Apricot & Coconut Bliss Balls (GF) (LF)

Bliss Balls are the easiest lactose-free, dairy-free, gluten-free morsels of deliciousness with no added refined sugar you can make. These ones are of the apricot and coconut kind and one of my favourites. Just pop the ingredients in a food processor, blitz, roll into balls and after 30 minutes in the fridge, BOOM! BLISS BALLS!

Apricot & Coconut Bliss Balls

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup almond meal
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp honey


METHOD:

Put all the ingredients into a food processor.
Pulse until well blended and mixture comes together.
Add a little water (tablespoonfuls at a time) if mixture looks to dry.
Roll into bite-sized balls.
Refrigerate for 30 mins.
Serve.

Enjoy!

Profiteroles (GF) (LF)

Profiteroles are always a delicious favourite. These are gluten-free and filled with dairy-free creme patisserie, topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate, strawberry coulis and served with a side of strawberries... how can you go wrong? I made these for dessert when I visited my brother and sister-in-law for dinner and they loved them. As an experiment I made pear creme patisserie and filled a few with that for a more indulgent treat.

Profiteroles

 
INGREDIENTS:
Profiteroles:
55g margarine
70g rice flour
125ml water
2 eggs

Soy Creme Patisserie:
450ml soy milk
55g caster sugar
55g cornflour
2 eggs


METHOD:
For the creme patisserie:
Whisk all ingredients in a pan and cook over a medium heat until thick.
Remove from heat and cover with non-stick baking paper.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make pear creme patisserie:
Stew 3 pears until soft, puree and add to creme patisserie with 1/4 cup of softly whipped cream.

Creme Patisserie, Pear Puree and Cream

 For the Profiteroles:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
Heat water and margarine for profiteroles in a pan.
Once boiling, remove from heat.
Add flour and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the side of the pan.

Profiterole Mix - Ready for eggs to be added

Beat eggs in one at a time.

Profiterole Mix - Just after 2 eggs have been added

 Continue beating until mix is smooth and shiny.
Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe rounds onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

Profiteroles - Just out of the oven

When ready, remove profiteroles from oven and quickly pierce the base of them with a cross.

Profiterole - Cross in the base

Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Once cooled fill the profiteroles with the creme patisserie.
Serve with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of melted chocolate and strawberry coulis.

Enjoy!


Tips and tricks:
- Just omit the cream if you want to make dairy-free creme patisserie

Creme Patisserie and Pear Puree

 - Leave about 5cm between each piped profiterole to give them room to expand
- If you're after a rustic look, just drop tablespoonfuls of mix onto the tray rather than piping
- The cross in the base after cooking the profiteroles is to allow steam to escape, preventing them from going soggy so you can just stab a hole in the side if you aren't too worried about presentation.

Lemon Cupcakes (LF) (GF)

Lemon cupcakes are refreshingly delicious. Full of lemon zesty goodness, lactose free for my wonderful "guinea pig" (partner) as well as amazingly soft and springy for a gluten free cake recipe. I topped these with a basic lemon icing recipe; something I'm not used to making so please excuse the poorly made/applied icing - it's not my best effort but it did not affect the taste.

Lemon Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

For the cupcakes:
89g rice flour
67g maize cornflour
28g almond meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
150g sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
80 ml canola oil
200 ml soy milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced

For the icing:
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 cups icing sugar
1 drop of yellow food colouring

METHOD:

Turn on oven to bake at 180 degrees celcius.

In a bowl mix together rice flour, cornflour, almond meal, xanthan gum, sugar and baking soda.

Mix together the eggs, soy milk, oil, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Add wet ingredients mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Line and fill a 12 pan cupcake tin so each is 3/4 full of mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

To make icing, mix together lemon juice, food colouring and icing sugar until nice and smooth.

Add more icing sugar if required to get a spreading consistency.

Add lemon zest to icing mixture.

Once cupcakes are cooled, spread icing onto cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake (LF) (GF)

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake is just yum! I made it for my birthday cake this year and of course it's dairy-free and lactose-free so my awesome partner could help me devour it. As a bonus it's also gluten-free! Here I served it with dairy-free creme patissiere, berry coulis, strawberries and a sprig of mint. Amazingly simple and quick to make, it even kept moist for 3 days. I can't wait for an excuse to make another.

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake

 

INGREDIENTS:

190g rice flour
145g maize cornflour
60g almond meal
1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
380g sugar
80g cocoa powder
3 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
500ml cold water
150ml coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

METHOD:

Turn on oven to bake at 180 degrees celcius.

Line two 24cm x 15 cm loaf tins with non-stick cooking paper.

In a bowl mix together rice flour, cornflour, almond meal, xanthan gum, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the vanilla essence, water, coconut oil and vinegar. Mix well.

Pour mixture evenly into loaf tins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Serve with Creme patissiere, strawberries and berry coulis.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts (LF)

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts are little morsels of awesomeness! Topped with epic vegan raspberry jelly and filled with dairy free chocolate mousse you just have to go back for one more. Substitute the sweet short crust pastry (base) with a vegan alternative such as the base from my Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe to make this an amazing vegan dessert.

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts

INGREDIENTS:

For Base:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
10 tbsp dairy-free margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp water
2 egg yolks

For Filling:
350g silken tofu
350g vegan chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla essence

For Raspberry Jelly:
1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup water
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp agar agar powder

METHOD:

Turn on oven to bake at 180 degrees celcius

For Base:
Put flour, salt and sugar into a bowl.
Add margarine and rub until mixture is like breadcrumbs.
Add vanilla, water and egg yolks.
Mix together and knead into a soft smooth ball of dough.
Place in fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Roll out pastry to about 2-3mm thickness.
Cut circles out of the pastry to line the holes in a mini-muffin tray.
Bake blind for 8 minutes. Remove baking blind material and bake for 1 minute.
Remove from oven tray and set aside to cool.
Continue to bake pastry cups until pastry is used up.

For Filling:
Place tofu and vanilla essence into a blender or food processor.
Over a double boiler, melt chocolate.
Add melted chocolate to blender and quickly start whizzing the mixture until smooth.
Spoon into the cooled bases.

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

For the Jelly:
Put raspberries and water into a small saucepan.
Mash the raspberries into the water with a fork.
Add the sugar and bring to the boil.
Add agar agar powder and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place a non-stick silicon mat into a large flat bottomed tray (such as a swiss roll tin).
Pour raspberry jelly mixture onto mat and refrigerate overnight or until set.
Cut small shapes from the jelly and layer over the set chocolate tarts - I used a square cutter and two jelly layers to give the tarts some height.

Makes 48 bite-sized tarts.

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.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Cupcakes (GF) (LF)

Vanilla cupcakes - yum! Classic sweetie goodness. Bonus with these ones is they're gluten free and lactose free yet still very soft, fluffy and delicious. I made a batch to celebrate a friend's birthday only to have to make another so I could blog them here.

Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
130g margarine
130g caster sugar
125g rice flour
1tsp xantham gum
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
2tsp baking powder

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy and pale.
Mix flour with xantham gum and baking powder.
Fold half the flour and one egg in to the margarine/sugar mixture.
Fold remaining egg and flour into the mixture.
Fold in vanilla essence.
Line a cupcake tin with patty cases.
Fill cases 3/4 full and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove when golden or an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.

For vanilla icing:
Cream 100g margarine with 100g icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in 1tsp vanilla. (Add 50g sifted cocoa if chocolate icing required).
Spread over cooled cupcakes.

Enjoy!

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Genoise with Raspberries & Cream (LF)

Genoise filled with rasperries and cream is a delicious dessert. It's lactose-free and awesomely delicious. Genoise is just a fancy sponge so have a go, make one and try it for yourself!

Genoise with Raspberries & Cream

INGREDIENTS:
For the genoise:
40g margarine, melted
4 size 6 eggs
125g caster sugar
125g flour
1tsp vanilla essence
zest of 1 lemon
400g raspberries


For soy creme patissiere
450ml soy milk
55g caster sugar
55g cornflour
3 size 6 eggs

METHOD:

For the creme patissiere:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan and heat over a medium heat until thick.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with baking paper to prevent a skim forming then place in the fridge to cool.
Once cold, fold in 75g raspberries.

For genoise:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Gease a 20cm springform pan or 4 mini springform pans
In a heatproof bowl over a pot of boiling water, whick together eggs and sugar.
Keep whisking until mixture expand to 5 times in volume and the whisk leaves a trail when lifted.
Remove from the heat and whisk for another minute.
Fold in sifted flour, vanilla, lemon zest and melted margarine into mixture
Put mixture into cake tin(s).
Bake for 25 minutes until top is springy and light golden brown. A skewer should come out clean.
Leave cake to cool in tin for 5 minutes then turn out onto a wire rack.
When cake is cold, cut horizontally to give three layers of cake.
Place bottom layer on a serving plate; spread a layer of creme patissiere on top.
Repeat layering then decorate with fresh raspberries and a dusting of icing sugar.

Enjoy!

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Strawberry Millefeuilles (LF)

Strawberry Millefeuilles is a rich and filling dessert despite its deceptive light and airy appearance. By making creme patissiere using soy milk and using cheap margarine based store bought flakey pastry this is a super treat for my lactose-intolerant partner that's really easy to make. The strawberries can be replaced with other fresh berries such as raspberries or blueberries and whipped cream can be used in place of creme patissiere for an impressive looking quick dessert.

Strawberry Millefeuilles

INGREDIENTS:

3 sheets flakey pastry
400g strawberries

For soy creme patissiere
450ml soy milk
55g caster sugar
55g cornflour
3 size 6 eggs

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Place a sheet of flakey pastry on a lined baking tray.
Place a wire rack on top of the pastry.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until just brown.
Flip the sheet of pastry and bake for another 10 minutes until both sides are browned.
Remove from oven and transfer to a chopping board.
Repeat for the remaining 2 sheets of flakey pastry.

For the creme patissiere:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan and heat over a medium heat until thick.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with baking paper to prevent a skim forming then place int eh fridge to cool.

To assemble the Millefeuiles:
Spread half the creme patissiere over one sheet of flakey pastry.
Sprinkle with half the strawberries.
Repeat with another layer of pastry, creme patissiere then strawberries.
Place the last sheet of pastry on top and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Keep chilled for up to 6 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

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Bakewell Tart (LF)

Bakewell Tart is an english classic with a frangipane-like filling encased in buttery pastry. It's been a long time between desserts and when we were invited to a flat warming over the christmas holidays I just couldn't resist the urge to bake something. This is despite being in the middle of moving house with all my bakeware packed away in boxes!!! I ended up making one large tart for the masses as well as two smaller lactose free versions (pictured) for my partner. The following recipe can be made lactose free by substituting the butter for margarine.

Bakewell Tart

INGREDIENTS:

For the pastry:
2/3 cup flour
10 tbsp butter
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp cold water


For the filling:
125g butter
125g caster sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp almond extract
125g ground almonds
150g raspberry jam
25g flaked almonds


METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

For the pastry:
Put flour, salt,butter and sugar into a bowl.
Rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Mix in egg yolk, vanilla essence and water.
Knead together to form a soft dough.
Wrap in pastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 15 minutes.
Roll out to about 3 mm thick and use to line a 20 cm loose bottom tart tin.
Bake blind for 15 minutes.
Remove baking blind material and bake for a further 2 minutes.

For the filling:
Cream butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs abd almond extract.
Fold in ground almonds. Should be a thick paste.

For the tart:
Spread jam over the base of the tart.
Spread filling over the top.
Top off with flaked almonds
Bake for 40 minutes or until golden.
Remove from oven and allow to cool.
Remove from tin and dust with icing sugar.



Serve with custard, cream and fresh fruit.

Enjoy!

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Raspberry Frangipane Tart (Possible LF)

Raspberry Frangipane Tart is sweet, tart and full of fruit. I made this one for a dinner party as the dessert after a delicious roast chicken; it went down well. I even made separate mini lactose-free ones for my partner - to do the same replace the butter with margarine and milk with soy milk and it tastes just as fantastic!

Raspberry Frangipane Tart

INGREDIENTS:

For the pastry:
125g sugar
155g butter
40mL milk
270g flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp salt


For the filling:
180g butter, softened
180g icing sugar
180g ground almonds
70g flour
1 size 6 egg

For the tart:
300g frozen raspberries, thawed
1/2 cup apricot jam

METHOD:
For the pastry:
Beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy.
Add milk, flour, baking powder and salt and mix until combined.
Wrap in pastic wrap and refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling:
Beat butter, icing sugar, almonds and flour until well combined.
Add the egg and mix until combined.
Set aside.
Gently simmer the apricot jam with 4 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

For the tart:
Preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius.
Roll out pastry to 4mm thick and line a 24 cm loose-bottom tart tin.
Spread filling into pastry.
Place raspberries evenly over the top of the filling.
Bake for 25 minutes or until golden.
Allow to cool before removing tart from its tin.
Glaze with apricot jam mixture.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and berries.

Enjoy!

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Lemon Polenta Cake (LF) (GF)

Lemon Polenta Cake is Gluten free and lactose free aswell as moist and delicious. Containing a bunch of lemon zest and being soaked in lemon syrup this is definitely packed full of natural lemon essence. I'm not usually a big fan of the testure polenta creates but the addition of almond meal seemed to have made for quite a nice surprise; just make sure the cornmeal you use is not too coarse otherwise you'll be enduring bits of grain stuck in your teeth!

Lemon Polenta Cake

INGREDIENTS:

175g margarine
175g caster sugar
3 size 6 eggs, beaten
75g coarse cornmeal
175g almond meal
zest of 2 lemons, finely grated
1tsp gluten-free baking powder

25g caster sugar
2 lemons, juiced

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius.
Grease and line a 23cm springform loose botton cake tin.
Cream margarine and first measure of sugar together.
Whisk in eggs a little at a time.
Fold in polenta and almond meal.
Fold in lemon zest and baking powder.
Spoon mixture into prepared tin and smooth off the surface.
Bake cake for 50-60 minutes until springy and a skewer comes out clean.
Leave in tin for a few minutes before placing onto a wire rack - baked side up.
Heat lemon juice and second measure of sugar in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
Poke holes in the top of the cake whilst warm.
Pour hot lemon syrup over the top surface of the cake, a little at a time. Waiting for the syrup to soak into the cake before adding more.
Once cooled serve at room temperature with a sprinkle of lemon zest and if you like it, a spoonful of cream.

Enjoy!

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Feijoa, Ginger, Walnut & Pistachio Cake (possible LF)

Feijoa, Ginger, Walnut & Pistachio Cake is just pure moist yumminess. I recieved 8 kilos of feijoas from my mum one day and I figured this looked like a delicious way of getting rid of a fair few of them. With feijoa pulp and cream cheese filling between layers of delicious cake with the wonderful surprise and texture of a pistachio and walnuts every now and then, I don't think you can go wrong with this cake - unless you're not a fan of feijoas of course. I even made a mini lactose free version for my partner - see note at bottom for lactose-free icing option which will make this recipe lactose free :).

Feijoa, Ginger, Walnut & Pistachio Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For the Cake

450 g flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
440g caster sugar
4 eggs
500ml soybean oil
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups mashed feijoa pulp
450g can crushed pineapple, drained
100g Walnuts, chopped
50g Pistachio nuts, chopped

For the Filling

2 cups feijoa pulp, mashed
60g caster sugar
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 lemon, zested

For the Icing

200g softened butter
500g softened cream cheese
1 lemon zested
3 tsp grated fresh ginger
225g icing sugar

METHOD:

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Grease and line 23cm loose bottom cake tin with non-stick baking paper.
Sift flour, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
In another bowl beat together sugar, eggs, oil, cinnamon and ginger until well combined.
Stir through feijoa pulp.
Slowly add the dry sifted ingredients and beat until mixture has a smooth consistency.
Fold through pineapple and nuts.
Pour into prepared cake tin and bake for 80-90 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
After an hour of baking, cover with foil to stop the top from burning.
Once cooked through, remove from oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack.

For Filling:
Place, feijoa pulp, sugar, ginger and lemon zest into a medium saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
Once boiling reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Set aside to cool.

For Icing:
Beat butter, cream cheese, lemon zest and ginger until creamy.
Add icing sugar and beat until smooth.

To Assemble:
Once cake is cooled, slice horizontally to give 3 even layers of cake.
Place one layer of cake on a cake plate and spread one third of the icing over it. Then spread half the feijoa filling over the icing.
Place a second layer of cake on top and spread with icing and filling layers.
Place third layer of cake on top and cover with remaining icing.
 
Slice and serve on its own or with sliced feijoas and chopped nuts.

Note -  to make this lactose free, beat together 225g icing sugar with 225g margarine until smooth and creamy then use it in place of the icing recipe given above.

Enjoy!

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French Apple Tart Recipe (GF) (LF)

French apple tart is fantastic with the two different types of apple I used; one stewed, the other sliced and caramelised on top...yum! I made a full-sized tart yet I only got two slices?? I think I might have to make another very soon :). Goes wonderfully with a dollop of cream or a spoonful of vanilla ice cream.

French Apple Tart

INGREDIENTS:
140g rice flour
140g cornflour (maize)
140g margarine
55g caster sugar
pinch salt
1 size 7 egg
4 Rose apples
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 cup sultanas
1/2 tbsp cornflour (maize)
3 Granny smith apples
Juice of one lemon
1/3 cup apricot jam

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Mix flours, margarine, sugar, salt and egg together in a kitchen mixer (I have a Breville scraper mixer). Using the mixer blade, beat until a ball of dough forms.
Press pastry into a geased and floured 28 cm loose-bottom tart tin. Using your hands allows you to get the pastry into all the flutes of the tin.
Prick the base with a fork and bake blind for 5 minutes. Remove from oven, remove baking blind material and set aside.
Peel and dice the Rose apples into 1cm cubes.
Put diced apples into a saucepan with cinnamon and sultanas. Stew the apples on a medium heat until they are soft and have released lots of juices.
In a small cup, mix together second measure of cornflour with 4 tbsp of cold water. Mix into the stewing apples. Leave on the heat for 2 minutes, before setting aside to cool.
Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice the granny smith apples, covering them in lemon juice to prevent browning.
To assemble the pie, spoon the stewed apples into the pastry base then top with the sliced apples, taking care to arrange them into a spiral pattern with the slices overlapping.
Bake for 45 minute or until the apples are browned and tender.
Remove from oven, but keep in the tin until cooled down.
Heat apricot jam until runny, then spread over the tart to give it a nice glaze.
Once the tart is cooled, remove it from the tin.
Slice then eat.

Enjoy!

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Pecan Marsala Cake Recipe (GF) (LF)

Pecan Marsala Cake is a decadent 'grown-up' cake that I made for a dinner with a couple of friends; one of which is gluten intolerant, the other lactose intolerant - both seemed to enjoy this for dessert. Probably because this soft and moist cake comes with the comforting aromatics of Marsala. It is right at home as part of  afternoon tea or as treat with a cup of good coffee.

Pecan Marsala Cake

INGREDIENTS:

For Cake:
4 eggs, separated
1 egg white
140g caster sugar
200g pecans, chopped
4 heaped tbsp (GF) breadcrumbs
1/2 heaped tsp cream of tartar

For Icing:
225g margarine
255g icing sugar
10mL Marsala

Pecan halves and cocoa powder to decorate.

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius
Beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluffy.
Add nuts and breadcrumbs then mix briefly.
In another bowl, beat the 5 egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff.
Fold 2 tablespoons of egg whites into pecan mixture then gently fold in the rest.
Spoon into a 20cm, greased and lined, springform tin.
Bake for 35 minutes.
Leave to cool in tin for 20 miuntes, then turn out and remove lining.
Allow to cool on a cake rack
Beat margarine and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Add Marsala, a little at a time.
Slice cake horizontally and when cold, sandwich together with about a third of the icing.
Cover top and sides of cake with icing.
Decorate cake with pecan halves and a dusting of cocoa powder

Hints:
- Do not add too much or over beat when adding Marsala or the icing may separate.
- Can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator until required. 
- Can add up to 75mL of Marsala to the icing if you want a more 'adult' cake.


Enjoy!

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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!

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!

Just desserts here 

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 

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe (LF)

Chocolate cupcakes are just perfect for afternoon tea or as a treat when feeling a little peckish. These are made with lactose-free dark chocolate and lactose-free margarine then topped off with sprinkles and dairy-free chocolate butter cream icing (the recipe for which can be found here). Making them a special treat for my lactose intolerant partner.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Sprinkles and Dairy-Free Butter Cream Icing

INGREDIENTS:

150g margarine
200g dark chocolate (lactose-free)
185g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
285g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
185ml water
Dairy-free Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

METHOD:

Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl; set aside.
In a heat proof bowl, add margarine and chocolate.
Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
Stir the mixture constantly until melted.
Combine margarine and chocolate mixture with sugar, eggs and water. Mix well.
Add chocolate mixture to flour and cocoa.
Stir until well combined.
Heat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Line 20 standard muffin holes with paper cases.
Divide mixture evenly among the cases.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Transfer onto a wire rack.

Once cooled, ice with butter cream icing and top off with sprinkles or chocolate hail.

Makes 20.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here