Panela-Pecan Bars

For the crust
2 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¾ cups organic panela
2 ½ cups all-purpose flour sifted with ½ teaspoon sea salt

For the filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup organic panela syrup (2:1 panela to water)
1 cup organic panela
5 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons bourbon + vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons sea salt
2 cups pecan halves

Directions
Preheat 🔥 the oven to 350°.  

Cream butter with panela, in a large mixer at medium speed, for 2 minutes. Turn mixer down to low speed, and beat in the sifted flour-and-salt mixture.

Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leave 2 inches of overhang along the long sides. 

Transfer dough to the pan, spread out evenly by pressing over the bottom and 1 ¼ inches up the side all around. Be sure the corners are not too thick. Refrigerate until firm.

Bake the crust for 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown. Halfway through baking, use the back of a spoon to smooth the sides and corners of the crust. Let the crust cool before filling.

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from heat and whisk in the panela syrup and organic panela, then the eggs. Whisk in the vanilla extract and salt. Then stir in the pecans halves until combined.

Pour the pecan filling into the pre-baked crust and bake for about 35 minutes, or until the filling has set. Transfer to a rack and let cool before 🔪 into bars. Enjoy!

Autumn Kale Salad

Ingredients
1 Bunch of Kale
1 large yam
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons organic panela
½ teaspoon pink salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup of Brussel Sprouts
1 cup cooked quinoa
½ cup raw almonds
¼ cup dried cranberries

For the Panela - Dijon Dressing
1 tablespoon chopped shallot
¼ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon organic panela
¼ teaspoon pink salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400° 🔥. 

Slice Yam ✨🍠✨ into ½ inch disks, move to a roasting pan and drizzle with some olive oil and coat with panela, some salt and black pepper. Half the brussel sprouts and add to the roasting pan. Drizzle brussel sprouts with remaining olive oil and sprinkle with remaining salt and black pepper. Add raw almonds and roast all together for about 35-40 minutes.

While that’s all roasting, make the dressing by whisking everything together in a small bowl.

When the yams, brussel sprouts and almonds are ready, mix them with cooked quinoa and dried cranberries. Drizzle the dressing over the kale and toss, then top with warm quinoa, cranberries, roasted yams, brussel sprouts and almonds. Enjoy! 🍴

Panela Roasted Nuts with Rosemary and Black Salt

Ingredients
1 cup raw, unsalted peanuts
1 cup raw, unsalted cashews
1 cup organic panela
½ cup water
2 teaspoons black salt
1 sprig of rosemary

Directions
Preheat oven to 300° 🔥.

Put panela, water and salt in a large sauce pan over medium-low heat. Stir constantly until the panela dissolved, then add the nuts. Continue stirring until the liquid reduces to a thick syrup, evenly coating the nuts.

Pour onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with rosemary and spread out evenly. Bake for 5 minutes, remove from oven, stir and let cool. You can sprinkle another teaspoon of salt before they cool if you want.

Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients

¾ cup rolled oats
¼ cup flour
¼ cup panela
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 ¼ oz unsalted butter, melted
½ cup nuts
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Splash of milk
1 pint of blackberries

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375° 🔥 .

Mix the dry ingredients together, then stir in melted butter and vanilla. Add just enough milk so that it mixes together in loose clumps, then mix in the nuts.

Spread blackberries evenly around a 9” x 9” baking pan. Evenly spoon the mixture over the berries and bake for about 30 minutes.

Vanilla-Basil Gelato Sandwiches

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 ¾ cup organic panela
¾ teaspoon salt

1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pint tahitian-vanilla gelato
1 bunch organic basil

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a mixing bowl.

Blend butter, 1 ½ cups of panela, and salt together in another bowl, until combined. Then, add egg and vanilla until well blended. Gently add the dry ingredients and stir to a thick batter. Lumps are ok 👍🏽. 

Roll batter into balls and coat with remaining panela and bake at 350° for 9-11 minutes, or until lightly browned. Then, let cool for 5 minutes. 

Combine 1 pint gelato with ½ cup chopped basil leaves. Return to freezer until firm. 🌿➕🍨. 

Sandwich one scoop of vanilla-basil gelato between two golden-brown panela cookies. And enjoy! 💛

Red Sangria with Apples and Nectarines

Ingredients

½ cup (or more😉) Triple Sec
2 tablespoons organic panela
1 bottle table red wine
2 nectarines
1 macintosh apple
1 lemon
1 bottle sparkling water

A Sangria recipe is less recipe, more throw things together, let them hang out and drink up. This almost-fall time of year has us feeling Macintosh Apples, Nectarines and Malbec.

Directions

In a large pitcher, mix Triple Sec and panela until panela is mostly dissolved. Add one bottle of red wine to the mixture in the pitcher. Rinse and slice the fruit, add slices to the pitcher. Stir and let chill for at least 20 minutes ⛄️.

Pour over ice and top with a splash of sparking water 💫.

Beer-Marinated Flank Steak with Aji Salsa and Grilled Corn

Ingredients

2 pounds grass-fed flank steak
1 bottle Negra Modelo (or another dark beer)
¼ cup olive oil
1 tablespoon malt vinegar
4 ears of corn

For the rub:

2 teaspoons organic panela
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves of fresh garlic
1 handful fresh oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon cinnamon

For the Aji Salsa

1 lime
1 small, seeded jalapeño pepper
¾ sweet onion
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Panela-butter for the grilled corn:

8 tablespoons butter (1 stick) 
1 tablespoon organic panela
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions

Make the rub by mixing organic panela, cayenne pepper, cumin, sea salt, crushed garlic, fresh oregano, black pepper and cinnamon together. Rub evenly, lightly coating both sides of the steak, then drizzle with olive oil, malt vinegar and Negra Modelo. Cover and put in the fridge to let marinade for at least 3 hours.

Mix up the Aji, a Peruvian salsa verde, while the steak is chillin. Juice one lime and blend with jalapeño, onion, cilantro, red-wine vinegar, salt and pepper in a food processor. Cover and set aside.

Light the grill and bring charcoals to a smolder. Grill corn for 30-45 minutes, rotating a few times 🌽. While the corn is grilling, make the panela-butter. Combine panela, sea salt and black pepper with 8 tablespoons of salted butter. Put in the fridge to firm up ⛄️.

Remove the corn and grate once corn is done, blow charcoal clean of ash. Lay steaks directly onto hot coals, one minute per side. Remove steaks from charcoal, wrap in aluminum foil and let sit for 15 minutes.

Enjoy some beer-marinated flank steak with Aji Salsa and panela-butter slathered corn on the cob. Top the corn off with parmesan cheese and pop open another beer 🍻.

Panela Gingersnaps

Ingredients

2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon organic ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

3/4 cup organic butter
1 cup organic panela
1 egg
1/4 cup blackstrap molasses

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 375° 🔥 .

Whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.

Blend the butter, organic panela, egg and molasses until well combined. Gently mix in the dry ingredients and stir into a thick dough. Cover and let chill for at least one hour ⛄️.  (You can also make these ahead of time and let chill for longer.)

Roll dough into balls and coat with remaining panela. Place the balls on a baking sheet about 3 inches apart and bake at 375° for 10-12 minutes. Then, let cool for at least 5 minutes.  Enjoy! 💛