The White Ramekins

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Vanilla Almond Milk & Espresso Granola

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vanilla almond milk espresso granola

I am back with another drink recipe, because soon it’s going to change to sveltering Summer from the amazingly pleasant Spring. And right when you’d need more water replenishment for your body. It was last week only when it was amazingly pleasant, the kind of weather you’d expect to remain throughout the year. And within a matter of couple of days, it has started getting warmer now. I generally am not a fan of fizzy drinks in summers. I would rather splurge on a glass of calming buttermilk or a glass of fresh lemonade. That reminds me of the Strawberry and Orange Lemonade I made last week. I am still dreaming of it’s tangy and refreshing flavor. And I am happy that I have stashed away a big bag of strawberries in my freezer so that I can enjoy that lovely lemonade again when it is going to be extremely hot and I would need it terribly. Thanks to the summers, I am onto a constant search for new and refreshing drinks recipes. This time I am here with this pure and soothing vanilla almond milk. Oh my, I have become a great fan of this. This requires the almonds to be soaked in water overnight and I believe that mostly every Indian would have some connect with the overnight soaked almonds. We used to be fed soaked almonds in months of winters by our parents, for their purity and health benefits. And I like to chew on those lovely nibbles all through out my day during those days. Those memories make me so nostalgic and I wish that time could come back when you would know for sure that you’ve been taken care of. This soothing and light vanilla almond milk is one such drink which would take you down the memory lanes and you’d surely feel better after having this. I infused the milk with fragrant vanilla beans. You could use any spice you like; cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom or rose water for that matter. Because, breakfast is the time, when I like to sip on a glass of milk, I made this nutty espresso granola to make it a perfect power packed start of the day. Homemade granola is incomparable and you know what you are eating. You’ve got to try it once to believe it, if you haven’t baked your own granola at home yet. 

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

vanilla almond milk espresso granola

 

Vanilla Almond Milk & Espresso Granola
Vanilla Almond Milk & Espresso Granola
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For Vanilla Almond Milk
  1. 1 cup whole almonds
  2. 2 cups water, plus more for soaking
  3. Sweeteners like honey, sugar, agave syrup, or maple syrup, to taste,optional
  4. 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped.
For Espresso Granola
  1. 2 cup rolled oats (not instant or quick-cooking)
  2. 1 cup almonds, roughly chopped
  3. 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  4. 1/4 tsp salt
  5. 1 tbsp instant espresso powder
  6. 1/4 cup olive oil
  7. 1/3 cup honey / maple syrup
  8. 2 tsp vanilla extract
For Vanilla Almond Milk
  1. Place the almonds in a bowl and cover with about an inch of water. They will plump as they absorb water. Let stand, uncovered, overnight or up to 2 days in fridge.
  2. Drain the almonds from their soaking water and rinse them thoroughly under cool running water.
  3. Place the almonds and scraped vanilla beans in the blender and cover with 2 cups of water.
  4. Blend at the highest speed, until almonds are completely broken down and blended thoroughly.
  5. Line the strainer with cheese cloth, and place over a measuring cup. Pour the almond mixture into the strainer.
  6. Press all the almond milk from the almond meal.
  7. Taste the almond milk, and if a sweeter drink is desired, add sweetener to taste.
  8. Refrigerate almond milk. Store the almond milk in sealed containers in the fridge for up to two days.
For Espresso Granola
  1. Preheat oven to 160 degree C. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl, stir to combine all the ingredients thoroughly.
  3. Spread evenly onto prepared baking sheet and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, mixing the granola about every 10 minutes.
  4. Cool on a cooling rack until completely cool. Break up the chunks and store in an airtight container for about 1 month.
Notes
  1. The longer the almonds soak, the creamier the almond milk.
Adapted from The Kitchn
Adapted from The Kitchn
The White Ramekins http://thewhiteramekins.com/

Mincemeat Granola Snack Bars

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mincemeat granola snack bars

Mincemeat Granola Snack Bars! Right when you would be thinking about what to do with the leftover mincemeat from your Christmas fruit cake and mince pies you had made last year. I know, it sounds a tad bit late, but you know, I am quite lazy in cleaning up my fridge sometimes. And some of the times, it might take a couple of months too. Now that might look gross to you, but thank God, stuff like mincemeat keeps pretty well even for that long a duration. Last year I had made leftover mincemeat fruitcake cookies with this gorgeous stuff from the holidays. And I love mincemeat filling, it tastes just divine and takes you back to the holiday time once again. And that is the reason, every year I soak the dry fruit more than what I would need for a certain recipe. Last year, when I was done baking enough of Christmas Mince Pies, I was still left with it which was good enough to bake a smallish fruitcake. I wanted to do so, but then that just kept on  getting procrastinated. And with each passing day, I had lost the feel of baking fruitcake either. I always struggle to make a good breakfast on a work day in winters {too lazy to leave the blanket and get up on time, you see}. That is when these yummy mincemeat granola snack bars come really handy. A glass of milk or a shot of espresso with these hearty fruity granola snack bars saves my day very well. So that is the reason I keep on baking granola so often at home. Homemade granola has got no comparison at all. The stuff is awesome and so healthy that you wouldn’t even mind binging on them. While I was mixing the granola, I got reminded of few of the food gifts I got from my dear blogger friend Deeba, few days back. So in went some lovely chocolate chips and the rind from the kamquats to make them little indulgent and citrusy at the same time. Chocolate and orange marry so well! And it becomes all the more special when you get that as a gift. These snack bars are sweetened by the sweetness from orange juice which went into making the mincemeat and some honey. You may skip the chocolate chips completely, if you want them strictly healthy. But I guess, that much chocolate would no harm. In fact, your kids would love them, if you pack these in their lunch box. 

 mincemeat granola snack barsmincemeat granola snack barsmincemeat granola snack barsmincemeat granola snack bars

 

Mincemeat Granola Snack Bars
Mincemeat Granola Snack Bars
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Ingredients
  1. 2 cups old fashioned oats
  2. 1 cup desiccated coconut
  3. 1 cup whole almonds
  4. 1 1/2 cup mincemeat
  5. 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  6. 1/2 tsp sea salt
  7. 1/3 cup honey
  8. 1 tsp vanilla extract
  9. 1/2 cup chocolate chips
  10. 2 tbsp orange zest
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan.
  2. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients together, stirring until granola is evenly coated. It will be moist.
  3. Press granola very firmly down in baking pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until lightly browned and no longer moist to the touch.
  4. Allow to cool completely before turning out on a cutting board. You must allow the granola to cool completely or the bars will fall apart (a refrigerator can speed up the process).
  5. Cut granola bars into desired size. Wrap in parchment paper to make quick grab-and-go snacks. Store in an air-tight container to keep fresh.
The White Ramekins http://thewhiteramekins.com/

Kanelbullar, Swedish Cinnamon Buns

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swedish cinnamon rolls

It is getting pleasant day by day but the languish to stay in bed for late in the morning is as predominant as it used to be a couple of weeks back during cold winter days. As the days are getting warmer, it’s the right time to bake the breads, if not the ones needing long resting hours, at least the quick ones to start with. Baking cinnamon rolls had been on my todo list for a very long time. But every time I thought about them, it was cold harsh winter which was just too hostile for a bread baking plan. And I never wanted to ruin my weekend being perplexed whole day staring over the dough not rising due to sun not showing up. But this is also true that the cinnamon buns are not meant for a hot scorching summer day either. So now when it is spring for us, I thought of baking them, thinking they can’t go wrong at least this time of the year. Neither they’ll be too heavy for a Sunday breakfast. Hmm…cinnamon, without any second thought is my most favorite spice after cardamom. I just love it! And if you have been following my posts, you would know that I love adding cinnamon to my cakes quite often. This sweet spice has a wonderful warmth attached to it. I just can’t resist anything sweet which is flavored with cinnamon. And the Sri Lankan cinnamon variety is the one we get here from the down south. It is surely an amazing spice to deal with and probably the most dependable when it comes to desserts. The recipe I adapted from is Donal Skehan’s. It was one easy recipe to follow. Donal’s recipes are way more traditional and rustic, just the way I love. The Swedish Cinnamon Buns are basically the sweet bread dough rolled up with a swirl of sweet buttery cinnamon throughout. These are sprinkled with pearl sugar, which can resist the high temperature in oven without melting, which makes the buns look very beautiful and rustic at the same time. Now clearly, it was difficult for me to source the pearl sugar and I didn’t want to forgo this recipe just because I didn’t have that specific kind of sugar. So the mind started playing on thoughts and it occurred to me about crushing the white sugar cubes roughly to make my own homemade pearl sugar. Isn’t it innovative, huh? Haha, although it didn’t look as perfect, but it did the job quite nicely. And in return, I got these beautiful pearl sugar studded soft warm buttery Swedish cinnamon buns to be enjoyed with coffee on a relaxed Sunday morning. Do I need anything else in life? nah!

swedish cinnamon rolls

swedish cinnamon rolls

swedish cinnamon rolls

swedish cinnamon rolls

swedish cinnamon rolls

Swedish Cinnamon Buns
Swedish Cinnamon Buns
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For the buns
  1. 400 ml milk
  2. 110 gm butter
  3. 2 x 7 gm sachets of dried yeast
  4. 110 gm caster sugar
  5. 750 gm plain flour
  6. 1/2 tsp salt
  7. 4 tbsp of pearl sugar
  8. 1 egg, beaten
For the filling
  1. 110 gm soft butter
  2. 90 gm sugar
  3. 2 tbsp of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a large pot gently on a low heat and then add the milk. When the mixture is lukewarm, remove from the heat and whisk in the dried yeast.
  2. Mix the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Make a well and pour the wet ingredients in. Mix and knead the dough using your hands for about 6 minutes until dough is soft and supple.
  3. Transfer the dough to a floured bowl, covered by cling film and let it rise for 45 minutes in a warm dark place.
  4. Preheat the oven to 220°C.
  5. To prepare the filling, in a bowl, beat the butter, sugar and cinnamon together until you have a smooth paste.
  6. When the dough has risen, punch it down in the bowl and cut it in half. Roll one of the halves into a rectangle about 3mm thick, and then spread the filling all over.
  7. Then, from the long side, roll the dough in a spiral and slice into approx 12 pieces. Place the slices in a non stick pie tray or a muffin pan face up and coat with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the buns with pearl sugar.
  8. Reduce the heat to 190˚C and then bake the rolls in the oven for about 15-20 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
  9. Repeat the process with the second half of the dough.
Adapted from Donal Skehan
Adapted from Donal Skehan
The White Ramekins http://thewhiteramekins.com/