Cardamom Coffee Cake

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This cake isn’t for the faint of heart. I have an unusual affinity for cardamom, unearthed through my addiction to Lofty Bean‘s killer cardamom lattés. If you don’t (or haven’t discovered it yet), you may want to scale down the cardamom in this recipe. It’s also not very sweet so you may want to scale up the sugar or honey. I’m not a precise baker. At all.

Don’t be put off by the chick peas. You’re probably saying what are legumes doing in your coffee cake, but they don’t have a very strong flavor and actually meld really well with earthy spices (cardamom!) or nuts (that’s for another post). That said, don’t expect a spongy, traditional coffee cake. This version is pretty dense but tasty and packed with protein.

  • 1/2 can chick peas
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  • 4 tsp cinnamon
  • 3 tsp cardamom
  • 2 cups roughly chopped walnuts (reserve 1/2 cup for streusel)
  • 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
  • 2 1/2 tbsp greek yogurt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 heaping tbsp honey
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  1. pre-heat oven to 350°F
  2. blend chick peas until smooth in a food processor
  3. add greek yogurt, honey and coconut milk and blend until incorporated
  4. transfer to a bowl and mix in 2 tsp of cinnamon, cardamom, 1/4 cup of the shredded coconut, baking powder, flour and salt
  5. transfer the gooey mixture to a lined loaf pan
  6. bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; meanwhile, in another small bowl mix together the other two tbsp cinnamon, 1/4 shredded coconut, sugar and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts for the streusel
  7. remove bread from oven when ready and spread the streusel over the top and continue baking for 4 minutes (keeping an eye on the walnuts so they don’t burn)

© 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Easy Eggnog

We’re getting started on the eggnog a little early this year. Easy, delicious and festive.

  • 4 egg yolks
  • 1/3 cup agave nectar
  • 1 pint whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tsp each nutmeg/cinnamon/cardamom
  1.  in a large mixing bowl beat together yolks and agave nectar with fork or whisk until it starts to turn a cream color
  2. add milk, cream and spices
  3. refrigerate for up to a week, great with coffee…or spiked. or both

© 2014 – 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Apple Turnovers

Nothing says fall like apple desserts. Except maybe pumpkin desserts. Which I will broach later this week/weekend. Here is an easy apple turnover recipe I threw together for an impromptu dessert tonight. To top off this seasonal dessert, already made with love, I used apples that we picked with my parents in the Cal Poly orchards last weekend.

serves 2 (heaping servings though)

  • 1 apple
  • 1 cup walnuts
  • 1/2 sheet puff pastry
  • 2 tsp cardamom
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp raw brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 1 cup ricotta
  1. thaw a puff pastry sheet, dice apple and grind or slice walnuts
  2. heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in pan and add the apple, cardamom, cinnamon and a drizzle of honey
  3. cover and let simmer over medium low heat for 10 minutes
  4. pre-heat oven to 350°F and cut the puff pastry in half then cut that half in triangles
  5. once apple start softening, take off heat and let cook a minute
  6. then fill one half of each triangle with just enough of the apple mixture, making sure you can still fold dough over and seal them and that there is some leftover for topping
  7. then fold dough in half and push sides down with a fork, sealing the triangles
  8. brush with remaining melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar
  9. place on lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and puffy
  10. while baking, whip ricotta and 1/4 cup honey in a food processor
  11. serve each turnover with a spoonful of whipped honey ricotta and the remaining apple/walnut mixture and a drizzle of the remaining honey

© 2014 – 2015, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

Pumpkin Parfait

      This time of year everything sounds better pumpkin flavored. Although I’m not a big fan of pumpkin lattes (too sweet and artificial), I am a fan of basically everything else pumpkin flavored, especially all Trader Joe’s products. The other day I went out to breakfast with friends and had the most amazing pumpkin waffles with cardamom mascarpone. It started me down the bad path of craving pumpkin treats at the breakfast hour when I’m usually my most health-conscious. This is what I came up with. This is also a great breakfast to pack for class or when you’re on the go.

      • 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
      • 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
      • 1 tbsp honey
      • 1 tsp cinnamon
      • 2 tbsp slivered almonds
    1. stir pumpkin puree and yogurt together until creamy and combined
    2. drizzle honey over the top and sprinkle cinnamon and almonds

© 2014, domenicadreamsofcalamari. All rights reserved.

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