Simply Laura Lea. Laura Lea
Idea for
LEFTOVER CHAI TEA
Try chai tea in Chai-Spiced
Cake Donuts (page 303).
* Read more about the health benefits of cinnamon
in S. Adisakwattana et al., “Inhibitory Activity of
Cinnamon Bark Species and Their Combination
Effect with Acarbose Against Intestinal
A-Glucosidase and Pancreatic A -Amylase,” Plant
Foods for Human Nutrition 66, no. 2 (June 2011):
143-8, abstract, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ pubmed/21538147.
Creamy Cashew Iced Coffee
| HANDS-ON TIME: 5 min | TOTAL TIME: 5 min, plus overnight soaking
YIELD: 3 to 4 servings | | OPTION:
Oh my goodness, this iced coffee. I’m all about a steaming cuppa Joe, and
typically, iced coffee doesn’t really do it for me, unless it’s my Creamy
Cashew Iced Coffee! Some days (or moods) are just too warm for a hot
brew, but I still want my java to taste special and decadent. Blending
soaked cashews and a splash of vanilla extract into your almond milk
does just that. Cold-brew ice cubes keep your coffee cool while you sip on
it throughout the morning, and they also allow you to adjust the caffeine
intake to your preference. If you’re not an iced coffee person, you can still
enjoy the cashew and almond milk mixture as a homemade creamer, or
you can add a handful of frozen berries as your “ice cubes” for a beautiful,
refreshing alternative.
1½ cups cold-brew coffee
½ cup raw cashews
3½ cups unsweetened
almond milk
3 tablespoons maple syrup
(
to taste—I use 20)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt (optional)
The Night Before: Pour cold-brew coffee into ice cube trays. (I use 1-inch
square ice cube molds.) Use the long-soak method to soak cashews
overnight (see page 44).
The Next Morning: Drain and rinse cashews, and place in a high-
powered blender along with almond milk, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt,
if using. Blend until smooth.
Place as many coffee ice cubes as you like in a glass, then top with
almond milk mixture, and stir for 30 seconds. (I like to let it sit for 5
minutes or so before enjoying to allow the ice cubes to melt a bit.)
Alternatively, you can combine a few ice cubes and approximately one-
third of the almond milk mixture in a blender, and blend until creamy.
Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 4 days, but you might need to
give it a stir before using.
Ideas for
LEFTOVER COLD-BREW
COFFEE
Use leftovers to make
Chewy Peanut Butter Latte Oats
(page 93) or Grain-Free Java
Pecan Pie (page 310).
Crash-Free Hot Chocolate
| HANDS-ON TIME: 15 min | TOTAL TIME: 15 min | YIELD: 1 serving | | OPTION:
This recipe was inspired by my darling team member, Lelan, who helped
me test and edit this book. Lelan was on a hot chocolate kick, and she
graciously shared her recipe with me. I made a few tweaks, because
I can’t leave well enough alone, but I kept her brilliant idea to add
arrowroot starch, which makes this hot chocolate exceptionally luscious.
I call this hot chocolate “crash-free” because it’s low in sugar and contains
healthy fat from coconut milk and coconut oil. As a result, this cozy drink
will satisfy your sweet tooth while keeping you from experiencing a blood
sugar roller coaster. I drink the mocha version a few times per week,
because . . . well, chocolate plus coffee!
¼ cup canned full-fat coconut
milk
1¼ cups unsweetened almond
milk (sub ¾ cup strong
brewed coffee plus ½ cup
unsweetened almond milk for
a mocha version)
1 tablespoon stevia-sweetened
chocolate chips (sub regular
chocolate chips)
2 teaspoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons Dutch-processed
cocoa powder (sub cacao
but it will have a slightly
different flavor)
¼ teaspoon arrowroot starch
(sub cornstarch)
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup or
coconut sugar (
liquid stevia drops, or to taste)
Pour coconut milk and almond milk into a small saucepan, and bring
to a gentle boil (rapid bubbles but not as “noisy” or aggressive as a
traditional boil) over medium heat. Place remaining ingredients in a
blender. Once milk comes to gentle boil, add it to the blender, and blend
until creamy and frothy. Taste for sweetness, and add more syrup or
coconut sugar if you like. Enjoy immediately.
NOTE
If you happen to have maca powder on hand,