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Tag Archive: Almonds

Almond Puppy Chow

Written on June 6, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

One of my favorite Trader Joe’s products is their chocolate covered almonds; once I start eating those, it’s hard to stop. Chocolate and almonds just go so well together. Just as good are their chocolate covered almonds with sea salt and tubinado sugar. Again, there’s no way you can have just one handful.

I’ve tried to make chocolate covered almonds before and they never come out as good as the ones from Trader Joe’s. But then I figured if you could make peanut puppy chow, who says you can’t do the same with almonds?!

A touch of salt really makes the flavor of these. If(but really “when”) I make these again, I plan on using a higher quality baking chocolate rather than Trader Joe’s chocolate chips since it really makes a difference in the flavor.

Almond Puppy Chow

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

4 cups roasted almonds
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup almond butter
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2-1/4 teaspoon sea salt(depending on how salty you want these)
2 Tablespoons brown sugar(optional)

Method:

Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave or over a double boiler.
Stir the almond butter into the melted chocolate to make a smooth and uniform coating.
Pour in the almonds. Move them around to coat them completely in the peanut butter and chocolate.
Scoop the almonds into a large sealable bag. Add in the powdered sugar and shake the bag until the almonds are completely covered.
Add in the salt/brown sugar if using and shake again for 10 seconds
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

If you like this recipe, you might like puppy chow peanuts, too. When I made these I made another batch of those and gave the recipe page a much needed face lift.

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Perk Me Up Trail Mix

Written on May 7, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

What I’m about to say may be sacrilegious so read on at your own risk.

I don’t really like coffee. I used to love it but now I could count on one hand the number of times I’ve drank it in the past year. I’m a much bigger fan of tea now.

The one exception is chocolate covered coffee beans. I’ve probably spent a small fortune on those alone; I really can’t get enough. I’d much rather wake up to a handful of those than a cup of coffee any day.

This trail mix has all the flavors you could want in a fancy Starbucks coffee drink: Vanilla, almond, chocolate, white chocolate, and coffee. When I do drink coffee, it’s always black, but a trail mix with just coffee beans wouldn’t be nearly as exciting. I threw in some raisins, too, because those are healthy and that makes the rest of it healthy by association, right? If you don’t want to make the vanilla sugar almonds, you can always buy flavored almonds and substitute them instead or just use regular roasted almonds.

Perk Me Up Trail Mix

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chocolate covered coffee beans
3/4 cup white chocolate
1 cup seedless raisins
2 cups vanilla sugar almonds*

*Vanilla sugar almonds

2 cups almonds
2-3 heaping Tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon oil
1 Tablespoon liquid sweetener(corn syrup, agave, maple syrup, etc.)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all of the ingredients for the almonds in a bowl and mix together.
Lay the almonds out in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes, jostling occasionally until the liquid evaporates and the almonds turn golden. Remove and let the almonds cool completely before continuing.
Toss the almonds, white chocolate, raisins, and chocolate covered coffee beans together. Store in an air-tight container for up to a month.

The best part of waking up is this in your cup.

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Homemade Tamari Almonds

Written on April 25, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Snack

I like to say I don’t have a sweet tooth, I have a mouth of sweet teeth. I don’t eat savory foods nearly as much as I should, especially not savory snacks when it’s so easy to pick up something sugar-laden or covered in chocolate. It’s not my best habit and I’d like to think I’m working on it.

These almonds are delicious and you don’t have to feel bad enjoying them on the go. I’ve seen savory almonds on supermarket shelves but rarely are they ever gluten-free. Thankfully they aren’t hard to make yourself. All you need is a little time and patience.

Like whenever you’re roasting nuts, make sure to keep an eye on these to keep them from burning.

Homemade Tamari Almonds

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups raw almonds
3 Tablespoons tamari(or soy sauce)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix the almonds, tamari, and salt thoroughly
Lay the almonds out in a single layer on a baking tray.
Roast for 20 minutes or until the moisture has boiled off, occasionally tossing the pan.
Remove and let cool completely before snacking. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

The chopsticks are completely unnecessary. But if you can pick up an almond with them then you’re definitely improving your abilities.

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Honey Almond Macaroons

Written on April 20, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Cookie recipes can be hard sometimes. You need to preheat the oven, mix the ingredients in a certain order, chill and slice the dough sometimes—it’s usually more work than I want to do for a quick sweet fix.

I love macaroons since they’re about as easy a cookie as you can make and still have a satisfying dessert to bite into. As a bonus, they’re naturally gluten-free and have a healthy dose of fats and fiber. It’s even more fun when you make them extra big like they just came from a bakery and eat them warm.

You could try to make these with an egg substitute, but definitely use some sort of binder since the almond butter alone isn’t really enough to hold them together.

Honey Almond Macaroons

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 1 1/2 dozen):

2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup almond butter
1/4 cup honey
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
Either fill an ice cream scoop with dough and release as mounds on a lined baking tray OR roll balls of dough in your hands, flattening one side and placing it on the baking tray.
Bake for 15-17 minutes until the outside has browned slightly.
Remove from the oven and let cool.

These aren’t too sweet, so I like a little extra honey drizzled on top. They’d be perfect for dessert with some tea or coffee.

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Green Bean Almondine Quinoa

Written on April 18, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Side Dish

Green beans are definitely not the sexiest of vegetables. I think they took a hit in the 50s when green bean casseroles were all the rage and they never really recovered from that. That’s a shame because cooked just right they can be delicious!

I love the idea of pairing green beans and almonds. But that alone doesn’t sound particularly enticing since it’s been done to death. I thought I’d try mixing that in with quinoa, since it’s filling and all the rage these days. This is a much heartier side dish that’s bright and flavorless and doesn’t taste dated.

If fresh green beans aren’t available, look for frozen green beans, which will have a better taste and texture than canned.

Green Bean Almondine Quinoa

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 6-8 servings):

2 cups dry quinoa, washed and rinsed
1/2 pound green beans, trimmed and washed
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shaved or slivered almonds

Method:

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions(I usually cook mine with 2 parts water to 1 part quinoa).
While the quinoa is cooking, cut the green beans into a bite-sized length. Steam the green beans until they turn a bright green color and are cooked through.
When the quinoa is fully cooked, turn off the heat and stir in the beans, olive oil, lemon juice, and salt.
Move the quinoa to a serving bowl and garnish with the almonds. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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White Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark

Written on April 16, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

After Friday’s post you might be a little sick of hearing about bark but hopefully this recipe will change your mind.

White chocolate has been slowly but surely growing on me over the past few months. It’s so sweet and smooth; I don’t love it on its own but with other flavors it’s the perfect touch. Of course you can’t beat dark chocolate and cherries together, but there’s no reason white chocolate can’t join in the party, too.

I added some almonds to this, too, since it felt like it needed something sort of neutral and crunchy. Plus, almonds make this healthy, right? If you don’t have shaved almonds, you could use slivered, crushed, or even whole ones.

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Bark

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients:

1/2 pound white chocolate
1/2 pound semi-sweet or bitter-sweet chocolate
1/2 cup sweetened or unsweetened dried cherries
1/2 cup shaved almonds

Method:

Start by melting either the white or dark chocolate—whichever you want to be the base of the bark(I started with the white)—in a microwave or over a double boiler. Melt until completely smooth.
Lay the chocolate out in a thin layer on a non-stick surface like parchment paper.
Melt the other chocolate and carefully spread it on top of the first layer, gently swirling the two together with a utensil.
Sprinkle on the cherries and the almonds all over the chocolate and press them in lightly with your hand.
Refrigerate the chocolate for about 20 minutes until it has completely hardened.
Break the chocolate into 16-20 pieces. Store for up to 2 weeks.

This isn’t going to last long; I can ~~taste~~ feel it.

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Triple Nut Bark

Written on March 13, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

Thanks so much for your feedback on my last post; cover photo #2 was the clear winner. I probably would have picked #3 myself so I’m glad I asked and got different opinions.

On Sunday I wanted to make bark but couldn’t think of what recipe to make. Then I remembered one I made way back at the start of this blog that sounded delicious and decided it’d be a perfect chance to update the recipe and the photos.

It’s funny to think the last time I made this I was using a point + shoot and now I have a digital camera with 4 different lenses. It’s definitely an expensive hobby, but so much fun to get into.

Don’t have parchment paper? You can use a brown paper bag as a non-stick surface. It’s saved me from sticking chocolate many many times.

Triple Nut Bark

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 Minutes

Ingredients(Makes 15-20 servings):

12oz semi-sweet chocolate or chocolate chips
3oz(3/4 cup) peanuts*
3oz(3/4 cup) almonds*
3oz(3/4 cup) cashews*
Coarse sea salt(optional)

*Roasted nuts will be more flavorful than raw one, but either will yield a tasty result

Method:

Melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler.
Spread the chocolate out in a thin layer on a non-stick surface.
Evenly distribute the peanuts, almonds, and cashews over the chocolate and press them in lightly.
Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.
Refrigerate for 10-20 minutes until the bark has hardened. Remove it and break the bark into individual servings.
Store refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

The more sea salt on this, the better. It’s totally optional but a must if you love salty-sweet desserts.

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Salted Chocolate Almond Clusters

Written on February 22, 2012 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert

I have a slight addiction to chocolate covered almonds. Whenever I get a tub from Trader Joe’s, it doesn’t last long. Sure, they’re somewhat healthy with almonds, but I could put them away like they’re their own food group. Besides, they cost way more than chocolate and almonds should.

This was my effort at making my own. These clusters were incredibly easy to make and tasted just as good as the store-bought ones. I would recommend using a good tasting, high-quality chocolate like Scharffen Berger of Valrhona since the flavor really matters when there are so few ingredients. The salt on top was the perfect added punch of flavor.

For a different flavor, add coarse turbinado sugar on top, or mix a flavor like cinnamon or chile powder into the melted chocolate.

Salted Chocolate Almond Clusters

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes(allow 30 minutes to cool)

Ingredients(Makes about 10 clusters):

6oz good quality semi-sweet or bitter-sweet baking chocolate
5oz almonds, raw or roasted
Coarse sea salt

Method:

Carefully melt the chocolate in a microwave or over a double boiler.
Add in the almonds and stir them in.
Drop a tablespoon of chocolate almonds into a small cupcake tin. You could also make these flat like bark by laying it onto non-stick parchment paper.
Sprinkle course sea salt on top of the almonds.
Either let these harden at room temperature or—for a faster method—harden these in the refrigerator.
Store at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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Chocolate Mint Almond Butter

Written on December 21, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Miscellaneous

Have you tried Justin’s chocolate almond butter? Don’t because you might never want to eat anything else. It’s really terrific. I just love the combination of chocolate and almonds; I figured this could only be made better with mint, and I think I was right.

This is another super easy do-it-yourself gift for foodies(vegan and gluten-free!) or a treat for yourself. I can’t believe how good this is in the morning in a bowl of oatmeal. I used Trader Joe’s creamy unsalted almond butter to get things going a little quicker, but you can also make it from raw or roasted almonds for a fully homemade treat.

Mint Chocolate Almond Butter

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes about 16oz):

12oz(3 cups) almonds OR 12oz(1 1/2 cups) natural almond butter
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon mint extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Method:

Put the almonds into a food processor and blend until smooth and runny. If you’re starting with almond butter, skip this step and just scrape the almond butter into the food processor.
Add in the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and mint extract and blend until completely emulsified.
Scrape the almond butter into a seal-tight jar. Store at room temperature for up to a month.

If you want to eat this off of a spoon, I wouldn’t judge; there’s been plenty of that this week.

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Double Take: Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Written on November 4, 2011 by Wannabe Chef in Dessert, Photography

One of my most popular recipes on this site is the almond flour chocolate chip cookies. I never understood why it was so popular; sure, it’s a good recipe. But it didn’t get too much attention when I posted it and the pictures weren’t that great. It all made sense one day when I realized it was the #1 google search result for “almond flour cookies” and “almond flour chocolate chip cookies”. Well I felt humbled.

Ever since I found that out, I’ve been wanting to make these again and take better photos. I mean, if people I don’t know are visiting this website, it’s good to make the best first impression you can, right?

It also so happens that this week was one of my good friend’s birthday, and homemade baked goods sounded like a great gift from someone whose home is 2000 miles away from campus. So cookies it was, with about twice as many chocolate chips as the recipe calls for because who wouldn’t love that for their birthday?

A funny thing happened when I made these this time around: They didn’t spread out nearly as much as I expected, making more of a doughball than a cookie. The taste and texture was nearly the same cooked either way: Crispy on the outside and soft and chewy on the inside. As long as they taste good, I don’t mind so much how they came out.

And then I held on to them just long enough to get these photographs + more before I gift wrapped them and handed them off to the birthday girl. If you want to see more photographs and the recipe, click over to the original recipe page. These make great birthday cookies or just anytime cookies. Of course they’re gluten-free, and also fairly low in sugar for a cookie(since almond flour is naturally sweet) and grain-free, too.

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