carob

[triona.d.]

hello, i'm wondering whether it's possible to make a 'hot carob' milky drink from the carob powder you buy in stores. it suggests use in baking on the box but i just LOVE ploughshare's carob and raisin fridge cakes and wondered if i could make a satisfying milky bed-time drink with it...anyone tried this? thanks, happy veganising, tri :)

[coconut]

I tried making a hot drink with carob shortly after I discovered the stuff. Big mistake. It's incredibly bitter and the sugar I added didn't make it any easier to drink. Carob is delicious when used in cakes, but you can't make it into a drink the way you can with cocoa. At least that's what I found.

[triona.d.]

thanks for the advice coconut! i think i'll just stick to carob and raisin fridge cakes then....it's a shame cos they're so damn good! but we can't have it all, tehe, cheers, tri

[fiamma]

Triona why not give it a go? If you like carob cakes you might just like it in a drink... Experiment!!! :)

[Yogini]

I have a raw vegan chocolate mousse recipe that calls for carob, a little cocoa powder, sweetener, and avocado as the base. I certainly wouldn't use avocado for a drink, but maybe you can fashion something using the other ingredients and your non-dairy milk of choice?

[Spencer]

I think there's a "hot carob" powder in my local health store.

[Sandy777]

hello, i'm wondering whether it's possible to make a 'hot carob' milky drink from the carob powder you buy in stores. it suggests use in baking on the box but i just LOVE ploughshare's carob and raisin fridge cakes and wondered if i could make a satisfying milky bed-time drink with it...anyone tried this? thanks, happy veganising, tri :)

Here's a nice satisfying drink but it's chocolate, not carob.

Green & Black's Organic Hot Chocolate Drink is vegan. If you heat some soya milk, add the chocolate granules and add maple syrup just to take the slighty bitter taste off the choc it's really nice. You could add or sub anything else, almond or hazlenut butter or something, or marshmallows or I just wondered would rose water work for a turkish delight sort of thing? - try anything you can put your paws on:p - it's fun to think of variations. Mind you though, mine was fairly sweet so maybe not a good idea to go to bed on a sugar rush!:eek:

Good Luck in your search for a nice bedtime drink.

[DancingWillow]

i've never tried carob...how does it taste compared to chocolate? i've thought about buying carob chips instead of chocoate chips for a recipe. also, does anyone know if carob has any health benefits? (we all know that chocolate does:D )

[RachelJune]

I tried some carob given to me by a work colleague years ago. It was the "no sugar" stuff, and I have to say I found it rather vile :eek: I guess I was expecting it to be a bit similar to chocolate, but it had a very strange consistency, didn't really taste of anything and seemed to stick to my mouth. I've never had it again since. :(

[VanillaBean]

I LOVE CAROB.

I don't eat sugar so I only have the sugar free variety and it is yummy! I eat carob buds like chocolate. (I haven't had chocolate for years - I'm caffeine free.) Carob is naturally sweeter than chocolate.

I have a carob powder - it's just carob with no added stuff, and I have used it for cake baking etc - YUM. I also put a little (not to much - much less than Quick or Chocolate powders) in my rice milk and love it. It is sweet and delicious.

DancingWillow, there are plenty of health benefits in carob. It's really good for you. (as long as you don't get it filled with sugar etc)

Alkaline Balance - reduces stomach acidity
Natural Pectin - treats upset tummys, diarrhea and reduces cholesterol - pectin also removes toxins from the digestive tract and promotes protein digestion
Full of fibre
No caffeine
No oxalic acid (that retards the absorption of calcium - it's in chocolate)
Very good course of calcium
Natural sweetener
B Vitamins - B1, B2, B3, B5 and folate
Very good supply of alkaline mineral Potassium
Also has some magnesium, phosphorus and iron

That's all from an amazing book I have called Laugh With Health by Manfred Urs Koch which literally lists everything in fruit, veg, grain, nut, oil, pulse- everything.

[DancingWillow]

thank you VanillaBean! i think i'll have to try carob and see if i like it...so many health benefits too:) though, i don't think i'll need the "reduces stomach acidity" one...my stomach is already so alkaline, and i'm constantly craving acidic foods (citrus fruit, vinegar, tomatoes and tomato sauce, etc):p

oh, and thank you for the book recommendation. i looked it up and it seems like a good reference book to have...too bad it includes dairy and meat though :( i suppose i can just ignore those parts.

[VanillaBean]

It is a great book - the meat and dairy bits are small compared to the rest so I never look at them. It is just an amazing resource of all nutrients and foods for us. I use it a lot.

I recently went to a doctor and learnt about ph levels and that it's great to be alkaline for your health. Acidic bodies create disease and make you feel stressed and down. Anyway, she said that citrus is not acidic. If you want more info PM me and I can send you the list that she gave me about all the acid and alkali foods. Fascinating.

[DancingWillow]

oooh, yes, please pm me with that info. i'd love to learn more. thanks:)

[MarkAnthony]

I really, really dislike carob. If anyone has any recipes they think will convert a carob-hater then feel free to hit me because I still have a bag of the stuff, I just dislike everything I've made with it!