'Not as you know it' Nutella

Yes, yes I know there are plenty of 'healthy' 'vegan' nutella recipes already lurking around the blogosphere... and for good reason, who doesn't like a drippy spoonful of thick creamy chocolate?

So far I have avoided the temptation to make my own. Partly because  had concerns as to my self control once made, but also many of the recipes I'd come across had a number of time consuming steps and also many recipes also left a lot to be desired in the healthy department.

I made my first version of the 'Nutella' a week or so ago here for the Real Food Source. It was delcious and the coconut sugar gave a lovely caramelised touch.  I wanted to reinvent it again with a slight twist this time using my ever faithful date paste.

You'll notice there are no roasted hazlenutsa in this recipe, so technically its not Nutella at all...rather a chocolate almond spread. Somehow that description didn't tantalize my tatsebuds in quite the way it should! The chocolate really takes centre stage and the creamy almond paste (make your own or buy it) just brings it all together in a rich and creamy spread.

Plus if you add a little extra water you'll have an amazing chocolate drizzle sauce! Sooooo good.

Recipe: Healthy ‘Nutella’

Makes just under 1 cup

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almond paste*
1/3 cup date paste
3 tbs cocoa powder
1/3 cup boiling water

*almond paste is just blanched almond butter. Make your own or buy it for example here

Method:

Stir the cocoa into the boiling water until smooth. Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until very smooth. This works best with either a smallish sized blender or double the amount (the mixture had a tendency to fling itself to the edges of my large Thermomix and I had to scrape it down a few times)

Store in the fridge. it will thicken up a little. This would also be good mixed with a little hot water and served as a chocolate drizzle sauce. You may want to add a couple of drops of stevia to add sweetness if diluting as a drizzle.

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Carrot cookies

I love a cookie...especially a breakfast cookie as that usually means tasty but super healthy!

The recipe for these breakfast cookies came from Abel and Cole and looked so tasty I couldn’t resist giving them a go myself, ok I changed things up ever so slightly using oatmeal as the entire cookie base instead of part spelt (they seemed more breakfast-like that way) I also increased the carrot content and made a few other minor healthy swaps...couldn’t resist!

They were so good, deliciously fat and chewy and they held together well- don’t skimp on the flax (or you can use ground chia). The date sugar gave a lovely caramelly flavour and a slight crispness, you could use another unrefined granulated sugar here but I would suggest that the texture wouldn’t be quite the same just using a liquid sweetener.

 I went for a pumpkin seed and cranberry combo as I loved the contrast in colours against the carrot, also because I seem to have a bit of a thing for pumpkin seeds at the moment. Use whatever dried fruit and seeds or nuts you fancy..how about date and walnut...?

I reckon this will be a recipe base I come back to again, I can already visualise the options, using courgette or parsnip and the veggie hit! 

For more breakfast cookies, you find them amongst the concoctions in this breakfast tab.

 

Recipe: Carrot cookies

Makes approx 10 cookies

Ingredients:

60g oat flour

80g whole oats

1 tbs ground flax

¼ tsp baking soda

Pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

50g date sugar

1 tbs maple syrup

1 large carrot-coarsely grated

30ml coconut oil (Melted) or olive oil

50g dried cranberries or other dried fruit

50g pumpkin seeds

1 tsp lemon zest (optional)

Method:

Mix the dry ingredient together in a medium bowl.

Ix the carrot, oil, maple syrup and lemon zest and then add to the dry mixture. Mix lightly using hands as necessary.

Form dollops of cookie mix with your hands and flatten into cookies on a lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180C for approx 10 mins until lightly golden. For a crisper cookie, flip and cook for a further 3 minutes.

 

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Quinoa-power breakfast cakes

These little bites of chewy moreishness were inspired by my chewy choc quinoa cookies that I have formed a bit of an addiction too, now every time I cook up a batch of quinoa, I reserve one cup to make a little batch of these cookies straight off, as they literally takes a mere 5 minutes to whip together with pre-cooked quinioa...  anyway I digress...

As much as can I just about justify eating the choc version for breakfast, I wanted something that upped the health factor even further, and to be honest I don’t typically want chocolate for breakfast! How about a quinoa-banana concoction? Now that sounds like a powerful start to the morning, or any time of day.  

I added a peacan half to the top of each and oh my goodness when I tasted these little chewy cookie cakes fresh from the oven the toasted pecan made the whole thing taste like a maple pecan pastry...you know the sort, flaky layers of plaited pastry loaded with sugars and syrups with a few toasted pecans nestled between the goeey layers. Well let me tell you- the toasted pecan combined with a little drizzle of date syrup really does nail it....don't leave the pecans out!

So, 5 minutes to mix, 10 minutes in the oven (perfect time to have a quick shower) and then these beauties are on your breakfast plate or stashed away in your bag for a mid morning pick-me-up. I don’t think you  can ask for much more than that?

This post also ties in very nicely to a new category of recipes that I will be revealing tomorrow...my favourite collection of recipes to date! Hold tight... :-)

  

Recipe: Quinoa pancake patties

Makes 6 pancake patties

Ingredients

1 banana

Pinch stevia

1 tsp chia/flax

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp vanilla

1 cup pre-cooked quinoa

3 tbs oat flour (or other GF flour)

Pecans to finish (either whole or chopped)

Date syrup to drizzle- optional

Method

Mash the banana and mix through all ingredients adding the quinoa and oat flour last.

Scoop into balls and press into flat patties with moist palms or the back of a spoon. Place flattened patties on a lined baking sheet  and press pecans into the top of each. Bake at 180C for 10 minutes until just beginning to turn golden at the edges.

Serve with vegan yoghurt and a drizzle of date or maple syrup

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Chocolate almond crackles

I recently posted this little gem of a recipe over here at the Real Food Source.... I have quite a collection of recipes over there now, some of which are a variation on my own posts.  This recipe is one such recipe, and instead of going for toasted coconut flakes and chia seeds I opted for an 'almondy' concoction! I think chocolate and almond pair so beautifully.

If these don't make for the perfect beautiful and healthy Mothers Day alternative to a box of chocolates then I don't know what does! Can you beleive this recipe still holds true to my sugar free Whole Food Lent Challenge.

These little treats only take 5 minutes to create and look almost too cute to eat. Plus true to my nature this recipe provides plenty of scope for changing things up exactly as you wish, and if you'd like to add a little agave or other syrup then you can my all means. I was simply going for the truly sugar free option and in my opinion the intense darkness of the chocolate is perfectly complemented by the sweet aftertaste of the dried fruits.

I have used raw cacao liquor but a semi sweet dark chocolate or in fact any melty dark chocolate would work here. Just make sure its not too sweet since the darkness really does add to the indulgent nature of the recipe. The almond extract is also a perfect companion- my favourite flavour combination so far. I also find the almond tastes amazing in these ultimate dark chocolate truffles for the same reason.

Use crinkle edged mini petit four cases if you can find them, simply because they give such a pretty finish to the moulded chocolate. You will see in some of the photos below that there are also some longer misshapen circles with 'white stuff' on top. I ran out of fruity filling but still had melted chocolate mix left, so I placed a date in a few cases and enrobed it with the mixture and then sprinkled ground almonds on top. Even simpler but just as good! Yay for dates :-)

You can find more simple no-bake treats perfect for Mother's Day here.

Or for a crazy indulgent special breakfast (or dessert) for two... you have to try these hot chocolate cream cups. They first made their debut for Valentines Day but I cant help by parade them again here- just too good to miss!

Recipe: Chocolate almond crackles

Makes 8 mini cups

Ingredients

1/3 cup chopped or flaked almonds

3 tbs fine oats or almond flour (other flours should also work)

¼ cup dried fruit paste (I used prunes and cherries)

--------

¼ cup cacao liquor (or low sugar dark chocolate)

1 tbs coconut oil

Pinch stevia

½ tsp almond extract

Method

Blend dried fruits to form a thick sticky paste. Add the almonds and oats/flour and pulse lightly to mix through.

Spoon small teaspoon sized dollops of the mixture into small petit-four cases (or in ice cube trays).

To prepare the chocolate drizzle, place all ingredients in a small bowl and microwave on medium power for approx 90 seconds or until full melted. Stir through and lightly drizzle across the top of each mound, the mixture will pool in the bottom of each case. Add a few extra nuts if desired.

Chill to set until serving. 

For further guidance on making gluten free choices please see this post.

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.

Maple walnut cake with parsnip

I really struggled to know what to call this cake….. maple syrup and date cake, date and walnut cake, parsnip and maple cake..

….or maple syrup, date, walnut and parsnip cake. Sounds like a ridiculous mouthful! But really that is what it should be called as each if of those ingredients really make this cake what it is! In  the end I decided not to focus on the parsnip so much as I worried people might find it odd, but believe me it works so well in this cake, a subtle taste but it’s definitely there with its earthy sweetness shining through.

This is the second time I’ve made this cake, but the first time I’ve added the walnuts as a crunchy layer on the top instead of mixed through.  It works superbly and I much prefer it this way. With a little more maple syrup drizzled over the topping takes on a chewy crispness once baked.

I also made this cake in a shallow square tin, as opposed to a loaf tin. I find that this cake is very moist which is lovely, but in a deeper loaf tin the centre does have the tendency to be a little too gummy. I would advise a shallow round or square tin to achieve a more consistent but dense crumb.

The snow is still on the ground here in the UK and this makes the perfect comforting cake for a wintry morning. Oh how I wish I could settle down with a nice steaming mug of camomile tea and a nice wedge of cake.....

Mmmmm....crunchy maple walnut topping!

Recipe: maple walnut cake with parsnip

Ingredients

1/3 cup apple sauce

2tsp vanilla

½ cup maple syrup and a pinch stevia

1/3  cup soy milk

1/3 cup orange juice (plus zest- optional)

½ cup coconut oil

1 ¾ cups spelt flour (approx. 200g)

1tsp salt

2tsp baking powder

1tsp baking soda

2tsp cinnamon

1tsp mixed spice

1 1/2 cups finely grated parsnip (approx. 150g)

½ cup finely grated apple

½ cup finely chopped dates

½-1 cup chopped walnuts (for topping)

Extra maple syrup as desired (for drizzling over)

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Blend together wet ingredients in food processor then mix in melted coconut oil. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl (except dates/parsnip/apple) then add wet mixture and stir until thick. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into  an 8’ round of square cake tin. Bake for approx. 30 minutes until lightly toasted and a skewer comes away clean. You may need to keep a close eye on the nuts during the final few minutes to watch they don’t burn (use foil over the top if this looks like it could be a problem and the centre is not cooked).

For tips and info on recipe measurement conversions, ingredients, substitutions and the methods behind how I do things.... check out my 'baking tips' tab at the top of the page.