Dec 23, 2021

So You've Purchased Our New Blooming Lotus Collagen Protein? Here are some ideas..

Growing up I was a fiend for Strawberries: Strawberry Shortcake, Strawberry Ice Cream, Strawberry Candy.. While every other kid in America was enjoying Nestles Chocolate Milk I, sophisticated beyond my years, was enjoying that sweet silky milky alternative, Nestles Strawberry Milk. But somehow as I grew up I fell out of touch with my inner child just as I had feared would happen! Gone were the days of Saturday Morning Cartoons, Breakfast Cereal, Strawberry Milk & Toy's R Us - I was an adult now. Then one morning I awoke from a fever dream with that nostalgic craving for those silky delights of yesteryear but could not drive myself, a grown adult, to actually buying a bottle of Nestles Strawberry Syrup - it would just be so out of character and embarrassing. I picture myself setting a bottle down at the checkout counter and lying, "The kids love this stuff! Can't get enough of it!" as I frantically pay for my groceries (a single bottle of Nestles Strawberry Syrup) and rush out of the market avoiding eye contact with everyone.

No, I couldn't bear that level of embarrassment! So, instead, I decided to try my hand at creating my own Strawberry Milk Formula - Rahma Blends style! You heard it here folks straight from the horses mouth, the inspiration for this formula isn't some Eastern Spiritual archetype or some noble burning desire to create something that heals some specific ailment. The inspiration LITERALLY comes PURELY from my desire to drink Strawberry Milk again without feeling like an absolute child about it.

So that's exactly what I did and I will say that the results are splendid & I think that you might agree with me! I was able to capture that classic creamy smooth and subtle Strawberry Milk flavor while loading this blend with Beautifying Tonic Herbs Extracts, Nutraceuticals & Collagen Protein all of which support healthy hair, skin & nails amongst many other health benefits. This blend can be easily enjoyed by mixing one serving into 12oz of your milk of choice, but in the spirit of nurturing my inner child this blend really inspired a lot of play and experimentation in me so I threw together a few fun recipes for you to try out for yourself. The nice thing about these desert recipes is that you can indulge in them with less guilt due to the inherent health benefits of Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein. I highly recommend using this monkfruit sweetener listed on the recipes to yield the healthiest possible results. Also try putting a keto spin on these! Have fun folks!

Check out the recipes below!

Strawberry Cupcakes

These moist and delicious strawberry cupcakes are packed with fresh strawberries and crowned with an easy to make and DELICIOUS strawberry buttercream.

Here's what you'll need! (substitute where necessary)

Prep Time 10 minutes Cook Time 30 minutes Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients For the Cupcakes:

▢ 1 ⅔ cup all-purpose flour 213g
▢ 1 cup monkfruit sweetener 205g
▢ 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
▢ ¼ tsp baking soda
▢ ¾ cup butter unsalted, room temperature or melted, 176g
▢ ¼ cup organic whole milk warm, 60ml
▢ ¼ cup strawberry preserves strained, warm 46g
▢ ½ cup organic greek yogurt 120mL
▢ 4 tbsp Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein
▢ 1 tbsp vanilla extract 15mL
▢ 3 pastured egg whites
▢ 3/5 cup fresh strawberries 70g, chopped (See note below)
▢ 1 tbsp lemon zest
▢ (optional) 2 tbsp rosewater

For the Buttercream:

▢ 1 lb monkfruit confectioners sweetener 462g
▢ 1 cup unsalted pastured butter room temperature, 228g
▢ 1 tbsp strawberry preserve strained
▢ 3 tblsp Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein
▢ 1/4 tsp salt

Instructions For the Cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F. Add cupcake papers to your muffin tin.
Warm and strain the strawberry preserves. Some will be used for the buttercream. Wash, dry, hull and chop the strawberries into small pieces.
Sift the sugar, flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a large bowl then whisk to combine and set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites, sour cream, butter, strawberry preserves, vanilla, and lemon zest.
Combine wet and dry mixtures. Whisk until just combined. If the batter is a bit lumpy, it’s okay!
Fold in fresh strawberry chunks then transfer batter to cupcake papers, filling each about 3/4 the way up.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until the centers are set and springy to the touch or a toothpick comes out clean.

For the Strawberry Buttercream:

In a stand mixer, cream the butter until fluffy.
Sift in half of the confectioners sugar. Mix, then add the rest.
Scrape the bowl down then add in 1-2 tbsp of strained strawberry preserves and salt. Mix until combined.
Use food coloring to dye the buttercream a blush pink.
Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip or 858 tip.

For the Assembly:

Let cupcakes cool
Spoon a large dollop of Strawberry Buttercream onto each cupcake top.
Use the smaller strawberries as the garnish. Cut into three thin slices. Gently fan and place the slices on each top. Add a few small mint leaves and enjoy!

Notes

These cupcakes were taken RIGHT to the edge of how much moisture you can add to a baked good. I made a few batches with varying amounts of strawberries mixed in and here's the deal. If you mix in a cup of strawberries then the batter is too dense to rise much and it's just too liquidy, 1/2 a cup and they rise just fine, 3/4 a cup and they're struggling but they eventually bake and the tops are not domed, more flat maybe even a bit concave. My recommendation is to use between 3/4 and 1/2 a cup of the chopped strawberries in your bater. That way they have the maximum taste but can still bake and set.
Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.

Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes

These Fluffy Greek Yogurt Pancakes pack an added protein punch thanks to their all-star dairy addition and our world famous Blooming Lotus Strawberry Créme Collagen Protein blend! Here's what you're gonna need!

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:

▢ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▢ 4 teaspoons baking powder
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 1 Tablespoon monkfruit sweetener
▢ 1 1/2 cups whole, pastured milk
▢ 2 large pastured eggs
▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 cup organic strawberry Greek yogurt
▢ 5 Tablespoons Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein

For the Strawberry Syrup Topping:

▢ 2 cups organic strawberries, quartered
▢ 1 cup water
▢ 1 cup monkfruit sweetener
▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch (to thicken)
▢ 3 Tablespoons Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein
▢ whipped cream (optional)

Instructions For the Strawberry Syrup Topping:

In a saucepan over medium heat, add the quartered strawberries, water, and sugar. Stir until combined and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. If the syrup is too thin, mix together the cornstarch and water and add it to the strawberries. Stir again and cook until thickened about 5 minutes. Set aside.

For the Pancakes:

In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and vanilla extract. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until combined. Add the yogurt and stir.
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet or griddle over medium heat and spray it well with nonstick cooking spray. Working in batches, spoon a quarter cup of the batter onto the pan for each pancake and cook just until bubbles form around the edges of each pancake, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook for 90 seconds more. Transfer the pancakes to a warm plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

For the Assembly:

Stack pancakes
Spoon a generous serving of Strawberry Syrup on top
Top with whipped cream
Serve!

Strawberry Rose Milk Shake

This American classic is elevated by the addition of our Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein & a special secret ingredient that adds subtlety, depth, and dare I say sophistication. (Rose Water Shhhhhhhhh). Here's what you'll need!

Ingredients

▢ 1 cup frozen strawberries
▢ 1 cup whole, pastured milk
▢ 1 pint organic strawberry ice-cream
▢ 4 Tablespoons Cortas Rose Water
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▢ 1/2 cup organic Greek yogurt
▢ 4 Tablespoons Blooming Lotus: Collagen Protein
▢ whipped cream (optional)

Instructions

Freeze the glasses. Place 2 pint glasses or 4 smaller glasses in the freezer to chill.
Blend the strawberries, milk, greek yogurt, rose water, and collagen protein.
Add the ice cream. Take the blender jar off the base, and add 1 pint strawberry ice cream. Stir it into the milk and strawberries by hand. Blend thoroughly.
Pour into glasses. Pour the milkshake out into the chilled glasses, top with whipped cream, and garnish with strawberries. Enjoy immediately!