Recipes
Kala Masala Almond Cookies
Pain d'amande is a classic French almond cookie. Thin and crispy, and not overly sweet, they make an excellent accompaniment to tea or coffee. A stack of these cookies wrapped up with string makes a quaint gift, and happens to be exactly how we first came to try them.Since our first encounter with these cookies, we've played with different flavors and shapes. Of all our experiments, the most successful added Kala Masala to the cookie dough. Masala blends are usually quite versatile and deserve to be played with in more than savory dishes. Our Kala Masala blend has warm spices like coconut, clove, cinnamon and star anise. The almonds in the Pain d'amande are a perfect vehicle for all of these spices, giving them a gently sweet base flavor upon which they can shine.
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Naughty Mayan Cocoa
Sweet and slightly spicy, Mayan Cocoa captures the indulgent spirit of the season. This decadent spice blend adds spicy notes like chile, cinnamon, allspice to a base of rich Valrhona cocoa powder for a bold beverage with multiple layers of flavor. To add a boozy kick, we opted to spike our cocoa with hazelnut liqueur and horchata-flavored rum. With a bit of whipped cream on top as a garnish, the cocktail is complete. This luscious concoction is sweet and delightfully bold... and it just might tempt you into seconds.
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Turmeric Silk Pie
Spicy, fruity, and chocolatey, this stunning pie is a surefire conversation starter. Its striking color comes from the addition of Turmeric to the white chocolate filling, which creates a beautiful contrast with the dark chocolate crust.This pie takes a few hours to set, so you'll want to prepare it ahead of time, and your crowd will thank you for doing so! This pie is full of textures and rich flavor, sure to please everyone. You won't find any eggs, nuts or dairy, either, so it's perfect for a family with allergies or to bring to a pot luck.
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Vanilla Bean Cashew Cream
With all sorts of fruits and berries in season, it's a time of year when we've often found ourselves looking for new recipes to take advantage of a bountiful summer harvest. Looking for a break from pies and other baked goodies, we decided to try out a rich vanilla cream to complement a variety of fresh fruit.After making it once, we wondered where it had been all our lives.The fresh Madagascar 3 Count Vanilla Bean is the star of the show in this elegant vegan topping. There's no added sugar, because we found it wasn't needed! The dates in the cream provide plenty of sweetness, and a rich, caramel-like aftertaste. Consider carefully before making this recipe, because this stuff is addictive! One taste, and you'll want it on every fruit in sight.
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Clarified Milk Punch
Mixolology is much more than a hobby to me, and the chef in me loves this drink because of all the science involved. The key to the punch's clarity is the milk proteins, which cling to all of the impurities in the mixture. Once strained, the result is a flavorful elixir that will impress any foodie or bartender. Although it's plenty boozy, it's smooth and evolves with every sip. If you love cocktails, this is a must try!The base of the punch is rum, apple brandy, and whiskey. We spiced the base with Keemun black tea, allspice, star anise, cinnamon, and cardamom, then we juiced a couple lemons and combined. With the alcohol and acid, the milk will start to curdle. Let the mixture set over night, then strain and run through a coffee filter. This drink packs a lot of hidden flavor, so we find it's best served simply on ice with a lemon peel.
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Whipped Dirty Chai
In the heat of summer, everything's better on ice. For a cold afternoon pick-me-up, we decided to try out the trendy whipped Dalgona-style coffee... with a couple spicy additions, of course! We added Cassia Vietnamese Cinnamon to the coffee powder, and swapped in coconut milk in place of the usual dairy. For the finishing touch, we made some sweetened ice cubes with our Classic Chai. The spiced ice adds another level of flavor as it melts, so your drink will never get watered down!
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Kashmiri Garam Masala Papaya Smoothie
On the way to our storefront behind the Pike Place Market, we're fortunate to be greeted each day by a rainbow of fruits and vegetables. Papaya is a fruit normally enjoyed on a tropical vacation, but the ones at Frank's Quality Produce looked absolutely perfect. Since nothing says summer like a tropical smoothie, we decided to give pick some up and try it out.Papaya is buttery and sweet, with a flavor akin to cantaloupe. To add a spicy twist, we turned to Kashmiri Garam Masala, a delicious and fragrant spice blend containing cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, and mace. A touch of Turmeric balances the sweetness, while frozen banana and chia seeds round the flavor. Bursting with tropical sweetness, this smoothie will have have you feeling just a little bit closer to paradise.
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Orange, Cinnamon and Cranberry Tart
Spring 2020. I was craving pie. Sadly, I had no flour and no fresh fruit, aside from an old orange. Thus, the Cranberry and Orange Tart was born out of pure necessity. Dried cranberries were used here, but dried tart cherries can easily be substituted. For this, the crust is made out of saltines, and so the sweet-tart-salty complexity is a flavor explosion. Adding a touch of Indonesian cinnamon and ginger powder enhances these flavors. The saltine crust is just fun, and much less labor intensive to make than tart dough. This is what you get when you play with your food!
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Gingerbread Caramels
Some spices are just born leaders, with big loud voices and an overwhelming presence. Mace can be one of those show-offs, unless properly tamed. Mace is actually the lacy outer covering of the nutmeg, but its flavor is a bit earthier than nutmeg - think bass vs. soprano. Here we're getting the most out of it's character by combining it with other spices to recreate the scintillating flavor of freshly baked gingerbread, but in a soft, chewy caramel candy, perfect for gift-giving this holiday season.Now there's nothing to fear in caramel making, as long as you follow a few simple rules. Rule #1 is know your altitude. Sugar cooks quicker (which means that water evaporates faster, and that's what control's your ultimate texture) at higher altitudes, so the general rule is to subtract 2 degrees for every 1000 feet above sea level from your final temperature. For example, our basic, sea level recipe calls for a final cooking temperature of 240 F. for a soft caramel. My kitchen is around 3000 ft., so, after a bit of experimenting, I finally altered the target temperature to 238 F. It may take a few tries to find the softness that you prefer - I like my caramels a bit on the softer side. The second rule to follow is to STIR CONTINUOUSLY while cooking the caramel. Dairy products burn really easily at high temperatures, and you don't want that. Thirdly, know your thermometer. Test it by filling a large glass with ice and enough water to separate the cubes. Let it sit for a minute, then insert your thermometer - it should read 32 degrees. If not, make a note of how far off it is, and adjust your cooking accordingly. And remember, the caramel mixture will be extremely hot, so resist the temptation to taste it until it's cooled off. I like to keep a dab on my spatula for tasting purposes, since it will cool off quickly. Follow these few rules, and you'll find yourself on the road to candy making success.Note: To make clean up a breeze, after you pour out the caramel refill the pot with water. Cover and bring to a boil, then set aside for a few minutes. The hot water and steam will help dissolve the cooked sugars.
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