Gooey Flourless Fudge Brownies {with Video}

Okay, I'll keep this short and sweet.

You guys want brownies. Grain free, dairy free, nut free brownies. At least I'm pretty sure you do, because when I posted the above photo on my Facebook page it got 181 shares, 1014 likes, and 229 comments!

So here it is. Your weekend treat. Enjoy :D

[Note: This is a Thermomix recipe - see end of page for tips for making this without a Thermomix.]





Gooey Flourless Fudge Brownies

- 200g dark, dairy free chocolate (I use either Green & Black's 70% cocoa chocolate which 'may contain traces of dairy', or Loving Earth dark chocolate which is completely dairy free)
- 130g raw Medjool dates, pitted
- 180g organic cold-pressed coconut oil
- 30g coconut flour
- 4 eggs
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 190C. Line a 22cm square baking dish with baking paper. I use 'If You Care' baking paper, which is non-toxic.

Place the chocolate (broken into pieces) into the mixing bowl and mill for 10 sec/speed 9.

Add the dates to the bowl and chop 15 sec/speed 10.

Add the coconut oil and cook 5 mins/60C/speed 2.

Add remaining ingredients and mix 20 sec/speed 8. Scrape down lid and sides of bowl and mix another 10 sec/speed 6.

Scrape mixture into a lined, square baking dish. Bake in preheated 190C oven for 18-20 mins. Be careful not to overcook or they won't be gooey! Just until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool, cut into small squares, and refrigerate until cold.

Of course, you probably won't be able to wait, but they really do taste so much more AMAZING when they're cold and gooey and fudgey! Trust me.

Can be dusted with some raw cacao powder, or if you want to be really decadent, top with this dairy free ganache, or some dairy free dulce de leche!

PS It might be best to 'share the love' and invite a friend over for a cuppa and brownies... these are RICH, so don't eat them all yourself! Lol!!

Have a great weekend xx

This one was quite popular with the taste testers!!

* Note: If you don't have a Thermomix, you'll need to finely chop the chocolate and dates (in a food processor if you have one) and melt together over a double boiler with the coconut oil, whisking until smooth. Then stir in the remaining ingredients with a wooden spoon. 

Weekly Highlights

This week has been super busy, and although some of you may think I'm Super Woman and keep up with everything effortlessly, I'm not, and I don't. In fact, today I feel a bit like my little nephew after a hard day of being Super Man...

(Isn't he just too cute?)

Yep. That's me right there.

This week has been: school holidays and lots of kids coming and going; an exciting project I'm working on (which I'll tell you about soon); lots of cooking (mostly for the exciting project); wrapping up loose ends with my job (I'm scaling down there - can't do everything!); sight seeing tours with a visitor from overseas; a birthday party with a bunch of noisy boys (plus a few girls who don't like to miss out on nerf wars and messy fun, ie. my 16 yr old and her friends); plus everything else. Result: exhausted 'super woman' with saggy muscles. Lol.

So here's a quick update, with the highlights from our discussions on the Quirky Cooking Facebook page...

I bumbled my way through the boys' birthday BBQ on Thursday. I'm not great at organising amazing kids' parties. I'd rather just supply some food and let them entertain themselves by running around outside, so a BBQ at the lake seemed like the easiest option. Sadly, the weather turned bad so we arrived at the lake, took one look at the wet and windy BBQ 'shelter', then turned around and drove back to town. Thankfully my lovely friend Giselle was happy for a party of 14 boys (plus a few girls) to descend upon her home and run around crazy in her yard, so a fun time was had by all despite the rain.

Of course, being a country kids' birthday party, it included things like an 'epic' nerf war (I borrowed that word from Mr I, who seems to say it a lot), bushwalking to a waterfall, throwing rocks into a volcanic crater, and eating sausages and fried onions in bread with plenty of tomato sauce. No lollies at this party, or party games or party bags - but I'm pretty sure they all had a good time. :)

I managed to get a birthday cake made before dashing out the door in the morning - another Zebra cake (Mr I's request), but with a few changes to make it healthier and yummier. The kids loved it. It's a bit messier than my last one as I was in a hurry, but I really don't think the kids noticed.

It's funny how we mums sometimes think that if we don't do everything 'just right' the world will fall apart. I'm always reminding myself that there are more important things to worry about in life than whether a cake is beautifully decorated, or a party is perfectly organised. Sure, if you can do it and enjoy it, that's great! But getting stressed out over things like that just spoils the fun. So we had a slap dash, informal party, and a fun day was had by all. 

Here's what's been happening on my Quirky Cooking Facebook page this past week... 

FOOD

Pear recipes: This 'Whole Poached Pear Cake' was being tested and tweaked this week in my kitchen. I'm working on a dairy free, grain free version, and although it's not quite there yet, it still tasted delicious! What are you favourite pear recipes? Try some of these out.

Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake: the lovely girls from Confetti Mag shared my cake recipe on their blog - check out the recipe here, and make sure you subscribe to their beautiful online magazine!

I'm also working on a recipe for a gluten free, dairy free shortcrust pastry... lots of pies being cooked here lately! (No one's complaining.) No recipe yet, all part of the 'project'.

Weird breakfasts: I explain why I eat weird things for breakfast, like chicken soup and fried rice, here.

How to make soft eggs, poached in the shell: too easy, very quick, and delicious! Photo and recipe here.

Don't have time for a 'proper' breakfast? My quick protein smoothie recipe.

A very interesting version of my Creamy Chicken & Brown Rice Soup: You know that soup that everyone's making? Well, you may not want to make it like this. Then again, maybe you will, just for fun!! :D

15 foods that can be regrown from scraps: great tips from Mrs Happy Homemaker

Favourite thermomix chicken recipes: Got chicken? Try these!

Trout recipes: some tips and recipes for cooking trout here.

Homemade two minute noodle seasoning mix: healthier versions you can make yourself!

Healthier biscuits to replace Tiny Teddies: some great ideas here for little homemade bikkies for kids, without the nasties.

10 reasons to make your own bone broth: check out this article by Alexx Stuart - I call bone broth 'liquid gold'. 

How to dry ripe olives: tips for drying and perserving olives here.

How to make dairy free dulce de leche with honey to sweeten: a reader's tip!

Homemade fruit chutney: readers' favourite recipes here.

Chilli jam recipes: find some recipes and links here.

Fig jam recipes: made with dried figs - ideas here.

Pickles: I also made pickled cucumber slices this week, so if you're wanting to try them yourself, the recipe is here - first half of recipe is in the comment on the photo, second half of recipe in the last comment on the photo. (These are not sweet pickles, they're the salty, vinegarry type.)

HEALTH

Homemade face masks: no need to spend big bucks on fancy schmancy facial treatments! Try these homemade face mask recipes!

10 reasons you should be using coconut oil: here's why I love coconut oil...

Why sugar makes us sleepy and protein wakes us up: ...and this is why I eat protein at breakfast time!

A reader's experience: how a mum got her daughter have more energy by giving her a protein breakfast before school! Her story here.

Sucrase Isomaltase Deficiency: a disorder that affects a persons ability to breakdown sucrose (fruit/table sugar) and maltose (grain sugar). Donna asked for some recipe ideas, in particular snacks & lunch box treats, for her 5 year old with SID - here's the answers and ideas that were shared.

AND OTHER STUFF

French Rules for Feeding Children: the French are known for having children who will eat all sorts of things - fussy eaters are just about unheard of! Here's some tips for developing great little eaters.

Nut milk bags: what do you use to strain your nut milk? Reader's tips and favourite brands.

How do you store recipes you find online? Here's readers' favourite ways to keep track of recipes they want to make.


Have a great week everyone!

Miss C and Shadow have the right idea...

Raw Macadamia Lime 'Cheesecake' (dairy free)

One thing I love about living in tropical Far North Queensland is the abundance of delicious produce grown here. I love that I can go to the local markets and buy locally grown coconuts (and coconut oil), locally grown vanilla beans and cacao nibs and cacaco beans, luscious limes, macadamias, avocadoes, pineapples, lychees, passionfruit, mangoes, and I've even bought sugar cane juice that's juiced while you wait! Even better, lots of these yummy things are given to you by friends, family and acquaintances who just have too much and need to share. Love that.

Last week I did a Thermomix demo for a lady who sent me home with a big bag full of limes and bunches of fresh herbs and rocket from her garden. At other times I've come home with a box of vine ripened tomatoes, pumpkin, avocadoes, lychees and mangoes. I get given bags of passionfruit, boxes of black sapotes, chokos and lettuces. I always say to my husband, 'There's really no way you could starve living here. Why would anyone want to live in the city??' Besides, where in the city can you walk around the corner from your house and see views like this...



But I digress... back to the cheesecake.

So the other day I thought I should make something with some of the limes filling my fruit basket, and the avocados from mum's tree. I really wanted something a bit special, as I had a photo shoot with an online magazine on Friday (Confetti Mag - 1st issue, coming out in May, stay tuned!), and I thought something made with local ingredients would be a good thing to photograph. (We ended up choosing something else to make, and we had lots of fun cooking and taking photos! Two of my favourite things to do.)

{Photo taken by Karen of Confetti Mag}

I remembered a lime and avocado tart I'd made last year and really enjoyed, but I felt it needed to be creamier and less... well... tart! Okay, I know 'raw lime cheesecakes' are all over the internet and I didn't really need to make up another recipe, but I just like to play. I did get some inspiration from this lovely raw lime tart from Fragrant Vanilla Cake (a blog you really should visit if you're into raw food, vegan food, or just delicious desserts) - but I ended up changing it to make the most of some of our lovely local produce, plus whatever I had on hand.

It turned out amaaaaazing!!

My husband is very partial to a good cheesecake, and was very sceptical that my dairy free version would be something he'd want to eat... But after one bite he changed his tune and begged for more. :)

I had a lot of 'drop-ins' that day, and each one had to taste my cheesecake. I made them. (They didn't argue.) They all agreed it was a gem of a recipe, and they all told me I should save it for my book. But being the kind and generous blogger that I am, I dedided to go ahead and share it. And besides, I was a bit worried that after getting 235 comments on the photo I posted on Facebook, plus many private messages, asking for the recipe, I might have a riot if I didn't share!! (But I will have to start being a bit more secretive with new recipes I think, or there won't be any surprises left for the book!)

Consider this your Easter present from me. I think it would make a great Easter Sunday treat... because as much as I love chocolate, it can get a little 'overdone' at Easter time. I'm thinking lime will be a good change.

So here it is, the long-awaited recipe...

Oh, and just a couple of tips: buy the macadamia pieces, they're heaps cheaper than whole nuts and you don't need whole nuts for this recipe. And use organic or homegrown limes if possible, as you don't really want to be eating the zest from limes sprayed with pesticides. Just my opinion.

Raw Macadamia Lime 'Cheesecake'

(Makes one 20cm cheesecake)

Base:

Grind all the base ingredients up together in the Thermomix on speed 9 for 20 seconds, or until finely ground.

- 130g raw macadamia nuts (either unsoaked, or soaked and dehydrated)

- 70g organic shredded or flaked coconut (additive free)

- 8 fresh dates (eg. Medjool), pitted

- a pinch of fine Himalayan salt

   Grease the inside of a 20cm springform cake tin with coconut oil. Press the base mixture firmly into the base of the tin, and up the sides if you like. Set aside.

Filling:

Blitz vanilla beans and lime zest on speed 10 for 10 seconds.

- 2 vanilla beans, snipped into 4 pieces (can use 1 bean in a pinch)

- zest from 2 limes (just peel off with a sharp potato peeler)

Add cashews and grind on speed 10 for 8 seconds.

- 150g raw cashews*

Add remaining ingredients and blend on speed 9 for 1 minute, scraping down as needed, until lovely and smooth.

- flesh of 1 lime

- 320g fresh avocados (or frozen, cut in 1-2cm cubes)

- 100g pure maple syrup

- 55g coconut oil

- a pinch of fine Himalayan salt

Pour filling into springform tin, spreading over the base. Place in freezer for at least half an hour.

* If using soaked raw cashews, only soak for up to 6 hours, drain well and pat dry with tea towel, then mix with the other ingredients (lime, avocado, etc) all at once, blending until smooth.

Just look at those lovely little vanilla bean seeds in the filling.... Mmmm!

Topping:

Mix together until smooth on speed 9:

- 150g raw macadamias (soaked for a few hours, then drained and dried off a bit)

- 150g Ayam coconut cream (or other thick coconut cream)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste

- juice of 1 lime

- 30g pure maple syrup

Pour over filling and smooth with spatula.

Decoration:

While topping is still soft, before freezing, add extra macadamia nuts and lime zest for decoration, sprinkling first the nuts, then the zest, around the edge of the cheesecake. (See photos)

- a good sized handful of macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (if you haven't bought them already in pieces)

- zest of one lime, grated with a zester

Place the finished cheesecake, covered with a plastic bag, in the freezer and leave it alone for at least 2 hours, preferably more. It's best eaten semi-frozen. It will last for weeks in the freezer... but we all know that's not going to happen. ;)

Enjoy!

Raw Superfood Fudge

 

Warning: this fudge disappears quickly!

(naturally sweetened with dates & stevia; gluten free, grain free, dairy free, egg free)

Here's a chocolate treat that you can eat guilt-free, which will help to control those chocolate cravings without overloading your body with sugar. It is not only raw and naturally sweetened, but full of antioxidants, vitamin C, protein, fibre, magnesium, immune system boosters and other nutrients to nourish your body. The raw cacao is a great pick-me-up, and I often find myself reaching for it after lunch when I need an energy boost. I tell my kids this is one sweet treat they can eat as much as they like of, which makes them pretty happy! (Although it's quite rich, so they never eat more than two or three pieces at a time.)

To maximise the goodness of this fudge, I've used two of Loving Earth's superfood powders. Rainbow Superfood Blend is quickly becoming my favourite superfood powder, because instead of opening lots of packets and jars and combining powders, I can just grab this one jar and scoop out a spoonful of maqui berry, acai, AFA, gubinge (Kakadu plum) and camu camu powders. It just simplifies things. I also add some extra maqui berry powder as this is a 'fruity' fudge! It gives it an extra depth of flavour, plus even more goodness. (If you're not sure what any of those are and why they're so good for you, click on the links to see an explanation, as well as ideas of how to use them.)

I also like to add dried, organic cherries to my fudge, or a couple of handfuls of goji berries. If you don't have any, you can either leave them out, or add some sultanas instead.

 

WIN a jar of Loving Earth's Maqui or Rainbow Superfood Powders!

Okay, so here's the exciting news... You have the chance to WIN one of the above superfood powders from Loving Earth!! They have kindly sent me some goodies to give away, so for your chance to win one of these amazing jars of goodness, just leave a comment on this post saying what you would make with it if you had some to try. There will be two winners drawn randomly in one weeks' time, on Saturday 20th October, 2012, at 5pm. The first winner will receive a 150g jar of Rainbow Superfood Blend (worth $44.90), and the second winner will receive a jar of Maqui Powder (worth $39.90). (This competition is only open to Australian residents - sorry to my overseas followers, but postage is horrendous these days! If you are desperate to try it, you can order online from Loving Earth.)

Okay, so here's my recipe for Raw Superfood Fudge ~ try it out, and don't forget to leave a comment! Enjoy :)

1. Grind up in your Thermomix on speed 9 for 30 seconds:
- 1 whole vanilla bean, snipped in a couple of pieces (no need to scrape out seeds)
- 100g raw cacao nibs

2. Add and grind on speed 9 for 10 seconds:
- 100g raw walnuts
- 100g raw cashews

[Note: nuts that are high in enzyme inhibitors (like walnuts) are easier to digest if they have been 'activated' - soaked, rinsed, then dehydrated. You can do this yourself, or you can buy them activated here. You can use regular raw nuts if that's all you have. Any combination of nuts will work - I like cashews & walnuts as they are oily, so they make a 'creamier' fudge.]

3. Add and process on speed 9 for a minute, or until fudge is smooth and begins to form a ball (as in picture below):
- 100g raw dates
- 80g coconut butter (make your own from dried coconut)
- 60g coconut oil (sometimes called coconut butter)
- 1 heaped tsp Rainbow Superfood Blend
- 1 heaped tsp Maqui Berry Powder
- 10 drops vanilla stevia or a pinch of green stevia powder (optional)
- pinch of Himalayan salt

4. Mix in on speed 3 for a few seconds:
- a handful of dried sour cherries or goji berries

5. Press mixture into a square or small rectangular dish (I use a Pyrex glass dish), and pop into the fridge to set. If you like, you can make the mixture into balls instead of squares. Keep refrigerated or it will soften and crumble.

(This is not a paid post, although Loving Earth did send me some samples and giveaways. But even if they hadn't, I would still link to them because I LOVE their products!! I think I should maybe just move into their warehouse...)

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters (Nut Free)

 

 

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters

 

Well, it's back to school tomorrow for the kids here in Queensland, and we've been tossing around lots of healthy lunch box ideas here on my Facebook page. While we were chatting, I remembered I'd been meaning to come up with a trail mix my kids would like... they're not too keen on the usual nuts and sultanas ones. So I dashed off to the kitchen and emptied half my pantry onto the bench, had a bit of a brainstorm, and this is what I came up with. Instead of a traditional trail mix, I made the mixture into little clusters, as I think it's easier to eat this way.

I used superfood berries and dried cherries instead of sultanas; seeds and shredded coconut instead of nuts; and Cacao Crunch instead of chocolate chips. (Cacao Crunch is cacao nibs rolled in a liquified form of the roasted nibs, then rolled in panela (Rapadura) - so yum! Very lightly sweet, but chocolatey and full of antioxidants!)

Cacao Crunch

For a great energy boost, munch on a small handful of these... but beware, don't eat them before bed, or you won't sleep! (I know this by experience...lol)

If you don't have the berries and cherries, just substitute with whatever you have - dried apricots or peaches chopped in bits, sultanas, currants, etc. I would suggest you try the goji berries and goldenberries, though, if you possibly can, as they're lovely and tart and SO good for you! (And again, very high in antioxidants!)

Here's some of the ingredients I used in my trail mix clusters...

 

 

Goji Berries, Cacao Crunch, Goldenberries, Organic Dried Cherries, Coconut Butter (homemade from shredded coconut) and Organic Shredded Coconut (all available from most health food stores or online)

 

 

Goldenberries, goji berries and Cacao Crunch - yum!

Superfood Trail Mix Clusters (Nut Free)

1. First, make a batch of coconut butter and remove to a jar or bowl. Or if you like, you could use bought coconut butter. (You'll need 150g.) I don't mean coconut oil, I mean dried coconut which is ground up to make a paste (like a nut butter) which sets hard as it cools. (Keep coconut butter in a jar in the cupboard - it gets too hard in the fridge.)

I used coconut butter I already had in a jar, and just chopped it up a bit with a knife so it was all crumbly. (See photo below)

 

 

2. Weigh coconut butter into Thermomix bowl:

- 150g coconut butter

 

3. Add remaining ingredients to Thermomix and mix on reverse, speed 3, for about 10 seconds or until well combined:

- 15g shredded dried organic coconut (or coconut flakes), unsweetened

- 35g goji berries

- 50g Cacao Crunch

- 40g Goldenberries

- 60g pepitas

- 30g sunflower seeds

- 60g dried organic cherries

- 50g coconut oil (extra virgin)

- 10 to 15 drops vanilla liquid stevia (or plain), or to taste

 

Mixture should be damp, and sticking together, like this:



 

 

3. Pour mixture out onto a tray and flatten a bit with your hands. Pop it into the freezer for a bit, until coconut oil solidifies.

 

4. Break apart gently into little clusters. Place handfuls into little ziploc bags and keep them in the freezer to put into lunchboxes, or to grab as you run out the door for an on-the-go snack.

 

 

 

Note: If the weather is hot and there's no cold pack in the lunch box, these clusters may fall apart. Don't worry, they can just be eaten crumbly like a 'normal' trail mix, too. :)

 

 

Variation:

 

Instead of letting mixture set on a tray in the freezer, press mixture firmly into chocolate molds, then freeze for a while. Pop them out of molds and keep in a bag in the freezer.

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy!

Chocolate Espresso Brownies and Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

 

Chocolate Espresso Brownies with Vanilla Cashew Cream

{grain free, dairy free, gluten free, nut free (without the cream), naturally sweetened}

 

You're probably thinking, 'Why is she posting ANOTHER chocolate brownie recipe?? She's already posted Marike's Coconut Flour Brownies, Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Brownies, Nut Butter Chocolate Swirl Brownies, Flourless Chocolate Brownie Cookies, and even Waffle Iron Brownies!!' Well, I just can't help myself - I love brownies. And I'm always chasing the elusive recipe for the perfect, healthy, naturally sweetened brownie! Besides, so many people on Facebook begged me to post this after I shared the above photo that I thought I'd better do it, before there was a riot!!! ;-)

 

So for all my fellow chocoholics, here's my latest gluten free, dairy free, nut free, naturally sweetened brownie recipe - let me know what you think. My recipe testers declared it perfect after my first batch, and wanted me to blog it immediately. I did make it once more though, just to check I had it right the first time... although I made the second batch into Chocolate Pistachio Brownies. YUM! So if you aren't keen on the espresso idea, try the pistachio variation below instead. And if you can't have chocolate, you could use carob powder instead of cacao.

 

These brownies are actually a lot better the second day. When they're hot, they're lovely, but the flavour isn't as rich, and the texture is lighter. So if you can bear it, let them sit for a day (covered, just at room temperature), and they'll become moister and fudgier and richer tasting. (If you're like me, only about half of them will get to this stage, though. Ha ha!)

 

Don't forget to check out the Chocolate Pistachio variation below, too.

 

Chocolate Espresso Brownies

 

Preheat oven to 180C.

 

1. Roughly chop chocolate and weigh into Thermomix bowl, with coconut oil:

- 160g dark, dairy free, sugar free chocolate, chopped (I use 65% Valrhona, or Green & Black's 70% cocoa chocolate, or Rapadura sweetened chocolate)

- 60g coconut oil

 

2. Cook chocolate and oil for 3 minutes at 50C, speed 2.

 

3. Add remaining ingredients, and mix for 5 seconds on speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl and re-mix if needed.

- 1 1/2 tsps ground espresso beans (organic de-caffeinated preferred)

- 4 eggs

- 40g coconut flour

- 80g coconut sugar or Rapadura

- 1/4 tsp green stevia powder, or 20 drops liquid stevia

- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

- 1/4 tsp fine Himalayan or Celtic sea salt

 

4. Pour mixture into a square baking dish greased with coconut oil, and bake at 180C for about 25 minutes, or just until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean. Don't overcook.

 

5. When brownies are cooked, take them out of the oven and bang the dish down on the counter a few times, to make them denser and less 'fluffy'. Allow to cool (if you can wait!) and serve with vanilla cashew cream or vanilla honey coconut cream (without the lemon juice).

 

 

Variation - Chocolate Pistachio Brownies

 

Follow recipe as above, but omit ground espresso beans and add instead:

- 80g raw pistachios

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

 

Sprinkle the top of the brownie mixture with a little more cinnamon and cardamom before baking.





Quick Quinoa Granola

I got up this morning to hungry kids and nothing much to eat, so I made a quick batch of quinoa granola with some quinoa flakes I picked up at the supermarket yesterday. It was so easy and delicious, I just had to share it with you all! While it was toasting I made a banana & chia seed custard (no eggs or dairy) to have with it - but I'll save that for the next post.

Making granola is not an exact science. Just throw in handfuls of your favourite ingredients and spices, drizzle over some oil or melted butter plus honey or syrup, sprinkle with salt, mix it up, and toast it. Mine is a little different every time. I just made a small batch this morning, mixing it straight on the baking tray - if you want to make a big batch, mix it in a large mixing bowl and adjust amounts to suit.

So here's a basic recipe for a quick quinoa granola that you can mix up in seconds, toast in minutes, and enjoy before dashing out the door for the day. Tweak to your heart's delight! :)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. OR you can toast this under the grill for quicker results, but you'll have to watch it closely and stir it every couple of minutes.

Okay, just throw all these ingredients together, either straight onto your baking tray, or in a mixing bowl:

- 3 big handfuls of quinoa flakes. (If you like you can mix with some rolled oats to save money)

- a handful or two of roughly chopped almonds or other nuts, eg. pecans, hazelnuts (chop in Thermomix on speed 5 for a few seconds) If you can't have nuts just add more seeds.

- a couple of handfuls of sultanas (or other dried fruit)

- a handful of sesame & sunflower seeds (or other seeds, like chia)

- a pinch or two of celtic sea salt or himalayan salt (I like to use a flaked or roughly ground salt to get that occasional slightly salty crunch in my granola)

- a big pinch or two of ground cinnamon

- a smaller pinch of ground nutmeg

[Note: Try grinding up your own nutmeg and a cinnamon quill in the Thermomix for more flavour!]

- a good drizzle of melted coconut oil or butter (I don't measure, I just add more as I'm mixing if I think it needs to be 'wetter'. It depends on how crunchy you like it. More oil, crunchier granola.)

- a good drizzle of raw honey or pure maple syrup or agave syrup (again, I don't measure, just drizzle some over)

- a splash of vanilla extract

Now for the fun bit - get your hands in there and mix it up! Use your fingertips to rub the oil and honey/syrup into the dry ingredients, until it's evenly mixed. Spread out evenly on the tray.

Pop it into the hot oven (180 degrees) and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven, stir with a fork, place back in oven and give it another 5 minutes or so.

I don't even bother letting it cool - just dig in! But if you want to cool it first you can - it gets crispier as it cools.

Sprinkle your granola over some fruit and/or yoghurt. If you're dairy free, try this coconut milk yoghurt!

It's also great sprinkled over banana or vanilla custard.

And of course, it's delicious with cold rice-almond milk or cashew milk too.

My favourite time to eat granola is actually supper time... think I'll go have some now! :)

Flourless Choc Hazelnut Brownies

Here's a brownie recipe I made up the other day in honour of my little brother who was visiting from the big city - this one's for you, bro!  These brownies are especially nice eaten with fresh strawberries, and they're even better if they're shared with those you love :)  Enjoy.

Gluten free, dairy free, naturally sweetened, easy and delicious!

1. Preheat oven to 190° celcius.

2. Weigh all the ingredients into the Thermomix bowl and process on speed 9 for 30 seconds.  Scrape down sides of bowl, and process again on speed 9 for another 20 seconds.

- 170g raw hazelnuts (no need to remove skins)
- 60g dates
- 40g raw cacao powder or organic cocoa powder
- 60g Rapadura
- 4 large eggs
- 50g coconut oil
- 30g macadamia oil or light olive oil
- 60g coconut cream
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3. Pour into a greased or lined 7" x 11" (18cm x 28cm) rectangular oven dish.  Bake for about 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

4. To serve, you can dust with cocoa or powdered Rapadura if you like.

Raw Dairy Free Cheesecake

I've always found it very difficult to resist cheesecake, especially a good, homemade one, covered in cherries or berries (and chocolate)! And in our family, cheesecake is always popular at Christmas... thank goodness for a dairy free cheesecake - I can still avoid dairy, and not feel deprived :) Whip this one up in about fifteen minutes, pop it in the freezer, and you've got a fancy dessert ready for Christmas day! This recipe makes two cheesecakes in regular sized pie pans. (I made one for my dh's birthday the other day, and the other's in the freezer ready for Christmas.)

Note: If you want a quicker version of the crust because you don't have any Sprouted Buckwheat Granola already made up, just grind up 400g raw almonds and 400g raw dates until they are all mushed together, and press into pie plate - instant crust!

This recipe is based on one in Serene Allison's "Rejuvenate Your Life" cookbook (changed to suit my taste) - hope you like it! 

(I use my Thermomix for this recipe - if you don't have a Thermomix you can use a good quality food processor, but it may take a little longer to grind and mix.)

Granola Crumb Crust:

1. Place dates in Thermomix bowl and grind on speed 9 until mushy, about 20 seconds:
- 400g pitted dates

2. Add, and crush using bursts of turbo speed until desired consistency (about 6 bursts):
- 280g Raw Sprouted Buckwheat Granola
- 170g raw almonds
- 30g extra virgin coconut oil (or other mild-tasting, extra virgin oil)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt

3. Line two pie pans with baking paper, divide crumb mixture into pans and press firmly onto bottom and sides with greased hands. (See photo)




Berry Cheesecake Filling:

1. Place all ingredients into Thermomix bowl and mix on speed 9 for about 2 minutes, using spatula to help move mixture around, until it's smooth and creamy:
- 130g freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 250g raw pine nuts
- 250g raw almonds
- 130g raw sunflower seeds
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 300g frozen or fresh mixed berries (or strawberries/pitted cherries, etc)
- 170g agave syrup or pure maple syrup (or to taste)
- 2 tsp psylliam powder (opt.)

2. Divide filling between two crusts, and place in freezer while you make the topping.

Berry Crumble Topping

1. Make a batch of Berry Nougat and sprinkle it over the cheesecakes. Drizzle with chocolate if you like - you can make your own raw chocolate with this recipe if you use agave syrup for the sweetener - I use! Rapadura, so it's 'almost raw'! :)

2. Cover cheesecakes and freeze. Thaw for about 20 minutes before slicing.

DELICIOUS!!

Apple-Oat Fritters

I made these fritters for breakfast this morning (seeing there was no bread left and I hadn't gotten around to making any buckwheat granola...) - they were very yummy and filling! And the recipe made heaps, so there's plenty for snacking on later. (So if there's only one or two of you, I suggest halving it!) For best results, (and to make the grains easier to digest), start the night before and use the 'pre-soaked version'.

I just used a basic pancake recipe and added grated apple, oats, cinnamon and apple juice concentrate. If you're gluten free you can use gluten free flour and quinoa flakes intead of the oats. Add more or less milk, depending on whether you prefer them thicker or thinner.


Pre-soaked version:
Mix the flour, oats, rice/almond milk and vinegar in the Thermomix and leave to soak overnight. The next morning, add the apples and walnuts and chop speed 5 for 3 seconds, then add remaining ingredients and mix on reverse speed 2 until well mixed.

 
1. Grate in Thermomix, speed 5 for 3 seconds (or by hand):
- 4 apples, peeled, cored and quartered
- a handful of raw pecans/walnuts (optional)

2. Add rest of ingredients and mix on reverse speed 2 until well mixed (may need to use spatula to help it along):
- 250g spelt flour (mixture of plain & wholemeal; or gluten free flour)
- 100g rolled oats (or quinoa flake for gf)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 2 large eggs
- 350g rice/almond milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 Tblspns extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tblspns raw honey
- 2 Tblspns apple juice concentrate (optional - sweeten to taste)

2. Melt a tablespoon of ghee or coconut oil in frying pan and cook fritters over low heat, turning over when starting to bubble. I add a little ghee/oil between each batch, as it makes the outside crispy - yum!



3. Serve plain, or drizzled with a little apple juice concentrate or pure maple syrup.