Baking & Desserts | Irma Green

All posts filed under “Baking & Desserts”

5th January 2016

Gluten free multi-seed bread

It is already day 5 but I think I can still say ‘Happy New Year’!! For many of us the New Year starts with some sort of detox . I have chosen to give up alcohol, coffee and gluten for a month. Coffee is probably… Read more

Gluten free multi-seed bread – makes 2 small loafs

90g sunflower seeds

45g pumpkin seeds

90g linseeds

65g chestnuts; almonds or hazelnuts

145g oats ( make sure they are packed in a gluten free environment)

4 tbsp psyllium husk

2 tbsp chia seeds

1 tbsp of maple sirup or date sirup

3 tbsp of coconut oil

1 tsp of ground Himalayan salt

350ml of slightly warm water

Chop the baked chestnuts into small pieces or cut in half and thinly slice them, mix all dry ingredients together in a bowl; then whisk together sirup, oil and water until oil is dissolved and add to the dry ingredients; stir with a wooden spoon until you get a nice texture (its not dough like, its more like a thick but smooth porridge) . If the mix seems to dry add a little more water. Prepare small bread baking pans with baking paper, that way the the bread won’t stick to the pan. I even use the baking paper on non sticky pans, safes washing up and I try and re-use the paper. Add the bread mix to the pans and leave covered at room temperature for at least two hours, even better over night.

Once the mix has rested, preheat the oven at 175c and bake for 20minutes, then take the bread out of the pan and put upside down on baking tray, using baking paper to keep everything clean.

Put the ‘upside down’ bread loafs back in the oven and bake for another 30-40 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds ‘hollow’, when gently tapping on the top.

Leave the bread to cool before cutting and eating it . The bread keeps in the fridge for 3-5 days. I usually slice it and put in the freezer, so I can have it fresh when ever I fancy it. It works well going straight from freezer in the toaster. Top with your favourite bread toppings , mine include cheese & pickle, mushroom pate, hummus, ghee & a sprinkle of salt, honey, marmalade or avocado & spring onions with a little bit of tamari sauce. Just too good!

1st May 2015

Buckwheat scones with cashew vanilla cream & strawberry chia jam

As of today the British Strawberry is officially stepping back into the limelight and shall be touring the country until the end of July. Let’s just hope the clouds stay high as apparently that is a sign for good weather to come. Strawberries love the… Read more

9th April 2015

Chia cherry & almond crumble

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!

2nd April 2015

Making milk without cows and cashew&coconut pulp macaroons

It was meat free last week, I hope you got on well with all those fabulous vegetarian recipes that were published everywhere. Still riding that wave I thought I would share with you how to make milk without cows. Now you wonder how is that… Read more

Cashew & Coconut nut milk- makes 500ml x2

Cashew Milk
1 cup of soaked cashew nuts ( soaking over night is best, but 4hours should be fine too)
3 cups of filtered water
2cm of vanilla pod or a few drops of extract if you like to flavour your milk ( optional)

Coconut milk
1 cup of fresh coconut meat
3 cups of filtered water
2cm of vanilla pod or a few drops of extract if you like to flavour your milk ( optional)

If you want to make almond milk, please soak the almonds over night and peel them as the skin would make the milk quite bitter. You can also get already peeled almonds if you want to save time peeling them but they will be more expensive and you would still need to soak them over night.

You will always need a cheese cloth or bag to strain the milk.

And here is how it works : just put the soaked nuts or fresh coconut, water and optional the content of 2 cm of vanilla pod into a blender and blend until you have a smoothie like liquid.

Leftover tip : keep the piece vanilla pod and use it to flavour salt or sugar. Just add it to the jar and after a couple of days you have lovely flavoured vanilla salt or sugar, leave it in to keep the flavour- it works a treat.

Next get a jug and a cheese cloth ready and start poring the liquid.

Once all is pored in, pick up the cloth and carefully squeeze it to get all the remaining liquid through, it does actually look quite authentic, doesn’t it ?

You can either use the milk straight away or fill into a bottle and keep in the fridge, consume within 4-5 days and always shake well before use as the milk will separate. Enjoy!

Coconut & cashew pulp macaroons– makes 12-16
Nut milk pulp of one cup of coconut and one cup of cashew nuts
1/2 cup of desiccated coconut
1 tbsp of chia seeds & 1 tbsp of ground almonds
2 egg whites
3-4 tbsp of honey
content of half a vanilla pod or some extract (add the empty pod to your salt or sugar jar)
A pinch of sea salt
3/4 of bar of dark chocolate for the coating- ideally organic and 85% ( optional)

Pre-heat the oven at 160C. Next place all ingredients except the cocolate into a food processor and blend until you get a nice gloopy and sticky texture. A handheld mixer or whisk should work fine too.

Now line a baking tray with baking paper and start making egg shaped macaroons using two tea spoons. You can also make balls if that is easier, although the mix is quite sticky so using spoons is probably going to be easiest.

Bake for 15-20 minutes ( I always try one after 15 minutes to see if they are done). Leave to cool before coating the macaroons with chocolate.

For the coating, melt chocolate over a hot water bath, adding a small pinch of sea salt gives the chocolate coating an extra twist. For the water bath boil water in a pot, take off the hob and put a glass bowl on top, then break chocolate into smaller pieces into the bowl and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until completely melted. Now dunk the macaroons into the chocolate-coating the bottom part- best to use your hands and leave to set on a sheet of baking paper- done-delicious ! Happy Easter !!

8th December 2014

Beetroot, Carrot & Ginger Juice & Beetroot pulp brownies

Today is another gorgeous and sunny winter’s day in London. I just love the blue sky and low light of the winter sun. Last week was the start of the Christmas party season and I thought it would be good to send you a nice… Read more

Beetroot pulp brownies – makes 12

Juice pulp of 3 medium sized beets & 4 carrots ( ginger removed-optional)
100g unsalted butter (coconut oil for vegan recipe)
200g bar plain chocolate (70% cocoa- raw for vegan version)
1 tsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla pod
75g dark caster sugar ( 50g of soaked dates 100ml maple sirup or agave syrup )
3 eggs ( vegan: 1 tbsp ground Flax seeds +3 tbsp Water =1 egg)
100g buckwheat flour mixed with 1 tsp of baking powder
75g cocoa powder ( raw if vegan) & 100g walnuts
Cocoa powder , icing sugar & cinnamon for topping the brownies

Method:
Heat up the beetroot and carrot pulp mix with 250ml of water, add vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of maple sirup to the mix. Once heated up set a side. Pre-heat the oven at 160c/180c fan/gas4 and layer the brownie tin with baking paper. Cut butter into small cubes, break the chocolate into small pieces and put together with hot beetroot pulp and soaked dates into a food processor or blender; blend until smooth. Next mix eggs and sugar in a large bowl for around 2 minutes until it gets a foam like consistency. Now add the beetroot chocolate mix and fold gently under the eggs using a wooden spoon, this process is not one for looks, it will turn out pretty in the end though. Add the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and fold under the batter until smooth. Make sure the flour and chocolate are sifted well as to not get a ‘bumpy’ mixture.

Finally add the walnuts ( cut into smaller pieces) and also carefully fold under. Now poor the batter into the brownie tin and bake for 25-30 minutes, check they are done using a knife, it needs to come out clean, so no batter sticking to the blade.

Leave to cool down before cutting into squares. You can sprinkle cinnamon, coco powder or some icing sugar to decorate. They are super delicious enjoyed with a chai tea or latte .