Turkish Delight Kombucha Jellies

I wanted to do something different with my kombucha, and after the link I posted on my Facebook page this morning to a raw Turkish Delight cheesecake, I thought it would be a good idea to make some kombucha jellies and coat them in chocolate!  You could muck around with the liquid part of the jelly - you could add some fruit juice to make the jelly a bit sweeter, but personally I like the jellies quite tart thanks to the kombucha, and I find that the sweetness from the choc coating contrasts the jelly centre really effectively.  The next test will be to see whether or not my kids will like them!

Ingredients (makes 16 squares):

Jelly:
- 2 tbsp gelatine (I used Great Lakes brand)
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 1 1/4 cups kombucha (I used homemade strawberry kombucha)
- 1 tbsp rosewater

Chocolate:
- 3/4 cup cacao butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup cacao powder (reduce this amount if you don't like your chocolate as bitter as I do!)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla

Method:

1.  Dissolve the gelatine in the hot water and allow to cool slightly.

2.  In a large bowl, add the kombucha and then gradually pour in the gelatine liquid as you whisk the mixture together.  Whisk in the rosewater.

3.  Pour the jelly mixture into a square cake tin lined with baking paper.  Allow to set in the fridge.

4.  Make the chocolate by melting the cacao butter and coconut oil on a low heat, while stirring.  Whisk in the remaining ingredients until smooth.

5.  Allow the chocolate mixture to cool slightly while you take the jelly out of the fridge and cut it into 16 squares.

6.  Dip the jelly squares, one by one, into the chocolate, and then put them onto a large tray lined with baking paper.  Allow to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.  Enjoy!

Strawberry & Chocolate Cupcakes

I always go out of my way to ensure that our fridge is fully stocked with a variety of wholefoods because one of my kids (yes, only one of my 2, much to my frustration) loves to have a large variety of fruit and veg in her diet.  So I may or may not have gone a bit overboard with buying berries in the past week.  With a large stash of strawberries, I decided to cook something lunchbox friendly with some of them!

Ingredients (makes 12):
- 1 cup light spelt flour
- 1/2 cup whole spelt flour
- 1/2 cup rapadura
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup coconut oil
- 1 free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 cup choc chips
- 100g strawberries, hulled and sliced
- 2 tsp baking powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a 12 hole cupcake pan with cupcake cases.

2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cacao powder, milk, coconut oil, egg and vanilla.  Stir to combine.

3.  Fold in the remaining ingredients.

4.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Lemon & Almond Balls

My my, it has been a long time since I have blogged!  Life has just been so busy so far in the second half of this year thanks to my studies and life in general.  On a positive note though, at the end of this year, I will officially be halfway through my degree! It's been a big 4 years so far and I'm hoping it will take a lot less time to finish the second half.  Anyway, in between studying for an exam last week, I made a batch of these yummy treats.  A healthy snack to have in the fridge for when I need it!

Ingredients (makes 16 balls):

- 1 cup almond meal

- 1/2 cup activated mixed nuts

- 1 tsp chia seeds

- Zest from half a lemon

- Juice from 1/4 lemon

- 2 Medjool dates, pitted

- 1 tbsp coconut oil 

- 1tsp vanilla essence

- Organic desiccated coconut for rolling 

Method:

Add all ingredients to a food processor or Thermomix and pulse a few times until the mixture starts to come together and the contents are well chopped.  Roll into balls and then roll in coconut.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  

Chocolate & Vanilla Swirl Berry Delight Cake

If you've been following my Facebook page, you may have seen me post about Matilda, the travelling swirly pan from the Aussie Peoplehood of the Travelling Swirly Pan.  Matilda makes its way to a new Australian home every fortnight.  Currently it's my turn to bake in Matilda and I made this gorgeous cake in it.  If you would like to be part of the baking action, head over to this page for more info or to sign up!   In the meantime, check out my latest blog post.

Ingredients:
Cake:
- 3.5 cups unbleached spelt flour
- 3/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 free range eggs
- 400ml coconut cream
- 50g butter, melted
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 1/3 cup cacao powder

Icing - whipped coconut cream:
- 2 x 400ml tins coconut cream, refrigerated for a few hours
- 2 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence

Strawberry sauce:
- 1 punnet of strawberries, washed and hulled
- 1 tbsp maple syrup

Garnish:
- Fresh mixed berries
- Toasted organic coconut flakes

Method:

1.  Make the cake.  Preheat oven to 160 degrees.  Grease the cake tin with butter and dust with spelt flour.  Set aside the prepared cake tin.  In a large bowl, whisk together until well combined the spelt flour, rapadura, baking powder, eggs, coconut cream, butter and vanilla.  Pour half the cake batter into another bowl.  Add cacao powder to one of the bowls and whisk to combine.  Pour small amounts of the cake batter, alternating between the 2 batters, into the prepared cake tin.  Swirl the batter with a skewer or knife.  Pop into the oven for around 20-25 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when pressed lightly on top.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes before turning out and allowing to cool completely.

2.  Make strawberry sauce by processing strawberries and maple syrup until a smooth consistency.  I did this in the Thermomix for about 40sec/sp4-5.  Rinse Thermo bowl. 

3.  Make whipped coconut cream.  With an electric beater (or Thermomix, with the butterfly attachment), add all the coconut cream icing ingredients and whip until the mixture thickens (approx 1min/sp4 in Thermomix).

4.  Ice the cake with the coconut cream and strawberry sauce, then garnish with berries and toasted coconut. 

Lemon Cheesecake Bites

Well I'm still looking for a house in Brisbane while we stay with family so most of my pantry essentials are still in storage - in case anyone is wondering why I've been missing in action!  Anyway, this afternoon just seemed like a good afternoon for blogging so here goes.

Ingredients (makes 10):
* I used 10 cupcake sized silicone moulds
Base:
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup cashews
- 1/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla essence

Filling:
- 450g quark cheese
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp pure cream
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp coconut oil 
- 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1.  In a food processor or Thermomix, add all the base ingredients.  Process for a few seconds or until finely chopped (6sec/sp5 in Thermomix).
  
2.  Divide evenly amongst the 10 silicone moulds and press down.  Put into the fridge while you make the filling. 

3.  To make the filling, add all the filling ingredients to the food processor or Thermomix and process until smooth and combined (1.5min/sp4 in Thermomix), stopping and scraping down the sides a couple of times during this process.

4.  Spoon the filling into the silicone moulds.  Put into the freezer for at least an hour.  To serve the cheesecake bites, take them out of the freezer and remove the silicone moulds.  Thaw for about 10 minutes and serve.

Peaches & Cashew Cream Cake

This blog looks like it's becoming a bit more of a dessert blog than anything else lately!  I'm going to have to ramp up some savoury recipes soon I think just to balance things out a little.  In  the meantime, here is a recipe for a yummy, no-bake, super easy cake recipe that is dairy free and grain free.  Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Base:
- 1 cup organic desiccated coconut
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 5 fresh Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp coconut oil

Cashew cream layer:
- 2.5 cups cashews, soaked in water for 4 hours and then drained, rinsed
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- Squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Peach jelly layer:
- 425g can peaches in juice, pureed
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup cold water
- 1.5 tbsp additive free gelatin powder (I used Great Lakes brand which I bought online)

Method:
1.  Grease a springform tin with coconut oil.

2.  Make base layer.  Combine all base ingredients in Thermomix or food processor and process until finely chopped (5sec/sp6 in Thermomix).  Tip into prepared cake tin and press down evenly.  Refrigerate while you make the next layer.

3.  Make cashew cream.  Combine all cashew cream ingredients in Thermomix or high speed blender and blend until smooth (2min/sp6 in Thermomix), stopping and scraping down the sides a couple of times.  Pour into the cake tin onto the base.  Smooth out and refrigerate for 2 hours until the cashew cream layer is firm.

4.  Make peach jelly.  Dissolve the gelatin in the hot water.  Add pureed peaches and stir well.  Add cold water and stir well to combine.  Pour into the cake tin on top of the cashew cream layer.  Refrigerate until set.  Serve.

Chocolate Fondants

So initially I tried to make these fondants white chocolate, dairy free and gluten free.... however... that didn't quite work out as planned!  So I tried again and made them with cacao powder and with spelt flour which is a lot more predictable, I find, than gluten free flour.  And they worked a treat!  However of course spelt isn't gluten free.  Anyway they turned out great - you can tell just by looking at the photo can't you? 

Ingredients (makes 4):

* You will need 4 ramekins, each approximately 1 cup capacity

- 3/4 cup cacao butter

- 1/4 cup coconut oil

- 2/3 cup rapadura sugar

- 1/2 cup cacao powder

- 2  large free range eggs

- 2 tsp vanilla essence

- 1/2 cup spelt flour

Method:

1.  Grease the ramekins with coconut oil and lightly dust with spelt flour

2.  Melt together on low heat the cacao butter, coconut oil, and rapadura sugar.  Take off the heat.

(Thermomix: add cacao butter, coconut oil and rapadura sugar to TM bowl and melt 4min/70deg/sp2)

3.  Whisk in the cacao powder, one tablespoonful at a time and also add the vanilla.

(Thermomix: with blades running on speed 3, add the cacao powder, one tablespoonful at a time through the hole in the lid and then the vanilla)

4.   Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.

(Thermomix: with the blades running on speed 3, add the eggs one at a time)

5.   Whisk in the spelt flour, one tablespoonful at a time.  

(Thermomix: with the blades running on speed 3, add the spelt flour one tablespoonful at a time)

6.  Pour the mixture evenly among the prepared ramekins.  Refrigerate for 1 hour. 

7.  Preheat oven to 190 degrees.  Bake the fondants for around 10 minutes.  Take out of the oven and loosen by running a sharp knife around the edges of each ramekin (take care not to burn your fingers - be sure to use an oven mitt!).  Turn out onto plates to serve.

Strawberry & Almond Cupcakes with White Chocolate Icing

I've mentioned previously that I make my own nut milk and always wonder what to do with the leftover pulp so as I'm not wasting it.  So when my little girl stayed home sick from daycare yesterday and asked me to make some strawberry cupcakes for when she felt better, I thought these cupcakes would be a great way to use up the latest batch of leftover almond pulp.  Now I know this sounds strange but my little girl has the most amazing palette when it comes to food!  So when she suggests I make something, I know she's onto a good thing!  Later in the day she felt much better and started to get hungry so she asked me for some cucumber and avocado slices.  I was so proud!  She is the sort of kid who loves her healthy foods and who knows, maybe one day she might follow in my footsteps and study to become a nutritionist as well??

Ingredients (makes 9):
Cupcakes:
- 100g strawberries, washed and hulled
- 1 cup almond pulp (or almond meal)
- 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 2 free range eggs
- 50g butter, melted
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tsp baking powder

Icing:
- 100g white chocolate (I used Green & Blacks), broken up into pieces
- 1 tbsp coconut oil 

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tray with 9 cupcake cases.

2.  In a food processor or Thermomix, process the strawberries until finely chopped (5sec/sp5 in Thermomix).  Add the other cupcake ingredients except the baking powder and process until combined (20sec/sp4 in Thermomix).  Scrape down the sides and add the baking powder.  Process for a few more seconds (5sec/sp3 in Thermomix).

3.  Divide evenly amongst the cupcake cases and bake for around 15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into a cupcake comes out clean.  Allow to cool.

4.  To make chocolate icing, melt the chocolate and coconut oil on low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Drizzle over the cupcakes (to make icing in the Thermomix, melt the chocolate and coconut oil for 4min/70deg/sp2 until smooth).  Garnish with fresh strawberries.
 

Choc Mint Ice Cream with Magic Chocolate Topping

I haven't always liked the chocolate with mint flavour combination.  Must be my taste buds changing as I get older or something but I have recently started enjoying it.  So here's my recipe for choc mint ice cream.  Super easy if you have an ice cream machine, but if you don't that's OK!  You can still make your own ice cream.  And also the extra special part of this recipe is the topping (think "Ice Magic" but without the nasties) - so yummy!

Ingredients (makes about 1L):
Ice cream:
- 400ml coconut cream (or other full fat milk of choice)
- 200ml water
- 2 free range eggs
- 3/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 2 tsp vanilla essence (I make my own using this recipe)
- 1/4 tsp natural mint flavouring (I used Medicine Flower mint extract)

Chocolate topping:
- 1/2 cup coconut oil
- 2/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/2 cup cacao powder
- 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
1.  In a saucepan on low heat, whisk together the coconut cream, water, eggs, sugar and cacao powder.  Continue whisking until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.  Take off the heat and stir in the vanilla and mint flavouring.  Set aside to cool.

(Thermomix: add coconut cream, water, eggs, rapadura and cacao to the TM bowl.  Cook 7min/90deg/sp4.  Add vanilla and mint flavouring and mix 10sec/sp3.  Set aside to cool)

2.  Churn through ice cream maker.  Or if you don't have an ice cream maker, blend the mixture in a high speed blender for about 30 seconds (speed 9 in Thermomix)  to aerate.  Freeze for a couple of hours.  Take out and blend for another 30 seconds on high speed.  Put back in the freezer until completely frozen.

3.  When ready to serve, allow the ice cream to sit on the bench for about 10 minutes to soften to a scoopable consistency.

4.  To make the chocolate topping, melt the coconut oil on low heat and then whisk in all the other ingredients until smooth. 

(Thermomix: melt coconut oil for 1min/70deg/sp1.  Add remaining ingredients and cook for 1min/70deg/sp4).

Passionfruit & Coconut Custard Filled Tartlets

One of the girls at uni came in one day handing out some beautiful fresh passionfruits which she had grown at home.  I adore passionfruit so I decided to make these little tartlets for the kids.  There was lots of custard leftover (what a pity right?) which we decided to churn through our ice cream maker for some beautiful coconut and passionfruit ice cream!

Ingredients (makes 24):

- 3 sheets Pampas butter puff pastry

Custard:

- 400ml coconut cream

- 200ml water

- 2 free range eggs

- 3/4 cup raw or rapadura sugar

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 2 tbsp gluten-free cornflour

- Pulp from 3 large passionfruit

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 200 degrees and grease a 24 hole mini muffin pan.

2.  Using a 7cm diameter round cookie cutter, cut 24 circles out of the pastry.  Line the greased muffin holes with the pastry circles and bake for around 10 minutes or until the pastry is golden.  Take out of the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. 

3.  While the pastry is baking, make the custard.  In a saucepan on low heat, whisk together all the custard ingredients (except passionfruit) until the custard has thickened.  Set aside to cool for 15 minutes and then stir through the passionfruit pulp, reserving a little of the pulp for garnish.

(Thermomix - add all ingredients except passionfruit and cook 7min/90deg/sp4.  Stir through passionfruit pulp, reserving some for garnish)

4.  Fill each pastry case with the custard and then garnish with some of the remaining passionfruit pulp.  Serve.    

Chocolate Coconut Self-Saucing Pudding

I had a major craving today for chocolate self-saucing pudding.... I realised it's been years since I last had it!  So seeing as it's school holidays (and long weekend here in Perth) and it was cold and rainy today... my keen 4yo helper and I got cooking!  This recipe is literally just throwing everything into 2 separate bowls and then into a baking dish and into the oven to bake!  So simple yet so delicious and very warming!  We served this pudding with a dollop of coconut yoghurt, recipe for the yoghurt is courtesy of Alisha, the Naughty Naturopath Mum and Essence Practitioner. 

Ingredients (serves 6):

Batter:

- 1 cup spelt flour (I used light spelt flour)

- 3/4 cup rapadura sugar

- 1/2 cup cacao powder

- 1 + 1/2 cups coconut milk (or coconut cream plus water)

- 1 free range egg

- 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

- 2 tsp baking powder

- 2 tsp vanilla essence

Sauce:

- 1 cup freshly boiled water

- 1/2 cup rapadura sugar

- 1/4 cup cacao powder

Method:

1.  Grease a square 20cm baking dish with coconut oil and preheat your oven to 160 degrees.

2.  Combine all the batter ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.  Pour the batter into the baking dish.

3.  In another bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.  Then using the back of a large metal spoon, pour the sauce all over the batter.

4.  Bake for around 25 minutes or until the centre of the pudding springs back when lightly pressed on top.  Allow to cool down a little and serve warm with yoghurt or cream or fruit!

Pear & Cinnamon Cupcakes with Quick Caramel Sauce

Keeping the kids' lunchboxes interesting can be a bit of a mind boggling exercise sometimes.  They do have their favourites that they like me to make but I like to keep things interesting.  This is a super easy recipe for cupcakes which freezes well (without the caramel sauce on top - the sauce is just for us to have at home but for the lunchboxes, I use un-iced cupcakes) and the cupcakes are super moist on the inside thanks to the pear sauce. 

Ingredients (makes 12):
Cupcakes:
- 1 large pear (to make pear sauce)
- 1 cup light spelt flour
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
- 1/4 cup oat bran
- 1/2 cup rapadura sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup milk of choice
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 free range egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tsp baking powder

Caramel sauce:
- 6 fresh Medjool dates, pitted
- 3 tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/4 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Pinch of sea salt

Method:
1.  Make pear sauce: peel the pear, chop into pieces and boil in some water until tender.  Drain off the water and mash the pear.  Set aside to cool.

2.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tray with cupcake cases.

3.  Into a large bowl, add all the cupcake ingredients and stir to combine.  Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake cases.

4.  Bake for around 15 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when lightly pressed on top. 

5.  Allow the cupcakes to cool.

6.  To make the caramel sauce, blend all the ingredients until smooth in a high speed blender or Thermomix (around 1min/sp9).  Drizzle over the top of the cupcakes.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites

So have you tried my homemade chocolate recipe yet?  Well if you haven't.... it's... AMAZING!  I have tweaked the recipe over time and am super dooper happy with it now.  This is a variation on that recipe but with a peanut butter centre.  And who doesn't love peanut butter and chocolate together?  Well.... my husband doesn't like nuts.... but he's a bit strange!  Just have to mention that the cacao butter is pretty much essential in this recipe.  You can buy it from most good organic health food stores.  Next time I make these, I will also add a little strawberry jam into the centre.  Enjoy!

Ingredients (makes 6):

- 3/4 cup cacao butter

- 1 tbsp coconut oil

- 1/2 cup cacao powder

- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

- 1/2 tsp vanilla

- 6 tsp natural peanut butter (or other nut butter. I used Macro Organic smooth peanut butter)

Method:

1.  Line a baking tray with 6 silicone moulds.

2.  In a small saucepan on low heat, combine cacao butter and coconut oil.  Stir until melted and smooth.

(Thermomix: add cacao butter and coconut oil to bowl, chop 5sec/sp7 and melt 70deg/4min/sp2).

3.  Add cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla to saucepan.  Whisk until smooth.

(Thermomix: add cacao powder, maple syrup and vanilla to bowl.  Mix 20sec/sp4).

4.  Pour half of the chocolate into the silicone moulds.  Refrigerate for 5 minutes.

5.  Top the chocolate in each mould with 1 tsp of peanut butter.  Refrigerate for another 5 minutes.

6.  Pour remaining chocolate into the moulds to cover the peanut butter.  Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set.  Keep in the fridge. 

Banana & Choc Chip Bread

My kids love banana bread.  It makes a great snack for morning tea or afternoon tea... or even breakfast!  I made this one without nuts so that I could pack it into the kids' lunchboxes for school.  You can also freeze this bread, just be sure to slice it up prior to freezing.

Ingredients:
- 1 large ripe banana, peeled
- 1 cup wholemeal spelt or kamut flour
- 1/2 cup light spelt or kamut flour
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 free range eggs
- 1 tbsp pure honey
- Optional - 1/2 cup crushed walnuts

Method:
1.  Preheat oven to 160 degrees.  Grease a bread tin and line the base with baking paper.

2.  In a large bowl, add the banana and mash with a fork.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.

3.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin and bake for around 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

4.  Allow to cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Strawberry & Chocolate Layer Cake

I have just a wee obsession with raw cooking.  Especially raw desserts - I haven't really ventured past desserts yet!  I find it fascinating just how creative you can get with raw cooking and I really enjoy experimenting with recipes for raw desserts every now and then.  They are generally really easy to make too!  This cake is delish and the strawberry and chocolate layers are almost a mousse-like consistency.  I'm actually having a slice for brekky as I am typing up this blog - that must be my European roots coming out!

Ingredients:
Base:
- 1 cup organic dessicated coconut
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 5 fresh Medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp coconut oil

Strawberry layer:
- 1 cup raw macadamias AND 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for 2 hours and then drained and rinsed
- 250g punnet strawberries, hulled
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple juice concentrate (optional)
- 1 tsp good quality vanilla
- Squeeze of lemon or lime juice

Chocolate layer:
- Flesh of 1 large ripe avocado
- 2/3 cup cacao powder
- 1.5 cups coconut cream (refrigerate the coconut cream tin and then scoop the thick cream layer off the top - you may need to refrigerate 2 tins of coconut cream just in case - I happened to have quite a lot of cream in just the one tin)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp good quality vanilla

Garnish - extra fresh strawberries

Method:
1. Grease a springform cake tin with coconut oil and set aside.

2. Put all the base ingredients into a food processor and process on high speed until the ingredients are finely chopped (10sec/sp7 in Thermomix).  Tip into the prepared sprinform tin, press down.  Refrigerate.

3.  Make the strawberry layer - put all the ingredients into the food processor and process until a smooth consistency is achieved (2min/sp8 in Thermomix).  Pour into the springform tin and smooth out the surface.  Refrigerate for 2 hours.  Wash your food processor bowl.

4.  Make the chocolate layer - put all the ingredients into the food processor and process until a smooth consistency is achieved (1min/sp5-6 in Thermomix).  Pour into the springform tin, smooth out the surface and refirgerate for 2 hours or until set.  Garnish with extra strawberries.  Serve. 

Chocolate Coconut Icecream

Well I have to say that although I am biased, I am quite proud of this effort.  This ice cream is so delicious and creamy and you only need 5 ingredients to make it (not to mention that I quickly got sick of paying $15 for 500ml of store bought coconut ice cream).  I tried out my ice cream machine for the first time with this recipe and although that simplified the whole process quite a bit, you can definitely do this without an ice cream machine.

Ingredients:
- 800ml coconut cream
- 3/4 cup cacao powder
- 3/4 cup rapadura or raw sugar
- 2 free range eggs
- 2 tsp good quality vanilla

Method:
1.  Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk together on a low-medium heat for a few minutes until warmed through and sugar is dissolved.

(Thermomix - add all the ingredients to TM bowl and cook 6min/80deg/sp4)

2.  Pour the mixture into a bowl and put into the fridge for a couple of hours to cool down.


3.  If using ice cream machine, you can churn the mixture at this point and once this is done, transfer into a freezer container.

If you are not using an ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a freezer container and freeze for a couple of hours.  Take the mixture out and blend on high speed to aerate (30sec/sp9 in Thermomix).  Put back into the freezer until completely frozen.

4.  Take out of the freezer about 15 minutes before you would like to serve the ice cream, to allow it to soften a bit and make it easier to scoop.

Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

I make a lot of nut milk at home.  At least twice a week.  This means I always have leftover nut pulp that I have no idea what to do with!  So one of my new projects is to come up with ideas to use up the nut pulp so that it doesn't get wasted!  This is the first of these ideas.  This cake turned out very light and fluffy for a flourless cake, but it tastes very rich at the same time.  So a small square of this cake well and truly satisfies my chocolate cravings.

Ingredients:
Cake:
- 100g dark chocolate, broken up into pieces
- 50g butter, cubed
- 1.5 cups raw hazelnuts, ground into hazelnut meal (or you can do what I did and use leftover nut pulp which I dehydrated in the oven after making my nut milk)
- 2/3 cup rapadura or raw sugar
- 3 free range eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 2 tsp baking powder

Icing:
- 100g dark chocolate
- 1 tbsp butter

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and grease a square cake tin with butter, then line the base with baking paper.

2. In a food processor, grind the chocolate for a few seconds until finely chopped.  Tip the chocolate into a saucepan and add the butter.  Melt on a low heat, stirring continually.

(Thermomix - add chocolate pieces to TM bowl and grind 5sec/sp7.  Add butter and melt 3min/50deg/sp2)

3. To the saucepan, add sugar, hazelnut meal/pulp, eggs, vanilla and baking powder.  Whisk until smooth.  Pour into the prepared baking tin.

(Thermomix - into the TM bowl, add hazelnut meal/pulp, sugar, eggs, vanilla and baking powder.  Mix 30sec/sp3.  Scrape down the sides and mix another 20sec/sp3.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking tin)

4.  Bake approximately 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely.

5. Make the icing by melting the chocolate and butter on a low heat and stirring until smooth.  Pour over the cake.

Chocolate Coconut Custard

So if you have a Thermomix, then you will know that beautiful homemade custard is one of the easiest things you can make in this wonderful machine!  However if you don't have a Thermomix, it is still really easy to make your own custard!  This one is one of our favourite flavours and it's dairy free so that's a bonus.

Ingredients:
400ml can coconut milk/cream
200ml water
2 free range eggs
3/4 cup rapadura or raw sugar
1/3 cup cacao powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp gluten-free cornflour

Method:
On stove top: dissolve the cornflour in some water and then add it, with all the other ingredients to a saucepan.  On a medium heat, cook, whisking constantly for a few minutes until the custard has thickened to the desired consistency (don't forget the custard will thicken further as it cools).

OR

In Thermomix - add all the ingredients to the TM bowl and cook 7min/90deg/sp4.

Apple Berry Crumble

I've seen a few piccies and recipes of crumbles lately on a few blogs!  So in keeping with the winter warmer theme, I thought I would come up with my own recipe for a crumble as well!  Here is my recipe for apple berry crumble which we served with Cocoluscious raspberry coconut ice cream.  This crumble would also be nice with a homemade custard... but the recipe for that is coming soon so stay tuned!

Ingredients:
Fruit layer:
6 apples, peeled, cored and sliced
1.5 cups organic mixed frozen berries
1/4 cup rapadura sugar
Squeeze of lemon juice

Crumble:
1/2 cup quinoa flakes
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup organic flaked/dessicated coconut
1/2 cup rapadura sugar
1/4 cup almonds
1/4 cup hazelnuts
40g coconut oil
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees and grease a square baking dish with coconut oil

2.  Combine the fruit layer ingredients and toss to combine.  Tip into the greased baking dish.

3.  To make the crumble, add all the crumble ingredients to food processor or Thermomix and blend together for a few seconds (5sec/sp5 in Thermomix).  Top the fruit layer with the crumble mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the fruit is soft and the crumble is golden on top.  We served it with coconut ice cream.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

I like to keep a stash of lunchbox friendly snacks in the freezer so that the kids and I can quickly throw together their lunchboxes for school and ensure that they get a bit of variety in what goes in the lunchboxes.  I always like to have some kind of cupcakes in the freezer.  Though when my 4 year old helped me to make these this afternoon, quite a few got eaten before they made it to the freezer!  Hope you like them as much as we did.

Ingredients (makes 12):

1.5 cups whole kamut (or spelt) flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

40g butter, softened

1/2 cup rapadura or raw sugar

3/4 cup chocolate chips 

1 free range egg

1.5 cups coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp baking powder

Pinch of salt

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases

2.  Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine

3.  Divide the batter between the cupcake cases

4.  Bake for around 15 minutes or until the cupcakes spring back when pressed lightly at the top