Mar 19, 2017
One of the very talented cooks I have the pleasure of working with created this recipe. She follows other cooks from her homeland on social media and became fascinated by the “powders” that are quite popular with Polish cooks at the moment. When I was developing a recipe for Strawberry Soup, she excitedly told me her idea for a mint powder and immediately we began to explore.
The mint powder recipes I am familiar with are usually used in Indian cooking and don’t include sugar. There also are lots of recipes on the internet for Mint Sugar, which is great for sprinkling on top of fresh fruit or to rim cocktail glasses. This method creates something in between the two, and is perfect for my Strawberry Soup. It’s also great for salads and, of course, over chocolate ice cream.
In Hamptons Entertaining there is a fantastic recipe for Seared Scallops with Watermelon and Papaya that was given to me by Kara Ross (you’ll find it on page 35). Adding this Mint Powder is a great way to update the recipe for the coming summer. If you love to cook, you know that one of the best parts of summer is having a bounty of fresh herbs at your fingertips. Mint is an absolute favorite of mine and it grows like a weed in my garden during summer. I’m so excited to have a new, creative way to add it to my summer menu.
Yield: Makes 1/3 cup
2 ½ ounces fresh mint leaves
2 tablespoons organic cane sugar
Preheat the oven to 325°F on the convection setting or 350°F in a conventional oven.
Set aside 5 of the mint leaves. Place the remaining leaves and the sugar in a NutriBullet and, using the flat blade, blend, stopping to scrape down the edges when necessary, until you have a thick paste that resembles frozen chopped spinach. (If you don’t have a NutriBullet, you can use a clean coffee or spice grinder instead, but you will have to work in batches at each step.)
Line a quarter-sheet pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with non-stick cooking spray.
Using a spatula, spread the paste in a thin layer evenly onto the foil and bake, rotating the pan once, until the paste becomes slightly browned, 10 to 13 minutes. Watch carefully so it does not burn, especially if you are using a conventional oven.
Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a minute. When cool enough to handle, peel the hardened paste away from the foil and break it into small pieces.
Finely chop the 5 reserved mint leaves and drop them in the NutriBullet with the pieces of mint paste. Blend to a powder, then allow to sit for 2 to 3 minutes (The powder may be slightly wet after the fresh leaves are added).
Pass the powder through a fine sieve. Any leftover pieces can be put back in the NitriBullet, processed, and passed through the sieve again. You should have a very fine powder that looks a bit like Matcha tea.
Store in a covered glass jar for up to 3 weeks.
 | If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with the #anniefalk so we can all see it! |
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