I hope you had a lovely Easter break ! I was so happy when the clocks jumped forward last weekend, being a day light addict it just changed my world. Spring also seems to have truly arrived with all its beauty, warmth, scents and sounds… Read more
Chia cherry & almond crumble ( per serving)
1/2 cup of nut milk ( almond, cashew, coconut, etc)
3 tbsp of chia seeds
1cm vanilla pod (scored lengthways to retrieve seeds ) or a couple of drops of extract
1/2 tsp of honey or maple syrup ( optional)
Cherry compote ( enough for 4 servings )
2 cups of frozen cherries ( or fresh when in season)
2 cups of fresh filtered water
1/2 stick or 1 tsp of cinnamon
1/2 vanilla pod -scored lengthways to retrieve seeds
1 tbsp of honey, maple syrup or coconut sugar
Almond crumble ( enough for 4 servings)
1/2 cup of finely chopped dates
1/2 cup of finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup of coconut oil
2 tbsp of organic barley malt extract or maple syrup
2 cups of ground almonds
Method:
For the chia pudding combine nut milk, honey, vanilla pod & seeds, stir until all the honey have dissolved completely. I usually use a little bottle with a lid to mix the milk , it’s very easy and saves time. Next place chia seeds in desert bowls, pour the milk on top, stir well, cover and leave to set in the fridge. Stir well a couple of times more over the next two hours, so all the seeds are distributed well to soak up the milk. Repeat the process for each desert bowl.
For the cherry compote, place cherries , water, cinnamon, honey, vanilla pod and seeds into a sauce pan , bring to the boil and simmer until liquid is reduced to half. This will take about 20-30 minutes. Once reduced taste for sweetness and leave to cool down a little.
Whilst the cherry compote is simmering away, start preparing the almond crumble. Pre-heat the oven at 135C, line a baking tray with baking paper and set aside. Mix all ingredients in a bowl, best to use your hands. It will be sticky to start with but keep kneading until you get a nice dough like texture and all coconut oil has been completely combined with the rest of the ingredients.
Now crumble out on the baking paper getting a nice and even layer, approx 1/2 inch thick. Place in the oven and bake until golden brown. This process can go rather fast , so keep an eye as to not to burn the crumble.
Leave to cool before cutting out the crumble top for each bowl. I used a round cookie cutter- super easy- you can also go free style and use a knife or just crumble the crumble quite literally on top later on.
To serve: get the chia bowls out of the fridge, scoop a few table spoons of cherry compote on top and finish off with placing the crumble on top-it’s best when cherry compote and crumble are still slightly warm but you can prepare everything and warm it up before serving – the perfect desert. The cherry compote and crumble also work a treat on yogurt or ice cream.
Bon Appetit!