Happiest Holidays from Soapwalla! Thank you for supporting us through another amazing year. We are growing by leaps and bounds and we can't wait to share with you what we have unfolding in 2016 (new products! new space! new partners!). One of our favorite end-of-year activities is to take a moment to savor all that happened these past 365 days. Creating a list of all we learned -- good and not-so-good -- is a perfect way to remember how we got here and where we want to go. We love this definition of gratitude from Love Taza:

 Gratitude is 3 things. 1. Notice. 2. Savor. 3. Express.

Book Club  ||  Our next Book Club choice is American Gods by Neil Gaiman, based on customer request! We will meet to discuss virtually and in person at the The Brooklyn Inn, 148 Hoyt Street, Brooklyn on Sunday, February 7 at 4pm EST. Thanks so much to everyone who read The Night Circus with us!

Open House  ||  Need last minute gifts? Want to smell our items in person? Been dying to check our our dino diorama? Stop by the Soapwalla studio this Sunday, December 20 from 2-4pm for in-person shopping. We'll have mulled cider, vegan snacks and lots of items for you and your loved ones.  232 Third Street (at 3rd Avenue), Ste B304 in Gowanus, Brooklyn.   

Holiday Promotion  ||  Through December 25, all Soapwalla boxed gift sets will enjoy free domestic shipping within the US. Discount automatically applied, no code needed. Get gifting!

Our Website + Blog received a major refresh just in time for 2016! Explore our posts on Hygee, a brilliant method to surviving winter. Need a gift? Our DIY chai bath tea is a restorative soak that can easily be gifted to you or a buddy. Next time sleeplessness hits, take a peek at our post on getting the best beauty sleep during the holidays (and all the time really! Thanks Netflix + Jessica Jones). 

Almond Butter Blondies 

Every time Rachel makes these scrumptious blondies, they magically disappear within minutes...


Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ sticks (5 ounces) earth balance vegan spread or unsalted butter
  • 1 ½ cup organic sugar
  • 3 flax eggs (2 tbsp freshly ground flax seeds + 6 tbsp hot water, whisked well and left to set for 30 minutes in the refrigerator, until they're the consistency of egg white) 
  • ¼ cup almond butter
  • 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp EACH: ground cinnamon and ground cardamom
  • 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 cup slivered or sliced almonds
  • 1 cup chocolate chips
Directions
  • Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan, line the pan with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper as well. This recipe can be easily doubled and baked in a 9×13-inch pan.
  • In a medium saucepan, melt the earth balance/butter over moderate heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer the melted earth balance to a large bowl.  Allow to cool for a few minutes.
  • To the melted butter mixture, add the sugar, flax eggs, almond butter, vanilla extract, salt, and spices. Whisk until smooth and well combined.  Add the flour and baking powder and stir with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be thick.
  • Fold in three-quarters of the almonds and three-quarters of the chocolate chips until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan. Top with the remaining almonds and chocolate. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through and golden brown. Insert a skewer in the center of the blondies to test for doneness.
  • Allow to cool completely before lifting from the pan and slicing.   

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker || Image Sources :: Top, Bottom