DIY Honey Roasted Peanut Butter

 

 

 

I've been on a nut butter making rampage. In addition to the honey roasted peanut butter I'm sharing today, I've made cashew butter, coconut butter, coconut pecan butter, maple cinnamon almond butter, chocolate almond butter, mixed nut butter, pistachio butter.... I know there are others that are not coming to mind, but do you believe me when I say I can't do anything in moderation? It's pretty much all or nothing around these parts. Anyway, these are all incredibly simple and in my opinion much better tasting than most of the butters you'll find on the market, not to mention at a drastically reduced price tag, especially once we are talking some of the more exotic nut butters. What started this obsession was that I paid $3 for one single serving of pistachio butter at a local co-op here. It was delicious but there was no way I was going to buy a full jar with a price tag of almost $15 bucks. No way. So I present to you less of a recipe and more of a method, the only essential tool would be a powerful food processor but I'm betting most of you already have one of those.

Homemade Honey Roasted Peanut Butter
 Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dry roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup honey
• Salt to taste
• Peanut oil or another oil of your choice (optional, I prefer not to use any oil)

Directions:
In a 350 degree oven, roast your peanuts for about 20 minutes, stirring half way through. You want to develop some color on the nuts but definitely don't want to let them get too dark, also keep in mind they will continue to cook a bit after they've been removed from the oven. Let cool for about 5 minutes before adding them to your food processor. Start by blending just the nuts by themselves, the whole process can take anywhere from 7 -20 minutes depending on your processor, the type of nuts (almonds usually take much longer) etc. They will go through a couple of stages, first you'll see ground nuts that appear fairly dry, continue processing and they will turn into a very thick paste, as you continue blending, this will eventually loosen up and become quite liquidy. I like to add my additional ingredients after it has just started to liquefy but is not yet to the consistency I like. The final consistency is a personal preference, stop when it's perfect for you. Some people prefer thick, others prefer it to flow from their spoon.

 

 

©  2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.

Hummingbird Cupcakes

Hummingbird cake (or cupcakes) are a very southern thing, they combine banana, coconut, pineapple and pecans. Many people I've talked to have never even heard of them, much less tried them but they are ridiculously delicious, especially when topped with a big swirl of cream cheese frosting. You can taste each of these ingredients and one doesn't over power the other, I've even found that even coconut haters fall in love with them as the coconut is not an overpowering flavor. For some reason, they usually seem to make an appearance in spring, even more so at Easter, I think they would make a perfect addition to your Easter menu.


Hummingbird Cupcakes
Yield: 24 cupcakes
Printable Recipe


Ingredients:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large)

8 ounces pineapple, chopped finely (use crushed if using canned)

1 cup chopped roasted pecans

1 cup coconut

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.with rack in center. Line cupcake pan with paper liners; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, vanilla, and sugar until combined, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, incorporating each before adding the next. Beat at medium speed until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, stir together banana, pineapple, walnuts, and coconut. Add to egg mixture, mixing until combined. Stir in flour mixture.
4. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about 2/3 full. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes.
5. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cupcakes have cooled, frost cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Yields enough to generously frost 24-30 cupcakes


Ingredients:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 8oz cream cheese, cubed and cold
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Cream your butter and powdered sugar in your stand mixer until very well combines, approximately 3 minutes. With your mixer running on low, slowly add in your cubed, cold pieces of cream cheese one at a time. Once incorporated, add in your vanilla extract and heavy cream. Continue beating for a few minutes longer until light and fluffy.
Note: If you desire a dense frosting with a heavier cream cheese taste, use equal amounts of cream cheese and butter.

 Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

©  2012 Mostly Sweet & Sometimes Salty - All Rights Reserved.