Ingredients

For the apricots

700-750 g fresh and ripe apricots, cleaned, pitted and cut into thin slices
4 tablespoons rice malt syrup
the juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
half a teaspoon dried ginger powder
half a teaspoon cardamom powder

For the crumble

300 g almond meal
5-6 tablespoons muscovado sugar
a few pinches of cinnamon powder
1 large tablespoon cocoa powder
a pinch of whole sea salt
70 g pure cocoa butter, melted
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon almond butter

Makes 4-6 servings.

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the apricots, rice malt syrup, lemon juice, vanilla extract, ginger and cardamom powder. Mix thoroughly and refrigerate for about 2 hours.

In a large bowl, combine the almond meal, muscovado, cinnamon, cocoa powder and salt. Add the cocoa butter, olive oil and almond butter and rub ingredients together using your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes.

Remove the apricots from the fridge, arrange the crumble randomly on top of the fruit and serve cool.

Ingredients

150 g rice malt syrup
130 g raw almond butter
20 g raw coconut oil
50 ml almond milk (unflavoured and unsweetened)
65 ml almond cream, or other GMO-free, vegetable cream (unflavoured and unsweetened)
1 teaspoon powdered cinnamon

Makes 2-4 servings.

Directions

Put all the ingredients in the bowl of a mixer and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture into the fridge for about 30 minutes then pour it into your ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer’s instructions. 40 minutes should be enough to make a creamy, thick ice cream. At the end of the cycle, remove the ice cream from the machine and divide it into bowls. Eat the 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, the maple syrup, flax seeds, hazelnut butter, olive oil, hazelnut oil and almond milk. Add the chocolate as soon as it has melted, and stir well. Fold the wet into the dry ingredients, stir again until perfectly combined then 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 mini loaves

150 g semi-whole wheat flour
50 g chestnut flour
50 g whole rice flour
50 g cornstarch
half a teaspoon powdered cinnamon
a pinch of whole sea salt
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 g rice malt syrup
230 ml oat milk
3 small apples (I used Fuji), peeled and pureed using a food processor

For the hazelnut sauce

6 tablespoons rice malt syrup
5 teaspoons hazelnut butter
a pinch of whole sea salt
5 teaspoons oat milk

Makes 5-6 mini loaves.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° C. In a large bowl combine the semi-whole wheat flour, chestnut flour, rice flour, oatmeal flour, cinnamon, salt and cream of tartar.
In another bowl pour the oil, rice malt syrup, and milk. Whisk well and add the apple puree. Mix again then fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (preferably using a wooden spatula). Stir gently until the ingredients are combined (add some more oat milk if necessary). Lightly oil the mini loaf pans and sprinkle them with flour. Fill them with the batter, using a spoon. Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and a toothpick or knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the loaf pans.

To make the hazelnut sauce, combine the agave, hazelnut butter, salt and milk in a bowl and whisk until perfectly smooth. Refrigerate until shortly before serving (the sauce might get a bit sticky and hard when refrigerated: all you have to do is leave it at room temperature for a while and stir it).

Serve the loaves topped with the hazelnut sauce.

Ingredients

200 g semi-whole Manitoba flour
100 g whole rice flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
a pinch of whole sea salt
70 ml extra virgin olive oil
100 ml agave syrup
100-120 ml oat milk
half a teaspoon of essicated ginger powder
half a teaspoon cinnamon powder
2-3 pinches of powdered cloves
3-4 pinches of grated nutmeg
a pinch of mace powder
a pinch of vanilla powder
a pinch of cardamom powder
2 firm apples (I used Golden Delicious)

Makes 12-14 muffins.

Directions

Preheat oven to 170° degrees C. In a large bowl combine the Manitoba flour, rice flour, cream of tartar, salt and spices. In another bowl combine the oil, agave and milk. Whisk well and fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients (preferably using a wooden spatula). Stir gently until the ingredients are combined but make sure you don’t over mix the batter. Add the apples and stir againg 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, transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from the muffin tray or muffin molds.

Tips, thoughts and ideas

You can either use single greaseproof muffin cases or paper cases placed in a muffin tray. If you spoon the batter directly into the muffin tray, make sure you lightly oil the molds and sprinkle them with flour.

Ingredients

2-3 cups filtered water
2 teaspoons dried mint
a pinch of powdered cloves (or 1-2 whole cloves)
a pinch of powdered star anise (or 1 whole star anise)
200 g whole grain cous cous (I used whole spelt cous cous)
Himalayan salt, just enought o taste
2 tablespoons raw sesame oil
2-3 handfuls of raisins, soaked in filtered water for 10 minutes then drained and pat dried
3-4 chopped medjol dates, stones removed
2 handfuls of pistachios, peeled
2 handfuls of almonds, peeled
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
a pinch of chilli powder
seeds from 1 pomegranate
fresh mint leaves, to taste

Makes 2 servings.

Directions

First, make the spicy mint tea. Bring the water to a boil, add the mint, cloves and star anise, stir, remove from the heat and let everything infuse for about 1 minute. Filter and set aside.

Place the cous cous in a salad bowl (preferably large and low) and pour some of the mint tea over it (just enough to cover the cous cous). Cover with a lid and let the cous cous ‘cook’ for 1 to 2 minutes. Check doneness and add some more tea (which should be still very hot) if necessary, pouring it little by little. When the cous cous is ready (it should be al dente) fluff with a fork, add the salt and sesame oil and toss. Add the raisins, dates, pistachios, almonds, cinnamon, chilli and pomegranate seeds and toss again. Sprinkle with some fresh mint leaves. Serve at room temperature.

Ingredients

1200 g peeled, cored and coarsely chopped, ripe pears
400 g rice malt syrup
juice of 1 lemon
half a teaspoon powdered cinnamon
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Makes about 2 jars, 350 g each.

Directions

Put the pears in a large heavy-based saucepan. Add the malt syrup, lemon and cinnamon and toss until combined. Let the fruit marinate for 30-40 minutes then start to cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as the pears start to liquify, change the heat to low, add the thyme and simmer for 40-50 minutes, or until the jam has thickened, stirring constantly to keep from sticking to the pan. When the jam has reached setting point, pour it into individual jars. Let cool before covering each jar with a tight-fitting lid. Store in a very cool, dry, dark spot (I usaually store it in the fridge, this way it keeps for up to 1 year).

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.

If you love “the” orange winter vegetable as much as I do, here’s another easy recipe to try. This pumpkin-based dish is delicious eaten warm during the colder months, but equally enjoyable if served at room temperature (or even cold) as finger food. You can substitute the cinnamon sticks with ½ teaspoon of powdered cinnamon, although the sticks definitely make the dish look more special.

Makes 2-4 servings.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pumpkin (butternut, buttercup or autumn cup are all fine), seeded, peeled and cut into bite-sized chunks

4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon powdered nutmeg

6-7 cinnamon sticks

whole sea salt (to taste)

freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

2-3 handfuls toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the pumpkin in a large bowl and sprinkle with the nutmeg, salt, pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Add the cinnamon sticks and toss everything together. Transfer into a roasting pan and bake for about 30-40 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. In the meantime, toast the pumpkin seeds on medium heat for a couple of minutes. Set aside. When the pumpkin is done, remove it from the oven and sprinkle with the toasted pumpkin seeds. Serve warm as a side dish or at room temperature (or cold) as finger food.

The orange flavour and spices make these cupcakes especially Christmassy. This is the first time I try them (and it’s my own recipe) and I’m sure they will definitely become a favourite of mine. Beautifully moist, they confirm, once again, that we don’t necessarily need milk, butter and eggs to make amazing baked goods.

Makes 14-16 cupcakes.

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes

1 ½ cup semi-wholemeal wheat flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon whole sea salt
½ cup brown rice malt syrup
1 teaspoon apple vinegar
½ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup plain (unsweetened and unflavoured) soy milk
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
5 tablespoons maple syrup (grade C, or B)

For the topping

zest of 2 oranges (it’s important that they are organic), cut into strips
1 cup filtered water
1 tablespoon brown rice syrup

2 cups fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons brown rice malt syrup
3 teaspoons cornstarch (GMO-free), dissolved in 2-3 tablespoons filtered water

maple syrup (grade C, or B), to taste
almond flour, to taste

Directions:

Cupcakes

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Combine all the dry ingredients (except cream of tartar), including the spices, in a bowl, then stir in the wet ingredients and mix until you have reached a smooth texture. The batter should not be too thick, so feel free to add some more soy milk or orange juice if necessary. When you achieve the desired thickness, add the cream of tartar and stir. Spoon the mixture into 12 greaseproof cupcake cases (or paper cases) placed inside a muffin tray. 2 to 4 tablespoons of dough should be enough to fill two-thirds of each cupcake case. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until the cupcakes are golden. Set aside and leave to cool for 5 minutes then remove from the muffin tray and allow to cool completely on a rack before decorating.

Topping

Use a vegetable peeler to remove the rind from the orange, discarding the pith as it can taste bitter. Slice the rind into more or less thin, 2-3 cm long strips and set aside. In the meantime, combine 1 cup of filtered or mineral water with 1 tablespoon of brown rice malt syrup and heat until the syrup has dissolved. Stir in the orange strips and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and let cool.

Pour the orange juice into a pan, add the rice malt syrup and stir over low heat for a couple of minutes or until the syrup has dissolved. Add the cornstarch-water mixture and keep stirring until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

To assemble

Scoop some orange topping onto the cupcakes and smooth evenly with an icing spatula or knife. Garnish with some orange strips and sprinkle with maple syrup and almond flour.

One of my favourite ingredients is agar, also known as kanten, an excellent vegetarian substitute for gelatine. This natural gelling agent is obtained from algae or seaweeds (but it doesn’t taste as such, which is certainly a plus!) 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. For these jellies I used organic ingredients.

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.

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.

This is a lovely moist cake for any time of the day. It’s definitely one of those breakfast components that gets me out of bed but I think it’s ideal to conclude a light meal, too. What I like most about this cake is the intense, unique ‘cinnamony apple’ smell that wafts through the house while the cake bakes… As usual I suggest using organic ingredients for a healthier and tastier result… ;)  

Ingredients:

4 Golden Delicious apples, cut into chunks

1 cup wholemeal flour

1 cup ground Brazil nuts

1 tablespoon organic baking powder (I used cream of tartar)

1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder

¼ teaspoon whole sea salt

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

6 tablespoons rice malt syrup

½ cup rice milk

Preheat oven to 180° C, lightly oil a 20 cm round cake pan and sprinkle with flour. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, salt and baking powder. Place the olive oil, rice malt syrup and the milk in a blender and blend until combined. Add to the flour mixture and stir well. Fold in the apple chunks and the Brazil nuts 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 (use the wooden stick test for donness). Let cool before removing the cake from the pan. Enjoy!  

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.