Sugar In The Raw® Always Sweetens Up The Holidays #InTheRaw

“The product, information, and gift card have been provided by the makers of In The Raw® so that I could try the product and share my thoughts and information about Sugar In The Raw®. The opinions expressed in this post are my own and do not reflect the opinions of the makers of In The Raw® sweeteners.” 


1 week y'all. The countdown is on and we're just 7 days away from Thanksgiving. Now is the time to get a head count and start finalizing the menu. I am actually hosting Friendsgiving on Saturday, so I have been doing a few test run recipes this week to make sure everything is perfect for this weekend. And, if the recipes are a hit, I'll be sure to duplicate them for our family gathering next week. 

As you all know, I am a huge fan of In The Raw® products, and this week I used Sugar In The Raw® in all of my test recipes. I love the hearty, golden crystals, which actually retains its rich flavor and color of natural molasses because it is never bleached. It is made from natural sugar cane grown in the tropics. Additionally, it is certified non-GMO, vegan and is naturally gluten-free.

Before I started playing with my own recipes, I took a look at what In The Raw® had to offer for a little inspiration and couldn't resist immediately pulling out ingredients to make these Mini Pecan Tarts. 

These little two-bite tarts are a perfect dessert for those who want a taste of the holidays without overindulging on a huge slab of pie. The recipe said to press the dough into mini muffin tins, but I didn't have one on hand and improvised by using mini muffin cups and that worked just fine. I didn't even have to spray the paper cups with oil before inserting the dough because it fell right out of the liner after baking. This recipe, as well as other yummy holiday recipes will be available on their website soon, but they are in the middle of a revamp, so I'll post it here for you now:

Ingredients:

1 stick margarine
3oz Organic Valley Cream Cheese
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 Organic Valley Egg
1/4 cup Sugar In The Raw®
4 tablespoons melted margarine
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix the cream cheese and stick margarine until smooth and creamy. Slowly mix in flour until mostly combined. Use your hands to knead the dough a few times until the remainder of the flour is incorporated and dough is formed into a ball. Chill dough for 2-3 hours.

Chop nuts to a medium grind, leaving behind a few larger pieces, then set aside. Using a fork, mix together melted margarine, egg, Sugar In The Raw® and vanilla.

Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray (or use the paper muffin cups like I did). Break chilled dough into small pieces and press into muffin tin to create mini shells. Press nuts into the bottom of the shells, then top with wet filling. Do not over-fill as this can cause the filling to spill over sides of tarts when baking. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 250 degrees and bake 10 minutes longer. Allow to cool before serving. Makes 12 servings.

 Here's another great In The Raw® recipe for a Pumpkin Pie Frappe. Yum!

 Ingredients:

1/3 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
1/4 cup Sugar In The Raw®
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 cup whole milk
4 cups vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Blend all ingredients together. Serve in a frosted mug and garnish with a dash of nutmeg.

 You can find some other scrumptious recipes on In The Raw, like these:

Minted Carrots, Pumpkin Fritters, Roasted Butternut Squash & Goat Cheese, and Sweet Potato Casserole.

I love Cinnamon Toasted Sugar Almonds in the fall. Nothing beats walking the Chicago boardwalk and smelling the warm sugar nuts wafting through the crisp air. These can be quite expensive buying them from the outdoor vendors, but you can easily make them at home for a fraction of the cost. The Sugar In The Raw® coarse granules are perfect for getting that crispy, crunchy sugar coating that makes these almonds so tasty.

Yield: 2 cups Author: Theresa M

Cinnamon Sugar Toasted Almonds

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 egg white
• 3 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups unblanched whole almonds
• 5½ tablespoons Sugar In The Raw®
• 5½ tablespoons packed brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a medium bowl, beat the egg white until frothy. Beat in the vanilla. Stir in the almonds, giving them a good coating of the wet mixture.
2. Stir together the Sugar In The Raw® and brown sugar, cinnamon and salt. Gently stir into the almond mixture to coat.
3. Grease a jelly roll pan with cooking spray. Evenly spread almond mixture onto pan and bake at 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes, stirring halfway through. Allow nuts to cool, then store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Taste of Home

https://www.theresasmixednuts.com/2018/11/sugar-in-raw-always-sweetens-up.html

Adapted from Taste of Home

If you like any of these recipes, be sure to Pin It on Pinterest!  

The Sugar In The Raw® jewel-like crystals are perfect to use as a finishing sugar on cupcakes and muffins, or adding a little shine and sparkle to your holiday cookies.

You can find Sugar In The Raw® at most major grocers nationwide in convenient packs, bulk, liquid, and old-fashioned cubes. Be sure to grab some for your holiday recipes, then share with us what you are creating on social media by using #InTheRaw.

What's your favorite Thanksgiving dessert?