One question I'm often asked is whether I'm annoyed that I have coeliac disease and food intolerances - and apparently my answer is a little surprising.
You see, whilst there's many times where I wish I could eat just like everyone else, share food without questioning the ingredients and enjoy birthday cakes with my friends - most of the time I'm actually really grateful.
At first, that wasn't the case, however, I quickly realised that my own experiences equipped me to help others.
How? Well because I've already walked a mile (and then some!) in their shoes.
That's exactly the reason I started posting recipes on Southern In Law - and exactly the reason I get SO excited when readers like Michelle get in touch with me to see if I can create a recipe for them.
Michelle is one of those SIL readers who is an absolute gem. She is always liking and commenting on our Facebook posts and always puts a huge smile on my face. Last month, Michelle sent a message to our Facebook page asking if I could create a recipe for a non-dairy coffee creamer that was simple and delicious - and also suited her dietary needs.
As someone who has never ever used coffee creamer (it's not really common in Australia), let alone created a recipe for it, it was a challenge I was SO excited to accept.
After creating the cashew based sauce for my Healthy Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese Recipe I was inspired to try and make a sweet cashew cream recipe - and that's exactly what this DIY vegan creamer recipe is!
Best of all? It's super simple and uses nothing other than a blender. No annoying nut milk bags or straining - just soak, blend and enjoy!
Whilst it's perfect in coffee (though, be sure to read the note below) it's also great in tea and can be used in a variety of ways! I've been serving it up with cakes (instead of thickened cream) and in any sweet recipe where you might usually use cream.
It's an incredibly versatile recipe that we've fallen in love with, however, whatever you do - be sure to try it on oatmeal too! It's so creamy and delicious and I'm sure you'll find a bunch of uses for it too.
In fact, when I gave some to Jesse to try the first time his response was "um... don't bother sealing the lid on that jar because I think I'll just drink the whole thing".
But let me share the recipe with you! >>
Easy Vegan Homemade Coffee Creamer Recipe makes about 2 cups
gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free, vegan,
sugar free, clean eating recipe, all natural
3/4 cups (115g) raw unsalted cashews, soaked overnight
1 cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup *see notes
- Soak your cashews overnight in a jar or covered container. You want to fill the container/jar with enough water to cover all of the cashews.
- After soaking your cashews, drain and rinse them in a strainer and place them in your blender.
- Pulse your cashews for 10-20 seconds before scraping down the sides. Turn your blender on low and gradually add in your water.
- Once you've added in your water, scrape down the sides, add your vanilla and maple syrup and blend on high until smooth.
- If you want your creamer thinner, add a little more water until you reach your desired consistency. It will thicken slightly when chilled, however, 1 cup of water seems to be the perfect amount! (You can also use less water for a thicker cream if you're using it on cakes/oatmeal etc)
- Once blended and smooth, pour your creamer into a sealable jar or bottle to store.
- This creamer will keep in the fridge for 1-2 weeks - simply give it a little shake before using it each time to ensure everything is mixed together! See notes below for serving suggestions and recommendations for coffee!
Notes:
- *This amount of maple syrup will give you a cream that's just lightly sweet. Feel free to add as much or as little maple syrup as you like.
- If using this for coffee: Know that some coffees will split this creamer. This will also happen with store bought almond milk as it means your coffee is a little more acidic. This usually happens with dark roasted blends, however, one easy fix is to put your coffee and creamer into the blender and blend until smooth. This will not only give you a creamy coffee - it'll give you a frothy top as well.
The creamer will not split in tea or coffees that are not as acidic. If the creamer does split, there's nothing wrong with it (it's not like curdled milk), however, it jus doesn't look too pretty!
If you want a technical explanation, it's all to do with the proteins found in the milk. Basically, the acids in your coffee coagulate the protein in the milk/creamer - this is intensified when your coffee is hot and creamer/milk is cold and thus the mixture splits. You can remedy this by blending it as I mentioned above - or letting your coffee cool/heating your creamer up first to stop that shock split! - Serving Suggestions: As I mentioned before, this can be used in coffee or tea or used as a sweet cream alternative. We pour it on oatmeal, drizzle it over cakes and use it in a bunch of different ways - the possibilities are endless!
But tell me, what's one challenge in your life that you're actually really grateful for?
What would you use this creamer on?
And are you a tea or coffee fan?
I'm a black tea kinda girl - hence why I've been smothering ALL THE FOODS in this delicious cream!
No comments:
Post a Comment
There is nothing better than reading your comments on our posts! Let us know what you think of this post!