Category Archives: Baking

Vegan Raspberry and Chocolate Fudge Pie

So good and healthy, you could have it for breakfast lunch and dinner.

Full of protein, fibre, iron, vitamins and calcium. It’s Vegan, Sugar free and Gluten free.

The filling is made with Tofu which is has many health benefits, (you can’t taste Tofu, I promise) it lowers cholesterol and it promotes bone health, just to name a few.

The base is a crispy cookie like bottom, that is spread with a thin layer of +70% melted chocolate, to make sure the cookie crust stay crispy. Then a layer of fudgy chocolate cream and topped with a layer of light and fresh raspberry cream. So good. Then decorated with more berries and chocolate shavings.

Serves 8

Pre heat oven to 360° F

INGREDIENTS:

Bottom Layer:

3/4 C. Almonds, unsalted
3/4 C. gluten free Whole oats
a pinch of Himalayan salt
2 tbsp. Agave syrup
4 tbsp. coconut oil

Blend the ingredients in the food processor, until crumbly. Press into an 8″round cake tin covered with baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool on a rack

Chocolate layer:

2 oz. 78% dark chocolate broken into pieces. I use the one sweetened with coconut blossom sugar.

Melt in the microwave for a minute until melted.

Cover the cookie layer with the chocolate to create a barrier. This will keep the cookie crunchy. Let the chocolate set completely before adding the chocolate fudge layer

Chocolate fudge layer:

8.8 oz Firm tofu, drained and squeezed dry with a kitchen towel.
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
3 tbsp Agave syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
1 tbsp peanut butter.

Cut the tofu into small cubes and processor on very high until you have a smooth paste, add a few drops off water if it become too hard to blend.

Add the remaining ingredients. Set aside

Raspberry Layer:

1 C. Frozen raspberries
3/4 tsp Agar-Agar
3/4 C. Plain (soy or almond) Yoghurt
3 tbsp Agave syrup

Heat raspberries in a small saucepan, add the agar agar. Cook for 1 – 2 minutes. Set aside and let cool. Add the agave syrup. Add the yoghurt before it starts to set. Mix well.

To assemble, leave the ring around the cake tin. Spread the chocolate fudge layer over the chocolate layer. Let set in the fridge for half an hour. Next spread the raspberry layer over the fudge layer. Let set for a few more hours before decorating with more Raspberries or mixed fruit and chocolate curls and shavings.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

Black Bean Brownies

11 Replies

The thought of being able to eat Brownies, that aren’t fattening, that aren’t full of nasty sugars or flour makes me very, very happy. It took me quit a while to get used to the idea of cooking with black beans in a sweet way. I have tried and tested a lot of “healthy” versions of Brownies, variations including Zucchini, Beet or Avocado and this is the first recipe that actually resembles regular Brownies. In fact these are the only version my Daughter will eat without putting on a frown. They only take about half an hour to make in total and they freeze well too.

Pre-heat oven to 350° F

Ingredients:

1 1/2 C. cooked and drained Black Beans
3 Large eggs at room temperature
3 tbsp. Coconut oil
1/3 C. Cocoa powder
1/2 C. Coconut sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. Baking powder
a pinch of Himalayan salt
1/2 C. dark chocolate chips (optional)

For the frosting;

1/2 C. (raw ) cocoa powder
1/4 C. coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp. Maple syrup
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
a tiny pinch of Himalayan salt

Method;

Put the beans in a food processor and process until the beans are puréed. Add the eggs one at a time. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chocolate chips. Blitz until well mixed.

Pour into a 8″x 8″ baking tray lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking oil.

Sprinkle over the chocolate chips.

Bake for about 20-25 min. It should still be slightly soft in the middle when you shake the tray gently to test doneness. Remove from oven and transfer to a rack. Let cool completely before frosting.

For the frosting, just mix the ingredients in a bowl and spread over the brownies once the frosting has set.

Enjoy!

Myra XO

Spelt Bagels

Makes 10 Bagels

Ingredients

2 cups whole grain spelt flour
3 cups white spelt flour
2 tsp dried yeast
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 C. + 2 tbsp. lukewarm water
2 1/2 tbsp. Coconut sugar
2 tbsp. Olive oil
1 tbsp potato starch/flour
1 tbsp rice or date syrup, or coconut sugar
1 tbsp salt
Garnish to sprinkle on top. See comment below.

Method;

To make the dough combine the first 6 ingredients, and mix a little bit, then sprinkle in the salt and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. Divide the dough into 10 equal portions and form into small balls.

Form the bagels by pressing your thumb in the middle and create a hole.

Place the bagels on a baking tray covered with baking paper and cover with cling film. Allow them to rise for one hour at a warm room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 425° F / 220° C.

Mix the potato starch into a cup of cold water, then add to a large pot of water and add the remaining 1 tbsp. of syrup (or sugar) and salt . Bring to a rolling boil and then lower the heat so the water is just simmering. Drop the bagels, two or three at a time into the water.

After about one minute, turn them over and cook for another minute. Take them out using a slotted spoon and place them on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice*. Place the tray of bagels in the oven, lower the temperature to 400° F / 210° C degrees Celsius and bake for 25 minutes, until they start to brown. Take the out of the oven and let them cool on a rack. They freeze very well.

Toppings can be anything like Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Poppy seeds and the typical “Everything” Bagel, for which I have written the ingredients below.

Everything seasoning;

Makes about half a cup.

2 tbsp. Poppy seeds
2 tbsp.Sesame seeds
1 tbsp. dried onion powder
2 tsp. dried garlic powder
1 tsp. dried oregano (optional)
1 tsp. coarse sea salt

Enjoy!

Myra XO

Rye-Spelt bread

3 Replies

Being a bread lover, I’m always looking for new ways with bread that don’t include wheat. Not that I am gluten intolerant but I know that the wheat we consume today is a far cry from the original grain from 50 years ago. It has been terribly manipulated and now we are stuck with a grain that does more harm than good. It inflames our bodies, causes our guts to leak, and it triggers autoimmune diseases just to mention a few.

Nothing beats a home made bread and this way I know exactly what ingredients are used. It takes fairly little time once you get the hang of it, and I don’t add as much salt. If you do like the salty flavour you could add some nutritional yeast to the recipe together with the salt I use, which is usually half the amount you are used to. Do give it a try, it is so much healthier than store-bought bread.

INGREDIENTS:

2 C. Whole grain Rye flour
2 1/2 C. plain Spelt flour
2 tsp. instant yeast
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 C. luke warm water
1/2 C. leftover black coffee, at room temperature. Either regular or decaf.*
1 tbsp. cocoa powder*
1 tbsp. coconut sugar
1 egg beaten for glazing (omit for vegans)
1 tbsp. oat flakes for decorating
optional: 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast, add with flour.
Add ins: 1 tbsp. whole flax seed, poppy seeds, sunflower seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

In a mixer fitted with the hook attachment, mix the two flours, the yeast, the cocoa, the sugar, the water and the coffee. Add seeds if you want. Mix on low for about five minutes, then add the salt. Now knead on medium speed for about ten minutes. Remove the dough, form a ball and put it to rest in an other bowl sprayed with some oil and cover with a damp cloth or some cling film. Leave to rise for two hours.

Now take the dough out of the bowl and spray the kneading surface with cooking spray. Knead briefly until it has a smooth even consistency (this will only take several turns of the dough to accomplish). Place in greased loaf pan, brush with beaten egg and sprinkle over the oats. Let rise in warm place until doubled. Bake at 375ºF for 25-30 minutes. To check if it’s ready tap on the bread, it should sound hollow.

*The coffee and cocoa may sound odd in a bread recipe, you don’t really taste either one much, it just gives it a nice color and the cocoa does give it a velvety texture. You’ll see.