Cookies and Cream

I have a seriously sweet tooth at the moment....Literally minutes after finishing dinner I'm eyeing up the dessert! May be I should stop baking....or may be not!....

cookies and cream cupcakesdouble choc chip brownies w.blueberry ice 'cream'blueberry & almond crumble muffinscoconut & lime rice puds

recipes to follow soon :)

Lemon & Pistachio Polenta Cake

Once again I got carried away and removed the cake from its tin whilst still hot, so this lemony and pistachio polenta cake may not look the best but be assured, it is rather tasty!

Lemon & Pistachio Polenta Cake

Ingredients:

140 grams vegan margarine (at room temperature)

140 grams golden caster sugar

150 ml coconut cream

juice of 1 lemon

rind of 2 lemons (finely grated)

50 grams ground pistachios

85 grams fine polenta

140 grams plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

icing;

juice of 2 lemons

140 grams icing sugar (sifted)

15 grams roughly chopped pistachios

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees C. Line a 18cm cake tin with baking paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream the margarine and sugar. On creamed add the coconut cream and lemon juice and stir once more.

3. Finally mix through the lemon zest, pistachio, polenta, flour and baking powder. Lightly beat the mixture until soft, creamy and slightly wet.

4. Transfer the mixture to the baking tin and place in the oven to cook for 50-55 minutes.

5. Whilst the cake is cooking prepare the icing by mixing the icing sugar and juice of two lemons.

6. Once the cake is cooked (springy to touch and slightly brown on top) leave to cool. Once cool transfer the cake onto a serving plate, pour on the lemon icing and top with chopped pistachios.

Enjoy with a cup of tea or spoonful of vanilla booja booja ice-cream.

Flapjack Off

I have quite the competitive streak. So when my boyfriend suggested that he could make a better flapjack than me, I was straight in the kitchen ready to take him up on his challenge.

We both used the same basic flapjack mix (I wasn't going to take it that seriously);

makes a dozen decent sized flapjacks

500 grams rolled oats

210 grams vegan margarine

160 grams brown sugar

4 table spoons maple syrup

By melting the margarine in a sauce pan. Once melted adding the sugar and maple syrup and stirring until fully dissolved. To this we mixed through the oats.

OK, now down to the competition.

We halved the mix and added our own ingredients

My Flapjacks

+

1 handful chopped figs

1 small handful chopped pecans

1 small handful pistachio nuts

His

Layer of raspberry jams sandwiched between two layers of flapjack

We then baked the flapjacks for 15 minutes in an oven heated to 170 degrees C

.......................

The verdict?

Well of course I am going to say mine were the best. But jam flapjacks were delicious, great for dessert whereas my fig and nut are great for mid morning treat.

Vegan Cakey Choc Chip Cookies

Vegan Cakey Choc Chip Cookies

Ingredients

120 grams plain flour

110 grams spelt flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

50 roughly chopped dark chocolate (I use Lindt 70%)

40 grams hazelnuts

110 grams vegan margarine (melted) or canola oil

200 grams light brown soft sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

60 ml soya milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C

2. Sift the flours, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and stir in the chocolate and hazelnuts.

3. In a separate bowl add the sugar and maple syrup to the margarine and stir well.

4. To this add the soya milk and vanilla extract and stir well once more.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until fully combined.

6. Spoon the mixture onto a oven tray lined with baking paper.

7. Bake the cookies for 10-12 minutes

Makes 10 large cakey cookies

Enjoy

Maple Pecan 'Cheesecake'

OK, I got a bit carried away and removed it from its baking tin whist still hot. So it may not be the prettiest of cheesecakes but if I do say so myself, this vegan maple syrup and caramelised pecan cheesecake tastes pretty good!

Maple syrup cheesecake

with caramelised pecans and caramel sauce

Cheesecake:

Ingredients:

base:

1 packet of hobnob biscuits

50 grams vegan margarine (melted)

1 tablespoon maple syrup

top:

2 x 255 gram packets dairy free cream cheese (I used Original Sheese)

85 grams maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon corn flour

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees C and lightly grease a 10-15cm round cake tin.

2. To make the base place the biscuits in a food processor, process until crumbled and add the melted margarine and maple syrup. Press down into a prepared tin.

3. For the topping, place the cream cheese into a mixing bowl and stir through the maple syrup, vanilla and cornstarch.

4. Once thoroughly mixed, pour the topping onto the base and place in the oven to bake for 45 minutes.

....................................................

Caramel Sauce:

Ingredients:

50 grams dairy free butter

125 grams raw brown sugar

70ml soya milk

1 heaped table spoon cornflour

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a small pan

2. Once melted, add the sugar and bring the mixture to the boil, stirring constantly.

3. Remove from the heat and immediately add the soya milk and corn flour. Stir until evenly mixed.

4. Return the mixture to heat and cook for a couple more minutes to thicken.

Enjoy.

Hazelnut Banana Bread

Hazelnut Banana Bread

Ingredients:

250 grams spelt flour (use plain flour if preferred)

150 grams soft brown sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

6 tablespoons warm water

4-5 ripe bananas

75 grams vegan margarine (melted)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons maple syrup

100 grams hazelnuts

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C

2. Sift the flour and baking powder in a large mixing bowl

3. In a separate bowl mash the bananas and mix in the margarine, sugar, vanilla and maple syrup

4. Place the ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl, whisk vigorously until it forms an egg like consistency and add to the wet ingredients

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and fold together.

6. Stir in the hazelnuts

7. Pour the mixture into a greased loaf tin and transfer to the oven

8. Bake for 1 hour 10 minutes

Enjoy

Sunday Spelt Pancakes

Spelt Pancakes with blueberry compote

Ingredients

Pancake batter:

120 grams wholemeal spelt flour

250 ml soya milk

1 heaped teaspoon baking powder

Blueberry compote:

1 Punnet blueberries

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon maple syrup

juice of half a lemon

Method:

Pancakes:

1. Sift flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

2. Add soya milk and whisk until fully combined

3. In a lightly greased pan add one ladle of the batter.

4. Cook until bubbles appear on the surface of the pancake, flip and continue to cook until both sides are lightly browned

Blueberry Compote:

1. In a small saucepan heat the blueberries over a small flame

2. When the blueberries start to burst add the sugar, maple syrup and lemon juice

3. Continue to cook until the mixture has reduced and thickened

Enjoy