MAPLE WALNUT CRULLERS

 MAPLE WALNUT BUTTER

Peanut butter replacement for kids and adults! Walnuts processed till smooth, then combined with Grade B maple syrup and Silk Coconut Milk. Creamy delicious! No artificial ingredients!

Makes 2-3/4 cups

1 lb. walnut halves

½ c. Grade B maple syrup

¼ t. sea salt

¼ c. Silk Coconut Milk (Original)

¼ c.  water

Place walnuts in food processor and process till mushy and smooth. At first it will become mealy and dry, remove lid and push down insides with spatula. Then it will form a ball, continue processing till ball breaks apart and swirls evenly around the blade.

Add maple syrup and process till it again clumps up.

Add salt and coconut milk. Process till walnuts look like soft taffy with milky liquid/oil around it.

Add water. Process till oil re-incorporates into the nut butter. Stir, then process again till evenly colored.

Transfer to covered plastic container or jar. Keep refrigerated, because of the coconut milk.

Notes: Don’t add the water before the milk. Order is important here. It has something to do with chemistry. Add the milk, process as directed, then add the water. I don’t know the why of it, but when you add water, then add the milk, the oil doesn’t re-incorporate into the nut butter properly. I tried it both ways.

Don’t worry, the oil won’t separate from the butter after it’s made.

Maple Walnut Butter needs no jelly on the sandwich. It’s perfect as it is. Spread it on toast, or do as I do, put a heaping teaspoon into your bowl of veggie soup and swirl it around. Tastes great.

Steve spreads his toast with mustard first, then spreads the nut butter. He also made a toasted sandwich with lettuce, tomato, fresh cracked pepper and Balsamic reduction syrup plus the Maple Walnut Butter and loved that too.

SHARON’S MAPLE WALNUT CRULLERS

Soft, rollable whole wheat bread thinly spread with Maple Walnut Butter. Rolled, pan-fried on all sides, dipped in powdered sugar, sprinkled with cocoa powder, then served with a side of prepared yellow mustard and a side of maple syrup for dipping!

Makes as many as you want

Per Crueller:

1 slice soft, standard grocery variety whole wheat bread

maple walnut butter

oil for frying, preferably corn, olive or grape seed oil (the thinner oils will absorb into the bread and make the crueller soggy)

powdered sugar

unsweetened cocoa powder

prepared yellow mustard

Grade B maple syrup

Spread slice of bread thinly with maple walnut butter to the edges. Starting from one end gently roll the bread to the other end.

Heat a little oil in a skillet over medium to medium-high heat till hot. Place crueller seam side down and hold till that side is browned, securing the seamed edge. Add more oil to skillet and brown remaining sides of crueller.

Place a mound of powdered sugar on a plate (how much depends on how many you’re making). While still warm place crueller in sugar, lifting sugar up and over crueller on all sides till coated. Shake off excess, place on plate, sprinkle with cocoa powder.

Serve with a side of mustard squirted on the same plate and a small souffle cup of maple syrup on the plate, both for dipping.

Notes: Wow. When I first made this I had no idea how it would go. Was I ever surprised. It feels like the perfect cream-filled old-fashioned donut to the palate. I’ve always loved donuts, but as far as I know no donut shop sells one animal-free. Now I make my own, and it’s so simple!