Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe (GF) (LF)

Chocolate Mousse Cake is yummy but a bit different. Similar in texture to cheesecake, you'll love this one if you're lactose-intolerant. Again, amazingly it's also gluten-free and vegan - no animal products here. I used 4 mini-springform pans here but a single 20-24cm springform pan can be used. 

Chocolate Mousse Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For Base:
2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup ground toasted pecans
1/2 cup almond meal
4 tbsp melted margarine
1/2 tsp baking soda

For Filling:
1 pkt (~320g) silken tofu
2 cups (~340g) vegan chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla essence

For Garnish:
Berries such as blueberries, raspberries, boysenberries etc

METHOD:

For Base:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Lightly oil 4 mini-springform pans [or a single 20-24cm springform pan]
Combine almond and pecan ingredients into a bowl.
Mix in baking soda.
Stir in melted margarine.
Press into springform pan(s) using the back of a spoon.

Pressing in the base...

Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and leave to cool.

For Filling:
Place tofu and vanilla essence into a blender (or food processor with an 's' blade).
Over a double boiler, melt chocolate.
Add melted chocolate to blender and quickly start whizzing the mixture until smooth.
Spoon into cooled bases in the springform pans and level off with a spatula.

Adding the Filling

Place into fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.

All filled, levelled off and now in the fridge to set

To remove, gently warm the outside of the tin before removing outer ring of the pan.
Serve with a mixture of berries.

Quick Tips:
- I don't have a double boiler so to melt the chocolate I use a glass or metal bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water - just need to be careful of the steam, I often wear an oven glove on the hand holding the bowl.
 - You can also use a microwave to melt the chocolate by microwaving in stints of no more than 20 seconds at a time (often much less once heated through), stirring in between each stint.
 - Make sure you start whizzing the filling mixture as soon as the melted chocolate has been added because the chocolate will start cooling and solidifying as soon as you add it.
- If you don't have berries, fresh oranges can be used; this is more than just garnish, it helps to cut through the richness of the chocolate filling by giving a refreshing fruity burst.

Enjoy!

Lime Meringue Pie Recipe (LF)

Lime Meringue Pie is a tangy take on my most commonly baked dessert, lemon meringue pie. This time it's not just lactose-free....with the help of  Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero's "Vegan Pie in the Sky" pg 100 it's vegan too. Even the whipping on the top is vegan! This is essentially Isa and Terry's recipe with a few tweaks to suit my fancy.

Lime Meringue Pie with Vegan Whipping!

INGREDIENTS:

For Crust:
1 3/4 cup vegan biscuit crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp melted margarine
1 tbsy almond milk

For Filling:
1 1/2 cups almond milk
2 tbsy tapioca flour
1 1/2 tsp agar powder
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup lime juice
1 tbsp grated lime zest
1 tsp vanilla extract

For Garnish:
Vegan Whipping (click here for recipe)

METHOD:


For Crust:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Combine biscuit crumbs and sugar in a bowl. Drizzle in melted margarine.
Use a spoon to mix around then add almond milk and stir to form a crumbly dough.
Press into a 22cm pie plate.
Bake for 8-10 minutes until firm.
Cool before adding filling

For Filling:
Mix together almond milk, tapioca flour and agar powder in a saucepan. Boil and stir constantly for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
Very slowly whisk in coconut milk.
Add sugar, lime juice and zest.
Whisk often for about 10 minutes then turn off heat and add vanilla extract.
Pour into pie shell.
Allow to cool for about half an hour then refrigerate for at least 3 hours until set.

Garnish with Vegan Whipping.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here

Vegan Whipping Recipe (LF)

Vegan Whipping is an alternative to cream so those dessert loving vegans or lactose intolerant people can have whipping too. Aside from a few tweaks this is essentially a recipe taken out of Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero's "Vegan Pie in the Sky." I figure this proves that that the recipe is possible - it's quite unusual.

Vegan Whipping - It's Vegan!

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup natural cashews, soaked overnight
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 cup almond milk
3/4 tsp agar powder
3 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

METHOD:
Place a large metal bowl in the freezer.
Drain cashews and blend in food processor or strong blender with the coconut milk and 1/2 cup almond milk until completely smooth, rub the mixture between your fingers to ensure no graininess is left.
Heat the remaining almond milk, agar powder and sugar in a small saucepan.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Make sure blender is ready...
Add the coconut oil to the saucepan and stir to melt.
Stream the warm mixture into the blender or food processor whilst blending.
Blend for about a minute on high then add vanilla extract and pulse to mix.
Transfer mixture to chilled metal bowl.
Place in freezer for about 30 minutes to get it very cold but not frozen.
Remove from freezer - it should be cold all the way through, rubbery looking and firm.
Beat well using a hand mixer until peaks form and the mixture is smooth and fluffy.
Cover tightly with cling film and place in freezer for at least 3 hours - the longer it is left the fliffier it gets so best results achieved if left overnight.
Remove from freezer and beat again with the hand mixer.
Use it to garnish yummy pies like lime meringue pie (which is also vegan!)

Can be kept stored in a tightly sealed container for up to 5 days.

Enjoy!

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Tarte Fine Au Citron (Lemon Tart) Recipe

Tarte Fine Au Citron or lemon tart is a classic french dessert. Using my favourite pastry, Pate Sablee, the result is a smooth lemon filling inside a light but tasty tart case. As a variation, a meringue top can be added.

Tarte Fine Au Citron (Lemon Tart)

INGREDIENTS:
350g Pate Sablee (recipe can be found here)
5 eggs
180g caster sugar
150ml cream
zest and juice of 2 lemons
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tsp milk, for glazing

METHOD:
Roll pastry out to 3-4 mm thick.
Line a lightly buttered, 22cm tart tin or 4 x tartlet tins with the pastry.
Refridgerate for 20 minutes.
Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius.
Lightly whisk eggs and sugar in a chilled bowl - do not let the mixture turn pale.
Add lemon zest and juice. Stir briefly then cover with cling film and refridgerate.
Bake 'blind' the pastry for 15 minutes.
Remove baking blind material and leave for a couple of minutes then brush the base and sides with egg glaze.
Bake for 5 minutes; remove from oven then turn temperature down to 150 degrees celcius.
Lightly whish chilled lemon mixture.
Pour into tart case(s).
Bake immediately for 1 hour until lightly set.
Leave for 5 minutes before carefully removing the tart(s) from the tin.
Leave to cool on wire rack for at least 4 hours before serving.


TIPS:
- Serve the tart as is, sprinkled with icing sugar and/or accompanied by berries.
- After an hour of baking, a meringue top can be added then baked until lightly golden.
- The tart improves with time and can be made a day in advance but keep it in a cool place and not in the fridge to prevent the pastry from going soggy.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here 

Chocolate Fudge Cookies Recipe (LF)

Chocolate Fudge Cookies are soft, chewy and delicous! Perfect to satisfy most sweet tooths. With dried fruit bits and chocolate chunks every mouthful contains a pleasant surprise. Bonus is, this recipe can be made lactose-free by ensuring lactose-free chocolate and margarine are used. Make them and eat them fast because they definitely won't last!

Chocolate Fudge Cookie Stack!

INGREDIENTS:
125g margarine
1 tsp vanilla essence
275g brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup flour
1/4 cup self-raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
30g cocoa powder
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup diced dried apricots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup dark chocolate melts

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
Beat margarine, sugar, vanilla and egg in a bowl until smooth
Sift flours, baking soda and cocoa into the mixture.
Stir mixture together then add fruit and chocolate.
Put round spoonfuls of mixture onto the trays about 4cm apart; gently pressing each one flat.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Stand cookies for 5 minutes to cool before transfering to a wire rack to cool completely.


TIPS:
 - Try to leave ample space around each cookie when placed onto the tray because as they cook in the oven, they will spread out quite generously.
- It is quite a sticky mixture and can be difficult to drop portions onto the trays. I use two tablespoons, one to scoop and drop and the other to scrap it off.

Enjoy!

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Apricot, Sour Cream & Coconut Cupcakes Recipe

Apricot, Sour Cream and Coconut Cupcakes are soft, sweet and absolutely delicous. When covered with an apricot jam glaze they are quite appealing to the eye too. Just take care to ensure they are fully cooled before storing them in an airtight container to prevent them from collapsing.

Apricot, Sour Cream and Coconut Cupcakes - with Apricot Jam Glaze

INGREDIENTS:
220g self-raising flour
45g desiccated coconut
125g butter
230g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250mL apricot nectar
125g sour cream
1 tin apricot halves in juice (or 20 apricot halves)
80g apricot jam

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius and line muffin tin with paper cases
Sift flour into abowl
Add coconut.
Melt butter and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat
Whisk egg, apricot nectar aand sour cream in a small bowl.
Add butter and egg mixtures to floue mixture.
Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
Spoon mixture into muffin cases, placing an apricot half, cut side up, on top of each.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
Transfer to wire rack to cool.
Heat jamm in a small saucepan until melted. Brush a little jam over each cupcake.

Makes 20

Enjoy!

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Chocolate Walnut Cake Recipe (LF) (GF)

Chocolate Walnut Cake is soft, moist, crumbly and delicious. Full of chocolate bits, walnut pieces and covered in rich chocolate icing, this cake is indulgent yet surprisingly light. With the omission of standard flour in favour of rice flour and almond meal, this recipe is gluten-free as well as lactose-free. Just be sure to use gluten-free and lactose-free dark chocolate.

Chocolate Walnut Cake

INGREDIENTS:

140g margarine
140g caster sugar
85g dark chocolate (lactose-free, gluten-free), coarsely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
30g ground almonds
pinch of salt
100g rice flour
1 heaped teaspoon of baking powder
115g walnuts, roughly chopped
1tbsp strong black coffee

Icing Ingredients:
100g dark chocolate (lactose-free, gluten-free)
30g margarine
Walnut halves


METHOD:

Preheat oven 180 degrees celcius.
Cream margarine and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Slowly add eggs, flour, almonds and salt. Mix briefly.
Fold in baking powder, chopped chocolate, chopped walnuts and coffee.
Spoon mix into a greased and lined 20cm square or round springform pan.
Bake for 30 minutes or until firm to touch.
Cool inside tin for 15 minutes. Then lift out, remove the base with lining and put onto wire rack until cold.
Peel off lining.
Melt chocolate for icing with margarine in a bowl in the microwave. Stir until smooth.
Spread icing over cake and top off with walnuts placed around the edge.
Cut and place in airtight container until required

Enjoy!

Just desserts here