Triple nut brownies

Lovely and gooey, perfect warm with some Booja Booja vanilla ice cream!

You will need:
21cm square tin
225g 85% dark chocolate
225g cashew nut butter
200g coconut palm sugar
2 tsp good vanilla essence
3 large eggs
150g ground almonds
100g chopped pecans
16 raspberries

Prepare your tin and heat oven to 170 degrees C.
Gently melt chocolate and nut butter over a low heat then turn off the heat and stir in the sugar and essence.
Beat in the eggs and then the ground almonds and chopped pecans.
Pour into your tin. Evenly place the raps erries in the middle of what will be each brownie.  Bake for 25-35 min until the top is set but the main part is still gooey. Leave to cool slightly in the tin on a wire rack then cut into 16 squares.
Serve immediately with ice cream or they are equally delicious one their own. If you are going to store them, leave to cool completely then store in an airtight container.

Vanilla almond layer cake with a ginger honey syrup

A couple of weeks ago a friend asked me to recreate a cake she had seen on Pinterest and I gladly accepted the task. I adore baking and there is no other way I like to spend an hour or two. Sadly, however, our new cottage does not have an oven or hob so actual baking is a bit of a no-no. Luckily (for us) my long suffering Mother lives about a second walk away and was forced to give up her cooker for an afternoon. The cake was to be multi-layered with a simple but pretty filling and topping. I made a creme Chantilly to sandwich the cakes together and a ginger honey to drizzle over the top to finish. Chopped pistachios, fresh juicy figs and physalis bedecked the cake. It really did look pretty and a very summery cake for alfresco dining. The cake was actually to be made for a photo-shoot and we didn't get to eat it until about 10 or 11 at night. Which is probably a good thing as the ginger honey had seeped into the sponge layers making it very moist and sticky. It would look very pretty with red currents, passion fruit or pomegranate too. This would go well with champagne or a cup of tea - so versatile! This is wheat free and I am working on a version with coconut sugar. I used unrefined golden caster sugar this time. You can use any type of milk you like, I used full fat organic cow's milk but almond or coconut would work well too. The butter (I used grass fed organic) could be subbed with good quality coconut oil but be careful with the liquid quantities if you do this - you may want to add a little less milk. I used buckwheat flour which this is ok for those with a wheat or gluten intolerance but I would not recommend using this for those with Celiac disease unless you know you do not have adverse reactions to it. Some people do not have any problems using buckwheat but I would strongly recommend using a different gluten free alternative if you are unsure. If you do make it and with any alterations or changes, do let me know! I am always tinkering with recipes and would love to hear how you would make this delicious cake. 

You will need:

3 8 inch cake tins, greased and lined

Mixing bowl

Electric hand whisk 

For the cake:

8 egg whites - use the egg yolks to make mayonnaise, ice-cream, hollandaise etc.!

1 cup brown rice flour

1 cup ground almonds

1 cup buckwheat flour

1 2/3 cup unrefined golden caster sugar

1 tbsp gluten free baking powder

3/4 cup grass fed organic butter

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1 1/4 cup organic full fat milk (or almond/coconut/rice milk)

1 1/2 tsp good quality vanilla paste or 1 vanilla pod's seeds

For the cream filling:

500ml organic double cream - you could use coconut cream or coyo yoghurt instead.

1 vanilla pod - seeds scraped out (I always pop the empty pods in with my sugar or almond flour)

For the ginger honey:

1 cup of organic - preferably raw - honey

3 - 4 inches fresh ginger 

1/2 cup water

Fresh fruit of your choice to decorate.

Prepare your tins and pre-heat the oven to 170 degrees C. 

In a large mixing bowl measure out your flours, sugar and baking powder and stir. Next add in your melted coconut oil and butter and mix again. 

Separate your egg whites one at a time so that you don't accidentally let any shell in. Add one egg white to the mix and mix well after each addition. It should be quite frothy and thick by the 8th one! Finally add the milk and vanilla and mix again until just incorporated. 

Pour into the prepared tins - try to get them as even as possible so that the layer are equal on the finished cake. 

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and check that they are cooked with a tooth pick. They should be just golden but the toothpick should come out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tins over a wire rack. 

Whilst the cakes are cooling, make the ginger honey. Peel the stick of ginger and slice finely. Place your honey, water and sliced ginger in a pan over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then take off the heat. Leave to steep for at least an hour - longer is better. When you are ready to serve, fish out the ginger and discard. 

To make the cream filling simply whisk the cream with the vanilla until just thick enough to stay in its shape. If you over beat cream it goes grainy and horrid and doesn't look very pretty!

When you are ready to assemble the cake turn out the layers and place the least attractive one (sorry but there almost always is an ugly sister) on the bottom. Use a good amount of cream for the two layers as you only need a small dollop for the top. I used just under half for each filling. Carefully place each layer on top of the last and the final dollop of cream can be roughly smoothed on top. Using your choice of fruit - I really recommend figs at this time of year - place on the top of the cake and around the bottom along with the chopped pistachios. Now you can drizzle the honey over the top of the cake. Use as much or as little as you like. It is nice to have a little extra left over in a small jug so that people can add more should they wish. I really hope you enjoy this cake. 

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Brownies

I think it is now quite obvious that I am a chocoholic. I use cacao in most things - smoothies, pancakes, baking, coyo and sometimes in stews. It is such a great taste and also extremely good for you. Bonus! These fudgy chocolate brownies are too good not to share. They are moist and gooey - exactly how I like my brownies. They are not fluffy and crumbly so if that's your thing stop right now and move on....They are made with sweet potatoes which gives the gooey texture and sweetened with dates and a little maple syrup. I added a little cinnamon but this is totally optional as are the nuts, which you could switch up with any other nuts you like. Macadamias work really well and my favourites are pecans as they give an extra caramel taste. These are great on their own or warmed up with some coyo and berries. I used a blend of buckwheat and ground almonds as the flour to bind everything. Contrary to the name, buckwheat is not a wheat and is actually related to the rhubarb family. It is a seed and sometimes called a pseudo-cereal - not a cereal but not quite a seed, so some Paleo followers call it a 'safe cheat'. I follow a Paleo diet 80% of the time so I do use buckwheat occasionally, safe in the knowledge that it is completely gluten free. However, if you are a coeliac, be cautious when using buckwheat as some have had similar reactions to this flour as with gluten. It seems to be different from person to person, so if you are not sure, use brown rice flour instead.

You will need:

Food processor

600g sweet potato (orange)

14 medjool dates - 180g

100g buckwheat flour

80g ground almonds

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

3 tbsp pure maple syrup

1-2 tbsp almond milk

1 tsp cinnamon

50g roughly chopped hazelnuts 

extra cacao for dusting, and your favourite toppings - coyo, berries, flaked almonds

Pre-heat the oven to 160 degrees C for fan assisted. Line a roasting tin with baking parchment and lightly grease with a little melted coconut oil.

Peel the potatoes and cut off the ends. Chop into bite sized chunks and boil for 15-20 minutes until they are super soft. Place into a food processor with the pitted dates. Blend until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl add all the other ingredients and stir. Add the sweet potato and dates and stir again until fully combined. Place the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 20-30 minutes. Test with a fork and if it comes out clean, it is ready!

Leave to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares and removing to a wire rack. They are yummy warm or leave to cool completely and dust with cacao powder. They should last for 4-5 days in an airtight container. Serve with banana 'nice' cream or with coyo and berries - perfect! 

Raw Chocolate Truffle Almond Tart

Like many of you I have been embarking on a fresh start to 2015 and gave up gluten, alcohol and refined sugar in the hopes I would be reborn into a new 'me'. In some ways this has happened, although not in some miraculous I-now-have-a-six-pack-and-am-living-in-a-grass-hut-making-my-own-clothes way (which is a brilliant way of life and I am totally envious), but I do feel 100 times better than I did in the run up to New Year. Being a teacher, there are always children bringing in all sorts of bugs and coughs and sneezes so we are bound to get ill. However, I felt that the entire Autumn term I was barely getting over one illness before something else hit me. I was exhausted (as I have been most of my adolescent and adult life - my boyfriend was always telling me to 'get it checked out'). I had blood tests but they seemed normal and my blood pressure, although fairly low, was considered healthy. I have often suffered with a sudden plummeting of blood sugar resulting in cold sweats, shaking and dizziness, sometimes fainting. In the last 3 weeks I have only had one such 'episode' which was in the supermarket after having been to the gym and not having had time for breakfast - silly me. I have been dabbling in the gluten free world off and on for a couple of years but never really stuck to it. This year is different, I can feel it in my bones! I am really trying to avoid refined sugars and gluten as much as I can (with the exception of when others cook for me as I don't want to be THAT person just yet). I can feel my energy levels up and I am not constantly hungry, tired and bloated.

                            

My biggest inspiration has come from an old friend who has an amazing blog called 'Paleo with Mrs P'. She converted to this way of eating for a pre-wedding diet but it has transformed her health and well-being and the recipes she posts are truly wonderful - she's an incredible photographer too! I have been following her recipes for the last three weeks and this weekend I tried out my own recipe to see how it went. My friend was having a few of us over for supper and we offered to bring puddings. Enter the Raw Dark Chocolate Tart! Another guest made an amazing cake made from pistachios, carrot and hazelnuts which I must admit I had a sneaky morsel from even though it contained refined sugar....it was heavenly - watch this space for a recipe soon. Anyway...back to the tart...the original recipe is taken from 'Bareroot Girl' but I have altered some of the ingredients and method to my tastes. It is so deliciously chocolatey and delicious without a smidge of gluten, dairy or refined sugar near it. Most of the guests thought it was really tasty (it didn't go down well with one of the children!), with some not believing me when I said there was no dairy in it at all. For those used to a sweeter pud this is probably not for you but for the chocoholics it is a must. It has a smooth truffle-like texture in the middle and a nutty, crunchy base. The different flavours hit you at intervals and are quite spectacular. This is definitely a new favourite of mine and one I will be making again and again and again.....and again. 

No oven required, simple ingredients

You will need:

9inch/23cm loose bottomed tart tin

food processor

blender (if making your own date paste)

For the base:

1.5 cups almond flour

half cup raw cocoa nibs (I use naturya)

3 medjool dates, roughly chopped

1/4 cup coconut oil, melted

pinch salt

For the filling:

1 cup coconut oil

1 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can)

1 cup date paste (see below)

1 cup raw cacao powder (I used The Raw Chocolate Company's)

1 tsp good quality vanilla extract

For the date paste - this yields 2 cups:

15 dates, chopped 

1 1/2 cups chilled water

Soak the dates in hot water for 10 minutes then drain and put into the blender with the chilled water for 1-2 minutes until smooth. This will produce quite a runny paste but you can add less water if you want a spreadable consistency.

To make the base put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds to roughly break up the nibs. Then blend for 1 minute until the mixture sticks together when pinched. The mixture will still be quite chunky but should be all mixed.

Tip the mixture into your tin and press it down and around to cover the base and sides. Don't worry if it doesn't quite reach the top of the sides of the tin, but make sure it is firmly pressed into the edges and sides. Pop this into the fridge for 15 minutes to firm up.

To make the filling put all the ingredients in the order shown into a food processor. It s important that you do it like this because if the cacao is at the bottom it will not mix properly. 

Mix for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth and glossy.

Pour into the chilled case, smooth the top with a warm palette knife and pop back into the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving.

You will need to bring it out of the fridge about 10 minutes before serving so that the oils melt slightly and you can gently push the bottom through. Scatter the top with berries of your choice, I chose raspberries as I think there is no better union than chocolate and these little berries of delight. 

Cut into slices and serve immediately. This tart should be covered and kept in the fridge and will keep (if you can restrain yourself) for up to a week. 

Enjoy every flavour hit and bathe in the pleasure and knowledge that it is doing you oh so much good. 

Empty plates, happy faces!

Gluten free macadamia nut and triple chocolate brownies

I have recently converted to a gluten free diet and I must say it is making me feel a whole lot better. There are a lot of substitutes in the shops now and a generous range to choose from, such as Udi's gluten free granola and bagels or Nairn's biscuits, both savoury and sweet, to Heinz pasta...the list goes on.

As you know, my passion lies with baking and I wasn't going to let a gluten intolerance stop me! Here is my version of gluten free brownies, made with half Dove's farm gluten free flour and half ground almonds. I have added macadamia nuts but you could either replace these with any other nut or extra white chocolate chunks. Do leave feedback if you try them out, I would like to know your suggestions to make them even more delicious!


You will need:
 14in x8in cake tin greased and lined
100g dark chocolate
100g milk chocolate
200g organic butter
175g light muscavado sugar
3 large free range eggs
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp coco powder
50g gluten free flour
60g ground almonds
75g white chocolate
75g macadamia nuts



Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees c for fan assisted. Grease and line your tin. Roughly chop your milk and dark chocolate. Cut your butter into cubes and place the butter an chocolate into a bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted. Do not let the water touch he bowl or the chocolate will overheat.

Whiz together the sugar and eggs with an electric hand whisk until pale and frothy. Add the chocolate and butter mixture, then sift in the flour, baking powder and coco, followed by the ground almonds.



Roughly chop the nuts and white chocolate and fold into the mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 18-20 minutes. They want to have some give so that they stay nice and gooey in the middle.
Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into squares. Serve cold or warm with a dusting of icing sugar. Rory had vanilla ice cream with his and I had some vanilla frozen yoghurt. They are also delicious served with raspberries and Greek yoghurt. Enjoy x