Almond, Coconut & 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 the one I bring you today: little almond, coconut and honey stars that couldn’t better anticipate what’s coming.

Despite the simplicity of their preparation, I find it difficult to find the right way to describe them without leaving a single one of their virtues out. This is a truly special bite, not only because of its ingredients, but because we’re facing a texture halfway between a small cake and a soft cookie. So we will not find in them the typical light and fluffy texture of other more common preparations; with their dense and tender crumb, full of increasingly interesting flavor nuances and without being excessively sweet, they couldn’t taste more like Christmas and a myriad of endearing sensations.

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

To achieve these little beauties I used the Le Creuset nonstick mini star mold. It’s a joy to use this type of molds in my recipes; not only do I always get impeccable results both in baking and unmolding, its format also offers an incredible range of possibilities for future recipes, both sweet and savory. So, a whole heap of ideas (and excuses) is already starting to take shape to fill the coming (and not-so-coming) days with stars…

Le Creuset nonstick mini star mold

Ingredients (for 18 little stars)

All ingredients must be at room temperature unless otherwise indicated.

• 175 g plain cake flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder (type Royal)
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 200 g almond butter*
• 100 g coconut oil, melted and cooled
• 185 g honey
• 1 egg (L)
• Icing sugar, for decoration

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven (conventional, no fan) to 180ºC with top and bottom heat and place the oven rack in the middle position.
2. Lightly grease evenly the Le Creuset nonstick mini star mold with baking spray. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside as well.
4. In a large bowl or in the bowl of our electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine on medium speed the almond butter, the melted coconut oil (which should be already at room temperature or slightly warm, but still liquid), the honey and the egg until you obtain a homogeneous texture.
5. Next, incorporate the dry ingredients reserved earlier (step 3) into the previous mixture in two additions, stirring gently just until the last trace of flour has been integrated. The final dough will be dense and slightly sticky, but very easy to handle.
6. Then, distribute the dough among the mold cavities with the help of a couple of large spoons up to about 0.5 cm from the edge (this type of dough does not rise dramatically in the oven; a generous tablespoon will be more or less the amount we’re looking for) and smooth the surface with a small spatula or the back of a teaspoon. Since the mold has 12 cavities, reserve the remaining dough in the same bowl at room temperature well covered with cling film (in direct contact with the surface of the dough) to use it for a second batch, which will yield 6 more little stars.
7. Bake for about 14-16 minutes until the edges of our little stars have visibly browned (the honey is responsible for that extra browning in the oven, giving them a caramelized and crunchy touch) and the center, which should be fully cooked, has risen forming a small dome. To check they are properly baked, you can always insert a skewer into the center of one; if it comes out clean of crumbs they’re ready!
8. Remove from the oven and leave the little stars in the mold for 10 minutes before unmolding. Once unmolded, let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
9. To finish, you can decorate our almond stars with a little sifted icing sugar on top; since they aren’t too sweet to begin with, they will appreciate it.

Ideally consume them as soon as they have cooled, when they will be at their tenderest, but well protected from the air they keep at room temperature for up to 3-4 days. A quick dip in a good glass of hot milk (the same applies to coffee, tea, etc.) works wonders!

Le Creuset nonstick mini star mold, Nordic Ware round cooling rack 33cm, Bérard olive wood honey spoon and Laura Ashley porcelain espresso cup and saucer

Notes:

• *To make almond butter at home you only need to toast the raw almonds (the amount required by the recipe) in the oven at 180ºC for about 10 minutes (stir halfway through so they brown evenly), grind well until you obtain an oily paste (the texture more or less grainy to taste) and add a pinch of sea salt. That’s it! It can’t be more natural and it’s packed with nutrients and energy.
• Instead of nutmeg you can try to flavor them with cinnamon, for example; although they will have a more familiar taste, they will be incredible all the same (especially if you’re a huge fan of this spice). You can even try adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
• This recipe can also be prepared as a single cake in a larger pan (like 20x20 cm). Oven 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’ll keep the recipe for a whole year! November isn’t even over and we’re already on the second batch…

A hug,

Rosa