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 start to make an indisputable place for themselves. Like the one I bring you today: some almond, coconut and honey stars that couldn't better anticipate what is to come.

Despite their simplicity, I find it difficult to find the correct way to describe them without leaving out a single one of their virtues. They are a truly special morsel, not only because of their ingredients, but because they have a texture halfway between a sponge cake and a soft cookie. We will not find in them the typical light and spongy texture of other more common preparations; with their dense and soft crumb, full of nuances of flavour, each one more interesting than the last, and without being excessively sweet, they could not taste more like Christmas and a host of endearing sensations.

But the real “star” on this occasion is the almond butter (or almond cream), which is essential among its ingredients. I usually buy it artisanally, 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, there is no day that you can resist it! It is usually found in specialist shops; in supermarkets the most common is another similar product also called “almond cream”, which is usually consumed dissolved in hot water like almond milk. However, the latter usually contains a good amount of sugars/sweeteners, thickeners, water, etc. and a very low proportion of almonds. Therefore, you must 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 make these beauties I used the non-stick mini star mould from Le Creuset . It is a pleasure to use this type of mould in my recipes; not only do I always get an impeccable result both when baking and when unmoulding, its format also offers an incredible range of possibilities for future recipes, both sweet and savoury. So, a whole host of ideas (and excuses) are already starting to take shape to fill the next (and not so next) days with stars…

Le Creuset Non-Stick Mini Star Mold

Ingredients (for 18 stars)

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

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

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven (electric and without air) to 180ºC with heat above and below and place the oven rack at medium height.
2. Lightly grease the Le Creuset non-stick mini star mould evenly with release spray . Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl , sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl or in the bowl of our electric mixer equipped with the paddle attachment, combine at medium speed the almond butter, melted coconut oil (which should already be at room temperature or slightly warm, but still in a liquid state), honey and egg until obtaining a homogeneous texture.
5. Next, add the dry ingredients that we had reserved (step 3) to the previous mixture in two batches, stirring gently until the last trace of flour has been incorporated. The final dough will be dense and somewhat sticky, but very easy to handle.
6. Next, we distribute the batter between the cavities of the mould using a couple of large spoons, up to about 0.5 cm from the edge (this type of batter doesn't rise dramatically in the oven; a generous spoonful will be more or less the amount we're looking for) and we smooth out the surface with a small spatula or the back of a teaspoon. As the mould has 12 cavities, we'll reserve the leftover batter in the same bowl at room temperature, well covered with cling film (in direct contact with the surface of the batter) to use in a second batch, in which 6 more stars will come out.
7. Bake for about 14-16 minutes until the edges of our stars have visibly browned (the honey is responsible for that extra browning in the oven, which will give them a caramelized and crunchy touch) and the center, which should be fully cooked, has risen forming a small dome. To check that they are properly baked, we can always insert a toothpick into the center of one of them; if it comes out clean of crumbs, they are ready!
8. Remove from the oven and leave the stars in the mould for 10 minutes before removing them from the mould. Once removed from the mould, 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; as they are not too sweet at the base, they will appreciate it.

Ideally, they should be consumed as soon as possible after they have cooled, which is when they will be most tender, but if they are well protected from the air, they will keep at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. A quick dip in a nice warm glass of milk (the same goes for coffee, tea, etc.) works wonders!

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

Grades:

• *To make almond butter at home, you just have to toast the raw almonds (the amount required by the recipe) in the oven at 180ºC for about 10 minutes (stir them halfway through so they brown evenly), blend them well until you get an oily paste (the texture is more or less grainy to suit your taste) and add a pinch of sea salt. And that's it! It couldn't be more natural and it's packed with nutrients and energy.
• Instead of nutmeg, you can try flavoring them with cinnamon, for example; although they will have a more common flavor, 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 made as a single cake in a larger pan (about 20x20 cm). The baking time will increase to about 30-40 minutes.
• 1 tablespoon = 15 ml / 1 teaspoon = 5 ml

I hope you have the chance to try them; the result will surprise you. For my part, I doubt that, after the success these almond stars have had at home, we will keep the recipe for a whole year! November hasn't even finished and we're already on the second batch...

A hug,

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