Vanilla beans are a magical magical thing. They blow my mind. Every little seed bursting with the most common yet rare and precious flavour in existence. Vanilla is an ethereal looking orchid, truly stunning. It adds something so special to anything it touches and brings out the hidden characteristics in the foods it mingles with.
If you can’t tell, I’m pretty fucking gung ho about vanilla.
I just got back from my brothers wedding where I had the pleasure of making THE cake. What foods represent the true characteristics of star crossed lovers and real deal twin flames?
Chocolat et vanille of course.
Cacao and vanilla grow in the same jungles, one is masculine, rooted, robust, dark, hard shelled yet amazingly soft inside. While the other is light, ephemeral, delicate and grows upward towards the heavens. The two were ordained the perfect match long before modern society had any idea of their existence. It only made sense to encapsulate their majesty into their luxurious wedding cake. I’ll post the recipe on the blog soon of the cake which was a double fudge chocolate quinoa cake with vanilla bean, rose and honey cashew cream icing.
For now, I’ll ramble on a little more about vanilla…
And macadamia nuts because mmmmmmmm…
Whenever I go on vacation I crave fudge. Which likely stems from childhood trips to Banff where we would always visit the fudge factory and stock up for our trip back home. And if you know me at all, you know that when a craving lurks, it cannot simply be ignored. But most fudge is way too sweet so of course the simple solution is to make it yourself.
Vanilla Bean Macadamia Nut Fudge is my new obsession, and you only need a tiny bit to satisfy even the maddest sweet tooth. It’s loaded with healthy fat from coconut and adorned with another tropical favourite, macadamia nuts.
I’ll tell you a secret. The other night I watched game of thrones for hours and ate nearly two cups of mac nuts. Talk about a binge. I can’t even have them around or I just go mental and day dream about Jon Snow while noshing my life away. So, if you got em, use em!
Ingredients
- 1 C macadamia nuts (roasted) + 1/3 C crushed macadamia nut pieces for topping
- 1 C shredded coconut
- 2 Tbs raw honey
- 1/2 C coconut oil, melted
- pinch of sea salt (if the mac nuts are unsalted)
- 1 vanilla bean, seeds removed (safe the pod for infusing drinks or making vanilla extract)
Instructions
- In a blender or food processor add macadamia nuts, coconut and honey and process until smooth.
- Add coconut oil, sea salt and vanilla bean and blend again.
- Pour the mixture into a parchment lined 3x8 pan (or smaller for thicker fudge pieces) and top with remaining crushed mac nuts.
- Put in the fridge or freezer to set for at least an hour before cutting into inch sized pieces. Store in the fridge and enjoy!
