Workshops are such a fun opportunity to get hands on, work with delicious ingredients, and interact with fun people. Last weekend I hosted my first Better with Almond Breeze Workshop, sponsored by Almond Breeze. My class and I whipped up three dairy free recipes, some vegan, some gluten free too, and learned all about incorporating almond milk into day to day baking recipes. I included my recipe for Paleo Almond Lavender Muffins, which were a super simple hit, and my vegan strawberry shortcakes. You can find the recipe for my vegan chocolate cake here.
Here’s the video of us in action:
To see more of what we got up to, make sure to check out #BetterWithBreeze on Instagram and Almond Breeze’s website.
Paleo Almond Lavender Muffins with Lemon Glaze
INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
2 teaspoons dried lavender, ground
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
4 eggs, room temperature
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup Almond Breeze Almondmilk Original Unsweetened
Glaze
2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Almond Breeze Almondmilk Original Unsweetened
zest and juice from 1 lemon
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a small bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients thoroughly. In a separate, medium bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into a lined muffin tin. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake pulls away from the sides and is golden brown. Turn out of muffin tin and cool slightly before brushing with glaze.
Vegan Strawberry Shortcakes
INGREDIENTS
For 10 shortcakes
10 biscuits (recipe below)
2 cups coconut whipped cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon rosewater
2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
DIRECTIONS
Combine the strawberries, 1 tablespoon sugar, and orange juice in a small bowl. Let the strawberries sit for 30 minutes to macerate. Halve the biscuits (they’re best if they’re warm, not hot). Combine the whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and rosewater and whip until soft peaks form. To serve, scoop the whipped cream on the biscuits, top with strawberries, and finish with the top halve of the biscuits.
Three-Ingredient Biscuits
The key to fluffy, light biscuits is ice-cold ingredients, so make sure your butter and Almond Breeze mixture are thoroughly chilled, and that you’re working lightly and quickly. If you need to pause the process, pop the ingredients in the fridge to keep them cold.
INGREDIENTS
2 1/4 cups self-rising soft-wheat flour, sifted, plus more for the counter
1 cup Almond Breeze Almondmilk Original Unsweetened
1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more for glazing biscuits
4 ounces non-dairy, unsalted butter, cubed and completely chilled
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 450F. Mix together the Almond Breeze and lemon and set aside for a few minutes to curdle.
Scatter the butter over the flour in a large bowl. Cut the butter into flour with a pastry blender (or using your finger tips) until crumbly and mixture resembles small peas. Add the Almond Breeze mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened and coming together into a ball of dough.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface; knead 3 or 4 times to form it into a ball. With floured hands, press the dough into a 3/4-inch-thick rectangle and fold dough over onto itself in 3 sections, like you would a letter. Pat down the dough to 3/4-inch-thick, and repeat this entire process 2 more times. This is creating the fluffy layers that will puff and add lift as the biscuits bake.
Press the dough to 1 inch thick, and cut with a 2-inch round cookie cutter, or with a juice glass dipped in flour. Place the rounds on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon pad, and then pat the dough to 1 inch thick and cut again. Repeat until you use all of the dough up. Glaze the rounds with a little Almond Breeze mixture and place in the center of the oven. Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Place on a cooling rack to cool.
Coconut Whipped Cream
INGREDIENTS
1 can coconut milk (full fat is necessary)
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Set the can in the fridge overnight so that the coconut fat solids separate from the coconut water. Open the can and carefully pour out the thick coconut cream. With an electric whisk, beat the cream, maple, and vanilla extract on high until peaks form, about 2-3 minutes. If not serving immediately, place the bowl of whipped coconut cream in the fridge for 15-20 minutes and then beat it again right before serving it.
