Tag Archives: chocolate

Vegan Chocolate Biscotti

Treats, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Chocolate, pistachio, cardamon biscotti

Biscotti are twice cooked Italian biscuits. You cook them first as a log, and they come out of the oven a soft cookie texture. After cutting them into slices you cook them a second time. This time they end up dry and crunchy, and perfect for dunking into a coffee or hot chocolate.

This version of the recipe uses almond and coconut flour to make them gluten free, maple syrup to avoid refined sugars, and no eggs to make them Vegan and Vegetarian. Despite being a significant variation on the traditional recipe they are a delicious, crunchy Biscotti that are no shame to the original recipe. The almond flour gives them a lovely richness that makes them feel more sinful than they are!

Unfortunately our son has just sneaked half the batch while we were out so we have to make a second batch already…

Ingredients

  • 100g blanched almonds (or 1 cup almond flour)
  • 1/4 cup coconut flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp cardamon powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup pistachio nuts
  • 1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped into small chunks

Directions

  1. Pre-warm the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degree Fahrenheit)
  2. Blend the almonds in a food processor with a metal blade (preferably the mini food processor attachment or a chopper accessory on a blender) until they are a fine powder (alternatively use almond flour
  3. Add the ground almonds, coconut flour, cocoa powder, cardamon powder, baking soda, and sea salt to a food processor. Process to combine all of the ingredients
  4. Add the maple syrup and process to combine all of the ingredients. (Note: If you prefer sweet biscuits you might like to increase the amount of maple syrup to 1/2 a cup. This is not a particularly sweet biscuit recipe.)
  5. The mixture should start to form into a ball. Let it rest for 5 minutes for the coconut flour to absorb the maple syrup.
  6. Remove the mixture and place it on a piece of greaseproof paper. Knead in the pistachio nuts and chocolate to mix it through the mixture evenly
  7. Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray and place the mixture in the middle of the tray. Shape the mixture to form a block about 20cm long, 10 cm wide, and 2 cm thick.
  8. Cook the biscotti in the oven for 15 minutes.
  9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool (approximately 1 hour)
  10. Slice the log into 1cm wide biscuits using a bread knife. It is important that they are even in width as you are going to cook them again.
  11. Spread the slices of biscuit evenly on a baking tray lined with greaseproof baking paper
  12. Cook again for 15 minutes until the biscotti are crisp and crunchy but not hard
  13. Allow to cool and serve alongside coffee or hot chocolate

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Carbon Handshake – A Dive Right

Espresso Chocolate Cake / Brownies

Treats, , , , , ,

Chocolate Gateau Cake

Somehow I seem to have become obsessed with making the perfect gluten free, dairy free, sugar free chocolate cake. One that actually tastes good! And with this recipe I think I have gotten pretty close. If I didn’t tell you all of the above, you would have no clue! So I tried it on a colleague this week, and he really liked it, and couldn’t believe it was gluten free. Mission accomplished – now go make it yourself, what are you waiting for?

Ingredients

  • 50g dark chocolate (check the ingredients list to avoid high sugar contents)
  • 50g good quality cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 100ml freshly brewed espresso (two double espressos) (long black)
  • 100g ground almonds or almond flour
  • 50g rice or tapioca flour
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 150ml olive oil or coconut oil (not extra virgin olive oil, it tastes too strong)
  • 100ml honey or maple syrup
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 banana, mashed
  • 100g dates or figs, chopped (you can use cheap dates here, no need for the gourmet ones from the fridge)
  • 100g frozen cranberries, blackcurrants, raspberries or blackberries
  • 50g chopped cashews nuts (optional – if you want to turn it into brownies in a rectangular tin)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
  2. Break the dark chocolate into a metal bowl. Place over a bowl of hot boiled water to melt.
  3. Sift the cocoa into a bowl. Add the freshly brewed espresso and melted dark chocolate. Stir well to make a smooth paste. You may need to add 2-4Tbsp of hot boiled water to get a smoothe paste. This depends on your cocoa and the exact measurement of the coffee. Put aside to cool down while you prepare the rest
  4. If you are using almonds, then grind them in a blender to make a fine powder (I use a grinding attachment, you may have a small bowl for your foodprocessor that could do the same job instead). Alternatively, measure the almond flour into a separate bowl. Add the rice flour. Add the bicarbonate of soda and salt and set aside.
  5. In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, add the oil, honey and eggs. Mix for about 2 minutes until well aerated.
  6. Add the chocolate mixture to the mixture in the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix thoroughly.
  7. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla to the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix quickly.
  8. Add the flour mixture to the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix thoroughly.
  9. Prepare a round cake tin of 25cm in diameter, or a rectangular slice tin of 20cm in length with a base lining of baking paper. Oil the sides of the tin with a little coconut or olive oil.
  10. Pour the mixture into the tin.
  11. Scatter the dates/figs and frozen berries over the mixture to make sure they are spread evenly through the cake. Sprinkle over the cashew nuts if you are adding them. Pat them into the mixture using the back of a wooden spoon until they are covered by the mixture.
  12. Cook the brownies for 30 minutes in the oven or until it is cooked through. Prick with a skewer to check if it is cooked through. The skewer should be clean when you pull it back out.
  13. Serve warm or cooled down.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Balthazar – Thin Walls

Vegan Chocolate Orange Mousse

Treats, , , , , , , ,

 Vegan Chocolate Mousse

When I was staying at Villa Flow in Bali they made me an avocado based chocolate mousse, and I have recreated it at home, but with some added orange. Orange chocolate has always been my favourite. Do make sure that your avocados are ripe before you make this. Unripe avocado is not a welcome flavour in a dessert. 

Ingredients

  • 150 g dairy-free dark chocolate, plus extra for garnishing (I used “Lindt Excellence 90% cacao” pure chocolate. It is worth checking the label to make sure you don’t get one with sugar as the first ingredient)
  • 2 large ripe avocados
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • seeds of 1 vanilla pod (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1/3 cup almond milk or coconut milk
  • 1/2 tsp orange peel

Directions

  1. Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, making sure the base doesn’t touch the water. Break the chocolate into the bowl and allow it to melt, then set aside to cool slightly.
  2. Halve and stone the avocados. Scoop out the flesh of the avocados with a desert spoon. Add into a food processor bowl, discarding the skins.
  3. Using the finest grater you have, rasp off the peel of an orange or mandarin.
  4. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, maple syrup, and almond/coconut milk to the food processor and blend for a few seconds. Scrape down the sides with a spatula, then blend again to ensure that it is well combined.
  5. Pour in the cooled chocolate, then blend a final time until creamy and smooth.
  6. Divide the mixture between six small bowls, and refridgerate for at least 30 minutes.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Lower Dens – Escape from Evil

 

Moist Gluten Free Chocolate cake

Treats, , , , , , , , ,

Moist Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

With my son’s birthday fast approaching, and children in his class with nuts and gluten allergies, making a birthday cake this year took a little bit of experimentation. This chocolate cake received the children’s seal of approval, with not a single piece left in the box that we sent into his classroom.

Ingredients

  • 50g good quality cocoa powder (sifted)
  • 125ml boiling water
  • seeds of one pod vanilla
  • 70g sweet potato flour
  • 60g rice flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 150ml coconut oil (or regular olive oil, not extra virgin olive oil – it is too strong tasting)
  • 100ml honey (or use maple syrup)
  • 3 large eggs
  • handful of frozen cranberries (optional)

Directions

  1. Heat the oven at 170 degrees Celsius (340 degrees Fahrenheit).
  2. Sift the cocoa into a bowl. Add the boiling water and stir well to make a smooth paste. Put aside to cool down while you prepare the rest
  3. Measure the sweet potato and rice flour into a separate bowl. Add the bicarbonate of soda and salt and set aside.
  4. In the bowl of a food processor or mixer, add the coconut oil, honey and eggs.
  5. Mix for about 3 minutes until well aerated.
  6. Add the chocolate mixture to the mixture in the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix thoroughly.
  7. Add the flour mixture to the foodprocessor or mixer. Mix thoroughly.
  8. Prepare as springform cake tin of 20-25cm with a base lining of baking paper. Oil the sides of the tin with a little coconut oil.
  9. Pour the mixture into the tin.
  10. Sprinkle over the cranberries or other berries (optional)
  11. Cook the cake for 40 minutes in the oven or until it is still moist in the centre, but cooked through.
  12. Serve warm or cooled down.

Music to go with it…
Listen on Spotify: Breaks Co-op – Sounds Familiar