Could this be the healthiest chocolate cake ever

Well could it?

It’s quite a claim to say that a chocolate cake is “healthier” than the rest. Clearly, it has to be lower in fat. But – here’s the thing – it must have enough fat to satisfy. And the fats it does contain must be healthier than butter (preferably not just a dairy-free spread, though there are some fabulous ones and I rely on them a lot.)

Here’s where olive and coconut oil come into their own.

It should have little or no refined sugar. Honey is a perfect sweetener for a chocolate cake, and agave nectar sweetens a chocolate frosting beautifully without taking over.

A bit of fibre and some micronutrients (in addition to the ones already present in cocoa and dark chocolate) would be nice.  Step up, buckwheat and brown rice flour.

Gluten and dairy free? That’s just a happy coincidence.

(If you’re avoiding nuts or soy for any reason they aren’t here either).

The crucial thing is that a healthier chocolate cake MUST be ACTUAL cake. Not a collection of dried fruit and nuts whizzed up in a blender with some cocoa. I’m not averse to the idea of a raw brownie but it’s not chocolate cake. In my opinion.

To recap. No gluten. No dairy. No refined sugar. Healthy fats. High fibre. No palm oil. Packed with micronutrients.

And so good that, based on taste, you would actively choose it over a regular chocolate cake any day.

Dive in.

PS A big thank you to Plamil Foods no-sugar dark chocolate sweetened with coconut blossom sugar, which makes the perfect chocolate icing…

Here’s how to make:

For the cake:

• 25g cocoa
• 50g rice flour
• 40g potato flour
• 30g buckwheat flour
• 1/4 plus 1/8 tsp bicarbonate
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 40g extra virgin coconut oil, melted**
• 60g light olive oil (not extra virgin)
• 2 eggs
• 120g honey
• 120g pitted dates
• 1/2 teaspoon good vanilla extract*
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 15ml hot water

1. Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Preheat a fan oven to 160C. Place a silicone muffin tray on a baking sheet and line with muffin cases (these are decent sized cakes)
2. Chop the dates and put in the base of a stick blender. (Chopping helps with blending and checks for any rogue stones at the same time.) Add the water.
3. Add the honey, vanilla, lime juice, cocoa, oils, eggs and blitz with a stick blender.
4. Add the flour mixture and blitz again to a smooth chocolatey batter.
5. Divide between muffin cases and bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and firm to the touch (listen closely and you’ll hear them crackling too.)

For the frosting:

• 120g no-sugar chocolate
• 30g extra-virgin coconut oil**
• 40g agave nectar `
• 40g coconut cream
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract*

6. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil then add the agave, vanilla and coconut cream. Carefully spoon onto the cakes and smooth to the edges with the back of a teaspoon.

*If you’re strict about refined sugar check your vanilla extract ingredients, many have added sugar, some of the really good ones don’t.

**If you don’t like the taste of coconut (it does come through a little) use refined coconut oil (organic if you can get it)

 

 

Totally free-from cheese straws

Another sunny day this summer hols and another attempt to pack a gluten-free, allergy friendly picnic. One that’s vaguely nutritious and the kids will actually eat.

Today was gluten free, dairy free cheese straws (more like shortbread it turns out), carrot sticks, apples and satsumas, double chocolate chunk cookies and lightly salted popcorn (both homemade). The carrot sticks and half the fruit came back intact (why do I bother?).

Perfect dairy and gluten free crumble topping

Everyone loves a crumble, whatever fruit happens to be in season. At least half the time I cheat and chuck a couple of drained tins of pears, peaches or apricots into a dish ready to be topped, it saves on time, peeling, washing up or adding any sugar.

This was made with some early apples from the garden and a couple of pears that came back uneaten from our picnic yesterday and looking a bit the worse for wear.

No matter what the fruit, I finally discovered the ultimate crumble topping that’s been eluding me all this time (I’ve tried all manner of complex creations). Its way better than any I made before going gluten free too, I’m sure of that.

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.

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?

Totally Treacle Tart

Warning…If you’re following a gluten and dairy free diet because you want to eat a bit cleaner, look away now. This is one of those rich, gooey, sticky situations that induces not only a slight head-rush of pleasure, but also a vow to eat brown rice and broccoli for a week just to have another slice.

(As luck would have it, I like brown rice and broccoli. Which is good because after eating the slice in the picture I had to have a little sit down.)

If what you’re after is some sheer gluten-free indulgence with none of the other big baking allergens involved (dairy, egg, soy, nuts),  read on. Or just skip to the recipe (I understand, we all do it).

Coconut oil shortbread with lemon and cardamom

I’m not knocking the free-from aisle. Not right now anyway. Some of the stuff is actually okay. Expensive, mind. And if you are looking for something gluten- and dairy-free that has no egg, soya or nuts in, well, good luck with that.

That’s not the main reason I made these though. I just get a real kick out of baking something that tastes as totally delicious (if not more so) than its regular counterpart, but without all the stuff the smallest one can’t seem to tolerate.

(I know what you’re thinking. I need to get out more. I know that too. Yesterday I caught myself watching “In the Night Garden” with the subtitles on for sheer comedy value. And there’s this nagging voice in my head keeps telling me what I really want for my 40th is a cordless Dyson. And now I’ve started doing this to my photos. Not good.)

Three delicious things to do with fresh apricots…

”Tis the season for fresh apricots. Which means it’s summer! Hooray! There are so many things I love about these little velvety peach-cousins. And since their season is so short our house is apricot-tastic right now. I especially like them for being:

• Delicately delicious
• Rich in Vitamins C and A
• High in catechins, a phytonutrient also found in green tea and cocoa which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects and has been linked to regulating blood pressure
• Easier to de-stone than a peach or nectarine
• High in soluble fibre
• Really pretty (I could stare at them in a bowl all day. Even if it is chipped…)

However I have three problems with apricots.

• You buy a big punnet and they all ripen at the same time (and it’s never advisable to eat a whole punnet of any fruit, see point 5 above)
• Sometimes they can be a little hard or lacking in flavour or juice, even when you know they are ripe (ie the stone comes out easily)
• The kids won’t eat them because they are so far removed from the dried or tinned variety they eat 11 months of the year.

So if, like me, you don’t fancy just eating them raw, here are three lovely ways to maximise their flavour.

Poached apricots with a splash of Sauvignon

Now there are lots of flavours that work brilliantly with a poached apricot. A split vanilla pod, cinnamon stick, maybe a couple of bashed cardamom pods, rosewater, even a sprig of rosemary. But the punnet of apricots wasn’t in my kitchen. It was in my mother’s. And I had promised to poach them.

“Do you by any chance have a vanilla pod?” “No”. “Cardamom?” “No”. “Not to worry,” I say, reaching for the vanilla extract i spy on the top shelf. EXP 2005. “Bin” I say.

Sometimes I need to remember that not everyone is as obsessed with food as I am. Some people have more important things to fill their cupboards with than such frivolities as cardamom and vanilla pods, cinnamon sticks and rose-petal extract. Like proper food. Which is really useful when it comes to making dinner.

Anyway, I could have just gone for a simple sugar syrup and let the apricots do the talking. Some would argue I should have. But then I saw an opened bottle of Sauvignon Blanc in the fridge. As there is in mine at home.

I’m way to tight to be someone who will poach fruit in just wine. That’s a waste. I see recipes that use a whole bottle of decent red to poach 4 pears and inside I’m crying out “noooo, just drink it!”

But adding a splash of Sauvignon to your apricot poaching liquor really works. Maybe the perfume of the wine brings out that of the fruit. Maybe its the perfect balance of dryness with fruity acidity that just bursts into song when it touches your tongue. Maybe I should just stop there and let you get on with it.

I used:

• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 400g fresh apricots
• 200ml cold water
• 100ml Sauvignon Blanc (or other floral dry white wine would do)

1. Measure the wine and water into a jug, add the caster sugar and heat in a medium-sized pan over a low heat to dissolve.
2. Meanwhile cut the apricots in half and remove the stones.
3. Add the apricots to the pan, nestling them in one layer if possible. Add a little more water if they aren’t quite submerged.
4. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat so they simmer very gently until soft (15-20 minutes).
5. Remove the apricot halves to a cold plate with a slotted spoon.
6. Let the poaching liquor reduce down by about half.
7. Let this cool then pour over the apricots.
8. Enjoy over ice-cream, with custard, yogurt, shortbread, or just on their own.

A very simple apricot shortcrust tart 

So in my excitement I’d bought two punnets of apricots. And I really wanted to make a tart. Almost as much as I wanted to eat one. Nothing fancy, but one to truly showcase the intense apricot flavour you get when you put apricots in the oven. No pressure.

Almonds are a natural pairing for apricots, so an almond shortcrust made sense. This one is so simple and there’s no rolling out, just squishing into the tin with the back of a spoon. Coconut oil keeps the pastry short, gram flour gives a lovely crunch.

I added a splash of elderflower cordial and a sprinkling of caster sugar to glaze and help caramelize the apricots too.

It might be easy but I’d be happy to serve this at any dinner party. Though before the invites go out we’ll need some new plates and a more successful bedtime routine for the kids…

For the pastry:

• 50g ground almonds
• 50g rice flour (I used Dove’s Farm)
• 50g gram flour (Dove’s Farm again)
• 50g caster sugar
• 30g dairy free spread (I used Pure)
• 30g coconut oil (virgin or refined)
• a teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon almond milk
• a good pinch of salt

For the topping

• 7 ripe apricots
• 2 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon elderflower cordial
• 1 tablespoon caster sugar

1. Mix the flours, almonds, salt and sugar in a bowl.
2. Add the coconut oil and dairy-free spread, mash with a fork or rub between fingertips until you have a fine crumb.
3. Add the vanilla and almond milk and mix to a paste.
4. Spread into the base of a loose bottomed 20cm tart tin or springform cake pan. Use the back of a spoon to level out.
5. Prick with a fork and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes whilst you preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (160C fan)
6. Bake for 10 minutes or until it feels “sandy” on the surface. Leave to cool until just warm.
7. Cut the apricots in half, remove the stones then cut in half again.
8. Add the cordial and toss through.
9. Add the jam to the warm part-baked pastry in little blobs then smooth this out across the base. (Using a warm base means you don’t need to warm the jam.)
10. Arrange the apricots over the base, sprinkle over the caster sugar and bake for 20 minutes or until the fruit is soft, the pastry smells done and is browned at the edges.
11. Cool in the tin then remove the sides, slice and enjoy.

PS Don’t make this too far ahead because the apricots will darken and lose their vibrant colour.

Superfruity apricot salsa with tarragon and lime

There were three solitary apricots left that didn’t fit on the tart. And I’d made totally child-friendly (ie underseasoned) turkey burgers that needed a little livener. Fast. One that didn’t come out of a large red bottle. Or require lots of preparation.

So here it is. Bursting with colour, flavour and freshness and perfect with pan-fried fish, griddled chicken, or turkey burgers. Or pretty much anything on the barbeque. Or just stir into some puy lentils, scatter with leaves and freshly toasted hazelnuts for a memorable veggie option.

Anyway it was so good I just went out and bought more apricots so I can have it again – this time with a couple of tuna steaks for griddling. Roll on dinnertime…

I used:

• 3-4 fresh ripe apricots, chopped small
• 1 ripe baby avocado or half a large one
• 6 cherry tomatoes, 3 small tomatoes or 1 large tomato, chopped
• a couple of pinches of dried tarragon or about 8 fresh leaves, chopped
• a quarter of a large red onion, finely chopped
• a good pinch of salt
• the juice of a juicy lime
• a drizzle (a couple of teaspoons) extra virgin olive oil
• a good pinch of dried chilli flakes or chopped fresh red chilli (optional)

1. Stir everything together.
2. Enjoy with anything.

Extra chocolatey salted caramelised walnut brownies …with cocoa butter and buckwheat

This morning didn’t start so well. At one point the tantrums got so bad I ran a bath, jumped in and lay back so the water covered my ears, just to drown out the noise. And shut my eyes, just for a moment of tranquillity. Unfortunately I had to shut the one-year-old and the four-year-old in the bathroom with me. When I opened my eyes all I could see was two urchins, no longer fighting over the mountain of unravelled toilet roll, peering down at me over the side of the bath. Breakfast, snot and maybe a little remorse, smeared over their little faces. And so an ordinary day became a chocolate brownie day.

These are not your average brownie. You would never know they were dairy and gluten free for a start. They are just so chocolatey. Almost more chocolatey than chocolate. It’s the triple whammy of chocolate, cocoa powder and cocoa butter*. Just the right amount of nuttiness. From the walnuts and walnut oil, obviously, but also the buckwheat flour which works brilliantly with chocolate.

They are crisp on the outside and gooey in the middle, I think from baking them in individual loaf tins (I always either under or overbake brownies in a large tin). That somehow keeps them light despite their being so rich.  And the salted caramelised walnut isn’t essential but does make them look and taste a bit special. It is Mother’s Day on Sunday after all. Here’s the perfect gift. (You will literally store up more brownie points than you know what to do with.)

It sounds like a lot of ingredients but these brownies are actually quite simple to make once you have measured everything out.

Oh, they are not for kids either. No way. They are for grown ups. Mainly mums. (Maybe a dad or two if they’ve been really, really good). We deserve it.

*I stumbled across food grade cocoa butter in my lovely independent local health food store and have been aching to try it since. If you can’t find any just double the amount of coconut oil instead, most supermarkets stock it.

I used a loose bottomed mini loaf tin tray but you could just as easily use a loose bottomed cupcake tin or one made of sillicone (you want to make sure you can get them out easily).

To make the brownies use:

• 100g (70% cocoa solids) dark chocolate
• 20g cocoa butter
• 20g coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon walnut oil (15ml)
• 2 eggs
• 100g soft light brown sugar
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• good pinch sea salt flakes
• 40g buckwheat flour
• 30g rice flour
• 15g cocoa powder
• 30g crushed walnuts
• for the caramelised walnuts: 12 large walnut pieces or halves, 30g caster sugar and a pinch of good sea salt.

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C (160C fan). Grease a loose bottomed mini loaf tin, or find a silicone muffin tray.
2. Chop the cocoa butter into small chunks and melt with the chocolate and both oils in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
3. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla, set aside whilst you measure out the flours, cocoa, salt and sugars into a bowl.
4. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled to just warm (so it won’t cook the eggs when you add them), beat the eggs into it with a fork, then stir in the dry ingredients until you have a smooth batter.
5. Stir in the crushed walnuts.
6. Quickly spoon the batter into the loaf tin or muffin tray (if it cools too much it will be harder to work with).
7. Bake for 6-8 minutes or until the tops of the brownies just turn opaque. (It seems like a really short time but they will carry on cooking in the tin and you don’t want to miss out on the gooey middle).
8. Whilst the brownies are baking (or cooling), line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper or a silicone mat then spread the remaining caster sugar evenly over the bottom of a frying pan and place over a high heat until it melts and turns amber in colour (and smells of toffee). Don’t stir it, just give it a little tip occasionally to swirl the melted sugar into the remaining sugar to speed things up (and avoid some sugar burning whilst the rest is unmelted.)  Watch it at all times, sugar goes from white to burnt very fast!
9. Add a good pinch of salt then the walnut halves. Now you can stir, just enough to evenly coat the nuts in the caramel. Quickly and very carefully* tip out onto the lined baking sheet and leave to cool.
10. When cool, break the caramelised block of walnuts up into 12 pieces and press each one into the top of each brownie.
11. When the brownies are cool, ease them out of their tin.
12. And enjoy. But do try to save some for a Mother’s Day gift.

*I mean really carefully, melted sugar is over 150 degrees C. I once got a nasty burn making toffee apples in a professional kitchen, why I volunteered for that job I’ll never know. Anyway no matter how tempting don’t lick the spoon either. You need the skin on your tongue to taste the brownies.

Proper pie! (A gluten and dairy free one that is…with a chicken, sweet leek and prosciutto filling)

The other night I went out. At night. On my own (well without the little ones, or indeed fitter half for that matter). For the first time in over 18 months. I don’t know quite how it came to that, but it’s a lot to do with pregnancy, a sleepless baby and the resulting inability to hold a conversation post 8pm.

I painted my nails. And my face. Then I decided I looked like a drag artist and did it all again. I put on a black dress. Then a red one. Blow dried my hair. And engaged in several different hair removal techniques.

But before I did all that I made a pie. For fitter half and the little ones. Who am I kidding it was for me, just in case my gluten- and dairy-free meal didn’t show up later. (I didn’t take it in my handbag, I had a slice before I left. What with the breast pump there wasn’t room anyway.)

Chicken and leek, with a little prosciutto for added pizzazz. (Do people still use that word except in scrabble?) Leeks and onions, simmered with a little mustard, maple and tarragon and blitzed into a sweet, creamy filling. So you’d never know there was no dairy or gluten. It’s all just fabulous flavour and creaminess. And a proper pie because fitter half thinks pot pies are just “a casserole with a lid”. Which is fair enough.

I stumbled across the gluten-free crust when I was playing with my food processor. (I do that.) It has the texture of a hot water crust pastry but is even easier to make (and is minus the lard). I used a regular gluten-free flour blend with some gram flour thrown in for texture and flavour. A 70:30 mix of sunflower spread and coconut oil (the latter for added shortness). And egg and more water than you’d use for wheat pastry but then you don’t have to worry about activating the gluten and making it tough. A bit of psyllium husk to stop it crumbling into dust (without the gluten). Add a food processor and that’s about it.

As for leeks, they have to be one of the most underrated vegetables. Not only are they naturally sweet and delicious but they are a great source of vitamin A and folic acid. And because they are part of the Allium family, they produce a compound called allicin when they are cut or bruised, which has been found to lower cholesterol production in the body.

It was a great evening. I laughed. I cried. I expressed milk in the toilet without spilling it down myself. I talked about stuff other than my kids and their toilet habits. My friends are fabulous. And my gluten-free vegetable stack and grilled chicken were perfectly nice. Though, if I say so myself, not as good as this pie.

So here’s the recipe:

For the pastry:

• 200g gluten-free flour blend (rice, potato, tapioca, maize, buckwheat) – Dove’s Farm or own brand
• 50g gram flour
• 70g dairy-free sunflower spread (I used Pure)
• 30g coconut oil
• 1 medium egg
• 2 teaspoons psyllium husk (mine is Colon Care brand, found in Holland and Barrett)
• 50ml water
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

For the filling:

• 4-5 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin on)
• 4 slices prosciutto
• 2 tablespoons light olive oil
• 2 medium-sized leeks
• 1 onion
• 1 teaspoon maple syrup (optional)
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon English mustard powder
• 1 Kallo chicken stock cube
• black pepper to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 300ml cold water

1. Roast the chicken thighs. Tuck them into a lasagne dish that just fits them, and roast for about 35 minutes. They will be swimming in juices by this time which will keep them nice and moist through the cooking process. Drain the liquid off into a jug or clip-top box and return the chicken to the oven for another 10 minutes or so until the skin is crispy. Remove to a plate to cool and pour any remaining juices into the jug/box. When both are cool chill until you need them.

2. Make the pastry: Put the flours, salt, sunflower spread and coconut oil in a food processor and blitz to a fine crumb. Mix the egg with the water, sprinkle over the psyllium husk and whisk in quickly with a fork. Pour these in through the funnel with the processor running, until a ball of fairly wet dough forms. Wrap this in clingfilm and rest it in the fridge for 30 minutes.

3. Make the leek filling: Rip up the prosciutto and saute in the oil until it crisps up a bit. Remove to a plate, leaving all the lovely flavoured oil behind. Chop the leeks and onion and add these to the pan, fry until they start to soften. Add the mustard powder, black pepper, maple syrup and tarragon, stir well, then crumble in the stock cube. Take the chicken juices you saved and chilled. They will now be a layer of white chicken fat and a layer of chicken jelly underneath. Scrape off the fat and discard, then add the jelly to the leeks. Add the water and simmer for a few minutes until the leeks and onions are completely soft. Use a stick blender (or jug blender) to create a thick puree (as chunky or smooth as you like, but the smoother the creamier it will be.)

4. Remove the skins from the chicken thighs, then remove all the meat from the bone. Discard the skin and bone and add the meat to the leek mixture along with the crispy ham. Taste and season if you need to (the prosciutto added enough salt to mine that I didn’t).

5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C (180 C fan). Take two thirds of the chilled pastry and roll out between two sheets of clingfilm to about 2mm thickness. Use to line an 18cm diameter loose-bottomed cake tin. Fill with the chicken, leek and ham mixture. Roll out the remaining pastry and place over the top. Cut round the outer rim of the tin and press the pie top gently down onto the side. Prick two steam holes in the centre.

6. You could glaze with beaten egg at this point but I didn’t bother. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the pastry is golden and you can see the filling bubbling up through it.

7. Leave for 10 minutes in the tin resting on a wire rack then place a mug underneath the tin and push down on the sides to release and reveal the pie.

8. Enjoy hot. cold or warm. (I tried them all, they all work).

The evening in question was a charity fundraiser for Reverse Rett, a charity dedicated to finding a cause to this debilitating degenerative condition which affects young girls. It’s an amazing cause if you have time for a read, both on the charity’s website and also here.