It’s that time of the year again where Poppy’s are blooming and people gather at dawn to show their respect for the diggers who fought for our country 100+ years ago Continue reading “ANZAC BISCUITS”
Tag: dessert
CHOCOLATE COCONUT TART WITH LEMON CURD FILLING
Whether it is the fact that Valentine’s Day is this weekend or that people seem to be talking about what they are “giving up” for lent, there’s no hiding the fact that chocolate is in the air. These heart shaped chocolate lemon curd tarts are the perfect raw Valentine treat. Continue reading “CHOCOLATE COCONUT TART WITH LEMON CURD FILLING”
CRUNCHY NUT BAKED CHEESECAKE WITH LEMON CURD AND MERINGUE
Okay so I’ve been meaning to get this one up for aggggggges now but have never found the time. BUT whilst sitting on the plane to Spain I have nothing but time so here goes!
It all started back in July in my birthday week. I couldn’t decide what cake I wanted to celebrate my 25th bday with…. Cheesecake or lemon meringue pie? Both of which are my all time favourite desserts! The lemon meringue pie I made for Mother’s Day recipe HERE was an absolute hoot. Oh and the choc base lemon curd tart too recipe HERE, but then cheesecake is my fave. And then boom it hit me. Why limit yourself to one when you can layer them and have BOTH! So I used the ever faithful Sarah Wilson I quit sugar recipes as a base and combined this killer dessert! Fair to say I had a super sweet birthday minus the sugar!! 
CRUNCHY NUT BAKED CHEESECAKE WITH LEMON CURD AND MERINGUE
Serves 8 – GF DF* P SF – 3 hours
BASE
1 cup oats or LSA mix
1 cup almonds or pistachios/hazelnuts (use another but other than almonds here if you used LSA above)
120gms coconut oil or butter
1 cup desiccated coconut
2 Tbs rice malt syrup
pinch of salt
dash of cinnamon
CHEESECAKE FILLING
2 Tbs Greek yoghurt
4 Tbs Full fat coconut cream
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
1 Lemon juiced and zest
1/2 cup rice malt syrup
1 vanilla bean
LEMON CURD
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 whole eggs
6 egg yolks (save the whites)
Juice and zest of 2 lemons
3 Tbs rice malt syrup
1 tsp stevia
MERINGUE
6 egg whites
2 Tbs rice malt syrup
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
Line or spray a deep pie / tart tin.
Place the ingredients for the crust in a food processor and process until combined. The more you blend the more the oils from the nuts are released. Add more butter or coconut oil if necessary. Take out and press into a lined cake or tart dish working your way up the sides. Remember it is not just a base but a crust for the filling so make it deep!
Place crust in the oven for 8-10 minutes until lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
Meanwhile combine the cheesecake ingredients in a clean food processor. Careful not too over process. You just want the lumps gone and watch out for any lemon pips whilst squeezing!
Pour the cheesecake filling into the cooled tart crust. Place in oven for 20-30 minutes until it bakes and goes hard or set like jelly. Don’t over cook!
For the lemon curd, melt the coconut oil on the stove. Add the rice malt and lemon juice/zest. Slowly add the eggs and yolks whilst whisking. Careful not to over boil the curd otherwise you will end up with lemon scrambled eggs! When it begins to thicken lift it off the heat and whisk in mid air. Add back to the heat if necessary. Leave to cool. Pour over the cheesecake layer and set aside.
For the final layer of this epic cake / pie / tart you need to make the meringue. Either with some good old elbow grease or electric beaters beat the egg whites and rice malt until it starts to go white and glossy. You want it to hold its form and make peaks. About 3-5 minutes. Slop the meringue mixture onto the lemon curd layer. When it is covered use the whisk or a spoon to create some peaks for aesthetic purposes.
Place the whole cake into the oven for 6-8 minutes until the meringue has browned at the tips. Careful not to burn or grill it! Just a light browning it will do.
Take out and place in fridge to set for 2 hours or overnight! When it’s time to eat it take it out and sprinkle with some matcha green tea powder if you have it!
Serve huge slabs of this beauty and enjoy! I couldn’t believe how amazingly yum and sweet this cake was. The perfect amount of savoury creamy lemony ricotta and tangy sweet curd, crunchy base and fluffy top ahhhhhhh just make it! You can even freeze any left over slices (left over… Is there such a thing?)
K
FEATURE FRIDAY – RAW VEGAN TIRAMISU SLICE
It has been a while since I have done a Feature Friday on the blog. Sorry – I have been traveling the world sunning myself for hours on pebbley beaches and cheersing to cocktails at sunset (a lovely way to live for those interested) But it also means that I have neglected a part of me that I am passionate about. My Health, fitness and wellbeing and writing . SO back to the drawing board they say and what better way to start than an Italian style FEATURE FRIDAY. And what better Italian dessert than the ever so famous Tiramisu. This gluten, sugar and dairy free Tiramisu is one to add to the to do list this weekend or the next family affair. An old sugary favourite with a healthy kick thanks to the gorgeous foodie blogger Emily from “This Rawsome Vegan Life” Continue reading “FEATURE FRIDAY – RAW VEGAN TIRAMISU SLICE”
RAW CHOCOLATE ORANGE JAFFA CHEESECAKE – FEATURE FRIDAY
Because I don’t keep things very private or quiet (never have) you probably ALL know that today is my last day at work. It feels like the last day of school. The unknown of leaving high school or graduating university. Anyway enough of that for now… as my last Friday at work I thought it fitting to have en epic Feature Friday. As a kid those Jaffa chocolate balls were my fave! I love the combo of chocolate and orange (thanks to my dad) and have been drooling over a Jaffa cheesecake for a while now. Continue reading “RAW CHOCOLATE ORANGE JAFFA CHEESECAKE – FEATURE FRIDAY”
THE BEST EVER CHOC CHIP COOKIES
Now if there is ONE thing that I have failed at most in the kitchen – it is healthy and clean alternatives to chocolate chip cookies. In fact all types of clean cookie attempts have ended up in the cupboard or freezer for months on end and eventually in the bin. It doesn’t matter WHAT I tried, they always turned out more like rubber door stops than edible delights… until now! The biggest life lesson going around is ‘when you get knocked down – get back up’ and so I thought I would try ever so hard to redeem myself and bake some sugar-free healthy cookies once and for all. I tried a completely different technique and didn’t use any protein powder or eggs in the hope that they would resemble an actual cookie with a crunch factor. I was so surprised by the final result that I made a second batch the following day. These cookies store great in the freezer and are the perfect cookie for that afternoon sugar craving or late night crunch without ruining your healthy lifestyle. These cookies are sweetened with a date paste made from 100% organic raw medjool dates and low GI organic coconut sugar. I love cooking with (and snacking on) Medjool dates. They are natures number 1 sweet fix without the nasties and come down of the ‘white stuff’. Dates are packed with fiber for a healthy digestive system and full of essential nutrients and minerals. Try my sticky date pudding >> recipe here.
THE BEST EVER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES
About 16 cookies – GF SF V P DF – 15 minutes
15 medjool dates (pitted) soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes
1 cup almond butter
1 cup spelt flour (could also use wholemeal flour or quinoa/buckwheat etc)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 Tbs flax meal or ground chia seeds
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup roughly chopped dark chocolate (quality matters – I use 70-85% Lindt dark or Raw Dark Loving Earth)
3 Tbs coconut oil melted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon (you can omit this but I am a cinnamon addict so added it without thinking twice)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
METHOD
Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Line baking tray with baking paper and set aside.
Soak dates in boiling water for 10-15 minutes. Drain. Pour dates into food processor and process until it forms a paste. You may want to add a dash of hot water if it is not soft enough.
Mix the flax meal with 1/4 cup boiling water until a gooey gel forms. Add this to the food processor.
Add the almond butter, coconut oil, vanilla and coconut sugar and pulse until combined.
In a large bowl mix the ‘dry’ ingredients together. Pour date almond butter mixture into dry bowl and combine with a wooden spoon. Add the dark chocolate chunks and stir.
Roll into balls and place on baking paper. Flatten with a fork or your fingers and place in oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown.
Cookies will be soft and delicate until they cool down. Allow to completely cool before transferring. I like to store mine in the freezer for that extra crunch and it also stops them from crumbling.
Enjoy!!
K
Note; I didn’t have flax seed meal at the time so I just added whole flax seeds for an extra crunch factor. If you do this you must omit the 1/4 cup boiling water as this is only for the flax ‘gel’. If your mixture is dry – add a little more boiling water. It should be sticky!
You can be a little bit creative with your cookies and add some extras like coconut, chia seeds, orange rind or goji berries… :)
STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
A couple of weeks ago it was my turn to make something sweet for girls night! I asked the host what her ultimate dessert would be that I could recreate a sugar-free healthy version of. After an almost instant reply of “ummm sticky date pudding??” I was a little stumped because sticky date puddings are usually made of butter and brown sugar – big No No’s! BUT it didn’t take long before I was completely mind blown from the healthy versions of sticky date desserts all over the internet. I decided to go with the amaaaaazing looking Loving Earth recipe because I practically drooled on my screen as soon as I read it. And let me just tell you it blew everyone’s mind and you couldn’t tell that there wasn’t a single grain of refined sugars in sight!!!! This is the real deal minus the nasties. The cake itself didn’t take too long to make either. I chose to make 1 single large cake but 4-6 mini individual loafs would also have been a treat. Dates are packed with fiber and have so many nutritional benefits for you body. They are one of the very best sweet and versatile foods that can regulate the digestive process and are great natural unrefined sweetener whilst also offering a rich dose of several vitamins and minerals. Some health specialists have suggested eating 2-3 dates a day is necessary for a healthy and balanced diet and digestive system. This dessert is the perfect combination of natural sugars, proteins, carbohydrates and essential fats to give you the energy boost you need without the ugly sugar high and crash. Kids will also love it ! and salted caramel sauce?? need I say more!!!
STICKY DATE PUDDING WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
serves 6 – GF P V SF DF – 50 minutes
CAKE
4 teaspoons Coconut Oil (for greasing)
200g Salted Caramel L.E Chocolate >> SHOP HERE
3 tbsp Coconut Oil
80ml almond mylk
1 cup buckwheat flour or almond meal
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup Coconut Sugar
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
½ cup boiling hot water
250ml almond mylk
80–120g coconut cream
SAUCE
1 cup coconut cream
1 cup medjool dates, pitted
100g Salted Caramel Chocolate >> SHOP HERE
2 tbsp Lucuma or Maca Powder (optional)
2 tbsp coconut sugar
½ tsp salt
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease the loaf pan, mini loaf pans or large cake tin with the coconut oil.
Put the chocolate, coconut oil and 80ml almond milk in a double boiler. Gently heat until the chocolate has melted. Stir until smooth, remove from the heat and set aside. (you could do this in the microwave if you wanted to)
In another bowl, put the flour, baking powder, salt and coconut sugar. Stir together.
In a blender or small food processor, blitz together the medjool dates and water until the dates are just broken up. Add 205ml of almond milk and mix until combined. Gently fold in the through the caramel chocolate mixture.
Divide the mixture into the prepared mini loaf tins or large cake tin and place into the oven.
MINI LOAFS: Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until the edges and top are just cooked – you still want the middle to be slightly gooey as it will keep cooking once removed from the oven.
LARGE CAKE: Bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes until the edges and top are just cooked – you still want the middle to be slightly gooey as it will keep cooking once removed from the oven.
FOR THE SAUCE
Whilst the puddings are baking simply blend in a blender the dates and coconut cream until smooth. Place into a saucepan over a low heat with the caramel chocolate, Lucuma/maca, coconut sugar and salt. Keep mixing until the chocolate has melted and everything is combined before removing from the heat.
Remove cake from oven and gently poke/stab cake with a knife to create holes. Pour 1/2 of the sauce over the cake and let it seep into the holes. This is where the moist ‘pudding’ factor takes place. You want it to be nice and moist.
Place back in oven for 5-10 minutes. (Note: You do not need to place the mini cakes back in the oven)
When ready to serve, gently run a knife around the edge of the pans to loosen the small puddings or cake. Place on serving plates and serve with hot caramel sauce. Enjoy immediately! A blob of vanilla bean or coconut ice cream would be an absolute match made in heaven here. I also shaved some extra caramel chocolate on top.
Thanks Loving Earth for this incredible recipe!!!
ENJOY !
K
RAW VANILLA CHOC BERRY LAYER CAKE
My birthday is A MONTH away and so naturally I am already planning my raw wholesome sugar free cake which I plan on eating the whole thing. I came across this Vanilla Choc Berry layer cake and my mouth dropped. It is definitely in the running to be my 25th Birthday Cake! The Merrymaker Sisters >> Website HERE are two lovely local ladies from Canberra (yeah Canberra!!!) and are taking the Paleo life by storm. This layer cake is perfect for the gluten, dairy and sugar intolerant, is super healthy and looks amaze!!! Try it today! Continue reading “RAW VANILLA CHOC BERRY LAYER CAKE”
CHOCOLATE; THE HEALTHY CHOICE
Now if there is one thing NO girls should deny themselves of no matter what … it is chocolate. Be it a little nibble after dinner, a hot choc pick me up in the arvo or a chocolate thick shake for breakfast (yep chocolate for breakfast) – there is always a time and place for chocolate.
“Eating small amounts of dark chocolate can be good for your health. Chocolate comes from a plant — the bean of the cacao tree — and, like certain teas, wine and many fruits and vegetables, it boasts a high concentration of antioxidant compounds called “flavonoids,” which can help prevent heart disease and protect against cancer” – Live Strong
FEATURE FRIDAY – VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE CHUNK PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE
Three of the most yummiest things on the planet smashed into one glorious looking dessert. Peanut butter, chocolate AND cheesecake! Need I say more? Just make sure you get the following ingredients and allow yourself over night to make it. This raw vegan dessert is going to impress even the biggest of anti raw food sweet tooth’s. Thanks to Emily from This Rawsome Vegan Life blog for the recipe. #featurefriday Continue reading “FEATURE FRIDAY – VANILLA AND CHOCOLATE CHUNK PEANUT BUTTER CHEESECAKE”
KATIE MORGAN 