Monday, February 16, 2015

The second edition of 'COMFORT FOOD' is out!

The second edition of  'COMFORT FOOD' is now available!  It now includes over 70 gluten free vegan recipes!  (110 recipes in all.)

For online shoppers, I'd recommend purchasing from Amazon.com.

If you live near Rochester New York, you can find it at:
Loris natural foods
Barnes and Noble book store
Cooks World
American Hotel, Lima
Livonia Pharmacy, Livonia
New York Wine and Culinary Center, Canandaigua
Lavender Moon, Honeoye Falls
Touch of Grace, Geneseo
Honeoye Craft Lab, Honeoye
Edgewood Country Store, Penn Yan
Three Brothers Winery, Penn Yan
Toomeys Express, Bloomfield
Artizann's, Naples

May these recipes be a blessing to you and your family!

Fabulous Fridge Fudge

(Well, my old computer decided a few weeks ago it was tired of uploading photos.  When able to do so in the future, photos will be added.)

This is one of the recipes that a friend got from a friend... and everyone down the line made changes to suite them.  As mentioned before, adding peanut butter, or mint extract to roasted carob transforms it into a wonderful flavor.  Even the chocolate lover in our home prefers roasted carob powder over cocoa powder in this recipe!

Fabulous Fridge Fudge

1 cup xv coconut oil, just barely liquefied, or really soft and partially liquefied.
1 cup roasted carob powder
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 tsp whole salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

2/3 cup 100% smooth peanut butter
1 T pure maple syrup
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

In a small pot on very low, heat the coconut oil until JUST liquefied, or a little before.  Remove from the heat.  Whisk in the next four ingredients respectively, until smooth.  Pour half of the mixture into a 7"x 7" or 8"x 8" baking dish greased with coconut oil.  Place in a level spot in the freezer.  In a separate bowl, beat together the remaining three ingredients.  Check the bowl in the freezer.  If it has hardened, spoon the PB mixture evenly on the top, then pour the second half of the carob mixture on top and spread evenly.  (This second half of the carob mixture may need to be warmed up a bit if it began to cool and set up.) Cover and place in the fridge for 6-8 hours.  Cut into pieces, and store in the fridge for a week or two, or store in an airtight container in the freezer for several months.

Please note: If the coconut oil becomes too warm, it may partially separate from the rest of the mix.  If this happens, pour and spread each half as best you can as instructed.  You will end up with a sweet, solid coconut oil layer on top when you are done.  It may not be as attractive a dessert, but it tastes good, and the coconut oil layer on top is a tasty variation!

Options:
1- Add 1/8-1/4 tsp (non-gmo) liquid lecithin to emulsify the carob mixture.  (Creates a smoother mixture)
2- Replace the 2/3 cup peanut butter with 3/4 cup almond butter

2- The maple syrup may be reduced from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup, and the peanut butter may be increased from 2/3 cup to 3/4 cup.  This is a nice option for those who enjoy the flavor without being quite as sweet.  The one down side: the three layers may not stick together quite as well.

Have a joyous and blessed day!