredients for the banana smoothie into a blender and blend until you have a smooth and creamy texture.

Add 2/3 of the banana smoothie into glasses and set aside while you mix the other part, the raspberry smoothie (in the same blender)

Add the rest of the ingredients to your blender with the remaining 1/3 banana smoothie and repeat the process until you have a smooth and creamy consistency. 

Pour the raspberry smoothie into your glasses on top of the banana smoothie and slightly mix it until you you achieve the swirled marble look. 

Add some granola on top and fresh or frozen berries on top. Enjoy while icy cold! 

You can of course also blend everything together and achieve the same taste. With the swirl effect you have a nicer appearance and you get the flavors of the sweet banana and then alternatively some sourness from the raspberry layer. 

Happy blending! 

I mean…homemade marshmallows! Who couldn’t love them…so fluffy. So squishy. So soft and so delicious. And in my opinion so much better than store bought. 

If you like marshmallows let face it..you like sugar. I for one love them! 

You would be surprised as to how easy it is to make homemade marshmallows. It really just requires a good thermometer and a standing mixer. Plus obviously the simplest ingredients which you most likely have at home anyways. 

What I love about marshmallows is that you can really get creative with flavors. Fruity, chocolatey or a mixture of both. Sugar coated, chocolate dipped or just dusted. There are just so many options! 

I decided to go with “2 flavors-in-one” kind of fruity marshmallow just because I love the flavor combination of raspberry and passionfruit. You have the slightly sourness from the passionfruit and the sweet fruity flavor from the raspberry. 

It requires a little more time since you will have to repeat the process twice with the 2 different flavors but the end result is totally worth it. 

I just went for a simple coating of cornstarch for my marshmallows. It gives the most neutral taste and I like the smooth texture it gives to them. 

Marshmallows are very sweet in any case, even with the addition of purées, which will just give it that extra kick of flavor and balance out the sweetness a bit. 

120g sugar
80g glucose sirup (for example Sosa)
50g water
12g gelatine
2g citric acid (diluted in 1/2 tsp of water or 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
35g passionfruit puree 100% (Boiron)
20g water

120g sugar
80g glucose sirup
50g water
12g gelatine 
2g citric acid ( diluted in 1/2 tsp of water or 1/2 tsp lemon juice)
35g raspberry puree 100% (Boiron)
20g water

Instructions: 

For the passionfruit marshmallows start by soaking the gelatine leaves in ice cold water.

In a medium sauce pan weigh the glucose, sugar and water. Set aside. Start to boil once you have everything ready and weighed.

Once the gelatine is soaked, squeeze out the excess water and place them in the bowl of the stand mixer. 

In another saucepan weigh the passionfruit puree and water. Bring to a boil and pour over the gelatine. Let it dissolve for about a minute.

Place the saucepan with the glucose, sugar and water on medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Boil up to 118°C (use a thermometer to get an exact temperature) depending on your stove this can reach the temperature quickly so keep an eye on it.

When the temperature reaches about 110°C start whipping the gelatine and puree mixture on high speed so it starts creating some volume.

Once the sirup has reached 118°C take it off the heat immediately and pour in a medium stream into the  gelatine mixture while continuing to whip on high speed.  

Let the marshmallows whip for about 10-15 minutes until thick, glossy and foamy. (You don't want to overwhip your marshmallows as this will make it difficult to spread it evenly into your frame/mold) 

Once you have reached the desired consistency pour it straight into the oiled metal frame. Spread it evenly with a small palette knife and set aside to rest while preparing the same process for the raspberry marshmallows. 

Once you have prepared the raspberry marshmallows in the exact same process. Pour this directly onto the passionfruit marshmallows and spread it carefully. Flatten it with a palette knife. 
Let them rest overnight.

Before cutting them, dust the top with cornstarch and rub it on top to get a thin layer. This will make your marshmallows super easy to handle and not stick to everything. (Repeat on all sides) 

Cut your marshmallows in 3.5 x 3.5 cm cubes (see image below for other options) and roll them again in cornstarch and dust off the excess.

Store in an airtight container and/or place them in the freezer for up to 1-2 months. 

Ever once in a while I get the craving for a warm cup of hot chocolate. I don’t drink it so often but when I do it has to be really really good. And trust me..this one is!

I came upon this recipe a while ago on @nowforager and I thought “yes! This is exactly the type of hot chocolate I want.” I’m the biggest fan of the combination chocolate with citrus, especially passionfruit. 
I knew I needed to give this a try.  

This hot chocolate is divine. I absolutely love it and it will make your ordinary cocoa even more special. It has a wonderful creaminess and so frothy which then again gives it a light feel and taste when drinking.

 
I really suggest you give it a try the next time you make a cup of hot chocolate.

As for the passionfruit in this recipe I used a puree (Boiron). I always go for purées when possible because you always have consistent flavor, freshness and intense flavor. 

140g Passionfruit chocolate canache
340g milk
Pinch of salt
60g whipped cream (if desired)

170g milk chocolate ( I used Ambra 36% from Felchlin)
75g passionfruit puree (Boiron)
60g whipping cream
3g vanilla powder ( or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
25g butter, room temperature

For the canache heat the passionfruit püree to about 60°C and set aside.

Melt the chocolate over a Bain Marie (water bath) on low heat until completely melted. In a separate pot bring the cream, salt and the vanilla to almost a boil and in 3 steps add it to the chocolate.

Always add it little by little, so at the end you get a smooth and creamy texture. 

When incorporating the cream into the melted chocolate stir from the middle of the bowl in small circular motions. You don’t want to whisk it too vigorously. 

The canache will start to split but it will emulsify when you add the last bit of cream.

Once incorporated add the warm passionfruit puree and the butter. Keep incorporating until the butter has melted and you have a smooth and shiny canache.

For extra creaminess hand blend the canache for a few seconds. (make sure to not incorporate too many air bubbles. Hand blending will give you a perfect emulsion.)

Store the canache in an airtight container and keep at room temperature for a few hours until it sets. Or better you store it overnight so it can cristalize properly (store it in the fridge after 24 hours. It can keep good for up to 3 weeks)

I am loving this cashew coconut spiced granola at the moment. It is super crunchy, perfectly sweet and has a great mix of spices. 

I know that the number of granola recipes are endless and there is no one perfect granola, at least for me. There are just too many options and flavors and I like to switch and make different flavors depending on season and simply what I feel like eating.

This recipe is adapted from @aninagepp original recipe. I made with a few small changes adding some ingredients and changing the type of sweetener.  

I love the taste of coconut in my granola and combined with the super crunchy buckwheat and cashews it’s amazing. Also love the cashews in this recipe not just because of the crunch but also for the fact that they have a beautiful slight sweetness to them. 

The spices I used in this recipe are cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla and ginger. A beautiful mix! 

Make sure to use good quality spices to get the best and intense flavor. (For example for the vanilla powder I always use the one from Vanilla Dream)

As for the sweeterner in this recipe I used agave sirup instead of date sugar as in the original recipe. You can easily substitute it for another sweetener for example maple-, date- or rice sirup. Just keep in mind that that depending on the type of sirup you use you will have to adjust the amounts slightly as some are sweeter than others. Of course also depending on your preference

In any case it will taste insanely good! 

120g buckwheat, whole
25g coconut flakes (desiccated)
70g oat flakes
80g cashews, roughly chopped 
50g coconut oil, melted 
50g agave sirup
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 tsp cardamom ground
1/4 tsp ginger powder ground
1/2 tsp vanilla powder (or vanilla paste)

-Melt the coconut oil on medium/low heat. 

-Mix together the spices in a separate bowl to get an even mixture. 

-In another bowl mix together the buckwheat, oat flakes, chopped cashews, melted coconut oil and the agave sirup. Add the spices and mix well until evenly combined. (You want to have an even distribution of the spices all over)

-Place the granola on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Even it out on the tray and bake in the oven at about 160°C for about 12-15 minutes until the nuts start to turn golden brown.

-Let it cool completely before placing in an airtight container. 

-The granola can be kept up to 30 days or more.

Enjoy and happy baking!

Laura