Cacao Nut Spread

It's been a sleepy and sunny start to the week in my world.

I've been spoilt with a number of lovely catch ups with friends over the past 4 days, and it's kept me buzzing. I always get energy from other people, whether friends or clients (and I've definitely felt a burst of energy recently, which is common in the second trimester of pregnancy). But then I come home and crash. Yesterday, after a battle with the fax machine at the clinic, I crashed into my food processor and some nuts to create this spread. Followed by the couch.

When crafting this nut butter I fancied throwing walnuts into the mix, as I'm even more keen on getting my healthy fats these days. So into my shopping basket they went, along with some hazelnuts that were on sale. Almonds were waiting for me in a jar at home, as I rarely make a nut butter without my faithful almonds, and together they made a lovely blend. I was going to keep the preparation plain, maybe adding a dash of maple as is my usual style, but then glanced at my jar of cacao powder and felt, in lieu of my morning coffee, that future Heidi would appreciate the energy hit come breakfast time. You know, to make me less sleepy and more sunny, to help keep me bright.

Happy Wednesday, friends.

♥ Sourdough spelt toast made by my dad

♥ Cacao Nut Spread (with a little butter spread first)

♥ Greek Yoghurt

♥ Strawberries

Cacao Nut Spread

Makes ~2 cups

Ingredients
2 cups Almonds*
1 cup Walnuts
1/3 cup Hazelnuts (peeled)
2 tablespoons Raw Cacao Powder
1 tablespoon pure Maple Syrup
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Water
A pinch of Sea Salt flakes

For storing: coconut oil

* Roasted almonds work best, in my opinion, to bring out the rich flavour I so love in nut butters. If you haven't roasted them, you can quickly toast them in a pan then let them cool before using.

Method
1. Add the nuts to a food processor and blend until a smooth paste is formed (my food processor usually takes 2-4 minutes).
2. Add the cacao, half the maple, the vanilla, the water and salt and blend to combine.
3. Taste and add the remaining maple if you like it sweeter.
4. Store in a clean jar, packed tightly and covered with a layer of runny coconut oil to help make the nut butter last longer. Use within a week. Note that when eaten straight from the fridge it may be a little hard to spread. I let mine come closer to room temperature for a few minutes before using.

See this post on my dietitian private practice website for a step-by-step of turning nuts into nut butter.

Heidi xo