Wintertime Baking with Hemp Flower

Posted by David Nadel on Jan 23, 2022

Now that we’ve entered the coldest part of the year, many of us find ourselves staying in, craving the warmth and comfort inside our homes. It’s not surprising that many people find themselves baking more during the winter season, with the warmth of the oven helping with the chill outdoors, and the richest treats soothing us as we embrace the darker days ahead.

If you’re a fan of hemp flower, you will be delighted to know that you can incorporate it into your favorite wintertime baking recipes. This way, you’ll be able to satisfy your cravings while giving your spirit a nice boost through the magnificent properties of our favorite cannabinoids. At The Calm Leaf, we carry different hemp-based flower types that are all equally suitable for making homemade edibles.

Making Your Hemp Flower Butter

To bake with hemp flower, regardless of which cannabinoids it’s infused with, you’ll need to make a hemp butter. This is fortunately an easy process, and you can make large batches ahead of time if desired.

  1. Decarboxylate the flower to activate its compounds.
  2. Simply line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  3. Scatter the flower evenly onto it before baking it at 250 degrees for 25 minutes.
  4. Afterwards, you can give your buds a coarse grind and place them into a saucepan with 1 cup of water and 2 sticks of unsalted butter.
  5. Simmer on low for about 2 ½ hours, making sure it never boils, before straining it into a clean jar (hemp flower butter can last for up to 6 months refrigerated).

A Quick Note on Different Kinds of Hemp Flower

Below, we will offer a recipe for each type of hemp flower available on our site. But, ultimately they can be used interchangeably – in other words, a recipe that calls for THC-O flower can be used with, say, delta 8 flower in the same measurement.

#1: THC-O Pecan Brownies

Brownies taste good all year round but adding chopped pecans to that rich and fudgy batter really gives them a seasonal twist, not to mention a very welcomed crunch.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup THC-O butter, plus ½ cup (1 stick) of unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cups white sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup coarsely chopped pecans

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Place a parchment paper lining inside an 8x8 baking tray.
  3. Melt the two butters together in a saucepan, not letting them boil.
  4. Once they’re fully melted, pour them into a mixing bowl and whisk together with the sugar.
  5. Next, whisk in one egg at a time, followed by the vanilla.
  6. While still whisking, pour in the flour and salt, followed by the cocoa powder, until you get a smooth, lump-free batter.
  7. Fold in the pecans.
  8. Pour the batter into the 8x8 baking pan.
  9. Bake for about 18-20 minutes, with 18 minutes offering a gooier brownie interior.

#2: HHC Thumbprint Cookies

Thumbprint cookies are a staple of the colder months of the year, with a buttery-rich taste that hits the spot along with an irresistible dollop of our favorite jam.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup HHC butter, plus ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, both softened at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup white sugar
  • 2 egg yolks (whites removed)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 2 1/3 cups flour
  • ½ cup of the jam of your choice

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar, followed by one egg at a time, and the vanilla extract.
  4. While beating, slowly sift in the salt and flour until a dough forms.
  5. Grab a tablespoon to portion out one cookie at a time.
  6. Roll each cookie into a ball and place on your cookie sheet.
  7. Use your thumb to create a crater in the middle of each cookie.
  8. Fill it with jam.
  9. Bake for about 54 minutes, or until the sides of the cookies begin to turn golden-brown.

#3: Delta 8 Gingerbread Cake

Gingerbread cake is a rich and moist alternative to the more traditional gingerbread cookie, and it’s just as satisfying of a treat, especially on a chilly winter evening.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup white sugar
  • ½ cup delta 8 butter
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 cup molasses
  • 2 ½ cups flour
  • 1 ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • ½ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 cup hot water
  • Whipped cream for topping (optional)

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9x13 cake pan.
  3. Into a large mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream together with a mixer.
  4. Then, add the egg along with the molasses.
  5. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, ground spices, and salt.
  6. With the beater on low, slowly pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
  7. Beat or whisk in the hot water until a smooth batter forms.
  8. Pour the batter into your cake pan.
  9. Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick placed into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
  10. Allow the cake 30 minutes to cool before spreading on the whipped cream.

#4: Delta 10 Pumpkin Loaf

Pumpkin loaf is a great way to take advantage of the remaining pumpkin that’s available in the stores until the new year comes. More versatile than pumpkin pie, it can be enjoyed as breakfast, a midday snack or a satisfying dessert.

Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ½ cup delta 10 butter, softened at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ½ cup canola oil
  • 1 2/3 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1 tsp ground clove
  • ½ cup water

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease the inside of a 9x5 loaf pan.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the sugar and butter before adding one egg at a time.
  4. Stir in the pumpkin puree followed by the canola oil.
  5. Into a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and ground spices.
  6. Gradually whisk in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients before adding the water to get a fairly loose batter.
  7. Pour the batter into your loaf pan.
  8. Bake for about an hour, or until a toothpick placed into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

#5: CBD Apple Pecan Crisp

Apple pecan crisp boasts everything that we crave during the winter – a warm and gooey fruit filling and a crispy, crunchy topping with a nutty and buttery flavor.

Ingredients:

Filling:

  • 2 ½ lbs granny smith (or other green variety) apples peeled, cored and sliced
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp flour

Topping:

  • 1 cup flour
  • 7 tbsp brown sugar
  • ½ cup finely chopped pecans
  • ½ cup of CBD butter, chilled and cut into small cubes

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease a 9-inch pie tin.
  3. Into the pie tin, combine the apples, brown sugar, cinnamon, and flour.
  4. Stir well.
  5. Combine the topping ingredients into a small mixing bowl and use your fingers to break apart the butter cubes until you get the texture of coarse sand.
  6. Pour this mixture on top of the apples.
  7. Bake for about an hour, or until the top is golden-brown and the apples below are bubbling.

#6: CBG Cranberry Muffins

Cranberries are one of the must-have flavors of winter, offering a pop of freshness that brightens things up on gray winter days. They’re a delicious treat at any time of day, and absolutely irresistible in every way.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup CBG butter, softened at room temperature
  • 3/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 cup milk (can be substituted for soy or almond milk)
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen (thawed) cranberries

Preparation:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Insert cupcake liners into a muffin tin.
  3. Use a beater to cream together the butter and sugar, before adding the egg and vanilla.
  4. Gradually sift in the flour while beating, followed by the salt and baking powder.
  5. Then, turn off your beater and gently whisk in the milk to form a smooth batter.
  6. Fold in the cranberries.
  7. Fill each muffin holder about two thirds with the batter.
  8. Place the muffins into the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean after being stuck in the middle of one of the muffins.