Dessert

Mango parfait

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One of the trickiest things about ‘allergy’ food is when you have to share it with other people…… ‘everything free food’ doesn’t sounds appealing to most 😉 But they don’t need to know that is is everything free. It can just be simple, wholesome, delicious food.

This is a delicious, quick and easy (so easy!) summer breakfast …. that looks bright and happy – a tray of these looks so inviting for breakfast or brunch.

Per glass you need:

  • 1/4 cup rolled oats OR mix of sunflower and pumpkin seeds
  • 1/3 – 1/2 cup yoghurt or choice (dairy/soy/coconut)
  • 1/4 cup pureed mango*
  • a small handful of chopped roasted nuts or roasted seeds to top.

*To make my mango puree, I placed the cheeks of 2 very ripe, medium mangoes into a blender/processor together with 1/4 tsp ground ginger and a squeeze of lime juice then blend until smooth.

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Layer the ingredients into your glass; oats or seeds at the bottom, 1/2 of the yoghurt next, followed by the mango layer, the rest of the yoghurt and then sprinkle on your choice of topping and enjoy straight away.

 

Enjoy 🙂

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Of course, if it isn’t mango season, or you don’t like mango (…no, really …. apparently some people don’t!!), then go with another fruit puree (pear or apple are great with some cinnamon and lemon juice, or blueberries with vanilla).

And if you prefer a sweeter parfait, then you can use a granola in place of the oats.

Date Paste

~ desertcook ~ 5 Comments

Medjool dates are my friend! I head to our local markets and buy 1kg at a time. They store really well in an airtight container in the fridge for about a month.

Now – yes, dates have a quite a high sugar content (roughly 80%) … BUT… and it is a big but, they are loaded with other beneficial nutrients and fibre that reduces the load on your body and mutes your insulin response when compared to regular sugar. So if you are after a small amount of sweetener in you food – dates are a great option.

I use 1 in a smoothie, or 4-6 in a whole batch of muffins or cookies, or even 12 in a batch of about 24 bliss balls. So you get the sweetness and the benefit of the whole food but the overall load is quite small.

I have been experimenting with date paste as my sweetener in cooking when I want a smoother option (or less obvious ‘bits’) and it is divine!

There are 2 ingredients (if you count water?!) and 2 steps – so very very easy!!!!

Pit 12 medjool dates, place them in a bowl and cover them with 1/2 cup boiling water.

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Leave them sit for 1/2 an hour, then transfer the dates, with habout 1/2 of the water, to a high powered processor/blender/nutribullet/thermal cooker and blitz until smooth. If the mix is to chunky to blend, add 1 tsp of the remaining water at a time until you can form a smooth paste.

Store in a glass jar in the fridge for a couple of week, or freeze in ice cubes for later use.

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1 heaped tsp = 3/4 of 1 date.

Enjoy 🙂

P.S. If you want a yummy ‘caramel’ – blitz equal parts of this paste together with my sunflower seed butter, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of pink salt and a bit of vanilla bean pastes – heavenly!!!!

Apple, pumpkin and oat muffins

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Next week our little people to go back to school – cannot believe that our beloved holidays are already at an end! Of course with school comes lunchboxes …. and this year we have 3 at full time school. Eek!! That’s a lot of pre-made snacks every week!

I created these muffins to use the produce we had growing well in our garden – apples and pumpkins. I love that they are loaded with fibre and whole foods and that their sweetness comes from fruits. They are soft and fragrant and a massive hit with my kids – I know there will be smiles and satisfied tummies when they open their lunchboxes 🙂

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  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce*
  • 1/2 cup mashed pumpkin
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice (vanilla almond is fabulous here)
  • 3 tbsp aquafaba OR 1 whole egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
  • 70g vegan butter or tasteless coconut oil, melted
  • 4 medjool dates, pitted (or 4 tsp of my date paste)
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ginger
  • pinch salt

*To make my apple sauce I just core my apples and cut them into quarters (don’t peel – keep the benefit of the skin’s nutrients!) and steam them until soft with a little bit of water and a pinch of cinnamon and then blend or process until you reach the consistency you like. (Speed 2, Steam Temp for about 10-12 minutes, then turn off temperature and increase speed gradually up to 6). I make it in bulk and store it in reusable squeezy pouches in the freezer.

Blitz the oats until you have a rough flour (Speed 8, 6 seconds). Add to all other dry ingredients and whisk to combine (Speed 4, 6 seconds)

Place all wet ingredients, including dates into a blender/processor and process until smooth (Speed 4 whilst you drop the dates in then gradually up to speed 7 for about 20 seconds).

Pour the wet ingredients into the centre of the dry ingredients and gently fold through until all combined (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat)

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Put a spoonful of mixture into a lined muffin pan and place into a preheated oven for about 20 mins or until a inserted skewer comes out clean.

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Makes about 15 …. or apparently fewer if you turn your back for too long and your little people can’t wait!!!

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These freeze and defrost well.

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Enjoy 🙂

P.S. I haven’t made a gluten free version of these ones yet, but try replacing the flour with equal quantities of a good GF flour mix and replacing the oats with 1/2 cup almond meal and 1/2 cup rolled quinoa.

Pistachio and Pomegranate Yoghurt cake

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Today was our traditional family school holidays ‘ladies lunch’. We are always delighted to have 4 generations of us together.

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Of course, ladies who lunch, must also have cake. Special cake. And this was my offering today. Beautifully moist and tart, it was well received by everyone.  Phew!

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The idea of the yoghurt cake was based on Indian Chef, Nita Mehta’s Basic Eggless Vanilla Cake.

For the syrup:

  • 2 cup pure pomegranate juice
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp coconut sugar
  • Seeds from 1 pomegranate

Place all ingredients, except seeds, into a saucepan, stir well and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce to a simmer for about an hour until it has reduced by more than half, stir regularly. (or Speed 2, Steam Temp for about 3 mins, then reduce down to 90C for about an hour).

While the syrup is simmering, de-seed your pomegranate. I find the easiest way to do it is in a bowlful of water – the seeds sink and the pith floats. No mess!

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Once the syrup has reduced, add the seeds and set aside.

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For the cake:

  • 1 1/4 cups spelt flour (or 1 cup GF flour mix)
  • 1/4 cup pistachio meal (or roasted pepita meal)
  • 1/4 tsp pink salt
  • 1/2 cup milled coconut sugar
  • 1 cup yoghurt (dairy, soy, coconut)
  • 1/2 cup light tasting oil (rice bran or tasteless coconut, melted)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1 1/4 tsp baking powder

In a stand mixer, mix together the yoghurt and sugar until sugar has dissolved (speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat)

Add in baking powder and soda, mix to combine then sit aside for 5 minutes, allowing it to bubble (speed 4, 6 seconds)

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In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, nut meal and salt.

Go back to the yoghurt mix and add oil and vanilla. Mix well (speed 4, 10 seconds).

Then, whilst mixing (on speed 4) gradually add in the flour mix (about 1/4 cup at a time), until well combined and light.

Pour into a greased 9inch round tin and place into a pre heated 160c oven for about 45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer comes out clean from the middle.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes before poking holes over the cake for the syrup to soak into a little later.

This cake cuts best if allowed to cool for a couple of hours before slicing. So gently rewarm the syrup and spoon it over the cake before serving.

Enjoy 🙂

 

 

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Apricot ginger crumble

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My apple and blueberry crumble is one of my favourite, comforting desserts. But the other day my Nanna was coming for dinner. She has always been a great gardener so I wanted to make a meal for her that used our home grown produce.

So – I figured it was a great time to use up the slightly overripe apricots we had waiting in the freezer. You could always use the tinned variety too.

See below the recipe for my Coeliac friendly option

  • 800g – 1kg Lightly stewed apricots
  • 800- 1kg lightly stewed pears
  • 100g Nuttelex/Vegan butter
  • 1 1/4 cup rolled oats
  • 3/4 cup plain flour (spelt or GF)
  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar
  • 1/2 cup toasted sunflower seeds
  • 1/2 cup puffed rice
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp extra coconut sugar

Place fruit in a large greased baking dish.

Sprinkle with the lemon juice and a mix of ginger and the tsp of sugar. Then set aside.

Mix crumble well and spread over the top of the fruit mix. Heat butter until it is very soft (but not melted). Then add to the mixed dry ingredients and lemon zest.

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Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 45 minutes.

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Whoops …. Got busy serving and forgot a photo!

Serve with the custard or ice cream your diet allows.

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To make this a Coeliac friendly dish you just need to replace the oats. To do this, I increase the flour to 1 cup, then add an additional 1/2 cup of puffed rice, 1/4 cup of sunflower seeds and add 1/4 cup of rolled quinoa.

Enjoy 🙂

Chocolate Bliss Bars

~ desertcook ~ 4 Comments

These delicious little bars are a cross between my chocolate bliss balls and my muesli bar slice.

So very yummy, loaded with great stuff to keep you going and really easy to make – and my little Miss Fussypants loves them …. in fact, she had one for breakfast this morning (together with a banana and a glass of oat milk!).

  • 12 medjool dates, pitted
  • 1/2 cup nuts of choice (I used almonds and hazelnuts)
  • 1 tbsp, heaped, sunflower seed butter (or other nut butter to suit your diet)
  • 1/4 cup rolled oats/desiccated coconut/rolled quinoa
  • 2/3 cup mixed seeds (I use a mix of pumpkin, flax, chia and hemp)
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp pink flaked salt

To make these Nut Free simply replace the 1/2 cup of nuts with an additional 1/2 cup of seeds – roast the seeds first for a ‘nuttier’ taste.

Place all of the ingredients, except the seed butter and the dates into your processor/thermal cooker and process until fine (Speed 8, 8 seconds)

Add in the seed butter and begin processing again (speed 4), then drop the dates one at a time through the chute at the top. Process until dates are totally combined (increase to speed 7 for a thermal cooker once dates are all added). At the right consistency the mixture will clump together in the mixer.

The moisture content of your dates will have quite an effect on the mix. If it is too crumbly, the add a tsp of cold water at a time whilst mixing until the clumping begins.

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Tip the mix into a lined baking tray and, using damp hands, press down firmly.

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Place into the freezer for 30 minutes before removing from the tray and cutting into bars.

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These need to be stored in the fridge (or even the freezer) – and they work better if there is a sheet of baking paper between the layers.

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Makes 15-18 bars depending on the size you cut them.

Enjoy 🙂

Apricot walnut loaf

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Our garden is giving us an absolute abundance of beautiful apricots at the moment. We are so thankful!! It is my biggest boy’s tree and he has been helping himself to the fruit at the rate of about 5 or 6 a day!!!!!! So when he walked inside with 9 more of them last night I had to put a stop to it for fear of a boy with a very sore tummy!!!

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We decided instead to tweak our blueberry almond loaf to suit this bounty – and this was Will’s review “Oh! Except for the Masterchef guys, no one makes better food than you mum! This is way awesome apricot loaf!”. High praise indeed!! Hope you like it too.

  • 45g light tasting oil (tasteless coconut or rice bran work well)
  • 40g coconut sugar OR 1/4 cup honey/maple syrup
  • 1 cup milk of choice
  • 2 chia eggs OR 6tbsp aquafaba OR 2 whole eggs
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp GF baking powder
  • 2 cup wholemeal spelt flour (or a good GF flour mix)
  • 1/2 cup chopped almonds (omit or swap to pumpkin seeds for a nut free version)
  • 1 cup chopped apricots (lightly stewed or tinned).

*if you are a real sweet tooth, you might want to up the sugar quantity to 80g.

In a large bowl (or your processor) mix together all of the dry ingredients (Speed 4, 8 seconds), then set aside.

Now place all of the wet ingredients in your processor/blender/nutribullet/thermal cooker and process until well combined (Speed 6, 6 seconds).

Mix the the dry and wet ingredients until combined – don’t over beat them. Then fold through the walnuts (Speed 3, 8 secs)

Then add the apricots – if you are doing this in a food processor, tip mixture into a bowl and fold through blueberries (recommended method for pieces of fruit that hold together better). In a Thermal Cooker, use speed 4 for 8 seconds.

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Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake in a preheated 170C oven for about 1hr 15 mins, or until cooked through.

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Or pour into lined muffin tins and bake for about 25 minutes or until cooked through (makes about 18).

Allow to cool before slicing.

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This one freezes and defrosts well.

Chocolate Hazelnut Banana Bread

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I was doing the green groceries at the markets with my tribe the other day, when William came up to me holding a package of something cakey looking. Preempting the spiel that he knew I was about to give he said ‘chocolate, choc chip banana bread – I know that you won’t buy this – but could you make me some?’ …. How could I refuse that?!

So here you go Will. You wish is my command (this time anyway!). This is the chocolate/dessert version of my normal Banana Bread.

  • 1 3/4  cups wholemeal spelt flour (a Barley/Rye mix works well)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats/quinoa/desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 cup coconut sugar (optional, but add it in if you’re a sweet tooth!)
  • 2 rounded tsp GF baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp pink salt flakes
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1/2 cup milk of choice (oat, almond and rice work well – but unsweetened vanilla almond milk is my favourite)
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 medium, very ripe bananas
  • 1/4 cup tasteless coconut oil/vegan butter
  • 3 tbsp sweetened condensed almond milk (use a dairy/soy/coconut variety to suit)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (omit this if you use the vanilla almond milk)
  • 80g toasted hazelnuts (or toasted mixed seeds for a nut free option)
  • 4 squares dark chocolate (Optional)

Process the hazelnuts (or seeds) until they are a fine crumb (Speed 6, 5 seconds at a time). Be careful – don’t go too far and wind up with a paste.

Into a large bowl add all of the dry ingredients, including the nuts/seeds . I don’t do sifting (ever if at all possible!), so I use a whisk to gently mix this dry mixture until it’s even (or speed 4, 8 seconds)

In a large measuring jug, mix the milk and the vinegar and whisk vigorously for a minute. It should become slightly thicker and have lots of frothy bubbles on top. Then set aside for a few (3-4) minutes. Or you can blitz in your blender/nutribullet/thermal cooker for a few seconds (Speed 6, 6 seconds)

To the milk mix, add the banana, oil, condensed milk and vanilla and whisk until well combined. (or another few seconds in the blender/nutribullet)

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, folding them in until just combined – don’t over mix.

Fold through your choc chips or finely chopped chocolate.

Pour batter into a large lined loaf pan, bake at 170C for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer, inserted in the middle comes out clean.

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Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack for another 10-15 minutes.

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You can also make these into muffins if you don’t have as much baking time, takes about 20 minutes and makes 18-20.

This bread is yummy as is, or with a bit of Nuttelex, or even toasted. It freezes and defrosts well, just slice and wrap individually before freezing.

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Enjoy 🙂

To make these coeliac friendly, do a straight swap with (Bobs Red Mill All purpose) GF baking flour plus 1 tsp of psyllium.

Strawberry boost muffins

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Sometimes you just really need cake.

Yesterday was one of those afternoons.

And since I had a mountain of rapidly deteriorating strawberries and I wanted something that would actually fill me up long enough to last until dinner, I made up these little guys. They are sweet and filling – a few tweaks on my pear surprise muffins (I made the ‘surprise’ dark chocolate part with half of the batch for the kids too).

  • 125g stewed/tinned pears (drained from their juices)
  • 115g ripe strawberries
  • 50g vegan butter/tasteless coconut oil, melted
  • 160g milk of choice (I love unsweetend vanilla almond milk here)
  • 1 medium overripe banana
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (omit this if you use the vanilla almond milk)
  • 1 1/2 cups wholemeal spelt flour OR 1 1/4 cups GF flour mix (I like Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose) plus 1/4 cup almond/seed meal
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats OR desiccated coconut OR rolled quinoa (mill these first if you want to hide the ‘bits’) – you can also use nut or seed meal here
  • 2 tbsp flax seeds (Optional)
  • 1.5 tsp GF baking powder
  • pinch pink salt flakes
  • OPTIONAL: 2-4 tbsp coconut sugar or maple syrup – if you have a sweet tooth.

Into your blender/processor/nutribullet/thermal cooker place the strawberries, pear, banana, Nuttelex/oil, vanilla, milk and syrup (if using). Blitz until smooth (Speed 7, 12 seconds)

In a separate bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients (Speed 4, 6 seconds)

Add the dry mix to the wet and mix to combine (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat). Don’t over beat. I often just tip the wet mix into the bowl with the flour mix and combine by hand.

Spoon mix into a lined standard muffin tin and place in a preheated moderate oven for about 20 minutes or til golden and they spring back to a light touch.

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Allow to cool on a wire rack … then enjoy in peace with a cuppa …wishful thinking?!

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Makes 12 and they freeze and defrost well.

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Enjoy 🙂

Strawberry, apple and chia jam

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Yesterday I did our markets shopping was seriously delighted to find a tray of strawberries for $8.

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15 punnets of those bad boys – that’s a lot of berries!

We have several punnets in the fridge, I hulled 6 punnets and froze them for smoothies and baking and use another punnet in my morning muffins …. and there was still more.

So … jam it is – why not get a head start on teacher’s Christmas gifts?!

I’ve never made a preserved jam in my Bellini (Thermal Cooker before) so this was my first go …. and it so very easy!!

Now – this is lower in added sugar than most jams, and it is unrefined sugar – but it is still a lot of sugar… so, you know – be sensible 😉

  • 600g punnet strawberries, hulled
  • 400g sugar of choice (I used coconut sugar)
  • the juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 green apple, chopped (skin on)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 2 tbsp chia seeds

Place the strawberries in the bottom on the machine, then add all the other ingredients, except the chia seeds.

Set the machine to 100C, Speed 2 for 15 minutes.

Then turn the temp up to ST (Steam Temp), but the speed down to 1 for a further 15 minutes.

Add in the  chia seeds and and cook on ST, Speed 2 for a further 8 mins.

Check that it is ready (Check out these tips from Taste on checking for setting point)

Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.

*If you don’t have a thermal cooking machine, check out my Mulberry jam post for a traditional jam making method*

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Enjoy!!