Morning decadence at its best—vegan-style. Simplify this recipe by skipping the Amaretto Crème and serving it with fresh berries and a bit of maple syrup. Although, if you’re a sucker for anything almond-flavored, the crème is a must.
Amaretto Cr
- 1 cup raw cashew, soaked for a few hours to overnight in water (to soften)
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/4 cup agave nectar
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1/2 cup amaretto liqueur
- 1/2 cup nondairy milk of choice
- 1 can coconut milk (for raw version, blend 1?2 cup coco- nut meat with 1 cup coconut water)
1. Prepare Amaretto Crème: In a high-speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth.
French Toast
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast (optional)
- toasted pecan or maple candied pecan (optional)
- fresh berry (optional)
- 3 tbsp Earth Balance (or any vegan butter)
- 1 whole-grain baguette or your favorite whole-grain bread (whole-grain cinnamon raisin bread is superb as well)
- sea salt, to taste
- 1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or date paste
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup whole spelt flour
- 11/2 cup vanilla almond milk
- 1/2 cup raw almond butter or cashew butter
2. Prepare French Toast: In a medium bowl, whisk the almond butter, almond milk, flour, yeast, cinnamon, maple syrup, nut- meg, vanilla, and salt to make the batter, or blend ingredients in blender until smooth. Set aside.
3. Slice the baguette or other bread in thick slices. Dip bread slices into batter. Allow each slice to sit in the batter for a min- ute, which helps it absorb more.
4. Add tablespoon vegan butter to a flat pan, flat grill, or large saute pan on medium heat. Once melted, add battered bread slice. Add additional tablespoon of vegan butter for each bread slice. (It’s okay if the slices are wet with lots of batter— this is what creates the delicious crust.)
5. Cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Flip with spatula, and cook other side until lightly golden.
6. Serve: Drizzle Amaretto Crème on while French Toast is still warm and top with a generous handful of fresh berries and pecans.
TIP: How to make date paste: Blend 1 cup of pitted dates with 1 cup filtered water until a thick paste forms. The paste will keep in the fridge for two weeks. Dates add a sweet kiss to smoothies, dressings, sauces, or desserts, without adding refined sugar.
