Over at my own blog, SweetAllium, I tend to focus on alternative diets. A few years ago I developed a recipe for almond-based nut crunchies, intending to provide a vegan alternative for bacon bits. What I got was something all its own, reminiscent of umami, peppery pork belly parts, but with a special crunch. I love them on just about anything savory including salads, baked potatoes, breakfast eggs or a last minute topping on casseroles -basically anywhere a few bacon bits might be nice.
Unique, delicious and easy recipes like these are the ones that I like to share with Evermine blog readers, because they so easily translate into holiday gifts or anytime potluck or picnic offerings. Adding special labels to projects like these really makes a conversation piece or a treasured treat out of a very simple cooking project.
- 1 cup almonds (soaked and dehydrated offer the best crunch), ground
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons amino acids
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Spread the mixture flat on a dehydrator sheet and dehydrate until the bits are delightfully crunchy, about 2-3 hours. Crumble the now-hardened bits into small pieces and store in an airtight container. It makes great sense to double or quadruple this recipe and give jars of bakin’ bits out as gifts during the holidays or as hostess gifts throughout the year.
- To make this recipe in the oven, spread the mix onto parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at the lowest temperature your oven will allow, usually 200 ˚F. Remove the sheet to mix the “bites” after 10 minutes and every 3-4 minutes thereafter, taking care that they don’t get too dark or burned. Remove the “bites” when they are crunchy and with very little moisture.
Pictured here in an animal-lover theme are Bakin’ Bites stored in swing top jars, and labeled with the Forest Fox style in sunburst in the rectangle shape (size 03 and 02) and the Woodland Owl style in sunburst in the fancy diamond shape (size 88). I also included a font change request, for an additional $15, replacing the font in the Woodland Owl labels with the main font from the Forest Fox style to maintain a little more continuity between the label styles.
Used In This Project:
- Fancy Diamond Labels • I chose the “Woodland Owl” style in sunburst.
- Fancy Diamond Labels • I chose the “Forest Fox” style in sunburst.
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Lorraine is a medical student, writer and food lover living in her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Sometimes, Lorraine realizes that, for the most part, her family, friends and adored acquaintances are just a bike ride away. This gives her sense of cozy giddiness! Mostly though, she gets psyched about creating and sharing food, particularly the kind of food that is accidentally healthy and delicious. See more of her work at SweetAllium.
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