Homemade Vanilla Extract…and Mint Extract!

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 I started researching how to make vanilla extract on the Internet, and found out that it’s pretty much just alcohol and vanilla beans! I had heard from several people how much vanilla beans are at the store so I decided to take a look on amazon. Gotta love amazon. I ended up ordering 16 beans for 10 bucks. I only needed 3, so I can use the others to make ice cream, etc. However, it was like 10 bucks for 2 at the normal grocery store. I decided to go with the bulk for the same price. When I went to the store yesterday, I peaked at how much I pay for the 4 oz pure vanilla extract….$6.79. Then I went home and calculated how much my 8 oz homemade cost me and it was 7.63. That’s over $6 in savings for the volume! Here’s the kicker: I have to wait 2 months for it to be ready to use. Once it’s finished though, I can continually add to it. For example, if I use a teaspoon, I just add another teaspoon of alcohol back to it! That makes it one of those things you have to think about pretty far in advance. :( If you do a ton of baking for Christmas, it may be worth getting a jump this summer! It can sit in your cupboard for years without going bad. The other plus was it was super easy.

Vanilla Extract

  •  3 vanilla beans
  •  8 oz vodka ( I used Absolut but you could even use rum or bourbon)

Slice the vanilla beans lengthwise and put them in a glass jar, pour the vodka over the beans. Shake occasionally throughout the months as you check on it. That’s it!

Since there really a was nothing to it, I decided to try my hand at mint extract, too since I have a mint plant that grows back uncontrollably every year and some left over vodka.

Mint extract

  •  1/4 cup mint leaves
  •  1/2 cup vodka

Put the mint leaves in a glass jar, and pour the vodka over them. Wait….ugh.

So as far as ease is concerned, it’s almost ridiculous to post a recipe, but I won’t be able to speak to how it turns out for a couple months. :(

I will say that I looked up the cost of mint extract on Walmart’s website because they were the first to pop up, and it was $3.56 for 1 oz! My 4 oz cost me $2.84!!!! That is a difference of $11.40 for the same amount! I need to start a business, people!

In case anyone was wondering, the vodka was $17.99. Between the 2 extracts, I used a fairly good portion of the 750ml, but definitely have enough to make a few cocktails, add to my vanilla later, or make some more extracts…..since I’m such an expert at this point. ;) Maybe almond extract or lemon extract would be worth trying if I wanted to venture into something more complicated.

I am going to rate making extracts on a few categories 1-5 stars with 5 being the best end of the scale.
Ease: 5
Price: 5!
Worth the trouble: 3 ( this is the lowest score because it was kind of annoying to have to look for containers that were small enough, etc. Also, you have to be on top of your game to think 2 months in advance!)
Taste: TBD

I was going to wait to do ice cream last, but I’m getting anxious, and I just might make some this week since Cathy emailed me her recipe!

Ginger Curry Cookies

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Have I lost my mind?!  Quite possibly.  The other day, I made chicken with garam masala and thought to myself: “This is savory but it has a lot of the traditional warming spices we use in baking. I wonder what it would taste like in a cookie?”  After that, I had to try it.  Since Garam Masala is more smoky and earthy in flavor, I wanted to pair it with something that had a little bit of brightness and sweetness.  Candied ginger was the perfect pairing for the garam masala!

This is not a cookie to eat when you want a sweet treat.  This is not a cookie to make when you need some for a party.  This is not a cookie that is for the faint of heart!

This is, however, a cookie that would be great for those that love curry and ethnic cuisine.  This is a cookie that is perfect for people that see interesting flavor profiles as enjoyment.  This is a cookie that will take you out of your chocolate chip cookie rut.

Ginger Curry Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 4 TBSP honey
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup chopped candied ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix all the ingredients together and bake on a lined baking sheet for 8-10 minutes.

Coconut Blueberry “Cheesecake”

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I’m the first one to say that you SHOULD NOT CALL IT CHEESECAKE IF IT DOESN’T TASTE LIKE THE REAL DEAL!  However, that doesn’t stop me from trying some of the recipes out there.  Who knows, what if the next one is ACTUALLY like REAL cheesecake?!  I’ll say that this one does a pretty good job of the texture being the same…but don’t think it will taste exactly like cheesecake.  If you don’t like coconut, this one is not for you because while the blueberry flavor shines through, you can still taste that lots of coconut products were used.  I use coconut oil and coconut butter regularly, so this doesn’t bug me at all!

The filling for this “cheesecake” is a no-bake filling.  If you want a no-bake crust, use my mousse pie crust.

Coconut Blueberry Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 cup almond flour
  • 1/2 stick butter, melted
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 Tbsp of honey or maple syrup

Filling:

  • 1 1/2 cups raw honey
  • 1 1/2 cups coconut butter
  • 1 cup coconut oil
  • 5 cups frozen blueberries
  • 6 TBSP tapioca starch
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Directions for crust:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the ingredients and press into the bottom of a springform pan.  Bake for 8 minutes. Let cool.

Directions for the filling:

Combine the honey, coconut butter, coconut oil, and frozen blueberries in a pot over low heat.  Stir occasionally until the mixture is warmed through and all the berries are thawed. Use an immersion blender to get the mixture smooth or place in the blender. Add the tapioca starch, vanilla, and salt. Blend until smooth. Pour over your crust and let set in the fridge for 12 hours.

 

Chocolate Chip Snickerdoodles

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Who doesn’t love chocolate chip cookies?  Who doesn’t love snickerdoodles?  Why can’t they make a love child?  That’s what I’ll do….crossbreed two classic cookies.  These are basically like chocolate chip cookies with cinnamon. ;)  I posted a chocolate chip cookie recipe a really long time ago, so I am posting this classic here and now.  If you just want basic chocolate chip cookies, leave out the cinnamon.

Chocolate chip Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup grassfed butter, melted
  • 3 TBSP pure maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat to 350F.  Mix together all dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients.  Fold in chocolate chips.  Drop little balls onto a lined baking sheet and press down slightly.  Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden.

Cinnamon Rolls (grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free)

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I have tried several versions of cinnamon rolls that use no wheat in the past, and I always came out with a disappointing , somewhat dry, fake cinnamon roll.  If it isn’t gonna taste like the real deal, then don’t spend the effort!  These are nice for a couple reasons, they are gooey and moist, they taste sweet and cinnamon-y, the dough rolled up easily, and they aren’t crazy expensive to make! These would be a great option for Easter Sunday morning!

The only warning I will give you is that there is some “rest time” involved.  So be prepared to let the dough chill while you enjoy some coffee, let them bake for more than 15 minutes, and put your mind somewhere else while you are letting them cool!  You could make them ahead of time and just pop them in the oven if you feel like doing all the work the night before!

Cinnamon Rolls (adapted from Detoxinista)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups arrowroot powder
  • 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut flour, sifted
  • 1/2 cup grassfed butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 eggs, whisked
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Filling:

  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the dough ingredients together until there are no clumps.  Place the dough in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to chill.

Dump the dough onto a piece of parchment paper and cover with another sheet of parchment paper.  Use a rolling pin (or a bottle of wine) to roll out the dough to an 8×11 ish rectangle.  Use a knife to cut off round edges and just pat the dough into gaps where you may need to make a corner.  Sprinkle the 1/3 cup coconut sugar on the dough and sprinkle a generous amount of cinnamon on the entire thing.  Using the edge of the parchment paper, begin to the roll the dough into a log from the end that is shorter.  Use a sharp knife to slice your log into 6-7 rolls, and transfer them onto a parchment lined round pan.

IMG_1024 This is what my dough looked like before cooking it.

(I used the pampered chef baking stone dome to cover mine)  Use aluminum foil to create a tent over the rolls. AKA just make sure the steam will stay in without anything laying on top of the rolls. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes then remove the cover and bake for another 7 until the outside of the roll have a firmness to them.

Cool for 10 minutes.

Serve with a tab of grassfed butter on top!

*Eat these warm or they won’t be as delicious.  That means right after you make them or heat them up.

*I tried a few different forms of storage and tried them all!  On the counter, in the fridge, and in the freezer.  All work great!  I just made sure to cover them in the oven at 350F for about 8-10 minutes when I reheated them so they didn’t lose too much moisture.  I do not use microwaves, but if you try that method, let us know how it turns out!

 

Carrot muff-a-cake

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I love carrot cake. I love the typical cream cheese frosting too because it is rich, creamy, and not too sweet. However, I usually only have cream cheese once a year…homemade cheesecake on my birthday! However, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the same flavors throughout the year.

What’s the different between a muffin and a cupcake? Typically it’s the sweetness and frosting. This carrot cake is not super sweet. So, it can be used as a morning muffin or you can up the sweetness and frost it in order to go the cupcake route.

Carrot cake muffins:

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup arrowroot powder (or tapioca)
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 3 eggs
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 1/2 cup grated carrots
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Preheat oven at 350F.

Whisk together dry ingredients.

Whisk together the olive oil, eggs, vanilla, syrup. Once well combined, add the carrots, walnuts, and lemon zest.

Combine the dry and wet ingredients. Distribute among 12 silicon muffin liners. Bake for 18 minutes or until set. Let cool completely before frosting.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

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I pretty much feel like I’m a vanilla expert at this point.  Ok, so that was a joke.  However, let me save you some time with my experiences.  A couple years ago, I did a “homemade month” where I decided I was going to make everything that I felt like I spent too much money on to see if it was worth the hassle.  I kept lots of those things in my routine!  Vanilla was one of them.  The only annoying thing about making vanilla is having to wait a few months to use it.  That means forethought and patience.  However, you SAVE SO MUCH MONEY!  My first batch I did with vodka.  It tasted like vanilla but not the depth of flavor that I was used to.  So, my next batch I did with bourbon.  This is the way to go.  So rich, bold, and perfect! I was also doing this in a mason jar before.  That is sort of a disaster because it gets caught up around the rim and sometimes sticks.  I found these cute flip top bottles at Meijer for nothin’.  So I decided this go round I would make my vanilla in this.

Ingredients:

  • 5 vanilla beans
  • 12 oz bourbon

Shake the bottle every few days for a couple months.

I used these ratios but really this is open to interpretation.  Use as many or as little as you want in order to get the intensity of vanilla flavor you want.  Penzey’s makes a double strength vanilla that you can use at half the dose for the same flavor or you can up your vanilla flavor by using the double strength in the same quantity the recipe calls for.  All this vanilla is, is double the amount of beans to make the same amount of extract.  Moral of the story, they more beans you add, the stronger the vanilla will be.

Nutty Chocolate Bars

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There have been a lot of takes on the peanut butter bar with chocolate.  I am all about ease and therefore, “peanut butter” cups seems a little too much work…although if I’m honest, probably no more work than these little bars of goodness.  There is just something nice about pouring it all into a pan and pulling it out on parchment paper!  These bars are rich.  The texture is slightly dense, crunchy, fudgy.  They melt in your mouth, and this is one recipe that is addicting but not in the “I could eat 100” kinda way because of the richness. My palate tends to be sensitive to how sugary something is, so if you are like me, you could easily decrease the amount of sugar in this recipe and get the same satisfaction! This is also one that can stand a TON of interpretation without issue.  Use the nuts, nut butters, and chocolate you have on hand.

Nutty Chocolate Bars

Ingredients:

  • 1 stick grassfed butter
  • 1/2 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
  • 3/4 cup coconut sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 cup nut butter (I used my own homemade almond/sunbutter)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  • 1 Tbsp of butter

Directions:

Start melting the butter over low heat in a sauce pan.  While that is melting, put the nuts and the coconut sugar in a food processor and pulse until grainy.  Once the butter is melted, pour the nuts and sugar mixture into the butter, and add the salt, vanilla, and nut butter.  Stir until thoroughly incorporated. Place parchment paper in an 8×8 dish and pour the mixture into the pan.  Let it sit in the freezer for an hour or so until solidly set.  Once set, melt the chocolate chips and add a TBSP of butter.  Pour the chocolate over the set nutty bars and tilt the pan until the chocolate is all across the top.  Put in the fridge to set for 15 minutes or so.  Cut into squares and serve!

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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I have a standard chocolate chip cookie recipe that I use as my go-to, but every once in awhile, you gotta kick it up a notch.  I have had an obsession with this chocolate bar that is made with grassfed browned butter.  When I get obsessed with a flavor profile, I tend to use it a lot in my own baking and cooking.  That’s how these were born! Browned butter gives these cookies a toffee-like flavor.  This is a crispy cookie because it has no egg or leavening agents.  So, it kind of reminds me of a perfect coffee accompaniment.  Toffee like, crispy cookie….makes you wanna go “mmmm.”  Just dated myself…oh well.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup browned grassfed butter
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a saucepan on the stove, heat over medium heat and put the butter in.  Break the butter up in the pan into smaller chunks for even melting.  As it begins to heat up, the milk solids will separate and it will begin to foam slightly.  Keep swirling the pan or stirring.  Keep a close eye.  As soon as the butter begins to turn to an amber color, take it off the heat.

Mix the almond flour, arrowroot, and salt together in a bowl.

Pour the browned butter into the dry ingredients.  Add the maple syrup and vanilla.  Mix together until a ball of dough forms. Fold in the chocolate chips.  On a lined cookie sheet, put TBSP drops of dough on the sheet and press down slightly.  These do not spread, so make sure you flatten them some. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cookie just begins to brown on the edges.

 

Lemon Thumbprint Cookies

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IMG_0811

Not a fan of chocolate?  Have no fear, these lemon thumbprint cookies are just the right sub!  I like lemon dessert, but you could easily make them blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, etc! You can just use preserves if you would like to bypass the step of making your own!  You could also go more traditional with a sweeter filling that is frosting-like.  Possibilities are endless! I used my lemon curd recipe for the middle.  The cookie is like a sugar cookie meets shortbread. Not too sweet, holds together nicely, but isn’t overwhelming in flavor so it makes a good carrier for the flavor in the thumbprint.

Thumbprint Cookie

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1 cup arrowroot powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 cup melted grassfed butter

Preheat oven to 350F.

Combine the dry ingredients. Then add the wet ingredients until you get a ball of dough.  Form them into spall golf balls and flatten them a bit.  Use your thumb to put an indent in the center.  Place just enough filling to fill the center!  Bake for 20 minutes.  Let cool before eating. ;)