Spiced Cashew Butter

This two weeks without posting new recipes have been quite tough, I've felt overwhelmed by the amount of pending tasks on my to-do list...plus I had to finish a couple of my monthly recipes that I write for a spanish organic food brand, and that was my priority. Sometimes when I feel stressed my inspiration tends to vanish for a few days and, even though I do have an endless list of ideas, one of my latest kitchen experiments didn't come out as good as I expected. So yeah, I've become a little grumpy baker these days but hey, it's all good now!

I've decided to keep things simple this week and bring you an easy but amazingly delicious recipe...with an autumnish touch! This super spiced cashew butter is right now one of my new obsessions: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, and of course I couldn't skip the vanilla; because vanilla (like chocolate) makes life better. Maybe I could have titled this recipe 'pumpkin spice cashew butter' but technically the combination of spices is not exactly the traditional one because I added pure vanilla powder and nutmeg and cloves are missing in this version of mine.

Yesterday was so gloomy and humid outside it looked like Silent Hill, so I prepared a warm cup of chai latte and a toast of kamut bread generously spread with my cashew butter, topped with cacao nibs and shredded coconut. Needless to say I didn't mind about that shitty weather anymore.

Receta en español aquí!

Spiced Cashew Butter

Ingredients
2 cups raw, unsalted cashews.
1 teaspoon pure vanilla powder.
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon.
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom.
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground allspice.
1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt.
2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil, solid.
2 tablespoons coconut syrup, at room temperature.

Directions

Lightly coat a frying pan with coconut oil and roast the cashews until the look golden brown and release a toasty scent. Let them cool a bit to prevent the bowl of your food processor from overheating.

Place the cashews, spices and salt in the bowl of your food processor and process until the cashews have crumbled and the mixture looks like a grainy powder. You will have to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl several times but trust me, it will look like a soft butter in the end.

Halfway through the process add in the coconut oil, and keep processing until a ball forms. Again, stop your processor and scrape down the sides of the bowl; remember that is good to give the food processor a rest (unless you have a big super powerful one).

Continue to process, the ball will break up into a paste and a few more minutes later it will start to look smooth and almost ready yet still a bit thick.

Finally add in the coconut syrup, the butter will clump up again and you'll think this is never going to look like smooth butter anymore but don't panic, keep processing and it will soon break down again.

Process for a few extra minutes and the cashew butter will magically look glossy and glorious!

Transfer the batter to a clean jar, cover and keep refrigerated.

The butter will firm up after setting in the fridge but if you leave it at room temperature for 5 minutes approximately right before serving it'll soften again.

Notes:

- It is crucial to use a good food processor. I love mine, it's a Magimix Compact 3200 XL...and nope, no one provided me with a food processor, I saved the money and bought it last year as a self-gift. This is not an ad, it's just my honest recomendation.

- Both the coconut oil and coconut syrup should be at room temperature, this way the butter won't clump excessively.