Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [35]
I love coconut oil for its flavor, but use it in moderation.
MISO BUTTER
MAKES ½ CUP
This butter is slightly salted with unpasturized miso and is so delicious you’ll forget there’s no dairy in it. It has the consistency of a whipped butter and melts like butter, too! Use on your pancakes, scones, and toast, just as you would dairy butter.
1 to 2 tablespoons unpasturized white miso
½ cup coconut butter, softened but not liquid
Place the miso, to taste, and coconut butter in a bowl and mix together with a spoon.
Will keep for a week or more at room temperature.
VANILLA BUTTER
MAKES ½ CUP
I found vanilla butter at a French patisserie, and it sounded delicious, so that inspired me to create this guilt-free version. This is a sweet butter without salt.
½ cup coconut butter, softened but not liquid
1 tablespoon alcohol-free vanilla extract, or 1 vanilla bean, seeded
1 to 2 teaspoons agave syrup
Place the ingredients in a bowl, adding the agave syrup to taste, and mix together with a spoon.
Will keep for a week or more at room temperature.
LAVENDER BUTTER
MAKES ½ CUP
A sweet butter with aromatic lavender from fresh or dry lavender flowers or extract.
Pick fresh, unsprayed lavender flowers, discarding the green parts. Wash well, then chop into the tiniest pieces possible. Alternatively, seek out culinary lavender in the spice section of gourmet stores (never consume lavender sold as a potpourri ingredient). Add to softened coconut butter and let sit overnight to allow for the flavor to absorb into the butter. Adjust to use as much or as little as you wish of the lavender buds for a stronger or lighter scent and flavor.
½ cup coconut butter, softened but not liquid
1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender, pulverized in food grinder, or 1 table-
spoon fresh flowers, finely chopped, or ½ teaspoon culinary lavender
extract
1 teaspoon agave syrup
Place the ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a spoon.
Will keep for a week or more at room temperature.
Make Your Own Extracts
AN EASY WAY to make your own extract is by mixing culinary lavender buds or vanilla bean with vodka in a small glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Vodka is a distilled alcohol, so it’s not raw. I only tend to use at most a tablespoon at a time, so enjoy using my homemade extracts. But, if you’re sensitive to alcohol or vodka, you may want to just buy organic alcohol-free extract, and skip these homemade recipes.
Your extracts will last for years, and you can keep topping off the vanilla extract with more vodka as you use it. Make sure to shake well to mix.
LAVENDER EXTRACT
To make lavender extract, place ¼ cup of crushed culinary lavender buds in a glass jar with 1 cup of vodka (ideally organic vodka). Close the lid and let the jar stand in a cool, dark place for at least 1 week, up to 6 weeks if you can. (The longer an extract sits, the stronger it will be.) Shake the jar daily to help infuse the lavender in the vodka.
When ready, strain out the lavender. Now you have your own homemade lavender extract to use in cookies, sauces, and butter.
VANILLA EXTRACT
To make vanilla extract, you’ll need three vanilla beans. Slice each lengthwise with a sharp knife. Place the beans in a glass jar and cover completely with 1 cup of vodka (ideally organic vodka). Shake the jar every day or two, and store in a dark, cool place for at least 2 months.
CHOCOLATE BUTTER
MAKES ½ CUP
Coconut butter is mixed with cacao powder and agave syrup to make a smooth, decadent chocolate butter. Use this to spread onto your pancakes, toasts, biscuits, and even cookies.
½ cup coconut butter, softened but not liquid
2 teaspoons cacao powder
1 teaspoon agave syrup
Place the ingredients in a bowl and mix together with a spoon.
Will keep for a couple of weeks or more at room temperature.
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SNACKS AND ACCOMPANIMENTS
IN THIS CHAPTER, I’ll show you how to make recipes that can be used to dress up any dish. Recipes include easy cheezes made by blending or processing