Almond, coconut and honey stars

Officially or unofficially it's starting to smell like Christmas around here. And it was to be expected that among the most festive recipes of the year the sweetest ones would begin to make an indisputable place for themselves. Like this one that I bring you today: some little almond, coconut and honey stars that could not better anticipate what is to come.

Despite the simplicity of their elaboration, it is difficult for me to find the correct way to describe them without leaving a single one of their virtues in the pipeline. It is a really special snack, not only because of its ingredients, but because we are dealing with a texture halfway between a sponge cake and a soft cookie. We are not going to find in them, then, the typical light and fluffy texture of other more common preparations; With its dense and soft crumb, full of nuances of flavor each more interesting and without being excessively sweet, they couldn't have tasted more like Christmas and endless endearing sensations.

But the real "star" on this occasion is the almond butter (or almond cream), an essential ingredient. I usually buy it artisanal, 100% natural, from a local cooperative, but I also make it at home if I suddenly run out of it (see “Notes” below); on toast with a little honey, not a day can resist you! It is usually found in specialized stores; In supermarkets, the most common is another similar product also called "almond cream", which is usually consumed dissolved in hot water as almond milk. However, the latter usually contains a fair amount of sugars/sweeteners, thickeners, water, etc. and a very low proportion of almonds. So, pay special attention to the list of ingredients on the label: the almond butter or cream indicated for this recipe only has two ingredients: almonds and a pinch of sea salt.

To get these beauties I used the non-stick pan for mini stars from Le Creuset . It is a joy to use this type of molds in my recipes; Not only do I always get an impeccable result both when baking and unmolding, its format also offers an incredible range of possibilities for future recipes, both sweet and savoury. So, a whole host of ideas (and excuses) is already beginning to take shape to fill the next (and not so close) days with stars...

Non-stick pan for Le Creuset mini stars

Ingredients (for 18 little stars)

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated.

• 175 g pastry flour
• ½ teaspoon chemical yeast (Royal type)
• ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200 g almond butter*
• 100g coconut oil, melted and tempered
• 185g honey
• 1 egg (L)
• Icing sugar, to decorate

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven (electric and airless) to 180ºC with heat above and below and place the oven rack at medium height.
2. Lightly grease the non-stick pan for Le Creuset mini stars with release spray . We booked.
3. In a medium bowl , sift together the flour, yeast, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. We booked too.
4. In a large bowl or the bowl of our electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the almond butter, melted coconut oil (which should already be at room temperature or slightly warm, but still liquid) on medium speed ), honey and egg until a homogeneous texture is obtained.
5. Next, we add the dry ingredients that we had reserved (point 3) to the previous mixture in two batches, stirring gently just until the last trace of flour has been integrated. The final dough will be dense and somewhat sticky, but very easy to handle.
6. Next, we distribute the dough between the cavities of the mold with the help of a couple of large spoons until approximately 0.5 cm from the edge (this type of dough does not grow dramatically in the oven; a generous spoonful will be more or less the amount we are looking for ) and smooth the surface with a small spatula or the back of a teaspoon. As the mold has 12 cavities, we will reserve the excess dough in the same bowl at room temperature, well covered with transparent film (in direct contact with the surface of the dough) to use it in a second batch, in which 6 more little stars will come out.
7. Bake for about 14-16 minutes until the edges of our little stars have visibly toasted (honey is responsible for that extra golden brown in the oven, which will give it a caramelized and crunchy touch) and the center, which should be fully cooked, has grown to form a small vault. To check that they are correctly baked, we can always insert a toothpick in the center of one of them; if it comes out clean of crumbs, they are ready!
8. Remove from the oven and leave the little stars in the mold for 10 minutes before unmolding. Once unmolded, we will let them cool completely on a cooling rack .
9. To finish, we can decorate our almond stars with a little icing sugar sprinkled on top; since they are not too sweet as a base, they will appreciate it.

The ideal is to consume them as soon as possible as soon as they have cooled, which is when they will be more tender, but well protected from the air, they can be kept at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. A short dip in a nice glass of hot milk (same goes for coffee, tea, etc.) works wonders!

Le Creuset Mini Star Non-Stick Pan , Nordic Ware 33cm Round Cooling Grid , Bérard Olive Wood Honey Spoon and Laura Ashley Porcelain Espresso Cup and Saucer

Grades:

• *To make almond butter at home, you only have to toast the raw almonds (the amount required by the recipe) in the oven at 180ºC for about 10 minutes (we will stir halfway through the time so that they brown evenly), crush well until you obtain an oily paste (the texture is more or less grainy, depending on everyone's taste) and add a pinch of sea salt. And that's it! It couldn't be more natural and is loaded with nutrients and energy.
• Instead of nutmeg you can try flavoring them with cinnamon, for example; although they will taste more common, they will still be amazing (especially if you are a huge fan of this spice). You can even try adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract as well.
• This recipe can also be prepared as a single cake in a larger mold (about 20x20 cm). The time in the oven will increase to about 30-40 minutes.
• 1 tablespoon = 15 ml / 1 teaspoon = 5 ml

I hope you have the opportunity to try them; the result will surprise you. For my part, I doubt that, after the success that these little almond stars have had at home, we will keep the recipe for a whole year! November is not over yet and we are already on the second batch...

A hug,

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