[1] Almond chocolate chip cookies (photo © Baked | NYC).

[2] sliced (slivered) almonds (photo © Pear’s Snacks).

[3] Dark chocolate chips (photo © Bella Baker [now closed]).

[4] Olive oil cake with almonds and oranges. Here’s the recipe (photo © Discover California Wine).

February 16th is National Almond Day. If you’ve been laying off the nuts because you think they’re not healthy, you need some facts:

 
“Scientific evidence suggests but does not prove that eating 1.5 ounces per day of most nuts as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease.”

Here’s more on the health benefits of nuts and the seven healthiest nuts.

Now, we’ll step away from health food to present a recipe for Almond Chocolate Chip Cookies.

> The history of almonds.

> The history of chocolate chip cookies.

> How about a glass of Amaretto, Italy’s famous almond liqueur?
 
 
RECIPE: ALMOND CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Thanks to Taste Of Home for the recipe.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. CREAM the butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

2. COMBINE the flour, salt, and baking soda in another bowl. Gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and almonds.

3. ROLL into 1-inch balls. Place them 2 inches apart on greased baking sheets. Bake at 375° for 9-11 minutes or until the edges are firm. Remove to wire racks to cool.
 
 
MORE ALMOND RECIPES

February 15th is National Gum Drop Day—as if the day after Valentine’s Day needed more candy! However, here’s an easy gum drops recipe that you can make for fun, and for later. Just store them in the fridge.

Gum drops are an American invention, although we don’t know exactly whom to thank. Here’s the history of gum drops.

Gum drops can be flavored with any flavor of extract. When they’re flavored with spices (allspice, cinnamon, clove, licorice, peppermint, and wintergreen, for example) they’re called spice drops.

While this recipe is for raspberry gum drops, you can vary the flavor by varying the extract and the food color. For example:

 
For other flavors, pair an extract with one of these colors.

Thanks to Taste of Home for the recipe.

For Christmas, here’s their recipe for holiday gumdrops.
 
 
RECIPE: RASPBERRY GUM DROPS
 
Ingredients

[1] Homemade gum drops. You can make them in any flavor for which there’s an extract (photo © Taste Of Home).

[2] Use red food color for raspberry or cherry gum drops. To mix food colors that aren’t in the “basic four” box, use this chart or see this chart (photo © McCormick).

1. SPRINKLE the gelatin over 1/2 cup water in a small bowl; let stand for 5 minutes.

2. BRING the sugar and remaining water to a boil in a small saucepan, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Add the gelatin and reduce the heat. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

3. REMOVE from the heat; stir in the extract and food coloring. Pour into a greased 8-inch-square pan.

4. REFRIGERATE, covered, for 3 hours or until firm. Loosen the edges of the candy from the pan with a knife; turn onto a sugared work surface.

5. CUT into 1-inch squares; roll in sugar. Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature until all sides are dry, turning every hour for 3-4 hours. Store between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
 
 

[1] King trumpet mushroom “scallops” atop beet purée (phptp © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[2] Fresh beets. The stems and leaves are also edible. Cook them as you would collards or other greens (photo © Good Eggs).

[3] King trumpet mushrooms* (photo Claire Freierman | © The Nibble).

Our colleague Hannah Kaminsky, of Bittersweet Blog, created this beautiful vegan dish for Valentine’s Day. Instead of scallops from the sea, she turns trumpet mushroom stems into vegan scallops.

“Trumpet mushroom scallops are an uncanny substitute for seafood,” says Hannah, “bearing a similar meaty yet delicate texture, subtle umami flavor, and equivalent rarity that make them a treat for special occasions.

“Forget about fussy preparation though; this vegan version comes together with minimal effort. You don’t even need to worry about them sticking to the pan while attempting that perfect high-heat sear. After marinating them in a simple, savory broth, just pop them into the air fryer, and dinner is served in no time!

“Beautifully golden brown on the outside and buttery all the way through, each mock mollusk is further accentuated by a bright beet purée at the base, spiked with a touch of peppery horseradish. Green peas and pistachios lend both gorgeous color and textural contrast to create the perfect bite.”

Thanks, Hannah. It’s delicious!

> The history of mushrooms.

> The history of beets.

> The history of Valentine’s Day.
 
 
RECIPE: TRUMPET MUSHROOM SCALLOPS

Prep time is 5 minutes, cook time is 25 minutes, and additional time is 10 minutes.

If you’re not vegan, you can substitute conventional fish sauce for vegan fish sauce.
 
Ingredients For 2 Servings

For The Mushroom Scallops

 
For The Beet Purée

 
To Serve

1. MAKE the scallops: Combine the sliced mushrooms, stock, 1 tablespoon of oil, vegan fish sauce or soy sauce, lemon juice, onion powder, and pepper in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to low, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes.

There will still be some liquid left, so don’t worry if it isn’t completely absorbed. Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile…

2. COMBINE the beets, coconut milk, horseradish or wasabi, tarragon, garlic, and salt in a food processor or blender. Thoroughly purée until completely smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If you’d prefer a looser texture, drizzle in a touch more coconut milk.

3. TRANSFER the simmered and still warm “scallops” to an air fryer. Drizzle with the remaining tablespoon of oil and air fry at 400°F for 8-10 minutes, until golden brown all over.

4. TO SERVE: Divide the beet purée between two shallow bowls. Top with the hot mushroom scallops, green peas, pistachios, and scallions. Enjoy right away.
 
 
________________
 
*King trumpet mushrooms, also called king oyster mushrooms and French horn mushroom and eryngii/eringii mushroom and other names, is the largest variety in the oyster mushroom family. It is now being cultivated in the U.S. You can substitute matsutake mushrooms (which may be even harder to find), or any meaty mushroom (perhaps portabellas or baby bellas).
 

How popular are the chocolate-flavored teas from David’s Tea? Two of the three flavors (Chocolate-Covered Strawberry and Hazelnut Chocolate) are sold out!

We discovered this after receiving an early Valentine’s Day gift of five-calorie chocolate tea from David’s.

Truth to tell, for a no-calorie Valentine gift with chocolate flavor, we enjoyed it.

And you can still order S’mores Chai, in loose leaf tea or sachets (tea bags).

The flavors, according to David’s:

“Gooey toasted marshmallows, graham crackers, dark chocolate—the flavors of classic s’mores infused into pu’erh tea, with an extra dash of cinnamon to the campfire classic, so it’s rich, warming and packed with fudgy goodness. Brew it as a frothy tea latte for the ultimate cold-weather indulgence.”

All this, for only five calories per cup!

Get your S’mores Tea here.
 
 
WHAT IS PU’ERH TEA?

Also spelled pu’er or pu-er, pu’erh (poo-ERR) is a special category of tea from the Yunnan province of China, where it is considered to have medicinal properties.

In Chinese medicine, pu’erh is said to reduce cholesterol, hangovers, and to improve dental hygiene. It also is the basis for “slimming tea” and “beauty tea.”

The tea is usually compressed into shapes such as bricks, discs, birds’ nests, or spinning tops.

While most teas are consumed within a year of production, pu’erh can be kept for years for the aging process. Pu-er improves with age, owing to the specific type of oxidation that affects the tannins.

The flavors and aromas are earthy and smooth. Pu-erh teas are available in black, brick green, oolong, and white.
 
 
> The history of tea.

> The different types of tea: a glossary.

[1] S’mores tea (both photos © David’s Tea).

[2] Bits of marshmallow, chocolate, and graham cracker with pu’erh black tea.

[1] Red Velvet Mug Cake. It couldn’t be easier! The recipe follows (photo © Culinary.net | Family Features).

[2] Red Velvet Cheesecake. The recipe link is below (photo © McCormick).

[3] Red Velvet Pancakes. The recipe link is below (photo © Taste of Home).

[4] Baked Red Velvet Donuts. The recipe link is at right (photo © Farmgirl Gourmet).

[5] Red Velvet Cookies. The recipe link is at the right (photo © Betty Crocker).

Whether it’s a romantic tete-a-tete, a small party, a family dinner, or you wanting a special treat, this easy Red Velvet Mug Cake recipe is fun food with panache!

It’s hard to resist this rose-red, luscious Red Velvet Mug Cake.

With just a handful of ingredients and instructions, it’s easily cooked in just three minutes in the microwave.

It’s a simple way to make something delicious and keep the portions small (i.e., no big cake to go back to for seconds).

Whether you have a small party, just you and your loved one, or just simply want something easy and small, this quick treat is designed just for you.

Start by mixing all the dry ingredients into a large mug, including flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt.

Then add milk, melted butter, vanilla, and red food coloring. Use a spoon and stir the ingredients together until blended.
Mix powdered sugar and cream cheese then drop the mixture into the cake batter and mix once more. Microwave the mug for up to 3 minutes until your cake is baked.

Thanks to Culinary.net for the recipe. Find more recipes and dessert ideas for every celebration at Culinary.net.

> The history of red velvet cake.

> The history of mug cakes.

> The different types of cake.
 
 
RECIPE: RED VELVET MUG CAKE

How easy is this recipe? Check out the video below.

There are also more red velvet recipes below.
 
Ingredients Per Mug Cake

 
Preparation

1. WHISK in a 12-ounce mug the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add the milk, butter, vanilla, and food coloring; mix until blended.

2. MIX the powdered sugar and cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth.

3. DROP the cream cheese mixture into the cake batter. Press into batter until covered.

4. MICROWAVE for up to 3 minutes until the top rises and the cake is done.

If you’d like an after-dinner drink with your cake, we recommend crème de cacao or other chocolate liqueur. Framboise, raspberry liqueur, is also lovely.
 
 
MORE RED VELVET RECIPES

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.