Relax. Recharge. Reflect. This sums up the holidays in a nutshell for me, and I can’t think of a better way to achieve this than to indulge in a spot of ‘Afternoon Tea’, aka tea and biscuits (cookies). Brew some chaga tea, add your favorite cacao powder or hot chocolate blend powder, plus a few festive spices, cinnamon and clove, with a dash of cream and vanilla extract, and enjoy a heartwarming hug in a mug. Tea without biscuits is a culinary sin, so pair it with your favorite biscuit (cookie), such as almond biscotti, and your ‘Afternoon Tea’ will never be the same again.
Take 1 3/4 cups
of almonds and grind into a fine powder. This is your almond flour.
In a large bowl,
add all the almond flour, parsnip powder, cacao, ground coffee, baking powder,
baking soda, arrowroot, and whisk until well combined.
Add the eggs,
oil, vanilla and almond extract, and sweetener, and mix until the mixture is
pourable. Stir in whole almonds.
Pour the mixture
into a loaf pan. Shake the pan and smack the bottom to release any trapped air
bubbles.
Bake for
approximately 30 minutes or until firm to the touch.
Remove from the
oven and let it cool completely. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 300
degrees F.
When the loaf has
cooled completely, turn it out onto a cutting board, and slice into approximately
10 -12 slices, preferably with a sharp knife.
Place the slices
on a rimmed baking sheet and bake again for 25-30 minutes, or until relatively
dried out and brittle.
Remove from the
baking sheet, let cool, and serve.
Mexican Hot Chocolate Directions
Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Pour and serve.
Recipe Note
• I like to heat the chaga tea in a saucepan until it’s just warm enough to drink, transfer it to a blender, and blend with the other ingredients until frothy.
• If your favorite hot chocolate blend powder already contains a sweetener, you may not need to add any additional sweetener.
