Ingredients
4 teaspoons panela
1 cup water
Half a lime
Directions
Dissolve panela in water, add lime juice. Can be served hot or over ice.
Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup organic panela
½ cup half-and-half
4 tablespoons butter
👌🏽 of salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions
Heat the panela, half-and-half, butter and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, it will gradually get thicker. Add the vanilla and cook another minute. Remove from heat, let cool and enjoy! 🍨
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 3/4 cups organic panela
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups old-fashioned oats
2 cups dark chocolate chunks
Directions
Preheat oven to 375° F 🔥
Combine flour, baking soda and salt, in a bowl. Beat panela and butter in large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually mix in dry mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chunks. Drop generous tablespoon onto baking sheets.
Bake for 9 to 10 minutes for chewy cookies, or 12 to 13 minutes for crispier cookies. Let cool, dunk in milk, eat immediately. 🍪
Sweet and Salty Peanuts
Ingredients
1 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
½ cup panela
2 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
Directions
Heat panela and water in a 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 wax paper, sprinkle with salt.
Lime + Mint Agua Panela
Ingredients
1 tablespoon organic panela
8 ounces filtered water
1 lime
1 spring organic mint
Directions
Muddle half a lime with mint and panela in a glass, gradually adding water until panela is dissolved.
Pour over ice, garnish with mint and enjoy this refreshing twist on Agua Panela. 🍃
Sweet and Spicy Peanuts with Fresh Cilantro
Ingredients
1 cup peanuts (roasted and unsalted)
½ cup panela
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
⅛ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons water
Directions
Heat panela, cayenne pepper, salt, paprika and water in a 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 wax paper, sprinkle with fresh cilantro.
Chocolate Santafereño
This style of hot chocolate is popular in Colombia's capital, Bogotá. It's perfect for chilly mornings when you're 8,660 feet closer to the stars, as the locals like to say. Chocolate Santafereño is traditionally made with Luker Chocolate, panela and served with queso blanco. Like panela, Luker is a staple in most Colombian pantries, they've been making high quality chocolate since 1906.
Ingredients
4 cups water
8 tablespoons organic panela
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 cubes chocolate
Directions
In a saucepan, heat water over medium-low heat to just before it simmers, add chocolate and reduce heat to low. Once chocolate is melted, add panela and cinnamon. Whisk vigorously (with a molinillo if you have one) and serve with queso blanco.
Baked Brie Cheese with Cranberry Sauce
Ingredients
8 ounce round brie cheese
12 ounce bag of cranberries
½ cup organic panela
2 cinnamon sticks
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons candied ginger
¼ cup almonds
Directions
Preheat oven to 425° 🔥
Bring cranberries, panela, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, cloves, and ¾ cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cover and simmer for 7 to 9 minutes, or until the cranberries are just beginning to burst and the sauce is beginning to thicken.
Add orange zest, chopped candied ginger and vanilla extract. Simmer uncovered for 1 to 2 minutes. Take out the cinnamon stick, then transfer sauce to a bowl to let it cool completely.
Once cooled, top brie with cranberry sauce and sprinkle chopped almonds on top.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is gooey. Don’t bake for too long, it’ll be a mess.
Garnish with rosemary, serve with crackers and wine. 🍷
