Chilled Piña Colada Soup

When my Mom told me she had a sore throat this morning, I thought it might be nice for her to have something cool and soothing to eat.  It is a hot day and even if she weren't feeling under the weather, we both couldn't imagine eating or drinking anything hot this morning.  I had some leftover pineapple juice and coconut milk, so I thought immediately...Piña Colada!  Not the overly sugared alcoholic drink though, a chilled soup sweetened with the fruit itself! 

So I added a banana I also had, a dash of vanilla, and a little cashew butter, and voila!  A tropical sweet healthy treat fit to sooth a sore throat as well as put a smile on anyone's face who wasn't feeling well.  Mom loved it, and that was the most important part! 

I have to admit, it was rather refreshing and I will have to make it again when I am feeling like a healthy dessert or last course with a tropical note.  It is super simple, but that is what is best about it!  No need to slave over a hot stove or oven for something delicious in this hot weather!  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some as well! 

Chilled Piña Colada Soup

Serves 2

Soup:

1 small banana

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup pineapple juice

1/2 cup coconut mik

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 Tbsp cashew butter

2 Tbsp lime juice

1 Tbsp lime juice

pinch of sea salt

additional coconut milk for garnish

toasted large flake coconut for garnish

Place all soup ingredients in a blender (except garnishes), and blend until smooth.  Pour into 2 bowls, and top with a little coconut milk, toasted coconut and mint leaves for garnish. 

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream

I was an odd child when it came to certain types of foods.  Cereal was one of them.  I never wanted to eat  a bowl of cereal for breakfast usually opting for a nutri-grain bar or toaster streudel.  But there was one exception...Cinnamon Toast Crunch!  I would beg my Mom to buy it for me in the grocery store.  There was something about the cinnamon and sugar combination that I just loved!  She didn't always give in and buy it because afterall, it isn't the healthiest thing, but when she did it was a treat!  It reminded me of the cinnamon toast that she also made for me when I was little, which was always so comforting and had the same cinnamon sugar goodness.  I have to admit I hadn't eaten Cinnamon Toast Crunch in probably 15 years...that is until this week.  I acquired a bag of "natural" cinnamon toast crunch, which I wasn't even aware was available, but it is sold at the health food store where I work in the deli.  I was skeptical at first when I looked at the bag of what was supposedly a healthier knock off of the cereal, but when I tasted it, I was brought back to childhood.  The crunch, the sweet cinnamon sugar flavor, I hadn't realized I had missed it until now. 

I suppose I could have just eaten it, but being the type to experiment with food in odd ways, I was wondering how it would taste in ice cream.  I was making ice cream that night, and a Cinnamon Toast Crunch one was sounding rather delicious! 

If you think about it, the ice cream is a vehicle just like the milk right?  And how else could I justify eating a sugary cereal other than in a dessert?  It was wonderful! 

The cool creamy ice cream flavored like the cereal and with chunks of crunchy cinnamon sugar cereal goodness!  It got a little soggy after sitting a few days, but it was still good, and just reminded me of eating the cereal with milk, and garnished it with a few more from the bag. 

Cereal in ice cream may sound wierd, but it was one of the most delicious experiments I have tasted!  If you like something a little different, try it out for yourself!

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Ice Cream 

Makes 5 cups

Ice Cream:

1 cup lite coconut milk, chilled

2 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

1 cup cinnamon toast crunch cereal

3/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cardamom

2 Tbsp cassia cinnamon

2 cups crushed cinnamon toast crunch cereal

more cereal for garnish, if desired

Combine all ingredients, (except for 2 cups of crushed cinnamon toast crunch) in a blender and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, stir in 2 cups crushed cinnamon toast crunch and pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.  Best if eaten the next day, but still wonderful after a few, the cereal just won't be as crisp.  Garnish with additional cereal if desired.

White Peach and Rainier Cherry Cobbler with Lavander Scented Almond Biscuits

The white peaches seem to be extra heavenly this year.  Their light and sweet subtle flavor is like no other stone fruit.  It was sort of a random thing that I ended up with a bunch of them, because last weekend as I was making my way around the produce department they were the only type of peach or nectarine that was very ripe and ready to be used in a cobbler right away. 

I was planning on making one that afternoon to take over to Scott's to enjoy for dessert later that night, and I wanted the sweetest ripest fruit possible, not some that needed to ripen for a few days.  Once I got them home and tasted one, I was glad I had bought them, as their flavor was so different than regular peaches, more sweet and light.  Their blush reminded me of the beautiful rainier cherries that I also had on hand, and so I decided that they would be perfect paired together in a cobbler.  So that was what type of cobbler I decided must be made.  But the two blushing heavenly fruits needed a proper lightly scented biscuit topping, so I decided a bit of toasted almonds and a bit of lavander would be perfect! 

The cobblers baked up beautifully, and smelled wonderful when I pulled them out of the oven.  Of course I had to wait to taste them until I was able to enjoy them with Scott later, but it was well worth the wait.  The jammy peaches and cherries had a beautiful sweetness and the dash of vanilla and lemon I had added was the perfect touch!  The biscuits smelled of lavander, and had the crunch of toasted almonds, perfect with the sweet fruit layer.  I served them warm with a bit of ice cream I had made and they were delicious!  I love a warm dessert with cool ice cream to top it off, so comforting, especially when shared!  If you have access to white peaches and rainier cherries, you must try this!  Here is the recipe so you can enjoy it! 

White Peach and Rainier Cherry Cobbler with Lavander Scented Almond Biscuits

Serves 2 generously

Fruit:

6 medium organic white peaches, cut into bite sized pieces

16 oz fresh organic rainier cherries, quartered
2 Tbsp agave nectar

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp lemon zest
juice of one lemon

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

biscuit topping:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup maple sugar, or granulated sugar

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

4 Tbsp cold Earth Balance vegan butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup cold full fat coconut milk (chilled in the fridge is best), mixed well

2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp almond extract

1 Tbsp dried lavander flowers

1 cup toasted sliced almonds

turbinado sugar for sprinkling

Two 5 or 6 inch wide ovenproof bowls or pie plates

Preheat oven to 400 degrees with the rack at the center position. Place a baking sheet lined with foil on the rack. Spray two 5 or 6 inch wide pie plates or bowls with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss together the fruit, agave nectar, lemon juice and zest, vanilla, flour. Spoon into prepared bowls or pie plates, and cover with foil. Place plates on baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes until fruit is cooked through and bubbling.
Meanwhile, when the fruit in the oven is almost at 45 min, to make biscuits, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until the mixture starts to clump into pea sized pieces. In a small bowl, stir the vanilla and almond extract into the coconut milk. Add the milk to the dough, and stir a few times, but do not overmix. The dough should hold together when squeezed, but still be clumpy. fold in lavander and almonds until evenly distributed. Place dough on a floured work surface, and pat into a 1/2 inch tall circle.

Remove baking fruit from oven. Cut small hearts out of the dough using a cookie cutter, and place on top of the cobblers.  When all biscuits are on top of cobblers, sprinkle with turbinado sugar and return to the oven. Bake for about 20 minutes

until biscuits are cooked through and lightly brown and toasted on top (keep a close eye on they could burn very quickly). Remove from oven and let cool until warm, and top with some ice cream...enjoy!

Vegan Gorilla Cookies

When I was little I was scared of gorillas.  I think I remember crying when the gorilla at Chucky Cheese came out to sing, and at the Zoo, being frightened by the humongous ape pounding on the glass across from me.  I have since gotten over my fear and now I find gorillas to be quite comical.  I was at Como Zoo last week with Scott, and found it quite amusing to watch the primates.   They are so comical and they don't even realize it...or maybe they do, hamming it up for the visitors watching them from across the fence.  Either way, they can get away with doing things that would be considered unacceptable if humans did them in public which is quite funny.  So, why the random post on gorillas? 

Well, it all has to do with some delicious cookies I made on Friday.  I had made some a couple weeks ago called "Chunky Monkey Cookies", containing bananas, almond brittle and chocolate chips, and they were so good that I thought I would try another take on them. 

A vegan banana chocolate cookie base filled with chunks of crunchy pecan brittle and dark chocolate chips.  In contrast to the "Chunky Monkey Cookies" they looked like gorillas due to the decadent dark chocolate and the fact that they had morphed into something larger...I am a sucker for big cookies.  

I have to say the dough was wonderful...I enjoyed way too much of it while I was shaping the cookies to be baked.  I probably looked like a gorilla all primative eating the dough and not caring if I had it on my face and hands. It was fudgy and chocolaty, and I could have eaten it as was, but then it wouldn't have been cookies would it?  They smelled wonderful while baking, like brownies with praline. 

They were delicious warm with the chocolate chips all gooey and the brittle all nutty and crunchy and salty in the soft banana chocolate base. They were very addictive!  So I decided that I needed to share some, and those I shared them with seemed to agree with me.   I have included the recipe so you can enjoy them as well!

Vegan Gorilla Cookies

(chocolate banana cookies with salty crunchy pecan brittle and chocolate chips)

makes 1 1/2 dozen

Cookies:
1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread at room temperature

2 medium well mashed very ripe organic bananas

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp maple extract
1/2 tsp banana extract
1/2 cup agave nectar
2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp fleur de sel sea salt
1 12 oz bag vegan chocolate chips
2 cups pecan brittle*, chopped
1 cup sliced toasted pecans

In a large bowl, combine buttery spread and coconut oil with sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the bananas, vanilla extract, almond extract, banana extract and agave nectar until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined. Mix in the chocolate, brittle and pecans, and place in the fridge to chill until firm. To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart (refrigerate unused dough while baking the other trays). Bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Salted Pecan Brittle:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups sliced Pecans

Fleur de sel

Lay out a piece of foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Heat sugar over high heat in a non-stick skillet with 2 tsp sea salt, until sugar begins to melt.  Stir with a rubber spatula to evenly melt sugar and add pecans.  Stir to coat, and pour onto foil, spreading into a thin layer.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool completely.  Break into pieces (very small if using for cookies).

Vanilla Maple Nectarine Ice Cream

Most of the time, we think of hugs as being warm.  They make us happy, and comfort us, warming us from the inside out.  Kind of like comfort food, it is like a big warm hug to our stomach.  Well, most of the time that is.  This week has been icreadibly warm and humid across most of the country and Minnesota is no exception.  Although real hugs are always welcome on my end even in hot weather, warm comfort food hugs are not.  And this is why I decided that a cold comfort food hug from ice cream was perfectly acceptable. 

Why not consider ice cream a comfort food?  Afterall, when I eat it, I am reminded of childhood and summers past, letting the soothing creamy frozen dessert melt on my tongue and cool my body.  It is just what is needed to make me feel more comfortable when it is 98 degrees outside and the dewpoint is in the mid 70s.  My oven has not run for most of the week, but my ice cream maker doesn't heat up the house. 

When deciding what type of ice cream to make yesterday, I knew I wanted something filled with delicious fruit.  I had a bunch of ripe nectarines begging to be used, which was perfect!  Not wanting to override the flavor of the nectarines, but still wanting to add another flavor element, I decided to add the delicate scent of vanilla to the ice cream as well as a bit of maple.  The base tasted wonderful!

The only bad part of the ice cream making process was having to wait over night for it to ripen in the freezer and be scoopable.  It was well worth the wait though, let me tell you!  The flavor was unlike any other ice cream I have tasted, it had its own unique sweetness from the ripe nectarines, and smelled wonderful with the beautiful scents of vanilla and maple. 

After having a large bowl, I can assure you that this is summer comfort food at its best.  Maybe you need some comfort food to give you a little break from the heat.  Here is the recipe if you would like to try some!

Vanilla Maple Nectarine Ice Cream

Makes 6 cups

Ice Cream:

3 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

2 cups diced ripe organic nectarines

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/2 cup agave nectar

1 tsp maple extract

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

seeds of one vanilla bean

1/4 tsp sea salt

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

Honeydew Martini

Nothing says summer like cooling honeydew melon.  It is so fragrant with its sweet, almost floral aroma when you cut into it's pale green flesh.  When I was little I remember my Mom saying that her favorite summer "smoothie" was just blended up plain melon, no sweetener needed.  I think she was onto something.  I had a honeydew sitting on my counter, and just begging to be eaten.  However, as much as I love it plain, I thought it would make a lovely pale green martini to refresh me on a hot smmer afternoon. 

I also had some fresh mint and lemons which I thought would pair nicely with the sweet fruit.  I used a gin base, because I thought the fragrant liquor would complement the melon well, and added a bit of amaretto for something special. 

I love being able to create my own drinks and experiment with flavors of seasonal fruits, it is so much better than traveling somewhere to buy an expensive drink.  Although, I would have paid $12 for this if I had seen it on a drink menu...it was delicious!  It was just the right amount of sweetness from the melon, the scent of citrus, florals and almonds whafting up to my nose as I drank it.  So refreshing and so heavenly as only fresh melon can be.  If you haven't gotten your hands on honeydew this summer, go get some, and better yet, try out this drink! 

Honeydew Martini

Makes 1

4-6 large ice cubes

6 fresh mint leaves
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 oz Gin

1 oz amaretto

2 oz strained honeydew melon puree 

2 Tbsp honey syrup*
1/2 oz lemon juice

In a martini shaker add the ice, and muddle with mint, then add gin, amaretto, melon puree, honey syrup, and lemon juice, and place top on shaker. Shake until well blended. Pour through a strainer into a chilled martini glass, and serve!
 

*Honey Syrup:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup honey

Heat water until boiling, remove from heat and whisk in honey, until it is dissolved. Chill well before using in drinks. Makes 1/2 cup syrup

Raspberry Birthday Cake

Every year, I have to make myself a Birthday cake.  I suppose I could relax and just let someone else make me one or buy me one, but then I wouldn't be getting exactly the cake I wanted.  I waited pretty much until the last minute this year to decide on my cake, and ended up picking red velvet raspberry.  But the red velvet part was not meant to be I guess.  I mixed up my red velvet batter, which actually contains red beets because they keep the cake wonderfully moist and in the past have added a lot of lovely red color, but this time for some reason when I baked the cakes up they emerged from the oven brown!  They smelled wonderful, but had you not known they contained beets you would have guessed vanilla cake.  I was bummed at first, but then I decided that it was ok to not have a red velvet cake. 

A lovely raspberry cake would do just fine!  I filled the layers with raspberry laced cream cheese and home made vanilla scented raspberry jam, and decorated the cake with pink cream cheese frosting.  I always feel like a little kid at play when decorating cakes, and every time I do, I am reminded of why I enjoy making my own instead of buying them.  The best part of decorating afterall is eating the extra frosting!  The cake was delicious, the layers of creamy raspberry and sweet tart jam complimenting the vanilla cake so well, with the sweet smooth frosting to top it off! 

It turned out pretty delicious for something that was a bit of a mistake to begin with!  Nobody else noticed that it was supposed to be red velvet, and as I was enjoying it on Saturday night with Scott, I was reminded that Birthday's aren't just about cake, but celebrating with those that you enjoy most!  I think we both ate way too much because it was pretty hard not to eat a huge piece, but hey Birthday's are for indulging right?  I think I will have to make it again before another birthday rolls around!  I have included the recipe if you would like to try some! 

Raspberry Birthday Cake

Makes 1 6 inch 4 layer cake

Cake:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup maple sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt
3/4 cup cooked red beet puree*
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp raspberry juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice

Filling:
1 8 oz pkg vegan cream cheese (such as tofutti)
1/2 cup vanilla scented raspberry jam*
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
a pinch of sea salt

Frosting:
2 8 oz pkgs vegan cream cheese (such as Tofutti)
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp agave nectar

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
a large pinch of sea salt
natural red food coloring

fresh raspberries for garnish

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position rack in center of oven. Line two six-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper and pan sides with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar in a large bowl to blend well. Whisk beet puree, oil, vanilla extract, and raspberry  juice together in small bowl to blend well, then whisk into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in lemon juice and stir quickly (pale swirls will be in the batter, which is the baking soda reacting with the vinegar, which allows the cake to rise since there are no eggs). Transfer cake batter to prepared pan and bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack, about 1 hour. Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto platter; peel off parchment paper. Let cool completely, then place in the fridge to chill until very cold to make slicing easier (since cakes with no eggs crumble easier). When chilled, slice cakes horizontally in half so that you have 4 layers.

To make filling, beat together cream cheese and jam with vanilla and sea salt until smooth.  Place in the fridge to stay cool. 
To make frosting, beat cream cheese in a large bowl until very fluffy and smooth, Then beat in remaining ingredients until well blended, and add red food coloring to tint to desired shade of pink. To assemble cake, place a layer of cake on a plate, and spoon 2 Tbsp raspberry jam over, spreading almost to sides.  Then spoon a heaping 1/2 cup filling over, almost to the sides, then top with another cake layer and repeat. Top with another cake layer, another jam and fillling layer, then the top cake layer. Spread the frosting over the top and the sides of the cake, and pipe some of it decoratively on top of the cake and at the base, using a pastry bag.  Decorate the cake with fresh berries.  Chill the cake at least a few hours to set filling before serving.

*if you would like a 4 layer 9 inch cake, double this entire recipe and bake in two 9 inch cake pans.

Vanilla Scented Raspberry Agave Jam
Makes 2 cups

2 bags frozen raspberries 12 oz each
3/4 cups agave nectar
Juice of one large lemon
a pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla bean

Lightly blend strawberries, agave nectar, and lemon juice in blender (you want to keep it chunky). Pour mixture into a pot and add salt.  Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise with a sharp knife, and scrape the seeds out.  Throw the seeds and bean into the pot.  Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer.  Let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour jam into an air tight container. Jam will store in your refrigerator for several months.

Arnold Palmer Ice Cream

As it is National Ice Cream Day, I thought that it was only appropriate to share a recent ice cream creation that I had made with you.  Arnold Palmer ice cream.  I came up with this flavor because when the hot days of summer arrive, my fridge always has to be stocked with a pitcher of the tea and lemonade combination.  It is a tradition that my Mom started a few years ago when we discovered how good Arnold Palmer made with Good Earth Original tea was.  It is so sweet on it's own that all that needs to be added to it is water and lemon juice, no sugar or honey needed! 

It is sooo good that last week I decided that ice cream base infused with the tea and flavored with the tartness of lemon would be better!  Afterall, when I think of summer I think of drinking Arnold Palmers and eating ice cream.  So I took my vegan ice cream base, let the tea steep in the coconut milk overnight and added plenty of lemon juice and zest to give it that pop of flavor that I love.   I suppose the tea/lemonade combination itself would make a wonderful granita, but I am more of a fan of creamy ice cream than slushies.  

It was wonderful!  The Good Earth tea gave it such a delicious background of spices that paired wonderfully with the refreshing lemon in the creamy coconut milk base.  I enjoyed a large amount last night and it so incredibly cooling and just what I needed after being outside in 90 degree humid Minnesota heat.  Do yourself a favor and make some ice cream today!  Or if you don't have an ice cream maker...go buy some!  Happy National Ice Cream Day! 

Arnold Palmer Ice Cream 

Makes 5 cups

Ice Cream:

1 cup lite coconut milk

6 Good Earth Original tea bags

2 cups organic full fat coconut milk, chilled

3/4 cup agave nectar

1/4 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp lemon zest

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp lemon extract

2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon

Bring the lite coconut milk to a boil, pour into a glass measuring cup and place tea bags in it to steep.  cover and let sit overnight in the fridge.  Squeeze liquid out of tea bags back into the measuring cup, and discard bags.  Pour into a blender along with all other ingredients and process until well blended.  Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to package directions (mine takes about an hour, and is still a little soupy like the consistency of a malt, but firms up in the freezer later). Once processed, pour into freezable container with a lid, and place in the freezer for at least a few hours, or overnight to firm up for best results.

Birthday Cake Martini

Today I am 26 years old, but I don't feel a day over 18.  Which is fine because I refuse to get old, and I never want to be boring. I decided that today I wanted to take a day for myself, and just relax, get a haircut, a massage, and bake myself a Birthday cake.  Afterall, I have the whole weekend to celebrate with friends and family, since we all get a Birthday week right?  Which is exactly why I took a week vacation from work.  It is a good thing I didn't have any outdoor activities planned until the weekend, because today it was raining all day with hardly a dry moment.  The perfect day to stay indoors and bake a cake however.  I decided to bake myself birthday cake to enjoy with family and friends tomorrow, which will appear on my blog later, but I did have some Birthday treats today as well.  While the cake was in the oven, I thought, why not make a Birthday martini. 

I normally don't go for the overly sweet ones, but hey, it is my Birthday!  I wanted it to be the essence of classic Birthday cake, sweet and lots of vanilla flavor with a hint of almond, since in my family my Mom and Grandma always put a little almond extract into vanilla sweets.  I garnished it with colorful nonpareils, because who didn't love sprinkles on their Birthday cake as a kid? 

It was delicious as well, sweet and fragrant with vanilla and almond, smooth from the addition of the creamy coconut milk remeniscent of vanilla frosting...it was heavenly!  It was grown up, but had a playful element as well, sort of like me!  Just because you are 26...50...or even 75, it doesn't mean you have to feel like you are! 

Birthday Cake Martini

Makes 1

For rim:
2 Tbsp nonpareils

1 Tbsp agave nectar

4-6 large ice cubes
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 oz Prairie Organic Vodka

1 oz amaretto
2 Tbsp vanilla bean syrup*
1/4 cup full fat coconut milk

To make rim, spread nonpareils out on a small plate. Coat the rim of the martini glass with the agave syrup by dipping it into it on a plate, then dip the agave coated rim into the sugar and set aside. In a martini shaker add the ice, vodka, amaretto, vanilla bean syrup, and coconut milk, and place top on shaker. Shake until well blended. Pour through a strainer into a chilled martini glass, and serve!
 

*Vanilla Bean Syrup:

1/4 cup water
1/4 cup agave nectar
seeds of one vanilla bean

Heat water until boiling, remove from heat and whisk in agave nectar and vanilla beans, until nectar is dissolved. Chill well before using in drinks. Makes 1/2 cup syrup

Vegan Chunky Monkey Cookies

In my house, food never goes to waste...especially delicious food such as salted almond brittle!  I had made some salted almond brittle to use as a garnish on a dessert I had made, then assembled the dessert, served it, and long after it was eaten I realized the bowl of almond brittle was still sitting on my counter!  I guess that is what happens when I am doing too many things at a time... and at least nobody noticed because the rest of the dessert was so good.  Now, you may wondering why I didn't just eat the almond brittle.  Well, honestly I cannot justify eating a large amount of something so sweet and sugary on its own (which I would, because this brittle was addictive, and dangerous to leave on the counter).  What I can justify however is dispersing it into something else delicious such as vegan cookies, and spreading the intense sweetness out! 

I thought the brittle would add a nice salty caramelly, nutty tasting crunch to a cookie, and if I added chocolate with it, even better!  Now, I thought about using an oatmeal cookie base, but decided instead that a banana base would be delicious!  I had acquired some over ripe bananas which were sitting on the counter begging to be made into cookies! 

I mixed up the dough, and I cannot tell you enough how delicious that alone was...as I snacked on a large amount of it.  After all it is vegan so no risk of contamination for eggs!  The cookies smelled wonderful while baking, like banana bread with nutty toffee.  Once they were cool enough to taste I dove into one...well maybe a few more because they were so good warm, and they were fabulous! 

A soft cookie with the flavor of banana, crunch of toffee and nutty almonds made more intense with sea salt, and bursts of chocolate flavor from the melty chips.  I was going to give them a rather straight forward name, but that changed when I gave my Mom one and she exclaimed..."Mmm...these are sooo good!  Like chunky monkey cookies!"  So I decided that they needed to be called "Chunky Monkey Cookies".  She had hard time believing they were vegan, as you could not tell they contained no butter or eggs.  Now, I suppose if you wanted to make these and didn't want to go through the trouble of making the brittle, you could substitute peanut brittle, but I encourage you to make the almond.  It is really not that difficult and more delicate than the peanut.  Here is the recipe if you would like to experience the deliciousness for yourself! 

Vegan Chunky Monkey Cookies

(banana cookies with salty crunchy almond brittle and chocolate chips)

makes 1 1/2 dozen

Cookies:
1 cup maple sugar, or granulated organic sugar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup Earth Balance vegan buttery spread at room temperature

2 medium well mashed very ripe organic bananas

1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp banana extract
1/2 cup agave nectar

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp fleur de sel sea salt
1 12 oz bag vegan chocolate chips
2 cups almond brittle*, chopped
1 cup sliced toasted almonds

In a large bowl, combine buttery spread and coconut oil with sugar and beat until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the bananas, vanilla extract, almond extract, banana extract and agave nectar until well combined. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, then add to the large bowl, and mix until well combined. Mix in the chocolate, brittle and almonds, and place in the fridge to chill until firm. To bake, Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Roll balls into about 2 inch balls, and place on prepared cookie sheets a couple inches apart (refrigerate unused dough while baking the other trays). Bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and just starting to brown slightly. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan a few minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining cookies.

Salted Almond Brittle:
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp sea salt
1 1/2 cups sliced almonds
Fleur de sel

Lay out a piece of foil and spray with non-stick spray.  Heat sugar over high heat in a non-stick skillet with 2 tsp sea salt, until sugar begins to melt.  Stir with a rubber spatula to evenly melt sugar and add almonds.  Stir to coat, and pour onto foil, spreading into a thin layer.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel and let cool completely.  Break into pieces (very small if using for cookies)