Fragrant Vanilla Cake

Tag: citrus

  • Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Normally I am all about the vanilla, but lately I have been in the mood to make chocolate desserts, including these Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies I recently made.  I used to make vegan double chocolate cookies at my last job and they were always delicious, but I thought why not make them with orange added since citrus is in season and so delicious right now?  I always loved those chocolate oranges as a kid, so I love the combo of chocolate and orange.

    I love making cookies sometimes because they are so quick and easy (at least this kind which is mix, roll and bake) and these are no exception.  They have plenty of cacao powder in them to give them a rich chocolate flavor. For the flour I used all purpose, but you could use gluten free all purpose baking flour if you wanted to make them gluten free.  I recommend Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour which I have tried and swapped 1:1 with success.  I used granulated sugar in these, but you could use maple sugar or coconut sugar for less processed options.

    I added plenty of orange in the form of juice and zest as well as orange extract so that it has the right amount of aromatic orange flavor.  I also added vanilla to make these even more heavenly and since I believe it belongs in pretty much most desserts. These use coconut oil as the fat, but if you are not a fan of the flavor of coconut oil (it is not strong, it is very subtle however I know some people don’t like it), you could sub melted vegan butter such as Earth balance instead.

    The dough for these was so heavenly, and honestly the dough is my favorite part of baking cookies!  That and the heavenly aroma they fill my kitchen with!  I could not wait to try them!  Luckily with cookies like these they are best if they are slightly warm so I didn’t have to wait long. There is nothing better then a ooey gooey cookie with melted chocolate chips! These were so delicious!  Rich chocolate flavor, scented with sweet orange and vanilla filled with rich dark chocolate chips!  They are perfect with a cup of coffee!  If you are a fan of chocolate and orange definitely give these Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies a try!

    Vegan Dark Chocolate Orange Cookies

    Makes 16

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
    • 1/2 cup applesauce
    • 1 Tbsp orange juice
    • 2 Tbsp orange zest
    • 1 tsp orange extract
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking soda
    • 1/2 tsp baking powder
    • 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
    • 1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp cocoa powder
    • 1 1/2 cups vegan dark chocolate chips

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line two sheet pans with foil.
    2. In a large bowl, mix together the coconut oil, sugar, apple sauce, orange juice and zest and vanilla extract until well blended.
    3. Mix in the salt, baking soda and baking powder then the flour and cocoa powder until smooth.
    4. Mix in the chocolate chips.
    5. Form the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and place on the cookie trays about 2 inches apart.
    6. Press the dough balls down slightly.
    7. Place the pans in the oven and bake for about 7 minutes, then rotate them and bake another 7 or so until the cookies are done and lightly brown at the edges.
    8. Remove from the oven and let cool at least 15 minutes before enjoying.
  • Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    I had some limes leftover from making a key lime pie recently so I was trying to come up with something delicious to make with them. Of course limeade is always good, but I wanted something a little more fun, creative and dessert themed.  I finally decided to make cookies with them.  I wanted something simple, so I decided on sugar cookies.  The deli I work in sells some lemon sugar cookies that look amazing (that I can’t have because they aren’t vegan), so I thought why not make some lime ones that I can enjoy!  Also, as a side note I should remedy that not having a vegan version of thee cookies when I am less busy since I do bake some vegan cookies at work and I thought these might be a good test of that since lemon and lime are similar.

    Back to these cookies though, for the base of these I used a snickerdoodle cookie I make modified without the cinnamon and with lime swapped in and it worked out perfect!  Traditionally sugar cookies just have a lot of oil, but I have a secret ingredient to cut the oil and give these a soft and chewy texture that I add…apple sauce!  Every time I tell someone about this when they taste my cookies they are usually shocked because you would never guess its in there it just gives them a nice texture!

    These cookies are actually really easy to make, which I love.  No refrigerating or fancy cutting required.  Just a bit of rolling into balls which I consider fun because it reminds me of play dough!  The dough was also super delicious because I did eat some since it is my favorite part of the baking process.  Plus I had to make sure they tasted good before baking wink wink.

    They smelled heavenly as they baked, like a key lime pie, but sweeter!  I could not wait to try some but they had to cool first.  Luckily that didn’t take long.  If they were chocolate chip cookies I would have dove right in but I feel like the lime flavor tastes better once cooled. They were so heavenly when it was time to try them!  They had a buttery rich texture with a soft middle and crisp outside and a fragrant lime vanilla flavor.  These will be perfect for spring and summer and I have a feeling they would pair really well with a margarita!

    Key Lime Sugar Cookies

    Makes about  1 dozen

    Ingredients:

    • 3/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/2 cup apple sauce
    • 2 Tbsp lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1 1/2 cups maple sugar or granulated sugar
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour

     

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line a sheet pan with parchment.
    2. In a large bowl, combine the coconut oil, apple sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, vanilla and sea salt and stir until smooth.
    3. Stir in the baking powder and soda, then the flour until it is completely combined.
    4. Shape the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, place them on a baking tray, sprinkle with a little more sugar and flatten them slightly.
    5. Place the tray in the oven and bake about 13 minutes until starting to brown at the edges. Remove from oven and let cool before enjoying.

     

    Cookies keep for up to 1 week in an airtight container at room temperature, 2 weeks in the refrigerator or 4 months frozen.

  • Vegan Key Lime Pie

    Vegan Key Lime Pie

        

    I have always loved key lime pie.  When I was little my Mom and I would order it at restaurants when we saw it on the menu or occasionally make our own.  It had to be the perfect balance of tart and sweet though, maybe a little more on the tart side and have plenty of real lime flavor.  We always put plenty of lime juice and zest into ours so it was fragrant and delicious!  I realized I hadn’t made any in forever last week so I decided to whip one up.  I actually haven’t made aa cooked one (I have made some raw lime pies since before I went vegan so I tried one out this time, basing it off of one of my lemon pie recipes.  

    I know graham cracker crusts are classic on a key lime pie, but I went for a regular buttery tasting pie crust this time (since I didn’t have graham crackers and did not feel like making them from scratch).  But I always have pie crust ingredients!  So I made a coconut oil pie crust.  It requires being partially baked before filling, but by the time the filling is done it is ready to go!  

    For the filling I use a good amount of lime juice with coconut milk, maple syrup to sweeten and a bit of cornstarch to thicken.  It works out well, and you end up with something that it like a lemon meringue pie filling, but with lime and creamier (which fits key lime pie).  I could not wait to try it!  But first, it had to cool completely. 

    I topped it off with a good amount of coconut cream to balance out the tart lime filling and it was perfect!  This pie was heavenly!  The lime scented tart sweet smooth filling was so good with the creamy vanilla coconut cream and buttery tasting pie crust!  If you are a citrus fan, definitely give this a try! 

    Vegan Key Lime Pie

    makes one 8 inch pie

    Crust:

    • 1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 3 Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut oil in its solid state
    • about 3-6 Tbsp cold water

     

      Filling:

    • 3/4 cup lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp cup cornstarch
    • 1 3/4 cup (one 15 oz can) full fat organic coconut milk* or canned unsweetened coconut cream
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp spinach powder (for color, optional)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

      Cream Topping:

     

      Instructions:

    1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, sea salt, and spices. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created. Roll out into a 10 inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper, then use the paper to help you transfer it to an 8 inch pie dish.  Flute the edges, and set aside in the refrigerator until solid.
    2. Pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees. Place foil inside the pie crust, and weight down with pie weights or dried beans.  Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven.
    3. Meanwhile, for the filling, combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook until thickened. Remove from heat, and pour into the prepared pie crust. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled.
    4. To make the cream topping, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until it is thick like whipped cream (whisking every so often), about 20-30 minutes.
    5. Once the cream is ready, spread over the top of the pie, and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

      Pie keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator, covered or in a container. *If you wanted to make the crust gluten free, you could swap Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour for the whole wheat pastry. I have tried this brand and know it will turn out well. *For the coconut milk, you want the kind that is 3/4 full of cream in the can, or it will not work and turn out runny, I used Thai Kitchen full fat milk, but their unsweetened canned coconut cream would work as well.

  • Vegan Lemon Cream Pie

    Vegan Lemon Cream Pie

        

    I hope you all had a wonderful Easter weekend!  Saturday we had beautiful warm weather here, but for Easter Sunday it was snowing and just pretty slushy and cold which was a bit weird, but it didn’t stop me from getting outside for a walk with Eric in the afternoon. It was a bit weird watching the Easter Sunday church service on TV but still nice to spend time with those closest to me.  We made a simple Easter dinner with maple dijon glazed smoked tempeh, vegan cheesy potato casserole, a green salad with blackberries and pine nuts, a lemon carrot salad, and my banana caramel rolls and it was all really good! I haven’t had an Easter meal at home with my family in years, so I enjoyed it very much!  For dessert (which we had later because we were all pretty full), I made this vegan lemon cream pie!  

    I just love lemon desserts in the spring and so I figured it would be perfect for Easter this year.  I have always liked lemon meringue pie, but I prefer a cream on top of my pie to meringue so I made a coconut cream topping instead.  Also I did this because I feel like the cream keeps nicer for a few days and I made this in advance.  For the crust, I made my classic pie crust with coconut oil because it always turns out well. You have to blind bake it with weights so it gets nice and crispy since the filling doesn’t bake in there long, but it is worth that extra effort. 

    The filling is pretty easy to make, you make it on the stove, then pour it into the crust and bake it for a short time.  It has plenty of tart lemon flavor which is super important to me when it comes to lemon desserts. I don’t like it when they are too sweet, I want to be able to taste that tart lemon but still have it be balanced.  I feel like I achieved the perfect balance this time!  Once it was all cooled, it was time for the cream!

    Coconut cream is my topping of choice for most of my pies, because it is simple and easy to make and so rich and delicious!  The sweet creamy topping is the perfect pairing for the tart lemon filling and buttery crust!  My family and I loved this pie, and I hope you do too!  Why not give it a try this spring if you have lemons on hand!  I hope you all have a wonderful week!

    Vegan Lemon Cream Pie

    makes one 8 inch pie

    Crust:

    • 1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 3 Tbsp maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut oil in its solid state
    • about 3-6 Tbsp cold water

     

      Filling:

    • 3/4 cup lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp lemon zest
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp cup cornstarch
    • 1 3/4 cup (one 15 oz can) full fat organic coconut milk* or canned unsweetened coconut cream
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp ground turmeric (for color, optional)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    •  

    Cream Topping:

     

      Instructions:

    1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, sea salt, and spices. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created. Roll out into a 10 inch circle on a sheet of parchment paper, then use the paper to help you transfer it to an 8 inch pie dish.  Flute the edges, and set aside in the refrigerator until solid.
    2. Pre-heat the oven to 350F degrees. Place foil inside the pie crust, and weight down with pie weights or dried beans.  Place the pie in the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven.
    3. Meanwhile, for the filling, combine all ingredients in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Lower to a simmer and cook until thickened. Remove from heat, and pour into the prepared pie crust. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let cool completely, then refrigerate until chilled.
    4. To make the cream topping, combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until it is thick like whipped cream (whisking every so often), about 20-30 minutes.
    5. Once the cream is ready, spread over the top of the pie, and refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

     

    Pie keeps up to 1 week in the refrigerator, covered or in a container.

    *If you wanted to make the crust gluten free, you could swap Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour for the whole wheat pastry. I have tried this brand and know it will turn out well.

    *For the coconut milk, you want the kind that is 3/4 full of cream in the can, or it will not work and turn out runny, I used Thai Kitchen full fat milk, but their unsweetened canned coconut cream would work as well.

  • Vegan Key Lime Curd Bars

    Vegan Key Lime Curd Bars

    Key lime pie and all things tart citrus have always been favorites in my family. When I was little, my Mom and I would often buy truffles at a counter in a department store in the Mall, and it was usually the key lime flavored ones. One time the clerk said that she didn’t know why we liked them so much, because she thought they were too tart, but on the contrary we thought they were perfect! Often times I feel like citrus desserts have way too much sweet to counteract the tart but what I like is a balance of the two. When I make my key lime pies I often times use a little less sweetener for that reason. I love tart lime!

    So last week when I had a bag of limes on hand and was trying to decide what to make, lime curd bars came to mind. I have also always had a love for those lemon curd bars, so I figured why not make them in the fashion? I have never made lime curd bars before, so it was more exciting too. For the crust I made a shortbread cookie dough, and pre-baked it before adding the filling on top of it so it would be nice and crispy to contrast the filling. I used whole wheat pastry flour mixed with a little tapioca starch to lighten it but if you wanted to make these gluten free, you could swap it out for gluten free all purpose baking flour (I recommend Bob’s Red Mill).

    For the filling, I used plenty of lime juice and zest, with coconut cream to make it nice and rich since there would be no dairy or eggs in this, and combined it with a little maple syrup and vanilla to sweeten it. I thickened it with corn starch which worked out slick and you just pour the filling into the crust and let it before enjoying.

    Lastly since traditional citrus bars are topped off with a powdered sugar topping I wanted these to look just as pretty so I made a coconut “powdered sugar” dust. It isn’t super sweet like actual powdered sugar but it is pretty and goes well with the lime. If you area fan of citrus curd bars, definitely give these a try!

    Vegan Key Lime Curd Bars
    Makes 16

    Crust:

    • 1 1/2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/2 cup tapioca flour (or cornstarch would work as well)
    • 1/2 cup maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp avocado oil (or other neutral oil liquid at cool temperatures)

    Filling:

    • 3/4 cup lime juice
    • 2 Tbsp lime zest
    • 1/2 cup cornstarch
    • 1 3/4 cups canned coconut cream
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 tsp spinach powder (for color, optional)
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    For Topping:

    • 1/4 cup finely shredded, dried unsweetened coconut

    Instructions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, and line an 8×8 inch square pan with parchment paper (so that it goes up the sides too).
    2. To make the crust, mix all ingredients together in a bowl until combined, then press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
    3. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven.
    4. To make the filling, combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, except the vanilla extract, and whisk to dissolve the cornstarch. Place on the stove over medium heat, whisking constantly until it is starting to thicken. When it starts to thicken cook for a minute or two, until it is thickened to the consistency of pudding, then whisk in the vanilla extract.
    5. Pour the filling over the prepared crust, and let cool completely, then refrigerate for a few hours until completely chilled.
    6. Buzz the coconut in a blender until it is fine like flour, then dust the tops of the bars with it by putting it in a fine meshed strainer and tapping it over them.
    7. Cut into 16 bars.

    Store any extra bars in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

    *If you wanted to make these gluten free, you could use Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all purpose baking flour instead of the pastry flour.

  • Vegan Lemon Cheesecake

    Vegan Lemon Cheesecake

    I have always loved all things lemon when it comes to dessert. Growing up, I loved those tart lemon curd bars with the powdered sugar on top, and lemon poppy seed muffins, or a good lemon meringue pie.  I think I get it from my Mom, because she was the same way and tended to like to make desserts with lemon.  We definitely made those bars, although we made the ones from the box not from scratch.  But they were still good. There is just something so delicious about tart lemon in desserts.  And it has to actually be tart to be up to my current standards.  None of this so full of sugar that it is more sweet than tart stuff or just lemon flavor and no juice.  It has be real lemons and make me pucker a bit.  I hadn’t really made anything featuring lemon lately and it is the season when they are at their best so I picked up a bag of organic lemons at the store and hoped for inspiration.  Luckily it came fast. I decided that a lemon cheesecake with a lemon curd topping sounded perfect.

    About 10 years ago, before I went vegan I made a non-vegan lemon cheesecake with a vanilla lemon filling and tart lemon curd topping that was super delicious.  I wanted this cake to taste just like that one, only better.  I wanted the cheesecake filling to be creamy, rich and taste like traditional cheesecake, and the way I achieved that was a mixture of the cream from a can of full fat coconut milk, and chickpeas.  Now, you may be thinking I have gone crazy using chickpeas in my cheesecake filling but hear me out.  I used to use a mixture of coconut cream and cashews all of the time, and that was the perfect texture, but I have a hard time digesting cashews and they are expensive so I tried swapping the cashews with chickpeas last year to see if they would be a good substitute to make the cake nut free.  It worked perfect!  You end up with a cake that has the exact same consistency, and same flavor!  So now I just use the chickpeas.  I always have them on hand in my freezer portioned out anyhow for meals and soups because I make a huge batch every few weeks. Just trust me on this one, they make the filling perfect!

    It also had to have plenty of tart lemon, so I added both zest and juice to the filling plus maple syrup to sweeten it and some vanilla of course.  It was super delicious even before I poured it into the crust.  Once that set, I made a nice tart lemon curd to top it off.  It was a lovely hue of yellow.  I could not wait to taste this cake!  But I had to wait until the next day for it to set because I was making it at night after work.

    I knew this was going to be good, but it turned out even better than I imagined!  The filling was the perfect consistency, smooth, creamy and rich, the perfect balance of tart and sweet with plenty of lemon and a hint of vanilla.  The curd on top was nice and tart, and the perfect contrast to the filling.  It tastes like sunshine in cake form, which we could all use a bit of right now since we are smack dab in the middle of Winter (at least where I live).  If you are a fan of lemon, definitely give this a try!  I hope you are all having a wonderful January!

    Vegan Lemon Cheesecake
    Makes one 6 inch cake

    Crust:

    • 1/4 cup finely shredded coconut
    • 1/2 cup organic gluten free rolled oats, or quinoa flakes
    • 1/4 cup pitted medjool dates (if not soft, soak them in filtered water first and drain well)
    • 1/8 tsp sea salt

     

    Filling:

     

    Curd Topping:

    • 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 1 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1/2 Tbsp organic lemon zest
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • pinch of sea salt
    • pinch turmeric (optional, for color)
    • 1 Tbsp full fat coconut milk
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

     

    Instructions:

    1. Oil a 6 inch spring form pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper.
    2. To make the crust, place all ingredients in a food processor, and process until crumbs and starting to hold together (if they are not holding together when squeezed, add a few tsp filtered water and blend). Press into the bottom of the prepared pan.
    3. Meanwhile, to make the filling, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
    4. Pour the filling over the prepared crust, and place cheesecake in the freezer until the top starts to set, at least 30 minutes. Once the top has set, you can make the filling.
    5. To make curd topping, combine the lemon juice, water, zest, maple syrup, cornstarch, sea salt and coconut milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and coconut oil.
    6. Pour the lemon curd over the filling, and place back in the freezer to set for about 4 hours (or overnight in the refrigerator if you are not in a hurry).
    7. Remove from the freezer, un-mold and enjoy!  Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator.

     

    *I use Thai Kitchen full fat coconut milk.  If you are using a different brand, just make sure it is the thick type, 2/3 of the can at least should be very thick.

     

  • Vegan Caramelized Citrus Galette

    Vegan Caramelized Citrus Galette

    Now that we are past the shortest day of the year, and we are into January, I feel like things are looking up.  Not that the Holidays were bad or anything.  I am just one of those people who likes to not have to worry about too many plans in a short period of time, and likes routine and normalcy.  I feel like I didn’t know what day of the week it was for the past couple of weeks with the Holidays in the middle of the week, and different days off than I am used too.  It feels so good to be back to normal and just do things at a more relaxed pace and enjoy things like just going for a walk outside or making new recipes and relaxing with a book or movie at night. It has been really warm here too for the last couple of days, which is awesome!  It is like Spring in January, so I have been trying to get outside everyday instead of just treadmilling it.  Also, it has been nice and sunny, not like December which is one of the cloudiest months.

    One of those new recipes that I had time to make this week, was a caramelized citrus galette.  I typically make galettes with apples, pears or berries, but since it is the peak of citrus season, I thought why not use it in a delicious dessert. I thought about using just oranges, but I love grapefruits and clementines too so I used all three!  It ended up being the perfect balance of tart and sweet. I tossed them with a little maple syrup, and a dash of cardamom and I knew this filling was going to be good.  I wasn’t sure it they would work out though, since citrus tends to be very juicy, but I solved that problem by saving the extra juices and making a caramel like syrup with rosewater and vanilla to top the finished galette off with.

    I love galettes because they are so much easier to make in pies and they bake much faster!  No fussy crusts, just one crust to roll and if it doesn’t look perfect, it is ok because it is rustic.  It smelled amazing while baking.  I love the sunny sweet scent of citrus, and the crust smelled almost buttery.  When it was done baking I drizzled it with a reduced orange rosewater caramel syrup and sprinkled it with some crunchy pistachios.  It turned out beautifully and it was super delicious!  I like it served warm with a scoop of coconut milk ice cream!  Take advantage of the lovely citrus this season and give this a try!

    Vegan Caramelized Citrus Galette

    Crust:

    • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour*
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup maple sugar or coconut sugar
    • 1/3 cup coconut oil in solid state, cut into chunks
    • 1/4 cup almond butter
    • 5-6 Tbsp ice water

     

    Filling:

    • 1 grapefruit, peeled and sliced into rounds, juices reserved
    • 2 oranges, peeled and sliced into rounds, juices reserved
    • 3 clementines, peeled and sliced into rounds juices reserved
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1 Tbsp cornstarch
    • 1/8 tsp ground cardamom
    • pinch of sea salt
    • maple sugar or coconut sugar for sprinkling

     

    Orange Caramel Glaze:

    • 3/4 cup orange juice
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/2 tsp rose flower water or orange flower water (optional)
    • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

     

    For finishing:

    • chopped pistachios for garnish

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make crust, combine flour, sea salt, sugar, coconut oil, and almond butter in a bowl, and use a pastry blender to cut into the mixture until it resembles pea sized chunks (you can also use your hands).  Add water and mix into the dough.  Knead a few times until it comes together (you may need to add an additional Tbsp more water).  Shape into and roll out into a 1/4 inch thick circle on a sheet of parchment (you will want to dust the parchment underneath with a little flour and dust the rolling pin too to avoid sticking. If the dough has gotten too warm, place in the refrigerator).  Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
    2. Put a fine meshed strainer over a bowl, and press each citrus slice one by one into the bottom of the strainer (pressing out some of the juice, but not so hard that you smash them and they don’t look pretty anymore) and set them aside in a bowl.  Reserve the juices in the bowl under the strainer for later.
    3. Add 3 Tbsp maple syrup, the cornstarch, cardamom, and sea salt to the bowl with the citrus and toss to combine. Arrange fruit mixture on top of the dough, leaving a  1 1/2-inch border all the way around. Fold border over the fruit mixture, overlapping where necessary and pressing gently to adhere the folds (it doesn’t have to be perfect, it is rustic).
    4. Brush edges of dough with melted coconut oil, sprinkle with sugar, and bake until crust is deep golden brown and juices are bubbling, 45 minutes or so. Transfer baking sheet to a wire rack to cool the galette.
    5. Meanwhile, add all of the reserved citrus juices plus 3/4 cup orange juice to a small sauce pan along with 3 Tbsp maple syrup. Bring to a boil, and simmer until it is reduced to the consistency of syrup.  Add the rose water and vanilla and stir in.  Drizzle over the warm galette.
    6. Sprinkled the galette with pistachios, and serve warm or at room temperature.
    *You may use whole wheat pastry flour if you do not wish to make this gluten free.
  • Spring Confetti Popcorn

    Spring Confetti Popcorn

    I am sooo ready for Spring!  The robins and ducks are back, the snow is melting quickly, and I have seen some pussy willows.  I have put away my Winter boots, and I am wearing my Spring clothes (even if it is still a little chilly darn it).  No more layer upon layer of jackets and such.  The thing I like most about Spring is running outside and watching everything come alive.  We aren’t quite to that point yet, but I know we will be soon.  Also, I am craving more Spring inspired food.  So strawberries and asparagus and such.  But since they are not quite in season, I decided to make a festive popcorn.  Easter and Spring make me thing pastels, so I thought, why not create a beautiful confetti popcorn with different colors.  I am an art major, so I am all about color, and making things pretty.  Although I could have just made it vanilla cream flavored popcorn and used just vegan food coloring, I decided to give it a fruity flavor and color it with some of my favorite things.

    I would have to divide the popcorn between 3 bowls, and mix separate colors, but it would be so worth it!  I made a sweet vanilla white chocolate from cacao butter, coconut butter and cashew butter sweetened with maple syrup.  It was luscious as it was, but it would be even better once I added the flavors.  The first flavor was strawberry.  I pulverized some freeze dried strawberries, and mixed them into the white chocolate. Second, I used some matcha and lime zest for the next flavor.  Matcha is one of my all time favorite things, and it pairs well with berries and citrus.  Lastly, I mixed a little turmeric and lemon zest into the last bowl of white chocolate.  It made for some beautifully colored popcorn!

    Honestly when it was all spread out, it reminded me of Spring flowers, or Easter pastel colors, so how appropriate for this time of the year.  Most importantly though, it tasted delicious!  Sweet vanilla white chocolate with berry, matcha and citrus flavors!  It was crave worthy, and covered all of the craving bases for if you want something snacky.  Sweet, a tad of salty, and crunchy!  If you are looking for a festive snack, give this a try!

    Spring Confetti Popcorn
    Makes 8 cups

    Ingredients:

    • 1/3 cup maple syrup
    • 1/3 cup raw cacao butter (you may also use coconut butter if you prefer)
    • 1/4 cup raw coconut butter
    • 1/3 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 tsp lemon juice
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 8 cups plain organic popped corn
    • 3 Tbsp freeze dried berries, ground to powder (I used a mortar and pestle)
    • 1/4 tsp turmeric
    • 1 tsp organic lemon zest
    • 1/2 tsp matcha powder
    • 1 tsp organic lime zest

     

    Instructions:

    1. In a glass measuring cup (or bowl) whisk together the maple syrup, coconut butter, cashew butter, sea salt and vanilla until well blended. divide between 3 bowls.
    2. Stir the berries into one, the turmeric and lemon zest into another, and the matcha and lime zest into the last.
    3. Divide the popcorn between 3 bowls. Pour one berry mixture over one, and mix well with your hands until the popcorn is coated.  Pour the turmeric mixture over the next bowl and do the same.  Pour the matcha mixture over the last and do the same.  Drop the popcorn onto a lined sheet pan by about a scant 1/4 cup, alternating the colors, and place in the freezer until it is hard.
    4. Enjoy!
  • Vegan Citrus Margarita Pancakes with So Delicious and Kitchen I.Q.

    Vegan Citrus Margarita Pancakes with So Delicious and Kitchen I.Q.

    This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.

    Pancakes are always good, no matter what meal you decide to make them for.  When I was younger my Mom used to make them for dinner sometimes, and I loved it!  Because I was never going to turn down pancakes.  Especially when fresh fruit was included.  Pancakes also remind me of lazy Saturdays, and brunches on Sundays after church. They are sort of a treat, or at least that is what I thought as  kid when I had them.  I had hit the jackpot!  When I make them now as an adult, they are usually not the standard plain with maple syrup.  I like to give them a little imagination and seasonal ingredients.  The ones I made last weekend were super delicious, they were Margarita Citrus Pancakes!  Just in time for patio brunch season.  I just had to share them with you all.  Not only were they good, I got to try out some new products while making them, which was exciting!

    So Delicious Dairy Free and Kitchen IQ were kind enough to send me some things to use for my recipe.  If you are vegan, no doubt you have heard of So Delicious Dairy Free products.  They carry yogurts, ice creams, milk, creamer and desserts among other things, and they are all darn delicious.  I was excited to try their culinary coconut milk, since I had never had it before, and let me tell you, I ended up liking it better than the previous brand I had been using.  It was super creamy and rich, perfectly emulsified and ready to use.  It worked perfect in my pancakes, and I can’t wait to try it in other things!  The Kitchen IQ products were really fun to use as well! They come in fun colors, mine were lime green which is perfect for Spring! I got a 3 in 1 mini prep multi tool, which worked well for cleaning the citrus since it has a brush on one side.  If you are using the zest in recipes you want to make sure it is clean.  It also has a peeler and chopper to be used for another recipe.  I was also sent the 3 in 1 prep and measure tool, which was perfect for juicing the citrus and measuring it out, and a V etched grater, which worked awesome for the zest in the recipe.  Zest is essential for citrus recipes because it gives them more flavor and fragrance, and this one is perfect because it catches the zest, and measures it out!  Their V etched spice grater worked wonderfully with some nutmeg, and lastly, the compact digital scale they sent was a great way to get accurately measured flour.  This is probably one of the coolest scales I have seen.  It folds up, and it works just as well as larger scales.  There is no better way to have accurate measurements than using a scale, so I was excited about this! The recipe came together fast, and was easy to make which is always a win!

    For the pancakes, I included plenty of citrus flavor since these were margarita pancakes, and they have to have lime and orange.  The grater came in handy because it supplied lots of super fragrant zest.  The grater that I used to have before this one kind of was a piece of junk (and it is in the garbage now since it was super dull), and I did not know what I was missing until I tried this new one by Kitchen IQ.  It works so much better.  I used the super creamy coconut milk from So Delicious Dairy Free in the batter and it gave them a delicious rich texture.  The pancake batter smelled wonderful, and they cooked up nicely and filled my kitchen with a wonderful aroma.  These were margarita pancakes…so they HAD to include some tequila as well.

    Not so much that it was overwhelming, but I thought a tequila citrus maple syrup would be perfect.  So, I reduced some citrus juice, and maple syrup, and added in some tequila, zest, and sea salt.  These pancakes were sooo good! Like a margarita in breakfast form. This would be a super fun brunch recipe for say…Mother’s Day!  I know my Mom would love them.  You could even serve them with margaritas if you wanted.  Why not?! So, if you are looking for a good brand of coconut milk, check out So Delicious Dairy Free Culinary!  I think it may just be my new go-to coconut milk!  Also, if you want to make cooking easier, and are looking for some new kitchen tools and toys, check out Kitchen IQ! Because, I don’t know about you, but I love trying new vegan products and kitchen tools!

    Vegan Citrus Margarita Pancakes
    Makes 12

    Pancakes:

    • 9.20 oz (about 1 1/2 cups) gluten free all purpose flour
    • 2 Tbsp organic lime zest
    • 1 Tbsp organic orange zest
    • 2 tsp baking powder
    • 1/8 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    • 2 Tbsp lime juice
    • 1 Tbsp orange juice
    • 1/2 cup avocado oil
    • 1 1/4 cups So Delicious Original Culinary coconut milk
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 3 Tbsp maple syrup

     

    Citrus Tequila syrup:

    • 1 cup orange juice
    • 1/2 cup lime juice
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp silver tequila
    • 2 tsp lime zest
    • pinch sea salt

     

    Instructions:

    1. To make the pancakes, in a food processor, combine all pancake ingredients and process until just blended, pour into a bowl and set aside.
    2. To cook pancakes, preheat oven to 110 degrees. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the batter in 1/4 cup amounts (I did 3 at a time, but it depends on your pan), and let cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side until set and starting to brown, then flip with a spatula, and cook another 2-3 minutes. When cooked, place on a plate and keep warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining pancakes.
    3. To make the syrup, heat the orange juice, lime juice, and maple syrup in a saucepan, and bring to a boil.  Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the syrup has reduced to 1/3 of its original volume.  Stir in the tequila, lime zest and sea salt.
    4. Serve the pancakes with fresh fruit, and top the pancakes with the syrup!

    *Note: If you do not have a non-stick pan, go ahead and use a little oil when cooking the pancakes to prevent sticking.

  • Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts

    Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts

    Lemon Tart 2

    My Mom taught me to love lemon and all things citrus and tart.  I think it originally came from my Grandma, who loved lemon as well, and so did her Mom.  At least, my Mom told me that my Great Grandma used to always make lemon desserts that were amazing, like lemon meringue pie and cookies when she came to visit.   My Mom and I used to go to a candy counter when I was younger that sold these amazing key lime truffles.  They were really tart, and the sales lady warned us, but we thought they were just perfect!  Citrus desserts should be tart, not covered up with sweet.  We used to make lemon bars and key lime pies when I was younger, and they were always good because we didn’t overdo it on the sugar and allowed the citrus flavors to shine.  I still like my citrus desserts like that, and every Winter I like to make them when we are all lacking in sunshine here in Minnesota.  My Mom asked me a few weeks back if I could make her some sort of lemon tart, and of course I said yes!

    Lemon Tart 4

    I decided to make mini lemon tarts because she is a fan of individual desserts.  For the crust, I used just a classic gluten free pie crust so that the lemon curd could be the star.  I figured out how to make vegan lemon curd a while back, because it was one of the things I used to love before going vegan.  So, I used that recipe and tweaked it slightly for the tarts.  It is mostly lemon juice as it should be, I sweeten it with some maple syrup in place of the usual sugar, and thicken it with arrowroot starch instead of the classic eggs. It is bright, tart, sweet and delicious!  Just as lemon curd should be in my opinion, and it tastes like sunshine!  It worked out perfectly in the tart shells, and firmed up just enough while remaining silky and delicious thanks to the coconut oil I added in place of the classic butter.

    Lemon Tart 3

    Once they were chilled and ready to go I topped them off with raspberries.  They were super delicious!  I will never get tired of lemon desserts, they make me happy!  My Mom loved them as well, saying she enjoyed them even better than tarts with classic lemon curd because she is not a fan of the egg flavor they sometimes have.  I would have to agree.  If you are a lemon fan, give these a try!  Tis the season for lemon!

    Lemon Tart

    Vegan Mini Lemon Tarts

    Makes 8

    Crust:

    • 1 1/4cups all purpose gluten free flour
    • 2 Tbsp coconut sugar or maple sugar
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp coconut oil in its solid state
    • about 3-4 Tbsp cold water

     

    Curd Filling:
    • 1 cup fresh lemon juice
    • 2 Tbsp filtered water
    • 1 Tbsp organic lemon zest
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 1/4 cup cornstarch
    • pinch of sea salt
    • 1/8 tsp turmeric (optional, for color)
    • 2 Tbsp full fat coconut milk
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 3 Tbsp coconut oil

    Fresh organic raspberries for serving

     

    1. To make the crust, in a large bowl, mix together flour, sugar, and sea salt. Cut in coconut oil with a pastry blender or 2 knives until it is in pea sized pieces. Mix in  just enough water to create a smooth dough that holds together but isn’t too sticky. Add more water if needed, and knead slightly until a smooth dough is created.
    2. Roll out into a rectangle using floured parchment underneath and floured rolling pin. Cut into 8 five inch circles.  Oil 8 four inch mini tart pans well with coconut oil and fit the circles into them. Shape to fit the pans, don’t worry if they tear, just press them back together. Set aside in the refrigerator.
    3. Preheat oven to 375F degrees, then place the tart shells in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes until lightly brown.  Remove from the oven and let cool.
    4. To make filling, combine the lemon juice, water, zest, maple syrup, cornstarch, sea salt and coconut milk in a saucepan and cook over medium heat just until it thickens.  Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and coconut oil.
    5. Pour the filling into the crusts, and place in the refrigerator to firm up for a few hours.  Once chilled, garnish with berries and serve!
  • Vegan White Chocolate Grapefruit Cake

    Vegan White Chocolate Grapefruit Cake

    grapefruit-cake-with-white-chocolate-frosting-5

    New Years Eve deserves a special cake, so I knew I wanted to make one, but I wasn’t quite sure what kind.  Sometimes my brain is a crazy snow globe with all of my recipe ideas floating around in it at once, getting tangled up with the other things going on in my life.  I would bounce from one idea to another, but they all sounded so good…so I needed a little help deciding and turned to Eric.  He often helps me decide when I am stuck between recipes.  Like a coin toss, but better because he is the one I will be sharing with most of the time.  I wanted something seasonal, and citrus was on the table, and we decided on Grapefruit white chocolate.  I have made grapefruit cakes before, but they were raw, never baked, so this would be different.  The cake I had imagined had layers of moist  grapefruit scented cake, luscious white chocolate cream cheese frosting and grapefruit curd in between the layers to break up all the sweet with a hint of tart.  I admit sometimes lately I shy away from cakes with more steps that are maybe a little more complicated, but what the heck, I was off work that day so why not?

    grapefruit-cake-with-white-chocolate-frosting

    For the cake layers, I added plenty of grapefruit in the form of juice and zest.  Grapefruits are at their best this time of the year, so it is the perfect time to use them in recipes!  I sweetened my cake with dates to both keep it moist, and give it a slight caramel flavor (which I love, and goes awesome with citrus).   Also, a little almond butter for richness, which I am preferring to just oil lately in my cakes.  The cake baked up beautifully, nice and light and aromatic.  I could not wait to assemble it!  But first I had to make the grapefruit curd and frosting.  For the curd, I used my usual lemon curd recipe modified and it turned out perfect!  It was so flavorful thanks to the lovely organic Rio Star grapefruits I had picked up at work.

    grapefruit-cake-with-white-chocolate-frosting-3

    For the frosting, I used my usual vegan cream cheese frosting with a coconut cashew base with a touch of cacao butter to make it taste like white chocolate.  Man was it good.  Like eat with a spoon, or top off your piece of pie with it good.  I never miss dairy as a vegan, because there are so many good substitutes for it!  I used to make cream cheese frosting all the time when I was not vegan, so it was one of the first things I figured out how to make vegan.  Anyways, it is good stuff.  And, this cake turned out lovely!  Moist grapefruit scented cake with sweet tart grapefruit curd, and creamy rich “cream cheese” frosting with a touch of white chocolate goodness.  Definitely a New Years Eve worthy cake, and good for curing those Winter blues.  It may be cold where you live, but this cake tastes like sunshine and happiness!

    grapefruit-cake-with-white-chocolate-frosting-4

    Vegan White Chocolate Grapefruit Cake
    Makes one 2 layer 6 inch cake

    Ingredients:

    2 6 inch cake pans

    Cake:

    • 1 1/2 cups Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
    • 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
    • 1 tsp baking powder
    • 1/2 tsp sea salt
    • 1 cup packed soft medjool dates, pitted, soaked in water for 30 minutes and 1 cup of the water reserved
    • 1/4 cup raw almond butter
    • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 2 Tbsp organic grapefruit zest
    • 1  cup grapefruit juice
    • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

     

    Curd Filling:
    • 1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp fresh grapefruit juice
    • 1/2 Tbsp organic grapefruit zest
    • 2 Tbsp maple syrup
    • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
    • pinch of sea salt
    • 1 Tbsp full fat coconut milk
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1 1/2 tsp coconut oil

     

    Frosting:

    • 1 15 oz can full fat organic coconut milk, chilled
    • 1/2 cup raw cashew butter
    • 1/4 cup maple syrup
    • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt
    • 1/4 tsp cider vinegar
    • 1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp melted coconut butter (warmed to liquid)
    • 1/4 cup melted cacao butter warmed to liquid (or additional coconut butter if unavailable)

     

    Directions:

    1. Preheat the oven to 375F degrees and position rack in center of oven.
    2. Oil two 6 inch round cake pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment.
    3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt in a large bowl to blend well.
    4. Place dates, reserved water, almond butter, grapefruit juice and zest, and vanilla extract into a blender, and blend until smooth, then whisk this blended mixture into the flour mixture until well blended. Whisk in the cider vinegar until bubbles form.
    5. Pour the cake batter into prepared pans, and place in the oven.
    6. Bake cakes until set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Remove from oven, let cool completely, then unmold onto a plate.
    7. To make the filling, combine maple syrup, cornstarch, and sea salt in a medium pot, and whisk until combined. Add the juice and zest and whisk until smooth. Heat over medium high heat whisking constantly until thickened to a curd or pudding like consistency, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in coconut milk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Pour into a bowl, and let chill in the fridge until very cold, at least an hour.
    8. To make the frosting, combine all ingredients in a high speed blender and blend until completely smooth.  Pour into a bowl and place in the freezer until the consistency of stiffly whipped cream (about 30-45 minutes depending on how warm it has gotten.  Once it is ready place in the refrigerator until ready to assemble.
    9. To assemble, place one cake layer on a plate, and spread frosting 1/4 inch thick over it.  Then spread some of the curd over that.  Place the other cake layer over that, then spread more frosting, and curd over it like the last layer.  Repeat with another layer, and top off with last piece of cake.  Spread the remaining frosting on the top and down the sides of the cake.

    grapefruit-cake-with-white-chocolate-frosting-2

     

  • Vegan Citrus Corncakes (gluten free) with Kumquat Syrup

    Vegan Citrus Corncakes (gluten free) with Kumquat Syrup

    IMG_1989
    After an exhausting day last week, all I wanted was to make some breakfast for dinner when I got home.  I had been running around all day and wanted nothing more than to relax and make some pancakes.  Something wintery with seasonal ingredients preferably made from things I had on hand, since I didn’t feel like shopping after work.  I ended up making citrus pancakes, because I had plenty of citrus fruits on hand, and they taste so bright and sunny this dark time of the year.  I decided to make sunny yellow corn cakes, because I love the flavor of cornmeal with fruit, and I didn’t have much gluten free flour on hand, so it worked out.
    IMG_1992
    I added some protein powder to the batter since I wanted something more substantial and filling.  I had ran and lifted weights in the morning and been at work all day so I was hungry.  I made a zesty, sweet citrus syrup to top them off, and they tasted like sunshine and a warmer climate than here.  I shared some with Eric, since he loves pancakes too.  In fact, that was one of the first dishes I cooked for him and he always approves. If you need a little sunshine, try out these pancakes, they are wonderful!  If you do not have access to kumquats, feel free to substitute orange sections, and orange zest in the sauce for them.
    IMG_1993

    Vegan Citrus Corncakes (gluten free) with Kumquat Syrup
    Serves 2

    Ingredients:

    Sauce:

    1 1/2 cups sliced organic kumquats
    juice of 1 large lemon (about 3 Tbsp )
    1/4 cup maple syrup
    pinch sea salt
    2 tsp arrowroot starch dissolved in 2 tsp water
    1 tsp pure vanilla extract

    Pancakes:
    2 Tbsp ground flax seed
    1/2 cup Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Baking flour
    1/2 cup cornmeal
    2 scoops Sprout Living Epic Vanilla Lucuma Protein Powder
    1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
    1/4 tsp sea salt
    1/2 cup applesauce
    2 Tbsp melted coconut oil
    1 1/4 cups orange juice
    2 Tbsp lemon zest
    2 Tbsp orange zest
    2 tsp pure vanilla extract
    2-3 Tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like them)
    coconut oil for cooking

    To make the sauce, combine the kumquats, lemon juice and maple syrup in a pan, cook over medium heat, until the kumquats have softened, about 5 minutes. Add the arrowroot, and cook until thickened, about a minute more.  Add the vanilla and remove from heat. Set aside.
    Whisk together the flax seed, flour, cornmeal, protein powder, baking powder and sea salt in a large bowl.
    Whisk in all the remaining wet ingredients until smooth.
    To cook pancakes, preheat oven to 200 degrees. Heat a large non-stick pan over medium heat and add a little coconut oil to coat the bottom. Once hot, add the batter in 1/4 cup amounts (I did 4 at a time, but it depends on your pan), and let cook for about 2-3 minutes on the first side until set and starting to brown, then flip with a spatula and cook another 2-3 minutes on the other side. When cooked, place on a plate and keep warm in the oven while you repeat the process with the remaining pancakes. Serve with the kumquat sauce.



  • Citrus Cacao Butter Lip Balm

    I go through a lot of lip products.  When I was in high school I had the nickname “glossy” because I always had many different lip products on me at any given time, and my lips always had to be moisturized.  I am not quite as obsessive about it now, but soft lips are still important to me.  None of that chapped lip nonsense. I am way more picky about what I put on my lips than I used to be also, I only use natural lip products.  Since I learned that most commercial lip products contain things like preservatives, chemicals and heavy metals (just to name a few).  Although there are some great natural lip product brands out there, I love making my own lip balm. I have been making a lot of sweets with raw cacao butter lately, and they were all amazing, but what I have been really dying to make with it is lip balm.

    I had made some lip balm around the Holidays, but it did not contain cacao butter, and so I wanted to make a new formula and give it a go with it included.  I made a simple combination of cacao butter, coconut oil, and almond oil with some of my favorite citrus essential oils like lemon, orange and grapefruit.  It turned out awesome, and whenever I use it I feel happy because it smells like chocolate and citrus truffles or something dessert-like of that nature. I think anyone would be happy to kiss lips wearing this.  Also, I have been using it on the dry parts of my hands as well and it is a wonderful deep moisturizer for my cracked skin.  This recipe takes almost no hands on time at all, I just popped my cacao butter and coconut oil in the dehydrator while I was working on other stuff until it melted, then whisked the ingredients together and put it in the tins.

    Citrus Cacao Butter Lip Balm

    Makes 14

    3 Tbsp raw coconut oil, warmed to liquid

    2 Tbsp raw cacao butter, warmed to liquid

    2 tsp sweet almond oil

    5 drops sweet orange essential oil

    5 drops grapefruit essential oil

    2 drops lemon essential oil

    14 small lip gloss tins or containers with lids

    Whisk together all ingredients in a glass measuring cup with a pour spout until well combined.  Pour into desired containers and allow to set until hard, about 3 hours (if you wish to speed it up, place them in the refrigerator).