This decadent dessert is dairy-free, suitable for vegans and can even be made gluten free as well, but you’ll never be able to tell! Rich moist chocolate sponge, topped with creamy caramel sauce and crunchy salty popcorn. Serve with chocolate sorbet or dairy free ice cream for a luxury finish.
Cookies are a great thing to bake with kids and with the UK currently in lockdown I decided to try to create a new recipe that I could bake with the boys but which would also fit in with what I’m eating during Veganuary. They have been taste tasted and approved by the boys and their dad and I’ve already been asked “Mummy! When can we make those new cookies again?!”
I think that brownies and blondies are my favourite thing to bake. They are super easy to mix, don’t take too long to bake and are cooled and ready to eat quite quickly too. This is important as I’m not a very patient person so I can’t wait to eat the cake that I’ve made! These Raspberry and White Chocolate blondies are gluten and dairy free and are really easy to make.
Bakewell tart was one of my favourite puddings as a child. I remember my Grandma always making one for me when we would go down and visit. One of Ethan’s favourite cakes to pick in the supermarket is a Cherry Bakewell. We both love that almond marzipan taste however I’m not a fan of glace cherries.
I love smoothies and try and make one every day if I can. It’s a great way for me to get more fruit and vegetables into my diet as I’m not a fan of eating pieces of fruit especially in the winter months. Having them in a smoothie or smoothie bowl means that I can have multiple pieces of fruit with all of the juice and fibre as well as meaning that I am less likely to snack on unhealthier things. I would normally have a smoothie for an afternoon snack to keep me going until lunchtime or as dessert after lunch or dinner.
If you’re looking for vegan comfort food, you’ve found the right recipe! This tomato and sausage pasta dish really satisfies my cravings for spaghetti with meatballs or Sardinian pasta shells with sausage ragu. Perfect for meat-free Monday or a totally vegan meal plan.
Cake is my guilty pleasure, especially ones with chocolate in. Emma Donogue said “If I was made of cake I’d eat myself before somebody else could” which I think could be quite true of myself! I love to feed my sweet tooth and so I love making things like brownies or blondies but I also love loaf cakes like my ginger loaf or a lemon drizzle. I remember my mum making banana bread and me eating it with butter spread on. I tend to try and go for healthy treats these days but that doesn’t mean I don’t have an extra thick slice.
There is some debate now as to whether breakfast is really the most important meal of the day. What is important is what we choose to eat for breakfast. I can’t miss breakfast, I need some food and a drink to get me going in a morning. I’m not really a morning person and breakfast helps me to wake up and get started with the day, without it I wouldn’t have the energy for work, running around after the kids and for all the jobs in the house that always need doing.
I’ve got another new vegan recipe for you and this one is a lovely treat. My absolute favourite mid morning snack is a cup of herbal tea and a slice of cake. There’s nothing better than having a break, sitting on the sofa and enjoying a sweet treat. What if that sweet treat was good for you? I love gingerbread but it’s very heavy on the refined sugar and I wanted to reduce this and also make it gluten and dairy free.
Chocolate for breakfast? Yes please! It probably won’t come as a surprise to you that we love our chocolate in this house. My Chocolate and Almond Granola is a staple and my boys, and in particular Ethan makes sure I make a batch every week. As I’m taking part in Veganuary I was looking for some new breakfast recipes and thinking about how I could find some nutritious as well as quick and easy to make breakfasts now we’re back into the routine of school and work when mornings are rushed.