It’s Saturday and we have frothy spiced cold brew, which is a shameless vegan take on the mega popular pumpkin cream cold brew beverage. Mine has a highly unexpected ingredient for getting that froth though: chickpea water/brine (also known as aquafaba).
Coffee is essentially bean water, so when you combine that with another type of bean water plus spices and sweetness, you get frothy, seasonal cold coffee heaven. It sounds strange but it works! The aquafaba whips up with a powdered sweetener and spices and with just a touch of non-dairy milk/creamer, the froth trickles down into the drink. So cool!
Starting this weekend, I’m resuming our weekly link/newsletter-style posts, but with a bit more structure. From now on, I’ll share 5 links to articles, podcasts etc, 5 Q&A’s (I collect these via Instagram), and 5 recipes/strictly food-related items.
I also want to take a minute to acknowledge the profound loss of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a colossal force for equality, empathy, and justice. Moments like this feel devastating and empty in a year like this one. I remind myself of her strength, and I know that she would not break in the face of it all. You can read about her incredible life here.
LINKS:
- A Chef’s Childhood in Iran Shaped His Cooking in the Pandemic: “Focusing on nature, touching the ingredients, it helps me feel better”
- What are the consequences of our growing dependence on social media? Looking forward to watching this documentary.
- So many amazing cookbooks to look forward to this Fall.
- “People who are curious about veganism often dip their toes into vegan Instagram accounts and groups to see what it’s like. Seeing the community rally around criticizing Cyrus is a sign that veganism is a movement that spends its energy judging anyone who isn’t fully onboard in every way.”
- I love this conversation between Priya Krishna and Chef Jenny Dorsey about social media and its potential for change in the food world.
Q&A:
- Parchment: love it, but hate the waste. Tips?
I still use parchment quite a bit! But I find myself reusing the sheets often. I also have a pair of reusable and washable Silpat silicone mats that fit my favourite half sheet pans. I keep one for savoury items (roasted vegetables for example) and one for sweet things (cookies!) because they can absorb aromas over time. - Would you recommend a food processor or high speed blender for making nut butters?
I prefer a food processor for this job. It takes a solid 7-10 minutes of running time to get the nuts super smooth, but it’s inactive time. I find that the high speed blender requires effort on your part to keep plunging the nuts down. Food processor is easier to scrape every last bit out too! - What do food bloggers do with failed or extra food creations?
I love this question! I find a way to use the stuff no matter what. Sometimes I give extras to family members or our neighbours (especially if it’s something sweet). I’ll freeze portions if we’ve had our fill. This isn’t a brag, but I rarely have something that I’ve tested that winds up being inedible. We find a way! - What’s the first cozy thing you make as soon as the air turns crisp?
Looking at this butternut minestrone with sage, chickpeas and chard right now! I also love to make a pumpkin loaf. Hopefully I’ll be sharing that recipe soon :) - What’s your go-to meal when you don’t feel like cooking?
I roast a bunch of sliced vegetables at 400 degrees with olive oil and seasoning until they’re caramelized (stuff like bell peppers, zucchini, carrots or cauliflower). Then I stir that into a big pot of cooked up pasta, jarred marinara, and chili flakes. I usually wilt some chopped greens in the pot as it all heats together too. Easy and comforting!
THINGS I WANT TO EAT:
- A Giant Peanut Butter Cup with Vegan Shortbread Crust
- Cinnamon Sweet Potato Pie Smoothie
- Creamy Miso Mushroom Pasta
- Sweet Potato Chocolate Muffins
- Ramen with Charred Scallions, Green Beans & Chile Oil
Frothy Spiced Cold Brew
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons powdered cane sugar or powdered coconut palm sugar
- ¼ teaspoon lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas, preferably unsalted)
- 1 tablespoon rich non-dairy milk or creamer (I used an unsweetened oat milk creamer)
- ice
- approximately 1 ⅓ cups cold brew coffee
Equipment
- Hand mixer
Notes
- When selecting your chickpeas for the aquafaba here, an unsalted variety is ideal. I’ve tried it with both though and the salted one was fine!
- You could use any powdered sweetener you like! I’ve made versions with powdered cane sugar as well as powdered coconut palm sugar. Both were nice! The coconut palm one will be more of a tan colour.
- Got an OLD recipe for cold brew on my site right here.
- I’ve used a hand mixer to whisk up the aquafaba, but I imagine a high speed blender will get the job done too! Just run it on low and spoon in the powdered sugar through the feed tube when the time comes.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the powdered cane sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. There will be little clumps. This is fine! Set aside.
- Pour the aquafaba into a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, whisk the aquafaba on high until it’s super frothy and starting to hold its shape, about 1 full minute.
- At this point, with the mixer still on, gradually add spoonfuls of the spiced powdered cane sugar mixture. Once you have it all added, keep whisking until you have a super frothy and foamy texture. Quickly add the non-dairy milk/creamer and get it incorporated before turning the mixer off.
- Fill two 1-cup capacity glasses ⅔ of the way with ice. Divide the cold brew evenly between the two glasses.
Love the new format!
Thank you so much for answering my question about the machine to use to make nut butter! I have been in doubt about purchasing a high speed blender or a food processor. This made the choice easier :)
Btw, love your recipes and everything your share on Instagram (of course also the doggies!)