Carob Month

The new Sweet and Savory Challenge is up at Diet Dessert and Dogs, and this month the magic ingredient is Carob.

My recipes will be following soon, but for now I would just like to present my thoughts and feelings on this special ingredient, and share my favorite Carob-based products.

Carob trees in Albufeira, Portugal.

Carob is most commonly found in powdered form, and is frequently touted as a healthy cocoa- alternative. Free of chocolate's caffeine and theobromine, carob certainly does present healthful benefits that chocolate lacks. Carob contains three times more calcium, three times LESS calories, and seventeen times less fat!

Carob is a bean, which grows in pods on a tree or shrub. These trees grow wild in the Mediterranean, which, in my most- exciting world travels, I encountered wild in the Algarve of Portugal. When I was there, it was mid-March, and the beans weren't quite ripe on the trees. Even though I couldn't try any fresh, I was determined to sample some local carob cuisine. I had heard that little carob cakes were common to the area, and asked every single bakery that I encountered if they carried any.

There was one problem though-- I didn't speak Portuguese, and the bakers didn't speak Spanish, or English. And the word for "carob" in Portuguese is... nothing like "carob" in English. But of course I couldn't remember what it was. With a combination of Spanglish and hand gestures, "Es como chocolate... a powder, like chocolate... se crece en los arobles aqui... grows in bean pods...???" No use.


Another feature of Portugal: restaurant "advertisers" linger in populated areas outside of their joints to lure in customers. To nab the most tourists, most of these gems of salesmen seemed to be multilingual. After a bad experience being lured into a restaurant that served the grossest fish ever plus charged a euro for each slice of bread eaten plus a euro for each tiny packet of butter/cream/cheese/anchovy condiments used or opened, I figured the restauranteers owed me one.


So, we chatted one up, and then slipped in "HEY what's the Portuguese word for Carob?" --"Carob, what's Carob?" ... and, the usual half-coherent description ensued- but at least this time it could be in all English. After asking at least three other people, our restaurant guy finally found an old bearded man who got it-- and gave us the magic word.  ALFARROBAS!

Alfarrobas!? No wonder I didn't associate that with "carob!" Not only did said bearded an give us the word, but he also supplied directions to the only bakery in town that he claimed carried them. So, off we went, on a 20 minute walk uphill to the magic bakery!!

And there it was. And, full of little carob-fig treats that were... well, really pretty anticlimactic, overly sweet, and not too wonderful. But, I had fulfilled my Portuguese carob fantasy. (#WINNING :) )


SO: The moral of this story  (or long-winded tangent)  is that I will be whipping up some much-yummier Portuguese confections, using the wonderful carob. Be prepared, it's going to be GREAT. As in, I already translated purely authentic Portuguese recipes, which I will be posting complete with vocab lists.

But that is all to come.

In the meantime, I would like to share my top three Carob picks for store bought items. For anyone who can't eat chocolate, these will truly be a lifesaver to hold over your cravings. This is a count-down, so BE SURE to scroll all the way down to #1-- it's probably one of the awesomest products I've eaten ever, and truly a rare find.

#3: Sunspire Vegan Carob Chips

Upsides: Readily available, vegan, and look just like chocolate chips-- thus great for a baking substitute. Also come in un-vegan form (labeled "unsweetened carob chips), which are less sweet, but much more creamy, with a better texture.

Downsides: They really don't melt, and thus are... in reality not so great for baking substitutes. Not as good as the real deal (chocolate chips) but certainly better than nothing at all. When you eat mouthful after mounthful of these straight (have I ever done that? never... --hey, I was stressed out in a dorm room with nothing but Carob to ease the pain!) they taste rather rubbery-- or, it feels like your mouth is kind of coated in tar. Okay what am I talking about, no one in their right mind should do that anyway.

The verdict is that the consistency in baking and excessive eating is not great, but the overall look, feel, and taste is satisfactory.

---> * * * / 5 rating

~~~~~

#2: Rice Dream Mint Carob Chip Ice Cream

This is Carob at its best. A subtly sweet flavor, and soft, melty consistency makes this chips (or chunks, rather)-- dare I say it? Even better than chocolate chips in ice cream. I find that chocolate chips often freeze too hard in ice cream, and thus become little rocks that are barely tastable and a pain to chew. (Funfact: when I was little I called chips in ice cream "Poes" and always spit them out.) But carob poes? Pretty darn good.

What is lacking in this product lies in the ice cream department. Rice dream just never has tasted all that great to me, and although the mint flavor is a step up from the vanilla (which has nothing else to hide it's slight off-flavor), it still just has something... funny about it. Come on, Rice Dream, step it up and bake your stuff taste betterrrrr! Because you know the season of ice cream craving is only just beginning.....

Overall rating?
---> *** / 5

~~~~~

And the Grand Winner!
#1: Goldie's Carob Bars

This is by far the best Carob treat I have ever tasted in my life. Subtly sweet, creamy in the mouth, this is equivalent to a gourmet chocolate bar. I have sampled the Rice Crunch flavor (just like a Crunch Bar, only not sickeningly sweet!) and Plain (also delicious, but slightly less exciting), and after checking their website, nearly jumped out of my seat when I learned they also come in Mint, Orange Zest, and Hazelnut Praline! Oh my goodness, I must get my hands on these.

The only problem: these are elusive, too! I have encountered them in only one location: Whole Earth Center in Princeton, NJ. The company website? Equally archaic, with no sales information, and just a link to "Contact Us." These bars are for sale on Amazon, but for $36.42 for a box of 12 bars, they're no steal.

When I visit Princeton, (17 hours, 15 minutes 'til Reunions!) I purchase two treats for my ride home:
        1. Rice Cream Mint Chocolate Frozen Pie
        2. A Goldie's Carob Bar.
And I eat them in that order on the way home... all of them. And it is AWESOME!! (bi-winning.)

Overall Rating?
---> ****** / 5 stars. Yes, they're just that great.

Also: please, please, let me know if you find these bars elsewhere! Particularly... in the Northern VA area! <3



~~~~~~~~~~

In summary: Carob is great.

Let's face it, though-- when you need a chocolate fix, you just need the real deal. Without that caffeine and theobromine, that serotonin boost is just lacking with carob. The taste is different, the caffeine-high is lacking, but replacing chocolate with carob can benefit your body, and, even taste-wise, is a respectable substitute. (Remember: seventeen times less fat!!)


Sunspire's website sums it up best:

" Carob is a tree-grown fruit with its own natural sugars that impart subtle sweetness and a mellow taste. According to renowned vegetarian chef, Mollie Katzen, carob has its own flavor characteristics. Referring to it as alternative to chocolate sets up an unrealistic taste expectation instead of enjoying carob for the uniquely sweet treat that it is. "

But, enjoying Carob for Carob itself, in all its Carob-y glory? Spectacular.


More information on Carob and health? Check out http://www.gilead.net/health/carob.html !

Rainbow Truffles

Orange creme heart.

Purple raspberry.

Truffles galore!

Coconut creme eggs.

Pink strawberry delight-- my favorite!

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 Naturally flavored, naturally colored, and even featuring tempered chocolate! What is tempered chocolate, and why temper?

Short answer: tempering chocolate allows it to retain its crispness, darkness, and shine. But! it's a tricky process (which I really only half-attempted here! but, it kind of worked!)

Long answer: Tempering is a process that uses temperature to control the crystal structure that develops within a material-- whether it's steel, or chocolate. In the case of chocolate, tempering allows the chef to ensure that only one type of crystals form. Naturally, chocolate can form six different types of crystals-- meaning that the structured array of its molecules can for in six regular patterns. Which of these patterns, or crystal structures, forms is determined by temperature. The most desirable crystal structure for the chocolate chef is most stable when forming around 89 degrees F.

So-- to temper chocolate, when using melted chips? First, melt chips to around 104 F to melt ALL crystal structures that may have previously been present. Next, let chocolate cool slightly and "seed" the mixture with some un-melted chocolate of the same type. The seeding causes the melted chocolate to adopt the crystal structure of the newly added chips-- provided that it doesn't melt again! To prevent the destruction of the desired crystals, do not heat the seeded chocolate over ~89 degrees. (Tricky tricky.)

I semi-did this for my recipe, and it semi-worked! I DID achieve nice, dark, glossy chocolate with a snap- thus, I consider my chocolate tempered. However, as I was making a fair amount of truffles, I had to re-heat my chocolate halfway through, and at that point it got too warm and un-tempered itself. This was evident by the lighter color and softer-shell of my egg-shaped truffles. Additionally, both varieties "sweated" when I stored them in the fridge- an undesirable effect that I'm not sure how to prevent.

Either way, tempered, untempered, chocolate is delicious. I was especially excited about these creations, because they feature natural foods as colorants! Just wait, colored frosting is next.... eventually ;)

THE RECIPE:

Filling Base:

1 c soaked cashews
2 tsp almond milk
1/2 tsp chia seeds, powdered
1 tsp lemon juice
8 drops liquid stevia

Use the following combinations to make the base into different flavors and colors:

Lemon:
1/2 tsp lemon juice
5 drops stevia

Green Banana:
1/4 large banana
1/8 c baby spinach
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp arrowroot powder


Purple Blackberry:
10 blackberries
5 drops chocolate raspberry stevia
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Coconut Creme:
1 tsp coconut oil
tiny dash salt
1 tsp almond milk
2 tbs coconut
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp agave

Pink Strawberry:
2 large strawberries
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp agave
1 crack spoon stevia

Orange:
2.5 tbs cooked sweet potato (~1 inch slice)
1 tsp agave
~7 drops {/ 1/8 tsp) orange extract / or use grated orange peel


To get nicely shaped truffles (like the heart pictured above) freeze fillings in shaped ice-cube trays, or equivalent. I used silicone ice trays that made it easy to remove frozen shapes without having to grease or line them.

EDIT: to get even better, 100% PERFECT shapes (not pictured, yet), chill shaped ice-cube tray (silicone, or greased with coconut oil). Then, generously coat insides of the shaped well with chocolate mixture. Next, scoop filling in, and top with an even coat of chocolate to seal it off. Refreeze. Then, when removed, shapes will be perfectly molded!

Chocolate shell:
1 bag Sunspire Grain-Sweetend Chocolate Chips--> use a double-boiler (or two nested pots) to JUST melt (aka, not over-heat) chips; add:
1/4 c coconut sugar
1 crack spoon stevia
3 tbs coconut oil
seed with ~1/4 c more chocolate chips, stir until smooth; do not over-heat chips, if you want to maintain "tempered" consistency!

Dip frozen filling-shapes into the chocolate, or use a spoon to help coat all sides. Place on waxed paper to set. To make egg shapes, roll semi-frozen filling between fingers to an oval shape, then roll in melted chocolate.

Check out Foodista for more Homemade chocolate truffles!

Homemade Chocolate Truffles

My Friend Starry

 

At 2:56 AM, Easter Sunday, my faithful friend of twenty years passed away. Since I was four years old, Starry was a sweet and caring presence in my life. After losing his brother one month ago, despite his own pain, Starry held onto this world to see his human friends through to regain their stability. After a happy day of helping his humans bake Easter treats, Starry died in my arms later that night, and went to join his brother as a Kitty Angel.

During life, Starry's interests included eating candy houses, chewing on plastic grocery bags, cuddling, and hanging out with his human-mom. We will miss his golden fur, his "mert"-ing meows, his loud purring, little pink tongue, and his constant comforting presence. Thank you for the life you've shared, Starry!

RIP 

Starry Crystalmew Peanut

July 13, 1984 - April 24 2011

<3

Orange Sweet Rolls: Pillsbury Style

These are one of my favorite things ever! Easy to make in advance, then pop in the oven for a special brunch. I slightly improved the dough from my cinnamon rolls, and topped with a delicious fresh orange glaze.

THE RECIPE:

The Dough:


½ c tapioca flour
½ c potato starch
¾ c arrowroot powder
¼ cup brown rice flour
1/4 c millet flour
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp guar gum
2 tsp baking powder            
1 tiny stevia-scoop stevia

3 tbs coconut oil (melted)
2 ½ tbs agave
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs                           --> combine wet ingredients; whisk in egg; add wet to dry


1/4 c almond milk    -->  add milk slowly, until it is dough consistency (a little sticky is ok.)

If dough is too sticky, dust with brown rice flour until it does not stick to your hand/spatula when touched.

--> Tape a sheet of waxed paper down onto a counter/table. Dust with brown rice flour. Place dough in the center, and use a (floured) rolling pin to roll out to ~¼ (or thinner) inch thick rectangle.


Filling:
2 tbs coconut oil (softened)
4 tbs coconut sugar
2 tbs cinnamon
2 tbs agave                        
                   ....or basically any combination of the above ingredients (leaving out the oil works fine too!)

--> Wisk together all ingredients until combined. Use a rubber spatula to spread filling over entire rectangle of dough.

Untape the waxed paper under the sheet of dough. Begin rolling dough “hot-dog style” (AKA, roll the long side, to make a thin, long roll) by lifting the waxed paper and gently coaxing the dough into a tight roll. Since the part of the roll is the tightest, starting it is the trickiest, and after that you can just left the waxed paper and let the log of dough roll on its own.

If making the dough in advance, tape the waxed paper around the log of dough, put plastic wrap around the open ends, and place in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake them, place the roll on a cutting board, and slice into ~1-inch thick rounds. Arrange them evenly spaced in an 8-inch round cake pan. Dough will expand as it cooks, so it's fine if there's extra space in the pan.

Heat oven to 350, and bake for ~30 minutes. Dough will still be soft when it comes out (don't bake until it's hard! 30 minutes max should do it). After removing from the oven, let cool in pan for ~5 minutes (ie, while you make the glaze!).

Glaze:

1 orange
1 tbs agave (preferably "light" agave)
1 tsp ghee, softened
1 tsp chia seeds (to help thicken it)
orange zest (from the rind) to taste (~1/8 tsp)
dash salt (if needed)               ----> puree in blender/food processor (Magic Bullet!)

Let glaze sit for a couple minutes to let the chia seeds work their thickening magic. Then, spread over all rolls in the pan.

Dig in and enjoy the anti-pillsbury deliciousness! (no disrespect to my guy the Doughboy)






 


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