It’s St. Nicholas Day in Germany today, as tradition goes, German children put their freshly polished Winter boots out the evening of the 5th and St Nicholas pays a visit over night to fill the boots with chocolates, clementines and nuts . Now there is… Read more
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!
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 .
