Opening your heart can be a simple experience, it does not have to be elaborate to have a meaningful effect.
Cue scene: An empty house with the exception of your canine kin, the sun casts it balmy glow atop the trees. The filtering light creates scattering golden hour giving you a bit of shade for respite. The simmering pot warms milk with spices, a light dusting of sugar, broken pieces of cacao. The heat melds all the ingredients together to create an “adult” version of hot cocoa. You pour the warm drink into your favorite mug and step back outside. As you sip you take in a moment of silence. Calming your mind, letting the bittersweet brew warm your body.
Some moments pass and the scene ends. Drifting from harmony and back toward the real world feels humbling. This is my cacao ceremony. Harbored between the day to day activities, it is my own ritual of happiness and awakening.
Currently I am practicing physical distancing, working from home, and only stepping outside my house for essential items – namely food. it is definitely becoming an odd “new normal” and while I miss being able to go out to the famers markets, the beach, or a botanical garden, I know that I am keeping myself and others safe by staying home and limiting interaction.
I believe food can create joy and bring communities together but while we are encouraged to stay home (unless you are an essential worker and I thank you whole heartedly for all you do), it may also mean we are turning to our own kitchens to cook. While I LOVE cooking and baking, until recently I didn’t always have the time to do so.
I’m joining this #UNitedWeEat challenge to show you an easy breakfast recipe using simple ingredients. A lot of people right now are worrying about how they’ll finance their next meal; this includes people like myself who may have an allergy or autoimmune condition. Going to the store (while wearing a mask and only touching items we need) has us focusing on ingredients that will create meals that are nourishing, convenient, and versatile.
Prior to
these muffins, bananas would never find their way into my nourishment. I never
cared much for their flavor and texture: too bland, an off-putting “sweetness.”
As the inner Lara-Jean Song in me awakens, I let whatever is in the cupboard,
pantry, fridge dictate what sweet I will create that day.
A few
weeks ago I truly wanted to put these fresh blueberries for good use but was
lacking a jumping point. After overlooking several banana-blueberry xyz recipes
I kept lingering on the possibility of indulging the banana in my repertoire. I
bit my tongue and thought “what’s the worse that can happen, I’ll hate it and
never make it again”
Sometimes I get the urge to bake. Think of Lara Jean Covey from Jenny Han’s To All The Boys I loved Before Series. I can stress bake, creative bake, leisure bake, etc. It’s a habitual meditation for me – carefully measuring out the ingredients and mixing for a proper consistency. It is also creative when it comes to integrating new flavors and textures, an art form at best. However, it is frustrating when you’re missing key baking ingredients but don’t get the urge to run out to the market as replenish what is needed. So I improvise, mentally taking note of what I do have and what can be used in place of.
These are some of the most delightful cookies I have savored and they come together quite easily. If you don’t use tahini very often, this recipe will come in handy as you can use the remaining tahini to recreate these cookies when your first batch disappears. I will admit the variety of chocolate is absolutely important and it took this recipe to see that. I had some Taza chocolate discs in my pantry that I thought “what the heck, let’s put them to use.” They look like jeweled cocoa jewels nestled in the brown (coconut) sugar color of the cookies.
This recipe is adapted from The Chalkboard Magazine, I highly recommend following all the directions and making them for a cozy day. If you don’t have chocolate feel free to sub with almonds, cranberries, or dates. These cookies are chewy and not too sweet – just right.
To make these cookies:
1 large egg replacement (like flax egg) or egg ½ cup tahini ½ cup blanched almond flour ½ cup coconut sugar ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla one 2.7 ounce Taza chocolate disc (I used Salted Almond) ¼ tsp pink sea salt
Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together the egg replacement/egg, tahini, almond flour, cinnamon, coconut sugar and baking powder. Chop the chocolate into medium chunks, a little bigger than a chocolate chip and fold in the mixture gently.
Taking about 1 tablespoon of batter and form into a cookie shape. Place on the baking sheet and space each cookie 2 inches apart, until you have used all of the dough.
Bake in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet.
Per the Chalkboard: “These can be stored in a cool place in the pantry for 2 days or in the fridge for 1 week. You can freeze these for 3 to 4 months.”
