Ingredients

200 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), preferably fairtrade
3 tablespoons cashew butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons orange jam (with no added sugar), at room temperature
1 organic orange, washed
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder (and some more to roll the truffles)
100-110 g almond meal
cocoa powder (with no added sugar), just enough to taste
powdered sugar (from brown sugar), just enough to taste

Makes about 30 truffles.

Directions

Using a large bowl, melt the chocolate in a bain marie. Grate the zest of the orange and set aside. As soon as the chocolate has melted, stir in the cashew butter, orange jam, grated orange zest and mix well. Add the ginger powder and almond meal and mix again until combined. Transfer into the fridge or freezer until set. Roll into small balls and then roll them in a cocoa powder-ginger powder mixture or in a powdered sugar-ginger powder mixture. Chill again until ready to serve.

Ingredients

6-7 tablespoons puffed millet
unsweetened and unflavoured oat milk, to taste
a handful of unsweetened, dried banana chips
a tablespoon dried coconut flakes
a tablespoon fairtrade dark chocolate bits or chips
a few pinches of vanilla powder

Makes 1 serving.

Directions

Put the puffed millet in a bowl and pour the oat milk over it. Add the banana chips, coconut flakes, chocolate and vanilla and serve.

Ingredients

150 g vegan plain biscuits (with no hydrogenated vegetable oils and no added refined sugar), very finely crushed (you can use a food processor or coffee grinder)
200 g cherry jam or cherry preserve, with no added sugar
30 g coconut oil, to be melted
40 g pure cocoa butter, to be melted
200 g fairtrade dark chocolate (70% cocoa), melted in a bain-marie
100 ml GMO-free vegetable cream
100 g almond butter
1-2 tablespoons hazelnut butter
2 handfuls of shelled hazelnuts, more or less finely chopped

Makes 15-20 balls.

Directions

In a bowl, mix well all the ingredients except the hazelnuts. Transfer into the fridge or freezer until set. Roll into balls and roll them in the chopped hazelnuts. Chill again until ready to serve.

Ingredients

multy grain or wholemeal bread, sliced (and lightly toasted, if you prefer)
maple syrup
hazelnut butter
fresh figs (ripe but firm), cleaned and cut into quarters
shelled hazelnuts, coarsely chopped
dark chocolate, preferably Fairtrade

Directions

Drizzle each slice of bread with maple syrup then pread some hazelnut butter on it. Arrange the figs, cut side up, on top of the bread, add the hazelnuts and some extra maple syrup. Shave some chocolate on top and serve.

Ingredients

50 ml GMO-free vegetable cream (I used almond cream), unsweetened and unflavoured
50 ml almond milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
120 g rice malt syrup
50 g hazelnut butter
50 g almond butter
100 g dark fairtrade chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces and melted in a bain-marie
2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract
1-2 handfuls of dried sour cherries
1 large handful of coarsely chopped hazelnuts

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Pour the vegetable cream and almond milk into the bowl of your mixer, add the rice malt syrup, hazelnut butter, almond butter and process for a couple of minutes until combined. Slowly add the melted chocolate and process again until smooth. Put the mixture into the fridge for about 10-15 minutes then transfer it into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 30-40 minutes should be enough to make a creamy, thick ice cream. 3-4 minutes before the end of the cycle, add the dried sour cherries and chopped hazelnuts. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls or glasses. Eat your ice cream right away or keep it in the freezer until serving time.

Ingredients

200 g fair trade dark chocolate (70% cacao)
90 g quinoa flour
a pinch of whole sea salt
a pinch of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
115 g rice malt syrup
55 g maple syrup, grade B or C
4 tablespons powdered flax seeds, mixed with 12 tablespoons filtered water
50 g hazelnut butter
50 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon hazelnut oil
6 tablespoons almond milk, unflavoured and unsweetened

Makes 30-35 brownies.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 170° C. Lightly oil and flour a 20 cm square (stainless steel) baking pan. Melt the chocolate in a bain marie.
Combine the quinoa flour, salt, cinnamon, cream of tartar in a medium bowl and stir. In another bowl, combine the rice malt syrup, maple syrup, flax seeds, hazelnut butter, olive oil, hazelnut oil and almond milk. Fold the wet into the dry ingredients, stir well then add the chocolate as soon as it has melted. Stir again until combined and spread evenly in the baking pan.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick plunged into the center comes out slightly moist with batter. Let cool for a couple of minutes, then unmold the cake and transfer onto a cutting board. Cut into squares and let cool a bit more before serving.

Ingredients

For the cake

200 g semi-whole wheat flour
80 g wholemeal flour
120 g almond flour
40 g unsweetened cacao powder, sifted
50 g muscovado sugar
half a teaspoon vanilla powder
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
a pinch of whole sea salt
180 g barley malt syrup
100 ml extra virgin olive oil
200 ml almond milk, unsweetened and unflavoured
100 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, GMO-free)

For the chocolate sauce

300 ml almond milk, unsweetened
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 teaspoons ginger juice
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
1 teaspoon dried ginger powder
a pinch of whole sea salt
3 tablespoons unsweetened cacao powder, sifted
half a teaspoon cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tablespoon filtered cold water

For the chocolate ganache

150 g dark chocolate (70% cacao), broken into pieces
200 g rice malt syrup
50 ml almond cream (or other vegetable cream, GMO-free)
half a teaspoon fine ground Himalayan salt

To complete

chopped candied ginger (candied with dark brown sugar), to taste
dark chocolate curls (made with a vegetable peeler dragged down one side of the chocolate block from top to bottom), to taste

Makes 16-20 squares.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C, lightly oil and flour a 20 cm square (stainless steel) cake pan, or alternatively, lay down a sheet of parchment paper on your cake pan. In a large bowl, sift together the semi-whole wheat flour, wholemeal flour, almond flour, cacao powder, muscovado, vanilla, cream of tartar, cornstarch and salt. Mix well.
Place the barley malt syrup, extra virgin olive oil, almond milk and almond cream in a bowl and stir well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until the batter is blended. Make sure everything is well combined. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 50 minutes. The centre of the cake should be firm but still a little moist (use a wooden stick to check donness). Let cool before removing the cake from the pan.

To make the chocolate sauce, place the almond milk, rice malt syrup, ginger juice, vanilla extract, ginger powder and salt in a saucepan and start cooking over low heat. Add the cacao powder while you keep stirring. Cook for another 2-3 minutes, then add the cornstarch and cook for another minute or until the sauce is slightly thick (don’t stop stirring while it thickens). Let cool for a few minutes but not too long as the sauce will thicken a bit further as it cools.

When the cake has cooled, remove it from the pan and cut into squares. Poke a few holes in the squares, using a fork or stick. Pour some chocolate sauce over them little by little and let it soak in. Set aside for a while, to let cool again and let the sauce make everything moist. In the meantime you can make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a saucepan together with the rice malt syrup, almond cream and Himalayan salt and simmer over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat as soon as the chocolate has completely melted and everything is combined. Let cool for a bit then pour the ganache over the top of  the cake squares and garnish with the candied ginger and chocolate curls.

Ingredients

100 g quinoa flour
200 g semi-whole wheat flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a pinch of whole sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
half a teaspoon cardamom powder
200 ml plain (unflavoured) and unsweetened rice milk
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
80 g rice malt syrup
20 ml maple syrup (grade C)
100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
3 handfuls of dried sour cherries

Makes 10-12 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 180° C. In a large bowl,  combine the quinoa flour, wheat flour, cornstarch, cream of tartar, salt, baking soda, cardamom powder and stir to blend well. In another bowl combine the milk, olive oil, rice malt syrup, maple syrup and whisk well. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Add the chocolate and cherries and give another stir just to make sure they’re evenly incorporated into the batter. Fill the muffin cups or muffin tray with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for a couple of minutes, unmold the muffins and place them on a wire rack to let cool.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

If you want to enjoy the bits of melted chocolate, eat the muffins while they’re still warm. Or whenever you fancy one, you can always warm it up. Anyways, they’re equally good cold. 

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate, fair trade
2 tablespoons plain oat milk
1 pinch whole sea salt
100 g barley malt syrup
200 g almond butter
70 g whole puffed barley

Makes 20 treats.

Directions

In a saucepan in a bain-marie, melt the chocolate with the milk and salt, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, remove the chocolate from the fire and add the barley malt syrup. Stir to combine and add the almond butter. Stir very well and add the puffed barley. When everything is well incorporated and the barley is coated with the chocolate and almond butter mixture, wet your hands and roll the mixture into balls with a flat bottom. Place on a sheet of parchment paper or a tray and let cool for about 30-40 minutes (you might want to refrigerate them if your kitchen is to warm). When they’re set, enjoy at room temperature. They keep for up to 3-4 days (if it’s too warm, store them in the fridge, but remember that they’re more gooey at a standard room temperature).

Ingredients

For the filling

3 slightly under-ripe pears (Bartlett or similar), peeled and cut into pieces
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
2 tablespoons agave syrup
juice of 1 lemon

For the crumble topping

100 g dark chocolate (or 1 bar)
4 handfuls of hazelnuts
a pinch of whole sea salt
3 tablespoons muscovado sugar
a few pinches of cinnamon powder
6 tablespoons whole rice flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
5 teaspoons hazelnut butter
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 150° C. In a medium bowl, combine the pears, the cinnamon, the agave and the lemon juice. Mix well, transfer the fruit mixture to a baking pan and bake for about 10 minutes.

Place the chocolate and the hazelnuts in a food processor and process until you reach a crumbly texture. Transfer the mix into a medium-sized bowl and add the salt, the sugar, the cinnamon, the flour and the cocoa powder and combine using a fork or your fingers. Add the hazelnut butter and the olive oil and rub everything together using your fingers until the butter and the oil have been evenly distributed through the flour and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Remove the pear filling from the oven and arrange the crumble randomly on top of the fruit. Bake for another 10-15 minutes (at 150° C). Remove from the oven and let coola bit. Serve warm (or you might as well like it at room temperature).

Ingredients

1 dark chocolate bar (100 g), preferably Fairtrade, 80% cacao
2 teaspoons hazelnut butter
a pinch of cinnamon
a pinch of chilli powder
a pinch of whole sea salt
8 fresh figs, ripe but firm, washed and pat dried with kitchen paper
2 handfuls unsalted pistachios, shells and skins removed, very coarsely chopped

Directions

First, break the choicolate bar and melt it in a bain-marie (or double boiler), over low heat, stirring as it melts. When the chocolate is melted, add the hazelnut butter, cinnamon, chilli and salt and mix thoroughly. Transfer the chocolate in a cup and start dipping the figs, holding them by the stems. Cover with the chopped pistachios and place the figs on a sheet of parchment paper on a tray. Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes and enjoy. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 day.

Pears and chocolate: a classic combination which is always a winner. When selceting the pears for this cake, make sure they’re firm and under-ripe. If you’re using sweetened dark chocolate, lower the amount of rice malt syrup.  

Ingredients

1 cup almond flour
1 cup whole kamut flour
4 extra firm Bartlett or other firm pears, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
10 tablespoons unsweetened pear juice
5 tablespoons unsweetened soy milk
1 bar dark chocolate (100 g)
3 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
9 tablespoons rice malt syrup
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 pinch whole sea salt
½ teaspoon powdered, dried ginger

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180° C, lightly oil a 20 cm round cake pan and sprinkle with some flour. In a large bowl, sift together the kamut flour, almond flour, salt, cocoa powder, corn starch, cream of tartar and ginger. Place the olive oil, rice malt syrup, milk and pear juice in a blender and blend until combined. Melt the dark chocolate bar over very low heat, stirring constantly (dilute it with some rice milk if necessary). Add the liquid ingredients and the melted chocolate to the flour mixture and stir well. Fold in the pear chunks and stir gently until they are incorporated into the batter (which should be rather thick). Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for approximately 1 hour (using a wooden stick to check donness). Let cool before removing the cake from the pan.

Ingredients

100 g dark chocolate, fair trade
65 g whole puffed rice
3 tablespoons rice malt syrup
2 tablespoons plain rice milk
1 pinch whole sea salt

Makes 8 bars, 4×4 cm each. 

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt the chocolate with the milk and salt, stirring constantly. As soon as it’s melted, remove the chocolate from the fire and add the rice malt syrup. Mix well and stir in the puffed rice. When everything is well incorporated press the mixture evenly into a low, baking tray (mine was 16×8x3 cm), trying to be very quick as the rice is sticky and hardens very quickly as it cools, taking up pretty much any shape. Set aside and cut it into squares before it’s completely cool. When firm, serve at room temperature (they keep in the fridge for up to 3-4 days).

Thoughts, tips, ideas

These bars are simple and delicious, plus, you can make them in a flash and the final result is almost always appreciated. Kids don’t usually go for dark chocolate but if you use more malt syrup (5 tablespoons instead of 3), this turns out to be a great recipe to make for parties where you know you have to please a very young crowd (avoiding the refined sugars and extra fats of milk chocolate).

Ingredients

For the ‘jelly puddings’

500 ml mixed berry juice (the one I used was a blend of blackcurrant, cranberry, strawberry and raspberry juices)

3 teaspoons agar powder

For the white chocolate sauce

100 g white chocolate (I used vegan white chocolate chips)

half a teaspoon ground cinnamon

200 ml soy milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch

Makes 4 servings.

Directions

Pour the mixed berry juice into a heavy saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the agar and stir until dissolved. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring continually to prevent the juice from sticking to the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the saucepan from the heat and pour the hot juice and agar mixture into small pudding molds. Set aside and allow to cool for at least 2 to 3 hours. You can unmold the jellies when they are cold and completely firm.

To make the chocolate sauce, pour the soy milk into a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the white chocolate and slowly let it melt while stirring. Once the chocolate has melted, add the ground cinnamon and stir. You don’t want the sauce to overboil. If the mixture is still to liquid, you can add 2 tablespoons water mixed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Cook for a couple of minutes and when the sauce thickens, it means it’s ready and can be left to cool. If you like the sauce to be runny, you don’t need to add any cornstarch. (You can use this sauce for almost any other kind of dessert, as white chocolate pairs well with so many things… Here, I think the sweetness of the chocolate balances the tangyness of the berries…)

To assemble

Spoon some white chocolate sauce over individual dessert plates. Arrange the jellies on the white chocolate sauce, sprinkle with cinnamon and serve.

Thoughts, tips, ideas

Agar agar, also known as kanten, is an excellent vegetarian substitute for gelatine. This natural gelling agent is obtained from algae or seaweeds and can be used instead of ordinary gelatine of animal origin. I use a lot of agar: to thicken soups and sauces, and to make puddings, jellies, and other desserts like pannacotta. When I don’t feel like having elaborate desserts, agar is the perfect solution for a light but satisfying treat.

I had been thinking about hot chocolate for a very long time…until yesterday. Yes, I do have other forms of chocolate now and then…but hot chocolate is different, I can’t just have it without pondering. To me, it’s a real, fantastic treat. I always need to search for a ‘good excuse’ to have hot chocolate. Yesterday, I seriously considered to make some, as I finally convinced myself that I had not only one reason, but two! 1st, a friend was coming over and 2nd, around here, yesterday was probably the coldest day so far this winter…
My hot chocolate turned out great, velvety and glossy with a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg that made it utterly special…and since all the ingredients were organic, it couldn’t be healthier!

Ingredients (makes 2 servings):

1 cup unsweetened organic soy milk

80 g dark chocolate (mine was 85% cocoa solids and brown sugar sweetened), chopped

ground nutmeg (to taste)

ground cinnamon (to taste)

½ teaspoon cornstarch

1 tablespoon water 

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the soy milk and the chocolate. Bring to a simmer and stir. When the chocolate has melted, blend cornstarch with water and slowly add to chocolate mixture. Stir constantly until you achieve the desired thickness. Remove from heat, add cinnamon and nutmeg, stir and serve.