Recipes

RECIPES

Below are some of our favorite (read simple!) recipes: acorn coffee, acorn cookies, acorn pancakes, and acorn crackers, and acorn pudding for starters.

For real culinary expertise with acorns, check out these websites: https://honest-food.net/foraging-recipes/acorn-recipes/

Acorn Coffee

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup dried, hulled, and cracked acorn (too-large pieces won’t leach well)
• 3 cups whole milk 

INSTRUCTIONS

Combine acorn and milk in pot. Bring to boil then lower flame/heat to simmer for an hour – stirring regularly so acorns don’t burn on the bottom. The mixture will thicken considerably. Enjoy the caramel smells, but don’t taste, yuck-o!

Cool enough so it is not a burn danger then pour “porridge” through colander – use cheesecloth if you don’t have a wire one so you don’t lose small bits) and rinse thoroughly (rub with fingers or wooden spoon to free clingy bits) under warm to cool water to remove all milky substance that has tannins bound in it.  Remember, smells good, tastes horrible – down the drain or compost with all milk by-product.

Pat milk-boiled acorn bits dry and transfer to skillet to slow roast til they are toasty-brown.

Cool and store until you’re ready to make a cup. Use coffee grinder to pulverize.

To make acorn coffee beverage: take 1 part water and 2 parts sweet cream or milk. Add 3 teaspoons of acorn grounds into the boiling liquid, and boil for 2-3 minutes.

Add more milk or cream and sugar to taste.

For pictures with instructions, please visit http://newenglandacorncooperative.com/?s=coffee

Acorn Snowball Cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup acorn flour
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts, finely chopped
• 2-3 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 pound butter (at room temperature)
• Pinch of sea salt
• Powdered sugar, to coat (about 1 cup)
  

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Preheat the oven to 300°F and lightly grease a large cookie sheet.

2) Mix all the dry ingredients (acorn flour, chopped walnuts, salt) in a large bowl. Cream butter, sugar & the vanilla extract.. Add the dry mixture in batches, mixing thoroughly (by hand or Kitchen Aid bread hook). If dough is very soft when completely mixed, chill in refrigerator until easier to handle.

3) Form the dough into small balls no larger than a walnut and place on the cookie sheet, spaced at least an inch apart from each other.

4) Bake for 30-35 minutes (depending on your oven, weather & size of balls). Remove pan and let cool before transferring cookies to rack to cool completely (they are quite fragile when hot & will crumble if touched).

5) When cookies are cool, roll each gently in bag of powdered sugar. Before transferring to storage, you may wish to roll each a 2nd time in powdered sugar. Will keep for one week in airtight storage.

For pictures please visit http://newenglandacorncooperative.com/?s=snowball

Acorn Pancakes (thick)

INGREDIENTS

1 cups oat flour (ground up oats)

1 cup Acorn flour or starch

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

3/4 cup plain greek yogurt

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other "milk" fluid) PLUS 1/2 to add to batter as needed

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 T maple syrup + more for topping, if desired

Coconut oil (or butter) for pan (2-3 tbls melted to add to batter )

INSTRUCTIONS

1.   In a large bowl combine oat flour, acorn flour, baking powder, sea salt 
2.   In a separate bowl combine greek yogurt, milk, egg, vanilla extract and 1 T maple syrup.
3.   Add wet ingredients to dry and stir to combine.
4.   add melted oil/butter from skillet 
5.   If batter is too thick add in a bit more milk (or liquid of choice
6.   Spray or melt coconut oil in a large pan over medium heat.
7.   Add a 1/3 cup of batter to form pancakes.
8.   Cook until all bubbles have popped (about 3 mins) & flip over for 1 min. Repeat until all batter is used.

Serve warm with maple syrup, nut butter or preserves.