Oh so gorgeous lemon and blueberry cake

Over the weekend, I was wondering who decides if it's a special day or week. For instance, last week was National Curry Week, celebrating what has become one of the nation's favourite genre of dishes (and rightly so!). Apparently it was also Humphrey's Pyjama Week. Plus there were special days including World Arthritis Day, World Sight Day and World Food Day, as well as a few others. It was a very busy week!
Of course, these special days and weeks are awareness or fundraising campaigns, often for causes that slip out of the limelight when there is so much going on in the world. On occasion, they're more of a marketing campaign for the companies who sponsor them (cynical head fully on). They also give bloggers something to talk about!

So with all that in mind. let's raise a floury hand and a cup of tea to this week's special week - National Baking Week! Something we can all enjoy with gusto! The popularity of The Great British Bake Off really does show how much we as a nation value cake. There are some truly mouthwatering offerings constructed before our eyes, with sweat, tears and tension folded in for our viewing delight. All we need is smell-o-vision to make it perfect. There's even a GBBO drinking game been devised, with extra shots quaffed for a sunken disaster or soggy bottom (or so my student daughter tells me!).
Cake has always been important to The Sensitive Foodie, and I'm not alone, as my most frequently read posts are baked goodies. Eating whole food and plant based doesn't mean that cake is banished, just adapted - and it still tastes as yummy, if not better.
This lemon and blueberry cake is definitely a winner. It's easy to make and is reliably successful. Plus, with the addition of blueberries, you could claim it's a super food! It works just as well with gluten free flour as normal wholemeal flour, and the coconut sugar adds a certain deep richness you can't achieve with super refined caster sugar.
One thing to watch out for - don't panic if you think the batter is too runny. I think this every time I make it, but it always firms up beautifully with a light, fluffy texture. Just keep the faith and don't panic!
The lemon drizzle on the top is optional, as are additional fruit decoration. It just depends on how fancy you want to be! So have a go, and start National Baking Week off with a corker - make sure you get a slice though before hungry hands get on it!
Lemon and blueberry cake

250g self-raising flour - wholemeal or gluten free blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
100g coconut sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup
220ml dairy-free milk (I use rice milk)
85ml olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 unwaxed lemon, zest and juice
100g fresh blueberries
To top (optional)
Juice of a lemon and 2 tablespoons coconut sugar (for drizzle)
extra blueberries and/or raspberries
Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Pop the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl and mix together well. In another bowl, add the sugar, maple syrup, olive oil, dairy free milk, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla essence and stir well to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together well, but lightly so you don't lose all the air bubbles created from the lemon juice hitting the raising agents. Quickly stir in the blueberries, pour into the prepared tin (remember it will be pretty wet), tap on the worktop then place in the oven for 35 -40 minutes until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin.
If you're adding lemon drizzle (really worth it) mix the lemon juice and coconut sugar together in a small bowl. Prick lots of holes in the top of the cake, with a toothpick or fine skewer, then pour spoonfuls of the lemon mixture over the top, letting it soak into the holes. Leave to cool in the tin for 20 minutes then tip out onto a cooling wrack, peel off the baking paper and leave to cool completely. Scatter fresh berries over the top, and cut into slices to serve.

Courgette loaf - sweet not savoury

I read an article recently in which a 'celebrity baker' scoffed at those who include fruit and vegetables as a key ingredient in their cake. Well, I have to disagree, even though I'm not a professional baker! Some of my favourite bakes include a good helping of veg - sweet potato chocolate brownies, carrot cake and my new favourite, courgette loaf. They may have a different consistency to your traditional baked cake (watching Great British Bake Off, I'm in awe of their delicate crumb!), but I like a sweet treat that's gooey, substantial and full of goodness, so veg in cake is just fine by me.

So as part of my mini-series on what to do with the mass of courgette around at the moment, here's a great little cake to try for afternoon tea. Well, it's more of a loaf, similar to banana bread than a Victoria Sponge, but nevertheless it's still cake in my book! It is dense, but in a sticky, satisfactory way, reminiscent of bread pudding but a million times lighter!
The benefit of using veg or fruit in baking is added moisture; the potential problem with courgette is that they are 95% water, which could make your cake a soggy, heavy disaster. To prevent this, just squeeze some excess water out of the courgettes once they're grated. You could do this through a clean tea towel, but it's a bit messy and you can end up spending ages picking up bits of courgette from odd places (or maybe that's just me....?). An easy way is to pack it into a measuring cup or small pot and press it down so the water rises to the top and then drain that off, holding your hand over the top. Don't take off too much though, otherwise your cake will suffer.
This cake really is super healthy - it's dairy free, can be gluten free, plant based, contains minimal refined sugar and is packed full of lovely nutrients and fibre. On top of that, it is also refined oil free, the apple sauce replacing the oil in this instance. Not that fat is bad, far from it, but refined oils such as sunflower or vegetable oils take their toll on our cellular health and so should be minimised as much as possible. To add a little fat into the mix, pop in some chopped walnuts or pecans - the flavour, texture and nutritional value will be happy if you do!
The downside of cutting out refined products in this cake is shelf life - oil and sugar act as preservatives, so best keep this loaf in the fridge and use it up within 3 days. Mind you, once you taste it, that won't be a problem! Enjoy.
Yummy courgette loaf cake

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
6 tablespoons water
240g wholemeal/spelt/gluten free flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 medium courgette, grated (small)
100g coconut sugar (or other minimally refined brown sugar)
160g apple sauce
10mls lemon juice
50g raisins and/or chopped walnuts
Place the ground flaxseed and water into a bowl and mix well. Put to one side to thicken - this is your flaxseed 'egg'.
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Grease a 2lb loaf tin and line with baking paper.
Place the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon into another bowl and mix well together. Add the sugar, lemon juice and apple sauce to the flaxseed mixture and stir well, then add the courgette and stir again. Pour the wet mix into the dry mix and quickly combine together - don't over mix. Stir in the raisins and nuts (if using) and pour into the prepared loaf tin. Tap the tin on the worktop to level and stop the raising agent working too quickly, then pop in the oven.
Bake for 25 mins then check - the loaf should be slightly risen and lightly browned on top. Stick a skewer or cocktail stick into the cake - if it comes out coated with mixture, pop back into the oven for another few minutes until done. Remove from the oven, leave to cool for 10 minutes or so, then tip out onto a cooling rack, carefully peel off the baking paper and let it cool completely.

Autumn apple cake

After a rather dull and soggy end to the summer, it's turning out to be a gorgeous start to autumn.

With the leaves just beginning to turn, I'm looking forward to a stunning colourful autumn display.
Despite the cooler summer, fruit has been in abundance this year. As well as a great first year crop of raspberries and gooseberries, my apple and pear tree have been laden with gorgeously tasty fruit.
Globalisation means that apples are now available all year round, shipped from the other side of the world to meet our all year round demand. But nothing beats the flavour, or density of nutrients, as a locally grown, freshly picked apple. There are so many varieties of home grown apples - 2,200 according to this article http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2011/mar/14/apple-britain-gala-traditional - but only a few available in our supermarkets, which is a real shame. I was most annoyed the other day to find only one type of British apples available for sale, despite the fact it's the UK apple season. There were many other bags of apples, but none were even from Europe.
Because of it's popularity, it's easy to see apples as a mundane, non-impressive fruit. In fact, apples are a powerhouse of nutrients that help us to stay healthy, but it's the type of fibre that's particularly interesting. Research shows that the insoluble fibre in apples, particularly the pectin, feeds the friendly bacteria that live inside our guts. These helpful chaps not only help digest and absorb food, but keep our gut linings healthy and provide protection from the harmful bad bacteria.
It appears that cooked apple is even more effective than raw, although eating raw is also good. And when paired with cinnamon, cooked apple is even more beneficial. This is great news, as suddenly puddings are a health food! Well, as long as they're not packed full of sugar and fat!
Traditionally, cooking apples like Bramleys, are used for crumbles and pureés, but I tend to use eating apples instead, as you don't have to add sugar to make them more palatable. So you could add apple  and cinnamon pureé to some dairy free yoghurt for a simple dessert, or dollop a spoonful in your porridge in the morning.
This cake is also another way of getting the goodness of apple, whilst enjoying the comfort of a mighty fine cake. As I'm using eating apples, the skins can be kept on as they become soft when cooked. This not only makes it quicker to prepare, but retains many of the super-healthy phytonutrients that live just under the skin. The apples are naturally sweet, which means you don't need to add as much sugar to the mix. I'm using coconut sugar as much as possible now, as it's a less refined and provides a deep, luxurious flavour. As it's so dark brown, it doesn't really work in a light sponge cake, but is perfect for this kind of gooey deliciousness.
So why not give this a go at the weekend? Your tummy and your tastebuds will love you for it!
Autumn apple cake
1 1/2 cup self raising flour (gluten free if needed)

1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup organic rapeseed oil
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup dairy free milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 eating apples - 1finely chopped, 2 sliced
extra coconut sugar
dairy free spread
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºc. Grease a loose-bottomed cake tin with the dairy free spread, then line the base with greaseproof paper. Grease the paper again, and sprinkle the extra coconut sugar over the base to cover lightly. Arrange the sliced apples on top in a circle, covering the whole base. Grab two bowls. In one, add the oil, water, dairy free milk, lemon juice and vanilla essence, and whisk together to mix. In the other, sift the flour, baking powder and cinnamon, then stir in the salt and coconut sugar. When you are ready, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir quickly to combine, but don't over mix. Add the chopped apple and mix gently. Your batter will be quite thick. Spoon into the cake tin, taking care not to disturb the arranged apple slices on the bottom. Tap the tin on the work top before placing in the oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is firm and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove onto a cooling tray, carefully peeling off the baking paper so your apple arrangement remains intact on top.
Eat warm, or cool completely; it's great both ways. Enjoy!

What to do when craving a toasted teacake!

I've been eating a plant based whole food diet for a few years now; before that I was dairy and yeast free. It was challenging at first, especially when my mind kept telling me I really needed to eat cakes and cheese, or anything processed and refined!
Refined sugars and fat are pretty addictive, particularly when put together. Think sugar and cream. If you eat them separately, you can only manage a small amount - the sugar sticks to your mouth, the cream is bland but sickly. Put together and chilled, you get ice cream. Eating loads of that is no problem! Our bodies are programmed to want sugar and fat as in the distant past, they were hard to come by and humans had to stock up to get through long, hard winters. These days, we have an over abundance of food, so there's no need for our bodies to stockpile. But we still do; the explosion in obesity, heart disease, diabetes and other chronic health problems in the last few decades is the consequence. Evolution of our brain and body has not caught up with the revolution in the food industry. And refined foods such as ready meals or junk food are packed full of fat and sugar, so your brain tells you to go back for more (clever food scientists!).
Over time, my body has detoxed itself from the junk and the cravings have pretty much subsided. I no longer sigh heavily if someone makes a cheese sandwich, or have to sniff a gorgeously cream laden chocolate pudding. I do, of course, indulge on occasion, enjoying a beautifully light dairy free cake or two from time to time, but I don't get that urge to keep eating it, which is a relief for my waistline and my health!

Occasionally, though, a random craving does appear out of the blue. Recently, it was for toasted teacakes.
I have no idea what triggered it, but one day I suddenly recalled eating delicious hot buttered toasted teacakes at my in-laws hotel in Devon. We had been out for a brisk walk on the coast and came back freezing cold. Sneaking into the kitchen for a hot chocolate, we found a new pack of teacakes so popped one into the toaster. The aroma soon spread through into the bar, and suddenly guests started to order them too. The pack was soon empty. That gorgeous cinnamon and raisin aroma was just too good to resist.
Once this memory had popped in my mind, all I could think about was toasted teacakes, but being dairy and yeast free, there's none I can buy. So after searching for a recipe, I made an alternative - a cinnamon and raisin loaf. Each slice can be toasted and covered in non-dairy spread (if desired) and tastes rather marvellous. Of course, I've made it as healthy as possible, with wholewheat flour and only a small amount of unrefined coconut sugar. And when toasting, those gorgeous aromas are released, so be warned, others will want some too!
Cinnamon and raisin loaf (adapted from 'A Bit of the Good Stuff' recipe)
400g light wholemeal self raising flour (I used Marriages Organic Light Wholemeal)
or gluten free self raising
1 teaspoon baking powder

pinch salt
300mls dairy free milk
squeeze lemon juice
2 teaspoons cinnamon powder
good pinch nutmeg
150g raisins
4 tablespoons of coconut sugar
Preheat the oven to 200oC. Lightly grease a 2lb loaf tin. Pour the non-dairy milk into a bowl and squeeze in the lemon. Put to one side (this helps it curdle slightly).
Place the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg into a bowl and mix together. Add the coconut sugar and raisins and mix again. Pour in most of the milk and stir to create a sticky dough. Add the remaining milk if needed. Place the dough into the tin, and tap on the work top to release the air bubbles. Smooth the top level and place in the oven. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes, then check to see if it is cooked by inserting a cocktail stick into the cake - if it come out clean, it's done. If not, cook for a few more minutes until it's done (it could take up to 45 minutes in total, depending on your oven). Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Tip out onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
When you are ready, cut slices and pop in the toaster. Let those enticing aromas hit your nostrils and enjoy it piping hot and delicious!

The ultimate, triple layered chocolate cake

It may have been noted that I am rather partial to a bit of cake. Always have been, probably always will be. And although I have definitely cut down on my processed sugar intake in recent years, particularly since adopting a whole food plant based diet, I do still like a decadent sweet treat every now and then.

And one of my biggest concerns when going dairy free was how was I ever going to get a decent cake again? Adding on egg free as well to make it free from any animal products, seemed even more challenging. Fortunately, there are a huge amount of free from recipes out on the internet and in specialist cookery books. And what's more, it's actually easier to make a deliciously light and fluffy vegan cake than your standard one. 

Following the clear guidelines set out by MsCupcake (check out http://www.mscupcake.co.uk/books/ for her recipe book), there are three key elements to making a great vegan cake:

1) Mix dry and wet ingredients separately to start

2) Combine swiftly, do not over mix 

3) Tap the bowl and tin to release the air

My son has definitely inherited my love of cake, along with my intolerance to dairy. It was his 16th birthday just before Christmas, and so to celebrate I decided to make him a huge, sumptuous dairy free birthday cake. And as he loves a bit of chocolate, it turned into the ultimate triple layer chocolate delight.

Consisting of three cake layers - a chocolate chip sponge sandwiched between two chocolate sponges - and covered with a rich chocolate cream, finished with a garnish of chocolate strands, it was enormous! Being dairy free, it was not over rich but still gave great chocolate satisfaction.

I adapted this recipe from MsCupcakes Neapolitan sponge cake and it worked really well. It can be made gluten free by using non-wheat flour (make sure your baking powder is gluten free too). And remember this cake is huge, so it provides a good amount of servings - unless it's for a group of giant-boy 16 year olds, then it disappears extremely fast! 

Triple layer chocolate cake

For the chocolate chip layer:

200g self raising flour/gluten free SR flour

100g caster sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

200mls non-dairy milk

80mls flavourless oil (I use organic rapeseed)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

50g non-dairy chocolate chips

For the chocolate layers:

340g self raising flour/gluten free SR flour

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

200g caster sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

400mls non-dairy milk

160mls oil 

2 tablespoons vanilla or 1 each of vanilla and chocolate extract

To finish, chocolate buttercream (see below) and chocolate strands

First, you will need three round cake 23cm cake tins, greased and base lined with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 180oC.

Make the chocolate chip layer first. Mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder and chocolate chips into a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix the oil, milk and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir together until just combined. Do not over mix - there should be a few lumps still. Tap the bowl on the work surface (this stops the raising agents working too quickly). Pour the mix into one of the prepared tins, and then tap the tin on the work top.

Repeat the same process for the chocolate layers, mixing the dry and wet separately then combining the two quickly and pouring into the other two tins. Try to make sure you distribute evenly and remember to tap your tins.

Bake the layers for 18-22 minutes, but check after 15 if you have a fan oven as they can cook quite fiercely. Pop a toothpick into the centre of each layer - once it comes out clean then the layer is ready. Some layers may take longer than others depending on their position in the oven. Once you are happy the layer is cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then tip out onto a cooling tray and leave to cool completely.

Dairy free chocolate buttercream

To finish off your mighty fine cake, you will need to make up a quantity of chocolate buttercream. Even though it contains no butter, this cream is still seriously rich and sweet, the perfect accompaniment to this super chocolate cake.

5 tablespoons of non-dairy spread (I used Vitalite)

5 tablespoons of vegetable fat (I used Trex)

500g icing sugar

100g cocoa powder

Up to 100mls non-dairy milk

1 tablespoon of chocolate extract if you have it, if not vanilla.

Put the non-dairy spread, vegetable fat and extract into a large bowl and whisk with an electric hand whisk until well combined and creamy. Add the cocoa powder, half the icing sugar and half of the non-dairy milk. Mix together, slowly at first otherwise you will get an icing sugar cloud! Once well combined, add the remaining icing sugar and enough non-dairy milk to get the consistency you want. It needs to be thick enough to spread and stay on the side of the cake, but not so thick you can't spread it around easily.

Place your three cakes next to each other, base side up. Spread a good dollop of chocolate butter cream on one of the chocolate layers and place the chocolate chip layer on top of it. Put a good dollop of buttercream on this layer, then place the other chocolate layer on top. Finally, put another good dollop of the icing on top of the chocolate layer and spread it out so you have a thick coating, then use the rest to coat to fully cover the sides. Very carefully, transfer the cake onto it's serving plate, and sprinkle with chocolate strands and decorations as required. 

Enjoy your celebration, as well as your seriously chocolatey cake. It's so delicious, unless you tell anyone, they won't know it's dairy free and vegan!

Just what I needed - lemon drizzle cake

I had a real craving for lemon drizzle cake tonight. No idea why, or what even made me think of it, but once I had, it had to be made.
Researching and trying out new recipes and ideas is great, but it  does take time - and sometimes it's just an excuse not to be doing something else as I'm very easily distracted, which in tonight's case was write some posts for this blog. So to appease my conscious, I've decided to share the cake with you (virtually that is - shame you can't taste it as well, it's gorgeous!).

Unfortunately, I can't claim that this cake is free from refined sugar and oil, because it's definitely not! But it is dairy free and egg free, and easy to swap to gluten free flour if needed, so it meets a whole variety of 'free from' needs. Making cakes without egg is always a challenge, as the protein in the egg binds the other ingredients together.
A great alternative is some ground flaxseed soaked in a little water for a few minutes. It swells and goes really gloopy, great for sticking everything together. However, I've found that for many cakes, you just need to whisk the wet ingredients together really well before you add them to the dry, and use an extra shaking of baking powder to make sure it rises and becomes light and fluffy.  It can be a bit hit and miss, as sometimes the mix is just too lose and light, and collapses as you take it out of the tin. Tonight was a lucky night though, and the cake stayed together beautifully whilst being incredibly light - no regrets about leaving out the flax.
One other great thing about flaxseed is that it is a fabulous source of omega 3 fatty acids. There's not many plant foods which provide such good amounts, so it's worth adding in to your cooking where ever you can.
Having already confessed that this cake is not free from refined sugars and oils, I feel the need to make a quick comment on agave syrup. Although it's marketed as a healthier sugar alternative, it's not. Apparently it has a higher fructose content than high fructose corn syrup, which is thought to be one of the major contributors to the obesity problem as it appears in a large amount of processed foods.  The agave syrup we buy is not a natural sap from the blue agave plant (a type of yucca plant - tequila is made from it too!) but a commercially produced highly processed, highly calorific sweet gloop. The problem with processed fructose is that it doesn't get broken down and digested in the gut like simple sugars; rather it goes straight to the liver where it's processed into fat, completely by-passing the energy producing molecule stage.
The fructose in these syrups is not the same as natural fructose, the sugar that's found in whole fruits. This type is ok, partly because it's accompanied by so many goodies like vitamins and fibre. It's the processing that creates the bad stuff.
So if it's so bad, why have I not just used normal sugar? It's still all nutrient-empty calories. For this cake, it's to help bind everything together. Plus there's not much of it - apparently, it becomes metabolically significant if you eat more than 25g of fructose a day*. So if you've been an eating angel all day, you can get away with it. Or, as I look at it, I only eat it on occasion so it's ok to use it now and then.
If I've put you off the agave, omit it and just add a little more sugar. Or replace the agave with flaxseed as mentioned above; can't say how it will come out though (that's my disclaimer!).
But if you just want to make a gorgeously light and tasty lemon drizzle cake that's vegan and 'free from' then do give this a try - it's worth it!
Lemon drizzle cake

250g self raising flour/gluten free flour

1 extra teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt
170g unrefined caster sugar
2 tablespoons agave syrup
85mls organic rapeseed oil
1 cup non-dairy milk
zest of a lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
For the topping:
juice of a lemon
2 tablespoons demarera sugar
Grab a loaf tin, grease it and line with baking paper. Pre-heat the oven to 170oC. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Put the sugar, agave, oil, milk and lemon juice into a separate bowl and mix together well with a whisk. Add the lemon zest, stir well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together well. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35 minutes or so until a toothpick comes out clean. Take out the the oven, but leave in the tin.
Mix the topping lemon juice and sugar together. Prick lots of holes into the cake with the toothpick and pour the mixture evenly over the top. Leave in the tin to cool for at least half an hour - it becomes easier to handle once it's cool.
Enjoy!

* http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mercola/agave-this-sweetener-is-f_b_537936.html

Simply delicious apple caramel slice

I made a big mistake yesterday - I watched an episode of The Great British Bake Off. The programme itself was fine, but it was cold, grey and wet outside and the combination of the dull view out the window and the gorgeous looking cake on the screen could only lead to one thing - I had to bake!
I've been trying really hard to cut down on sugar recently; having a yeast intolerance is all connected to a yeast overgrowth which of course thrives on sugars. I feel so much better when all forms of sugar are avoided, but sometimes it really is just too hard and I fall off the wagon. It is definitely my weakness! When I tell people that I have a dairy free diet, they look in horror and always ask how I manage without cheese. For me, it's not too difficult, but live without cake.........? Now that's really hard!
Our rather overgrown and straggly apple tree has had a bumper crop this year, so there's been lots of apple based dishes served up in my gorgeous new kitchen. With a bowl of freshly picked fruit on the worktop, it had to be an apple based bake, but really sweet and sticky. Caramel was the answer, but was it possible to make it dairy free ?

 The answer is yes - and amazingly successfully as long as you're patient and have a little time! I found this recipe in The Naughtiest Vegan Cakes in Town, a book packed full of mouthwateringly gorgeous cake recipes, and adapted it slightly (hope Ms Cupcake doesn't mind!).
Caramel is traditionally made with sugar, butter and cream; rather wonderfully, it works equally well with dairy free options, just done in a slightly different way. The trickiest part was melting the sugar and golden syrup at the beginning - it seemed to take ages but do persevere as it comes together eventually! I have to admit my caramel was rather grainy before I put it on the bake, but it didn't matter as once baked and cooled it was wonderfully smooth - and oh so sweet!!
So, if you have a spare hour, it's grey and wet outside and you just need something delightfully sweet to cheer everyone up, give this a go. But if you're trying to lose weight - steer clear, as this is definitely not a healthy option!!
** allergy options - this recipe contains wheat flour and nuts. It would work as well without the nuts and just the apple. I made this with wheat free flour with excellent results, so no need to shy away if you have a wheat or gluten allergy.
Apple Caramel Slice

For the caramel:
200g caster sugar
60g brown sugar
2 tbspoons golden syrup
35g dairy free spread
60mls soya cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For the base:
270g self raising flour
230g brown sugar (caster will do if you've run out)
180g oats
1/2 tsp salt
260g dairy free spread
3 medium sized apples
50g pecan nuts (or walnuts)
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grab a 33x22cm cake tin, grease it well and line it with baking paper - make sure it comes up all the sides as well.
Make the caramel first - put the sugars and golden syrup into a small saucepan over a low heat and stir. Keep going - it will melt eventually and you will end up with a thick liquidy sticky brown gloop. Don't be tempted to increase the heat otherwise the sugar will burn. Once you think all the sugar has melted, take it off the heat and leave for a minute or so. Then add the dairy free spread, soya cream and vanilla essence and stir well to combine. Leave to one side to cool whilst you make the base.
Place the flour, sugar, oats and salt into a large bowl. Add the dairy free spread and mix well - I used my hands as it was easier! Once you have a sticky dough, put about 200g to one side and press the rest into the base of the cake tin, making an even layer. Pop it in the oven for 10 minutes.
In the meantime, peel and chop the apples and check your caramel - I found it had gone too thick to spread so reheated it very gently to make it pourable. Take the base out of the oven, cover it with apples and pecan nuts and then pour on the caramel sauce. Crumble the remaining dough over the top and put back in the oven for 20mins or until it's golden and bubbling.
Remove from the oven and put out of the way - the caramel is so liquid you cannot do anything with it until it's completely cool otherwise the whole thing will collapse. Patience is definitely required at this point, so go and do something else to distract you!!!
Once cool, cut into slices and serve with a little ice cream (dairy free of course!) and enjoy!
Top tip - the caramel is really sticky so when you pour it over the top before baking, try not to go right up the outside edges. It will spread anyway and too much sticks to the paper and the tin!!

Scones - dairy free and delicious!

As I'm sure I've mentioned, being intolerant to all forms of dairy means I can't eat one of my favourite things - cake. Having a sweet tooth, it's something I look forward to, and relish, and yet unless I bake my own, it's something I cannot eat when I'm out and about.

However, to my delight, one of the things I have noticed since coming back to the UK, is that there are an increasing number of cafes that serve a dairy free option, which is most exciting (not so good for my waistline!!). But it really depends upon where I am as to whether there's a suitable sweet bite. Luckily for me, I live close to Brighton, a small city on the south coast of England that has a reputation as being a little alternative. There are now a number of cafes serving up vegan cake, so not only do I get a choice of cafe, but also a choice of cake!

There's also a fantastic whole food store, Infinity Foods, that not only sells fresh veg and dried products, but bread, cakes and vegan pizza! Recently, I treated myself to a giant dairy free scone. I have to admit I was a little dubious that it would taste as good as a traditional butter laden one, but that soon changed to delight - it was light and packed full of yummy scone flavour. 

I have a bit of a bad scone making history (my children regale with delight the time I used bicarbonate of soda instead of baking powder so the scones tasted of wee!!!), but was inspired to attempt to make my own again - both dairy and wee free!!!

One of the key things about a good scone is the lightness of texture, so I use self-raising flour and add some baking powder for extra lift. A delicate touch seems to be important too when forming and handling the dough; it seems to me that using dairy free margarine as opposed to butter is an advantage here as it is not quite as heavy.

Whenever I make individual scones, something seems to happen in the cutting process and the lightness and air just vanishes in a puff. Fumbling fingers are not good in this scenario. So to be on the safe side, I've found it best to make a single batch scone i.e: form the dough into one single round, half cut through to create sections and bake as a whole, cutting it into individual portions later when cooled. 

So here is my version of non-dairy scone suitable for afternoon tea - serve with dairy free spread and lashings of your favourite jam. 

Dairy-free scones

225g self-raising flour

pinch of salt

t

1 teaspoon baking powder

75g non-dairy margarine

25g caster sugar

75g raisins (if you want fruit scones0

100mls soya milk

teaspoon of granulated sugar

First, heat your oven to 220oC. Place the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl then add the margarine and rub in to make fine bread crumbs. Alternatively, you can pulse in a blender to get the same texture. Stir in the sugar and raisins, then add the milk a little at a time until you form a soft, kneadable dough. Knead gentle for a minute or so until everything seems combined, then form into a single batch. Using a large knife, cut through the dough half way, first down the centre, then at the sides to create 6 sections. Sprinkle with the granulated sugar and brush with a little soya milk and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes (if you're not vegan then brush with egg as it's a better glaze - soya milk doesn't brown as well). Once cooked, cool on a wire tray, then cut into individual portions when you're ready for afternoon tea! 

Busy, busy,busy!!

I can't believe it's over a month since my last post. I knew that life would be busy settling back in to the UK, but it really has been non-stop. Finally moved in to the new family home but still surrounded by boxes, things are beginning to settle down a bit. Even better, the internet man came today! So I'm back on line properly and can give the poor much-in-demand dongle and my old and rather temperamental netbook a rest!
Despite being busy with the move and work, I have still been cooking and experimenting, so there's lots to come! 
Recently, I have noticed how the benefits of a wholefood, plant based diet are becoming more mainstream - it seems to be a bit of a Hollywood fad too. But not only does this way of eating help keep chronic diseases at bay, it's great for helping you look young. In fact, since I've been eating this way, I've had comments about how I look  younger now than when I left for India 3 years ago, had I had botox (!!??) and someone thought I was 11 years younger than I actually am. This of course made my day, year and possibly lifetime!!!
Research published in the last month highlights the negative aspect of eating processed foods such as sausages, pies and bacon http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21682779.  Another one has found that full fat dairy reduces the chance of recovery from breast cancer http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-21803580. And of course there is the wonderful horse meat scandal that has affected most of Europe in some way. The good side of this is that people seem to have started to think about their eating habits and buying less processed food, plus the larger super markets say they are changing how they source their food. This may or may not last. Ultimately, though, it's down to each one of us to chose how we eat - and in an expensive economy, a plant based diet helps the finances as well as the waistline!!

My daughter and I went to Vegefest in Brighton at the weekend, an exhibition about vegetarian and vegan lifestyles. It was heaving, which was great, and had a huge range of stalls offering various veg and vegan friendly products with lots of lovely free samples. Stalls with lunch options to buy wafted gloriously mouthwatering smells throughout the hall; we indulged in some vegan tapas, but to be honest I could have just stuffed myself with chocolate all day and not need anything else! Being a cake fiend, fabulous vegan cupcakes were a must, and we did buy a box to bring home, reluctantly sharing them with the boys!! Gorgeous.

After we left, I got to thinking about the products available. Yummy, yes. Healthy, maybe not. One of the Vegefest tag lines is about promoting a healthy plant based, wholefood diet. Out of all the stalls there, only one sold vegetables (apart from the grow your own mushroom bag stall which I thought looked great but freaked my daughter out – are mushrooms weird???).  There were supplements, replacements and alternatives to dairy and meat (including some gorgeous coconut based milk – Kara. Definitely worth a try!), but eating to heal and for health is not about eating yet more, if different processed food. No matter how gorgeous a vegan cupcake may be, it’s still full of sugar and fat.
So what’s the answer?  Man (and woman of course) cannot eat cake alone. I’ve realised the 80/20 rule is pretty good guide to go by. Eating properly for 80% of the time, and enjoy the not so healthy and sometimes indulgently gorgeous 20% of the time. Dairy free indulgence, of course. So, where are those cupcakes then…….?

Birthday dairy free cupcakes

Moving back to the UK has been pretty complicated; now we’re in the New Year we’re also in a new home – temporarily. Unpacking (some of) our possessions that have been in storage for the last few years was like Christmas all over again. Now, not only do I have a little kitchen to potter around in again, but lots of my favourite gadgets and pans!  And going shopping is so easy too! One happy foodie!!

The New Year is swiftly followed by my birthday – too quickly! In all the moving chaos, there wasn’t really time to think about making birthday cake, until my 15 year daughter offered. Being away at boarding school for the last 1 ½ years, she spent lots of weekends baking for the want of something to do, impressing her fellow housemates. One friend has an egg allergy, so she perfected a vegan cupcake recipe. This is what she made for me – birthday cupcakes. And I have to say, they are mighty fine!!

These cupcakes are dairy free, egg free but definitely not taste free. For those with gluten intolerance, I don't know if these would work with flour alternatives but it's worth a try.

One of the most noticeable thing about Vicky's cupcakes is the number of ingredients - how few there are. Looking at the "free from" products on the supermarket shelves, many of them have seemingly unending list of ingredients. Modified this, hydrogenated that - it's great to be able to eat cake, but at what cost? I would rather do without than eat a box full of a processed creation. I've decided the best guide to buying a product is to have no more than 10 ingredients, and even that may be too many. And once the list starts reading like a chemistry experiment, it goes straight back on to the shelf!
Now I know that sugar and oil is not exactly whole food or unprocessed, but the amounts are minimal, and a girl needs a treat every now and then! And as the saying goes, less is definately more! This could be made more healthy by using wholemeal flour or raw sugar, but I think the outcome would be heavy and stodgy.

Vicky’s vegan birthday cupcakes

110g self raising flour

130g caster sugar

25g cocoa powder

50ml oil

150 mls water
Decorations (optional)
80g icing sugar
10-20mls water
sprinkles and candles

Heat the oven to 180oC. Measure out the sugar and oil, place in a bowl and beat well with a hand mixer until thick and creamy. Add 60mls of the water and beat again until a runny paste forms. Add the cocoa powder and flour to the paste and fold in gently. Slowly add the rest of the water folding it in as you go but be careful – you want the consistency so it will drop off the spoon in dollops. You may not need it all

Spoon into cupcake cases (this makes 9 good sized cakes) and place in the oven for 15-20 mins or until they are firm on top. Leave to cool. If you want to decorate with icing, mix the icing sugar with a little water until it is thick and smooth, place a spoonful on top, smoothing it out with a knife. Add sprinkles and candles as you like!

The best carrot cake ever!

When I was a teenager, I had a job during the summer holidays at a small local whole foods cafe. It was simple but all freshly made; baked potatoes, salads, soups and cakes. I'm not sure if this was the start of my interest in healthy food but it certainly was the beginning of one of the loves of my life - carrot cake! Now, carrot cake is one of those 'pretend it's healthy' sweet treats. Even if you make it with wholemeal flour or all organic ingredients, it's packed full of sugar still, but hey, it's got carrots in it so it's got to be good for you! The carrot cake at the cafe was amazing - but it was a secret recipe and I just couldn't get the women who owned the cafe to share it with me.
After I left home and moved to London, my love of carrot cake reached a new level when I discovered the Cranks restaurant that used to be upstairs in Covent Garden, a dark and mysterious place that enticed you in with mouth watering aromas and served fabulous vegetarian food on beige hippy style natural pottery plates. They too had amazing carrot cake - and a cookery book. I still have that book, and its crumpled torn pages and broken spine mark it's over use. It even came out to India!

I have made this cake so many times over the years, and it never goes wrong. And what's even better, it's dairy free, so I can make my cake and still eat it! Butter cream or cream cheese frostings are out these days; just haven't found a reasonable replacement to date. I think it tastes better plain anyway.
I have made this with egg replacer instead of eggs to make it vegan and it still works well. I've not tried to make this gluten free so I can't say whether it would work - sorry! Try and grate your carrots a bit finer than mine - my food processor only seems to work on rustic size!

Carrot cake (Cranks recipe)
175g carrots
100g sugar - castor or unrefined
2 eggs (or equivalent in egg replacer)
75mls oil - I prefer canola but any type will do except olive oil
100g self raising (wholemeal) flour - or plain flour with baking powder if your in India and can't find any!!!
1 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
50g of raisins
50g of dessicated coconut (if you have it - not essential)

Heat the oven to 180oC and grease a smallish loaf tin. Grate your carrots.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together until it's thick and creamy then whisk in the oil gradually until it's all combined. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until its all well mixed - it should be quick thick but still moist. Turn into the greased tin and bake for 25 minutes or until the top is slightly brown and firm to the touch and a tooth pick comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out on to a rack until completely cold. Keeps well for a few days - if it lasts that long!! Enjoy.

Cranks don't have any restaurants in London anymore but the brand is still out there. Have a look at their website - they have a few of their recipes on line, including old favourites of ours lentil and tomato soup (or holiday soup as my kids call it, as I always made it when we went off in the car for a camping holiday) and homity pies. http://www.cranks.co.uk