cinnamon toasted and cocoa dusted almonds

I snack. A lot. This past summer, I made homemade nut butter to spice up my afternoon apple snack. But pre-slicing an apple and carrying along a container of nut butter isn't always feasible. Inspired by Nuts 4 Nuts after a recent trip to the farmers market, I've been snacking my way through these nuggets of cinnamon, sugar, chocolate goodness. And, as a vegetarian, this protein filled snack obsession is head and shoulders above what was an ugly, ugly holiday pecan/peanut/mixed nut brittle overindulgence. Or, at least that's what I'm telling myself. :)

Yield: 7 cups
250 calories per 1/4 cup (cinnamon)
225 calories per 1/4 cup (cocoa)
Active time: 10 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes

ingredients
the cinnamon almonds
4 cups raw almonds
2 whole egg whites (or 6 tablespoons liquid egg whites)
2 tablespoons vanilla
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

the cocoa dusted almonds
3 cups raw almonds
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla (if you want to get fancy, use a vanilla bean)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

preparation
the cinnamon almonds 
1. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until very foamy.

2. Add in the vanilla and whisk until foamy.

3. Add in the sugars, salt, and cinnamon, whisking until well combined.

4. Add in the almonds, stirring well to coat.

5. Pour onto a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 300 degrees until very crisp, about 45-50 minutes. You'll want to stir the almonds halfway through to spread around the cinnamon mixture and encourage, for lack of a better word, clumping.

 6. Place the parchment paper on a wire rack to cool.

the cocoa dusted almonds
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the agave nectar, vanilla, and sugar. Warm on very low heat.

2. While the mixture is warming, combine the cocoa powder and sea salt in a gallon Ziplock bag.

3. Stir the agave mixture to ensure the ingredients are well mixed and pour in the almonds.

4. Warm the almonds, stirring frequently to coat, for about 3-5 minutes. You'll notice a "hissing" noise as air and fat escape the almond skin.

5. Pour the almonds into your prepared Ziplock bag, seal, and shake well to coat.  (I totally had a muddy buddies flashback.)

6. Pour the almonds out onto a wire rack that's been covered with parchment paper to cool.

Original recipes found here and here.

pumpkin oatmeal bundt

Fall has finally arrived. Not a huge fan of pumpkin pie, this cake is the first of three recipes that use the filling in different (and delicious) ways.

Yield: One bundt cake
140 calories per slice, if cut into 12 slices
Active time: 5 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon all-spice

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground clove

1¼ cups pure pumpkin puree

1/2 cup rice milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup agave nectar

3/4 cup oats

preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line your bundt pan with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl,  combine all the ingredients and stir until well blended.

3. Scoop the batter into the bundt pan. (You'll want to me sure to trim the ends of the parchment paper before putting the pan in the oven.)

4. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bundt comes out clean, about 40 minutes, turning the bundt pan 180 degrees after about 20 minutes.

5. Turn the bundt out onto a wire rack, slowly peeling back the parchment paper, to cool. See "roasted nectarine greek yogurt chocolate cake" for tips on turning out the bundt.

Original recipe found here.

whole wheat challah

Can you think of a better accompaniment to a warm bowl of soup than a delicious slice of challah? I can't.

Yield: Two medium loaves
1,200 calories per loaf
Active time: 30 minutes
Total time: 4½ hours

ingredients

2½ cups whole wheat flour

1½ cups high gluten flour

2½ teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1½ cups lukewarm water

1/8 cup oil

1/4 cup agave

2 large eggs (one whole egg and one with the white and yolk separated)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

sesame seeds

preparation

1. In a 2 cup Pyrex measuring cup, combine the lukewarm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the all the remaining ingredients (expect for the sesame seeds), yeast mixture and “stir” with the dough hook attached until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Increase the speed to 2 and knead until a smooth and cohesive dough forms, about 5 minutes.

4. Form the dough into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to rise until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

5. Turn the dough out onto your counter top and separate it into two equal pieces. (You can use the dough immediately or refrigerate and use up to 5 days.)

6. Cut the dough into three equal pieces, rolling each piece into a long rope that’s about 1 inch thick.

7. Braid the dough by taking left strand and placing over center piece, then taking right strand and folding over center piece. Repeat until loaf is braided and pinch the ends together. Repeat with the other piece of dough.

8. Place the loaf on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to proof for about 60 minutes.

9. With about 30 minutes left in the final proof, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

10. Brush the loaf with the egg wash (the reserved white) and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

11. Bake until golden brown, about 40 minutes. See "spicy black bean bread" for more on checking for doneness.

Original recipe found here.