Welcome to week 4 of Frappuccino Fridays! In the last three weeks, we’ve sipped on incredible flavours like Java Chip, Caramel Brulée and Peppermint Mocha. With this kind of menu, I’m thinking Lisa and I could rival any Starbucks in town.

Today’s blended beverage combines cold coffee and ice with a mix of hazelnut sources (hazelnut milk, butter and extract) to create a frosty-cold hazelnut heaven. Starbucks’ traditional version also includes a hazelnut drizzle, but I opted for crunchy hazelnuts on top of a bed of fluffy coconut whipped cream instead.

For this drink, I made my own hazelnut butter: simply toast a cup of raw hazelnuts at 350F for 8 to 10 minutes. Wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and rub, rub rub your nuts together (hehe) until the skins come off (you don’t have to be too meticulous about this; some skin remaining is okay). Then use a food processor to process them until they turn into a smooth butter, about 10 minutes or so. Super simple and super delicious. But feel free to use storebought (100% hazelnuts) variety instead if you want.

Enjoy!

Hazelnut frappuccino

Yield: 1 to 2 servings

Ingredients:

For the coconut whipped cream:

• 1 (13.5oz) can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 2 to 3 tsp agave nectar or other sweetener
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean

For the frappuccino base:

• 1/2 cup strong coffee, chilled
• 1/2 cup hazelnut or almond milk
• 2 tbsp hazelnut butter (homemade or storebought)
• 2 Medjool dates, pitted
• 1/4 tsp pure hazelnut extract
• 3 ice cubes
• chopped hazelnuts (for garnish)

Directions:

1. To make the coconut whipped cream, scoop the cream from the top of the can of coconut milk, reserving the water at the bottom of the can for other uses.
2. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the coconut cream until smooth and fluffy. Add sweetener and vanilla seeds and continue to whip until incorporated. Refrigerate until ready to use. (This can be made a day ahead, if desired.)
3. To make the frappuccino, blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and frothy.
4. To serve, pour the frappuccino in a tall glass and top with coconut whipped cream and chopped hazelnuts.

‘Tis the season to turn off the oven and enjoy more raw treats, so a couple of weeks ago I pulled out the Tiny Treats collection—you know, for old times’ sake. I wanted to make something for a friend’s birthday party that weekend and I knew these hazelnut brownies would be a hit (and they were).

After all, who doesn’t love chocolate? And especially when it involves other delicious, whole ingredients like nuts and dates and maple syrup. The chocolate frosting on top of these squares of heaven has become one of my favourites, not only because it’s so easy to pull together but because it’s incredibly rich and creamy. See?

In case you’ve forgotten about our beloved ebook, this is the perfect time to flip through it once again like I did (or consider buying a copy for a friend). I own a nice collection of ebooks from other talented bloggers and chefs but I often forget about them because they’re not staring at me from the bookshelf in my kitchen but instead are hidden within a secluded folder on my desktop. I think I need to do something about that.

In the meantime, I thought it would be fun to share this amazing recipe from page 27 of the ebook. Just because I love you so. And because chocolate never goes out of style.

Enjoy!

Hazelnut brownies with maple chocolate ganache

Yield: 20 to 24 tiny brownies

Ingredients:

For the date paste:

• 11/2 cups (300g) Medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water until soft (about 30 minutes)
• 1/2 cup (120mL) water, or as needed

For the brownies:

• 2 cups (280g) raw hazelnuts
• 1 cup (130g) raw macadamia nuts
• 1/2 cup (40g) natural cacao powder
• 1/4 tsp (1.25mL) sea salt
• 1/2 tsp (2.5mL) pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp (2.5mL) pure hazelnut extract
• 1/2 cup (160g) date paste

For the ganache:

• 2/3 cup (60g) natural cacao powder
• 1/2 cup (120mL) pure maple syrup, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (60mL) melted coconut oil
• 1/4 cup (30g) chopped raw hazelnuts (for topping)

Directions:

1. To make the date paste, drain the soaked dates. Using a blender, blend the dates and as much water as is needed to achieve a smooth, thick paste. You may need to stop and scrap down the sides of the blender container a few times along the way. Set aside to use in the brownies.
2. To make the brownies, use a food processor to process the hazelnuts and macadamia nuts to a coarse meal. Take care not to over process or the nuts
   will start to form a paste.
3. Add the cacao powder and salt and pulse to combine. Finally, add the date paste, vanilla extract and hazelnut extract and process until it forms a thick dough.
4. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper and press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.
5. To make the frosting, use a clean food processor to blend the cacao powder and maple syrup until smooth. With the motor running, pour in the coconut oil and blend until emulsified.
6. Spread the frosting evenly over top of the brownie base, using an offset spatula to smooth out the top. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
7. Chill the brownies in the freezer until set, about 2 hours. Cut into small squares. Store in the fridge or freezer.

Exclusive recipe from Tiny Treats.

Oops…did I just spoil the surprise?

Yes, that means there are beans in these cookies. What’s not to love about that?

After being captivated by these chocolate black bean power cookies a few days ago, I immediately decided I needed to make my own. In order to create flourless cookies, I incorporated black beans as well as chickpeas to get the soft, fudgy consistency I wanted. I also bought some organic coffee extract during a recent visit to the states, and it makes a wonderful addition here, moving the fudgy chocolate flavour to a whole new level. My husband is currently on a hazelnut coffee kick, so I thought, Why not add some hazelnuts and dark chocolate, too?

It turns out my spontaneous experiments were a success. Everyone who tried these had no idea they were made of beans! Seriously, they were completely fooled. If you make them, I promise you will be, too.

I originally called these flourless cappuccino cookies when I revealed by experiments on Facebook the other day, but I decided that because of the flavour pairing, the mocha bean name makes more sense. Enjoy!

Flourless mocha bean cookies

Yield: one dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups cooked black beans, rinsed
• 1/2 cup cooked chickpeas, rinsed
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp ground chia seeds (or flax meal)
• 1/2 tsp pure coffee extract
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or other nuts), plus more for cookie tops
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, plus more for cookie tops
• 2 tbsp coconut sugar, for cookie tops

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with Silpat or parchment paper.
2. Using a food processor, process the black beans, chickpeas, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt until it turns into a thick, flour-like consistency.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil, chia seeds and coffee extract until well combined. Pour the mixture into the food processor and process until smooth. I let my processor run for about two minutes and scrapped down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
4. Remove the processor bowl from the base and remove the blade. Fold in the chopped hazelnuts and chocolate chips. Alternatively, you can transfer the mixture to another bowl before folding in the nuts and chips.
5. Using a cookie scoop, drop rounds onto the prepared cookie sheet and use a wet finger or the back of a spoon to flatten and mold into cookie shapes. Keep in mind they won't spread while baking. Add a few more nuts and chocolate chips to the top of each cookie.
6. Bake the cookies at 375F for about 18 minutes, or until the tops of the cookies are fairly dry to the touch. You don't want the middle to feel too wet or the cookies will be very fudge-like. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle coconut sugar on each cookie. Allow the cookies to cool completely before removing from the pan. Cookies can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge.

Recipe inspired by Sarah's recipe and David's recipe.