Maple Glazed Coconut Cashews

Last week I finally got my copy of Recipe For Radiance, my friend Alexis Wolfer’s new cookbook for DIY beauty solutions that can be eaten or applied. I remember hearing about the book back when it was just a seed of an idea. So it’s pretty amazing to see all her passion for cheaper, healthier alternatives to store bought beauty products become a thing of beauty itself.

The funny this is that a few years ago when I first heard about the idea, I had very little appreciation for the concept of green beauty. I’ve always known that what we eat affects the way we look, and in that sense diet is the most important beauty solution available. But I hadn’t yet started the process of detoxifying my makeup cabinet – as you know, having witnessed me going through this process over the past couple months. Now that I have greenified my makeup bag, I’m excited to start toying with all of the amazing DIY treatments in Alexis’ book – specifically, anything that can cure frizzy hair, since NYC is about to become its biannual hotbed of humidity.

In the meantime, I made this healthy candied nuts recipe from another friend, Arielle Fierman of Be Well With Arielle. Alexis reached out to a lot of amazing chefs to fill out the “eat” sections of the book, since her expertise mainly lies on the “apply” side. (This also means that you can find a recipe for Roasted Broccoli and Sundried Tomato Spaghetti on page 130 from this girl!)

If you’re looking to strengthen and add luster to your nails from the inside out, it can be as simple as taking down a bowl of these maple glazed coconut cashews. They’re high in zinc and healthy fats, including omega-3 fatty aids from the ground flax seeds in the mixture. I didn’t have any at home, so I subbed in whole chia seeds, another great super food. Plus, using maple syrup for candied nuts instead of conventional sugar means lots of nail-strengthening B5.

Despite all of my health issues over the years, my nails seem to be the only part of my outward-facing body that hasn’t completely rebelled against me. Back in 3rd grade, my art teacher Mary Mayo (unfortunately, not a distant relative of Patty Mayonnaise) told me that I had “artist’s nails,” which was one of those weird compliments that I think about every time I use my unbreakable nails to pry unwanted food off my roasting pan.

But I’m never one to tempt the beauty gods, so I’ll be taking my nail vitamins in the form of these cashews, which couldn’t be more delicious.

If you’re looking to supplement all your expensive beauty products with easy homemade alternatives, I highly recommend picking up Alexis’ book. It’s an amazing resource for getting to know how your amazing body interacts with the foods you’re already putting in it, and just the right tool you might need to start making better choices to eat yourself pretty from the inside out.

Eat up!

xo
Phoebe

Maple Glazed Coconut Cashews

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This healthy candied nuts recipe takes cashews, shredded coconut, and maple syrup and roasts them until sweet and crunchy. It's a great easy snack mix. Adapted from Recipe For Radiance by Alexis Wolfer of The Beauty Bean. Recipe by Arielle Fierman of Be Well with Arielle.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings 2 cups

Author Phoebe Lapine

Ingredients

• 2 cups raw unsalted cashews
• 1/3 cup organic maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds or whole chia seeds
• 2 tablespoons finely shredded unsweetened coconut
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin cold-pressed coconut oil
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the broiler.
• In a medium mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and toss until evenly coated.
• Spread the mixture on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast under the broiler until toasted, 5 minutes, stirring once halfway through to prevent uneven cooking.
• Allow the cashews to rest on the baking sheet until cooled slightly. Toss to make sure the remaining syrup adheres to the nuts. Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for frequent snacking.

If you make this, tag @phoebelapine and #feedmephoebe - I'd love to see it!