Raspberry Snap – Alecia’s Chocolate

October 14, 2024October 13, 2024 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

This is my amazing friend, Alecia.

Her birthday was last week and I wanted to make her something special for when we got together to celebrate.

She’s vegetarian, allergic to peanuts … and she doesn’t like cake. But I know that she LOVES raspberry!

So I decided to create a special chocolate named for her … Happy Birthday A … hope you enjoyed your goodie bag 🧡

It’s pretty simple and fast to make, but it has amazing crunch and a beautiful tang to go with the sweetness of the chocolate.

If you’re headed out to a special function during the lead up to Christmas, it’d make a great dessert too.

275g Dark Chocolate melts (which ever suits your dietary needs)
Pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup
Hemp seeds 1/4 cup
1 tsp dehydrated raspberry powder

Heating a frying pan to medium heat and add in the pumpkin seeds. Dry fry them, stirring very frequently.

When they start to look a little golden, add in the hemp seeds. As they are so tiny, these cook much faster than the pumpkin seeds. Dry fry them, stirring very frequently, until they are golden brown – it doesn’t take very long!

Put the seeds to to the side.

Melt the chocolate until it is very runny … I use my microwave in about 30 second bursts.

Tip the seeds into the melted chocolate and mix well. It helps if the seeds are still warm.

Pour the chocolate mix onto a sheet of baking paper and spread it out as thin as you are able.

Before the chocolate sets, sprinkle over the raspberry powder.

Allow to cool and set before snapping into pieces.

Enjoy however you wish … my preference is for a couple of pieces along with a book and a hot coffee ☕️

*A note on the raspberry powder: I got mine from Weigh n Pay in Woodvale. It is fairly expensive as a single ingredient but the taste is so beautiful and strong and a little goes a loooooong way. Thanks to Craig for all of your helpful advice!!!

You will need to eat this within a couple of days because the raspberry power will draw in moisture and get a little clumpy … but trust me … that shouldn’t be a problem!!

Cereal Bars

May 9, 2024May 9, 2024 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Knowing that I am always on the look out for delicious, nutritious food to feed my crew, my awesome Mum saw a recipe for a cereal bar on Facebook and tagged me in it:

They did look good – but I needed to make it fit our needs (and likes), so 15 minutes after I saw her tag I had my version in the oven! 😆 You can find the original version here on Weetbix

It’s a great high energy, nutrient dense bar, that works really well (like you can see above) to fuel the biggest one who regularly does a day that includes school sport, 10km of bike riding, a game of footy immediately followed by an hour of parkour training. Yes. All in the same day. He is 15, 6 foot 2 and ACTIVE!

Mr Itchin’ Kitchen thinks they are delicious and has been happily taking them in his work lunchbox too.

The ingredients are all pantry staples for us and you can buy all of them at your regular grocery store.

3 Weet-Bix, crushed (we use the sorghum gluten free Weet-Bix)
50g butter/plant based butter
125ml honey/maple syrup
100g pumpkin seeds
2 heaped tbsp hemp seeds
2 heaped tbsp chia seeds
50g dried apricots, diced
50g medjool dates, diced
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
75g rolled oats*
75g self-raising flour (plain or Gluten Free)

Melt the butter, honey and vanilla over gentle heat. (Saucepan or microwave).

Add in the chia seeds, stir well and allow to sit for 5 minutes to thicken.

Mix together the remaining dry ingredients and dried fruit in a separate bowl.

Pour the dry mixture into the wet and combine until all of the dry mix is moistened. It will initially seem like not enough liquid, but keep stirring.

Place the mixture into a lined 20cm tin and smooth the surface, pressing down firmly with damp hands.

Bake in a 160°C oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden. Leave in the tin for 20minutes to cool before slicing.

We cut this one into 10 bars.

Need it Gluten Free? Make sure you use a gluten free flour and use equal weight of either rolled quinoa or shredded coconut in place of the oats

Enjoy 🙂

Easter Pull-Apart Scrolls

April 2, 2021April 2, 2021 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Delicious, sweet Easter treats!

This year I just haven’t had time to make my own hot cross buns… We wanted treats to take out but had no time to wait for 2 rises!

So instead these ones start with a modified scone dough and come together very quickly!

Dough:

2.5 cups SR flour* (plus extra for rolling out)

1/2 cup almond meal**

80g cold butter (or nuttelex)

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup milk of choice (I use high protein almond milk)

Filling:

1 large Apple, finely diced

8 medjool dates, finely chopped

1/2 cup walnuts (optional), finely chopped

2 tsp butter (or nuttelex), melted

1/2 tsp mixed spice

Icing:

2 heaped tsp butter (or nuttelex), melted

4 heaped tbsp pure icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 tsp milk of choice

*To make this gluten free: swap the flour for 2 1/4 cup SR GF flour mix and add 1 tsp of psyllium husk
**To make this nut free: swap out the almond meal for an extra half cup of flour and omit the walnuts

Place the flour, almond meal and sugar in the food processor and pulse to combine.

Add in the butter and pulse numerous times until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.

Add in milk then process until dough is well combined (speed 4, 6 seconds).

Tip the dough into a well floured surface, bring together with your hands and then roll into a rectangular shape, about 1/2cm thick.

Mix together the Apple, dates, Walnuts, mixed spice and melted butter and spread over the dough.

Roll the dough over on top of each other to form a log.

Cut the log into slices about 2cm wide and then lay on a lined baking tray.

Place them fairly close together and into a preheated 200C oven for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before icing.

For the icing- mix together the melted butter, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth and then add in the milk to thin it out before drizzling over the top of the scrolls.

Best served warm.

Wishing you peace, hope and renewal this Easter!

J x

Lunchbox Apple Slice

September 7, 2020August 29, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ 3 Comments

I love this slice because it is fragrant and lightly sweet, uses only the things that I always have in my cupboard so it is inexpensive, you can have it in the oven in 5 minutes flat and it is really simple to make it allergy friendly.

And even better … my kiddo who has an Oral Allergy Syndrome reaction to raw apple can tolerate some cooked apple so everyone in our family can share!

**See below the main recipe for allergy friendly swaps and more options**

2 large apples
2 cups of flour (I use spelt and do half wholemeal)**
2 tsp GF baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar (I like coconut sugar for the caramel taste)
3/4 cup rolled oats
185g melted butter

Mix together all of the dry ingredients.

Add in the melted butter, then core and dice (but don’t peel) the apples and mix them through.

Press them mix firmly into a greased 20×20 baking dish and place in a preheated 180C for about 25 minutes.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the tin before moving to a wire rack.

Cut into about 16 squares and serve warm or cold.

To change it up:

Gluten Free – replace the flour with 1 3/4 cup of a gluten free flour mix plus 1 tsp of psyllium husk. Then replace the oats with shredded coconut or puffed rice.

Dairy Free – use a plant based butter

Can’t do apples? Pears are a great switch

Want something a bit fancier? Crumble some chopped almonds over the top and sprinkle with a tsp of extra sugar before baking and serve warm, with custard.

Got a super sweet tooth? Add in 6 chopped medjool dates or 1/2 cup of sultanas

Not sending it to school? Replace 1/2 a cup of the flour with almond meal

Enjoy 🙂

Crunchy Crumbles

July 16, 2020July 6, 2021 ~ desertcook ~ 2 Comments

These super speedy little bites are just slight sweet and deliciously crunchy.

They add great fats and proteins as well as some extra fibre and texture to yoghurt.

Add them to plain rolled or soaked oats too.

2 heaped tbsp pumpkin seeds
2 heaped tbsp hemp seeds
2 tsp honey OR maple syrup

Place seeds in a hot frying pan.

Dry fry the seeds, stirring regularly until they start to brown … Watch carefully, it won’t take long!

Add in the honey and stir until all the seed are well coated.

Fry until the seeds are golden brown (only another minute or so).

Remove from frying pan and spread out on a plate (don’t use kitchen paper or they stick!)

Place plate in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes until they have cooled.

Then break up and sprinkle on.

Keep the leftover crumbles in an airtight container in the fridge for a week.

This recipe has been included by Twinkl among their top picks for Healthy Lite Bites for Quick Snacking

If macros are important to you, here are the details for 1/4 of the mix.

Berry Fruit Compote

June 12, 2020June 5, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

So simple to make. Quick and delicious … and you can adapt it to whatever fruits you have lying around.

1 cups frozen berries*
1 medium apple or pear, finely diced
Lemon peel (peel into strips for easy removal)
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Optional: 1-2 tsp maple syrup

*if you are using fresh berries and not frozen, you’ll need to add a little splash of water when you first start cooking.

Place all ingredients into a small saucepan and turn on to a low heat.

Stir regularly until the juices from the berries release.

Allow the mix to come to a simmer and then leave to a very gentle simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Leave the saucepan partially covered with the lid to stop it splattering!

It is ready when you can very easily slide a fork through the apple and the juices in the pan are becoming thick and sticky.

Remove the lemon peel and if you want a smoother compote, use a potato masher to crush down the fruit.

Thermo Cooking instructions:

Place all ingredients into a bowl and turn on to Speed 2, 100C. For about 10-12 minutes.

Remove the lemon peel. If you want smoother compote, turn off heating, increase speed to 4, in 5 second bursts until you are happy with the texture, scraping down the sides as required.

—–

Serve warm on cakes, scones or pancakes, or allow to cool and serve with yoghurt, custard or ice cream … or just eat it on it’s own!!

Enjoy 🙂

Oaty Seed Bikkies

June 9, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ 1 Comment

These lovely bikkies are like a cross between an ANZAC and a muesli biscuit.

Just sweet enough to satisfy my husband’s sweet tooth, super easy to whip up plus they’re lunchbox and allergy friendly!

1 cups rolled oats
1 cup plain flour (GF flour, spelt, wheat – all work)
1 tsp GF baking powder
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sultanas*
125g melted butter or oil (coconut oil and melted vegan butter work well)
70g golden syrup/honey/maple syrup

*Chopped Dates, or dried apple, or apricots work well too

**For a Coeliac friendly version: you can replace the oats with a mix of rolled quinoa, puffed rice and shredded coconut.

Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. (Speed 4, 10 seconds). Then set aside.

In a medium sized saucepan (or microwave), melt together the oi/butter and syrup. (Speed 2, 100C for approx 2 mins)

Add the wet mix to the dry mix and combine well (Speed 4, 8 seconds, scrape down and repeat).

On a greased baking tray place heaped teaspoon-fulls of the mixture and flatten down slightly.

Cook in a preheated oven at 170C for about 15-20 mins or until golden brown.

When you remove them from the oven they will be fairly soft. They will harden as they cool. Leave them on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to finish cooling.

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

20200609_212848 — And watch out for the bikkie thief ….

Enjoy 🙂

Zucchini cake

June 5, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

Such a deliciously light and moist cake …. so good for afternoon tea, picnic and even in lunchboxes.

Approx 200g (combined) grated zucchini and carrot (roughly half a medium zucchini and 1 medium carrot).
1/4 cup good olive oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
1/2 cup honey/maple/golden syrup
2 eggs / 2 flax eggs / 2 tsp egg replacer whipped with 4 tbsp water
1/2 cup milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
1/3 cup chopped nuts or seeds (hemp seeds or walnuts go really well)
1 tsp mixed spice
1 3/4 cups plain flour (we do half wholemeal)**
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
Optional extra: Top with choc chips of choice

** To make this one coeliac friendly, replace with a plain GF flour, 1.5 cups and 1 tsp of psyllium husk.

Start by grating the veg. After squeezing the moisture out of the grated zucchini you should have about 120g, and another 80g from the carrot. *If you are grating in a food processor or thermo cooker, you will need to take the zucchini out, tip out the liquid in the bottom, then squeeze the zucchini before adding it back in to the bowl.

Add all of the wet ingredients into a bowl and stir well to combine (speed 4, 6 secs).

Add in the baking powder, flour and mixed spice. Fold through gently until the flour is just combined. (Speed 3, 10 seconds)

Then add in the chopped nuts or seeds and fold through until evenly combined. (Speed 3, 8-10 seconds) Do not beat the mix.

Pour into a greased/lined loaf tin and place into a preheated 160C oven.

Sprinkle the top with some choc chips if you like (only half of family do!)

Bake for approximately 60minutes or until golden, well risen and a skewer comes out clean. Remember that if you are cooking with GF flour or without egg then you won’t get quite the same rise.

Allow to rest in the tin for about 15 minutes before removing to an airing rack and allowing to cool.

Slice and serve, warm or cold. A spread of butter on your slice is delicious too.

Slice before freezing any left overs and wrap so it is airtight.

20200601_164452 — Picnic time – this one with Sweet William White Chips

Enjoy 🙂

Baked Cauliflower, Broccoli, Miso ‘Bread’

February 27, 2020 ~ desertcook ~ Leave a comment

I think will be a recipe that divides you!

I adore it and my husband is totally won over (despite the way he looked at me when I first told him about it!). But I think it might be the worst thing he’s ever heard of, according to my dad!

Where will you sit I wonder? Are you game to give it a try?!

Lots of people choose not to eat traditional bread, because they are wary of carbohydrate levels, or their bodies don’t respond well through either allergies or intolerances.

Me? I love bread. I don’t eat it often, but when I do, I relish it! Seeded sourdough rye is my favourite!!! Especially with avo ….yuum!

So why this recipe then? Well I have seen recipes around for wraps or bread sticks or pizza bases using cauliflower (like this one … but too much dairy for us) and you know that I LOVE anything that involves cauliflower!

I love to include a variety of veggies in our meals and since there is more and more information around about the potential benefits of fermented food, I’ve been playing more with Miso paste.

I think it’s quite possible that the outrageous health and healing claims that abound about the miracle properties of fermented food could be over-stretching it! But it does seem likely that there is certainly some health benefit to these foods. Since, due to allergies, cabbage is right out for us (no kimchi or sauerkraut here!), yoghurt and miso are our go-to ferments.

The recipe isn’t going to replace your morning toast but it is a great option if you need a naan bread type option for curries or if you want to change up your lunches a bit.

350g cauliflower
150g broccoli
1/2 cup (20g) Nutritional yeast
40g white miso paste
2 medium eggs

Wash the cauliflower and broccoli and let it drain before patting it dry – you don’t want any extra moisture in this recipe.

Put it in to the food processor/blender/thermo machine and process until fine (Speed 4, 10 seconds, scrape down and repeat)

Add in the nutritional yeast and miso and process again until the miso is well combined (Speed, 4, 6 seconds)

While the machine is still processing add in the 2 eggs through the top chute and continue to process.

It won’t initially look like enough egg … but keep processing (on Speed 4 or 5) for a little longer – it will come together!

Spread the mixture out onto a large, lined baking tray. It needs to be even and fairly thin spread – about 3 to 4mm thick. Then place in to a preheated 180C oven

Cook for about 20 minutes before removing from the oven and gently scoring into 8 pieces – this make it much easier to flip and helps with even cooking.

Flip the pieces over and return to oven for a further 10 minutes. Until golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on tray for 10 minutes.

Serve warm or cold.

Our favourite way to eat it is slightly warm, and layered with a bit of tinned salmon or topped with some avocado and tomato. Yum!

If you aren’t using this all straight away, it does not freeze well, but it does keep well in the fridge for a couple of days – place some kitchen paper in the air tight container to help absorb any moisture and then reheat gently.

**If you don’t have a food processor, or similar: Grate the veg as finely as you can, mix the yeast and miso well, then whisk the eggs well before adding in and keep stirring until you bring it all together

If Macros are important to you, here are the details for 1 slice, that is 1/8th of the recipe:

Enjoy …. and let me know if you were brave enough to try!!

Egg Wraps

February 13, 2020January 20, 2024 ~ desertcook ~ 1 Comment

A couple of months ago I saw Michael Mosely’s idea of using what is essentially a very thin spread omelette base to use as a substitute for a grain based wrap.

Pretty cool if you need to avoid gluten (several of us). Or if you need to keep an eye on your carbohydrate intake (eg managing diabetes).

Except 1 single egg wasn’t really enough for a meal for my husband or I so, to make a more filling option that gives a decent vegetarian source of protein with your meal … this is how we make ours:

2 medium eggs
1 tsp hemp seeds
2 tsp nutritional yeast
pinch flaked salt
1/2 tsp Italian style herbs, or 1 tsp fresh chopped thyme
optional: small spray of olive oil

Whisk the eggs together, then add in all the other ingredients and whisk again until well combined and frothy.

If you’re not sure about how non-stick your frying pan is, then give it a little spray of olive oil and set to a medium heat.

Pour in the egg mix and swirl around the pan until it is evenly distributed over the whole base.

Allow to cook gently for about a minute, then test that the side of the egg are well cooked, slide a spatula underneath to the centre and then flip it over to briefly cook the other side.

Remove from heat and lay on plate. Eat warm or cold.

Treat it like a normal wheat based wrap – We fill ours with a variety of salad and it keeps us full of ages – plus … it’s really delicious! And as a bonus – it is WAY more flexible than your average gluten free wrap!