Military Latte

 

Here's my attempt at Sawada Coffee's Military Latte, which is an espresso and matcha latte with vanilla syrup and cocoa powder. My experience with the military latte is this:

When I was in Chicago for a teacher's conference, I looked up the coffee shops that were nearby where I was staying and found Sawada Coffee and read about the military latte. I wanted to try it, so one morning before the conference I got up early and walked there. It was really hot and I walked wayyyyy past the cafe somehow and then I was going to be late getting back to the conference, so when I finally found the coffee shop, I was really sweaty and gross and I didn't realize until I was walking out the door with my iced military latte that I forgot to say decaf. I wavered between throwing it away and going back inside to order a new one and finally decided to just drink it. I love coffee, but I have to drink decaf, because fully caffeinated coffee makes me hyper, manic, more talkative than I already am. It was an okay day, though. I did send an email I wish I hadn't to my realtor later that day, and I blame the caffeine, but anyway...

I really love this latte! I often can't decide between espresso and matcha, and this latte combines them both. Here is my rendition. I'm not claiming it to be authentic in any way, but if you read all the way through that long, probably boring story, you are probably wanting a recipe. :)

My Version of Sawada's Coffee Military Latte (with instant coffee)

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee
• I use Mount Hagen.
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon just-boiled water
• 1 cup nondairy milk of choice 
• I usually use sunflower seed or pumpkin seed milk=3/4 cup water+2 tbsp. seeds, blend and then strain through fine mesh sieve.
• 1 1/4 teaspoons matcha powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Measure instant coffee, sugar, vanilla extract, and water into a drinking glass, and whisk until frothy (a minute or so).

2. Blend nondairy milk and matcha powder--you can do this in a blender or whisk by hand in a liquid measuring cup.

3. Pour milk mixture over espresso, and sprinkle cocoa powder on top. I used a fine mesh sieve for the cocoa powder, but you can just kind of spoon it on top.

4. Add ice, and enjoy!

Iced Cacao Nib Latte

When I started drinking coffee in high school, I loved Starbucks mocha frappuccinos. I stopped drinking the frappuccinos when I went vegan, because the frappuccino mix contained milk.

When I was experimenting with adding chocolate to my Greek Frappe, I ended up making something that reminded me of a Starbucks frappuccino. It's not blended, but the coldness and the chocolate and sweetened coffee flavor reminded me of a frappuccino.

The cacao nibs add a nice texture and subtle chocolate flavor. If you do not have cacao nibs, just substitute in some dark chocolate, like dark chocolate chips or a square of dark chocolate.

Recipe: Mocha Frappuccino?

For Coffee Part:

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee (I used Mount Hagen, decaf.)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons hot water

Whisk until golden brown and creamy. I whisk by hand and it takes a few minutes.

For Milk Part:

• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons raw shelled sunflower seeds (or raw cashews, almonds, whatever you have)
• 1.5 teaspoons cacao nibs (sub chocolate chips or dark chocolate square)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Blend water and sunflower seeds until smooth. Strain with a fine mesh sieve. Add back to the blender with cacao nibs and vanilla extract. Blend again for a few seconds or so.

Put it all together:

Fill a glass 3/4 with ice. Add milk mixture, then coffee mixture. Stir with a straw or spoon and serve!

Ginger Chocolate Chunk Scones

Happy Easter! I love holidays that give me an excuse to bake something special. I got the idea for these scones from Isa's Ginger Chocolate Chunk Scones and adapted my scone recipes from 2013: Apple Spice Scones and Toffee and Chocolate Chunk Scones.

I used frozen olive oil in place of the nondairy butter or coconut oil, because it's the only oil I have, and I used sunflower seed cream instead of cashew or coconut cream, because it's what I have.

You want everything to be cold, so that is why I froze the olive oil first and used cold sunflower seed cream. To freeze the olive oil, place in a plastic container in the freezer for about an hour. It should be congealed but still soft. You can even refrigerate the dry ingredients while you wait for the olive oil to freeze. Keeping the dough cold will result in a lighter, flakier scone.

Ginger Chocolate Chunk Scones:

2 cups white whole wheat flour (whole wheat pastry or all-purpose would work too)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1/4 cup frozen olive oil (can sub 1/4 cup coconut oil or 5 tablespoons nondairy butter)
1 cup sunflower seed cream (recipe below), cold (can sub 1 cup full-fat coconut milk or cashew cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate (3 ounces of chocolate)

For the sunflower seed cream:
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, soaked overnight (or soaked in just-boiled water for 30 minutes, in a time crunch)
3/4 cup cold water
Drain sunflower seeds, and blend seeds and water until smooth.

Preheat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly oil.

Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and spices in a medium-sized bowl (use the bowl of an electric stand mixer, if available). Cut frozen olive oil into dry ingredients with a pastry cutter, two knives or your fingertips (if using an electric stand mixer, mix with a paddle). Add dark chocolate chunks and stir to combine. Add sunflower seed cream and vanilla extract and mix until just-combined.

Liberally flour a clean surface and flour hands. Form dough into a 9-inch circle. Cut into 8 pieces. Carefully transfer pieces to prepared baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes until scone springs back to the touch. Let cool for several minutes on baking sheet and then transfer to a cooling rack.

Serve with Dalgona Coffee / Greek Frappe.

Yield: 8 scones

Dalgona Coffee / Greek Frappe

Here is my version of the Dalgona Coffee / Greek Frappe. When I was in college, I studied in Athens for a semester, and I loved ordering Greek frappes. I have never been able to successfully recreate it, but this Dalgona Coffee is the closest I've gotten.

I edited the recipe, because 2 tablespoons of instant coffee was too much for me.

Recipe: Dalgona Coffee / Greek Frappe

• 2 teaspoons instant coffee (I used Mount Hagen, decaf.)
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons hot water

Whisk until golden brown and creamy. I used a stand mixer, but I probably could have just whisked by hand with a whisk. (It did not get as golden brown / creamy when I used the smaller amount, but it tasted just as good.)

Fill a cup halfway or so with ice, add 1 cup of milk, and add coffee mixture on top. Mix and serve!

*I used sunflower seed milk. My recipe is 3/4 cup of water + 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds. Blend until smooth and strain with a fine mesh sieve.

Sunflower Seed Hummus

I can rarely find tahini at the grocery store, and sunflower seeds are inexpensive, so I created this recipe replacing the tahini in my usual hummus recipe with sunflower seeds. I don't notice a distinct difference in flavor.

Note: You can use canned beans or dried beans that you soak and cook yourself. I usually use canned beans, but since I have extra time at home and because I am avoiding the grocery store right now, I finally broke open that gigantic bag of dried chickpeas I have in the back of my pantry, and the hummus is extra smooth and creamy with dried chickpeas. But either will work.

Sunflower Seed Hummus

• 3 cups chickpeas (If using canned chickpeas, this is equal to two cans.)
• juice from 2 lemons (or 1/4 cup lemon juice)
• 1/2 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus a little extra for sunflower seeds
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• black pepper, to taste

First, make sunflower seed butter.
- Blend sunflower seeds in a food processor until smooth and peanut buttery. Add a little olive oil to get the processor going, maybe 1 teaspoon at a time. (You can also use 1/4 cup sunflower seed butter or tahini, if you have it.)

Then add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
- Add the remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Serve with raw veggies, homemade bread, or eat with a spoon. ;)

My Favorite Granola: Chocolate-Covered Cherry

I love making this granola on weekend mornings and eating warm from the oven while the chocolate is still melty. I have been using cherries lately, but I have used raspberries and strawberries too--whatever you have on hand will do.

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup ground flax seed

2 tbsp. flax seeds

2 tbsp. chia seeds

¼ tsp. salt

2 tbsp. melted coconut oil or olive oil

2 tbsp. raw cane sugar

1 tbsp. maple syrup

¼ tsp. vanilla extract

¼ cup frozen or fresh cherries, chopped

¼ cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Combine oats, ground flax seed, flax and chia seeds, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk melted oil, sugar, maple syrup, and vanilla extract with a fork. Fold in chopped strawberries into dry mixture. Add wet mixture to dry, and combine. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking tray, and bake for 10 minutes. Stir with a spatula, and bake for 10 more minutes. Immediately after removing from the oven, sprinkle chocolate chips on top and stir with a spatula until chocolate is melted and coating the granola.

My Favorite Recipes: Thanksgiving Edition

The first two recipes are both savory pies. I will probably make the Festive Chickpea Tart tomorrow and save the Cabbage and Onion pie for the weekend. The olive oil crust works well for both.

Dreena's Festive Chickpea Tart

Lagusta's Cabbage and Onion Pie

Isa's Olive Oil Crust (Freeze olive oil one hour prior to making.)

I will probably make cranberry sauce (cranberries, maple syrup or sugar, water) and mashed potatoes (potatoes, olive oil, nondairy milk, salt, pepper) too.

I usually make pumpkin pie, but with two savory pies that require pie crust, I'm planning to make chocolate chip cookies instead. I have a lot of chocolate chip cookie recipes, but I'll probably make this one.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!