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< Back Polish Potato Dumplings Prep Time: 40 minutes Cook Time: 5 minutes Serves: 5 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1½ pounds (670 g) potatoes peeled weight 1½ cups less 1tbsp (180 g) flour plus a little for dusting 1 large egg ⅔ teaspoon fine sea salt plus more for boiling the potatoes and dumplings, as per Instructions. Preparation Preparation Peel and boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain thoroughly and mash until smooth and creamy (using a potato masher or ricer). Set aside to cool completely. If after draining your potatoes still seem a little too moist place them back in the pot and cook for about 30 seconds stirring all the time. This should get rid of any excess moisture. Fill a large pot with water, add about 1-1½ teaspoon of coarse sea salt (or ⅔ tsp fine), cover and bring to the boil. In the meantime make the potato dumplings. In a large bowl combine the mashed potatoes with the egg and salt and gradually add the flour, mixing in with the back of a spoon. When you've added all the flour your mixture should be very lumpy. Transfer to a flat surface and form a smooth dough by bringing the mixture together. You don't need to knead very long. The dough should be very soft. Divide the dough into 4-5 parts (easier to work with) and roll each part into a long sausage shape the thickness of a large thumb (dust with a little flour as you roll). Flatten a little and cut at a slight angle into small pieces (about 2 cm/⅔'' thick). Keep your uncooked kopytka dumplings on top of a floured surface making sure they don't touch each other. When the water starts to boil carefully, place the dumplings in the pot, one by one, and gently stir with a wooden spoon to prevent them sticking to the bottom of the pot and each other. Once they all come up to the top, boil them gently for 2 more minutes. Cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pot. Use the same water to cook all your dumplings. Turn off the heat, lift the dumplings out of the pot using a slotted spoon and place on a large plate. Add a little butter or drizzle of oil to prevent them sticking to one another. Serve immediately. Notes Potatoes: Use Russets, Yukon Gold, Maris Piper or another all-rounder variety. Drain the cooked potatoes well and mash until smooth. Cool completely before making the recipe. You can boil and mash the potatoes in advance and once cooled refrigerate overnight. Dough: Stop kneading once you've formed the dough. This recipe does not require prolonged kneading. You shouldn't need to use more flour than the recommended amount. If, however, after adding all the flour your dough is still a little sticky knead in a little more (approx. 1 tsp). It is important to use a sufficient amount of salt or your dumplings may end up without much flavor. So boil the potatoes in salted water, add salt into the dumpling dough and cook the kopytka themselves in salted water. They won't be too salty! Make it vegan: Use 2 teaspoons of ground flaxseed instead of the egg. Boiling the dumplings: Do not overcrowd the pot. Make the dumplings in batches (in the same water). Best served immediately. The dumplings are very soft to start with and become tougher as they cool. Reheating them (in the microwave or frying pan) will soften them again. Serve with melted butter, oil, fried bacon or onion, meat-based or vegetarian stew. Refrigerate, once cooled, for up to 2 days. Freezing: To freeze uncooked dumplings, arrange on a flour dusted tray and freeze for 3 hours then store in a freezer bag and place back in the freezer for up to 3 months. Preparation time includes the time needed to boil and cool the potatoes. EQUIPMENT YOU'LL NEED Vegetable peeler , knife and large spoon Potato masher or ricer Large pot with lid and slotted spoon Previous Next

< Back Galaktoboureko Prep Time: Cook Time: 60 Minutes Serves: 10-12 Pieces Level: Beginner Ingredients Base Ingredients 450g phyllo pastry (14 oz./ 12 sheets) 230g butter (8 oz.) For the Custard 160g finely ground (thin) semolina (6 oz.) 220g sugar (7.5 oz.) 500g milk (17.6 oz.) 4 eggs (separated into whites and yolks) 30g butter (1 oz.) 1 tsp vanilla extract 500g double (heavy) cream (17.6 oz) Preparation So lets start with preparing the phyllo! Firstly, use the right butter! To get the most flavourful Galaktoboureko use a good quality fresh butter to cover the phyllo sheets. The authentic Greek Galaktoboureko recipe calls for ‘galaktos’ butter made from a mix of sheep’s and cow’s milk , but if you can’t handle it’s very strong flavor or simply can’t find it at your local store, then you can substitute with good quality fresh butter from cow’s milk . Secondly a little trick to make the phyllo crispier and flakier is to sprinkle the melted butter over the phyllo sheets , rather than brushing them. Be quick! Working with phyllo can be tricky as it is brittle and can dry out very quickly. Clarified butter! Sometimes when baking the galaktoboureko some black spots will appear on the top . These are the milk solids caramelizing in the oven. If you want to avoid that then just use clarified butter or ghee . Prepare the Galaktoboureko custard Traditionally, Greek Galaktoboureko uses use thin semolina to achieve the grainy texture that is the main characteristic of the cream. So don’t be alarmed if it is a bit grainy, this is intentional and will result in an amazing texture when you cut through it. So how to make your custard to perfection? Make your egg whites into meringues and fold them in the galaktoboureko custard mixture. In most recipes, the eggs are added whole towards the end, but with this Galaktoboureko recipe the eggs are beaten into meringues and combined in the semolina based cream . This is the secret to a more fluffy and creamy custard and to avoid the egg-y smell, which can ruin the flavor of your Galaktoboureko. Add the semolina slowly to the warm milk and whisk constantly to prevent it from forming lumps! Make sure the mixture is cool when folding in your meringues so they don’t curdle. When preparing your custard you will be heating up your milk, sugar, vanilla and semolina to get the ingredients to combine and form a cream. Before folding in the meringues make sure the custard mixture has cooled down to 50C/120F or until warm to touch else your eggs may curdle! Use some good quality cream! There are two ways to make galaktoboureko – some recipes call for full fat milk only and others a mix of cream and milk. After plenty of experimenting I’ve found that the best custard texture and flavor comes from using a good quality double/heavy (35%+ in fat) cream. This will make your custard filling silky smooth and will taste simply divine! Prepare the syrup for the Galaktoboureko To achieve the perfect syrup consistency for your Galaktoboureko, you should never blend or stir the syrup while it is boiling. Just let the sugar dissolve in the boiling water, remove it from the stove and then add your honey. Honey helps the syrup not to crystallize, gives extra flavor and makes it nice and thick. To achieve the perfect Galaktoboureko you want your phyllo to remain crispy while all the syrup has soaked through. To accomplish this make sure that the syrup is cold and your Galaktoboureko is really hot. So prepare your syrup first to give it plenty of time to cool down! Also ladle the cold syrup slowly over the hot Galaktoboureko and wait for each ladle to be absorbed fully. That way the syrup is absorbed evenly and throughout your filling. Finally, I know, even though it will be really hard to do, you should wait for the Galaktoboureko to cool down before cutting into it! Make sure you don’t cover the galaktoboureko while it is still warm to prevent the steam from getting trapped. Steam will turn your phyllo soggy! Just leave it uncovered on the counter for an hour or so until it's cool to the touch. So go ahead, give this traditional Galaktoboureko recipe a try and amaze your friends and family! Instructions 1. To make this Galaktoboureko recipe, start by preparing the syrup. Into a small pan add the sugar, the water and lemon peel, cinnamon stick and lemon and bring to the boil. Let it boil just until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the stove, add the honey and stir. Leave the syrup aside to cool completely. 2. Prepare the custard for the Galaktoboureko (steps 3-8). 3. Pour into a saucepan the milk, the cream and 120g of the sugar, and bring to the boil. (Don’t whisk the mixture. The sugar at the bottom of the pan protects the milk from burning.) As soon as it comes to the boil and heats up slowly add the semolina and the vanilla extract, whilst whisking. Turn the heat down to medium heat and whisk constantly until the mixture becomes creamy. Remove the pan from the stove, add a knob of butter and fold. Let it cool down while you are preparing the remaining steps, until warm (50c / 120F), else your mix will curdle when you fold in the eggs. Just remember to whisk it once in a while. 4. Divide the eggs into yolks and whites. In most traditional Greek recipes, the eggs are added whole towards the end, but with this Galaktoboureko recipe the eggs are beaten into meringues and combined in the semolina based cream. This is the secret to a more fluffy and creamy custard and to avoid the egg-y smell, which can ruin the flavor of your Galaktoboureko. 5. Place the egg whites and 50g sugar in a mixing bowl. Make sure your egg whites, bowl and whisk attachment/s are free of any water. Use an electric mixer or electric hand beaters to whisk the egg whites and sugar until the mixture is very thick and glossy, all the sugar has dissolved and a long trailing peak forms when the whisk is lifted (meringues). Set aside. 6. In another bowl, whisk the yolks and 50g of sugar, until the mixture is thick and foamy. This should take about 5 minutes. 7. With a spatula add 1/4 of the meringues into the egg yolks-sugar mixture and blend with light circular movement from the bottom up. Gradually add all the meringues into the mixture and fold. 8. Fold together the two mixtures, from step 3 and step 7 and set aside. 9. For this Galaktoboureko recipe, you need a large baking tray, approx. 25x32cm. Melt 230g of butter (low heat) and butter the bottom and sides of the tray. Remove the phyllo roll from the plastic sleeve. You will use 6 sheets of phyllo for the bottom of the Galaktoboureko. 10. Begin by layering the sheets one by one on the bottom of the tray, making sure to sprinkle each one thoroughly with melted butter. Layer four sheets of phyllo so that they extend half in the pan and half out of the pan horizontally and vertically and two more in the middle. 11. Tip in the custard, smoothing the surface with a spatula and fold the phyllo sheet flaps over the custard. Sprinkle it with melted butter. 12. Add 6 sheets on top, sprinkling each sheet with melted butter. With a knife, trim some of the excessive phyllo and use your pastry brush to help you turn the phyllo inwards, towards the bottom of the pan to seal the galaktoboureko. 13. Scar the top of the Galaktoboureko in pieces with a sharp knife. Cut down until the knife reaches the cream. 14. Pour over the remaining butter. Sprinkle with a little bit of water. 15. Bake in a preheated oven at 160C for 60 to 75 minutes until the phyllo is crisp and golden. 16. As soon as the Galaktoboureko is ready, ladle slowly the cold syrup over the pastry. (Hot galaktoboureko, cold syrup) 17. Serve after the syrup is absorbed. Enjoy! Previous Next

< Back Uses For Overripe Oranges Prep Time: N/A Cook Time: N/A Serves: N/A Level: Beginner About the Recipe Oh sure, overripe bananas get all the glory with their banana bread, desserts, and smoothie options…….. BUT don’t discard those overripe oranges. Ingredients Oranges Preparation 1 . POMANDER BALL - makes a great centerpiece especially around the holidays. And if your orange is really wrinkly, try adding more cloves to it. 2. CITRUS CLEANER TIPS – When making your own cleaners, glass bottles are non-reactive. Amber bottles are often recommended to eliminate light decomposing especially in essential oils. Keep in a cool, dark area. Make sure your surface can have a citrus based cleaner first. 3. DRIED ORANGE GARLAND - With a food dehydrator, or an oven, you can make beautiful, dried orange slices for a garland or ornaments. 4. STOVE POTPOURRI - You can customize with scents you like and items you need to use up. I recommend getting a small pot from the thrift store to use so any residual oils won’t transfer to foods. And always keep an eye on your stove. 5. DRIED ORANGE PEELS - You can use dried orange peels for a variety of items: Citrus Peel Tea Kindling Garden Orange Facial Exfoliant Orange Peel Soap 6. ORANGE SLICES IN YOUR BATHWATER - What an easy way to use up oranges than to slice them up and place them in the bath. Citrus is an exfoliant. 7. CLEAN A MICROWAVE - ADDITIONAL TIPS, INFO, AND USES: Storing your oranges in the refrigerator can extend their life up to two months vs. a couple of weeks on the counter. If you can’t use them in any of these applications, one of the best things we’ve done is set up a lazy compost area, and we use a compost bucket in our kitchen. Some plumbers feel that using citrus peels in your garbage disposal, as often recommended, can give you problems. Did you know that trashed produce is really not good at all? Uneaten food that ends up rotting in landfills is a large producer of methane. Food waste is a loss of financial, water, and land resources. By reducing that waste, we can help use those resources more wisely. Previous Next

< Back Sauerkraut Prep Time: 45 minutes Cook Time: Wait for six weeks before serving Serves: 20 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 lbs cabbage, sliced thin 4 teaspoons salt Preparation Slice up 3 lbs. of cabbage into thin slices Put prepared cabbage into fermenting crock, layering it with the *salt. Start **pounding cabbage until it releases enough natural juice that when you put the crock weight on it, the juice completely covers the cabbage. Place the crock lid on and keep it out of direct heat. Wait for about six weeks, longer if you want it stronger, and then transfer it to a jar and store in the fridge. *I like my sauerkraut a little less salty, but if you like yours saltier, add another teaspoon or so. Each time you make it you can experiment and find the perfect ratio for you. My perfect ratio is 3 lbs./4 teaspoons salt. **I have found the most effective tool to use to pound the cabbage with is the French rolling pin, which is basically aabout an 18" long dowel that is about 1 to 1 1/2 inch in diameter. It is wide enough to smash, but small enough to not get held back by the surrounding cabbage. Previous Next

< Back Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls with Cinnamon Butter Prep Time: 1 hour 40 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Serves: 24 rolls Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients Ingredients 1 pkg. active dry yeast 2 ¼ teas. ¼ cup warm water about 100 degrees Fahrenheit 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons butter softened 1 tablespoon butter melted ¼ cup + 1 teaspoon sugar 3 ½ -4 ½ cups flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg Cinnamon Butter Ingredients 1 stick butter softened 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 tablespoons honey 2 tablespoons powdered sugar Preparation Heat milk to 180 degrees Fahrenheit n a pot on the stove or microwave safe bowl or measuring cup in the microwave. Remove the milk from heat and add the softened butter. Let cool to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Dissolve yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar in the warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes. In a stand mixer bowl add the yeast, milk, sugar, salt and 1 cup flour. Combine with whisk or paddle attachment. Add egg and beat until combined. Add 2 more cups of flour one at a time scraping down the sides and mixing after each addition. Change to dough hook and add flour ½ cup at a time on low speed until dough forms and pulls away from the sides. Knead the dough with the dough hook on medium until the dough is smooth, 3-4 minutes. Grease a large bowl with oil or cooking spray. Lightly dust counter with flour and turn dough out. (Be sure to dust your hands as the dough will be sticky.) Form the dough into a ball and place in greased bowl. Turn over once to oil both sides of the dough. Cover and place in a warm place at least 1 hour or until doubled in size. I put it in the oven with the inside light left on. Turn out on to a well-floured surface. Dust a rolling pin with flour and roll out to ½ inch thick. Using a dough scraper or pizza cutter cut out rectangles of dough about 2x3 inches. Take the rectangles and fold the short edges under, meeting in the middle to make a rounded shape on top. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet; cover and let sit until doubled. This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending upon the temperature in your room. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. (Make sure to remove the rolls if you are letting them rise in the oven.) Bake at 350 degrees F until deep golden brown, 11-13 minutes. Remove and brush with melted butter. Serve warm with cinnamon butter. Cinnamon Butter Instructions: Cream together ingredients in medium bowl. Enjoy on warm rolls. Previous Next

< Back Grandma’s Best White Bread Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 18-20 minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients ½ cup dry powdered milk (or 2 cups fresh milk) 1 tablespoon salt ½ cup + 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar 1 cube butter (1 cube margarine, or a ½ cup oil can be substituted) 4 cups water (or 2 cups of water, if you used the 2 cups of fresh milk above) 1 tablespoon yeast (Tip: Store your yeast in the freezer) 6-8+ cups all-purpose bleached or unbleached white flour Preparation Heat one cup of water over medium heat and add powdered milk, sugar, salt, and butter, and stir until everything is dissolved. Turn off heat and add the three remaining cups of cold water to the hot mixture. Put some flour (anywhere from four to six cups to start) in a large bowl (or mixer) and mix in the dry yeast granules (I use the kind that you don’t have to start ahead of time). Add the warm liquid to the flour and mix. Continue adding flour a little at a time until it starts to pull away from the bowl. If you are mixing by hand, pour out contents onto counter and continue kneading and adding more flour a little at a time until it feels right – just trust yourself. You’ll get this with practice. After making it a couple times you will begin to know what density you prefer (more flour=denser, less flour=lighter). If you are mixing it with a mixer, just keep adding the flour a little at a time until it pulls away from the bowl and is somewhat self-contained and not sticky to the touch. Spread a little oil on the dough surface and cover with a cloth. Let it raise to at least double. Punch down, knead a little more, and divide into four pieces for loaves (*6-8 for bread bowls, and **24 for rolls). Form into loaves, put in well greased bread pans, spread a little more oil on the dough and let raise again until it is the size you loaf you want. Bake at 400°F degrees for 18-20 minutes. When you remove bread from the oven, immediately tip the bread out of the pan and place the loaves on a cooling rack. You can spread butter on the crust while it is warm (making the crust softer), or leave it unbuttered (leaving the crust crustier) - your preference. The process may look like it takes a long time, but in reality, it isn't long or difficult. You can get the dough mixed up and raising the first time in less than 10 minutes, and formed into loaves and raising the second time in less than 5 minutes. Just remember that the more you practice the better you will become, and your family will love being your test subjects. *Bread bowls: Depending on how big you want the bread bowls, divide into six or eight pieces, and place on a greased cookie pan. Spread a little oil on the dough surface, cover and let raise. Make sure that you place them far enough apart that when they are fully raised and baked, they don't touch each other. Bake the same as the bread loves. **Rolls: Divide into 24 dough pieces and knead with a little flour until they are nice and round. Place four across on a greased cookie sheet, until the cookie sheet is filled. Spread a little oil on the dough surface, cover and let raise until the space between the rolls are gone. Bake the same as the bread loaves. Depending on what size loaf pan you have, this recipe will make either three (2 quart) or four (1.5 quart) loaves. I prefer the glass 1.5 quart size. Use whatever you prefer. Both the dough and/or the baked bread freeze well. If you are freezing the baked bread or rolls, make sure they are cooled down completely before freezing. If you freeze the formed bread dough loaves (see *** below for frozen rolls), set it out on the counter covered in a greased bread pan, after spreading a thin layer of oil on the frozen dough, let it thaw and raise. Don't try to rush the thawing process by putting it near something warm. The outside will thaw and raise before the inside can thaw, and that will be problematic. ***You can also freeze the roll size dough and take it out the night before and let it thaw overnight in the fridge, and then flatten it out and fry it up for breakfast as a scone. Absolute family favorite! Previous Next

< Back Old Fashion Red Syrup Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Serves: 8 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 2 cups white sugar 2/3 cup water Preparation Put sugar in small kettle on high heat. Have water ready to pour on sugar as it starts to melt. It is very important to pour water in at first sight of red melted sugar as it is boiling. Pour water in very slowy. Do not stir at anytime. Boil on a medium rolling for about 20 minutes Serve on pancakes, waffles, or biscuits. Previous Next

< Back Grandma’s Zucchini Bread Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 40 Minutes Serves: 24 - 2 (8x4-inch) loaves Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon 3 large eggs 1 cup vegetable oil 2 ¼ cups white sugar 3 teaspoons vanilla extract 2 cups grated zucchini 1 cup chopped walnuts Preparation How to Make Zucchini Bread You'll find a detailed ingredient list and step-by-step instructions in the recipe below, but let's go over the basics: Zucchini Bread Ingredients These are the budget-friendly ingredients you’ll need to make homemade zucchini bread: Flour : This traditional zucchini bread recipe starts with all-purpose flour, which creates structure in the batter. Salt : A teaspoon of salt enhances the overall flavor, but it won’t make the zucchini bread taste salty. Leaveners : Baking powder and baking soda act as leaveners, which means they help the zucchini bread rise. Cinnamon : Ground cinnamon lends warmth and depth of flavor. Eggs : Three whole eggs add moisture and help bind the batter together. Oil : A neutral oil, such as vegetable oil, adds even more moisture. Sugar : White sugar sweetens things up. Some reviewers say they prefer to use a blend of white and brown sugars. Vanilla : Vanilla extract enhances the overall flavor of the zucchini bread. Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract. Zucchini : You’ll need two cups of freshly grated zucchini. Nuts : This recipe calls for walnuts, but you can use pecans (or the nuts of your choice) if you wish. How Do You Make Zucchini Bread? Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this old-fashioned zucchini bread recipe: 1. Sift the dry ingredients together. 2. Beat the wet ingredients together. 3. Beat the dry mixture into the wet mixture. 4. Stir in the grated zucchini and nuts. 5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans. 6. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. How to Store Zucchini Bread Store freshly made zucchini bread (tightly wrapped in storage wrap and/or aluminum foil) at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to one week. Can You Freeze Zucchini Bread? To freeze zucchini bread, wrap the cooled loaves in a layer of storage wrap. Then wrap them in a layer of aluminum foil. Freeze for up to three months. Directions Step 1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8x4-inch pans. Step 2 Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon together in a large bowl. Step 3 Beat eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla together in a separate large bowl with an electric mixer until combined; add flour mixture and beat well. Stir in zucchini and walnuts until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Step4 Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a wire rack and let cool completely. Previous Next

< Back How to make coffee creamer Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cook Time: 15 Minutes Serves: 4 cups Level: Beginner About the Recipe Love coffee creamer, but hate all the chemicals and added sugar? Here’s how to make homemade coffee creamer that’s healthy and free of refined sugar plus how to make flavored coffee creamer with just 5 ingredients. Enjoy a cup of your favorite flavored coffee guilt-free plus I’ll share my top 5 Healthy Flavored Coffee Creamers! Ingredients For the Homemade Condensed Milk: 2 cups milk of choice (I prefer almond milk, whole milk or coconut milk) 1 cup raisins For the Homemade Coffee Creamer: 1 1/2 cups condensed milk (see recipe above) 1 cup milk of choice 1 tbsp pure maple syrup 1 tsp arrowroot starch 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract For French Vanilla Creamer: 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract For Peppermint Mocha Creamer: 1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder 1/8 tsp espresso powder 1 tsp peppermint extract For Hazelnut Creamer: 2 tsp hazelnut extract (can also use almond extract) For Chocolate Creamer: 2 tsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract For Cinnamon Creamer: 1 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp ground cinnamon (or 1/2 tsp cinnamon extract) Preparation Is Coffee Creamer Bad For You? Unfortunately, most store-bought coffee creamers are very unhealthy for you. They contain high amounts of sugars, fats, and chemicals. Even the sugar-free and/or fat-free options contain bad stuff so they’re no better. Ideally, you want to get yourself into a position where you’re drinking clean coffee and creamer, both. What’s in (Store-Bought) Coffee Creamer? Here are the ingredients in what was my favorite brand (Coffee-Mate Hazelnut Creamer): Water Sugar Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil Sodium Caseinate (a Milk Derivative) Phosphate Disodium Phosphate Mono- and Diglycerides Cellulose Gel Cellulose Gum Color Added Natural and Artificial Flavors Carrageenan Overall, not a very pretty picture. First off, there are way too many ingredients here for a very simple mixture. Second, there is partially hydrogenated oil which is very bad for you, along with a slew of very processed ingredients. Now, here are the ingredients for my healthy homemade creamer recipe: Almond milk (or any unsweetened milk of choice) Raisins Pure maple syrup Arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch) Pure vanilla extract All the whole ingredients are way better for you. All just as tasty as the fake stuff you’ve been used to. How to Make Homemade Coffee Creamer You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make homemade coffee creamer. What once was a magical solution of sweet goodness is really just a few simple ingredients for coffee bliss. Here are the easy steps for how to make homemade coffee creamer: Prepare homemade condensed milk using raisins and milk Combine condensed milk with more whole milk, pure maple syrup, arrowroot starch, and vanilla extract Refrigerate Enjoy! That’s seriously it. Have it ready for your morning coffee or an afternoon iced coffee. So easy and so simple. How to Make Different Flavors of Coffee Creamer In this post, I share a base homemade coffee creamer and 5 other variations for homemade coffee creamers. If you wanted to make your own homemade coffee creamer with your fave flavors, you could replace the vanilla extract with any of the following for more flavor options: Hazelnut extract Chocolate extract Peppermint extract Maple extract Coconut extract Almond extract I think you get the idea – add any flavor you like or even combine flavors, like almond and chocolate or chocolate and peppermint. You can also not add any extract for a plain flavor, if you’d prefer. Check out below for some great options to get you started! HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE CREAMER LAST? Homemade coffee creamers can last up to a week in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. I store mine in reusable milk bottles and mason jars and always make sure they’re properly tightened. Then, I just grab them, give them a shake to mix all the flavors together, and then pour a little into my coffee. Perfect, right? So, let’s get to the homemade coffee creamer recipes, shall we? Homemade Coffee Creamer Recipes 1. FRENCH VANILLA CREAMER Nothing goes better together than coffee and vanilla. It’s a good thing that making Healthy Homemade French Vanilla Creamer is super easy! (See recipe below!) 2. PEPPERMINT MOCHA CREAMER Once you try this Homemade Peppermint Mocha Creamer, you’ll never put another store-bought creamer in your coffee again! (See recipe below!) 3. HAZELNUT CREAMER The rich flavor of hazelnut will make any cup of coffee taste like a treat. Good thing is making Homemade Hazelnut Creamer is crazy simple! (See recipe below!). 4. CHOCOLATE CREAMER How is it possible that your favorite chocolate flavored coffee drink tastes amazing and is also actually good for you? This healthy Homemade Chocolate Creamer is so rich and chocolatey! (See recipe below!) 5. CINNAMON CREAMER Spice up your coffee by adding some Homemade Cinnamon Coffee Creamer to your coffee. Yum! (See recipe below!) Instructions For the Homemade Healthy Condensed Milk: In a sealable container or mixing bowl , combine the milk and raisins, and then place in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4-5 hours. (You can also cook over medium-low heat on the stove-top, stirring frequently, for 30 minutes). Note: this process will work to naturally thicken and sweeten the milk. You can use soaked raisins as a topping for oatmeal or to sweeten smoothies so as not to waste, if you'd like). Strain the raisins from the milk using a fine mesh strainer ; discard the raisins. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups of the homemade condensed milk, additional milk, pure maple syrup, and arrowroot starch. Cook the mixture for 6-8 minutes, or until the mixture stars to thicken and almost begins to bubble. Remove from heat and add in the pure vanilla extract, and stir to combine. You can transfer this base creamer recipe to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. As is, it keeps for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. French Vanilla Creamer: Add additional vanilla extract to base creamer recipe and stir to combine. Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. For Peppermint Mocha Creamer: Add cocoa powder, espresso powder, and peppermint extract to base creamer recipe and stir to combine. Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. For Hazelnut Creamer: Add hazelnut extract to base creamer recipe and stir to combine. Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. For Chocolate Creamer: Add vanilla extract and cocoa powder to base creamer recipe and stir to combine. Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. For Cinnamon Creamer: Add vanilla extract and cinnamon to base creamer recipe and stir to combine. Transfer this to a sealable container and store in the fridge until ready to use. Previous Next

< Back Lemon Creme Brûlée Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 32-42 minutes Serves: 6 Level: Beginner Ingredients Zest of 1 Large Lemon 100 grams (½ Cup) + 2 Tablespoons Granulated/ Caster Sugar 20oz (2.5 Cups) Heavy Whipping Cream 6 Large Egg Yolks, at room temperature ½ Teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste ¼ Teaspoon Pure Lemon Extract 7 ½ Tablespoons Granulated Sugar (1 ½ Tablespoons per creme brulee) Kitchen Torch Preparation This recipe is quite simple, only a few things are needed: Large Lemon. We are just going to use the zest from the lemon. The lemon juice can be too acidic and curdle the cream, like buttermilk. Granulated Sugar. The sugar is used to sweeten the cream as well as Heavy Whipping Cream. Make sure you use heavy whipping cream, this has a higher fat content than regular whipping cream. Large Egg Yolks. Make sure when you separate the egg whites from the yolk there is no white left with the yolks. Vanilla Bean Paste . You can use a whole vanilla bean or vanilla extract. Pure Lemon Extract. Although the lemon zest gives an intense lemon flavor the little bit of lemon oil helps really ensure the strong lemon flavor. Kitchen Torch . Although not an ingredient, this tool is key to burning the sugar on top. You can use an oven's broiling feature but you have to be very careful with timing not to burn too much. Instructions Preheat the oven to 325F and get a large roasting pan and 6 ramekins out and ready to use. In a large saucepan add two tablespoons of sugar and the lemon zest then using your clean hands rub the lemon zest into the sugar for two minutes, this helps release all of the lemon oils from the zest. Add the heavy cream and cook over medium heat until just before the boiling point. Turn off the heat and place the lid on to steam for ten minutes. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a large bowl with a handheld mixer whisk egg yolks and sugar. Beat on high until they start to turn a paler yellow color. Then, slowly add the hot cream mixture in small increments continually stirring. Doing this slowly tempers the eggs, preventing them from scrambling. Then stir in the vanilla bean paste and lemon extract. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl preferably one with a pouring spout and strain the custard mixture. This will remove the lemon zest and any egg that was scrambled. Pour the lemon cream evenly into the ramekins. Place ramekins in a large roasting pan and then fill the baking pan with hot water until about halfway up the ramekins. I find it easiest to use boiling water from the kettle. Bake for 32-42 minutes, you want the center of the creme brulee to be set but have a little bit of jiggle, if you want to use an instant-read thermometer the internal temperature should be 170F/77C. Take out of the oven and place the roasting pan on a wire rack. After five minutes remove the ramekins from the roasting pan and let cool for 1 hour on a wire rack. Place in the refrigerator covered in a container or with plastic wrap for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving. If you want to make a lemon twist, slice a whole piece of lemon then remove the insides and extra white pith from the peel then just use your fingers to twist the lemon up, the lemon peel should naturally hold its shape Right before serving sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the sugar on top of each creme brûlée and using a kitchen torch burn the sugar. Add fresh berries and lemon twist if you want. Previous Next

< Back Mile High Biscuits Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 12- 15 minutes Serves: 12 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 3 cups all-purpose white flour 2 tablespoons sugar 4 ½ teaspoons baking powder ¾ teaspoon cream of tartar ¾ teaspoon salt ¾ cup shortening 1 egg, slightly beaten 1 cup milk Preparation Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add egg and milk to flour mixture all at once, stirring just enough with fork to make a soft dough that sticks together. Turn onto a liberally floured surface and knead gently 15 times (and NOT ONE KNEAD MORE – really, it will make it tough). Roll to 1-inch thickness. Cut with floured 2-inch cutter and place about 1 inch apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 450° F for 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown. Makes 16. Previous Next

< Back The BEST Lemonade Recipe In The World Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: Serves: 6 Level: Beginner About the Recipe Ingredients 1 cup lemon juice 1 cup sugar (or sugar substitute) 6 cups of cold water Preparation Add water, lemon juice and sugar, stir until sugar is dissolved. Optional add ice or any fruit. Previous Next