Will Run For Cashew Butter & Ginger Fudge

Cashew Butter & Ginger Fudge

Friends don't send friends fudge recipes. 

 They do however make fudge & drop off just a piece or two on your doorstep.  I'm convinced that my cousin jennifer-lynn who is currently very busy growing baby *Penny is trying to fatten me up.  She's mean like that.

With that being said unless you can be responsible & eat just one or two servings of fudge (clearly, not describing myself) I suggest not licking the bowl spoon or eating a few pieces as you pack it into a container. Instead make it for a special occasion (every day from now until Christmas holidays is not a celebration) and get it out of your house fast!  It's that ridiculously delicious.

Cashew Butter & Ginger Fudge

(23 pieces)

Ingredients

1 C cashew butter

1/8 cup maple syrup

3 slices crystallized ginger chopped (mix 1/2 into the batter & sprinkle the rest on top)

1/4 tsp pink himalayan sea salt

1/3 C melted coconut oil

1/8 C ground cocoa nibs + 1/8 C cocoa ( 1/4 C of cocoa will work just fine)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until well combined.  Pour into a silicone loaf pan.  Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger.  Place in the freezer for 1 hour (checking repeatedly to see if it's ready won't help).  Remove from freezer just before serving.  Share.

* not the baby's actual name but who wouldn't want to be named Penny.

Will Run For Grilled Mango & Cashew Butter Sandwiches

What isn't there to love about warm gooey cashew butter with grilled mangoes, coconut, cashews candied ginger and honey between two whole wheat slices of bread?

Earlier this week I offered to make my favourite farmer a skinny elvis sandwich ( Mamma Peas's remake of the grilled banana and peanut butter sandwich).   I was expecting a, "Wow!  That sooooooo nice of you!  Almond butter & strawberries that is possibly the most delicious combination I have ever heard of (maybe my expectations were a LITTLE unrealistic)!" what I got was, "How about bananas and coconut?".  It turns out that it would be a couple of days before farmer got any kind of sandwich and in the end not really the sandwich she wanted.

Grilled Mango & Cashew Butter Sandwiches

(serves 2)

ingredients

1 ripe mango grilled

1 Tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp lime juice

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/2 tsp cinnamon 

4 slices of whole wheat bread

4 Tbsp cashew butter

2 Tbsp raw cashews

2 slices candied ginger (thinly sliced)

2 tsp honey (maple syrup, brown rice syrup)

1 1/2 tsp coconut oil melted (margarine, butter, olive oil will work as well)

Begin by slicing the mango into thin slices.  Combine maple syrup, lime juice, & vanilla bean paste in a small bowl.  Marinate mango for approximately 5 minutes (by this time I've probably eaten 1/2 of the mango).  Reserve leftover marinate.

Grill mango for approximately 5 minutes turning when grill marks appear.  I used my George Foreman "Lean Mean Fat Grilling Machine" (makes me laugh).

Add several teaspoons (I used 2) of reserved marinade to the cashew butter along with cardamom & cinnamon and combine thoroughly.  Spread 1 Tbsp of cashew butter on each slice of bread.  Top two slices of bread with grilled mango, coconut, raw cashews, thinly sliced candied ginger, and coconut.  Drizzle with 1 tsp of honey (or more!).  Top sandwiches with additional slices of bread.

Lightly brush both sides of each sandwich with melted coconut butter then place in a preheated skillet.

Grill for several minutes on each side until toasted and cashew butter is gooey but not exploding out of your sandwich.  Gobble up!

* Consider using a variety of nut/seed butters (almond, peanut, sunflower, peanut, cashew) dried & fresh fruit (cherries, raisins, peaches, bananas), nuts & seeds (sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, pistachios) and sweeteners (brown rice syrup, maple syrup, honey).