Mmmm, warm tea cake! Such a perfect afternoon tea.

We enjoyed ours on a sunny winter’s day down by the lake with a picnic cuppa for Mother’s day …. highly recommended serving suggestion 😉

• 1 1/2 cups plain spelt flour OR 1 1/4 cups plain GF flour mix
• 1/2 cup almond OR seed meal
• 2.5 tsp GF baking powder
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chic peas) OR 1 whole egg
• 3/4 cup milk of choice (I use rice or oat)
• 60g Nuttelex or tasteless coconut oil, melted
• the juice and finely grated zest of 1 medium lemon
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1 tsp Nuttelex and 1 tsp vanilla sugar to top (optional)

In a small bowl mix together the wet ingredients, including the zest and whisk well to combine.

In a large bowl use a whisk to mix together the dry ingredients.

Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and mix until combined, don’t over beat it.

For a Thermal cooker, place all dry ingredients into machine first and mix on speed 4 for 10 seconds. Mix together the wet ingredients in a separate bowl then add through the chute at the top whilst mixing on speed 4. One all of the liquid is added, scrape down the sides and mix for a further 8 seconds on speed 4.

Pour the mixture into a lined  21cm round cake time.

Press the blueberries gently into the top.

Place into a preheated moderate oven for 45-50 mins or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

As soon as you remove the cake from the oven, spread the Nuttelex over the top and them sprinkle with the vanilla sugar.

Leave it in the tin to cool for 10 mins before transferring to a wire rack.

Serve warm or cold.

(as an aside, I don’t know how this does in the freezer because there was only 1 slice left and my 7 year old claimed it for his lunch-box!)

Enjoy 🙂

P.S. If you enjoy this flavour combination you should check out my Lemon and Blueberry tart

My mum loves her cuppa. If we’re out at a cafe she mostly she resists sweet treats (serious will power!) but she does have a soft spot for a date and oat biscuit, so these ones are for her for Mother’s day. Hope you enjoy them mum 🙂

• 1 cup wholemeal spelt or light rye flour or plain GF flour mix
• 3/4 tsp GF baking powder
• 1/2 cup vegan butter or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar
• 2 tablespoons flaxseeds
• 4 tbsp aquafaba (the liquid drained from a can of chic peas) – or 1 whole egg plus 1 tbsp water
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 Himilayan salt
• 2 cups rolled oats (or rolled quinoa for the GF version)
• 6 medjool dates, pitted

Using a food processor cream together the butter and sugar (Speed 4, 10 seconds)

Add in the aquafaba, vanilla, ginger salt and flax then mix again to combine (Speed 4, 8 seconds)

Drop the pitted dates one at a time onto spinning blades through the chute at the top, then process until dates are finely chopped (speed 4 whilst adding dates, then up to speed 7 for about 10-15 seconds)

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, oats and baking powder then add half of this dry mix at a time to the processor and process to combine (Speed 4, 12 seconds, scrape down and repeat for next half).

Use about 3/4 of a tbsp of mix and roll into a tight ball (not quite as big as a golf ball), place onto a lined baking tray, then press down with the palm on your hand to a thick disc shape.

Bake in a preheated moderate oven for about 25 minutes or until golden brown.

The cookies will still be soft when you remove them. They will harden as they cool. Allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring then to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Makes 18. They keep for about a week in an airtight container or you can freeze them.

Enjoy!

This delicious, moist cake is perfect for afternoon tea (…. or any time cake is required really!).

See the option within the recipe for the coeliac friendly version.

• 2 very ripe pears, peeling, cored and diced
• 125g vegan butter
• 3 tbsp aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chick peas) OR 1 whole egg
• 150g maple syrup
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp bi carb soda
• 1.5 tsp GF Baking powder
• 1 3/4 cups flour (OR 1 1/4 cup GF flour mix and 1/2 cup almond or seed meal)
• 300ml milk of choice

Whisk together the milk and aquafaba until light and frothy (Speed 4, 15 seconds). Then set aside.

Melt together the Nuttelex and syrup (Speed 2, 100C, approx 2-3 mins or until all melted).

Whisk together all dry ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add the milk mix to the butter mix, then add the pears and mix gently (Speed 2, 12 seconds). If you are using an egg instead of the aquafaba, add it in at this point.

Add the dry mix gradually to the wet mix and fold together until just combined (Speed 3, 10 seconds at a time, scraping down in between).

Pour mixture (which is quite runny), into a lined/greased tin and place into a preheated moderate oven for about 1 hour or until a skewer comes out clean.

Enjoy warm, dusted with icing sugar, or served with a little cream/icecream if your diet allows.

Happy afternoon tea!

You might have already noticed, but chocolate flavoured anything is a fairly firm favourite in our house, for all 6 of us! Just occasionally, it’s nice to change it up a bit though 🙂

In the coming week, my 2 youngest boys and my husband have birthdays. We are having a joint birthday party (along with my Nanna!) and each has requested a cake. I couldn’t imagine taking along 3 chocolate cakes, so decided to have a go at a vanilla flavoured base for George’s “Daddy Raa” (Lion King) cake. It is based on my regular Chocolate Cake (which you should try too!). This is was the result – and it is yummy … thumbs up from everyone!!

See below the recipe for a coeliac friendly version.

• 1 1/4 cup spelt (I do half wholemeal)
• 1/2 cup almond meal (use extra flour or seed meal for a nut free option, see note below)
• 2 tsp GF baking powder
• 1/2  cup coconut sugar (use white sugar if you want a lighter coloured batter)
• 100g Nuttelex/vegan butter/tasteless coconut oil
• 1 cup milk of choice (I use oat/rice/vanilla almond)
• 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 tbsp aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chic peas) 1 egg of egg replacement powder OR 1 egg

Mix together the oil, milk and vanilla and heat until melted and well combined.

In the large bowl of your mixer sift together the flour, sugar and baking powder.

Mix the wet mix into the flour mix and beat well so the mixture is light. While the mix is beating, add in the aquafaba.

Pour into a lined cake tin or about 14 regular muffin holes.

Bake in a preheated moderate oven for approx 50 minutes (for the cake) or 25 minutes for the muffins, or until a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the tin before transferring to a wire rack. Ice as desired.

(I make a simple icing from 1 tbsp melted Nuttelex, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste, a splash of milk and pure icing sugar).

To adapt for a Thermal cooker:

Place the oil, vanilla and milk in the jug and cook on speed 2 at 100C for 2 1/2 mins, or until the oil is melted.

Add in the sugar, baking powder and mix on speed 4 for 15 seconds.

Add the flours and mix on speed 4 for 30 seconds. Whilst mixing, add the aquafaba through the opening in the top if the lid.

Enjoy 🙂

To make this into a coeliac friendly version make sure you use rice or almond milk and replace the spelt flour with 1 cup of a plain GF flour mix and increase the almond or seed meal to 1 cup.

I make the seed meal by milling 3 tbsp each of flax, sunflower and pumpkin seeds.

This makes a great double batch cake to take to church for supper, or to slice and freeze for lunchboxes too.

These yummy cookies are a cross between my regular Choc Chip Cookies and my Date, Chick Pea and Sunflower seed butter cookies.

I love that they look like a regular choc chip cookie but have some hidden extra goodness.

• 40g Nuttelex or other vegan butter
• 80g Sunflower Seed butter (or nut butter if your diet allows)
• 120g chic peas (drained and rinsed)
• 1/2 cup coconut sugar OR Maple Syrup
• 1 3/4 cups spelt flour (OR 1 1/2 cups GF flour plus 1/4 cup almond meal)
• 2.5 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 3 tbsp aquafaba (the liquid drained from a can of chick peas)
• 1/3 cup choc chip/chopped chocolate of choice

Place the Nuttelex, seed butter, chic peas, sugar and vanilla into your processor and process until smooth (Speed 4, 15 seconds, scrape down and repeat).

Add in the aquafaba and baking powder and pulse a few times to combine.

Add in the flour and process until it forms a stiff dough (Speed 4 in 10 second intervals).

Add in choc chips and mix until combined.

Roll teaspoons of mix into balls and place on a lines tray. Press down with the back of a fork. Try to stop your little helper eating all of the raw dough 😉

Place in to a preheated moderate oven and bake for about 12 minutes.

Allow to cool on the tray.

Makes about 20 – store in an airtight container for a week.

Enjoy 🙂

Many (many!) years ago now, I was lucky enough to spend 6 months living in France. So much amazing food that was quite new to this (then) unadventurous Aussie girl’s taste buds! Sadly, not so good for my wasitline, but I have never forgotten those delights!

I recently came across this recipe for a yoghurt cake, which reminded me of my time there – this is my healthier, allergy friendly version.

The cake is light and moist – perfect for afternoon tea, so go on, have juste un petit gout!

See below the recipe for a gluten free-coeliac friendly version

• 100g coconut sugar
• finely grated zest and juice from one lemon
• 5 tbsp aquafaba (liquid drained from a can of chick peas)
• 175g soy yoghurt/coconut yoghurt
• 125g Nuttelex/vegan butter/tasteless coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
• 275g spelt flour
• 1.5tsp GF baking powder
• 1tsp bicarb soda
• 2 small apples, cored and finely sliced
• 1 extra tsp of Nuttelex
• 1 extra tsp coconut sugar.

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Grease a tin and layer the apples on the bottom of the tin.

Melt the tsp of Nuttelex and brush over the top of the apples, then sprinkle with the 1 tsp of coconut sugar. Place in the oven for about 5 minutes while you make the next step of the cake.

Into your food processor, place all of the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. (Speed 4, 10 seconds then speed 5, 8 seconds).

Remove the tin from the oven and scoop the cake mix to the top of the apples. Smooth over and return to the oven for about 30 mins or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

Serve warm or allow to cool, dust with GF icing sugar and add an extra dollop of yoghurt if you’d like.

Makes about 12 slices.

I haven’t frozen this one yet, but it lasts well in the fridge until the following day, and I suspect it’s freeze well.

To make a gluten free coeliac friendly version of this cake: replace the spelt flour with 1.5 cups plain GF flour mix and 1/4 cup of almond meal.

Enjoy 🙂