Frozen Coconut Cream & Brown Sugar Latte

This Summer has been one of my favorites yet.  The weather has been almost bearable, the humidity tame, and the berries plentiful.  It's been good. 

As with all of life, there has also been some really icky, unenjoyable, and very tearful moments. Pains of life, both physical and mental, that even cookies cannot fix.  However, each day, I have been able to get out of bed, even if it hurts, take a breath of summer's warm tonic, and remember that I am very loved by some very sweet people.  I count you, my dear readers, among them. I'm thankful for you.

On such mornings, I do not need anything, except grace, but a cup of coconut-laden coffee has never hurt. 

You know I am obsessed.  There is no hiding it.  Coconut cream is the new butter, at least in my kitchen. 

I decided to change things up a bit and try using brown sugar in this latte, but you could definitely use simple syrup instead (I recommend always having some in your fridge, especially in the warmer months).  I liked the subtle richness and depth the brown sugar added.

A hefty dose of coconut cream goes into this drink.  Some mornings I just want coffee-flavored cream.  You may adjust the ratios to your taste.  This is not so much a recipe as it is meant for inspiration. 

I made a pot of coffee and poured it into an ice cube tray to make this drink somewhat frosty. 

Add a spoonful of whipped cream, if you fancy it. 

We might cry in our cars now and then, but at least we have sunny mornings, sweet friends, and coffee treats. 

Sincerely, 

Pedantic Foodie

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Frozen Coconut Cream & Brown Sugar Latte

makes 2

2 cups boiling water 

6 tablespoons finely ground coffee

1/4 cup light brown sugar 

3/4 cup almond or coconut milk

1/2 - 1 cup coconut cream (depending on personal preference)

optional: whipped cream (1/2 cup heavy cream whipped with 2 tbs confectioner’s sugar)

Place your coffee grounds in the bottom of a french press and cover with boiling water.  Allow the coffee to steep for five minutes and then press with the plunger.  

When the coffee has cooled, pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze overnight. 

Place the coffee cubes in the base of your blender, along with brown sugar, coconut milk, and coconut cream.  Blend until smooth.  Top with whipped cream and serve immediately.  Enjoy! 

Brown Sugar & Ginger Roasted Pears with Vanilla Cream from Food52's Vegan

There's something is the air.  A quiet, bashful something that none dare speak of aloud.  It is the Christmas present that is never forgotten and never wrapped.  But it arrives nonetheless and is truer and realer than anything that lay beneath our candied-colored glowing trees.  

Hope.  I would claim that even the most grown up of us still feel a glittery sense of undeniable, unexplainable, magical hope at Christmas. 

Perhaps it is because we sanguinely believe that the upcoming new year promises better things than those left behind us.  New beginnings and blank slates are envious gifts indeed.  Perhaps it is because, as dear old Scrooge's nephew once declared, Christmas is a time "when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys."  Or perhaps, it is simply because we live in the light of that one, great gift, given so many years ago, that brought the most assured, truest hope the world could ever claim.

I received this book in the mail several weeks ago and approached its beautifully designed pages with both trepidation and delight.  

You may not be aware of this, but I am not actually a vegan.  Ha. Haha.  If you have spent more than thirty seconds on this site you have figured that out.  

Of course, I have a very good reason for not being a vegan.  Butter.  The end. 

But in pursuit of open-mindedness and for the sake of being a well-versed foodie, I decided to bring this book into my animal bi-product-loving home to see what treasures it had to offer. 

I was not disappointed.  In fact, if I could eat roasted pears and almond butter all day long I just might convert.  Until I saw a buttered yeast roll and then it would be all over.

Nonetheless, these pears are really, really good.  Like, really good.  They became my lunch, dessert, and afternoon snack.  But it's vegan, so it was healthy.  I think... 

These pears would have been fantastic on their own, but I added pomegranate arils and toasted pine nuts because you know what a jerk I am when it comes to following recipes.  

Doesn't all that caramely goodness make your heart flutter?  It does mine.  

Pears are so pretty.  I love it when I can score them with their stems intact. 

These sweet, ginger-spiced pears are served with a dollop of vanilla cream, which was also supposed to be vegan but...  I can explain.  I'm sure cashew cream is amazing, and I had every intention of trying it as the book encouraged me to, but I bowed out at the last minute because I could not will myself to look at a cashew.  I had a bad experience with them once.  Details can be spared, but let me just say that I can no longer look at them without getting nauseous.  

So that's why I used regular cream.  I cheated.  No shame.

I am sure that the cashew cream would have been amazing, and if someone would like to make it for me and keep the whole cashew thing a secret, I will happily take it off your hands.

This book is beautifully written from start to finish, and it may even inspire you to set aside the butter for a day.  Choose your adventure, whether it be Gingered Carrot Bisque or Blackberry Coconut Ice Cream.  

Being a quasi vegan wasn't so bad for an afternoon.  

Merry Christmas dearest friends, and thank you for making this year the my best yet.  Thank you for reading this blog and for giving me someone to write for - you are appreciated. 

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie  

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review. As always, all opinions are completely my own.  You can purchase the book here or find more of Food 52's beautiful products on their website! 

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Brown Sugar & Ginger Roasted Pears with Vanilla Cream

recipe adapted from Vegan / serves 4-8

• 4 medium Bosc Pears, halved and cored
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar 
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger 
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils 
• 1/4 cup toasted pine nuts 

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. 

Place pears, cut side up, in a large baking pan.  Drizzle the pears with lemon juice and rub with ginger and sprinkle with brown sugar.  Pour several tablespoons of water into the bottom of the pan.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the faces of the pears are golden and the flesh is fairly tender.  While the pears are baking, baste them once or twice with the juices they have released.  Remove from oven and flip each pear over, then bake for an additional 10-15 minutes. 

In a large bowl, combine cream and confectioner’s sugar.  Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Mix in vanilla extract and fresh nutmeg.

To serve, place one or two pear halves cut side up, on each plate.  Drizzle with some of the juices from the pan and top with whipped cream.  Sprinkle with pomegranate arils and pine nuts.  Enjoy!

Apple Pie Scones

What does your driving-to-work playlist look like these days?

Are you winning at eating more spinach than marshmallows?  Me neither.

Sweater weather feelings?  Are you into it?  Please be into it.  I don’t want to be cozy all by myself. 

Are you one of those people that sleeps with their socks on?  How do you do that?  Not trying to be creepy but, I kind of need to know. 

What do you think about before going to sleep?  Yeah...that sounded even creepier. 

If you were wondering, (which you probably were not because you are not as nosey as I am but I am going to tell you anyways) I think about scones.

I close my eyes and visions of scones appear.  Like the particular lady I am, I scroll through the webpage of my mind, rejecting or applauding each idea as it passes by.

It took a good bit of scrolling and forty-five minutes of lost sleep before I finally came upon an idea that impressed me.

Before deciding if a recipe concept deserves to be attempted I run it through some very strict, very technical criteria.

1. Is the concept reasonable?  Scratch that. I attempt unreasonable, completely ridiculous things in the kitchen all the time. 
2. Does it include butter?
3. Am I getting hungry thinking about it?
4. Does it require ingredients that are generally available?
5. Am I really hungry from thinking about it?
6. Am I starting to chew on my pillow out of desperation?  

Like I said, it’s technical.

I interrupt this post to say - hey, stop eating all of the spiced pecans!  My supply should have given me enough for two batches but somehow, well… at least I had enough for one. 

As I was saying, these scones underwent some serious thought before they were able to pass the criteria.  I knew I wanted something faintly evocative of the coming season, and I knew I wanted my scones to be stuffed with some sort of fruit.  

After a bit of refining, this was the final idea and I am very happy to say that these scones are absolutely marvelous.  They also taste like you accidentally dropped an apple pie in them.  

Now perhaps you, like my mother, believe scones to be dry, dense, English hockey pucks.  If that is the case, I'm truly sorry, because that means that you have been subjected to one of the many lackluster scones that exist in this world.  However, these scones are nothing like those hockey pucks from your past.  These scones are incredibly moist, slightly crumbly, and cakey.  

Their moisture comes in two forms; heavy cream and sour cream.  Basically, I really love cream. 

Stuffed with apples and cinnamon, brushed with more cream, and baked to perfection.  

I'm still waiting on an answer about those socks.  In the meantime, I think I'll have a cup of tea and another scone.

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie

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Apple Pie Scones

makes 9

• 3 1/4 cups all purpose flour, plus extra for rolling
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar 
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice 
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into cubes 
• 2 cups heavy cream 
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup spiced pecans, roughly chopped
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• 1 crisp apple (I used a pink lady), sliced thinly
• egg wash (1 egg mixed with 1 teaspoon water)
• turbinado sugar

In a large bowl whisk to combine flour, brown sugar, salt, baking powder, and allspice.  Toss in chilled butter and use your fingertips to break up the butter, forming pea-sized pieces.  Toss in spiced pecans. 

In a small bowl combine heavy cream and sour cream.  Pour into the flour mixture and mix quickly using a spatula.  Do not overwork the dough; we do not want to create a lot of gluten.  Stir until just combined and then turn out onto a floured surface. 

Divide the dough into two equal halves and shape each half into a 8-inch square, about 1/2 inch in thickness.

In a small bowl combine ground cinnamon and granulated sugar.  Sprinkle one half of the dough with cinnamon sugar and press down lightly.  Cover the surface evenly with apple slices and then top with the second square of dough.  

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the dough into 9 squares and lay out onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper.  Brush the top of each scone with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.  Allow to cool 15-20 minutes before serving.  Enjoy!