Totally guilt free chocolate truffle pots

It’s January, it’s cold, grey and all around me people are heroically outdoing each other in turning down booze, sugar, meat, replacing food in general with funny green potions. They’ve probably even turned their heating off.

Though I’ve noticed no-one has given up the bobble hat. People are out-bobble-hatting each other every where I look.

Truth be told, I’m just jealous. I’m just trying to get through the day with a smile. And I look terrible in a bobble hat.

Unlike bobble hats, and whatever diet you’re on, these little pots of chocolatey loveliness might just do the trick. (Unless you can’t have soy. Then, I apologise, I will road test some more dairy-free chocolate pot recipes…oh the hardship…)

Back to these. They are easy to make, super-chocolatey, truffly (I don’t know if that is a word), indulgent and a little goes a long way. It’s a bit like taking a big spoonful of Nutella and skipping the toast part.

Except not only are there no nuts, dairy or gluten, there’s no guilt either. (If I believed in food guilt that is.)  Thanks to a base of tofu (eek, I know!) these are low in fat, high in protein and almost completely refined sugar free. (In fact if you swapped out your regular dark chocolate for a no-sugar variety – I love Plamil Foods coconut blosson sugar one – they would be). Plus we all know cocoa is packed with antioxidants. 

WHATEVER! It’s CHOCOLATE PUDDING. Dive in!

PS These are also vegan and booze-free (see note on vanilla below). They won’t keep your head warm though. And they aren’t green.

To make: Take a pack of silken tofu* (350g). Drain it and blitz with 100g agave nectar, a good pinch of sea salt, 30g cocoa and either the seeds from a vanilla pod or a teaspoon of very good vanilla extract (warning mine contains alcohol). Then melt 120g good dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids minimum) and stir through until completely combined.

Divide between 8-10 espresso cups (or little plastic shot glasses are perfect for kids) and chill. Unless you’re wearing a bobble hat, then you’ll be toasty warm…)

 

 

Chocolate, raspberry and prosecco cupcakes

I could have started this post bordering on the confessional…”forgive me WordPress for it has been many months since my last…” – you see what I mean.

It’s not that I haven’t eaten for 6 months. Or worked out gluten-free and dairy-free versions of recipes most people take for granted. Or taken pictures of my food for that matter. (The 3 year old asked me to take a picture of his (gluten-free) fish fingers the other days such is the norm in our house of my phone hovering over a plate of food.)

No. I have done all of those things I just haven’t got round to posting. Partly because I’ve been busy making cupcakes. Hundreds of them. That’s another story. But along the way I’ve eaten a lot of cupcakes too. And I’m pretty sure these are my favourites.

Sweet potato chocolate brownies with tahini and coconut oil

Anything less than scrumptious and a chocolate brownie is just not worth the calories. And the disappointment when you bite into one that’s either dried up or devoid of flavour is like being four and dropping your ice cream all over again.

So here are some delicious chocolate brownies. They are also gluten-free chocolate brownies. Since there’s no dairy or egg these are gluten-free vegan chocolate brownies. And as long as sesame is okay, seeing as there’s no soy, egg or nuts, these are pretty allergy-friendly chocolate brownies. Phew.

Best ever chocolate chunk cookies

If I could only ever make one type of biscuit again this would be it. (The fact that I even think about stuff like that is worrying).

These are my go-to vegan gluten-free cookies. But they don’t taste vegan or gluten-free, and they are nothing like the biscuits you’ll find in the free-from aisle. (Though those are improving admittedly.)

No churn chocolate avocado ice cream

A ripe avocado is a thing of beauty and nutritional promise, all the vitamin E, mono-unsaturated fats, cholesterol-lowering magic just bursting to get out. Not to mention more potassium than a banana apparently.

Not just nutritional promise, either. Who’s for…

Avocado on toast (sea salt and lemon, obviously)? Avocado-sweetcorn-chilli-lime salsa to liven up a sweetcorn chowder or dress a piece of meaty white fish? Retro-style avocado and coldwater prawns with a blob of pink ketchupped-mayonnaise (don’t judge me, we all do it) and gluten-free sourdough? Classic avocado-tomato-onion salad with a scattering of Kalamata olives and fresh oregano?

Or ice cream.

WHAT?!!!

Chocolate “calcium” cupcakes with figs and coconut yogurt

If you don’t eat dairy, chances are you’re always on the lookout for an easy calcium win. When it comes in the form of a cupcake rather than a bowl of kale, that’s a win-win. (I do like kale, and oranges, and white beans, and figs, chia seeds, and handfuls of almonds (although I’m not eating nuts right now) but I like cupcakes more.

Chocolate beetroot cupcakes (gluten-free)

So it turns out that cooked beetroot makes an astonishingly good egg replacer. (I thought I was being really clever then I googled chocolate beetroot cake just now and the first link was an eggless chocolate beetroot cake. I’ll take that as a positive.)

Double chocolate sweet potato cupcakes (gluten-free, nut-free and vegan)

I turn 40 tomorrow. Which confirms it. I’m a grown-up. On the outside, anyway.

I haven’t had much time to think about it, what with trying to outwit the 5 and 2 year old every minute of the day.)

But I think I’m ok with it. (Like I have a choice.) A little bit daunted. Excited even. I had a feeling I was entering grownuphood anyway.

For a start, I can have a fabulous night out without crying, losing half my belongings or being totally hungover the next day. (I know this because it happened on Friday). Luxury is a bubble bath without one (or both) kids getting in and pouring water over my head with a toy boat. And I just bought a sewing machine.

But I did get to thinking, what on earth happened to my thirties? They went so fast. Did I do anything at all? (Apart from nappies and softplay.) What were they about?

How to turn bland bolognese into smoking-hot chilli in five minutes flat

We have a slight problem in our house. Despite my very best efforts (breastfeeding, baby-led weaning, family mealtimes etc), both the 2 and 5 year old like very simple, fairly bland food. And, as couples go, we don’t.

Since there are only so many hours in the day, I don’t want to be cooking two separate meals for four people. I mean the whole gluten-free (me) and allergy (kids) thing has me baking all our bread, cakes and cookies already. (I’m not complaining, I love to bake.)

To start cooking again once the kids are finally asleep would mean us eating seriously late. I know on Masterchef it’s all “Oh cooking really relaxes me, helps me zone out at the end of a long day.” Well not as much as a glass of wine with my feet up on the sofa watching something utterly rubbish, that’s for sure.

Plus when we’re all in the same place early evening, we try to eat together. Sometimes I can’t remember why. I think it was some crazy idea that we might be able to:

Chocolate, orange and cardamom cookies (slightly Christmassy, totally free-from)

At the risk of sounding a bit “pimp my biscuit”, I’ve added cocoa, cardamom and orange to my favourite choc-chip cookie recipe. It doesn’t just work. It’s amazing.

Crisp, super-chocolatey, crunchy enough to be dunkable, and more than a bit Christmassy. For those times when you get bored of a mince pie (is that possible?). Or when you realise that dunking a mince pie just doesn’t spell success.

As it’s me, they are totally free-from, by that I mean no gluten, egg, dairy or nuts. (And if you use chopped dairy-free dark chocolate made with sunflower lecithin rather than soya lecithin they are soya free too.)

But here’s the thing. No-one would never, ever know. Really.

You’ll note they aren’t free from sugar. (Or fun. Or sheer gooey delight when eaten warm.) It’s a chocolate chip cookie, not a cereal bar.

• 100g rice flour (Dove’s Farm brown and white blend)
• 40g gram flour (I used Dove’s Farm)
• 20g cornflour
• 10g cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 45g light olive oil
• 45g pure sunflower spread (or other dairy-free margarine)
• 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• 125g light soft brown sugar
• 7 green cardamom pods
• zest from one orange
• pinch salt
• 80g dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degreesC or 160C fan. Mix together the flours, cocoa powder and soda.
2. Bash the cardamom pods in a pestle and mortar and remove the seeds. Discard the husks. Add a pinch of salt and grind the seeds to a powder.
3. Mix the oil and spread then add the sugar, vinegar, orange and cardamom and mix to a paste. Add the dry ingredients and chocolate and mix with your hands to a soft dough.
4. Squish into 20-25 balls and place half on a lined baking sheet.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until flattened and with a dry cracked top. The best indicator they are done is that your kitchen smells divinely of chocolate and spice. (Don’t leave them too long, the high sugar and cocoa content means they will singe quickly).
6. Leave on the baking sheet to harden for a couple of minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully whilst you cook the second batch.
7. Enjoy, or if you have more willpower than me, gift.