Chocolate "not-peanut-butter" Cups

(Oh, you read that right. Wipe the drool off your keyboard!)

I was having one of those days that I wanted some chocolate. No, let me rephrase, I was going to hurt any man-woman-child in my way of getting some chocolate into my belly. Yep, it was one of those days. But I also didn’t want to eat something that I was going to really regret later because it had nine million calories per bite…so, as I was perusing through pintrest I came across a recipe from this paleo blogger for some tasty little “raw-ish” homemade peanut butter cup style chocolate treats.

Um, ok. Pretty healthy? Check. Did I have all ingredients? Check. Easy to throw together? Check.

So I threw together my own version and am happily keeping the little diddies of chocolate goodness the freezer for an afternoon treat later today. The original version called for raw almond butter, well raw nut butters don’t go over so well in Mr. Giggles tummy so I used sunflower seed butter instead. And I added some cocoa nibs for some low sugar crunch thrown in there also. Annnnnnd-we are a happy little chocolate family over here. I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Chocolate “not-peanut-butter” Cups
gluten free, dairy free, egg free, peanut free, nut free*

Makes 12 large cups or 24 minis

• ½ c. virgin coconut oil
• ½ c. good quality cocoa powder
• ¼ c. maple syrup
• 1 t. vanilla powder
• ½ c. creamy sunflower seed butter
• 2 T. cocoa nibs, optional

DIRECTIONS

1. Line cupcake tins with paper liners. Set aside.
2. Place coconut oil in a small saucepan and gently warm until about half is melted. Remove from heat and continue whisking until it is all melty-softened. (tip-this is easier to mix when the oil is super duper soft, but not all melted.)
3. Put the softened coconut oil into a medium size bowl and add all the remaining ingredients, whisk to blend evenly, and then pour into the lined cupcake cups. Swirl with a knife for a pretty looking top and then pop in the fridge to set.
4. You can keep these in the fridge or remove them from the liners, place in a freezer bag and keep them in the freezer until chocolate cravings strike!

*please note, this recipe does use coconut oil which-though the percentage of people allergic to tree nuts and coconut is extreeeeemely low and in the allergy community is typically not regarded as being part of the "tree nut allergy group"-coconut is technically a tree nut according to the USDA. If you cannot use coconut oil I would try using 1/4 spectrum shortening + 1/4 light olive oil in substitution.

happy, healthy eating! ~Giggles

GFAF Expo 2013

Gluten free and allergy free people unite!! Coming back to Chicago this year is the oh so fabulous Gluten Free Allergy Free Expo. What's that, you say? An entire convention center filled with products I can safely eat and try before buying?? Believe it bunnies.

You didn't go last year did you (insert me shaking my head with a tisk tisk).... Well, be sure to pop over to the GFAF Expo website and snatch up your ticket. Adults are just $20 and children $5 for a whole day of checking out new companies, trying some delicious foods and meeting up with some pretty cool peeps (obvi). There are also cooking demonstrations, cookbooks to peruse and purchase and a whole kids section. It's a really great way to spend the weekend!


Do I need to dangle the carrot a bit more? Take a look at just a few of the vendors that will be there-

• Pamela's Products
• Chebe
• Enjoy Life Foods
• Glutino
• Hail Mary
• Sweet Ali's
• Schar
• Simply Sprouted Way Better Snacks
• Happy Family Organic Superfoods

And the list goes on and on and on.....I am so looking forward to spending the day exploring new products and meeting some great people, hopefully one of them is you!

happy, healthy eating! ~Giggles

Nutty Buddies

We had a few friends over last night and like Julia Child said, "A party without a cake is just a meeting." Well, I also think that applies to cookies, pies and pretty much any delicious sweet. So, last night, amidst the nibbles of baba ganoush, rosemary roasted almonds and Boursin with almond crackers I put out a cake stand full of these tasty little cookies.

Now, I have to tell you this was no normal friend get together. Everyone who came either owned a restaurant or was a chef. So, you better believe they are free flowing with the "constructive criticism." But, to my credit (pat, pat on my own back) the comments after half the cookies were gone happened to be along these lines- "What's in these cookies?!" and "These are delicious!" "No way these are healthy and gluten free."

Now, there is one ingredient in this list you may not be familiar with-Mesquite Flour. The mesquite flour comes from the ground pods of a tree, typically found in warm and dry areas such as Arizona. I was recently reintroduced to this flour by the owner of Casa Mesquite, a producer of a certified organic and gluten free mesquite flour. And let me tell you, how happy I am to have found this flour again! It has a very unique taste profile that is warm and will elicit flavors of cinnamon, roasted nuts and caramel on your tongue. If you can't find mesquite flour I would suggest buckwheat flour but first try, try, try to get some of this lovely flour. You won't be disappointed!

Feel free to substitute as you would like. I made the recipe free of all nuts and just used seeds, but you could use peanut butter or almond butter if you like. Use any kind of nut or seed in lieu of the sunflower seeds if you'd like. But I suggest starting with this recipe exactly, they'll soon be your new lil' buddies!

Nutty Buddies

Gluten Free, Egg Free, Nut Free

I love making these as little favors for dinner parties. Wrap them in small clear cookie bags and tie with a festive ribbon. Place them at everyone’s place setting and watch their faces light up when they see they have a treat to take home!

Makes about 48 cookies

• 1 ½ sticks butter, softened
• 1 c. gluten free old fashioned oats
• GF flour blend: ¼ c. + 2 T. sorghum flour, ¼ c. teff flour, ¼ c. mesquite flour, ¼ c. tapioca starch, ½ t. xanthan gum
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. fine salt
• 1/3 c. granulated sugar
• ½ c. packed brown sugar
• 1 T. chia or flax meal + 3 T. hot water
• 1 t. gluten free vanilla extract
• ½ c. sunflower seed butter
• ½ c. toasted pumpkin seeds

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 and line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt ½ stick butter in a small saucepan. Add the oats and cook for about 4-5 minutes until the butter is lightly browned and smells nutty. Remove to a plate to cool.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the GF flour blend, baking soda and 1 t. salt. In another bowl beat together remaining stick of butter with the granulated sugar and packed brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the chia or flax egg and the vanilla extract. Beat until combined. Add the sunflower seed butter and beat until combined.
4. Add the toasted oat mixture and chopped nuts and beat on low speed until mixed in evenly. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined.
5. Using a cookie scoop or a teaspoon, scoop out the dough into 1” balls and roll. Place 1” apart on the parchment lined sheets and bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes until set.

Happy, Healthy Eating! ~Giggles

Nina's Pepper Pasta

One of my favorite parts of traveling with my boyfriend to visit his mother in Europe is being able to cook with her. She speaks a tiny bit of English but speaks mainly German. I speak a tiny bit of German but speak primarily English. So, when we cook together it is a bit of a game of charades as I am sure you can imagine.  Me- "Um....coconut, well, it is ROUND (Picture hand gesture, speaking loudly). Und sweet like honig (honey). Mit (with) haar (hair) on the outside (again, hand gesture to the hair on my head). You can make melch (milk), or use the fleisch (meat) for cookies or pies. " Nina- Oh! Kokos?!" Me-"No couscous- coconut." Kokos? No, coconut! and on and on until one of us finally understands (this time it was me, realizing she was saying coconut and not couscous, it took quite awhile.) Really, its hilarious!

The blessing of cooking though, is that we have very few of these moments as I can just watch her and take notes of how she makes these recipes that my boyfriend treasures (and of which, until now, none of these are written down for future use!). Below, find one of my favorite recipes of hers which has become a comfort food of sorts for us. Deliciously simple to prepare, and especially lovely when it is pepper season at your farmers market and you can snag purple, yellow, orange, red, green and multi-colored peppers. If you want to add some animal protein feel free to saute up a few diced chicken sausages, shred some extra chicken into it or even add some poached shrimp. But I would recommend you try the sauce just as is the first time. It is so satisfying and with plenty of different flavors abounding. As Nina would say, Guten Appetit!

Of course I had to feature Nina, giving a caring stir to her lovely sauce!

Nina’s Pepper Pasta Sauce

Serves 4-5

• 1 large sweet yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 different colored peppers, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 T. tomato paste
• ½ c. white wine
• 1 vegan bouillon cube
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• pinch dried thyme or 2 sprigs fresh
• salt and pepper, to taste
• grated parmigiano-reggiano, if desired for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat a large sauté pan over medium. Add a nice swig of olive oil and add the sliced yellow onion. Cook until translucent, about 5-6 minutes. Add the sliced peppers and sauté another 5-6 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, if you have a small mortar and pestle, crush the sliced garlic with a big pinch of salt. Otherwise just add the 4 cloves sliced garlic along with a big pinch of salt along with the tomato paste. Stir to combine.
3. Add the white wine and cook a few minutes until reduced by about half.
4. Crumble the bouillon cube over the top and add the crushed tomatoes and dried thyme. Now pop the lid on, turn the heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve over your favorite cooked gluten free pasta, sautéed white beans, or creamy polenta.

Happy Healthy Eating! ~Giggles 

Sweet and Nutty Granola Bars

I have already begun preparing for next weekend. Yep, it’s only Sunday night, some might call me a nut-job. Though, in my defense, next weekend will be super busy. I am so excited to be going to the Natural Foods Expo West in Anaheim, CA, to work with one of my favorite companies-Enjoy Life Foods!

So, needless to say, I will be on the go all day long Thursday through Sunday which means I need to make sure I have some healthy, nutritious snacks on me at all times. Well, one of my new favorite recipes (which actually happens to contain one of my favorite Enjoy Life Foods cereals) is an allergy free granola bar. Oh, you read right. It is so chock full of protein, fiber, and omega-3s you will have yourself wondering if it is truly nutritious or just delicious. Heheee.

The best part of these is that they make a decent sized batch, last about a week and you only really need a little square to last you for a while. Chewy, tasty little squares of goodness that you will be pleased you put in your mouth. And I will be please I planned ahead to make some of these little beauties with me on the plane. Argh, airplane food…..

Keep stopping by the blog this coming weekend, I will be posting (and tweeting and facebooking and whatever other social media-ing) my little patootie off to show you lovelies what new fun products are coming soon to you!

Sweet and “Nutty” Granola Bars

Free of the top 8 allergens

Makes 16 squares

• 1 c. pumpkin seeds
• 1/3 c. sunflower seeds
• 1 c. gluten free rolled oats
• ¼ c. flaxseeds
• ¼ c. chia seeds
• 2/3 c. dark brown sugar
• ½ c. + 1 T. honey
• 4 T. coconut oil OR sunflower seed oil
• 1 T. vanilla powder (or vanilla extract if you can’t find the powder)
• 2 c. Enjoy Life Perky’s Crunchy Flax with Chia cereal
• ½ c. dried cherries

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a 9x9 glass baking dish with parchment paper, letting 2 sides overhang to use as handles later.
2. Preheat oven to 325. Place the pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, rolled oats and flaxseeds on a baking sheet. Toast for 10-11 minutes until lightly browned. Pour into a large bowl.
3. In a small saucepan, whisk together the dark brown sugar, honey and coconut oil/sunflower seed oil until a nice caramel has formed, about 5-6 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla powder, Perky’s Crunchy Flax cereal and the dried cherries to the bowl with the toasted pumpkin seeds and oats. Mix together. Pour the warm caramel over this and stir to combine everything. Pour into the parchment lined baking dish. Place another small piece of parchment on top and press the mixture down firmly to compress. Allow to cool about an hour and then cut into the 16 squares.

xoxo- Kendra

Sweet Potato Rounds

Hello, my name is Kendra (aka, Giggles). And I am addicted to sweet potatoes. With their lusciously caramelized and maple flavor, their slew of vitamin K, carotenoids, potassium and fiber, and their ease of preparation. 

Seriously, this winter (and especially during my real food detox) I have found myself craving sweet potatoes almost daily. There are worse things, people! I could eat them in any preparation, sweet potato souffle, sweet potato soup, sweet potato fries, mashed sweet potatoes. But the easiest of all preparation is to simply peel, slice and roast. And the beauty is you can do a whole big bunch and they last the whole week! So, check out the giggliciously easy recipe below and join the other sweet potato addicts. We welcome you with open arms!

Simple Roasted Sweet Potatoes

gluten free, dairy free, nut free, egg free, soy free

Serves 4

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• olive oil
• sea salt

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Slice sweet potatoes into 1 ½” rounds and place in large bowl. Toss with generous pour of olive oil and place on parchment paper, leaving space between each potato. Sprinkle with sea salt and place in the oven for 13 minutes.

Turn potatoes over and rotate sheets. Continue baking another 13-15 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom.

Super Muffins

On my quest to nourish my body yet still eat cleanly, I opened my fridge. Leftover pumpkin puree from a little nugget I roasted last week. Over-ripened bananas. Kale. On the counter I had leftover dried cherries from some recipe testing I had to do for a company I consult for. I always have toasted pumpkin seeds. So, what to do with this delightful bounty? Well, I have been hankering for a little breakfast treat. Something aside from a juice or a smoothie. And with pretty much every breathing person coming down with the flu these days I thought a muffin packed with these goodies would hit the spot while giving my body a nice dose of nutrition.

Now, I do this sometimes with my baked goods. Ssshhhh, don't tell anyone. Because until now, nobody really knew. And I'm sure you were wondering how I was going to sneak that kale into these muffins. Well, the trick is to quickly blanch them, shock them in cold water and them chop the hell out of them. I typically throw the kale into chocolate baked goods, it hides very nicely in chocolate cake or cupcakes. But I though, why not? And who cares if there are tiny green specks. If people think it's mold, well, then all the more for me.

Super Muffins

gluten free, dairy free, egg free, soy free, vegan

Makes 12 muffins

• 6 kale leaves, stripped of stems
• 1 carrot, shredded
• ½ c. mashed ripe bananas
• ½ c. pumpkin puree (preferably roasted at home and pureed)
• ¼ c. sunflower seed oil
• 1 c. light brown sugar
• 1 t. vanilla
• 2 T. chia seeds + 6 T. hot water, mixed together
• ¼ t. white balsamic vinegar
• ½ c. teff flour
• ½ c. buckwheat flour
• ½ c. tapioca starch
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1 ½ t. xanthan gum
• ¼ t. powdered ginger
• ½ t. cinnamon
• ½ c. toasted pumpkin seeds
• ¼ c. dried cherries, chopped finely

DIRECTIONS

1. Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Heat a pot of water. Fill a shallow bowl with an ice water bath. Pop the kale leaves into the hot water for about 20 seconds then put them immediately into the ice water bath to stop cooking. After a few minutes, remove them and squeeze to remove extra water. Lay out flat and chop as finely as possible.
3. In a large bow mix together the chopped kale leaves, shredded carrot, mashed bananas, pumpkin puree, sunflower seed oil, brown sugar, vanilla, chia/water mixture and white balsamic vinegar. Whisk until smooth.
4. In another small bowl whisk together all remaining ingredients from teff flour through pumpkin seeds. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir gently with a whisk until combined.
5. Scoop into the muffin tins, dividing equally. With damp fingers smooth the tops.
6. Bake at 350 for 22-25 minutes until cooked through. 

Happy, Healthy Eating! ~xo, Kendra

Detox 2013, Part Two.

Real Food Detox is going well! I have been enjoying my home pressed beet-carrot-broccoli juice, been enjoying my apples with sunbutter and chia seed snacks and (unsweetened!) berry tea. So many wonderful things to eat. Whats up for this weekend? Tonight-jicama and red pepper with hummus I will be throwing together shortly, babaganoush with sweet potato chips and more jicama for a party on Sunday and lots of delightful goodies in between. Now, I must confess. I am going out to dinner tomorrow night. Will wine be consumed? Yes…..Will less detox friendly foods be consumed? Uh-huh. So how to counter balance? A lovely detox bath the next morning and lots of water and fresh produce throughout the next day. It’s ok to splurge every so often, it’s life!

So, forging ahead I am so excited to share one of my recent meal swith you. There are a few foods that I am seriously obsessed with right now. In addition to just being healthy, they are so tasty and I can’t get enough. Do you love sweet potatoes? Me too!! Can’t get enough millet? Me neither!! Want to eat beets for breakfast, lunch and dinner? Yes, yes, yes! So I have had a plethora of all these things hanging around in my place.

Well the other day I was on my way home from teaching a cooking lesson to a client, daydreaming about what to make. I remembered that I had millet in the fridge that I made earlier in the week, also had a red pepper, some kale and some roasted sweet potato wedges that needed to be used. So my brain started whirling around and I decided to sauté make a little sauté with the millet, sweet potatoes and red pepper. Wilt the kale gently and then to top it all off I lightly sautéed some sole with a crushed clove of garlic, sea salt and a touch of olive oil. deeeeeeeelightful! It was so delicious and satisfying, it was just the way to re-energize my body for the rest of the days work. And quite honestly, the millet saute would be just as delicious on its own as another great lunch, so make extra!

Enjoy my lovelies, and happy Real Food Detoxing!

Sauteed Sole with Wilted Kale and Millet Saute

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Egg Free, Soy Free

Serves 2

• 2 T. olive oil
• ½ red onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 chunks already roasted sweet potatoes*
• 1 c. steamed millet
• ¼ cup minced fresh chive
• 3 cups baby kale
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 oz. sole filets, patted dry
• 2 t. red stamp pepper 

DIRECTIONS

1. Warm a medium or large nonstick fry pan for 1 minute over medium heat. Add the 2 T. olive oil and warm another 30 seconds.
2. Add the diced red onion and pepper and sauté 4-5 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Place the sweet potatoes and millet in the pan and gently toss to mix. Cover with lid and steam 5-6 minutes until warmed through. Stir in the chive and then divide between 2 plates.
3. In same pan pour in another 1 t. olive oil. Add the baby kale to the pan and turn with tongs until wilted, about 1 minute. Add to the plates, dividing equally.
4. And again, in the same pan, add another 1 t. olive oil and the minced 2 cloves of garlic. Gently lay the fish on top of the garlic and cook 3 minutes per side until cooked through. Place on top of the millet and kale, sprinkle with the red stamp pepper, and enjoy!

* If you need to roast the sweet potatoes, peel and cut them into 2” chunks. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil and sea salt. Roast at 350 for 24-26 minutes.

Detox 2013, Part One.

As some of you know from my recent facebook postings, since returning from my gluttonous European holiday I have put our household on detox mode. I’m not talking lemon juice/honey/cayenne pepper style. I’m talking real food, high antioxidant, low dairy, no refined or processed foods style.  I love a good juice cleanse as much as the next gal, but I feel like we need something that can last us longer than the 5 days of purification. We need something that will make us feel great, not deprived, but still feel cleansing.

How is that possible?! You might be asking. Well, let me tell you beauties, it is all in what you want to gain from your cleanse. I have friends who cleanse multiple times per year but when they aren’t cleansing they are smoking, drinking excessively and not eating a balanced diet. Or I have friends who cleanse and are evil witches, not to be seen by daylight so long as there are bottles of unpasteurized juice blends in their refrigerator. Do I want to partake in either of those rituals? Um, no.

The purpose of my month long cleanse is to control-alt-delete my body. To shrink my stomach back to the proper size, to load up on fresh fruits and vegetables and supplement with lean proteins such as steamed fish and nutritious carbohydrates such as millet, quinoa and freshly cooked beans. To replenish my body with water, antioxidant rich juices and save wine for the weekends or special occasions rather than it be an every night beverage. I am limiting my intake of dairy, sugar and sweets. Does that mean I never allow myself a pat of butter on my steamed broccoli? Nope! But it means that I usually use olive oil and maybe 1-2x per week add a bit of butter. Does that mean I never allow myself chocolate? NEVER! I really might turn into a she-devil. And what about coffee?! Gasp! As much as I love coffee, I find that I also really enjoy black tea with raw honey and fresh almond or cashew milk as an easy sub. Now doesn’t that sound delicious?

If you are also interested in rejuvenating your body and adding in highly nutritious foods in a reasonable manner that can last longer than 5 days then take a peek below at an example of what I’ve been eating. I will continue to post some fun new recipes for you to try. And also tell me what you are eating to replenish your body this January.

Breakfast

Hot Porridge composed of:

½ c. cooked Bob’s Red Mill Mighty Tasty gluten free hot cereal

½ grated pear

2 T. maple syrup

2 dried figs, chopped

¼ c. mixed toasted nuts/seeds (I like sesame, sunflower, pumpkin and almond)

Mid-Morning Snack

6 oz. fresh pressed beet, carrot, apple, celery and ginger juice

Lunch

Salad composed of:

2 c. mixed greens

½ avocado

½ red pepper, sliced

handful snap peas

1 grapefruit, cut into segments

¼ c. raw sprouted pumpkin seeds

½ c. black beans

Snack

Apple

Dinner

White Wine Braised Cabbage

Fennel-Lemon Roasted Whole Trout

Not too shabby, eh? Think you could do it? My purpose is to eat without feeling deprived and let me tell you, this menu was filling, satisfying and delicious. And if I can do it-a chocolate loving, wine drinking, food lovah-then you can too!

Here's to a super nutritious month! ~kendra 

New Year's Eve Hazelnut Souffle

Holy Guacamole. When I wake up tomorrow it will be 2013. It never fails to surprise me how the years fly by as it seems just yesterday we were all preparing for Y2K and the insanity some thought would follow it the year 2000. How silly we were.

Well, nevertheless, here we are on New Year's Eve Day. And there is always the pressure of what to do? Where to go? Who to see? More importantly who to kiss at midnight?!In recent years I have thrown dinner parties or chosen to attend them. A restaurant or bar is the opposite of my idea of a good time, I am always disappointed with menus and always way to annoyed with crowds at lounges or bars. Plus, how fun! Throw a dinner party and make things that all seem celebratory, things that you only make once or twice per year!

And this year, my lovelies? This year's menu calls for fondue, fromage and souffle. Want to come over? We are starting with a few cured meats and cornichons then moving on to broth based fondue with steak, broccoli and carrots. Dipping sauces will be a homemade warm hollandaise, a red pepper remoulade and a celery-cream sauce. To be followed by a cheese course of vegetable ash rubbed goat cheese and a triple cream french brie. Lastly, we finish with a hazelnut souffle with vanilla sauce. Not too shabby, eh? And below you will find the recipe for the (easy) hazelnut souffle (seriously, it's easy!). Now, don't be discouraged by the length of the directions. I wanted to be as specific as possible to make sure those of you frightened by the reputation of the souffle weren't turned off. So, if this sounds good to you then read through it, go buy your ingredients and get excited for your last dessert of 2012 (and, to boot, you put the souffle in the oven once you are finished with dinner before the cheese course. it takes about 35 minutes to cook and you serve it right away so it's perfectly timed!).

New Year’s Eve Hazelnut Souffle
gluten free, soy free

Serves 4-5

• 3 egg yolks
• 2 T. Unsalted Butter
• 3 T. brown rice flour
• pinch salt
• ½ c. whole milk
• ¼ c. heavy cream
• 1/3 c. finely chopped and toasted hazelnuts
• 1 vanilla bean, insides scraped
• 5 egg whites
• 3 T. organic cane sugar
• extra butter at room temperature, for the soufflé dish
• extra cane sugar, for the soufflé dish
• powdered sugar, for serving
• Vanilla Sauce*, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 325 (160 C). Brush a 6 cup soufflé dish with some softened butter until it is liberally coated. Sprinkle with about ½ c. organic cane sugar and shake around the soufflé dish until it is all coated with the sugar, adding more sugar as needed. Set aside.
2. Place egg yolks in a medium bowl and whisk quickly until they have turned a light yellow (alternatively, if you don’t need a workout from a whisk you can use a hand mixer to mix them!).
3. Add the butter to a medium saucepan and place on stove. Melt butter and then sprinkle the flour and a pinch of salt over, stirring with a whisk to incorporate into a thick paste (this is a “roux). Pour in the whole milk and heavy cream into the pan and continue stirring with the whisk until the flour mixture is incorporated with the milk. Keep stirring and after a few minutes you will have a nice thick mixture. Remove from heat.
4. Add ¼ of the milk-flour mixture to the egg yolks and beat immediately to bring the yolks up to temperature. Gradually add the remaining flour-milk mixture to the yolks until all incorporated. Add the ground hazelnuts and scraped vanilla bean, whisk to blend. Set aside.
5. In a large, clean bowl whip the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. Sprinkle the 3 T. sugar over and whip for another 20 seconds until sugar is incorporated. Add 1 scoop of the egg yolk-milk-flour mixture and gently fold into the egg whites. Continue with remaining mixture, gently folding them into each other. Pour into the prepared soufflé dish and place in the oven.
6. DO NOT OPEN OVEN DOOR WHILE SOUFFLE IS COOKING! And don’t slam any drawers or do jumping jacks in front of the oven J Be sure to leave a light on so you can see the progress of the soufflé and after about 35 minutes it should be light and golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and immediately place on the table for service. Sprinkle liberally with powdered sugar and dive in! Serve with vanilla sauce if desired, if you choose not to make a vanilla sauce then sprinkle additional powdered sugar over plates once the soufflé is scooped onto everyone’s plates.

So in the spirit of French food and Julia Child, "Bon Appetit!"and a Happy New Year!