Lately I've been pretty obsessed with acai bowls. They are these thick smoothies that feature the Brazilian super food acacia berries and are based on vitamin rich ingredients. Acai bowls are wonderful for breakfast or brunch because you get delicious creamy sweetness from the smoothie without feeling bad about any calories. It's topped off with fruits and granola so you get an extra confidence boost that you did good for your body. Here in Hawaii you can get yourself an awesome bowl of this yumminess almost anywhere on the island and I’ve had many a bowl myself. But recently at our local whole foods, a packet of frozen acai caught my husbands eye and he just had to get it for me so I can make my own acai bowls at home. I'd like to share with you my go-to recipe and you can mix it up to your personal taste. Ingredients: 2 bananas (frozen, sliced) About 5 frozen strawberries 1/2 cup almond or coconut milk (frozen in ice tray) 1 tblsp Honey 1 packet sambazon frozen açaí Toppings: Fruits and berries Granola Honey Directions: 1. Put the frozen fruits, milk, honey and acai powder into a blender. Blend until creamy thick. Consistency should be thicker than a smoothie, almost ice cream like. This is the hard part, trick is to keep mixing between blending. 2. Spoon into a bowl and sprinkle with granola. Top with assorted sliced fruits, berries and drizzle with honey. this recipe is for about 2 bowls. There are many variations of the recipe that include other fruits such as blueberries, raspberries and even pineapple in the smoothie. Also coconut milk or soy milk can be substituted instead of almond milk. Many people add nut or seed butter (such as almond butter) to the base as well. Topping variations include coconut flakes, chia or hemp seeds and granola. Make it to your taste and enjoy!
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My husband is not a huge fan of cakes (he's more of a pastries and cheesecakes kind of guy) but I absolutely love baking cakes! I don't however bake cakes often since neither I nor he will eat them but recently I just couldn't resist making this yummy berry cake. This recipe is completely from scratch and tastes like a sweet dream! It is perfect for the summer months where you can get the seasonal berries freshly picked for the filling and topping. Bake it for a summer family gathering and you will get raving reviews, I guarantee. Cake: 1 stick unsalted butter, softened 1 1/2 cups sugar 3 large eggs 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup milk 1 teaspoon vanilla Filling: 1/2 cup puréed raspberries 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon additional water, iced Sliced strawberries and whole blackberries (or seasonal berries) Frosting: 1stick unsalted butter, softened 4 oz cream cheese, room temp. 5 cups confectioners sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter two 8 inch cake pans. Beat together butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined. Add eggs and beat, scraping down sides of bowl when needed. Reduce speed to low and gradually add flour, baking powder, and salt. Add milk & vanilla and beat until combined. Divide batter between pans and bake until golden (toothpick inserted in center comes out clean) about 35 minutes. Let cakes cool in pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely. Filling: In a small saucepan, combine raspberry puree, water and sugar. Bring to a boil and simmer 2 minutes. Combine cornstarch with ice water and mix until dissolved. Add into saucepan and mix well, continuing the boiling for another minute. Remove from heat and let it cool completely. Frosting: Beat together butter and cream cheese until creamy, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium and add the confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add salt, milk & vanilla and beat until fluffy. Assemble: Place 1 cake layer onto cake plate and sprinkle with fresh berries generously. Spread cooled filling over berries and cover with second cake layer. *For extra frosting on the inside, spread some frosting on the bottom of top cake layer before setting it onto the bottom layer.* Spread top of cake with frosting and garnish with more fruit. Chill cake in refrigerator for about an hour before serving. As I have promised in a previous post, we will be sharing smoothie recipes with you guys so here is one to start. This is a delectable frozen berry smoothie with minimal ingredients but lots of flavor! You will need: Fresh strawberries Fresh banana (sliced) Frozen blackberries Frozen raspberries Coconut milk Add all ingredients into blender and give it a whirl until well blended. Pour into desired cup (we used fresh coconut bowls) and garnish with topping of your choice such as fruit, oatmeal, chia seeds, coconut shreds or granola. This is just a simple base recipe so the coconut milk can be substituted with regular milk, soy milk, fruit juice, etc. Also the fruits can be substituted to favorite fruit of your choice, just keep in mind to have at least half your fruit frozen for a thicker, creamier and colder smoothie. Use your imagination, make it your style and most importantly...enjoy! We had my niece Jemma sample one...and she approved!!
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