Chocolate pistachio coconut bars
This recipe is really decadent, healthy, dairy free and gluten free. It makes a perfect dessert. No need to bake- just freeze each layer. This dessert is festive and fun and can easily be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer to take with you to the next social ocassion.
Ingredients for the base:
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup medjool dates
!/4 cup organic cacao powder
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
Directions for the base:
Pulse the almonds and cacao in the food processor until it resembles a fine crumb.
While the food processor is running, add in the dates one at a time and the coconut oil until it is well combined.
Pour the mixture into a small 8-10 baking tin lined with baking paper and press it down ot form the base. Place in the freezer to set.
Ingredients for the filling:
1 cup dried cranberries
3/4 cup desiccated coconut unsweetened
2 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 cup raw pistachio nuts
1/2 cup coconut cream
Directions for the filling:
Pulse the cranberries, coconut and pistachios in the food processor until chopped
Add the coconut oil and coconut cream and pulse again until the mixture is well combined
Pour the mixture on top of the base and return to the freezer to set.
Ingredients for Chocolate topping:
1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
1/4 cup of pure maple syrup
1/4 cup organic cacao powder
Directions for chocolate topping:
Add the coconut oil, maple syrup and cacao to a small mixing bowl and stir until it is combined and resembles chocolate sauce.
Spread the chocolate sauce on op of the filling. Make sure the filling is set before you do this step.
Pop it back into the freezer for an hour and then remove it from the baking tin. Slice it up and store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Chocolate biscotti with hazelnuts
This simple twice baked chocolate biscotti recipe has a perfect crunch and crispy texture and makes them ideal for dunking into your favourite hot beverage.
Servings: 72 biscottis
Ingredients:
1 cup hazelnuts raw
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees (Position rack in the center)
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
Spread hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 12-15minutes, or until skins begin to crack. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel for a few minutes. rub hazelnuts together to remove skin.
Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, sift and whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt) Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl or bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachement, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time
Add vanilla extract
Add flour mixture to egg mixture with a wooden spoon until just incorporated (do not over mix)
Fold in choppeed hazelnuts and chopped chocolate
Divide dough into quarters. Place each quarter on the cookie sheet, shaping each into a 15 inch log. Flatten each biscotti log until 1 1/2 inches wide.
Transfer to a cutting board
Use a serrated knife, slice cookies at an angle about 1/2 inch thick.
Place the sliced cookies back on the baking sheets and return them to the oven for about another 20-30 minutes (the longer they stay in the oven, the crispier they get) Turn them over at around the 10 minute mark
Remove from oven and enjoy!
Egyptian Chocolate cake
Tried this amazing chocolate cake made by my friend, Kaneez at a party and had to share. I had no idea there was an Egyptian chocolate cake but apparently the spices, coffee and dark chocolate make it quite rich and delicious and Egyptian. It can be served as a wonderful dessert at a Valentine’s party, birthday or anniversary. I loved the amazing flavours of spices and whipping cream with chocolate. Thank you Kaneez for sharing!
Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup buttermilk
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Melt chocolate, coffee and butter in a large bowl in the microwave on medium for 2-3 minutes.
Stir until smooth and let it cool completely
Add mixture to a mixing bowl and Stir in sugar, beat in eggs one at a time on low speed of electric mixer. Add vanilla.
Combine dry ingredients and add alternatively with buttermilk into the mixer until well blended.
Pour into 2 -9” greased round cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly pressed in centre.
Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans. Cool on rack completely before frosting.
Fill and frost with cinnamon whipped cream and sprinkle top with coarsely grated chocolate.
Cinnamon whipped cream
500 ml whipping cream
1/4 cup organic cane sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp organic Ceylon cinnamon
Combine cream, sugar vanilla and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Beat on high speed of electric mixer until soft peaks form and mixture is thick enough to spread.
Almond amaretti cookies
These have got to be my old time favourite cookies! They are so moist and chewy and full of almond flavour!! These Italian cookies are are naturally gluten free, made with almond flour, sugar, egg whites and a splash of almond extract. You can also make these sugar free by adding stevia or your favourite sugar free swetener. Enjoy these anytime of the year with a cup of expresso or a tea.
Ingredients
5 egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
5 cups almond flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2tbsp almond extract
1/2 cup icing sugar
Directions
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt in a mixer till stiff peaks form
Add vanilla extract and almond extract and mix again and set mixture aside.
In a bowl, add 5 cups of almond flour and sugar and mix.
Fold in the almond flour mixture into the egg whites a little at a time with a spatula til you have a thick paste texture.
Scoop out the mounds of cookie dough and roll into round balls. Drop the balls into icing sugar and evenly coat them.
Place cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and lightly press each cookie with your hand. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes.
You can make a little hole in the centre and add an almond, or cherry or jam or a coffee bean.
Enjoy!
Stollen (with marzipan)
Stollen is thought to have originated in Germany in the 1400’s. Stollen is a fruit bread of nuts, spices and dried or candied fruit, coated with powdered sugar or icing sugar and often containing marzipan. It is a traditional German bread eaten during the holidays. Learn to make your own
This recipe is tried and tested ! I got this from the Cupcake Jemma and it is a fabulous recipe. I tweaked it a bit as I prefer orange juice over rum and brandy. But you can add the rum!
Ingredients:
150ml whole milk- warm to touch
1 pack of instant yeast
415 g all purpose flour
100g fine sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp mace
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp nutmeg
150 g soft unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
200 gr currants/raisins/sultanas (soaked in rum or brandy overnight) I used orange juice
100g (mixed peel) I used orange and lemon peel
50 g almonds
250 g marzipan
Directions:
Activate yeast ( add yeast to the milk and add the sugar) stir and leave in a warm place for about 10-15 minutes
Sift all purpose flour into the mixer(don’t start mixer yet), add sugar, soft butter, egg yolks and all spices, salt and finally the milk/yeast mixture. Start the mixer with regular paddle for about 1 minute and then switch a dough hook. Keep mixing till you see a dough ball ( about 10 minutes) you should be able to stretch it.
Proof the dough in a greased bowl and cover with saraan wrap and a tea towel ( in an oven -with a bowl of hot water) Leave for an hour till it rises to double the size.
Remove dough and roll it out into a circle. Add soaked fruit , raisins and slivered almonds. Knead the dough through. You can divide the dough in two and roll each again into a circle. Add a tube of marzipan and mold into a stollen bread shape. Cover again with saran wrap and proof the stollen again for another hour in the oven again. Dough should be ready once it springs back very slowly (about 45 mins to an hour) Remove any fruit that are poking out as they will burn.
Bake at 320 degrees for 30-35 minutes. Cool for about 10 minutes. Poke holes in the stollen with a skewer and drizzle unsalted butter all over making sure the stollen is well soaked. Sprinkle icing sugar all over till covered. Let cool for 15 minutes and its ready to eat. Enjoy!!
Gingerbread cookies
This recipe is amazing and I got it from Gimme some oven. Your home is guaranteed to smell amazing. This one has fresh orange zest and it really does the trick.
Vegan substitutes included.
Makes 40 cookies.
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg (all from our baking spice dabba)
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature (use vegan butter here if vegan)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (or maple syrup, agave syrup)
1 large egg (flax egg if vegan)
1/2 cup molasses
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
zest of one small orange(optional)
Icing
2 cups Icing sugar
2–3 tablespoons milk (soy, oat or almond milk)
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Whisk together your dry ingredients. Flour, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda,, cloves, salt and nutmeg.
Beat the dough. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add in eggs and molasses, and beat on medium speed until combined. Then gradually add in the flour mixture, and beat on medium-low speed until just combined.
Chill the dough. Divide the dough into two equal portions and form each into a ball. then gently use your hands to flatten each ball into a 1 “ thick disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerator for an hour or so until the dough is pliable.
Roll and cut the dough. Unwrap one of the discs and place it on a lightly-floured surface. Use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough evenly until it is approximately 1.8 inch thick. Then use your favourite cookie cutters to cut your desired shapes, re rolling the dough as needed to cut more. Transfer the shapes to parchment covered baking sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are crisp around the edges and on the top. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes., then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling
Decorate: Once the cookies cool to room temperature, feel free to decorate as desired with the icing.
Homemade extracts
If you have the time to make your own extracts, it sure is worth as they can be just as good as you get from the store or even better! It sure is a labour of love but well worth it and really doesn’t take too much time. If you have your ingredients and a bottle of vodka, you have it made. Vodka is used because it is odourless, colourless and flavourless.
Home made vanilla extract:
Cut 10 vanilla beans in half and slit them so the vanilla paste and seeds are exposed.
Place the cut vanilla beans into a 1 litre mason jar.
Add 3-4 cups of vodka into the mason jar covering the vanilla beans and filling the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks shake jar and let stand for another 6 months.
After 6 months, decant the amount of vanilla extract that you will need.
You can just top off with vodka and keep reusing the vanilla extract. It can be used perpetually replacing with fresh vodka after decanting every time.
Home made coffee extract:
Use a 16 oz mason jar and fill up with 8oz of Italian espresso beans.
Add 2 cups of vodka to the coffee beans making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 6 months in total for an amazing coffee extract.
After 6 months, decant the amount of coffee extract that you will need.
Because coffee can get rancid, this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the coffee beans or dry them and grind them and use them on instant espresso drinks or on whipped cream desserts.
Home made chocolate extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up half the jar with 8oz of crushed cacao nibs
Add 2 cups of vodka to the crushed cacao beans making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 6 months in total for an amazing chocolate extract.
After 6 months, decant the amount of cacao extract that you will need.
Because cacao beans can get rancid, this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the cacao beans or grind them and use them as a topper on chocolate whipped desserts.
Home made cinnamon extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with cinnamon sticks (3” preferably)
Add 2 cups of vodka to the cinnamon sticks making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 3 months in total for an amazing cinnamon extract. It might already be good enough by 8 weeks.
Decant amount of cinnamon extract that you will need.
You can just top off with vodka and keep reusing the cinnamon extract. It can be used perpetually replacing with fresh vodka after decanting every time.
Home made almond extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with fresh blanched slivered almonds (the fresher the better)
Add 2 cups of vodka to the almonds making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. After 8 weeks, shake the jar and let stand for up to 6 months in total for an amazing almond extract.
Decant amount of cinnamon extract that you will need.
Because almonds have fat, they can get rancid, and this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the almond or dry them and use them in baking or as a topper on desserts.
Home made coconut extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up half the jar with unsweetened shredded coconut
Add 2 cups of vodka to the almonds making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. You may like the flavour at this point but if not strong enough, let stand up to 3 months in total for an amazing coconut extract.
Decant amount of coconut extract that you will need.
Because coconut has fat, it can get rancid, and this extract mixture will not be perpetual. You can probably get another 6 months with another top up of vodka. But you should decant the rest and discard the coconut or dry it and use it in baking or as a topper on desserts.
Home made mint extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with fresh peppermint or fresh mint leaves and stems washed and dried. Press into jar with a pestle to release oils.
Add 2 cups of vodka to the peppermint/mint making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. You may like the flavour at this point but if not strong enough, let stand up to 3 months in total for an amazing peppermint/mint extract
Decant amount of mint/peppermint extract that you will need.
Because mint/peppermint will not last another 6 months, it is recommended to decant and dry the mint/peppermint and use as potpourri.
Home made orange extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with orange peels and stems pressed into jar with a pestle to release oils. Use a potato peeler and only use the zest, not the pith (which is the white part inside the peel -it can be very bitter).
Add 2 cups of vodka to the orange zest making sure to fill the vodka within an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 6-8 weeks. You may like the flavour at this point but if not strong enough, let stand up to 6 months in total for an amazing orange extract
Decant amount of mint/peppermint extract that you will need.
You can just top off with vodka and keep reusing the orange extract for probably another 6 months.
LEMON AND LIME CAN BE MADE THE SAME WAY AS ORANGE EXTRACT
Cardamom extract:
Use a 16 oz jar and fill up the jar with crushed cardamom pods.
Add 2 cups of vodka to the cardamom pods making sure to fill the vodka with in an inch of head space from the rim.
If using a metal lid, cover with a cloth before placing the lid on top to avoid the metal touching the extract.
Place the jar in a dark place in a pantry for about 2-3 days. If kept longer, it will become bitter.
Decant the whole amount and use cardamom seeds in baking as well by drying and grinding to powder.