CONTENTS

Introduction
Dairy – the alternatives
Sugar – the alternatives
Gluten – the alternatives
Flavour enhancers and superfoods
Stocking your Clean Cakes larder
Cook’s notes
Equipment
Foundation recipes

1. All the cakes

2. Muffins, loaf cakes and breads
3. Biscuits (cookies), brownies and bars
4. Gorgeous tarts and scrumptious pies
5. Raw desserts
6. Chocolates, petit fours and li le clean treats

Index
Stockists, bibliography and acknowledgements
INTRODUCTION
Food is all about pleasure and joy and these are key to Clean Cakes.
Creating nourishing, delicious food to be shared by everyone is one of life’s
great pleasures. I believe that when we use conscious cooking techniques
and unrefined wholefood ingredients, sourced locally, in season and organic
when possible, health and happiness is the natural consequence.

A NEW PÂTISSERIE

A tea-time loaf brimming with toasted pecans, sticky succulent dates

and baked banana; light toffee-flavoured coconut nectar sugar and
creamy cashew bu er in a soft and mellow bu erscotch blondie;
honeyed dried fruits, nu y buckwheat and sweet chestnut flours
married together in a comforting fruit cake; the distinct crunch of
millet flour and freshly dug root vegetables in a divine tart or spiced
breakfast muffin … I could quite happily continue lauding the
wealth of gloriously delicious and nourishing foods that I use in my
pâtisserie today, but my work has not always involved such
ingredients.
Fresh from university, I started my apprenticeship as a pastry chef
in London. Refined white sugar and flour were at the top of the
ingredients list; but I did not question those ingredients then. I
wanted to learn the classics, the traditional techniques, the precise
and meticulous methods and fine craftsmanship involved in the art
of pâtisserie. I wanted to soak up everything there was to know
about new flavours, textures and how to present cakes and desserts
in the most stunning way possible. Each new kitchen I worked in
would bring an abundance of new ideas, exciting flavour
combinations and elaborate styles of presentation. I enjoyed every
bit of kitchen life, but after years of such an intense work-life, I
dreamt of coming home to the Suffolk countryside to start my own
business.
A ending local farmers’ markets, hosting pop-ups, catering for
events and creating bespoke celebration cakes, my work as a self-
employed pastry chef proved to be a success. However, after about a
year of cooking with the same old white flour and sugar, I thought to
myself, why be restricted to these ingredients?
Growing up in the countryside taught me to understand not only
the value of local, seasonal and fresh produce but also the
importance of eating well and to treasure whole, unrefined and
natural ingredients. After all, these are the foods that our bodies
thrive on. Now, back in the countryside and cooking in this
inspirational environment, these ideas suddenly became more alive
to me.
Today, we are conscious of healthy eating more than ever before.
We understand the importance of cooking from scratch and that
what we put into our bodies has a direct impact on how we feel, look
and behave. More and more versatile and varied ingredients are
becoming available; and new methods of cooking are being explored
involving less meat and, instead, an abundance of vegetables, pulses
and wholefoods. We are celebrating a more plant-based approach to
cooking, realizing how exciting it can be, with a direct positive
influence not only on our health, but animal welfare, sustainability
and the environment, too.
This is how I love to eat and I know my friends and family do too.
But why does this real food revolution in cooking have to end after
the main course? Why, when we’ve eaten a memorable meal,
plentiful in fresh vegetables and other unprocessed ingredients, do
we want to follow it up with a pudding packed with refined sugar
and flour? Inevitably, after one mouthful, comes the impending guilt
that sadly seems to have become synonymous with even the merest
thought of having a ‘treat’ today. I decided to spread this celebration
for healthy wholefood eating to the sweeter things in life: to
pudding, to tea time, to the cake!

THE BEGINNING OF CLEAN CAKES

One of the things I love about having my own business is meeting

my customers and hearing their feedback on my work. When I told
them about the new ideas I had for my cakes, I was met with smiles
of jubilation, proving what I had hoped – that our new approach to
leading healthier lives and mindful eating could be embraced at
every meal. A ‘clean cake’ might sound like a contradiction in terms,
but you will see that it’s not as impossible as it might seem.
 Listening to my customers, I soon realized that most people don’t
want over-sweet cakes or puddings. I never over-sweetened my
bakes anyway, as excessively sweet foods are sickly, unnatural and
not at all good for us. Cooking with seasonal and local fruit, I loved
to make these natural delights the stars of the show, le ing their
flavours sing without being masked by too much sugar. This idea
would continue into my ‘Clean Cakes’, but this time using
alternative natural sweeteners.
I also became aware of the large number of people with allergies
and intolerances or who simply prefer not to eat gluten and dairy. I
didn’t want to turn customers away, I wanted my cakes to be
enjoyed by everyone, so I began to research gluten, dairy and refined
sugar and their effects on our wellbeing. At the same time, I started
experimenting with gluten-free flours such as brown rice and
quinoa; I started tasting unrefined sweeteners like coconut nectar
sugar and date syrup, thinking of ingredients they would pair well
with. Virgin coconut oil, local extra virgin cold pressed (EVCP)
rapeseed oil and nut bu ers could be used in place of bu er and
refined vegetable oils. Not only was I learning about the amazing
nutritional profiles of these allergy-friendly ingredients, but as I
tasted each one, I realized how flavoursome they all were, each with
different and distinct nuances. What could be the downside to
revolutionizing my pâtisserie with these exceptionally delicious and
nutritious ingredients, which are also suitable for those suffering
from allergies and intolerances?
A RUDE AWAKENING

Arriving in my kitchen armed with my recipes to develop into my

‘Clean Cakes’, I couldn’t wait to start creating with my newly
stocked larder. But adapting my recipes wasn’t going to be as
straightforward as I had hoped. Gluten is a protein found in certain
grains such as wheat. Its ‘glue’ characteristic is what creates the
elasticity in breads and the structure in cakes, binding ingredients,
trapping in air and allowing for that all-important rise. Without
gluten, a lot of my first recipe tests were crumbly, dense and a li le
flat. Bu er and sugar also help greatly with structure in baked
goods, creating softly textured and moist cakes. It was going to take
time to learn how to manipulate my new ingredients to create the
best textures possible.
In cooking, texture goes hand in hand with flavour. The main
thing about plain (all-purpose) flour, caster (superfine) sugar and
bu er is that they have very neutral flavours onto which one can
quite simply layer fruits, citrus, chocolate and other ingredients. I
now needed to consider not only creating a balance between the
flavours I was adding to my cakes, but also the varied flavours of my
new base ingredients and how they would affect the overall
product’s taste. Unlike plain (all-purpose) flour, teff flour, for
example, is dark in colour and has a slight treacly flavour, which I
soon learnt went well with autumn-winter fruits but was also divine
with dark (bi ersweet) chocolate. EVCP rapeseed oil has a strong
flavour compared with bu er, but is heavenly in cakes with earthy-
tasting root vegetables or in nutritious bars made with grains, seeds
and nuts. Different sweeteners would all affect the other flavours in
my cakes.
With more and more recipe testing, my confidence in these
phenomenal ingredients and my excitement about my new cakes
soared. Clean Cakes was going to be the whole package, containing
ingredients being used for their flavour, their texture and their
amazing nutritional profiles, combining them in well thought-out,
balanced and memorable cakes and desserts.
Today I have wedded my knowledge as a pastry chef with my
passion for alternative, versatile and varied ingredients. I have
created over 75 recipes for this book, as well as my foundation
recipes, which I hope you will enjoy as much as myself, my family,
friends and customers. Knowing I use such powerfully flavoursome
and nutritious ingredients makes my job a real joy. Cooking with
these ingredients, no thoughts of deprivation, sacrifice or labels
should come into play. Instead, my new approach to pâtisserie is
about embracing and enjoying wholefood natural ingredients that
are delicious and good for you, with recipes that will make you smile
not just on the outside but the inside, too. After all, the most
important part of cooking is to bring happiness to the people who
eat your food.

CLEAN CAKES PHILOSOPHY

Clean Cakes is about embracing the skills and techniques I have learnt
as a traditional pastry chef and using them to elevate real food
ingredients. I want to banish once and for all the misconception that
healthy food is bland, colourless or uninspiring. When cooked
correctly, it can be exciting, bright and vibrant, beautiful to look at
and eat, and really good for us, too.
Food should never be about deprivation – life is about balance,
having your cake and eating it every so often! When food is packed
with such nourishing ingredients, we are naturally satisfied much
more quickly. Processed cakes and bars are just empty calories that
provide us with li le sustainable energy. With all my cakes, biscuits
(cookies) and bars containing not only low-GI natural sweeteners
but also good amounts of fibre, good fats and protein, the sugars
they contain are released much more slowly, leaving you feeling
sated and full of energy for long periods of time.
Clean Cakes also embraces a more alkaline approach to cooking.
Acid-forming foods, including all processed foods, cow’s dairy,
wheat and refined sugar, release acidic residue during digestion,
and an excess of acid in our bodies can lead to digestive issues and
problems such as lack of energy.
Clean Cakes is a cookbook for everyone who enjoys cooking as well
as experimenting with new and alternative ingredients. Whether
you have cut out gluten, dairy or processed sugar due to allergies,
intolerances or a lifestyle choice, Clean Cakes is also for you. There
are many egg-free recipes suitable for vegans and those with egg
allergies, grain-free recipes, and all recipes are soy free, too. For
those with nut allergies, recipes can easily be adapted. So let us all
get back in the kitchen and eat real food!
Dairy – the alternatives
There is a misconception that we need to eat dairy, especially cow’s milk, to
get sufficient calcium. However, green vegetables, such as broccoli and dark
leafy greens, pulses, nuts and seeds are all reliable sources of absorbable
calcium.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE AND DAIRY ALLERGIES

Milk allergies or intolerances, also known as dairy intolerance, are

especially common among young children but adults suffer from
them too. They occur from an allergy to the milk protein, casein, and
can cause complaints such as asthma, eczema, sinus issues, acne and
constipation. Lactose intolerance, caused by the inability to digest
lactose, milk sugar, is widespread and manifests itself in symptoms
such as bloating, abdominal pain, wind and diarrhoea.
Dairy is also a source of animal fat, which should be consumed in
moderation. If you do consume dairy, choose organic full-fat
varieties of milks, yogurts and bu ers from grass-fed cows, goats or
sheep. Raw and unpasteurized varieties can be even be er for us, so
when possible, choose these over manufactured milk products,
which are stripped of a lot of their nutritional value.

WHAT DOES DAIRY DO IN BAKING?

The majority of baking books use bu er, cream and milk as key
ingredients. Although convenient and easy, I have realized that there
is a baking-life beyond dairy products! Yes, bu er, milk or yogurt
add a nice softness to baked goods, but there is such a vast number
of incredibly delicious, diverse and healthful plant-based dairy-free
alternatives we could be using instead.

DAIRY-FREE ALTERNATIVES TO MILK

Nut milks and plant-based milks

I use nut milks (see here) in my recipes. As well as their reliable
calcium content, nuts are rich sources of protein, omega 3 fa y acids,
dietary fibre, vitamins and minerals. I mainly use almond and
cashew milk as these nuts create softly flavoured products and their
relatively neutral creaminess allows for other flavours to be layered
easily onto them. I also use specific milks such as hazelnut for a
Honey praline ganache (see here), or pistachio for a Pistachio crème
anglaise (see here). In these recipes, I urge you to use the milks
suggested, but in the other recipes, where I mainly use almond milk,
you can try other similar less strongly flavoured milks. Though I
prefer nut milks, brown rice milk and oat milk would make good
alternatives. If you do not make your own plant-based milk, buy
varieties that have not been sweetened and do not contain any
additives, stabilizers, thickeners and preservatives. See Stockists
here.

DAIRY-FREE ALTERNATIVES TO CREAM AND CREAM

CHEESE

No more cloying whipped cream and sugary dense icings (frostings)

leaving you feeling bloated and tired. Embrace these dreamily light,
delicate, flavourful plant-based alternatives.

Cashew nuts
Their creamy texture and flavour make cashew nuts really useful for
dairy-free cooking. After soaking, they can be blended and made
into thick cream (see here) and milk (see here) to be used as
ingredients in raw and cooked cakes, icings (frostings), thick sauces
or drinks. Cashew nuts help to aid fat metabolism and maintain
healthy blood-fat levels and are great for keeping our skin, hair,
blood cells and bone marrow in good condition.

Macadamia nuts
With a milky smooth flavour similar to cashew nuts, they can be
soaked and blended to create milks, creams and dairy-free ice cream,
like my Bi er chocolate orange ice cream cake (see here). They
contain healthy fats, antioxidants, iron and zinc.

Coconut milk
Coconut milk has a relatively light flavour and when well balanced
with other ingredients is not at all overpowering, as in my Tiramisù
mousse (see here). I either use liquid coconut milk, or it can be
whipped into a light cream (see here) to create delectable mousses,
‘cheesecakes’ and icings (frostings) for cakes or to serve as an
accompaniment. Coconuts are one of the most alkaline-forming
foods.

Avocado
This may seem like an odd dairy alternative, but you can blend its
rich and creamy flesh to make a wonderfully light purée, which is
easy to add flavours to. As it turns brown with oxidization, you need
to add ingredients that deter this and complement its colour, for
example lime or mint, or those that conceal oxidization, such as
cacao or coffee. Add liquid or whipped coconut cream, blended
almonds or cashew nuts and coconut oil to make flavoured creams,
icings (frostings), mousses and raw cakes. Avocado is a good source
of healthy-heart fats, protein and almost 20 essential nutrients, such
as fibre, B vitamins and vitamin E.

DAIRY-FREE ALTERNATIVES TO YOGURT AND

BUTTERMILK

My cashew ‘yogurt’
Made from blended cashew nuts, this makes an unctuous creamy
base onto which numerous flavours can be layered. Like yogurt, it
makes an excellent accompaniment to all my bakes, and is great at
breakfast too. I call it ‘yogurt’ due to its yogurt-like consistency, but
it does not contain any probiotics (see here). See also cashew nuts
(here).

Coconut yogurt
A sublime accompaniment to the recipes in this book, it is so rich
that a li le goes a very long way so do not be put off by its price. It
adds a luxurious creaminess to mousses and icings (frostings) and
adds moistness to tea breads and cakes. It is made entirely of freshly
squeezed cream from the white flesh of the coconut, rich in minerals
and high in fibre.

Almond milk with apple cider vinegar

This makes a successful substitute for bu ermilk. The apple cider
vinegar replaces the yogurt-like slightly acidic flavour of bu ermilk,
as well as reacting with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to create a
perfect rise, resulting in a light product with a soft milky texture and
flavour and a good crust. Apple cider vinegar helps to alkalize the
body and aid digestion and metabolism. Opt for unfiltered,
unpasteurized varieties ‘with the mother’ and store in a cool place.
A note on soya, yogurt and probiotics
I don’t use soya for environmental, health and taste reasons. While
manufactured yogurts are often seen as a healthy product, there are
be er sources of calcium and probiotics – for example eating
fermented foods and taking a probiotic supplement. (See also
Lactose intolerance, here.)

DAIRY-FREE ALTERNATIVES TO BUTTER

Coconut butter
This is made from the flesh of the coconut meat, while the oil is
extracted. Although I prefer to mainly use coconut oil in my
cooking, coconut bu er, with its bu ery consistency as well as no
coconut flavour or aroma, is also useful.

Virgin coconut oil

Antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal, this amazing oil is unrefined
and unbleached and can help to control blood sugar levels. It is a
stable cooking oil, responding well to heat, and I use it in the
majority of my baking and raw desserts and bars. Its subtle coconut
flavour is not overpowering, indeed, it has a slight creamy
sweetness.

Extra virgin cold pressed (EVCP) rapeseed oil

With a high smoke point and velvety texture, this is the other oil I
use for most of my cooking. It has a distinct, light, nu y flavour, is
very versatile, adds depth, and is excellent in cakes, cookies, tea
breads and loaves. Avoid cheap rapeseed oils that go through harsh
extraction methods. Choose cold pressed oils from non-GM crops, as
most are in Britain, as they retain all of their golden yellow colour
and great flavour. EVCP rapeseed oil is rich in omega 3 and contains
omega 6 and 9, vitamin E and less saturated fat than olive oil.
Indeed, more and more chefs are making use of this tasty, heart-
healthy oil. If possible, choose local oil.

Nut butters and seed pastes

These are widely used in Clean Cakes, from almond, peanut, hazelnut
and cashew bu ers to pistachio paste and tahini, made from sesame
seeds. I use all of these to add their unique flavours to my products.
They can also replace bu er in biscuits (cookies), either alone or
combined with coconut oil, be combined with natural sweeteners to
make praline paste for use in cakes and ganaches, and add softness
to bakes.

Cold pressed flax seed oil

With its high omega 3 fa y acid content, cold pressed flax seed oil is
one of the best seed oils for cold use only.

Non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter

Food must deliver on flavour, and if I think my cakes taste be er
with dairy-free bu er rather than a plant-based oil, I will use it. Just
five times in Clean Cakes I use non-hydrogenated dairy-free
sunflower bu er. It is rich in omega 3 and I always choose brands
that are free from artificial colours and preservatives. If you prefer
dairy bu er, opt for organic from grass-fed cows, goats or sheep.

DOESN’T CHOCOLATE CONTAIN DAIRY?

Real chocolate, not heavily processed milk chocolate and white

chocolate (which actually contain hardly any or no cocoa solids at
all), should not contain any dairy. All that is necessary is the cocoa
bu er, cocoa mass and a source of sweetness. I opt for dark
(bi ersweet) chocolate that is above 75 per cent cocoa solids. See also
‘buying chocolate’ here, or make your own chocolate (see here).
Having a well-stocked Clean Cakes larder will guarantee you have all the
ingredients you need to hand for any of the recipes in this book.
1. Date syrup 10. Palmyra nectar powder
2. Coconut flour 11. Cashew nuts
3. Macadamia nuts 12. Teff flour
4. Almond bu er 13. Coconut sugar
5. Cashew bu er 14. Virgin coconut oil
6. Whipped coconut cream 15. EVCP rapeseed oil
7. Millet 16. Raw honey
8. Quinoa 17. Cinnamon stick
9. Short-grain brown rice 18. Vanilla pods (beans)
Sugar – the alternatives
Refined cane sugar is available in many forms. In baking we usually
turn to white caster (superfine) and granulated sugar plus icing
(confectioner’s) sugar. Brown sugars are regularly used too, with a
misconception that they are a ‘healthier’ alternative. All types add
sweetness to baked goods, complement and enhance other flavours,
as well as helping to create the right texture. But whether white,
brown or thick golden syrups, all types of refined sugarcane are
stripped of virtually all their vitamins, minerals and fibre. When
combined with other highly processed ‘empty’ ingredients in ready-
made manufactured ‘food’, it causes our blood sugar levels to shoot
up and crash down, leaving us feeling cranky, tired and with low
energy. When sugars are over-consumed and our bodies cannot use
them up, they are converted into fats that get stored around our
waists and organs, which can be severely detrimental to our health.
A lot of cane sugar production does not support sustainable farming
either. So, if it causes us such discomfort, why do we all crave it?
Packaged foods, ready-made sauces, low-fat ‘healthy’ alternatives
and convenient snacks are all packed full of sugar, whether obvious
or hidden. People have become so used to tasting sugar that they
constantly crave it and want to eat unnaturally over-sweetened
foods. If it is processed and not real food, it’s probably not good for
us, so let’s embrace the naturally occurring sugars in seasonal fruits,
vegetables and alternative unrefined sweeteners!

NATURAL SWEETENERS

Let’s face it, life would be sad without a birthday cake or a pudding
after Sunday lunch, but you can have your cake and eat it! I take
advantage of natural sweeteners for their extraordinary and unique
flavours and nutrient-richness. Combined with other wholefood
ingredients, abundant in protein, good fats and fibre, they provide
sustained energy and a proper satisfaction that comes with eating
real food.
I do take into account that although the natural sweeteners are
unprocessed, they are still forms of sugar, which can disrupt the
body’s balance, so should be used and eaten in moderation. I add
sweetness when necessary, I add less when I think I can. If you make
anything in Clean Cakes and it doesn’t satisfy your sweet preference,
add more or less sugar when you next make it, or add a drizzle of
honey, coconut nectar or maple syrup after baking. After all,
sweetness is a ma er of personal taste.
All these sugars have very different flavours and consistencies so I
would recommend sticking to the recipes for the best results. If you
want to try another sweetener, note that it may affect the overall
flavour and texture.

Honey substitute for vegans

Apart from honey, all of the natural sweeteners I have listed are
suitable for vegans. If you are a vegan, try replacing the honey with
your preferred plant-based liquid sweetener. In my opinion, coconut
nectar is the best replacement, but use what suits your tastes best.

CRYSTALLIZED NATURAL SWEETENERS

Coconut sugar/Coconut nectar sugar

Probably the natural sweetener I use the most as it creates the
lightest baked goods. Also known as coconut nectar, palm or
blossom sugar, and with no actual coconut flavour, it has a mellow
caramel-toffee flavour and colour that is well suited to most
ingredients. It can be used instead of caster (superfine) sugar,
substituting equal amounts of coconut sugar or reducing it and
combining it with other natural sweeteners like apple purée. It has a
low GI rating of 35 and is a natural source of trace nutrients like iron,
magnesium, potassium, zinc and amino acids. It is made from 100
per cent coconut blossom sap from the coconut palm tree, extracted
and sustainably produced using a time-honoured traditional
practice. Buy organic, unrefined, unfiltered, unbleached varieties
containing no additives or preservatives.

Palmyra nectar powder (SugaVida)

This is the most phenomenal superfood sweetener! Harvested from
the blossom of the Palmyra tree, it is grown sustainably in south-east
India. A unique alkaline sweetener that has a 5000-year heritage in
Ayurvedic medicine, Palmyra nectar powder has a low GI of 40 and
contains over 15 essential vitamins and minerals including
bioavailable B12, iron, potassium and magnesium. Dark in colour,
with a slightly rich caramel taste, it works best in recipes that call for
brown sugar. I like to use it with autumn fruits, spices and dark
(bi ersweet) chocolate. With its rich sweetness, you can use 30–50
per cent less than if using processed sugar. Buy organic and avoid
blocks of ‘jaggery’ sold in Indian food markets.

LIQUID NATURAL SWEETENERS

Raw honey
Choose local, unpasteurized honey that has not been heated over
45°C (113°F) (unlike most honeys on sale in supermarkets which
have been heat-treated and contain additives). Raw honey is
antibacterial, antifungal and a powerful antioxidant, retaining most
of its nutrients, such as vitamins B6 and C, and can help to reduce
inflammation. It has incredible depth of flavour, changing from hive
to hive. As with many of my natural sweeteners, a li le goes a long
way and honey is very sweet (it has a GI of 50). Thanks to its
relatively delicate flavour, it generally goes well with most
ingredients. I use it in some baked products, but to get the most out
of its rich nutrient content, I mainly use it raw, in creams and
desserts, or add a drizzle as a finishing touch.

Coconut nectar/Coconut nectar syrup

Like coconut sugar (see here), this is made from coconut blossom
sap, which has not been pollinated so is suitable for vegans. The sap
is evaporated over an open fire to concentrate its natural sweetness
and form a runny syrup, which is then cooled and bo led. There are
no other added ingredients in 100 per cent pure coconut nectar. It
has a more delicate and slightly fragrant flavour than coconut sugar.
It is slightly less sweet than honey so I use it to add subtle sweetness
to creams, baked goods and raw desserts. Colours vary from blonde
to dark, as with the sugar, so when using with lighter ingredients,
like coconut cream, opt for light (blonde) nectar if possible.

Maple syrup
Made from the concentrated sap of the Canadian maple tree, it
contains minerals such as iron, zinc, manganese and potassium and
has a GI rating of 54. Its deep burnt toffee-caramel flavour makes it
good for topping pancakes and porridge, but it is also great in baked
goods. It goes well with nu ier tasting flours like buckwheat, brown
rice and teff, root vegetables and spices. Avoid ‘maple flavoured
syrup’. I prefer to use the darker Grade B maple syrup as it has a
stronger flavour than Grade A, so you can use less.

Date syrup
Opt for organic and unsweetened varieties. See dates and date syrup
(here).
CLEVER SWEETENERS

Dates and date syrup

Sticky dates are great added to raw desserts or cereal bars, adding
sweetness and helping ingredients stick together. Whole dates and
date syrup have a strong treacly sweet flavour, which marries well
with dark (bi ersweet) chocolate, nuts, bananas and most gluten-
free flours.
Dates vary hugely in sweetness and texture so try to buy the best-
quality, really sweet and plump dates. If they are a li le dry, soak
them in warm water for 30 minutes to 1 hour until soft. Medjool
dates are the sweetest, softest and most plump dates you can buy,
which means they blend, process and bind well and create the
tastiest results.

Dried fruits
A great source of dietary fibre, dried fruits contain many nutrients,
vitamins and minerals. As well as dates, I use dried figs, apricots,
sour cherries, currants, raisins, blueberries, goji berries, white
mulberries and cranberries in Clean Cakes. When using them I take
into account their high sweetness levels, reducing the other
sweeteners I add. If the fruit is dry, soak in warm water or tea for
about 10 minutes. Buy unwaxed, unsweetened and unsulphured
varieties.

Fresh fruits
Fruits add a lot of their natural sweetness to cakes. Mashed bananas
are great added to muffins, and apple purée (see here) is especially
useful in my Clean Cakes. I often use it with another sweetener, such
as Palmyra nectar powder or maple syrup, and it creates the perfect
balance of sweetness. See also Veganism and egg replacements here.

Vegetables
Do not underestimate the power of sweet vegetables! Squash,
especially sweeter varieties, can be cooked and puréed and added to
bakes, with very li le other sweetness needed, as in my Baked
kabocha squash pie (see here). Similarly, pumpkin purée, carrots
and parsnips add sweetness to cakes and muffins.

SWEET FLAVOUR BOOSTERS

Spices
The flavour and nutritional potency of spices can sometimes be
overlooked but they can really make dishes come alive. Many have
intoxicatingly sweet aromas as well as being health-promoting, like
cinnamon and cardamom, ginger and nutmeg. Instead of using
sugar on porridge, try a blend of spices like fennel seed, cinnamon,
cardamom and cloves.

Vanilla
I use pure unsweetened vanilla extract and vanilla seeds, scraped
out of the vanilla pod (bean). Vanilla is a very versatile flavouring,
adding depth to other flavours or acting as a flavour on its own. Its
mellow richness enhances recipes that need a li le extra sweetness.
Pair it with almost everything from chocolate or rhubarb to lemon or
coconut. Don’t throw away empty vanilla pods (beans). Store them
in a jar then use to flavour baked fruits, smoothies or granola.
Gluten – the alternatives
Gluten is a protein found in many grains, the most common known being
wheat, but it is also in spelt, kamut, durum, rye and barley.

GLUTEN SENSITIVITY AND COELIAC DISEASE

We cannot ignore the number of people suffering from gluten

sensitivity nowadays. Indeed, possibly as many as one in ten are
sensitive to gluten. Gluten sensitivity or intolerance, where gluten
acts as an irritant to the digestive tract, can manifest itself in
digestive problems causing flatulence and bloating, but also
symptoms like acne, fatigue and depression. In the most extreme
cases, people suffer from a permanent intolerance to gluten, known
as coeliac disease, an autoimmune disease that causes inflammatory
damage to the small intestine, leading to vitamin and mineral
deficiencies and bowel problems.
It seems to me to be no coincidence that this prevalence in gluten
sensitivity and coeliac disease goes hand in hand with the
hybridization of wheat and many other gluten-containing cereal
crops today. No longer like the grains that our ancestors once ate,
many crops are being genetically modified, sprayed with large
amounts of chemicals to produce higher yields and becoming
stripped of nearly all of their nutritional content. With the huge
increase in gluten levels in modern wheat and the fact that we are
consuming more grains than ever, scientists are now linking today’s
intensive farming methods and our current eating habits with the
surge in gluten sensitivities and coeliac disease.
So, why do we rely on wheat, found in white bread, cereals and
shop-bought pastries and cookies, when there are numerous other
gloriously delicious nutrient-dense grains available today? It might
seem hard to approach baking with another ingredient when refined
white wheat flour is what we are used to, but I will show you that it
is not only easy, but also incredibly delicious and good for you to
cook with alternative and exciting gluten-free grains.

WHAT DOES GLUTEN DO?

Gluten comes from the Latin word meaning ‘glue’, and in bread,
cakes and pastry, that is exactly what it does. It binds ingredients
together, trapping in air to create elasticity in dough, helping breads
and cakes to keep their shape, light texture and structure. The sheer
strength of gluten is best illustrated when it has been overworked or
has not had time to rest, resulting in tough unappealing bread, a
heavy cake or chewy pastry.

COMBINING GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS AND STARCHES

If you don’t use gluten you might worry about your crumb being too
short, your tart case collapsing or your cake not being tender, but
don’t! The most important thing to remember in gluten-free baking
is that combining flours, often with starches, as opposed to using just
one gluten-free flour, is the key to creating the best possible textures.
Replacing wheat flour with exactly the same amount of brown rice
flour, for example, will give a heavy unappealing result. But,
combining brown rice flour with buckwheat flour and a li le
arrowroot starch will allow for a be er product. Combining flours
also adds variety and improved nutrient profiles, not to mention
great depth of flavour. I create different blends for all my products,
so use the combination of flours and starches in this book as a guide
to creating your own gluten-free flour blends.

GLUTEN-FREE STARCHES AND BAKING AIDS

We need to replace the ingredient-binding properties of gluten with

gluten-free starches such as arrowroot, cornflour (cornstarch) and
gram flour. These natural starches are used only in small amounts,
when necessary, to help ingredients bind, to lighten products and to
enhance their overall texture. You can leave them out if you prefer,
replacing them with the same quantities of the other flours in the
recipe, just be aware that the texture of your end product might be
altered.

Arrowroot, cornflour (cornstarch) and gram flour

I use arrowroot as the main binding starch in the vast majority of my
cakes as it is the most easily digestible starch. For some recipes, a
combination of flours (seen in almost all of my cakes) as well as a
combination of starches is necessary. In such cases, I combine
arrowroot with either cornflour (cornstarch), the white starch
isolated from the whole corn kernel, or gram flour, a rich yellow
flour made from skinned and finely milled chickpeas, which is a
staple in Indian cuisine. Gram flour is high in protein, which helps
ingredients to bind and rise, and is a useful egg substitute.

Baking powder and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

Both create a good rise and add lightness, while bicarbonate of soda
(baking soda) also helps to add a slight crisp crust in some bakes.
Use gluten-free varieties.

Xanthan gum and guar gum

I try to avoid using gums, but sometimes (in four recipes) a li le
extra help with binding is necessary. Only small amounts are needed
as they are very effective. They create a good rise in baked goods
and are therefore useful in vegan/egg-free baking. Use gluten-free
varieties.

WHOLEGRAIN GLUTEN-FREE FLOURS AND GRAIN-FREE

FLOURS

Flour plays many roles in baking, providing structure, texture and

flavour, as well as adding nutritional value. A huge variety of
gluten-free flours and grains are used in Clean Cakes, with each flour
providing its own characteristics. Please note that all the flours used
in the recipes are wholegrain gluten-free flours, containing all of
their goodness. All these flours contain high proportions of
important vitamins and minerals, fibre, protein, iron and complex
carbohydrates, which provide sustained energy.
Whether as flours, flakes or whole grains, they are all great
additions to any diet. I prefer not to use bought gluten-free flour
blends as they tend to be stripped of most of their nutritional
substance, and can contain additives and stabilizers. People who
prefer to avoid grains should opt for ground nuts, nut flours and
coconut flour. Also see pseudocereals (here).

Brown rice flour

This has a richer flavour than refined wheat flour thanks to the
healthy bran it contains, but it is still a relatively neutral-flavoured
flour, and is a good flour to experiment with when gluten-free
baking. It aids calcium absorption, is high in vitamin B and rich in
manganese. It combines well with buckwheat and teff flours and a
li le arrowroot. I also use brown rice flakes and wholegrain brown
rice.
Chestnut flour (grain free)
Milled from dried chestnuts, this has a rich, sweet and nu y flavour.
It has a fine texture so it needs less coarse flours, like rice, buckwheat
or sorghum, to lighten it. Chestnuts are chiefly made of starch, but
they are still good sources of minerals, vitamins, protein and fibre.

Coconut flour (grain free)

With the growing interest in grain-free diets, many people are
starting to bake with coconut flour. High in fibre (it contains more
than wheat bran), it is lower in carbohydrates than soya and nut
flours. Though expensive, a li le goes a long way as the flour
expands enormously when baked, increasing the yield of baked
goods by up to 50 per cent. It has a naturally creamy colour and
sweet flavour, with a very slight coconut taste, which goes well with
chocolate and vanilla.

Ground nuts (grain free)

Nuts are alkaline, high in beneficial monounsaturated fats and
contain vitamin E, magnesium and potassium. A good source of
plant-based protein, you will find whole and ground nuts in a lot of
my Clean Cakes as they add flavour, great texture and their slight
oiliness adds moisture and softness. To grind your own nuts, simply
process them in a blender until fine crumbs form, taking care not to
over blend and create too much of an oily flour.

Millet flour
A very soft flour, which imparts a slight sandy crunch and sweet
nu y flavour to baked goods. It is best combined with lighter flours
like brown rice and buckwheat. Ground from the small round
yellow seeds of a cereal grass, it is filling and easy to digest. I use
millet flakes in my cereal bars.

Oat flour
This wholesome flour is beautiful to bake with, imparting a soft light
texture to cakes and a crumbliness to biscuits (cookies). As well as
helping to lower levels of cholesterol and being beneficial for people
with diabetes, oats contain calcium, potassium and fa y acids. I also
use rolled oats and sprouted oats in Clean Cakes. Buy gluten-free
varieties.

Polenta (cornmeal)
Milled from dried corn kernels, polenta (cornmeal) has a rich yellow
colour and its characteristic coarse ‘nibbly’ texture combines well
with brown rice flour to add new dimensions to cakes and muffins.
It is a carbohydrate rich in vitamins A, B and E, polyunsaturated fat
and other fa y acids, and many minerals such as magnesium and
phosphorous. For best results in baking, choose fine ‘quick-cook’
polenta (cornmeal).

Sorghum flour
Also known as ‘sweet’ white sorghum flour, this is a staple food in
India and Africa. High in antioxidants, the starch and protein in
sorghum take longer than other similar products to digest, so it is
particularly helpful for those with diabetes. Sorghum is very
different to other wholegrain gluten-free flours, with a soft smooth
texture and mild taste, and works well in light sponge cakes.

Teff flour
Teff is a tiny grain from a type of grass, which we should use more
as it provides nine times more iron than wheat does and five times
more potassium and calcium than other cereal grains. It is a real
flavour and texture enhancer, with its mild sweet-molasses taste and
slightly coarse feel.
PSEUDOCEREALS: AMARANTH, BUCKWHEAT AND
QUINOA

Rather than being grains, these cereals are more like seeds, and
many people who find more commonly consumed grains like oats
hard to digest, can find that these seeds suit them be er. In their
wholegrain form, all can be enjoyed in savoury and sweet dishes
such as salads and porridge.

Amaranth
Amaranth was a staple in the Aztec, Mayan and Incan diets. High in
fibre, iron, protein and lysine with a great nu y and earthy flavour, I
use amaranth in its wholegrain form, rather than as a flour, because I
love the texture of the small pale seeds.
When heated with moisture, the starch in the grain is activated,
creating a gelatinous and viscous porridge-like mix, which is
delicious as it is, but also helps to bind ingredients in cakes, muffins
and breads, which is especially helpful in gluten-free baking.

Buckwheat
With its wholesome nu y flavour and distinct slightly grainy
texture, buckwheat flour is one of my favourite flours to bake with.
It comes from a seed related to the rhubarb, sorrel and knotweed
plants and combines well with brown rice flour and chestnut flour to
achieve the right crumb and flavour.
A complex carbohydrate containing protein, vitamin A, selenium
and rutin, a substance that protects the heart, buckwheat is
incredibly versatile. I also use buckwheat in its wholegrain form,
buckwheat groats, which add crunch to breads, muffins and raw tart
bases, and as buckwheat flakes, a bit like oats, in energy bars and
porridge.
Quinoa
Though I generally cook a lot with wholegrain quinoa, another
ancient staple of the Incas, I only use quinoa flour and quinoa flakes
in my Clean Cakes. The flour has a slightly grassy flavour which I
find works best in savoury bakes like bread. Arguably the most
nutritious grain, it has 60 per cent more protein than wheat and
barley, and is rich in minerals such as copper, iron and zinc.
Wholegrain quinoa is a great alternative to couscous and bulgar
wheat in everyday cooking served alongside dishes or added into
salads. It makes delicious porridge too.
VEGANISM AND EGG REPLACEMENTS

In Clean Cakes you will find many vegan recipes. As my recipes are
dairy-free, vegan just means that they are egg-free too and therefore
completely free from animal products. These recipes are also suitable
for those suffering from egg allergies.
Though eggs are very important in baking, adding rise, lightness,
moisture and binding ingredients, effective plant-based alternatives
do exist. Look out for recipes using chia seeds, milled flax seeds and
psyllium husk powder as the main binding agents instead of eggs.

Chia seeds and milled flax seeds

Both milled flax seeds and chia seeds have mucilaginous qualities,
meaning that they swell up in liquids, creating thick gelatinous
binding gels. This is particularly useful in vegan baking where egg
would normally help to stick ingredients together.
As a rough guide, 1 egg is the equivalent of 3 tbsp water or plant-
based milk mixed with 1 tbsp whole chia seeds or milled flax seeds.
Both seeds are extremely nutritious, high in essential fats, fibre and
protein. In my baking, I use milled flax seeds more than chia seeds
as I have found that they create the best texture and results.

Psyllium husk powder

This is made from the seeds of a native plant from India and
Pakistan. The seeds are hygroscopic, which allows them to expand
and become mucilaginous like chia seeds and milled flax seeds.
I use the powder in savoury vegan baking as it has quite a strong
flavour and dark colour. Its binding power not only helps to replace
the egg, but also the gluten, as the husk binds moisture and helps to
make products less crumbly. As a source of soluble dietary fibre, it
can be used to relieve constipation.
Apple purée
Adds sweetness and can help compensate for the moisture lost when
baking without eggs. See easy apple purée here.

Apple cider vinegar and bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

An effective combination in egg-free baking. See also here.

Gram flour, xanthan gum and guar gum

See here.
Flavour enhancers and superfoods
To our wonderful base ingredients, seasonal fruits and vegetables are added
to create the final products. The following ingredients then take things up a
notch, adding fabulous bursts of flavour and nutrients in bucketloads!

Cacao butter (theobroma oil)

Cacao bu er is the creamy fat part that is separated from the cacao
solids of the cacao bean and contains a variety of essential fa y
acids. Cocoa bu er used in commercial dark (bi ersweet) chocolate
is slightly processed cacao bu er.

Cacao
Cacao was not named the ‘Food of the Gods’ by the Mayans and
Aztecs for nothing! Cacao is packed full of health-promoting
compounds, is a rich source of antioxidants, and helps to eliminate
toxins from the body. It also contains iron, magnesium, vitamin C,
manganese, copper, fibre, omega 6 fa y acids and theobromine. I use
raw cacao in two forms in Clean Cakes.
Cacao nibs are the unprocessed, raw, crunchy pieces of the dried
raw cacao bean before it is ground. Cacao nibs are great ingredients,
or sprinkled on desserts for a final touch.
Cacao powder is made from dried ground cacao beans. It is a pure
product unlike cocoa powder, which is heat-refined and can contain
sweeteners, milk powders and other artificial additives.

Carob powder
Carob is higher in natural sugar and lower in fat than cacao. It has a
similar taste to chocolate, though it is sweeter with a malty flavour.
It is made from the dried pulp of the carob or locust bean. Rich in
phosphorous, calcium and vitamin E, carob also acts as an
antioxidant and can improve digestion.
Citrus fruits
Citrus fruits, especially the zest, are very useful additions to baking,
balancing out sweetness, adding freshness and complementing
flavours.

Eggs
Always buy free-range eggs, local and organic if possible. Key
baking ingredients, they are also incredibly nutritious wholefoods,
packed with protein, vitamins and omega 3 fats, as well as dietary
cholesterol, calcium and zinc.

Flowers and flower waters

I use these in a number of ways to add delicately sweet notes to
many of my cakes. Fresh petals and flowers add beautiful final
touches to cakes, as well as exciting flavours. When dried, they can
be ground and added to chocolate truffles or biscuit (cookie) dough.
For stronger concentrated floral flavours, I use rosewater and orange
blossom water, which add Middle Eastern scents to my cakes and
are lovely added to lightly cooked fruits in compotes.

Herbs
Herbs are full of vitamins and goodness and can really lift up and
complement the flavours in a cake or a biscuit (cookie), like in my
Courge e (zucchini), basil, lime and pistachio cake (see here).

Himalayan pink salt and coarse sea salt

Salt is so important as it makes flavours come alive. I use Himalayan
pink salt for its milder flavour and coarse sea salt when I feel my
recipes need that extra edge. Himalayan pink salt is one of the purest
forms of salt on earth, free from toxins and rich in vitamins and
minerals, as is sea salt.

Lucuma powder
Lucuma is a Peruvian fruit prized for both its flavour and nutritional
profile. It contains a range of vitamins and nutrients, especially beta
carotene, and is rich in dietary fibre. A great natural sweetener with
a delicate sweet, malty and slightly carrot-orange flavour, it perfectly
complements the flavours in cacao, maca and carob so I love adding
it to raw chocolate and hot cacao as well as cashew ‘yogurt’.

Maca powder
Maca powder is nutrient-dense and has a slightly stronger flavour
than lucuma, so don’t add too much! It is similarly malty and
caramel-sweet, but can become slightly bi er if over-used. Its light
toffee notes are great with cacao.

Nuts and seeds

Whether used whole, blended into milk, processed into bu er,
ground into flour or toasted and chopped, nuts and seeds are some
of the most flavoursome and nourishing ingredients in my Clean
Cakes. I recommend activating them, see here, to get maximum
nutritional benefits.

Teas
Containing powerful antioxidants and helping to protect against
heart disease, both black and green teas are used in Clean Cakes. A
simple blend of black tea is great for plumping up dried fruits,
adding a li le flavour too. I also like to pick specific teas for their
rich distinctive flavours like chai tea in my Extra fruity fruit loaf (see
here).
 Some ingredients in my larder. Top shelf left to right: amaranth, dried camomile
flowers, Medjool dates. Bo om shelf left to right: cinnamon sticks (top), white
mulberries (bo om), Incan berries (top), whole star anise (bo om), coconut
flakes.

Stocking your Clean Cakes larder

If your cupboards and freezer are properly stocked and organized, you
will be equipped to embrace wholefood natural cooking and you and your
family will reap the benefits.

Know your raw materials

There is no question that the be er the raw materials, the more
stunning the outcome. Quality goes hand in hand with knowing
where your food comes from and how it has been grown. Aim for
home-grown naturally farmed food whenever possible. When it
comes to fresh ingredients, always try to buy local and seasonal
or grow your own. If your fruits, vegetables and herbs have
travelled less, they are going to taste be er, contain their
maximum amount of nutrients and look more appealing, vibrant,
plump and fresh.
Choose organic when possible. Organic farming is sustainable
and therefore be er for the environment as well as your body.
Whenever possible I opt for fair trade products. Please do not see
local, natural and organic produce as ‘superior’, strange or
exclusive when it is be er for the earth, be er for you and, above
all, it is natural!
In particular, buy organic varieties of thin-skinned produce, like
apples and berries, where you will be eating the skin. Organic or
not, always wash fresh fruit and vegetables before use.
With flours, sweeteners, fats and oils, I buy local or organic so I
know they are free from chemical residues and genetic
modification.
In my recipes I use my homemade chocolate (see here), which is
80% cacao solids. If short on time or ingredients, you can use
bought dark (bi ersweet) chocolate. The ideal replacement for my
homemade chocolate is 85% dark (bi ersweet) chocolate as it is
the most widely available and has the best results in my recipes.
When you buy chocolate, check the ingredients: only cocoa beans
or mass, cocoa bu er and a li le cane sugar should be listed. Opt
for organic and fair trade bars when possible.
Practice mindfulness. Local, seasonal and unrefined foods are
more densely packed with flavour and goodness than mass-
produced foods and you will be sated more quickly. Mindful
eating encapsulates the whole process, not just the eating, but
your awareness of the raw ingredients, their careful preparation
and the final dish, which should be truly appreciated and, most
importantly, enjoyed!

Stocking up
Nuts, seeds, dried fruits, flours, grains and sweeteners are all
much cheaper if bought in bulk. With some research, shopping
wisely and my Stockists list here, you can buy the best-quality
produce without spending a fortune. Having a well-stocked
larder is a great investment, saving time and money, wasting less
and improving your health.
Make the most of the abundance of fruits and vegetables each
season and stock up your freezer. Make apple and other fruit
purées in the colder months, wash and prepare berries and other
fruits during the rest of the year and then freeze everything. With
a stocked freezer, you’ll be well equipped with ingredients for all
the recipes in this book. This will also save you money as buying
fresh produce out of season is expensive, not to mention
flavourless!

Storage
When storing ingredients, I prefer to use glass rather than plastic
containers, as plastic contains harmful chemicals such as BPA.
Empty jam (jelly) jars, bo les and clear glass containers in all
shapes and sizes are very useful for storage.
Flours and sweeteners Store flours in airtight glass jars in dry
cupboards or larders at room temperature. Store liquid
sweeteners in the bo les or containers that they are bought in.
Always be aware of use-by dates.

Nuts and seeds Stored as they are bought, or activated and dried
and stored in glass jars (see here), nuts and seeds should be kept
in the fridge.

Oils, fats and chocolate Store in cool places, away from heat and
sun. Chocolate, coconut oil and coconut bu er can be stored in
the fridge in ho er months. Nut and seed bu ers are best kept in
the fridge.

Spices, extracts and flower waters Store in airtight jars, in a cool

dry cupboard and be aware of use-by dates.

Vanilla pods (beans) Keep in an airtight container in a cool, dry

place away from heat or light, but do not refrigerate. Well-stored
vanilla will keep indefinitely, but still be aware of the use-by date.
Do not refrigerate.
Some ingredients in my larder. Top shelf left to right: cacao nibs (top), popcorn
kernels (bo om), bee pollen, goji berries, Himalayan pink salt, gluten-free oats,
buckwheat flakes. Bo om shelf left to right: hulled hemp seeds, dried chickpeas,
millet flakes.
Cook’s notes
Here are my most important points for approaching the recipes in this book.
Above all, please read each recipe through carefully before starting. When it
comes to baking, precision is key.

Oven
All recipes were tested in a convection fan-assisted oven. In general,
conventional ovens may need to be set at 10–20°C (25–50°F) ho er
(no more) than a convection oven, and the bake time could be
slightly longer. Cooking times and temperatures are a guide and
should be altered according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Always preheat the oven so it reaches the required temperature
before baking. Bake in the centre of the oven for evenness. Halfway
through baking, turn the product.

Measuring
Follow all measurements with maximum accuracy. Use scales,
preferably electronic, and proper measuring spoons. Unless
specified, all spoon measurements are level.

Citrus fruits
Always buy unwaxed varieties, preferably organic.

Dates/Medjool dates
All weights given are for pi ed dates (without the stones).

Eggs
All recipes use large eggs. Use eggs at room temperature.

Filtered water
When activating nuts, seeds, grains and pseudocereals or soaking
dried fruit, milled flax seeds or chia seeds, use filtered water if
possible.

Flours
All flours used are wholegrain.

Toasting nuts
Most of my recipes call for toasted nuts as toasting ‘tickles’ out the
flavour, making a real difference to the final product. If you prefer
your nuts raw, just skip this step. Different nuts vary in toasting
time, but I toast most for about 7 minutes.
Toast until the nuts are fragrant, warm to the touch and if you like
a toasted flavour, slightly goldening. Harder nuts like almonds and
hazelnuts particularly benefit from colour.

Equipment

Baking parchment – preferably unbleached.

Blender – as powerful as possible. Indispensable for making

ground nut flours, nut milks, sauces and raw cake fillings.

Chopping/cu ing boards – choose wooden rather than plastic.

Dehydrator – for drying activated nuts, seeds and buckwheat
groats, and for use in raw food ‘cooking’, such as making raw
crackers.

Food processor – invest in a good hard-wearing one. Perfect for

fine and coarse chopping, emulsions and grinding and binding
ingredients for raw tart bases and bars.

Freestanding or hand-held mixer – great for easy whisking and

mixing with whisk and paddle a achments.

Graters – microplane for finely grating citrus zests; box grater for
grating vegetables.

Hand-held/stick blender – useful for making smooth sauces,

creams and ganaches.

Kitchen scales – use digital/electric scales for accuracy.

Knives – have a set of sharp knives for chopping and a small

step-pale e knife (frosting spatula) for spreading out cake mix,
icings (frostings) and jams (jellies).
Nut milk bag – to filter the smooth nut milks used in Clean Cakes
recipes. Wash and dry after each use.

Pyrex, glass, ceramic or metal bowls and measuring jugs – use

these rather than plastic.

Saucepans – choose cast-iron or stainless steel saucepans (I like

heavy-bo omed ones), rather than synthetically coated non-stick
saucepans.

Selection of baking tins – see recipes for size details.

Spatulas – silicone spatulas for folding and scraping.

Teaspoon and tablespoon set (metric) – use for maximum

accuracy and consistency.
FOUNDATION RECIPES
From preparing your nuts, seeds, grains and pseudocereals to make the
most of their nutritive values, to making unctuous creams to accompany
your cakes; from homemade nut milks and bu ers to raw and cooked jams
(jellies), these recipes will prove to be invaluable.

Soaking and dehydrating

Soaking nuts, seeds, grains and pulses has many benefits for both
health and taste. Soaking (or activating) maximizes their flavour,
making them sweeter and less bi er, as well as unlocking nutrients
for easier absorption.
 Anti-nutrients, found in the hulls and outer skins of nuts, seeds,
grains and pulses in the form of phytates, or phytic acid, deplete our
body of nutrients as they bind with vital nutrients like calcium, iron
and zinc and lower their absorption. Soaking reduces the phytic
acid, unlocking these nutrients and increasing their availability to
the body, as well as neutralizing enzyme inhibitors, which interfere
with effective digestion and also deplete our body of nutrients.
Soaking therefore makes food much easier to digest and reduces the
chance of bloating. Adding a small amount of salt or acidic liquid
helps to further neutralize enzyme inhibitors and reduce phytic acid.
In raw recipes, for creams in cakes and ‘yogurts’, it is of utmost
importance to soak the nuts in the recipe to achieve the correct
smooth consistency. Once you’re in the swing of things, soaking will
become an easy habit.
A small amount of phytic acid is okay, so do not worry if you do
not have ‘activated dried’ nuts and seeds as regular nuts and seeds
will still work in cooked recipes and recipes for raw cake bases and
bars.

SOAKING

As a general guide, soak nuts, seeds, pseudocereals, grains or pulses

in about double the volume of water. For nuts and seeds, add about
1 tsp of salt per 500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup). For pseudocereals and
grains, add about 1 tsp of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar per 500
ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup).
Timings are a guide, but try not to exceed 12 hours’ soaking time
as you will wash away oils and nutrients.

250 g (8¾ oz) nuts, seeds, pseudocereals, grains or pulses

500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup) filtered water or extra to cover
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt or 1 tsp acidic liquid (see here)

In a glass or ceramic bowl, soak any of the above in the measured

water, salt or acidic liquid for the required time (see here). Drain and
rinse thoroughly in fresh filtered water, then follow the recipe
instructions. It is best to use soaked nuts and seeds immediately but
they can be stored in the fridge for a few days, dehydrated or frozen.

Soaking nuts and seeds

Almonds and hazelnuts are hard nuts and should be soaked for 8–12
hours or overnight. Walnuts, pistachio nuts and pecans are slightly
softer, so should be soaked for 6–8 hours. Cashew nuts are even
softer and should be soaked for 3–4 hours. Most agree that Brazil
nuts, macadamia nuts and pine nuts do not need soaking.
Pumpkin and sunflower seeds should be soaked for 8 hours. Flax,
sesame and poppy seeds should be soaked for 8 hours, but you will
need a very fine sieve for rinsing them. If you don’t have one, then
use them raw. I soak chia seeds and milled flax seeds (linseeds) but
do not drain them, using the gel formed to bind ingredients. Hulled
hemp seeds do not require soaking.

Soaking pseudocereals, grains and pulses

Amaranth, buckwheat and quinoa and grains such as millet and rice
are best soaked for 8–12 hours or overnight.
Pulses such as lentils, chickpeas and dried beans are best soaked
for 12 hours or overnight.

‘ACTIVATED DRIED’ NUTS, SEEDS AND GROATS

Some recipes call for ‘activated dried’ nuts, seeds or buckwheat
groats. This is for a crunchy texture and for shelf life. They will taste
less bi er and be easier to digest, too.
To dehydrate activated nuts, seeds and buckwheat groats, use a
dehydrator set at 45°C/113°F and dry for 12–48 hours, depending on
their size and the quantity. If you do not have a dehydrator, set your
oven to the lowest temperature and check the nuts or seeds every
few hours.
I dry harder and larger nuts like almonds and walnuts for up to 48
hours and smaller seeds and buckwheat groats for about 24 hours. I
recommend tasting them to test if they are ready. If they are crunchy
and dry, they are ready to be stored in the fridge in sealed glass jars.
Activated dried buckwheat groats can be stored in a sealed jar in a
larder or cupboard.
Basic Nut Butters
A lot of recipes for nut bu ers add extra oils, but I like my nut bu er
to be 100 per cent nuts! To achieve the right consistency without
using extra liquid, all you need is nuts, a food processor and, most
importantly, time. The small amount of heat from the motor of the
food processor helps the nuts to release their oils, grinding them
down into a thick nu y paste. It’s so satisfying to make and tastes so
delicious that you’ll never use a shop-bought version again.
In my cakes I mainly use cashew bu er, almond bu er and
hazelnut bu er. Cashew bu er is the most creamy with the most
neutral flavour, while almond and hazelnut bu ers not only add
texture to cakes, but great flavour too. I always keep the skins on the
almonds and hazelnuts as I like their flavour but you can remove
them if you prefer. Almond skins can be removed easily after
soaking, but hazelnuts need toasting to remove the skins.
When eaten alone, on tea loaves (see here) or drizzled over
porridge, feel free to mix in a li le natural liquid sweetener if you
want, but do try them without. The taste of the raw nuts, especially
when ‘activated dried’ (see here), is just fantastic as it is. I do not use
sweetened nut bu ers in my cakes, as sweeteners are added in the
recipes.
I recommend soaking (activating) and drying your nuts (see here)
when you make nut bu ers as they taste great and they’re be er for
you, too. But if you do not have time to make your own, then use
smooth, unsweetened versions, activated and organic when possible.

ALMOND, HAZELNUT AND CASHEW NUT BUTTERS

This method for making smooth nut bu er works for any nut, so have a go
with your favourite nut or try out different combinations of nuts.

Makes 350 g (12¼ oz/1⅓ cups) smooth nut bu er

350 g (12¼ oz/about 2½ cups depending on the type of nut) whole
hazelnuts, almonds or cashew nuts, preferably activated dried (see
here)
Pinch–¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt

Place the nuts in a food processor fi ed with a blade and process for
1 minute, gently shaking the machine now and again. Stop, scrape
down and process again. Soon, the nuts will start to climb up the
edges of the bowl. Continue to process, gently rocking the machine
every minute, scraping down when necessary.
After 5–15 minutes, depending on the type of nut, the mixer will
start to get a li le hot and the ground nuts will start to clump
together in balls as a paste forms. Add the salt and continue
processing. This is the time to persevere! Keep mixing until really
smooth and spreadable. Spoon into a glass jar and store in the fridge
for at least one month.
The process will take about 30–40 minutes for harder oilier nuts
like almonds, 20–30 minutes for hazelnuts and about 10–15 minutes
for softer nuts like cashew nuts.

TIPS FOR MAKING NUT BUTTERS (ALMOND BUTTER IS SHOWN)

1. It is imperative to use dried nuts, whether
‘activated dried’ (see here) or just from the
packet. If the nuts are wet the bu er will go
off quickly.
2. The whole nuts will soon begin to grind
down and the oils in the nuts will help the
nut paste to form. Toast the nuts first if you
prefer a toasted flavour.
3. Please note all food processors vary in
terms of strength and speed. Spoon out the
smooth nut bu er from the processor into a
glass jar.
Basic Nut Creams
When you start to make these delicious dairy-free nut creams you
will realize how amazingly versatile and useful they are either to go
with your Clean Cakes, or in your day-to-day cooking.

CASHEW CREAM
Cashew nuts are a really useful ingredient, especially for those who do not
eat dairy, as they can be whizzed up to make silky milks and creams. This
unctuous cashew cream is perfect served with any of my Clean Cakes, plus
it is the base of some icings (frostings), ‘yogurts’ and raw cakes. It is
delicious as it is, or you can adapt it by adding your preferred natural
sweetener or other flavourings such as vanilla. I also love to add it to
smoothies and stir it into granola, fresh fruit or porridge.
For a savoury twist, make a non-dairy soured cream by adding
nutritional yeast flakes or powder, lemon juice and salt to taste to the
cream. Then stir into soups or enjoy with tacos and chilli.

Makes about 380 g (13½ oz/1¾ cups)

200 g (7 oz/1½ cups) cashew nuts (about 260 g (9¼ oz) soaked
weight)
130 ml (4½ fl oz/generous ½ cup) almond milk (see here)

Soak the cashew nuts in 500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup) of filtered water
and 1 tsp of Himalayan pink salt for 3–4 hours. Drain and rinse
thoroughly.
Blend the nuts with the almond milk until completely smooth,
stopping the blender and scraping down the mix when necessary.
The end result must be totally smooth for use in all recipes.
The cream will keep in the fridge for at least four days in a sealed
glass jar.

WHIPPED COCONUT CREAM

Serve this dreamily light cream with cakes, fresh fruit or sorbets, or to top
warm pancakes and waffles. If you want to make it a li le sweeter, add a
small amount of clear raw honey or blonde coconut nectar. With their
strong and distinctive flavours, date and maple syrup aren’t recommended.
Vanilla seeds are a perfect addition to this whipped cream, as in my Coconut
rose cake here.

Makes about 240 g (8½ oz/1¼ cups) whipped coconut cream

1 x 400 ml (14 fl oz) can of coconut milk

Place the unopened can of coconut milk in the fridge overnight. The
next day, open the tin and scrape off the thicker part of the milk,
which will have set overnight. You should get about 240 g (8½ oz) of
cream. Pour the remaining thinner milk into a glass jar and reserve
for later.
Whisk the cream by hand or using a freestanding mixer until soft
smooth peaks form, which won’t take long.
Once whipped, use immediately or refrigerate. The cream will
thicken slightly if kept in the fridge, so stir gently or whip up lightly
before use if necessary. You can also add some of the reserved
thinner milk to loosen it if you want.
This cream will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for about
four to five days. The rest of the reserved coconut milk can be used
in smoothies or porridge.

VARIATION
Whipped vanilla coconut cream
To the above whipped coconut cream, add the seeds from a quarter
to half a vanilla pod (bean) – according to your preference and the
size of the pod (bean) – and your preferred clear liquid sweetener, to
taste, if desired. This goes particularly well with my Chocolate and
hazelnut torte with honey praline ganache (see here), Hot chocolate
chestnut cakes with choco-malt sauce (see here), Raspberry and rose
tartlets with pistachio frangipane (see here) and Baked kabocha
squash pie (see here).
Basic Nut Milks
Commercially produced nut milks often contain thickeners and
added sweeteners, so I recommend making your own nut milks as
not only will they taste be er, but you know exactly what is in them.
Shop-bought nut milks will work in my recipes, but homemade nut
milk’s perfect consistency and flavoursome creaminess does make a
difference.
If you do not have time to make your own nut milks, homemade
almond or cashew milk can be replaced with the shop-bought
versions or other neutral-flavoured plant milks such as brown rice or
oat milk. Try to source a shop-bought hazelnut milk to replace
homemade hazelnut milk, as its distinctive flavour is important in
the recipes it’s used in. Make sure you select good-quality plant
milks, free from additives and sweeteners. See Stockists here.
When making nut milks, a blender works best and gives the best
yield. However, you can use a food processor – process the nuts
until as small as possible – you will just get a bit less milk and a
slightly lumpier pulp. I prefer to strain almond and hazelnut milks
so they are smooth, especially for use in my recipes, otherwise you
need to compensate for the extra fibre with extra ingredients and
flavourings.
If you want a sweeter nut milk, for example to go with granola or
porridge, then add your preferred natural sweetener to taste once
you have blended the nuts. However, I do not add sweeteners to nut
milks used in the recipes in Clean Cakes, as sweeteners will be added
later. If you want a thinner consistency, for example for using in
smoothies, then simply add more water to the milk.
ALMOND, HAZELNUT, PISTACHIO AND CASHEW NUT
MILKS

I use almond milk in most of my recipes as it is rich and creamy with a

subtle flavour, making the perfect canvas onto which other flavours can be
carefully and successfully layered. It has wonderful health-boosting
properties as it is one of the most beneficial alkaline foods, is high in protein
and calcium and contains zinc, vitamin E and essential nutrients for the
skin. Cashew milk is a great replacement for almond milk, while hazelnut
milk has a slightly stronger flavour. This nut milk recipe can be adapted for
most kinds of nuts so play around to find your favourite.

Makes 700 ml (24 fl oz/3 cups) almond or hazelnut milk and 200 g (7
oz/compact 1⅛ cups) nut milk pulp
Makes 900 ml (31 fl oz/scant 4 cups) pistachio or cashew milk
200 g (7 oz/about 1½ cups depending on the type of nut) almonds,
hazelnuts, cashew or pistachio nuts
600 ml (21 fl oz/2½ cups) filtered water
Pinch–½ tsp Himalayan pink salt

Soak (activate) the almonds or hazelnuts for 8–12 hours (or

overnight), the pistachio nuts for 6–8 hours or the cashew nuts for 3–
4 hours in 500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cups) of filtered water with 1 tsp of
Himalayan pink salt.
Drain and thoroughly rinse the nuts in a colander or sieve under
running water. Place them in a blender with the measured water and
your preferred quantity of salt. Blend for about 20 seconds. Stop and
repeat until the nuts are well ground and you have a creamy white
milk. The pistachio and cashew milks do not need straining.
 Fit a nut milk bag or a fine sieve fi ed with muslin over a bowl or a
jug and pour the almond or hazelnut milk through it. Rinse out the
pulp in the blender with 50 ml (1¾ fl oz/scant ¼ cup) of filtered
water and add it to the milk. Squeeze the milk through the nut bag
until just the pulp remains. You will be left with about 200 g (7 oz/1⅛
cups) of pulp. Do not throw this away as it can be dehydrated (see
here) and stored in glass jars or used wet as it is in my Waste not,
want not multi-seed quinoa bread (see here) or Raw herby hemp
seed crackers (see here).
The nut milks will keep well in the fridge in an airtight glass bo le
for about four to five days. If you want to make half a batch then just
halve the quantities given above.

CREAMY SWEET CASHEW MILK

A smooth and indulgent nut milk, I use this to add creaminess to my

recipes and when I need something thicker than my regular nut milk. In
raw desserts it makes a great alternative to coconut milk and is delicious
warmed up with cacao and a li le chilli, cinnamon and cardamom for an
extra thick hot chocolate.

Makes 280 ml (9½ fl oz/1¼ cups)

70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) cashew nuts
200 ml (7 fl oz/generous ¾ cup) filtered water
½ tbsp date syrup
Pinch of Himalayan pink salt

Soak the cashew nuts for 3–4 hours in 200 ml (7 fl oz/generous ¾

cup) of filtered water and scant ½ tsp of Himalayan pink salt. Drain
and thoroughly rinse the nuts in a sieve or colander under running
water. Blend the nuts with the rest of the ingredients in a blender
until completely smooth. No straining is required. Store as for nut
milks.
Basic Pastry
Great pastry should be light, crumbly and a li le crunchy – and
believe me, this can certainly be achieved without using dairy bu er!
There’s no need to worry about chewy overworked pastry any more
as the crumb made with gluten-free flour, here a combination of
buckwheat flour and ground almonds (almond meal), is perfect, the
fat from the coconut oil adding the final necessary flakiness. As you
will be filling this pastry with sweet fresh fruits, nuts and chocolate,
you don’t need too much sweetness in the base.
The number of times I use this pastry as a base in Chapter 4,
Gorgeous tarts and scrumptious pies, just proves how great it is. So,
after making it a few times, following my recipes, why not have a go
at thinking up your own tasty fillings. Or try replacing the ground
almonds (almond meal) with other ground nuts, as I do in my Pear,
chocolate and hazelnut tart with cacao pastry crust (see here); a
pecan crust with an apple and blackberry filling; a pistachio crust
with a raspberry jam (jelly) (see here) and dark (bi ersweet)
chocolate ganache (see here) filling; the possibilities are endless.
For savoury ideas see my Tomato and pepper pissaladière here
and my Roasted root vegetable tarts here.
After lining your tart shells any leftover pastry can be baked off as
biscuits (cookies) or frozen.

Makes 550 g (1 lb 3 oz) pastry, enough to line two 23 cm (9 inch)

round tart tins
150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) buckwheat flour
150 g (5¼ oz/1¼ cups) ground almonds (almond meal)
60 g (2 oz/½ cup) coconut sugar
20 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) arrowroot
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
70 ml (2½ fl oz/¼ cup plus 2 tsp) cool water

I use a freestanding mixer with a paddle a achment to make this

pastry, but you can use a mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or
spatula if preferred.

MAKING THE PASTRY

1. Grease your tins with coconut oil. 2. Melt the coconut oil and gradually pour
Combine all the dry ingredients, including it into the dry ingredients, followed by the
the lemon zest. A whisk is good for this as water, mixing until everything is well
it gets rid of any lumps. combined. At this point the dough can be
wrapped in baking parchment and then
cling film (plastic wrap) and frozen for up
to one month or kept in the fridge for
about five days.

LINING YOUR TART TIN

3. Divide the dough in two. On lightly 4. Remove the pastry from the fridge, take
floured baking parchment, fla en the off the top layer of parchment, then flip the
dough with your hands to a round shape, pastry over onto the tin, peeling off the
about 1 cm (⅓ inch) thick. Lightly flour the second layer of parchment. Press the
pastry, cover with baking parchment and dough gently into the tin. Fix any holes,
roll out evenly with a rolling pin to 3 mm making sure there are no gaps. The lined
(⅛ inch) thick. Repeat with the rest of the tins will keep in the fridge for up to five
dough. Refrigerate on a flat tray for 10 days or you can freeze them for at least a
minutes. month.

BLIND BAKING
5. ‘Blind baking’ is the process of partly or 6. Remove the baking beans or rice and
fully baking a pastry shell before it is baking parchment, bake for about 10
filled. To do this, after lining the prepared minutes longer or until a light golden
tin with the pastry, place a layer of baking colour, then continue as instructed in the
parchment over the chilled pastry. Fill the recipe.
pastry with baking beans or dried rice and
bake at 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 according
to the recipe’s timings.
Jams (Jellies) and Apple Purée
No more slaving away over a hot stove! Natural sweeteners make these
fresh-flavoured jams (jellies) and apple purée.

QUICK-COOK RASPBERRY JAM (JELLY)

The recipe for my Quick-blend raw raspberry chia jam (jelly) (see
here) is great for a quick and easy jam (jelly), but sometimes a
sweeter, more traditional version is necessary. This is so full of
flavour only small amounts are needed. Perfectly tart and sweet at
the same time, it adds the ideal fruity oomph to my Dark
(bi ersweet) chocolate dipped peanut bu er and jelly dreams (see
here).

Makes about 200 g (7 oz/¾ cup)

200 g (7 oz/1½ cups) raspberries, fresh or frozen
100 g (3½ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) no-added-sugar grape concentrate
50 g (1¾ oz/2 tbsp) date syrup

Warm a small–medium sterilized jam (jelly) jar (holding 200 ml (7 fl

oz/¾ cup) in an oven no ho er than 100°C/210°F/Gas Mark ¼. Put a
saucer or small plate in the fridge.
Place all the ingredients in a small–medium saucepan and bring to
the boil. Boil for about 3 minutes, then turn down to a low simmer
for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. By this point, a lot of
the liquid will have evaporated. Stir continuously for about 5 more
minutes, being careful not to let it catch on the pan. By now you
should have a perfectly thick and sticky jam (jelly), but still slightly
runny. If it is overcooked, it will set too hard.
To check it is ready, place a teaspoon of the jam (jelly) on the
chilled saucer and return to the fridge for a few minutes. It is ready
when the cooled tester has formed a slight skin, which will wrinkle
when pushed. If the jam (jelly) isn’t ready, cook for a few more
minutes and test again.
Pour into the warmed sterilized jar, cover with a circle of wax
paper (or baking parchment), and seal with a lid. Lasts up to three
months in the fridge.
QUICK-BLEND RAW RASPBERRY CHIA JAM (JELLY)

This is a really useful recipe for an instant jam (jelly) fix and works
well in raw desserts and mixed with my ‘yogurts’. It has a
wonderfully fresh flavour, with the dates helping to thicken and add
sweetness while the chia seeds provide extra binding. This jam (jelly)
works particularly well with raspberries, strawberries or plums. Try
making it with your favourite fruit, considering tartness and
sweetness, and add more dates or lemon juice if necessary.

Makes about 300 g (10½ oz/1¼ cups)

100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) pi ed Medjool dates, finely chopped
200 g (7 oz/1½ cups) raspberries, preferably fresh but you can use
just defrosted frozen
½ tbsp chia seeds
½ tsp lemon juice, optional
Blend the dates and 150 g (5¼ oz/1⅛ cup) of raspberries until
smooth, using a hand-held or freestanding blender. Stop the blender
and scrape down a few times if necessary. Remove from the blender
and add the rest of the raspberries, crushing them with a fork, to add
texture. Then add the chia seeds. Leave to thicken, stirring
occasionally, for 15 minutes. Taste and add lemon juice if desired.
Will keep in an airtight glass jar in the fridge for about five days.

NOTES
If you don’t have Medjool dates, use sweet pi ed dates; if dry, soak in warm
water for 30 minutes, then finely chop.
If you want to halve this recipe, make it by hand as the quantity will not be
large enough to hit the blender blades. Chop the dates (the softer, the be er)
and make into a smooth paste with the back of a knife, then add the fruit and
chia seeds last.

EASY APPLE PURÉE

Quick and extremely simple to make – no peeling or coring is required – the

end product is a great addition to a Clean Cakes kitchen. Apple purée not
only adds a natural low-GI fibre-full sweetener to your cakes, it also adds
moisture and helps create a wonderfully soft texture. Any well-flavoured
sweet apples will work, but cooking times vary with different apples, so keep
an eye on them. Decrease or increase the amount as you wish.

Makes about 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz/4 cups)

12 apples (each 120–140 g/4¼–5 oz), I like Cox’s

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Wash and dry the

apples then cut into quarters. Place on a baking tray and bake until
soft, about 20–30 minutes. Leave to cool and do not discard the
liquids. In a blender, blend the cooked apples and juices until a
smooth, sweet, thick purée.
Either use immediately, keep in the fridge for up to five days or
freeze in batches in glass jars.
 All the cakes

Courge e (zucchini), basil, lime and pistachio cake with

avocado lime cream and raspberry jam (jelly)

This cake sings with fresh summer flavours. The courge e (zucchini) keeps
the sponge layers wonderfully soft as they ooze with the refreshingly light
lime cream and sharp raspberry jam (jelly). I love to finish it with edible
flowers from my garden. It makes a show-stopping birthday cake, too.
Serves 12

Courge e (zucchini) cake

90 g (3 oz/⅔ cup) pistachio nuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 60 g (2 oz/½ cup)
coconut flour
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
180 g (6¼ oz) courgettes (zucchini), grated
150 g (5¼ oz/scant ⅔ cup) natural coconut yogurt
150 g (5¼ oz/scant 1¼ cups) coconut sugar
3 eggs
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Finely grated zest of 3 limes
15 g (½ oz/½ cup) basil leaves, finely chopped, plus about 4 extra leaves for scattering over
the lime cream 60 g (2 oz/generous ¼ cup) coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing

Avocado lime cream

200 g (7 oz) avocado flesh (about 1 large avocado)
250 g (8¾ oz/1 cup) natural coconut yogurt
100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) blonde coconut nectar
Finely grated zest of 1½ limes
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) lime juice
80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut oil, melted

To finish
170 g (6 oz/scant ¾ cup) quick-cook raspberry jam (jelly) (see here) or no added sugar high
fruit content raspberry jam (jelly) Small handful chopped pistachio nuts
Edible flowers such as honeysuckle or rose

Make the avocado lime cream first as it needs time to firm up in the
fridge. Blend the avocado, coconut yogurt, coconut nectar, lime zest
and juice in a blender until smooth. Add the coconut oil and blend
until completely smooth. Place in a bowl and cover the surface of the
cream completely with cling film (plastic wrap) so it does not oxidize
and lose its colour. Chill in the fridge for 2–3 hours to firm up.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line the
base of three 23 cm (9 inch) loose-bo omed or springform cake tins
with coconut oil and baking parchment. Line a small baking tray
with baking parchment.
Spread the pistachio nuts out on the lined baking tray and toast for
5–7 minutes until just ge ing colour. Leave to cool then roughly
chop into small pieces.
Sieve together the coconut flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of
soda (baking soda) into a bowl. In a large bowl, mix together the rest
of the sponge ingredients except for the oil. Add in the sieved flour
mix and chopped nuts, then finally stir in the oil. Divide the mix
equally between the three tins (about 300 g (10½ oz) per tin). Spread
the mix with a pale e knife (frosting spatula) or small knife to make
a thin layer.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tins and bake for another 10 minutes
until the top is dark golden brown and bounces back slightly when
pressed. Leave to cool, remove from the tins and carefully peel off
the baking parchment from the bo om of each sponge.
To assemble, spread the bo om layer of the sponge with half the jam
(jelly) and about a quarter of the avocado lime cream. Tear the basil
leaves into small pieces and sca er half over the lime cream. Top
with the middle layer of sponge and repeat the process with the jam
(jelly), cream and basil. Carefully place on the final layer of sponge
and top with the remaining cream, spreading it over the top of the
cake and around the edges. Decorate with chopped pistachio nuts
and edible flowers.
This cake will keep in the fridge for up to three days but it is best
eaten fresh when all the flavours and colours are at their most
vibrant.
VARIATION
Lime mousse
Serve the Avocado lime cream in small glasses or cups, topped with
shavings of fresh coconut, to make a light and fresh end to a meal.
Chocolate and hazelnut torte with honey
praline ganache

A chocoholic’s delight! Instead of using shop-bought praline or chocolate

and hazelnut spread, both packed with refined sugar, I make my own
praline paste using nut bu ers and natural sweeteners. It adds a really pure
nu y flavour and texture to this rich and decadent cake without making it
sickly sweet.
Serves 10–12

Praline paste
90 g (3 oz/generous ⅓ cup) hazelnut butter (see here) 90 g (3 oz/generous ⅓ cup) almond
butter (see here) 20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw honey
20 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp) Palmyra nectar powder
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt

Chocolate and hazelnut torte

160 g (5½ oz/1⅛ cup) hazelnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 100 g (3½ oz)
homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa solids 100 g
(3½ oz/½ cup) coconut oil
100 g (3½ oz/⅓ cup) praline paste (see here) 3 eggs, separated
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) Palmyra nectar powder

Honey praline ganache

90 g (3 oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids 120 g (4¼ oz) (the rest of the) praline paste (see here) 100 ml (3½ fl oz/⅓ cup plus
1 tbsp) hazelnut milk (see here) 35 g (1¼ oz/scant 2 tbsp) raw honey

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line the

bo om of a 23 cm (9 inch) springform cake tin with coconut oil.
To make the homemade praline paste, mix everything together well
and set aside.
To make the torte, line a baking tray and toast the hazelnuts for
about 7 minutes. Set aside 60 g (2 oz/scant ½ cup) of the hazelnuts
for the topping. Remove the skins from the remaining hazelnuts and
bli in a food processor until as fine as possible.
Slowly melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (see here) then add the
coconut oil. When everything has melted, remove from the heat and
add the measured praline paste. Stir to combine. Add the ground
nuts, egg yolks, half the salt and the vanilla extract to the chocolate
mix.
Whip the egg whites with the remaining salt until fully whipped and
firm, add the Palmyra nectar powder and whip a li le more to
combine. You should have soft caramel-coloured peaks. Very gently
fold the egg whites into the chocolate mix, about a third at a time.
Mix until just combined and do not overmix – it should look like a
light chocolate mousse.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 10 minutes, rotate and bake
for another 5 minutes. A skewer inserted in the centre should come
out clean, the top should be light but firm to touch, and you should
hear air bubbles popping when you touch it. Leave to cool in the tin
then demould.
To make the ganache, melt the chocolate over a bain-marie (see
here). Take off the heat and stir in the praline paste. In a small
saucepan, warm the hazelnut milk with the honey. When it is warm
and the honey has dissolved, gradually pour it over the chocolate,
stirring continuously until a thick and glossy emulsion forms. Cover
the surface with baking parchment and leave in a cool place for
about 1 hour until the cake has completely cooled and the ganache
has thickened. Stir the ganache lightly and spread it over the cooled
cake using a pale e knife (frosting spatula). For a firmer set ganache,
just leave it for a li le longer. Chop the remaining hazelnuts in half,
sca er them over the ganache and serve.
This torte is lovely with whipped vanilla coconut cream (see here)
and keeps for up to five days in the fridge. It freezes well too, with
the ganache on top!
Clementine and pomegranate jewel cake

Make this stunning cake during the winter months when clementines are at
their sweetest and best. It is a light and fresh alternative to the heavier food
around at this time of year. When serving this cake, I like to cut open an
extra pomegranate for its seeds, so that each slice is served with a generous
amount of pomegranate ‘jewels’.
Serves 8–10

Clementine cake
450 g (1 lb) clementines (about 5)
4 eggs
150 g (5¼ oz/scant 1¼ cups) coconut sugar
225 g (8 oz/2 cups) ground almonds (almond meal)
1 tsp baking powder

Pomegranate jewel syrup

120 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) 100% pomegranate juice, not from concentrate
30 g (1 oz/1½ tbsp) raw honey
1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 large pomegranate, about 450 g (1 lb), plus extra seeds for serving

Cook the clementines by placing them in a lidded saucepan with

cold water to cover. Bring to the boil, turn down to a low heat and
simmer for 2 hours, topping up the water when necessary, until the
fruit is soft and a skewer pierces it easily. Drain and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease the bo om and
sides of a 23 cm (9 inch) springform ‘crown’ cake tin. Line the base
with baking parchment.
Cut the cooled clementines in half, remove any pips and then bli
the whole fruits, including the skin, in a food processor until a
smooth pulp forms.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together, then mix in the ground almonds
(almond meal) and baking powder with a wooden spoon or spatula.
Then add the clementine pulp to the rest of the ingredients, folding
lightly in until well combined.
Pour into the tin and bake for 20 minutes, rotate the tin and bake for
a further 20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the
cake comes out clean. If the top is looking a bit too brown, reduce the
temperature to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for the last 10 minutes of
baking. Remove from the oven and leave to cool completely in the
tin.
To make the pomegranate jewel syrup, in a saucepan bring the
pomegranate juice, honey and pomegranate molasses to a boil, turn
down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat then
break open the pomegranate over the saucepan, le ing the seeds and
juices fall into the syrup. Stir well.
When the cake has cooled, remove it from the tin and transfer to a
serving plate. Pour over the syrup and seeds, le ing them fall into
the middle of the cake, then slice and serve with extra pomegranate
seeds. Keeps for up to five days in a sealed container, preferably in
the fridge. It freezes well too.

NOTES
If you don’t have a springform ‘crown’ cake tin you can make this in any
20–23 cm (8–9 inch) regular round springform cake tin.
Pomegranate molasses is made from the concentrated juice of pomegranates
and has a brown-red hue. It is packed with vitamins, minerals and
antioxidants and has a tangy and slightly bi er flavour. Mixed with a li le
honey it makes a sweet and fruity glaze or syrup for cakes as shown here,
especially complementing citrus.
Pumpkin, carrot and walnut cake with
cashew orange ‘frosting’

This is similar to a carrot cake, but so much be er! With its spices and
distinctive deep flavours of the teff flour, Palmyra nectar and the nu y cold
pressed rapeseed oil, it’s a delightfully warming cake. The pumpkin purée
keeps it scrumptiously soft while studded with lightly toasted crunchy
walnuts and juicy sultanas (seedless golden raisins).
Serves 8–12

Pumpkin cake
90 g (3 oz/generous ¾ cup) walnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 70 g (2½ oz/½
cup) teff flour
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) brown rice flour
15 g (½ oz/2 tbsp) arrowroot
¾ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1½ tsp mixed spice
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
120 g (4¼ oz/generous ¾ cup) Palmyra nectar powder
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing
210 g (7½ oz/scant 1 cup) good-quality tinned pumpkin purée (or homemade)
60 g (2 oz/⅔ cup) grated carrot
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs

Cashew orange ‘frosting’

1 x recipe cashew cream (see here) 80 g (2¾ oz/¼ cup) clear raw honey
¼ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
Finely grated zest and 4 tsp juice of ½ lemon
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
140 g (5 oz/⅔ cup) coconut oil, melted

To decorate
Edible flowers, such as fresh and dried marigolds

Make the frosting first as it needs time in the fridge to firm up. To
make the frosting, combine all the ingredients except the coconut oil
in a blender, finishing by blending in the oil. Blend until totally
smooth, cover the surface completely with cling film (plastic wrap)
and refrigerate for about 8 hours or ideally overnight to thicken.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. On a baking tray,
lightly toast the walnuts for 5–8 minutes, until just beginning to
colour, leave to cool then chop into small pea-sized pieces. Grease an
18–20 cm (7–8 inch) loose-bo omed cake tin with rapeseed oil and
line the base with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, mix together the walnuts with all the dry ingredients
from the teff flour to the sultanas (seedless golden raisins). In
another bowl, mix together the oil, pumpkin purée, grated carrot,
orange zest and eggs. Make a well in the centre of the dry
ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients, folding them in until
combined.
Pour the mix into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes,
rotating halfway through baking, or until a skewer inserted in the
centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin and then demould.
When cool, cut in half and fill with half the cashew orange ‘frosting’,
spreading the remainder on top. If your frosting is a li le too runny
and needs to be firmer, give it a blast in the freezer for about 10
minutes. Decorate with fresh flowers, if you wish.
This keeps well for up to five days in the fridge. It freezes well too,
without the frosting.

NOTES
You can also make muffins with the cake mix. Just divide the mix between
eight muffin cases and bake at 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 15–20 minutes,
turning halfway, until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes
out clean. Top with the frosting, or they’re delicious without.
Pecans work well instead of walnuts in this cake.
Pear, honey and walnut upside-down
cake

Nourishing teff and brown rice flours with Palmyra nectar prove yet again
to be a winning combination in this cake, brimming with goodness and
scrumptiousness. Fragrant local honey and sweet pear juices seep into the
light walnut sponge, making it satisfyingly soft. This is one of my favourite
autumn-winter bakes.
Serves 10–12

70 g (2½ oz/⅔ cup) walnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 180 g (6¼ oz/generous
½ cup) raw honey
4–5 medium to large pears (about 800 g (1 lb 12 oz))
120 g (4¼ oz/generous ½ cup) non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter, plus extra for greasing
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) Palmyra nectar powder
80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) easy apple purée (see here) ½ tsp vanilla extract
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) brown rice flour
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) teff flour
20 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) arrowroot
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp xanthan gum
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 23 cm (9 inch)

springform cake tin with bu er and line the bo om with baking
parchment; make the circle of parchment on the bo om of the tin
come up the edges of the tin by 2 cm (¾ inch) to stop the juices and
honey seeping out.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment. Spread the walnuts out
on the lined baking tray and lightly toast for 5–8 minutes until just
beginning to colour. Leave to cool and then chop finely to very small
pieces.
Spoon the honey evenly into the base of the tin. Peel, quarter, core
and slice the pears to 1 cm (⅓ inch) thick slices (you should have
about 450–500 g (1lb–1 lb 2 oz) of slices). Arrange the slices in the tin
in a circle like rays of sun, overlapping them, starting from the centre
then working out.
Using a handheld whisk or freestanding mixer, whisk the bu er,
Palmyra nectar powder, apple purée and vanilla extract until soft,
smooth and light caramel in colour. Combine the flours, arrowroot,
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), xanthan gum and
salt. If using a mixer, change the whisk to a paddle, and add the dry
ingredients to the bu er mixture, alternating with the eggs; or mix in
by hand. Finally add the chopped walnuts and mix until just
combined. Pour the mix over the sliced pears, smooth it out if
necessary, and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the tin and bake for a
further 10–15 minutes, until the top is dark golden brown and a
skewer inserted in the centre of the sponge comes out clean.
Leave to cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes, then remove from
the tin (it is easier to remove while still warm) and invert onto a
plate. Serve warm with a cup of tea, or it makes a divine pudding
with vanilla cashew ‘yogurt’ (see here) or vanilla ice cream. Keeps
well for at least three days in a sealed container.

VARIATIONS
Quince, honey and walnut upside-down cake
Follow the recipe above, replacing the pears with 3 medium quinces,
peeled, cored and quartered and cut into ½ cm (⅕ inch) slices.
Spiced pineapple upside-down cake
Follow the recipe above, replacing the pears with about three-
quarters of a pineapple and the walnuts with the same amount of
pecan nuts. Add 5 g (⅕ oz/1 tbsp) finely chopped fresh ginger and
half a finely chopped small red chilli to the honey in the base of the
tin. Peel the pineapple and slice into six 1.5 cm (½ inch) rings,
removing the hard centres. Add 10 g (⅓ oz/2 tbsp) more finely
chopped ginger and the finely grated zest of 1 lime to the cake mix.
Cover the honey, ginger and chilli mixture with the pineapple, top
with the ginger and lime cake mix and bake as above.
Blackberry and apple cinnamon crumble
cake

I love slicing this cake in front of friends, each piece revealing the white
apple slices dyed by the purple blackberry juices, listening to the satisfied
‘oohs’ and ‘aahs’ as people delve into the three layers of crunchy crumble
topping, sweet fruit and deliciously gooey cake. It is warming, comforting,
autumnal wholefood at its best.
Serves 8–10

120 g (4¼ oz/1⅛ cups) walnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 1 tbsp milled flax
seeds
3 tbsp filtered water
100 g (3½ oz/1 cup less 2 tbsp) ground almonds (almond meal)
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) chestnut flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Zest of ½ lemon
60 g (2 oz/¼ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 80 g (2¾ oz/¼ cup) maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
50 ml (1¾ fl oz/scant ¼ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing
2 dessert apples such as Cox or Granny Smith (250–300 g (8¾–10½ oz) total weight) 250 g
(8¾ oz/2½ cups) blackberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line the bo om of an

18–20 cm (7–8 inch) loose-bo omed cake tin with baking parchment
and grease the sides with a li le oil. Place the walnuts on a baking
tray and toast in the oven for 5–8 minutes until beginning to colour.
Leave to cool. Finely chop 80 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) and set aside the
remaining walnuts.
Combine the milled flax seeds with the water and leave for 15
minutes to form a gel, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl, mix
together the finely chopped walnuts, ground almonds (almond
meal), chestnut flour, cinnamon, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda
(baking soda), salt and lemon zest. Make a well in the centre and add
the flax gel, apple purée, maple syrup, vanilla extract and oil and
mix to combine.
Divide the mix equally in two, place half the mix in the cake tin and
spread it out with a pale e knife (frosting spatula). It should be
about 1 cm (⅓ inch) deep and weigh about 250 g (8¾ oz). Peel, core
and thinly slice the apples. Spread them over the cake mix,
overlapping them in a circle, followed by the blackberries and top
with the rest of the cake mix. The mix will be sticky so use your
fingers to dab small bits of the mix over the blackberries. It doesn’t
ma er if some berries are still showing, but try to cover most of
them.
Sprinkle the remaining walnuts over the top of the cake, breaking
them up roughly between your fingers as you do so. Press them into
the cake mix slightly. Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the tin
halfway through baking. It is ready when the top is firm to touch
and a rich golden brown, the nuts will be well toasted and a skewer
inserted into the centre of the cake comes out almost clean. If the top
is looking a bit too dark, turn down the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas
Mark 2½ for the last 10–15 minutes.
Serve warm with an extra dusting of cinnamon or mesquite (see
here) if you like and natural yogurt. This is best easten fresh but will
keep for up to five days in a sealed container in the fridge.

NOTE
Sliced pears make good replacements for the apple.
Coconut rose cake with whipped vanilla
coconut cream

Fragrant rosewater subtly infuses this sumptuous Middle Eastern-inspired

cake. The alternating layers of delicate thin sponge with the unctuous
whipped coconut cream create an exquisitely light cake. Shaved fresh
coconut or toasted flaked coconut makes the perfect final touch.
Serves 10–12

Coconut rose cake

Coconut oil, for greasing
Gluten-free flour, such as brown rice flour, for dusting
5 eggs, separated
150 g (5¼ oz/scant 1¼ cups) coconut sugar
100 g (3½ oz/1¼ cups) desiccated coconut
2 tbsp plus ½ tsp rosewater
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt

Vanilla coconut cream

1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
50 g (1¾ oz/2½ tbsp) raw clear honey or blonde coconut nectar
2 x recipe whipped coconut cream (see here), about 480 g (1 lb 1 oz) To decorate
½–1 tbsp rosewater, for dabbing
100 g (3½ oz/1⅓ cups) toasted flaked coconut

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5. Line the bo om of an

18 cm (7 inch) loose-bo omed cake tin with greaseproof (wax) paper,
then grease the edges with coconut oil and lightly flour with gluten-
free flour.
In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with half of the coconut sugar and
the desiccated coconut and rosewater. In a freestanding mixer or
with a handheld whisk, whip the egg whites with the salt until firm
and fluffy then whisk in the remaining coconut sugar. Very gently
fold in the egg whites to the yolk and coconut mixture, about a third
at a time, making sure to mix very lightly until just combined.
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20 minutes, rotate the tin and
bake for a further 15 minutes, or until the top is dark golden brown,
bounces back when you touch it, and a skewer inserted into the
centre of the cake comes out clean. The dark brown colour of the
cake is normal. Leave to cool.
Make the vanilla coconut cream by folding the vanilla seeds and
honey or coconut nectar into the whipped coconut cream. Divide
roughly into four.
When the cake has cooled, carefully cut it into three layers using a
large serrated knife. The bo om layer might look a li le wet, but do
not worry. Dab each layer with a li le rosewater, using ½–1 tbsp in
total. Sandwich together the layers of sponge, using a pale e knife
(frosting spatula) to spread a quarter of the cream onto each layer,
including the top of the cake. The final quarter of cream should be
carefully spread around the edges of the cake so the whole cake is
encased in the cream.
To finish, cover the whole cake with the toasted flaked coconut and
serve. Keeps for at least three days in the fridge.
Torta di riso with cinnamon saffron
almond milk

When I was 20, I lived in Bologna in Italy for five months. It was a truly
unforge able experience and I loved immersing myself in Italian culture,
especially the food – I could not walk past a ‘pasticceria’ without going in.
Torta di riso was something I had never seen nor tasted before, a bit like rice
pudding in cake-form, but so much more.
Serves 10–12

Torta di riso
200 g (7 oz/generous 1 cup) short-grain brown rice
400 ml (14 fl oz/scant 1¾ cups) filtered water
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
40 ml (1½ fl oz/8 tsp) rum, optional, or 40 ml (1½ fl oz/8 tsp) black tea
500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup) almond milk (see here) 1 cinnamon stick, 8 cm (3 inch) length
1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out, pod (bean) kept
130 g (4½ oz/generous 1 cup) coconut sugar
3 eggs
60 g (2 oz/scant ½ cup) pine nuts
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
75 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut butter or non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter, plus extra for
greasing Cinnamon saffron almond milk
200 ml (7 fl oz/¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) almond milk (see here) 3–4 small saffron strands
2 tsp raw honey
Pinch ground cinnamon, adjust to taste

Soak the brown rice in 500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup) of filtered water with
1 tsp of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for 8–12 hours or
overnight, then drain and rinse well.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and grease and line
the base and sides of a 23 cm (9 inch) springform cake tin with
baking parchment.
In a medium–large saucepan, cover the rice with the measured
water, bring to the boil and simmer until the water has been
completely absorbed, stirring the rice now and again to stop it from
catching, but do not agitate it too much. Soak the sultanas (seedless
golden raisins) in the rum, or black tea, to cover, and set aside.
When all the water has been absorbed by the rice, add 250 ml (8½ fl
oz/1 cup) of the almond milk with the cinnamon stick, the vanilla
seeds and pod (bean) and 40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) of the coconut sugar.
Boil for about 10 more minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the
remaining almond milk and continue to cook and stir. The whole
process of cooking the rice will take about 30 minutes. The cooked
rice should be soft with a li le chew and nearly all of the milk
should have been absorbed. When it is at this stage, remove from the
heat and set aside. Remove the cinnamon stick and empty vanilla
pod (bean) and discard.
In a large bowl, whisk together the remaining sugar with the eggs,
half the pine nuts, the lemon zest, cinnamon, salt, sultanas (seedless
golden raisins) and rum (or tea). Melt the bu er and stir in. Finally
mix in the slightly cooled rice, stirring to disperse any lumps. Pour
the mix into the prepared tin, top with the remaining pine nuts and
bake for 30–40 minutes, rotating the cake halfway, until the top is
dark golden brown and the cake is firm to touch and when pressed
lightly bounces back.
To make the saffron milk, warm all the ingredients in a saucepan
until it just comes to a boil. Remove from the heat immediately and
add extra cinnamon to taste if you wish.
Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack and serve at room
temperature, on its own, or with the warm cinnamon saffron milk. It
is ideal for breakfast or at tea time. This is best kept in the fridge,
where it will keep well for at least five days.

NOTE
I recommend making homemade almond milk (see here) for this recipe as its
depth of flavour really enhances this cake.
Rhubarb and orange polenta (cornmeal)
cupcakes with strawberry orange
blossom compote

Delightfully soft and crumbly, these vegan cakes have a subtle sweet
sharpness from the rhubarb. Served with the orange blossom-scented
compote and the creamy ‘yogurt’, this makes for a beautifully coloured
sublime spring-summer pudding.
Makes 15 small cakes

Rhubarb cupcakes
1 tbsp milled flax seeds
3 tbsp filtered water
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
120 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) almond milk (see here) 300 g (10½ oz) rhubarb
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
140 g (5 oz/⅔ cup) coconut nectar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100 g (3½ oz/scant ⅔ cup) fine polenta (cornmeal)
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) brown rice flour
4 tsp arrowroot
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
60 g (2 oz/generous ¼ cup) coconut oil, melted

Strawberry compote
200 g (7 oz) rhubarb
1 vanilla pod (bean), cut in half lengthways and seeds scraped out
1–2 tbsp raw honey or coconut nectar
4 oranges
300 g (10½ oz) strawberries, cut into quarters
3 tsp orange blossom water

Vanilla cashew ‘yogurt’

1 x recipe cashew cream (see here) ½ vanilla pod (bean), cut in half lengthways and seeds
scraped out
Finely grated zest and 4 tsp juice of ½ lemon
40 g (1½ oz/2 tbsp) raw clear honey or blonde coconut nectar
1½ tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line 15 small cake

tins or muffin moulds with cake cases.
Combine the milled flax seeds with the water to form a gel, leaving
to soak for 15 minutes. Stir the vinegar into the almond milk and set
aside. Chop the rhubarb into ½ cm (⅕ inch) slices. In a bowl,
combine it with the orange zest, coconut nectar and vanilla extract.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients from the polenta
(cornmeal) to the salt. Make a well in the centre of the dry
ingredients and mix in the flax seed gel, almond milk mix, coconut
oil and rhubarb, along with its juices, until just combined. Spoon the
mix equally between the cake cases and bake for 10 minutes, then
reduce the heat to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and bake for a further
10 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and firm to touch and a
skewer inserted into a cake comes out clean. Leave to cool.
To make the compote, wash and dry the rhubarb, trim off the tops
and ends and cut diagonally into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces. Put on a
baking tray with half the vanilla seeds and the empty vanilla pod
(bean), 1 tbsp of honey or coconut nectar and the zest and juice of
half an orange. Cover the tray with foil. Bake for 10 minutes and
then check. The younger and fresher the rhubarb is, the less time it
takes to cook so be careful it doesn’t become mushy. Mix the
rhubarb around and, unless already soft, cover with the foil again
and return to the oven for about 5 more minutes or until it is soft and
a skewer can easily be inserted into the centre of a piece. Leave to
cool.
Place the strawberries in a large bowl. Peel the remaining oranges
then cut out the segments with a serrated knife and add to the
strawberries. Squeeze in any remaining juice from the orange
centres. Add the rest of the vanilla seeds, the orange blossom water
and the cooked rhubarb, stirring everything together. Taste and add
another tablespoon of honey or coconut nectar if you like.
To make the vanilla cashew ‘yogurt’, blend all the ingredients until
smooth.
Serve the cakes with the compote and ‘yogurt’ and enjoy. These are
best eaten fresh but will keep for up to five days in a sealed
container in the fridge, as will the compote and ‘yogurt’.
Cherry and pistachio upside-down cakes
with mesquite

Mesquite is a naturally sweet superfood powder, made from the large bean-
like pods of the mesquite tree. It is low-GI, rich in calcium, lysine and
magnesium, and has a unique flavour – slightly spicy, sweet and malty
with caramel notes. It pairs beautifully with the sweet and juicy cherries
submerged in a soft pistachio sponge.
Makes 12 muffin-sized cakes

60 g (2 oz/scant ½ cup) pistachio nuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 80 g (2¾
oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut sugar, plus 1 tbsp for the bottom of the moulds
1½ tsp mesquite powder, plus 1 tsp for the bottom of the moulds
36 sweet cherries, about 360 g (12¾ oz/2½ cups)
100 g (3½ oz/1 cup less 2 tbsp) ground almonds (almond meal)
50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp Himalyan pink salt
100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) coconut butter or non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter, plus extra
for greasing 2 eggs

To serve
Sweet cherries
Chopped pistachio nuts

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 12-hole

muffin tin. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
On the lined baking tray, lightly toast the pistachio nuts for 5–7
minutes until they are just beginning to colour. Leave to cool, then
finely chop.
Mix together 1 tbsp coconut sugar with 1 tsp mesquite powder and
sprinkle about ¼ tsp of the mix into the bo om of each mould. Stone
the cherries, breaking them in half with your fingers as you do so.
Fill each muffin mould with three cherries (six halves), arranged in a
circle, slightly overlapping. Pour in any extra cherry juices and
sprinkle over any leftover sugar and spice mix. Set aside.
Mix together the rest of the sugar and mesquite powder, ground
almonds (almond meal), flour, baking powder and salt. Add the
chopped pistachio nuts. Melt the bu er and add to the dry
ingredients, followed by the eggs, and mix well. Divide the mix
between the 12 moulds, spooning it on top of the cherries, and bake
for 10 minutes, then rotate the tin and bake for a further 2–4 minutes,
until the cakes are just firm to touch, slightly golden round the edges
and some juices might be bubbling up.
Leave to cool in the tin then remove and top with fresh cherries and
chopped pistachio nuts. These cakes are also delightful served with a
chunk of homemade chocolate (see here), chocolate ice cream or
whipped coconut cream (see here).

VARIATIONS
Rhubarb and pistachio cakes
Follow the above recipe, but replace the cherries with 200 g (7 oz)
rhubarb, chopped into ½ cm (⅕ inch) pieces, dividing the rhubarb
equally between the bo om of the muffin tins. Serve with extra
rhubarb compote using the method here to make the compote.
Blueberry and pistachio cakes
Follow the above recipe, but replace the cherries with 180 g (6¼
oz/scant 1¼ cups) of blueberries, divided equally between the muffin
tins.
Hot chocolate chestnut cakes with
choco-malt sauce

An indulgent and totally nourishing pudding? It does exist, and it’s right
here! Serve these chocolate gems warm from the oven, pour over the malty
chocolate sauce, top with the lightest whipped vanilla cream and your
guests will be content, to say the least! They’re incredibly easy to make, too.
Makes 8 small cakes

Chocolate chestnut cakes

3 tbsp milled flax seeds
9 tbsp hazelnut or almond milk (see here) 50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) coconut oil, plus extra for
greasing
30 g (1 oz/scant ¼ cup) tinned unsweetened whole peeled chestnuts
55 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) chestnut flour
15 g (½ oz/3 tbsp) cacao powder
55 g (2 oz/⅓ cup) Palmyra nectar powder
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
20 g (¾ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85–100%
cocoa solids, cut into 8 equal chunks, or 8 chocolate coins 85–100% cocoa solids Choco-
malt sauce
220 ml (7½ fl oz/scant 1 cup) sweet thick cashew milk (see here) 2 tbsp cacao powder
3 tsp carob powder
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp lucuma powder
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) dates, soaked in filtered water for 1 hour
50–100 ml (1¾–3½ fl oz/scant ¼ cup– ⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) hazelnut or almond milk (see
here) ½ tbsp date syrup, optional

To serve
1 x recipe whipped vanilla coconut cream (see here)

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease 8 muffin

moulds with coconut oil.
Soak the milled flax seeds in the hazelnut or almond milk for about
15 minutes to form a gel. Melt the coconut oil. Grate the chestnuts
into a large bowl (bits that crumble into small pieces are fine), then
add the chestnut flour, cacao powder, Palmyra nectar powder,
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt. Mix to
combine. Add the melted oil, vanilla extract and flax seed gel and
stir to combine everything well to form a thick mix.
Divide the mix between the muffin moulds. You should get about 40
g (1½ oz) of mix per cake. Press in a chocolate chunk or coin,
covering it with the mix, and bake for 10 minutes. The tops should
feel firm and be slightly cracked and puffed up. A skewer inserted in
the centre should come out clean, except for some melted chocolate.
Cool for 10 minutes and serve while still warm.
Meanwhile, to make the choco-malt sauce, place the cashew milk in
a blender with the cacao, carob, maca, lucuma, salt and vanilla
extract and blend on full speed for about 20 seconds. Scrape down
the blender and repeat. Drain the dates, add to the blender and
blend again until completely smooth. Pour the mix into a saucepan
and heat up slowly, adjusting the thickness with hazelnut or almond
milk to your preferred consistency. I like it to be thick enough to
spoon over the cakes. Taste and sweeten with date syrup if desired.
To serve, run a knife around the edge of each cake, carefully
scooping them out onto individual plates. Spoon over a few
tablespoons of the warm choco-malt sauce and a spoonful of the
whipped vanilla coconut cream and serve immediately. Everything
will keep well in the fridge for at least three days. When completely
cool these cakes become more like brownies.

NOTES
These can be made up to 24 hours in advance, spooned into the moulds and
refrigerated until needed. If baking straight from the fridge, allow an extra
two minutes in the oven.
Any leftover sauce can be made into hot chocolate or ‘milk’ shakes.
I don’t add sweeteners to my whipped vanilla coconut cream here, but you
can add some blonde coconut nectar or raw clear honey if you wish.
Cauliflower chickpea curry cakes with
lime and mint raita

These spicy savoury cakes with the fresh-flavoured raita make a very
satisfying midweek supper. I like to serve them with a colourful salad made
from red cabbage, radish, pomegranate seeds, coriander (cilantro), grated
carrot, coconut flakes, pumpkin and sesame seeds. Leftovers can be enjoyed
for breakfast with poached eggs.
Makes 18 cakes

Cauliflower chickpea cakes

1 small red chilli
8 spring onions (scallions)
2 large tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) fresh turmeric, roughly chopped
20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) fresh ginger, roughly chopped
½ large cauliflower, florets only
1 tbsp coconut oil or EVCP rapeseed oil
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) cooked chickpeas
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut milk, plus more if necessary
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
20 g (¾ oz/scant ½ cup) coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped
75 g (2¾ oz/⅔ cup) gram flour
25 g (¾ oz/scant ¼ cup) milled flax seeds
Salt and black pepper

Lime and mint raita

250 g (8¾ oz/1 cup) natural coconut yogurt
200 g (7 oz) cucumber
Generous handful finely chopped mint
1 tsp ground cumin
4 tsp lime juice
Pinch cayenne pepper, optional
Himalayan pink salt or coarse sea salt
Black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and line a large baking

tray with baking parchment.
Finely chop the chilli and spring onions (scallions) and cube the
tomatoes. Using a pestle and mortar, grind the garlic, turmeric and
ginger to form a rough paste. Pulse the cauliflower in a food
processor until small pieces form resembling breadcrumbs. You need
350 g (12¼ oz) in total.
In a large heavy-bo omed saucepan, heat the oil then add the
ground turmeric, mustard and fenugreek seeds. After a few minutes,
add the chopped chilli, onion and tomatoes and cook for about 5
minutes or until beginning to colour. Add the garlic paste and
continue to cook. When everything has softened and is coloured,
add the cauliflower and chickpeas, stirring to coat. Add the coconut
milk, lime zest and juice. Heat until the coconut milk just begins to
boil and then lower the heat and add the coriander (cilantro), gram
flour, milled flax seeds and seasoning. Stir everything to combine on
a low heat for a further 5 minutes. If it looks a bit dry, add a li le
more coconut milk. Remove from the heat, leave to cool slightly and
check for seasoning.
To make the raita, put the yogurt into a medium-size bowl. Peel and
grate the cucumber, you should get about 160 g (5½ oz) grated
weight, and add to the yogurt. Add all the other ingredients, stir and
season to taste, adding extra chopped mint and lime if you want.
Make the cauliflower chickpea mix into 18 small cakes in your
hands. The mix will feel a li le wet but that’s normal. Put the cakes
onto the lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until golden
brown. Remove the tray from the oven, turn each cake over and bake
for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown. The outer chickpeas
become slightly crunchy while the inside stays perfectly soft. Serve
warm with the raita.
The cakes and the raita will keep for five days in a sealed container
in the fridge.
Millet, mushroom and sage risotto cake

The mild sweetness and nu y flavour of millet goes so well with earthy
plump mushrooms and fresh herbs. I like this light but filling protein-rich
savoury cake at lunchtime or supper with a big green salad, plus it works
well the next morning with sliced avocado, keeping you fuelled until lunch.
Serves 8–10 with a big salad

180 g (6¼ oz/scant 1 cup) wholegrain millet

1 tbsp coconut oil or EVCP rapeseed oil
1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 litre (35 fl oz/4¼ cups) vegetable stock, homemade or made with 2 good-quality vegetable
stock cubes 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) mixed mushrooms, such as chestnut, buna shimeji, golden
enoki and shiitake, chopped 10 sage leaves, finely chopped, plus 15–20 whole sage
leaves for topping
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Generous grating of nutmeg
1 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
Coarse sea salt
Black pepper
4 eggs
20 g (¾ oz/⅓ cup) parsley, finely chopped, plus extra for garnishing

Soak the millet in 500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup) of filtered water with 1 tsp
of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar for 8–12 hours or overnight,
then drain and rinse well.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. In a 30 cm (12 inch)
oven-proof frying pan (skillet), at least 5 cm (2 inches) deep, melt the
oil and then add the garlic and onion, cooking on a medium-high
heat for about 3 minutes, until they are starting to brown. Add the
millet and stir in – you will notice a nu y flavour developing. Add
250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) of stock, stir in and simmer for 5 minutes or
until the stock has been absorbed. Add half of the mushrooms along
with 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) more stock. Let the millet soak up all of
the liquids and then add another 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup), again
stirring until it has all been soaked up.
Gradually add the rest of the stock, in two batches, and stir in. With
the last batch of stock, add the rest of the mushrooms, chopped sage
leaves, lemon zest, nutmeg, yeast flakes and seasoning. Cook for
about 5 more minutes, stirring and testing it until it is soft but
slightly al dente and all the stock has been absorbed. Remove from
the heat, taste and add extra seasoning if necessary.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the parsley. Gradually add about
a quarter of the mushroom millet mix at a time to the eggs, stirring
well to combine. When everything has been mixed together, tip it all
back into the frying pan (skillet), evening out the top with a pale e
knife (frosting spatula), top with the whole sage leaves and bake in
the oven for about 10–20 minutes until set but with a slight shake.
Serve warm from the oven, sprinkled with extra chopped parsley.
Any leftovers will keep well in the fridge for up to three days.
 Muffins, loaf cakes and breads

Amaranth, berry and banana muffins with buckwheat

streusel

These gorgeously soft muffins are finished off with a crunchy topping of

sweetly spiced seeds and buckwheat groats. The amaranth ‘porridge’ helps
to keep the muffins moist, and gives them an interesting texture and an
earthy wholesome flavour. Enjoy them warm from the oven for breakfast,
brunch or tea.
Makes 12 muffins

Muffins
75 g (2¾ oz/⅔ cup) amaranth grain
70 g (2½ oz/scant ½ cup) buckwheat groats
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) pumpkin seeds
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) sunflower seeds
25 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp) flax seeds
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) cold filtered water
75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) buckwheat flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
240 g (8½ oz) banana flesh (about 2 bananas), plus ½ banana for topping
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
2 eggs
70 g (2½ oz/⅓ cup) coconut nectar
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
60 g (2 oz/½ cup) dried cranberries, cut in half
60 g (2 oz/½ cup) raspberries, fresh or frozen
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen

Streusel
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp mixed spice
1 tbsp coconut nectar

In a glass or ceramic bowl, soak the amaranth for 8–12 hours or

overnight in 150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) of filtered water with ¼ tsp
lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. In a separate glass or ceramic
bowl, soak the buckwheat groats and all the seeds for 8 hours or
overnight in 350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) of filtered water with ¾ tsp of
Himalayan pink salt.
Drain the amaranth using a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly under
cold water, then put in a saucepan with the measured water. Bring to
the boil and then turn down to a low heat until the seeds have
absorbed the water, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so they
don’t catch. When the ‘porridge’ is cooked, the amaranth should be
soft with a very slight ‘al dente’ bite. Leave to cool.
Meanwhile, drain the groats and seeds using a fine sieve and rinse
thoroughly under cold water. Set aside 115 g (4 oz/¾ cup) of the
groat and seed mix for the muffins, and add the rest to the streusel
ingredients, mix well and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a muffin tin
with 12 cases.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buckwheat flour, cinnamon,
mixed spice, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), baking powder and
salt. In a large bowl, mash the banana well with a fork, leaving some
small lumps for texture. Add the orange zest, eggs, coconut nectar,
oil, all the berries, reserved soaked seeds and groats and cooled
amaranth ‘porridge’ to the banana and mix everything together well.
Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.
Spoon the mix into the cases, making sure each muffin has a fairly
even amount of berries. Top each muffin with a ½ cm (⅕ inch) slice
of banana, pushing it down vertically into the mix, then sprinkle the
streusel equally over the top of the muffins.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn and bake for a further 10 minutes or until
the muffins are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre
comes out clean. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes in their tin then
enjoy warm from the oven, with extra granola, fruit and natural
yogurt, for breakfast or an afternoon energy-boost.
These keep in the fridge for up to five days and freeze well too.
Spiced parsnip muffins

When the aroma of these muffins starts to fill your house in the morning,
everyone will be jumping out of bed to try one! They’re full of nourishing
and satisfying ingredients, from the comforting spices to the delightful
sweet nu y millet flour.
Makes 12 muffins

200 g (7 oz/2¼ cups) peeled and grated parsnip (about 1 parsnip)

110 g (4 oz/⅓ cup) maple syrup
100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) EVCP
rapeseed oil
3 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
140 g (5 oz/scant 1 cup) brown rice flour
80 g (2¾ oz/⅔ cup) millet flour
20 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) arrowroot
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
Generous pinch ground cardamom
Small grating whole nutmeg
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
30 g (1 oz/scant ¼ cup) poppy seeds

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a muffin tin

with 12 cases. In a large bowl, combine everything from the grated
parsnip to the vanilla extract. In another large bowl, combine the rest
of the dry ingredients from the flours to the poppy seeds and make a
well in the centre. Gradually stir in the liquids, slightly folding the
mix so you don’t knock out too much air.
When well combined, divide the mix between the muffin cases. Bake
for about 20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway, until the tops of the
muffins are golden brown and just spring back when touched
lightly. Leave to cool slightly in the tin and then enjoy while still
warm. Keep in an airtight container for at least three days.

NOTES
I don’t soak the poppy seeds here as they are so small they could fall through
some sieves when draining; a small amount of phytic acid is okay (see here).
If you like more of a subtle spicing, reduce the cinnamon and ginger to ½
tsp of each.
Apple and hazelnut muffins

Cassia is a more robust spice than its sweeter and delicate close relation,
cinnamon, and goes wonderfully with malty teff flour, toasted nuts and
apple.
Makes 8 muffins

160 ml (5½ fl oz/⅔ cup) hazelnut milk (see here) 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
80 g (2¾ oz/scant ⅔ cup) hazelnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 80 g (2¾
oz/generous ½ cup) brown rice flour
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) teff flour
1 tbsp milled flax seeds
40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) ground hazelnuts
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp ground cassia or 1–1½ tsp ground cinnamon
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) raisins, optional
3–4 dessert apples, such as Cox or Ribston Pippin
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
60 g (2 oz/¼ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 80 g (2¾ oz/¼ cup) maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a muffin tray with

8 cases and line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Mix together the hazelnut milk and apple cider vinegar. Place the
hazelnuts on the lined baking tray and lightly toast for 7 minutes.
Leave to cool, remove the skins then chop to medium–small pieces.
Combine the flours, flax seeds, ground hazelnuts, baking powder,
bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), cassia or cinnamon and raisins.
Peel, quarter and core two of the apples. Cut into ½ cm (⅕ inch)
cubes – you need 100 g (3½ oz) apple cubes, so cut more if necessary.
Add the apple and 60 g (2 oz/½ cup) of the chopped hazelnuts to the
dry ingredients and make a well in the centre.
Combine the rapeseed oil, apple purée and maple syrup with the
hazelnut milk mix, add to the dry ingredients, and lightly fold until
well combined. Divide the mix between the 8 cases. Cut the rest of
the apples into quarters (do not peel), core them and then cut 16 ½–1
cm (⅕–⅓ inch) slices, pressing in 2 slices to the top of each muffin.
Sprinkle the remaining chopped hazelnuts over the muffins. Bake for
about 20 minutes, rotating the tin halfway through the cooking time,
until the muffins are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the
centre of a muffin comes out clean. Leave to cool for a few minutes,
and then enjoy while still warm. These muffins will last well for
three days in an airtight container.
Coconut and carrot muffins with cacao-
maca-lucuma ‘yogurt’

These coconut-packed muffins are dense with goodness, as muffins should

be, but soft at the same time. I am always surprised at how much moisture
coconut flour absorbs – as you’ll see, a li le goes a long way. Grab one for
breakfast if you’re in a rush or enjoy them for brunch or pudding with this
extra creamy chocolate ‘yogurt’.
Makes 12 muffins

60 g (2 oz/generous ¼ cup) coconut oil

6 eggs
4 tbsp coconut milk
100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) coconut nectar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
70 g (2½ oz/⅔ cup) coconut flour
½ tsp baking powder
100 g (3½ oz/generous 1 cup) grated carrot
30 g (1 oz/⅓ cup) desiccated coconut, plus extra for topping

Cacao-maca-lucuma ‘yogurt’
1 x recipe cashew cream (see here) 6 tsp cacao powder
1½ tsp lucuma powder
1½ tsp maca powder
20 g (¾ oz/scant 1 tbsp) date syrup, or other sweetener
¼ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
2 tsp lemon juice
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
30 g (1 oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a muffin tray

with 12 cases.
Melt the coconut oil. Whisk the oil with the eggs, coconut milk,
coconut nectar, vanilla extract and salt. Sieve in the coconut flour
and baking powder and whisk until smooth and most of the lumps
are gone. Add the grated carrot and desiccated coconut and stir once
more.
Spoon into the cases, sprinkle with dessicated coconut and bake for
20 minutes, rotating halfway, until the tops are golden brown, firm
to touch and bounce back when you press them lightly. Leave to
cool in the tin.
To make the cacao-maca-lucuma ‘yogurt’, blend everything together
except for the chocolate until smooth. Taste and adjust the sweetness
if necessary. Chop up the chocolate to make chocolate chips and mix
into the ‘yogurt’.
Serve the ‘yogurt’ with the coconut muffins and store any leftover in
a sealed glass jar in the fridge, where it will keep for at least four
days, as will the muffins.
Polenta (cornmeal) muffins with spinach,
sun-dried tomatoes and olives

Baking these moreish muffins makes me think of summer. Serve them warm
from the oven with a salad for a light al fresco lunch or picnic. With the
polenta (cornmeal) and pine nuts they are deliciously crumbly and crunchy
at the same time, and are packed with flavour from the rich tomatoes, salty
olives and basil, with a chilli kick at the end.
Makes 12 muffins

30 ml (1 fl oz/2 tbsp) apple cider vinegar

150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) almond milk (see here) 180 g (6¼ oz/generous 1 cup) quick-
cook polenta (cornmeal)
120 g (4¼ oz/generous ¾ cup) brown rice flour
30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) arrowroot
1 tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp dried chilli flakes, optional
60 g (2 oz/½ cup) gram flour
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) filtered water
36 large basil leaves (about 30 g/1 oz/generous 1 cup), finely chopped
1½ garlic cloves, finely chopped
75 g (2¾ oz/1⅓ cups) sun-dried tomatoes, chopped into pea-size pieces, plus 30 g (1
oz/scant ½ cup) for topping 75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) black olives, quartered
60 g (2 oz/scant ½ cup) pine nuts
120 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
60 g (2 oz/2 cups) baby-leaf spinach leaves, roughly shredded into quarters

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a muffin tin with

12 pieces of baking parchment, each about 15 cm (6 inch) square,
which make a ractive cases, or 12 standard muffin cases.
In a measuring jug, mix the vinegar with the almond milk and set
aside (after a few minutes it will resemble thin bu ermilk).
In a large bowl, combine the polenta (cornmeal), rice flour,
arrowroot, salt, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
and chilli flakes, if using, and make a well in the centre. In another
bowl, mix the gram flour with the water to make a paste.
Mix the basil, garlic, chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives and half the
pine nuts with the rapeseed oil. Pour the oil mix, milk and vinegar
mix and the gram paste into the dry ingredients. Sprinkle the
spinach over the top and then stir everything lightly together to
combine. The mix will be quite wet and should stick together well.
Spoon the mix into the muffin cases, dividing it between the 12
cases. Top each muffin with a whole piece of sun-dried tomato,
pressing it down slightly into the muffin mix otherwise it will burn.
Sprinkle the remaining pine nuts over the muffins, pushing them in
slightly, too.
Bake for 10 minutes, rotate the tray and cook for a further 5 minutes,
or until a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
The tops should be golden; the nuts lightly toasted.
Cool for 5 minutes in the tin. Serve immediately when still warm or
remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack. These are best
eaten fresh but will keep in an airtight container for at least three
days. They are also good warmed in the oven for about 5 minutes at
a low temperature.
Purple haze loaf with super-berry
cashew ‘yogurt’

Fabulous flavour, health-boosting ingredients and lots of colour – enjoy this

soft and milky loaf for breakfast or brunch served with the luxuriously
creamy antioxidant-rich super-berry ‘yogurt’ and fresh fruit. It also works
well toasted and drizzled with maple syrup or spread with coconut oil, nut
bu er or chia jam (jelly) (see here).
Serves 8–10

Purple haze loaf

2 tbsp milled flax seeds
6 tbsp filtered water
150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
100 g (3½ oz/⅓ cup) maple syrup
70 ml (2½ fl oz/¼ cup plus 2 tsp) almond milk (see here) ½ vanilla pod (bean), split
lengthways and seeds scraped out
75 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing
25 g (¾ oz/¼ cup) purple corn flour
80 g (2¾ oz/generous ¾ cup) blackcurrants, fresh or frozen
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) blueberries, fresh or frozen
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) dried blueberries, unsweetened

Super-berry cashew ‘yogurt’

1 x recipe cashew cream (see here) 40 ml (1½ fl oz/8 tsp) lemon juice
2 tsp acai berry powder
2 tsp purple corn flour
½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out, or 1 tsp vanilla extract 150 g
(5¼ oz/1 cup) fresh blueberries
Up to 30 g (1 oz/1½ tbsp) raw honey or coconut nectar, optional
40 goji berries (heaped 1 tbsp)

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 24 x 8 x 8 cm

deep (9¾ x 3 x 3 inch) loaf tin with coconut oil and line the bo om of
the tin with baking parchment.
Mix the milled flax seeds with the water and leave for 15 minutes to
form a gel. Stir now and again. Combine the buckwheat flour,
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and salt. Whisk
lightly to remove any lumps. Combine the maple syrup, almond
milk and vanilla seeds. Make a well in the centre of the dry
ingredients and pour in the milk mix, followed by the coconut oil.
Mix lightly to combine and then fold in the flax seed mix.
Add the purple corn flour, blackcurrants and all the blueberries and
fold again until just combined. Pour the mix into the prepared tin
and spread out. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the tin and reduce the
heat to 130°C/250°F/Gas Mark ½, baking for a further 20–30 minutes
or until the top has formed a golden-brown crust and a skewer
inserted into the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Leave to cool on
a wire rack in the tin for about 30 minutes, then remove from the tin.
For the ‘yogurt’, place the cashew cream in a blender and add the
lemon juice, acai berry powder, purple corn flour and vanilla and
blend. Add the fresh blueberries and blend once more until
everything is well combined and totally smooth, scraping down and
repeating if necessary. The mix should now be a lovely purple
colour. Try the ‘yogurt’ and add your preferred liquid sweetener to
taste, if you like, and more lemon if necessary. Pour the ‘yogurt’ into
a bowl and then gently stir in the goji berries (but do not blend).
Serve alongside the loaf.
The loaf is lovely eaten fresh on the day it is baked, preferably warm
from the oven. It will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for at
least four days, as will the ‘yogurt’.

NOTES
Purple corn flour is a South American cooking staple made from a purple
variety of corn and is extremely high in anthocyanins. It adds a dark hue to
baked goods and can be used raw too, adding a pre y purple colour to food,
as in this ‘yogurt’ recipe.
Acai berry powder is made from the berries of the acai – a palm tree. It
retains an optimal number of its naturally occurring nutrients, including
fibre, vitamin A, calcium, iron, amino acids and omega 6 and omega 9 fa y
acids and it is particularly high in antioxidants. It is great added to
smoothies too.
Baked banana, date and pecan loaf with
spiced caramel sauce

Served at breakfast with yogurt, with a cup of tea in the afternoon, or for
pudding with custard, this is the ideal anytime cake. The mix of the dates,
caramel-sweet banana, treacly teff flour and molasses make this sticky toffee
pudding-like cake rich, moist and devilishly good, its flavours enlivened by
the spices in the divine sauce.
Serves 8–10

Banana loaf
1 tbsp milled flax seeds
3 tbsp filtered water
80 ml (2¾ fl oz/⅓ cup) cashew milk (see here) 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
190 g (6¾ oz/1¼ cups) dates
190 ml (6¾ fl oz/¾ cup) filtered water
2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2–3 large bananas
120 g (4¼ oz/generous 1 cup) pecans, preferably activated dried (see here) 70 g (2½ oz/½
cup) teff flour
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) brown rice flour
20 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) arrowroot
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp coarse sea salt, ground
50 g (1¾ oz/scant ¼ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 40 g (1½ oz/2 tbsp) unsulphured
molasses
80 ml (2¾ fl oz/⅓ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

Spiced caramel sauce

1 x 400 ml (14 fl oz) can coconut milk
100 g (3½ oz/⅓ cup) maple syrup or raw honey
½ tsp coarse sea salt
½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out, pod (bean) kept
5 g (scant ¼ oz/about 4) whole star anise
5 g (scant ¼ oz/1 tbsp) cardamom pods

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Grease and line the

bo om of an 18 x 11 x 8 cm deep (7 x 4¼ x 3 inch) loaf tin with
baking parchment. Combine the milled flax seeds with the water and
leave for about 15 minutes to form a gel. Mix the cashew milk with
the apple cider vinegar and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, cook the dates with the measured water until
all the water is soaked up and forms a paste. This should take no
longer than 5 minutes. When the water has just been soaked up,
remove the pan immediately from the heat and stir in 1 tsp
bicarbonate of soda (baking soda). The mixture will fizz. Keep on
mixing until most of the fizzing has stopped then leave the paste to
cool.
On a baking tray, bake the bananas in the oven for about 3 minutes
on each side until the skins blacken. Remove from the oven and turn
down the temperature to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3, then toast the
pecans on a baking tray for 5–7 minutes, until just beginning to
colour. When cooled, roughly chop.
In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients from the teff flour to
the salt and add the remaining 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking
soda). Peel the bananas and mash 200 g (7 oz/scant 1 cup) into the
dates. Add the apple purée, molasses, oil and vanilla extract to the
cashew milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and
add the cashew milk mix, dates and bananas, flax seed gel and
chopped pecans. Mix thoroughly to combine by lightly folding
everything together. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30
minutes, rotating the tin halfway. Reduce the heat to
160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and bake for a further 15–20 minutes, or
until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Leave the loaf to cool in the tin while you make the sauce, then
demould when cooled completely.
In a medium saucepan bring all the sauce ingredients to a boil,
stirring to combine. Turn down the heat to a medium rolling boil
and reduce the sauce for 10 minutes, stirring now and again so it
doesn’t catch. It will be looking thicker and have become a golden
caramel colour. Remove the cardamom pods, star anise and vanilla
pod (bean) with a slo ed spoon. Pour into a bowl and set aside.
When ready to serve, give the sauce a good whisk, pour it into a jug
and serve generously over slices of the loaf with extra chopped
pecans if you wish. You can serve the loaf and the sauce either
warmed up or cold. The loaf will keep in a sealed container for up to
five days.

NOTE
Molasses is made from sugar cane, containing all the vitamins, minerals
and fibre that white sugar is stripped of. A real energy booster that is
especially rich in zinc, it is a dark treacle which is full of flavour and adds
deep colour and richness to cakes and breads. Only small amounts are
needed, as it is quite strong. Buy pure cane molasses.
Extra fruity fruit loaf

When it’s cold, there’s nothing quite like a slice of gorgeous dark fruit loaf
with a big mug of tea. This cakey moist loaf is light but still rich, wholesome
and bursting with sweet fruits and crunchy almonds. Bake it in a round
18–20 cm (7–8 inch) loose-bo omed cake tin for a great ‘free-from’
Christmas cake, and it’s vegan, too.
Serves 10–12

Fruit loaf
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) currants
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup) raisins
90 g (3 oz/scant ⅔ cup) dried figs, stalks removed
90 g (3 oz/scant ⅔ cup) unsulphured dried apricots
90 g (3 oz/scant ⅔ cup) dates
Zest and 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) juice of 1 lemon
Zest and 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) juice of 1 orange
1 vanilla pod (bean), cut in half lengthways, seeds scraped out, pod (bean) kept
60 g (2 oz/3 tbsp) maple syrup
300 ml (10½ fl oz/1¼ cups) tea, made using 1 loose-leaf Darjeeling tea pyramid and 1 chai
tea pyramid (see here) 125 g (4½ oz/¾ cup plus scant 2 tbsp) whole almonds
135 g (4¾ oz/1 cup less 2 tbsp) buckwheat flour
135 g (4¾ oz/1 cup) chestnut flour
5 tsp arrowroot
20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) gram flour
60 g (2 oz/½ cup) coconut sugar
1½ tsp mixed spice
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
75 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil

Glaze
3 plums, destoned (100 g/3½ oz without stones), fresh or frozen
5 tbsp unsweetened apple juice
20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw honey or coconut nectar
Or about 30 g (1 oz/2 tbsp) no added sugar high fruit content apricot jam (jelly)

Place the currants, sultanas (seedless golden raisins), raisins, figs,

apricots and dates in a large glass or ceramic bowl with the citrus
zests and juice, vanilla seeds and pod (bean), maple syrup and tea.
Submerge the tea pyramids in the fruit for maximum flavour. Leave
to soak overnight, but not for more than 12 hours otherwise there
will be no liquid left to bind the cake mix. In a separate glass or
ceramic bowl, soak the almonds in 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) of filtered
water with ½ tsp of Himalayan pink salt for 8–12 hours (or
overnight).
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line the bo om and
sides of an 18 x 11 x 8 cm deep (7 x 4¼ x 3 inch) loaf tin with baking
parchment. In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients from the
buckwheat flour to the salt.
Drain, rinse thoroughly and set aside 50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) of the
almonds for the top. In a food processor, roughly process the rest of
the almonds, keeping some larger pieces for texture. Add to the dry
ingredients.
Place the soaked figs, apricots and dates in a food processor and
process until half pulp, half still whole. Add to the dry ingredients.
Remove the vanilla pod (bean) and tea pyramids from the soaking
liquids, squeezing them out over the bowl for extra flavour, then
discard. Add the rest of the soaked fruit and liquid to the dry
ingredients and processed fruit. Finally melt the coconut oil and stir
it in, mixing until everything is well combined. Pour into the tin and
spread into the corners with a knife. Bang the tin lightly a few times
on your work surface. Place the reserved almonds around the edge
of the cake, gently pressing them into the mix.
Bake for 20 minutes. Turn down the heat to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark
2½, rotate and bake for a further 40 minutes, turning again halfway,
until the top is golden-brown and slightly bounces back if touched; a
skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave to cool
completely in the tin.
To make the glaze, bring the plums, apple juice and honey or
coconut nectar to the boil and boil for about 5 minutes, breaking up
the plums with a spoon. Turn down to a simmer for 5 more minutes
until thick and glossy. Remove from the heat. Turn out the cake
when completely cool and use a pastry brush to brush the glaze (or
apricot jam (jelly), if using) over the cake.
Stored in a sealed container, this will keep well for at least five days.
I store it in the fridge as it keeps be er and becomes even softer. It
also freezes well.

NOTE
For a warming, spicy, festive flavour, use 1 bag of black tea, such as
Darjeeling, brewed with 1 bag of chai tea, which contains a delicious mix of
black tea, cardamom, cinnamon and ginger. Teapigs make a great chai tea
blend with no additives or sweeteners. You can use regular tea bags, but I
use pyramid bags as they contain loose leaves, so have great flavour, and are
less likely to rip or break than regular tea bags.
Apricot, cranberry and almond tea bread

This tea bread always goes down really well. It’s not too sweet and it’s
slightly drier than a cake, as a tea bread should be, but the cranberries and
apricots balance everything out with their moist chewiness and robust
sharp and sweet flavours. The combination of the brown rice and sorghum
flours make it wholesomely light, while the yogurt adds a soft creaminess.
Serves 10–12

60 g (2 oz/scant ½ cup) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here) 100 g (3½ oz/scant
⅔ cup) unsulphured dried apricots
70 g (2½ oz/generous ½ cup) dried cranberries
100 g (3½ oz/1 cup less 2 tbsp) ground almonds (almond meal)
105 g (3¾ oz/⅔ cup) brown rice flour
40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) sorghum flour
15 g (½ oz/2 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
15 g (½ oz/2 tbsp) arrowroot
70 g (2½ oz/scant ½ cup) Palmyra nectar powder
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp ground cloves
2 eggs
190 g (6¾ oz/¾ cup) natural coconut yogurt
Zest of ½ lemon
Zest of 1 orange
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) coconut oil

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a baking tray

with baking parchment. Grease and line the bo om of an 18 x 11 x 8
cm deep (7 x 4¼ x 3 inch) loaf tin with baking parchment.
Spread out the almonds on the lined baking tray and toast for 7
minutes, or until they are just taking colour, leave to cool then
roughly chop. Chop the apricots into rough pea-sized pieces and
mix with the toasted almonds and cranberries.
Combine all the dry ingredients from the ground almonds (almond
meal) to the ground cloves. Whisk to disperse any lumps then add in
the dried fruit and nut mix.
Mix together the eggs, yogurt and citrus zest. Melt the coconut oil
and mix in. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add
in the liquids, mixing to combine.
Tip the mix into the prepared tin, spread the top with a pale e knife
(frosting spatula) until smooth and even, and bake for about 50
minutes, turning halfway, until the top is golden brown and a
skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. If the top is
looking too brown, lower the oven temperature to 160°C/310°F/Gas
Mark 2½ during the last 10 minutes of baking. Leave to cool in the
tin for 20 minutes, then serve warm with tea. I love to spread slices
with coconut oil or almond bu er.
This loaf freezes well and will keep for up to five days in an airtight
container in the fridge. When it is less fresh, it is lovely warmed up
slightly in the oven.

VARIATION
Almond tea bread
If you want a lower-sugar loaf, remove the dried fruits for a
deliciously milky flavoured almond tea bread, increasing the
amount of almonds if you like.
Fig and ginger tea bread with dark
(bittersweet) chocolate spread

Honeyed dried figs and dark (bi ersweet) chocolate chunks, who could
resist them together, immerged in a heady tea bread with a soft fiery
warmth from fresh ginger? Not overly sweet, serve this tea bread for
breakfast or tea, spread thickly with the dark (bi ersweet) chocolate spread,
or warm up a slice and enjoy with nut bu ers.
Serves 10–12

Tea bread
2 tsp loose-leaf strong-flavoured black tea such as Darjeeling, Assam or Earl Grey
200 ml (7 fl oz/generous ¾ cup) boiling water
200 g (7 oz/1¼ cups) dried figs, small stalks removed
Zest of 1 orange
1 tsp ground cardamom
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) Palmyra nectar powder
20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) fresh ginger, finely chopped
100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup) chestnut flour
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) buckwheat flour
15 g (½ oz/2 tbsp) gram flour
10 g (⅓ oz/1¼ tbsp) arrowroot
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
90 g (3 oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids, roughly chopped into small chunks 1 egg or 60 g (2 oz/¼ cup) easy apple purée
(see here) Dark (bittersweet) chocolate spread
100 ml (3½ fl oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) water
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) Palmyra nectar powder
100 g (3½ oz) homemade chocolate (see here and here or dark (bittersweet) chocolate
85% cocoa solids

Brew the tea in the measured boiling water for 4–6 minutes, then
strain. Make sure you still have 200 ml (7 fl oz/generous ¾ cup) of
tea by really squeezing the leaves or add a li le extra water if
necessary. In a large bowl, mix together the figs, orange zest, ground
cardamom, Palymyra nectar powder and ginger. Pour the tea over
the fruit and let the mix soak for 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line the bo om and
sides of a 19 x 9 x 6 cm deep (7½ x 3½ x 2½ inch) loaf tin with baking
parchment.
Mix together all the dry ingredients and the chocolate pieces. Chop
up the figs into small–medium pieces – I do this with scissors while
in their soaking liquid. Add the soaked figs, spices and soaking
liquids to the dry ingredients. Add the egg or apple purée and mix
together thoroughly. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 20
minutes.
Turn down the heat to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½, turn and bake for
a further 30 minutes, turning again halfway, until the top is golden-
brown and slightly cracking; a skewer inserted in the centre should
come out clean except with a li le melted chocolate. Leave to cool in
the tin completely.
To make the dark (bi ersweet) chocolate spread, in a saucepan bring
the water and Palmyra nectar powder to a strong rolling boiling,
making sure the powder is dissolved. Melt the chocolate in a bain-
marie (see here). Gradually pour the sweet hot water over the
chocolate, incorporating as you do so. When a smooth emulsion has
formed, cover the mix to the surface with baking parchment and
refrigerate for 1 hour to set softly. The ganache should have a slight
shake to it, otherwise it will be too solid to spread. Remove from the
fridge and keep in a cool place.
Serve the chocolate spread in a bowl or pot alongside the tea bread
and spread generously over slices. The loaf will keep for at least five
days in a sealed container (it actually gets be er with age), as will
the spread. Slices warmed or slightly toasted are great.

NOTES
Do not agitate the chocolate mix with a spoon or whisk once made or it will
split. If you are worried it looks split, don’t panic as it will still taste
smooth.
The great thing about this loaf is that if you have run out of eggs or apple
purée, it will still work. The mix will be a li le firmer if you omit these
ingredients, so press it well into the tin.
The dark (bi ersweet) chocolate spread will take longer to set, at least
overnight in the fridge, if made with homemade chocolate.
Go-to wholegrain gluten-free bread

With its rich dark flavours from the wholegrain flours and the treacly,
malty molasses, this loaf reminds me of Irish soda bread, one of my
favourite types of bread. It has a wonderful cracked crust on the outside,
while the middle is slightly soft, and every mouthful feels totally nutritious,
wholesome and very delicious indeed.
Serves 8

25 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) buckwheat or brown rice flakes

150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) almond milk (see here) 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
90 g (3 oz/⅔ cup) teff flour
75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) brown rice flour
75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) buckwheat flour
1 tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground between your fingers
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
½ tsp baking powder
40 g (1½ oz/generous ¼ cup) sunflower seeds, preferably soaked for 8 hours or activated
dried (see here) 1½ tsp EVCP rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing
15 g (½ oz/2 tsp) unsulphured molasses
½ tsp xanthan gum
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 17 x 10 x 6.5

cm deep (6¾ x 4 x 2½ inch) loaf tin with a li le rapeseed oil, line the
bo om with baking parchment and then cover the bo om and sides
with the buckwheat or brown rice flakes, swirling around in the tin
to coat well. A lot of the flakes will not stick, so pour these out and
reserve for the top of the loaf.
Mix the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar to make a
bu ermilk-like liquid. Set aside. Combine the flours with the sea salt,
bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and baking powder and whisk
lightly to evenly combine the ingredients and disperse any lumps.
Add the sunflower seeds.
Add the oil, molasses and xanthan to the milk and mix with a hand-
held blender. Do not over-blend, you just need to pulse the blender a
few times to mix the liquids and dissolve the gum. Whisk in the eggs
then add this mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until
everything is well combined.
Pour into the tin, smooth the top with the back of a spoon and gently
shake the loaf to get rid of any air bubbles. Top with the remaining
flakes, pressing them into the dough slightly. Bake for 20 minutes
then turn down the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 and bake for a
further 10 minutes. Using an oven glove, turn out the loaf, pu ing it
upside down onto a baking tray, and bake for a final 10 minutes. A
skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean, and when
tapped on the bo om the loaf should sound hollow and feel light.
Enjoy this loaf when fresh, or it will keep for up to five days and
freezes well too. It toasts superbly and I recommend toasting it to
bring out its full flavour.

NOTES
You can make this with other seeds or nuts, or leave the seeds out entirely.
This loaf is incredibly versatile and goes well with everything – at breakfast
with bu er and jam (jelly) or scrambled eggs and grilled (broiled) tomatoes;
at lunch with a salad or as a smorgasbord with cured fish and gherkins; in
the evening with soup or a stew; or for sandwiches.
Sweet potato cornbread

Make this moreish cornbread for a barbecue – serve with lots of salads, fresh
grilled (broiled) fish, local meat and corn on the cob, and all your friends
will be happy. Under a perfect crunchy golden crust, the potato adds
lightness and a soft sweet depth of flavour, while the spring onions
(scallions) and hint of chilli keep it most definitely savoury.
Serves 10–12

About 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) sweet potatoes, with skin on

110 ml (3¾ fl oz/scant ½ cup) almond milk (see here) 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
210 g (7½ oz/1¼ cups) fine/quick-cook polenta (cornmeal)
190 g (6¾ oz/1¼ cups) brown rice flour
20 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) arrowroot
½ tsp guar gum
1½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground
30 g (1 oz) thinly sliced spring onions (scallions), about 3–4 small spring onions (scallions)
½ small red chilli, finely sliced
90 ml (3 fl oz/generous ⅓ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil, plus extra for greasing
2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

Scrub the potatoes and bake for about 30 minutes until the skin(s)
have shrivelled and they feel slightly soft. Cut in half and spoon out
the flesh to get 300 g (10½ oz/1½ cups) cooked sweet potato (no
skin). Set aside to cool.
Turn the oven down to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5 and line the bo om
of a loose-bo omed 20 cm (8 inch) round cake tin with baking
parchment. Grease the edges of the tin with rapeseed oil.
Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. In a large bowl,
combine all the dry ingredients from the polenta (cornmeal) to the
sea salt and whisk to disperse any lumps. Add the spring onions
(scallions) and chilli and mix in.
Mash the sweet potato in a bowl with a fork and add the rapeseed
oil and eggs, whisking to combine. Pour in the almond milk mixture
and stir once more. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients
and gradually pour in the potato and milk mix, folding everything
together until combined.
Pour the mix into the prepared tin, smooth the top with a small
pale e knife (frosting spatula) and bake for 20 minutes, rotating the
bread halfway. Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and bake
for a further 10 minutes. It is cooked when the top is starting to take
on a golden colour, the loaf is firm to the touch and a skewer
inserted in the centre comes out clean. Cool for about 10 minutes in
the tin on a wire rack then carefully remove from the tin and slice.
Serve generous slices warm from the oven with lashings of coconut
oil or organic bu er.
Keeps for up to five days in an airtight container.
Waste not, want not multi-seed quinoa
bread

One of the best and yummiest ways to use up all your leftover juice and nut
milk pulp is in this bread. The pulp still has a lot of flavour and nutrients,
not to mention its healthy fibre. In this vegan loaf, the vegetable pulp adds
both freshness and blasts of colour, while the seeds and quinoa flour provide
a distinct nu y, earthy flavour.
Juice serves 1–2
Bread serves 12+

Fennel, carrot and ginger juice

Makes about 250–300 g (8¾–10½ oz/compact 1¾ cups) juice pulp
1 large carrot (185 g/6½ oz)
2 celery stalks (125 g/4½ oz)
1 fennel bulb (240 g/8½ oz)
1 apple (125 g/4½ oz)
20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) ginger
Juice of 1 lemon

Quinoa bread
2 tbsp chia seeds
6 tbsp filtered water
250–300 g (8¾–10½ oz/compact 1¾ cups) juice pulp (see here) 200 g (7 oz/compact 1⅛
cups) almond or hazelnut milk pulp from 1 x recipe nut milk (see here) 100 g (3½ oz/¾
cup plus 1 tbsp) quinoa flour
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) pumpkin seeds, preferably soaked for 8 hours or activated dried (see
here) 80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup plus 1 tbsp) sunflower seeds, preferably soaked for 8 hours or
activated dried (see here)

Fennel, carrot and ginger juice

Juice all the ingredients, except the lemon, then stir in the lemon
juice at the end. Enjoy the juice and use the pulp in the bread.
Everybody’s juicers vary, but if you, like me, get large pieces of
vegetable chunks in the pulp, do not worry as they add a
flavoursome and colourful surprise when eating the bread.
Quinoa bread
Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and grease and line
the bo om of a 21 x 11 x 6 cm deep (8¼ x 4¼ x 2½ inch) loaf tin with
baking parchment.
Combine the chia seeds and measured water and leave for 15
minutes to form a gel. Put both pulps into a large bowl and add all
of the other ingredients along with the chia gel and drained soaked
seeds. Mix the dough with your hands, squeezing it through your
fingers. With the moisture from the pulps, it should be just wet
enough to stick together. Put the dough into the prepared tin,
pressing it down well into the corners. Dip your fingers in water
then smooth out the top of the loaf with your fingertips.
Bake for about 40 minutes, rotating the loaf after the first 20 minutes.
Then, using an oven glove, remove the loaf from the tin, carefully
run a knife around the edges, turn it upside down onto a baking tray
and remove the baking parchment from the bo om of the loaf. Bake
it upside down on the baking tray for another 10 minutes. When it is
ready a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean, the
bo om should sound hollow when tapped, and the top should be a
golden brown. Leave to cool completely.
Due to its moisture from the wet pulps, this bread is quite moist so it
is best eaten thinly sliced and toasted. It can be kept in the fridge for
at least four days and freezes well. Freeze in slices and toast straight
from the freezer.

NOTES
If you do not have the exact quantities of either the juice or nut pulp, just
increase one or the other to add up to 450–500 g (1 lb–1 lb 2 oz) in total, or
you can add extra ground almonds (almond meal), which have been
moistened with some water, again to add up to 450–500 g (1 lb–1 lb 2 oz).
If you only have the nut milk pulp, halve the rest of the ingredients, except
for the flour, and follow the recipe above but bake for 10 minutes less than
stated above.
This loaf also works with buckwheat flour in place of the quinoa. Then try
adding a handful or two of activated buckwheat groats. If the mix looks too
dry add a li le water.
For a nu y, grain-free version, replace the quinoa flour with chestnut flour
or ground almonds (almond meal), or a combination of both flours, and add
a nut mix such as dried activated walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts. You can
add up to 200 g (7 oz) of nuts.
 Biscuits (cookies), brownies and bars

Lavender, honey and almond bisco i thins

A rustic biscuit (cookie) enriched with elegant flavours of toasted almonds,

perfumed honey and dried lavender. Originating from Tuscany, these twice-
baked biscuits (cookies), also known as cantucci, are meant to be extra
crunchy. Dip them in tea, coffee or Vin Santo, the luscious Italian sweet
wine and cantucci’s traditional accompaniment.
Makes 30–40 bisco i

Bisco i
160 g (5½ oz/1⅛ cups) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here) 110 g (4 oz/¾ cup)
brown rice flour
85 g (3 oz/⅔ cup) sorghum flour
30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) arrowroot
3 tsp dried lavender
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 eggs
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut sugar
60 g (2 oz/3 tbsp) raw honey

Lavender apricot ‘yogurt’

150 g (5¼ oz/1⅛ cup) cashew nuts
6 apricots, about 40–50 g (1½–1¾ oz) each
2 tsp lemon juice
¼ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
10–15 g (⅓–½ oz/⅔–1 tbsp) blonde coconut nectar or clear raw honey Generous pinch
dried ground lavender

Start by soaking the cashew nuts for the yogurt in 300 ml (10½ fl
oz/1¼ cups) of filtered water and ½ tsp of Himalayan pink salt for 3–
4 hours. Drain and rinse thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. On a baking tray lined
with baking parchment, toast the almonds for 6–8 minutes or until
they are just taking colour. Leave to cool. Line another tray with
baking parchment.
Combine the flours and arrowroot, whisk to disperse any lumps and
set aside. In a spice grinder, grind the lavender until it is almost
powder. Add to the flours, along with the salt. In a freestanding
mixer, whisk the eggs, beginning on a low speed and increasing
gradually to high speed, until frothy and as firm as it will get. Pour in
the coconut sugar and honey and carry on whipping until just
combined and the mix falls in loose ribbons. Remove from the mixer
and very lightly fold in the flour mix and almonds until just
combined.
On the prepared baking tray, divide the bisco i mix into two logs.
The mix will be quite runny so you need to work quickly here. Bake
immediately for 10 minutes or until the top is just turning golden and
the logs feel soft-firm to touch. Remove from the oven and slice up
the logs using a serrated knife, cu ing slim biscuits (cookies) no more
than 1 cm (⅓ inch) thick. If the logs aren’t cu ing well, cook for a few
more minutes until firmer to cut.
Place the biscuits (cookies) flat on the tray and bake for a further 5–10
minutes, until beginning to take a li le colour and firm to touch.
Leave to cool. Store in an airtight tin for up to two weeks.
To make the Lavender apricot ‘yogurt’, remove the stones from the
apricots and place in a blender with the soaked cashew nuts, lemon
juice, vanilla seeds and sweetener and blend until totally smooth,
scraping down and repeating if necessary. Finally add the ground
lavender, a small pinch at a time until you reach your preferred
flavour. Check the ‘yogurt’ for sweetness. Pour it into a bowl and
serve with the bisco i. Keep in a glass jar in the fridge for about four
days.

NOTES
A fragrant flower honey, such as lavender honey, is excellent in this recipe.
For a truly delicious summer dessert, serve bowlfuls of fresh apricots topped
with a spoonful of the velvety apricot-enriched ‘yogurt’, crumbled bisco i
and a drizzle of honey.
Rosemary, orange, dark (bittersweet)
chocolate and hazelnut sablés

Literally meaning ‘sandy’ in French, sablé biscuits (cookies) are delectably

bu ery, crumbly and just melt in the mouth. While a basic recipe would
constitute flour, bu er and sugar, here I have added chopped hazelnuts to
contrast with the crumbly buckwheat dough, and a marriage of beautiful
flavours – rosemary, dark (bi ersweet) chocolate and orange.
Makes about 14 sablés

95 g (3¼ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter 30 g (1 oz/¼ cup)
coconut sugar
Finely grated zest of ½ orange
2 tsp finely chopped rosemary needles
¼ tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground
1 egg yolk
85 g (3 oz/⅔ cup) hazelnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 65 g (2¼ oz/⅓ cup plus 2
tbsp) buckwheat flour
50 g (1¾ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate, 85% cocoa
solids

Cream the bu er and coconut sugar with the orange zest, chopped
rosemary and salt until pale white. Add the egg yolk and carry on
mixing. In a food processor, chop the hazelnuts up until quite small
but not ground. We want to keep some texture. Combine the nuts
with the flour, and add them both to the mix. Finally chop the
chocolate into rough pea-sized pieces and add.
The mix will look wet and sticky but this is normal. Scrape the mix
out from the mixing bowl onto a 30 cm (12 inch) square piece of
baking parchment. Roll out to a log about 4 cm (1½ inches) in
diameter, by folding the excess baking parchment over the raw mix
and then shaping the mix. Freeze for 2–3 hours (or overnight) until
firm enough to cut into discs. You can always re-shape the raw
biscuits (cookies) with your hands if necessary.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with
baking parchment.
Cut the dough into 1 cm (⅓ inch) slices, place on the lined tray and
bake for 10–15 minutes, rotating the tray halfway, until the edges are
dark golden and the centre is coloured too. Baking them properly
really brings out the flavour of the nuts and rosemary. Leave to cool
completely on the tray and serve. Keeps in a sealed container for up
to five days.
NOTES
You could also use dark (bi ersweet) chocolate with 75 per cent cocoa solids
in this recipe if you find 85 per cent too bi er.
Dark (bittersweet) chocolate dipped
peanut butter and jelly dreams

These take the humble peanut bu er and jelly sandwich to a whole new level.
The dark (bi ersweet) chocolate shell cracks to reveal a crumbly and slightly
salty peanut bu er cookie topped with a layer of sweet yet sharp raspberry
jam (jelly) – they are just too good! Dipping the biscuits (cookies) in your
homemade chocolate at the end is great fun, and the leftover chocolate... well,
I’ll leave that up to you!
Makes 12 biscuits (cookies)

Biscuits (cookies)
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) peanuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup plus
1 tbsp) oat flour, plus extra for dusting 4 tsp arrowroot
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
½ tsp baking powder
40 g (1½ oz/3 tbsp) coconut oil, softened but not melted
60 g (2 oz/½ cup) coconut sugar
90 g (3 oz/generous ⅓ cup) smooth peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
300 g (10½ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids 140 g (5 oz/generous ½ cup) quick-cook raspberry jam (jelly) (see here) or no
added sugar high fruit content jam (jelly) To top
Maldon or other flaky sea salt
6 freeze-dried raspberries or a small handful of freeze-dried raspberry pieces

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a baking tray with

baking parchment. Bli the peanuts, oat flour and arrowroot in a
food processor until as fine as possible, rocking the food processor
gently if necessary. Add the salt and baking powder and bli once
more.
In a large bowl, beat the coconut oil, coconut sugar, peanut bu er
and vanilla extract using the back of a wooden spoon to get rid of any
lumps of coconut oil. Combine the dry ingredients with the coconut
and peanut bu er mixture. Finish by bringing the mix together with
your hands.
Turn the mix out onto a lightly floured surface and roll to just under
1 cm (⅓ inch) thick. Cut out circles using a 6 cm (2½ inch) round
cu er. Re-roll and cut again. Transfer onto the lined baking tray,
using a knife to scoop them up, and bake for 8 minutes. Rotate the
baking tray and bake for a further 8 minutes. The biscuits (cookies)
should be light brown. Leave to cool completely on the baking tray.
Do not pick them up until they are cold as they are very crumbly and
will break easily.
Put a piece of marble or a baking tray lined with baking parchment in
the freezer. Melt the chocolate using a bain-marie (see here), heating
to 28–30°C (82–86°F) for dipping.
With a pastry brush, brush a thin layer of chocolate over the top
surface of each cold biscuit (cookie). Leave to dry then spread a layer
of jam (jelly) over the chocolate, about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick.
Remove the cooled marble or baking tray from the freezer. One by
one, slide a fork under each biscuit (cookie), and dip it into the
chocolate, keeping the fork almost horizontal. Once completely
covered, gently tap the fork on the edge of the bowl. Wipe the bo om
of the biscuit (cookie) on the side of the bowl, then slide it off the fork
onto the marble, using a knife if necessary to push it off.
While the chocolate is still wet, finish each biscuit (cookie) with a
sprinkling of sea salt and freeze-dried raspberries, crushed between
your fingers. Once set, devour immediately! Or, if you can resist,
these will keep in an airtight container for about four days.
Chilli choc-chip cookies

With their thin crunchy crust and soft chewy centre, these grain-free cookies
are irresistible! They are also very quick and easy to make. The hot chilli
powder brings a delectably spicy warmth to the palate and pairs beautifully
with the bi er dark (bi ersweet) chocolate.
Makes 12 cookies

1 egg
50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut sugar
130 g (4½ oz/½ cup) almond butter (see here) ½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp coarse sea salt, ground between your fingers
Good few pinches hot chilli powder, or more to taste
100 g (3½ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 75–85%
cocoa solids, depending on your preference, chopped into pea-sized chunks

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a baking tray

with baking parchment. Whisk together the egg and coconut sugar.
Add the almond bu er and vanilla extract and then the salt. Beat well
then mix in the chilli and chocolate.
Spoon 1 tablespoon of the mix onto the baking tray at a time, to get
12 cookies in total. Smooth the mounds out with the back of the
spoon and your fingers. The cookies should be about 6 cm (2½
inches) in diameter (they don’t spread much). Bake for 6 minutes,
rotate and bake for a further 3 minutes or until the edges of the
cookies are golden brown and the centre feels soft when pressed.
Remove from the oven and slide the baking parchment, with the
cookies on it, on to a cooling rack. Slide a knife under the cookies to
remove them from the paper. They’re delicious warm from the oven
and get chewier when cooled. Will last for up to five days in an
airtight container.
Chai-spiced oatmeal, raisin, sultana and
currant cookies

I have always loved oatmeal and raisin cookies, so I have to be very strong-
willed when I bake a batch of these! When cooked, the edges become slightly
crunchy and chewy while the middle stays sublimely soft, studded with
juicy dried fruit. The spices add their sweet warming flavours, making it
hard to resist another one!
Makes 18–20 cookies

105 g (3¾ oz/1⅛ cups) gluten-free rolled oats, plus extra for sprinkling 45 g (1½ oz/generous
⅓ cup) oat flour
45 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) gram flour
25 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) cornflour (cornstarch)
25 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) arrowroot
25 g (¾ oz/¼ cup) milled flax seeds
¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
105 g (3¾ oz/⅔ cup) Palmyra nectar powder
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cardamom
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch black pepper, optional
¾ tsp guar gum
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) currants
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) raisins
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
125 g (4½ oz/½ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line a large baking

tray with baking parchment.
Combine all the dry ingredients from the rolled oats to the guar gum.
Using a whisk, mix them together well, making sure the guar gum is
well dispersed. Add the currants, sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
and raisins. Make a well in the centre of the dry mix and add the oil,
apple purée and vanilla extract and mix with a wooden spoon.
Weigh out 40 g (1½ oz) of cookie dough to make one cookie, then use
this as a size guide; or divide the dough to make 18–20 cookies. Using
a dessert spoon, spoon out blobs about the same size as the guide
onto the tray, slightly fla ening them with the back of the spoon and
your fingers. You’ll get a bit sticky here. You want the cookies to be
just over 1 cm (⅓ inch) thick. Sprinkle the cookies with the extra oats.
Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the tray and cook for 2–3 more minutes,
until the cookies are golden brown, the edges are slightly darker and
just hard, while the centre is still soft to touch. Leave to cool on a rack
for 10 minutes, then enjoy while warm. The cookies will keep for at
least three days in an airtight container and freeze well too.
Tutti frutti buckwheat florentines

Extremely quick to rustle up, these are yummy, chewy, crunchy, nu y,

fruity sensations! Play around with the fruits and nuts. I love the tart sweet
cranberries, blueberries and apricots with almonds, but currants, chopped
figs, hazelnuts and pistachio nuts all work well.
Makes about 20 florentines

100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here), roughly chopped 100 g
(3½ oz/⅔ cup) buckwheat groats, preferably activated dried (see here) 40 g (1½ oz/¼
cup) dried unsulphured apricots, chopped into small pieces 40 g (1½ oz/¼ cup) dried
unsweetened blueberries
40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) dried cranberries
30 g (1 oz/generous 2 tbsp) coconut oil
50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut sugar
20 g (¾ oz/1⅓ tbsp) coconut nectar
20 g (¾ oz/scant 3 tbsp) buckwheat flour
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut milk
200 g (7 oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and line one large

baking tray with a silicone mat or baking parchment.
Mix together the chopped almonds and buckwheat groats with the
apricots, blueberries and cranberries, pulling apart any large clumps
of dried fruit with your fingertips.
In a small–medium saucepan, melt the oil with the coconut sugar and
nectar, being careful not to let it catch. Add the flour, whisking for
almost a minute to make a thick paste, then immediately add the
coconut milk, whisking continuously until smooth and thick, no
longer than one more minute.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the nut and fruit mix.
Spoon out heaped teaspoons of the mix onto the prepared tray,
leaving about 1 cm (⅓ inch) between each mound. Fla en each
mound slightly with the back of a spoon. Bake for 10 minutes, rotate
the tray and bake for about another 5 minutes. The tops of the
biscuits (cookies) should be golden brown. Remove from the oven
and leave to cool completely on the tray.
Melt the chocolate slowly in a bain-marie (see here), heating to 28–
30°C (82–86°F) for dipping. When the florentines are cold, dip the
base of each one in the chocolate, dropping it in and then scooping it
out with a fork. Shake off any excess chocolate, wipe the bo om of
the biscuit (cookie) on the side of the bowl, and put the biscuits
(cookies), with the chocolate facing upwards, onto a piece of baking
parchment. If you want, mark the chocolate bo om using a fork,
using a zig-zag movement to go across the chocolate before it sets.
Leave in a cool place or refrigerate for a few minutes to set. Serve
immediately.
Keep in a sealed container for up to five days.
Waste not, want not raw herby hemp
seed crackers

Made with vegetable juice pulp and nut milk pulp, these tasty crackers work
well with hummus, baba ghanoush and other dips, or break them up and
sprinkle onto salads. The oniony chives, parsley and basil marry well with
the fresh flavours of the vegetables and lime, while the chilli and za’atar add
extra depth.
Juice serves 1
Makes about 90 crackers

Super alkaline green juice

Makes about 170 g (6 oz/compact 1¼ cups) juice pulp
80 g (2¾ oz) kale (a generous handful)
25 g (¾ oz) spinach (a small handful)
⅓ cucumber (about 135 g/4¾ oz)
2–3 celery stalks (about 115 g/4 oz)
20 g (¾ oz/⅓ cup) flat-leaf or curly parsley (a small handful)
1 small pear (about 120 g/4¼ oz)

Crackers
170 g (6 oz/compact 1¼ cups) juice pulp (see here) 200 g (7 oz/compact 1⅛ cups) almond
or hazelnut milk pulp, from 1 x recipe nut milk (see here) 120 g (4¼ oz/scant ½ cup) tahini,
preferably raw
100 g (3½ oz/generous ¾ cup) shelled hemp seeds, plus extra for sprinkling 45 g (1½
oz/scant 1 cup) chives, finely chopped
45 g (1½ oz/⅔ cup) parsley (without stalks), finely chopped
20 g (¾ oz/scant 1 cup) basil, finely chopped
1–1½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Black pepper to taste
2 tbsp psyllium husk powder
Finely grated zest and 20 ml (¾ fl oz/4 tsp) juice of 1 lime
Tiny pinch chilli flakes, optional
½ tsp za’atar, optional

Put all the ingredients for the crackers into a large bowl and mix with
your hands, squeezing the mix through your fingers until you get a
doughy, herby ball. Check and adjust the seasoning as necessary.
Spread a piece of the mix out thinly on a piece of baking parchment
or a silicone mat (or whatever you use in your dehydrator). Start off
using your hands to spread it, dipping your fingers into water then
pressing out the mix. Next use a knife, preferably a step pale e knife
(frosting spatula), to spread the mix very thinly to 3–4 mm (⅛ inch)
thick and no thicker than 5 mm (⅕ inch). If the mix feels too stiff to
spread, dip the knife into water too, which will help the mix spread
more easily and evenly.
With a knife, mark the crackers into squares or rectangles – I like 5 x 4
cm (2 x 1½ inch) rectangles. Sprinkle with extra hemp seeds, pressing
them in slightly, if desired. Repeat the whole process using more
baking parchment or silicone mats, until all of the dough has been
spread.
Place in the dehydrator and dehydrate for 24 hours at 45°C/113°F. I
like them to be crisp but with a li le chew, but dry them out for
longer if you want them crunchier. If you do not have a dehydrator,
just set your oven to the lowest temperature and take that into
account with the timing. As a guide, my oven’s lowest temperature is
60°C (140°F) and the crackers take about 3–4 hours to cook, but they
will be golden-brown rather than green.
The crackers will keep for up to two weeks in a sealed container.
Store in the fridge for extra freshness.

NOTES
The juice and pulp I have used is just a guide. All you need is the fibre and
moisture from the pulp to make these, so don’t worry if you have slightly
different amounts of pulp or have made a different juice, just adjust the other
ingredients accordingly and taste the mix as you go. Add your own
favourite herbs and spices and play around with flavours. Ground turmeric,
ginger and cumin work well with celery, beetroot, carrot, fresh ginger and
apple juice as seen in the orangey coloured crackers (shown here).
Chocolate truffle teff brownies

Nestled in the cloud forest of the Andes, I tasted the best brownies ever at El
Que al de Mindo in Ecuador. The secret of their mind-blowing intensity
was a special ingredient – 100 per cent cacao liquor, made from beans from
the plantation where the brownies were baked. I have tried my hardest to
recreate them here...
Makes 30 rectangles or 48 triangles

100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) coconut oil

150 g (5¼ oz) dark (bittersweet) chocolate, 100% cocoa solids
280 g (10 oz/2¼ cups) coconut sugar
1 tsp coarse sea salt, plus ½ tsp extra for sprinkling
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
80 g (2¾ oz/generous ½ cup) teff flour

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease and line a 30 x

20 x 2 cm deep (12 x 8 x ¾ inch) brownie tin.
Melt the oil with the chocolate in a bain-marie (see here). Once
melted, remove from the heat and mix in the sugar and salt, grinding
it between your fingers, followed by the eggs and vanilla extract.
Finally mix in the flour until just combined. The mix should look
smooth and glossy. Pour into the prepared tin. Sprinkle with the
extra salt and bake for 15 minutes, rotating the tin after 10 minutes,
until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out just clean. The
brownies should feel firm to touch and will be cracking slightly
around the edges.
Leave to cool completely in the tin then cut into 30 rectangles, each 5
x 4 cm (2 x 1½ inch), or make 48 small triangles, by cu ing 5 cm (2
inch) squares diagonally in half. As the brownies are very rich, for me
a small triangle will suffice. They are also great served as petit fours
or with the Velvet chocolate pots here. These brownies will keep for
up to five days in the fridge or are suitable for freezing. They’re even
yummy eaten straight from frozen.
Sour cherry and macadamia butterscotch
blondies

The chewy sour cherries really make these grain-free blondies. Their sweet
sharpness cuts through the bu erscotch and white chocolate-like flavours
created by the mixture of cacao and cashew bu ers, coconut sugar and
creamy crunchy macadamia nuts, all these components melting deliciously
together with each bite.
Makes 20 blondies

2 eggs
100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut sugar, plus extra for sprinkling 260 g (9¼ oz/1 cup)
cashew butter (see here) 1 tsp coarse sea salt
1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon
40 g (1½ oz/scant 3 tbsp) cacao butter
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) dried sour cherries
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) macadamia nut halves
1 tsp baking powder
40 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) ground almonds (almond meal)

Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and grease and line a

20 cm (8 inch) square brownie tin with baking parchment.
Mix the eggs with the coconut sugar. Combine the cashew bu er,
salt, vanilla seeds and lemon zest and beat it into the egg mix, stirring
well. Melt the cacao bu er and add to the mix along with 40 g (1½ oz/
¼ cup) of the sour cherries and half the macadamia nuts. Finally
combine the baking powder and ground almonds (almond meal) and
fold them into the mix. Pour into the prepared tin and top with the
remaining sour cherries and macadamia nuts, pressing them into the
mix well. Sprinkle with a good handful of coconut sugar to cover.
Bake for 20–25 minutes, turning the tray halfway, until the top is
golden brown and just starting to crack and the edges are slightly
darker. Leave to cool before cu ing. These will keep for five days in
an airtight container and freeze well too.
Salted tahini shortbread biscuit (cookie)
bars with yogurt-coated walnuts and figs

These bars are crazy-good! Crunchy toasted walnuts and sweet, juicy dried
figs coated in homemade yogurt-like ‘white chocolate’ on a slightly salty
bu ery biscuit (cookie) base, what more could you want? For it to be guilt-
free, too? Well, here you are! Hard to put down and devilishly moreish, these
won’t be around for long.
Makes 24 square bars

‘White chocolate yogurt’

120 g (4¼ oz/scant ½ cup) cashew butter (see here) 180 g (6¼ oz/¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) cacao
butter, melted
½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
65 g (2¼ oz/generous 3 tbsp) raw honey
Pinch Himalyan pink salt

Biscuit (cookie)
360 g (12¾ oz/3½ cups) walnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup
plus 1 tbsp) coconut oil, softened but not melted 120 g (4¼ oz/scant 1 cup) coconut sugar
180 g (6¼ oz/¾ cup) light tahini
2 tsp vanilla extract
200 g (7 oz/1⅔ cups) oat flour
20 g (¾ oz/2½ tbsp) arrowroot
2 tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground
1 tsp baking powder
200 g (7 oz/1¼ cups) dried figs, small stalks removed

To make the ‘white chocolate yogurt’ place everything in a blender

and blend until completely smooth. Pour into a bowl and set aside,
leaving it in a warm place so it does not set.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a 30 x 20 x 3 cm
deep (12 x 8 x 1¼ inch) tin with baking parchment. Line another tray
with baking parchment and toast 160 g (5½ oz/1½ cups) of the
walnuts on it for 7 minutes or until just beginning to colour. Set aside
to cool.
Beat together the coconut oil, coconut sugar, tahini and vanilla extract
until smooth.
Bli the remaining 200 g (7 oz/2 cups) of walnuts in a food processor
with the oat flour and arrowroot until as fine as possible. Add the salt
and baking powder and bli once more. Combine the dry
ingredients with the tahini, sugar and oil mixture. Finish by bringing
the mix together with your hands. Press the biscuit (cookie) mix into
the prepared tin, smoothing it out to make an even base with a step
pale e knife (frosting spatula). Bake for 30–35 minutes, turning
halfway, until light brown. Leave to cool.
Roughly chop the figs into about 4–6 pieces each. Roughly chop the
toasted walnuts into pieces a bit larger than peas. Mix thoroughly
into the ‘white chocolate yogurt’ and then immediately pour over the
cooled tahini shortbread base. Leave to set in the freezer for 30
minutes, then remove from the tin and cut with a large serrated knife
into 5 cm (2 inch) squares and serve.
Keeps well for five days in a sealed container.

NOTES
For a vegan ‘white chocolate yogurt’, blonde coconut nectar works well in
the place of the raw honey.
Raw super seed energy boosters

Containing the kings of the seeds: hemp, flax, chia and pumpkin, these bars
certainly deliver on nutrition, being power-packed with protein, essential
fa y acids and fibre. I also like to add the superfood moringa, which has 13
essential vitamins and minerals, is high in protein and rich in iron and
antioxidants.
Makes 25 squares

150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) dried figs, hard stalks removed

Grated zest and 70 ml (2½ fl oz/¼ cup plus 2 tsp) juice of 1 orange 1 tbsp cold pressed flax
seed oil
30 g (1 oz/2 tbsp) tahini, raw if possible
2 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 tbsp chia seeds
5 tbsp pumpkin seeds, preferably activated dried (see here) 5 tbsp hulled hemp seeds
100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) Brazil nuts, roughly chopped into about 3 pieces 2 tbsp hemp protein
powder
1–2 tsp moringa powder, optional
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here) 20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) goji
berries

Line a 20 cm (8 inch) square tin with baking parchment.

Process the figs in a food processor with the orange zest and juice, oil,
tahini, vanilla extract and salt, stopping the mixer and scraping down
until a roughly smooth paste forms. Add the rest of the ingredients,
except the almonds and goji berries, and process until it forms a ball-
like paste. Finally add the almonds and goji berries, pulsing a few
times just to cut up some of the almonds. Most of the almonds should
stay whole, which adds a nice crunch to the soft bars.
Press the mix into the prepared tin, spreading it out evenly.
Refrigerate for about 1 hour and then cut up into 4 cm (1½ inch)
squares and enjoy from the fridge or freezer. If you prefer, you can
make the squares into balls instead. They keep for at least five days in
the fridge, or freeze well for at least a month.
Almond, oat and raspberry bars

These are great for breakfast on the go, children’s snacks, picnics or to
combat that mid-afternoon energy-slump. Fruity, crumbly, moist and
moreish, they’re far be er than a bog standard fruit square any day!
Makes 12 slices or 24 small squares

120 g (4¼ oz/1 cup) oat flour

100 g (3½ oz/1 cup plus 2 tbsp) gluten-free rolled oats, plus 20 g (¾ oz/scant ¼ cup) for
topping 1 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp arrowroot
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
120 g (4¼ oz/scant ½ cup) almond butter (see here) 1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways
and seeds scraped out
100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) coconut nectar, plus 1 tbsp extra
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
200 g (7 oz/1⅔ cups) raspberries, fresh or frozen
120 g (4¼ oz/½ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 50 g (1¾ oz/generous ½ cup) flaked
almonds

Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and line a 20 x 20 x 3

cm deep (8 x 8 x 1¼ inch) tray with baking parchment.
Combine all the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, mix the almond
bu er with the vanilla seeds, 100 g (3½ oz/scant ½ cup) coconut
nectar and lemon zest. Add the dry ingredients to the almond bu er
mix and stir together. The mix will be quite stiff so use your hands to
combine it if necessary. Weigh the mix and put three-quarters of it
into the base of the tin, pushing it into the corners and fla ening it to
make a ½ cm (⅕ inch) thick base.
Mash together the raspberries, apple purée and 1 tbsp of coconut
nectar using a fork and pour onto the base. Crumble up the
remainder of the oat mix and add in the flaked almonds and extra
oats. Crumble this mix over the fruit and really press it into the fruit,
otherwise it will all just crumble off when eating. Bake for 15
minutes. Open the oven and, wearing oven gloves, lightly press the
semi-baked crumble mix into the fruit, then bake for a further 10–15
minutes until the crumble and almond top is golden brown and the
edges look dark golden.
Leave to cool completely in the tin and then slice up into 12 pieces,
each 8 x 4 cm (3 x 1½ inches), or cut in half for 24 smaller squares.
They keep for five days in an airtight container in the fridge and
freeze well too.
Five grain omega mix granola bars

Wholegrains are great, especially when used in combination, each having its
own dietary a ributes and creating a fuelling complex carbohydrate blend.
Adding a balanced mix of seeds and walnuts to supply you and your family
with a good dose of your daily omega 3 and 6 intake, these bars are pre y
awesome.
Makes about 30 bars

100 g (3½ oz/scant 1 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped

50 g (1¾ oz/scant ⅓ cup) flax seeds
50 g (1¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup) sesame seeds
100 g (3½ oz/generous ⅔ cup) sunflower seeds
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) pumpkin seeds
80 g (2¾ oz/scant 1 cup) gluten-free oats
80 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) buckwheat flakes
80 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) quinoa flakes
80 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) brown rice flakes
80 g (2¾ oz/¾ cup) millet flakes
50 g (1¾ oz/scant ½ cup) milled flax seeds
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1½ tsp coarse sea salt, ground
2 tsp vanilla extract
200 g (7 oz/¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) easy apple purée (see here) 150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup)
EVCP rapeseed oil
Zest and juice of 1 orange

Soak the walnuts and all the seeds, except the milled flax seeds, for 8
hours or overnight in 1 litre (35 fl oz/4¼ cups) of filtered water with 2
tsp of Himalayan pink salt (see also here). Drain and rinse
thoroughly.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½. Line a 30 x 20 x 3 cm
deep (12 x 8 x 1¼ inch) tray with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, combine the oats, all the flakes, milled flax seeds,
mixed spice, cinnamon and salt. Add the soaked nuts and seeds and
combine. Combine the vanilla, apple purée, oil and orange zest and
juice, then pour over the dry ingredients and mix well.
Put all the mix into the prepared tray, pressing it down really well
into the corners and compacting it. Cook for 1 hour, turning the tray
halfway, until the top is golden brown and firm to touch, while the
edges are slightly darker. Leave to cool completely in the tin. Lift out
of the tin onto a chopping board and cut into 2.5 x 6.5 cm (1 x 2½
inch) bars, using a sharp serrated knife.
Increase the oven temperature to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Bake the
sliced bars on a baking tray lined with parchment for a further 20–25
minutes, turning the bars over halfway through baking to give both
sides a golden colour. They keep for up to five days in a sealed
container and freeze well too.

VARIATIONS
Naturally sweetened five grain omega mix granola bars
I like to keep these bars sugar-free to highlight the great flavours of
the toasted seeds, nuts and grains, but if you prefer them sweeter
then add 5 tbsp of date syrup, or your preferred natural liquid
sweetener, and 150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) dates chopped into small pea-size
pieces, or another dried fruit, when you add the orange zest and
juice.
Hazelnut, buckwheat and blueberry bars
Follow the recipe for Almond, oat and raspberry bars, but replace the
oat flour and flakes with buckwheat flour and flakes; almond bu er
with hazelnut bu er; flaked almonds with chopped hazelnuts; and
raspberries with blueberries.
Coconut-cacao-quinoa bars

If you like dark (bi ersweet) chocolate and coconut (and let’s face it, who
doesn’t?), then watch out as these are seriously scrummy! With a hint of
Himalayan pink salt and vanilla to enliven them, this is a flavour
combination that never fails. Packed with goodness, these are easy to make,
so get prepared and bake a batch to have for the week ahead.
Makes 12 bars

Bars
120 g (4¼ oz/¾ cup) pitted Medjool dates
1 vanilla pod (bean), cut lengthways and seeds scraped out
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
50 g (1¾ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids 100 g (3½ oz/1¼ cups) desiccated coconut
50 g (1¾ oz/½ cup) quinoa flakes
50 g (1¾ oz/scant ½ cup) cacao nibs
60 g (2 oz/generous ¼ cup) coconut oil
20 g (¾ oz/1⅓ tbsp) coconut nectar

To top
100 g (3½ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids 20 g (¾ oz/¼ cup) desiccated coconut

Grease and line an 18 x 11 x 8 cm deep (7 x 4¼ x 3 inch) loaf tin with

baking parchment, making sure that the parchment comes up around
the edges.
Put the dates in a food processor with the vanilla seeds and extract,
salt and cinnamon and blend to a rough paste. Roughly chop the
chocolate into small pieces, add it to the dates, along with the
desiccated coconut, quinoa flakes and cacao nibs, and blend. Melt the
coconut oil, add to the date mix with the coconut nectar and blend
once more until the mix is well combined. A piece of the mix
fla ened in your hand will stick together.
Remove the mix from the food processor and press well into the
prepared tin. Smooth out the top using your hands and a step pale e
knife (frosting spatula), and freeze for 1 hour.
Remove the set mix from the tin. Cut into 12 bars, just under 1.5 cm
(½ inch) wide, using a serrated knife. Put the desiccated coconut for
the topping on to a deep plate or bowl. Melt the chocolate for the
topping in a bain-marie (see here). You will need to use a bowl that is
deep enough to fit the bars in so that the chocolate covers a bit more
than 1 cm (⅓ inch) of their depth, but also large enough to fit the 11
cm (4¼ inch) bars.
When the chocolate is around 28–30°C (82–86°F), dip in the bars
lengthways, one by one, so the bo om half of the bar is coated in
chocolate. Shake off the excess chocolate, wipe the bar on the side of
the bowl, then dip the bo om of the bar into the coconut while the
chocolate is still wet. Leave on a tray to set, with the coconut layer
facing upwards.
When all the bars have been dipped in the chocolate, pour any
leftover chocolate onto a piece of baking parchment, refrigerate it,
and, when set, snap up and store in a glass jar in the fridge.
Store the bars in the fridge where they will keep well for five days, or
freeze. Eat them at their best, cold, straight from the fridge or freezer.
I also love crumbling them over coconut yogurt.

NOTES
I like to dip the bars in chocolate as it makes an impressive and tasty finish,
but this stage can be skipped if you prefer, and the bars will still taste great.
 Gorgeous tarts and scrumptious pies

Blueberry gale es

The blueberries are the stars of these simple but delicious tarts so I highly
recommend that you find the best quality blueberries, preferably local or
organic. It really pays off as the ones in supermarkets often lack flavour.
Sweet cherries, when in season, make an ideal substitute for blueberries.
Makes 6 gale es

480 g (1 lb 1 oz/3 cups) blueberries, fresh or frozen

2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp coconut sugar, plus 15 g (½ oz/1½ tbsp), and extra for topping
15 g (½ oz/2½ tbsp) ground almonds (almond meal)
15 g (½ oz/1¾ tbsp) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here), roughly chopped 1 tsp
ground cinnamon
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
360 g (12¾ oz) basic pastry (see here)

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°2F/Gas Mark 3. Line a large baking

tray with baking parchment.
In a large bowl, mix together the blueberries (allow to thaw slightly
first if using frozen) with the lemon juice and 2 tbsp coconut sugar.
Leave for 30 minutes to macerate. Mix together the ground and
chopped almonds with the 15 g (½ oz/1½ tbsp) coconut sugar,
cinnamon and salt.
Roll out the pastry to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick. Using a large
cookie cu er or a small plate with a 13 cm (5 inch) diameter, cut out
6 circles of pastry (each circle should weigh around 60 g (2 oz)),
rerolling as necessary. As you cut each one, put it onto the lined
baking tray, leaving at least 2.5 cm (1 inch) between each disc.
Divide the almond mix between the 6 discs, placing it in the centre
and leaving about 2 cm (¾ inch) around the edges. Top the almond
mix with the blueberries, keeping the mixture in the centre of the
discs. Reserve the macerating juices.
Next, turn the pastry up around the berries; work as if you are
building walls of pastry around them. The pastry might break so this
part requires patience. Fold up the pastry with your fingertips or
carefully slip a knife under each section of pastry, working around
in a circle. Once all the edges are up, seal any holes and smooth out
the edges using the back of a kitchen knife and your fingertips. Don’t
worry about over-working the pastry, there’s no gluten in it to work!
Finish by pouring the leftover juices onto the berries and sprinkle
each gale e with a generous pinch of coconut sugar. Bake for about
15 minutes, rotating the tray halfway through the cooking time. The
gale es are ready when the fruit juices are bubbling and the pastry is
golden brown.
Leave to cool on the baking tray before moving the gale es carefully
with a large spatula as they are fragile and will collapse if moved
while too hot. These are best served fresh, ideally slightly warm
from the oven, but will still be good for up to three days.

NOTE
If you want to make one large gale e instead of the six smaller ones, roll the
pastry out into a large circle and double the cooking time to 30 minutes.
Plum crostata

Every summer we just cannot get enough of the succulent plums in our
garden, so this recipe is dedicated to the annual British plum glut! It is
simple to make, so pre y in appearance and at once sweet, tart and fresh.
Add a dollop of vanilla ice cream and you’re away!
Serves 12–16

Plum crostata
Coconut oil, for greasing
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) basic pastry (see here), rolled to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick About 30 fresh
firm plums
2 tbsp raw honey

Plum jam (jelly)

20 de-stoned plums, about 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) de-stoned weight, fresh or frozen 300 g (10½
oz/1¼ cups) easy apple purée (see here) 60 g (2 oz/½ cup) coconut sugar

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a round 28 x 4

cm deep (11 x 1½ inch) tart tin with coconut oil. Line the tin with the
pastry then blind bake (see here) for 15 minutes until the edges are
golden brown. Remove the lining and baking beans and bake for a
further 10–20 minutes or until the base of the pastry is turning
golden brown and the edges are slightly darker. Set aside to cool.
To make the plum jam (jelly), put all the jam (jelly) ingredients into a
medium–large saucepan. Bring to the boil, lower the heat slightly
and cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up the plums with a spoon.
Turn down to a simmer and continue to cook the mix, stirring
occasionally, until it has reduced to a thick and relatively smooth
jam (jelly). Remove from the heat.
While the jam (jelly) cooks, halve the plums and remove the stones.
Fill the cooked pastry base evenly with the jam (jelly) and then top
with the halved plums, placed vertically into the jam (jelly), starting
at the edge of the tart and working inwards. Drizzle with the honey
and bake for about 20 minutes until the plums are just softening. The
filling will be very juicy, but this is normal.
This tart is best eaten fresh on the day it is baked, or for breakfast the
next morning.
NOTES
I love the tartness of the fresh plums on top of the sweet jam (jelly) and
pastry, but you can drizzle the baked tart with an additional 1–2 tbsp of
raw honey if you prefer a sweeter finish, or serve the tart with extra honey if
you like.
If you are vegan, replace the honey with coconut nectar or your preferred
vegan sweetener.
Raspberry and rose tartlets with
pistachio frangipane

I look forward to autumn raspberries every year, they’re just so plump and
juicy! They form the sweet centres of these divine vegan morsels (summer
raspberries work too), surrounded by a soft but crunchy pistachio
frangipane, all encased in crumbly buckwheat and almond pastry. I don’t
think they could be any more heavenly.
Makes 12 tartlets

70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) pistachio nuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 1 tbsp milled flax
seeds
3 tbsp filtered water
20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) ground almonds (almond meal)
30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) coconut sugar
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Finely grated zest of ¼ lemon
45 g (1½ oz/3½ tbsp) coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
10 g (⅓ oz/½ tbsp) raw pistachio paste, optional
200 g (7 oz) basic pastry (see here), rolled out to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick 6 tsp quick-
cook raspberry jam (jelly) (see here), or no added sugar high fruit content raspberry jam
(jelly) 150–200 g (5–7 oz/scant 1¼–1⅔ cups) fresh or frozen raspberries
½–1 tbsp rosewater for brushing, plus 1½ tsp for glazing
3 tsp no added sugar high fruit content apricot jam (jelly)

To decorate
Fresh rose petals
Chopped pistachio nuts

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 12-hole tartlet

tin with a li le coconut oil. On a baking tray lined with baking
parchment, toast the pistachio nuts for 5–7 minutes until just
beginning to colour. Set aside to cool.
Mix the milled flax seeds with the measured water and leave for
about 15 minutes to form a thick gel. Bli the cooled pistachio nuts
in a food processor fi ed with a blade. Do not grind them down
completely; some should be finely ground while the rest are in
slightly larger pieces for texture.
To make the frangipane, combine the semi-ground pistachio nuts
with the ground almonds (almond meal), coconut sugar, salt and
lemon zest. Melt the coconut oil and add it to the dry ingredients
along with the raw pistachio paste, if using. Finally fold in the flax
seed gel. Set the mix aside.
Using a 6 cm (2½ inch) fluted cookie cu er, cut out 12 pastry rounds
and place them in the moulds, making sure there are no air gaps.
Cover the bo om of each pastry case with about ¼–½ tsp of
raspberry jam (jelly). Divide the frangipane between the 12 tartlets,
covering the layer of jam (jelly). You will get about 1 tbsp of
frangipane per tartlet. Top each tartlet with 2–3 raspberries,
depending on their size. Some autumn raspberries are huge! Slightly
push them into the frangipane.
Bake for 10 minutes, turn and bake for another 2–4 minutes. They
are ready when the frangipane is slightly bubbling and the edges of
the pastry shells are golden brown, as is the outside of the
frangipane. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then, while the tartlets are
still warm, brush with rosewater. I recommend using ½–1 tbsp in
total for all 12, brushed on with a pastry brush and left to sink in. For
each tartlet, immerse the pastry brush in the rosewater and brush
generously over.
To make the glaze, mix the apricot jam (jelly) with 1½ tsp of
rosewater. When the tartlets are completely cool, glaze them using a
pastry brush. Using a small pale e knife (frosting spatula) or kitchen
knife, remove each tartlet from the mould and serve, finishing off
with chopped pistachio nuts and fresh rose petals. Serve for
afternoon tea, or for pudding with clouds of whipped vanilla
coconut cream (see here). These will last well in a sealed container
for at least three days.

NOTES
Tartlet tins vary in size so you may need to use a different sized cu er for
the pastry, depending on the size of your tin. Leftover pastry can be baked
off as biscuits (cookies) or frozen.
Rosewaters greatly vary in strength and flavour so try to seek out a more
delicate one. I love Steenbergs organic rosewater (see Stockists here).
Pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart with
cacao pastry crust

This pudding is inspired by two classics, Poires Belle Hélène, poached pears
with chocolate sauce, and Tarte Bourdaloue, pâte sucrée filled with pear and
almond frangipane. In this wonderfully textured tart, a crunchy cacao crust
surrounds a gooey centre of soft, sweet pears, immersed in a chocolate and
hazelnut frangipane.
Serves 8–10

Cacao pastry crust

45 g (1½ oz/3½ tbsp) coconut oil, plus extra for greasing
75 g (2¾ oz/⅔ cup) ground hazelnuts
60 g (2 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) buckwheat flour, plus extra for dusting
15 g (½ oz/3 tbsp) cacao powder
30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) coconut sugar
10 g (⅓ oz/1¼ tbsp) arrowroot
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
35 ml (1¼ fl oz/7 tsp) water

Chocolate and hazelnut frangipane

3 tbsp milled flax seeds
9 tbsp water
200 g (7 oz/1½ cups) hazelnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 20 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp)
ground hazelnuts or ground almonds (almond meal)
20 g (¾ oz/4 tbsp) cacao powder
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
90 g (3 oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids, roughly chopped into pea-size pieces 130 g (4½ oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut oil,
melted
120 g (4¼ oz/generous ⅓ cup) raw honey
30 g (1 oz/2 tbsp) hazelnut butter (see here) (or almond butter (see here)) 4 medium-large
sweet pears, just under 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz), preferably Comice, ripe but still quite firm Glaze
2–3 tbsp no added sugar high fruit content apricot jam (jelly)

Grease a 33 x 12.5 cm (13 x 5 inch) rectangular tart tin or a 23 cm (9

inch) round tart tin with coconut oil. Line a baking tray with baking
parchment. For the pastry, melt the measured coconut oil and set
aside. Mix together the dry ingredients with a whisk to disperse any
lumps. Pour in the coconut oil then the water and stir until well
combined.
Spread out a piece of baking parchment slightly larger than the tart
tin and lightly dust with buckwheat flour. Place the pastry on the
parchment and pat it out to about the size of the tart tin. Lightly dust
the surface with more flour, cover with another layer of parchment
and roll it out until even and about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick to make a
crunchy pastry crust. See basic pastry here for guidance. Chill in the
fridge for about 30 minutes while you make the frangipane.
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Mix the milled flax
seeds with the water and leave for about 15 minutes to form a gel.
Stir occasionally. Lightly toast the hazelnuts in the oven for 5–7
minutes on the prepared tray. When cool, remove the skins and bli
the nuts in a food processor – some should be finely ground while
the rest are in slightly larger pieces. Combine the bli ed hazelnuts
with the ground hazelnuts, cacao and salt, add the chocolate and
then mix in the melted coconut oil, honey and hazelnut bu er.
Finally fold in the flax seed mix.
Line the tart tin with the pastry (see here). The pastry will break
apart so gently push it together to make sure all the gaps are filled.
Chill again in the fridge while you peel and core the pears and cut
them into eighths.
Once chilled, smooth out any gaps in the pastry and push it up the
edges, slightly overlapping the top of the shell, then trim off the
edges. Place a piece of baking parchment in the pastry case and blind
bake (see here) for 5 minutes, remove the baking beans, rotate the
tray and bake for a further 5 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cool for 5 minutes and then fill with the
frangipane, spreading it evenly. Arrange the pear slices on top. Bake
for 10 minutes, rotate the tray and bake for a further 10–15 minutes.
Leave to cool in the tin for about 20 minutes, glaze with apricot jam
(jelly), and then remove. Serve warm from the oven with vanilla
cashew ‘yogurt’ (see here) or dairy-free ice cream. This is best eaten
fresh but will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.

NOTE
I love raw honey in the frangipane, but if you do not eat honey, try
replacing it with your preferred liquid sweetener, such as maple syrup or
coconut nectar.
Gooseberry and almond tart

I adore gooseberries! During the summer, I’ll often go outside and graze on
them in the garden after supper, when they’ve become a li le softer and
extra plump. Their tart flavour is perfectly balanced by the creamy sweet
almond frangipane in this tart, while my ‘basic pastry’ used for the shell
proves its versatility once more.
Serves 10–12

½ x recipe basic pastry (see here), rolled to 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick Frangipane

125 g (4½ oz/¾ cup plus 1½ tbsp) whole almonds, preferably activated dried (see here) 110
g (4 oz/½ cup) non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter
80 g (2¾ oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut sugar
½ tsp coarse sea salt, ground
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
2 eggs plus 1 extra yolk
50 g (1¾ oz/scant ½ cup) ground almonds (almond meal)

Topping
300 g (10½ oz/2 cups) gooseberries, fresh or frozen, tops and stems removed Coconut
sugar, to sprinkle
50 g (1¾ oz/generous ½ cup) flaked almonds
3 tbsp raw honey, optional

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line a 23 cm (9 inch)

loose-bo omed tart tin with pastry and blind bake (see here) for 10–
15 minutes, until the edges are golden brown. Remove the baking
beans and bake for a further 10 minutes, until light brown but not
fully cooked.
For the frangipane filling, toast the almonds for 6–8 minutes on a
baking tray lined with baking parchment, until just colouring, then
leave to cool. By hand or using a freestanding mixer fi ed with a
paddle, cream the bu er and coconut sugar with the salt and lemon
zest until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one by one, but not the
extra yolk. In a food processor, process the toasted almonds but do
not grind them fully, we still want some texture. Finally add the
chopped toasted almonds and ground almonds (almond meal) to the
bu er and egg mix and combine well until smooth. Do not worry if
the mix looks a li le split, it will still bake well.
Let the pastry base cool slightly and then brush the yolk over the
pastry and bake for 2 more minutes. This forms a seal between the
pastry and filling to keep it crunchy and stop it from ge ing soggy.
Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes.
Fill with the frangipane, top with the gooseberries, pressed into the
frangipane, a sprinkling of coconut sugar and the flaked almonds.
Bake for about 30 minutes, rotating the tart halfway through baking,
until the top and almonds are golden and the gooseberries around
the edge are just starting to brown. Leave to cool, demould onto a
serving plate and drizzle the top of the tart with raw honey or serve
it alongside the tart, if you want.
Serve warm as it is or cold with whipped vanilla coconut cream (see
here), natural yogurt or ice cream. This is best eaten fresh but should
keep well for up to three days in the fridge.

NOTES
For a vegan almond frangipane, make the frangipane used in the Raspberry
and rose tartlets with pistachio frangipane (see here) but replace the
pistachio nuts with almonds, the pistachio paste with almond bu er and
double the recipe for this 23 cm (9 inch) tart.
This tart works well with frozen gooseberries, so it can be enjoyed at any
time of the year, or try it with other ripe seasonal fruits such as pears,
raspberries or apricots.
Roasted root vegetable tarts with spiced
sesame crust

These sublime savoury tarts pack a super flavour punch. A spicy base made
with sesame seeds and toasted pecans is covered in a light and creamy
cashew béchamel, all topped off with an abundant mix of sweet and earthy
carrots and beetroot. They are grain-free, vegan and perfect for a comforting
but light lunch or supper.
Makes 6 tarts

Roasted root vegetables

4 large carrots, about 600 g (1 lb 5 oz)
4 beetroot, about 550 g (1 lb 3 oz)
2 onions
2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped or crushed
3 tbsp EVCP rapeseed oil or coconut oil, melted, plus extra for greasing Coarse sea salt
Black pepper, optional
Generous bunch of fresh herbs such as coriander (cilantro) and parsley, finely chopped
Spiced sesame and pecan crust
170 g (6 oz/1½ cups) ground pecan nuts
105 g (3¾ oz/scant 1 cup) ground almonds (almond meal)
½ tsp each ground coriander, cumin, turmeric, ginger and cardamom
1½ tsp coarse sea salt
65 ml (2¼ fl oz/¼ cup) EVCP rapeseed oil
2 tbsp filtered water
85 g (3 oz/⅔ cup) black and white sesame seeds

Cashew béchamel
25 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp) coconut oil
40 g (1½ oz/generous ⅓ cup) gram flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
450 ml (15 fl oz/scant 2 cups) cashew milk (see here) 3 tsp nutritional yeast flakes
Coarse sea salt and black pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 175°C/345°F/Gas Mark 3½. Grease six round 10 x

2 cm deep (4 x ¾ inch) tartlet tins.
Peel and cut the tops off the carrots. Cut them lengthways into about
3 cm (1¼ inch) long pieces, then quarter into small crudité-sized
strips. Scrub the beetroot, quarter them and slice the same thickness
as the carrots. Peel, quarter and slice the onions. On a large baking
tray, mix up the vegetables with the garlic, oil and a generous
amount of salt and black pepper, if using. Roast for about 1 hour,
checking halfway through. They are ready when a skewer inserts
easily into the centre of the vegetables. Remove from the oven, adjust
the seasoning while still warm, and set aside.
Meanwhile, to make the base, combine the ground pecans, almonds,
spices, salt, oil and water in a food processor. Add the sesame seeds
and bli until the mix looks like breadcrumbs and sticks together
when you pick up a piece of it in your hand. Divide the pastry mix
between the greased tins, you will get about 70 g (2½ oz) per tart,
and press it down with your fingertips and a step pale e knife
(frosting spatula) to make the crust, pressing it into the edges and
making sure it is even. Put the tins on a baking tray and bake in the
same oven as the vegetables for about 15–20 minutes or until dark
golden brown. Leave to cool.
To make the béchamel, melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan.
Add the gram flour and whisk in vigorously. Add the mustard and
then gradually start to add the cashew milk, stirring constantly with
a whisk. The sauce should start to thicken and look smooth. Add the
yeast flakes and salt and pepper to taste. Stir again and taste and
season more if necessary. You can make this in advance for use later,
but note that when it cools it will thicken slightly, so before filling
your tarts with it, return to the heat and add some extra milk to
loosen.
Finish off the vegetables by adding the freshly chopped herbs and a
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, if necessary. Mix the béchamel with a
whisk until really smooth, use it to fill the tarts and then top with all
of the vegetables, pushing them into the béchamel slightly. Serve
with salad or steamed green vegetables.
These tarts are great served warm or cold and keep well for three
days in the fridge.

NOTE
To make one large tart, line a 27–28 cm (10½–11 inch) tart tin with the
above quantity of pastry and increase the baking time to 15–20 minutes or
until dark golden brown, then fill as above.
Tomato and pepper pissaladière

Perfect picnic food, this is my light and summery vegetarian take on the
classic Provençal savoury tart, which is made with caramelized onions,
black olives and anchovies. I have added tomatoes and herbs to the onions,
while slithers of sweet colourful peppers replace the anchovies, but you can
include anchovies if you wish. This is dedicated to an old family friend,
Robert.
Serves 4 as a main course or 6–8 as a light starter

Tomato and pepper filling

1 red pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
2 tbsp EVCP rapeseed oil
2 onions, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
1 x 400 g (14 oz) can chopped tomatoes
Small pinch crushed dried chillies, or more if you want!
Generous pinch of coarse sea salt
Black pepper
¼ tsp coconut sugar, optional
1 tbsp chopped oregano, plus extra for garnish
1 tbsp thyme leaves, plus extra for garnish
1 small handful basil or purple basil, plus extra for garnish
Anchovies, optional
12–15 black olives, Greek style

Hazelnut pastry
45 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) whole hazelnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 95 g (3¼ oz/⅔
cup) buckwheat flour
45 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) ground hazelnuts or ground almonds (almond meal) 12.5 g
(scant ½ oz/1½ tbsp) arrowroot
1 tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) coconut oil
4 tbsp cold filtered water

Start by making the filling. Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas

Mark 6. Line a baking tray with baking parchment.
Place the peppers on the lined baking tray and bake on the top shelf
of the oven. The skins will blister and char slightly, so turn them
about every 5 minutes so that the skins are blistered all over. You can
also char them under a preheated grill (broiler) if you wish.
Take out of the oven, remove from the baking tray and carefully
cover with cling film (plastic wrap). The moisture from the
condensation will make the skins easy to peel off. When completely
cool, peel the peppers, using a small knife if necessary, and rinse
under running water to get rid of any bits of skin and the seeds.
Then slice into strips.
In a saucepan, heat the rapeseed oil. Add the onions and garlic,
reduce the heat and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the
tomatoes and continue cooking on a low heat for a further 5 minutes.
Add the chilli, seasoning to taste and sugar, if using (I find it helps
bring out the sweet tomato flavour), and continue to cook for about
5 more minutes, until the sauce is thick, sweet, well seasoned and
most of the tomato juices have been cooked out. If too runny, the
pastry will get soggy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.
Add the chopped herbs when cool.
Turn down the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Grease a 22 cm (8¾
inch) ceramic pastry dish with coconut oil. Line a small baking tray
with baking parchment.
Spread out the whole hazelnuts on the baking tray and toast for 5
minutes. Leave to cool then remove the skins and chop in a food
processor until very fine, but still with some texture. Mix the flour
with all the ground nuts, the arrowroot and salt. Melt the coconut oil
and combine it with the dry ingredients, followed by the water. Mix
to combine, adding a li le more water if necessary to stick, and bring
the mix together into a rough ball.
Line the pastry dish with the pastry and blind bake (see here) for 10
minutes. Remove from the oven, take out the baking beans, rotate
and bake for a further 10 minutes, or until a rich golden brown.
Leave to cool then fill with the tomato mix. Arrange the pepper
slices and anchovies, if using, over the tomato mix, followed by the
olives and then finish with the oregano, thyme leaves and basil
sprigs. Drizzle with a li le extra virgin olive oil, if you want.
This is best eaten fresh but will keep for up to three days in the
fridge.
Quince pies

Christmas would not be the same without mince pies, bursting with rich
dried fruits, spices and citrus notes. After a glut of quince one year, I
decided to add them to the mix, rather than the usual grated apple, and this
was the delicious result, giving the mix a sweet, tart twist. Freshly chopped
ginger lifts all the flavours up.
Makes 24 quince pies with leftover baked quince mincemeat

600 g (1lb 5 oz) quince (2–3 quince)

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 x recipe basic pastry (see here), rolled out to about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick 50 g (1¾ oz/⅓
cup) unsulphured dried apricots
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) dates
100 g (3½ oz/scant ⅔ cup) raisins
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) currants
100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
25 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) almonds, preferably soaked for 8–12 hours or activated dried (see here),
roughly chopped 15 g (½ oz/2½ tbsp) peeled ginger, finely chopped
¼ whole nutmeg, grated
½ tsp mixed spice
¼ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ large orange
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ large lemon
50 g (1¾ oz/scant ¼ cup) easy apple purée (see here) ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
1 tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) coconut butter

Preheat the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½ and you will need

two tartlet tins. Peel, core and cut the quince into eighths; you
should have about 400 g (14 oz) of quince flesh. Place on a baking
tray, drizzle with the melted coconut oil and bake for 30–40 minutes,
or until tender. Turn up the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Cut out 24 rounds of pastry with a cookie cu er, large enough to fit
your tartlet holes, and press the pastry in gently. I like to use a 6 cm
(2½ inch) fluted cu er, but a plain one is fine. Cut out 24 tops (either
make traditional plain round tops or cut out shapes like stars, hearts
or holly) and place on a tray lined with baking parchment. Chill the
tart cases and tops in the fridge until needed.
In a food processor, bli the apricots and dates until small pieces.
Add half the raisins, currants and sultanas (seedless golden raisins)
and bli again. You want the mix to all come together and be in
small pieces, almost like mince, but not a paste. When the quince has
cooled, add it to the dried fruits and bli again until almost pulp but
with some texture.
Remove from the food processor, tip into a large bowl and add the
rest of the raisins, currants and sultanas (seedless golden raisins), the
chopped almonds, ginger, spices, orange and lemon zest and juice,
apple purée, salt and honey or maple syrup. Grate in the coconut
bu er, or finely chop it. Mix everything together with your hands,
squeezing the mix through your fingers to make sure it is all really
well combined and there are no large lumps of coconut bu er.
Fill the lined tartlets with a generous amount of the quince
mincemeat and then top with your prepared pastry discs or shapes.
If you are using discs, slice a small cross in the middle of each pie
disc using a sharp knife. Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the tray
halfway, until the tops are golden-brown. Serve straight from the
oven or leave to cool and then warm up when needed.
These quince pies last for at least five days in an airtight container.
The mincemeat will keep for up to ten days in a sealed glass jar in
the fridge or you can freeze it. It’s best to make this quince
mincemeat fresh every year – I do this by storing quinces from
October.

NOTES
I have given the amount of pastry to make 24 quince pies, but the
quincemeat is enough to make at least 40 quince pies so increase or decrease
the quantities accordingly if you prefer. I like to make one big batch fresh
every year, bake off about half, and then keep the rest in the fridge or freezer
ready for impromptu visits from family and friends, of which there seem to
be a lot at Christmas!
Freeze any leftover pastry for at least one month or bake off as biscuits
(cookies).
Maple baked apple pies

Apple, maple syrup and cinnamon is a classic heavenly marriage of

flavours. I urge you to find the best-quality, local apples; without them,
these pies will be insipidly sad. I adore Egremont Russets with their crisp
sweetness and rich unique flavour, but Cox and other dessert apples also
work well.
Makes 12 small pies

Coconut oil, for greasing

1 x recipe basic pastry (see here), rolled out to 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick 400 g (14 oz) peeled
and cored dessert apples such as Egremont Russet or Cox Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
40 ml (1½ fl oz/8 tsp) lemon juice
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
460 g (1 lb/scant 2 cups) easy apple purée (see here) 120 g (4¼ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp)
maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 and grease a 12-hole

muffin tin with coconut oil (or your preferred dairy-free oil or
bu er).
Using a round 10 cm (4 inch) cookie cu er, cut out 12 discs of pastry
and carefully push one into each mould. The pastry will break apart,
so carefully push it back together with your fingertips, smoothing it
out so there are no gaps. If the pastry comes up around the edges of
the moulds, trim it off with a small sharp knife. Cut out 12 tops
using a cu er no larger than 9 cm (3½ inch). Once lined, put the
muffin tray and the pastry tops in the fridge to chill. Any leftover
pastry can be frozen for at least 1 month.
Cut the apple into cubes, each about ½ cm (⅕ inch). Combine the
cubed apple, lemon zest and juice, salt, cinnamon and apple purée
and mix well. Add the maple syrup, use less if you want to your
taste, and stir to combine. Divide the mix between the 12 lined shells,
you should get about 80 g (2¾ oz) of mix per pie. Finish off each pie
with the cut-out pastry top, pressing it down to stick to the shell. Cut
a small cross in the top of each pie and bake for about 15 minutes,
rotating the tray halfway, until the tops are golden brown and
slightly cracking on top. Leave to cool in the tins.
To demould, use a kitchen knife or small pale e knife (frosting
spatula) and slide it around the edge of each pie and then carefully
lift them up from the bo om. The pies are likely to crumble if they
are demoulded straight from the oven so make sure they have
cooled slightly. Eat cold or warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped
coconut cream (see here), heating the pies up for about 5 minutes in
a medium oven if wanted warm. Dust with a li le agave sugar if you
wish.
These are best eaten fresh, but will keep well for about three days in
a sealed container.

NOTE
You can also make one large pie. Use the basic pastry recipe here and follow
the method given for the Fig and raspberry pie on here, simply using the
apple filling in this recipe.
Fig and raspberry pie with pistachio
crème anglaise

This grain-free pastry is perfectly sweet, mainly thanks to the wonderfully

flavoursome chestnut flour and ground almonds (almond meal). When it’s
baked, it becomes a marzipan-like crust, encompassing meltingly tender
honeyed figs and juicy raspberries, a true celebration of fresh seasonal
produce at its best.
Serves 6–8

Chestnut crust
120 g (4¼ oz/1 cup less 1½ tbsp) chestnut flour
120 g (4¼ oz/1 cup plus 2 tbsp) ground almonds (almond meal)
45 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) coconut sugar
Finely grated zest of ½ lemon
½ tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, reserve the egg white
3 tsp cold filtered water
75 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil, plus extra for greasing

Fig and raspberry filling

8 figs, about 350 g (12¼ oz), stalks removed and cut into sixths
250 g (8¾ oz/2 cups) raspberries, fresh or frozen
30 g (1 oz/1½ tbsp) raw honey
3 tsp lemon juice
¼ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out, pod reserved Glaze
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp almond milk (see here) Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Pistachio crème anglaise

2 egg yolks
1½ tsp cornflour (cornstarch)
350 ml (12 fl oz/1½ cups) pistachio milk (see here) (shell the soaked pistachio nuts before
making your milk to make an extra pretty green crème anglaise) ½ vanilla pod (bean),
split lengthways and seeds scraped out
55 g (2 oz/scant 3 tbsp) raw honey

Grease a pie dish about 21 x 15 x 5 cm deep (8¼ x 6 x 2 inch) with a 2

cm (¾ inch) rim (any pie dish with similar dimensions will work)
with coconut oil and preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.
Make the crust by hand or in a freestanding mixer. With a paddle,
combine the chestnut flour, ground almonds (almond meal), coconut
sugar, lemon zest and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together the egg,
extra yolk and cold water. Melt the coconut oil and add to the dry
ingredients while stirring, followed by the egg and water mix. Stir
until everything is completely combined. It will be quite sticky, but
that’s normal.
Bring the crust mix together in your hands and weigh out 250 g (8¾
oz). Roll it out between two pieces of floured baking parchment until
it is about 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick (see basic pastry here). Take off the
top layer of parchment and flip the pastry into the pie dish. It will
collapse a li le, but do not worry. Piece it back together, making
sure there are no holes. The pastry will be soft so work quickly. Trim
off the edges, leaving a li le pastry coming up over the edges. Bake
the base for 10 minutes or until golden brown. The edges will be
slightly darker, but that’s fine. Leave to cool a li le. Brush with the
reserved egg white and bake for 5 minutes or until dried out. Roll
out the rest of the pastry using the same method as before and
refrigerate.
In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients together and pour into the
baked shell. Top with the remaining refrigerated pastry, trimming
the edges if necessary, and then crimp them using your thumb and
index finger. Whisk together the glaze ingredients and glaze the pie.
Make a cross in the centre of the pie and bake for 15–20 minutes
until the top is golden brown and the edges slightly darker.
Meanwhile, make the pistachio crème anglaise. Using a whisk,
combine the egg yolks with the cornflour (cornstarch) in a large
bowl. In a saucepan, heat the pistachio milk, vanilla seeds, empty
pod (bean) and honey and when it is just about to boil, gradually
pour the milk over the egg yolks, while whisking. Pour everything
back into the saucepan and stir on a low–medium heat using a
whisk. If the heat is too high, your yolks will scramble. Keep mixing
until the anglaise reaches 82°C/180°F. If you do not have a
thermometer, the mix is ready when it is thick enough to coat the
back of a spoon and leave a trail if you run your finger through the
coating. Pour through a fine sieve and transfer into a jug. It does not
need to be served hot so keep it on one side and mix with a spoon
before serving. Taste and adjust sweetness if desired. Serve with the
pie, warm from the oven. The pie and crème anglaise are best eaten
on the day they are made.

NOTE
I also make this just with raspberries, and it’s totally sublime. Thankfully
this pie is so versatile, any sweet seasonal fruits will work – plums,
blackberries, apples and pears all make fi ing substitutions – just make sure
your pie is jam-packed with fruit!
Baked kabocha squash pie

Like a pumpkin pie, but be er! This is richer and more full of flavour thanks
to the luxuriously creamy purée, which creates the base of the warming
spiced filling. I have chosen kabocha squash instead of pumpkin, as I love its
rich chestnut flavour and the creamy thick purée it creates, not to mention
its bright and vibrant colour.
Serves 8–10

Kabocha squash purée

Makes 750 g (1 lb 10 oz/3⅓ cups) squash purée
1.1 kg (2 lb 7 oz) whole kabocha squash (weight of flesh about 850 g (1 lb 14 oz)) 1 tbsp
coconut oil, melted
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) water

Kabocha squash pie

Coconut oil, for greasing
320 g (11 oz) basic pastry (see here), rolled to 3 mm (⅛ inch) thick 1 egg yolk
90 g (3 oz/¾ cup) coconut sugar
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cloves
Generous grating of nutmeg
450 g (1 lb/2 cups) kabocha squash purée (see here) 225 ml (7½ fl oz/scant 1 cup) cashew
milk (see here) 75 g (2¾ oz/scant ⅓ cup) easy apple purée (see here) 2 eggs

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.

Peel, de-seed and chop the squash into rough 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes.
Place on a baking tray, drizzle with the coconut oil and roast for
about 20–30 minutes until soft and a skewer inserts easily into the
centre of a piece. Leave to cool – the cooked weight will be about 620
g (1 lb 6 oz).
Blend the squash with the water until really smooth. Do persevere if
it’s taking a while to get smooth as the lovely thick purée really
makes this pie. If you think you need more water, add as li le as
possible. Use immediately or freeze for use in the future.
Grease a 22 x 4 cm deep (8¾ x 1½ inch) pie dish with coconut oil.
Line the dish with the rolled pastry (see here). Chill for about 20
minutes in the fridge then blind bake (see here) for 15 minutes.
Remove the baking beans and bake for a further 10–15 minutes, until
the pastry is golden brown. Brush the pastry with the egg yolk and
cook for a further 3 minutes until the yolk is dry. This will seal the
pastry and ensure that it won’t go soggy when the mix is added.
Reduce the oven to 160°C/310°F/Gas Mark 2½.
Combine the pie ingredients together in a large bowl and blend with
a hand-held blender until completely smooth. The mix will look
quite thick, but this is normal. Pour the mix into the baked tart tin
and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pie and reduce the heat to
150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 and bake for a further 10–20 minutes. The
pie is ready when it has formed a slight skin on top and when you
lightly shake it, it should feel set and firm but with a very slight
wobble.
Leave to cool completely before serving. Serve with whipped vanilla
coconut cream (see here). This is best eaten fresh but keeps in the
fridge for about three days.

NOTE
For this pie it really pays to make your own purée. Any leftover purée can
be frozen.
 Raw desserts

Mango, coconut and lime chia puddings with mint

Packed with protein and omega 3 fa y acids, chia seeds are a great start to
the day, although their texture is an acquired taste! So here, I whizz them
up in a blender with mango, mint and coconut milk to make a delectably
smooth and creamy pudding that’s fresh and fragrant at the same time. It’s
a real winner!
Serves 4 for pudding or 2 for breakfast

4 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp milled flax seeds
180 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) coconut milk, plus extra to drizzle, optional 50 ml (1¾ fl oz/scant ¼
cup) juice from 1–2 limes
250 g (8¾ oz) mango flesh (about 1 mango), plus extra for serving 10 medium–large mint
leaves
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
Generous pinch ground cardamom
1 tsp baobab powder, optional
50 g (1¾ oz) ice cubes

Toppings
Natural coconut yogurt, optional
Bee pollen, optional
Goji berries, optional, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water to soften Fresh mint leaves,
optional
Fresh or dried coconut, optional

Combine the chia seeds and milled flax seeds with the coconut milk.
Stir well and leave for at least 15 minutes to swell up, or make the
night before, as I do, and leave to swell up in the fridge until the next
day.
Put the soaked seeds in a blender with the rest of the ingredients,
and baobab powder if using, leaving the ice cubes until last. Blend
until completely smooth, then add the ice cubes for extra freshness.
Blend once more until completely smooth. Pour out into the glasses
and layer with cubes of fresh mango if desired. Finish with your
preferred toppings, drizzle with a li le extra coconut milk, if you
wish, and serve immediately.
This will keep well in the fridge for at least three days, so make a
large batch at the beginning of the week. Enjoy it on its own for
breakfast, or add extras like homemade granola, seeds, nuts and
fresh fruit.
VARIATION
Creamy avocado and lime chia pudding
To half the avocado lime cream filling in the Courge e (zucchini),
basil, lime and pistachio cake here, mix in 6 tbsp of chia seeds and
leave to swell for at least 15 minutes at room temperature or
overnight in the fridge. Stir in coconut milk to loosen if necessary
before serving. Serves as a delectably creamy pudding or breakfast.

NOTES
You can use other fruits in place of the mango, such as papaya or kiwi fruit,
berries or ripe stoned fruits when in season.
Baobab powder is made from the ground seeds of the baobab fruit. Its strong
citrus notes of orange and grapefruit hint at its nutrient-dense profile –
high in fibre and rich in vitamin C, calcium, potassium and thiamin. It also
has one of the highest antioxidant capacities of any fruit in the world. I love
to add it to raw desserts, as above, as well as to smoothies.
Antioxidant-rich, goji berries have a strong sweetness and slight sharpness.
I love them plumped up in my Super-berry cashew ‘yogurt’ here, and
they’re great sprinkled on breakfasts or added to salads, cakes, muffins and
raw chocolate. For similar use, I like Incan berries, also known as golden or
Aztec berries, with impressive nutrients including many B vitamins,
vitamin A and C; and white mulberries, containing iron, calcium, fibre and
anthocyanins. Incan berries are the most sour of the three berries, but sweet
at the same time, while mulberries are very sweet with a grape-like flavour.
Try them in your cooking and in my Wonder berry chocolate bars here.
Tiramisù mousse

‘Coconut milk, coconut oil and avocado, all in a tiramisù, excuse me?’ I
hear you say. But do not fear! These amazingly versatile dairy-free
substitutes create velvety, light, well-flavoured layers of sublime mousse.
Everything just melts together to create a cloud-like light and creamy coffee
and vanilla ‘pick-me-up’ pudding.
Serves 4

Vanilla cream
2 x 400 ml (14 fl oz) cans of coconut milk
50 g (1¾ oz/2½ tbsp) blonde coconut nectar or raw clear honey ½ vanilla pod (bean), split
lengthways and seeds scraped out Coffee mousse
25 g (¾ oz/5 tbsp) ground coffee
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) boiling water
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut milk
150 g (5¼ oz) avocado (about 1 large avocado)
70 g (2½ oz/scant ¼ cup) maple syrup
1 tsp cacao powder
1 tsp carob powder
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
20 g (¾ oz/1½ tbsp) coconut oil

To decorate
A few cubes homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids

The night before, put the two cans of coconut milk in the fridge for
the vanilla cream. You will also need four tall but wide glasses,
coupes or bowls.
Open the refrigerated cans of coconut milk and scrape off the thicker
part of the milk. You need 450 g (1 lb/scant 2 cups) thick set milk for
the vanilla cream. Set aside in the fridge until needed. Reserve the
rest of the coconut milk for the coffee mousse.
To make the coffee mousse, combine the ground coffee and boiling
water and set aside. Place 150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) of coconut
milk into a blender. Place the rest of the mousse ingredients, except
the coffee and coconut oil, in the blender and blend until smooth.
Melt the coconut oil and add to the blender. Strain the coffee,
measure out 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) and add to the blender, blending
until completely smooth. Spoon out 55 g (2 oz) of the coffee mousse
into each glass and refrigerate.
Next make the vanilla cream. Take the set coconut milk and whip
until smooth and thick using a hand-held whisk or freestanding
mixer, then add the coconut nectar or honey and vanilla and whisk
once more. Remove the glasses from the fridge and spoon 40 g (1½
oz) of vanilla cream over each layer of coffee mousse. Divide the rest
of the coffee mousse over the first layer of vanilla cream, then top
with a final layer of cream according to the size of your glasses. Be
careful as you layer it as the layers will be soft. Refrigerate until
needed, grate chocolate over the top, serve with any leftover cream
and enjoy.
Velvet chocolate pots

While many chocolate desserts can be heavy and cloying, coconut yogurt
adds a subtle surprising freshness to these pots, but the flavour of coconut is
not detectable, nor is the avocado’s. Instead, they combine to create a
seductively smooth mousselike cream, which is rich but light at the same
time and beats all its rivals!
Serves 6

160 g (5½ oz) avocado (about 1 large avocado)

200 g (7 oz/¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) chocolate coconut yogurt 100 g (3½ oz/¼ cup plus ½ tbsp)
date syrup
15 g (½ oz/3 tbsp) cacao powder, plus extra to dust
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
60 g (2 oz/generous ¼ cup) coconut oil

You will need 6 small ramekins, teacups or small suitable pots. Place
everything except the coconut oil in the blender and process. Melt
the coconut oil, add to the chocolate mix and blend on full speed
until completely smooth. Divide the mix evenly between the cups
and place in the fridge for an hour to chill slightly and set. Remove
from the fridge, dust with cacao powder and serve immediately. If
you refrigerate the pots for longer than this then remove them from
the fridge about an hour before serving. They will keep for up to
three days in the fridge, depending on the freshness of the avocado
and yogurt.
Summer fruit tart

Sometimes it is the simplest desserts that are the most delicious, and you
cannot get more classic than fresh and juicy summer fruits with vanilla
cream. Add a gorgeous raw tart base, raspberry chia jam (jelly) for a sweet
tangy kick, then cut a slice, sit back, relax in the sun and enjoy.
Serves 10–14

Raw tart base

180 g (6¼ oz) figs
140 g (5 oz/1 cup) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here) 140 g (5 oz/generous 1
cup) cashew nuts, preferably activated dried (see here) ½ vanilla pod (bean), cut
lengthways and seeds scraped out ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Finely grated zest of ½ orange
40 ml (8 tsp) orange juice
70 g (2½ oz/⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal)
1 x recipe quick-blend raw raspberry chia jam (jelly) (see here) Vanilla cream
1 x recipe cashew cream (see here) 1 vanilla pod (bean), cut lengthways and seeds
scraped out 40 g (1½ oz/scant 3 tbsp) blonde coconut nectar
2 tsp lemon juice
40 g (1½ oz/3 tbsp) coconut oil, plus extra for greasing About 1 kg (2 lbs 3 oz) fresh
summer fruits (see here)

Lightly grease a loose-bo omed 28 cm (11 inch) tart tin with coconut
oil. Soak the figs in filtered water for 30 minutes. Drain and remove
the tops and roughly chop. In a food processor, roughly chop the
nuts, keeping some large pieces. Remove from the food processor.
Place the soaked figs, vanilla seeds, salt, orange zest and juice in the
food processor and blend to form a paste. Add the ground almonds
(almond meal) and the chopped nuts and process until combined.
Turn out the raw dough into the tin and press it down to make an
even ‘pastry’ base. Cover with the raspberry chia jam (jelly) and
refrigerate.
To make the vanilla cream, put the cashew cream, vanilla seeds,
coconut nectar and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until smooth.
Melt the coconut oil, add to the cream, and blend once more until
completely smooth.
Remove the tart base from the fridge and cover the jam (jelly) layer
with the vanilla cream. Return to the fridge for 3–4 hours to firm up
slightly. Decorate with the fruit. Serve fresh when all the flavours
and colours are at their best. Keep covered in the fridge for about
three days.
NOTE
All summer fruits work well here – try a mix of raspberries, strawberries,
blueberries, apricots, peaches, nectarines, redcurrants, blackcurrants and
white currants.
Strawberry verbena granita

When summer is at its peak, granitas are the best way to cool off. This one
is cleansing, light, soft and delicately scented, perfect on a sunny day when
you need a quick refreshing boost.
Serves 10

150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) filtered water

100 g (3½ oz/¼ cup plus 1 tbsp) raw honey
3 tbsp dried lemon verbena
1 x 450 g (1 lb) cucumber, peeled and deseeded
300 g (10½ oz) strawberries
150 ml (5 fl oz/scant ⅔ cup) lime juice (from about 5 limes) ¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt

In a small saucepan, bring the water, honey and lemon verbena just
to a boil. Take off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Put the
cucumber, strawberries, lime juice and salt in a blender and blend
until smooth. Add the sweet lemon verbena water, along with the
leaves, and blend until completely smooth.
Pour into a freezer-proof container and freeze for about 2 hours or
until the top has frozen. Remove from the freezer and scrape the
frozen part with a fork, breaking it up into ice crystals. Repeat this
process about 3 times, every 1–2 hours, until you get a texture of
crushed, slightly slushy, ice. Then continue to freeze until needed.
Serve in glasses.
Chocolate, banana and passionfruit pie
with sticky toffee sauce

The combination of chocolate with banana will never go out of fashion. This
pie’s bi er sweetness is perfectly balanced with the sea salt in the toffee
sauce and the sharp passionfruit. With the cacao, nuts, banana, dates and
the rest of the nourishing ingredients, this is one seriously tasty energy-
boosting pie.
Serves 10–12

Chocolate ‘biscuit’ base

Coconut oil, for greasing
120 g (4¼ oz/¾ cup) pitted Medjool dates
25 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) cashew nuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 1½ tsp vanilla extract
1¼ tbsp cacao powder
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
120 g (4¼ oz/scant ½ cup) almond butter (see here) or other nut butter 125 g (4½ oz/¾
cup) buckwheat groats, preferably activated dried (see here) 20 g (¾ oz) homemade
chocolate (see here), or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa solids 20 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp)
cacao nibs

Banana and passionfruit filling

70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) cashew nuts
60 g (2 oz/generous ⅓ cup) pitted Medjool dates
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
430 g (15¼ oz) very ripe banana flesh (3–4 bananas)
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out 70 g (2½ oz/⅓ cup) coconut
oil, melted
About 8 small passionfruit
25 ml (¾ fl oz/5 tsp) lime juice

Sticky toffee sauce

150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) pitted Medjool dates
200 ml (7 fl oz/¾ cup) warm water
1 tsp coarse sea salt
½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out 75 ml (2½ fl oz/⅓ cup)
coconut milk

Decoration
1 large banana, about 180 g (6¼ oz)
40–50 g (1½–1¾ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate
shards 85% cocoa solids 20 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp) buckwheat groats, activated dried (see here)
20 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp) cacao nibs
2 passionfruit

Soak the cashew nuts for the banana and passionfruit filling for 3–4
hours in 200 ml (7 fl oz/¾ cup plus 1 tbsp) of filtered water with a
scant ½ tsp of Himalayan pink salt, then drain and rinse.
Grease the bo om and sides of a loose-bo omed 22 cm (8¾ inch)
fluted tart tin, about 3.5 cm (1⅓ inch) deep, with coconut oil.
In a food processor, bli the dates and cashew nuts for the base until
small pieces and just coming together in a ball. Add the vanilla,
cacao powder, salt and almond bu er and process once more for
about a minute. Finally add the buckwheat groats and bli a few
times until the groats start to break up and if you squeeze pieces of
the mix it will stick together. Put into the prepared tart tin and press
down and around the fluted edge until even. Leave to chill in the
freezer.
Melt the chocolate slowly using a bain-marie (see here). Using a
pastry brush, spread the bo om of the chocolate ‘biscuit’ base with
the melted chocolate and then sprinkle over the cacao nibs. Freeze
again.
For the filling, place the soaked cashew nuts in a blender with the
dates, salt, banana, cinnamon and vanilla seeds, and blend until
smooth. Scrape down the mix and blend once more. Pour in the
coconut oil and blend again until totally smooth. Take out two-thirds
(400 g/14 oz) of the mix and pour onto the ‘biscuit’ base. Spread it
out until smooth, tap the surface to remove any air bubbles and
return to the freezer.
Cut the passionfruits in half, remove all the pips and pulp and press
through a fine sieve to get 80 ml (2¾ fl oz/⅓ cup) juice. Add the lime
juice and then pour all the juice into the remaining banana mix in the
blender, blending until everything is well combined. Pour the
passion fruit layer on top of the banana layer and freeze once more
for 3 hours or overnight.
For the sauce, soak the dates in the warm water for 10 minutes.
Blend the dates and liquid with the salt, vanilla and coconut milk
until smooth. Refrigerate until needed and mix well before use.
Defrost the pie in a cool place for 3 hours or in the refrigerator for 12
hours before serving. When defrosted but still cool, remove from the
tin and transfer to a serving plate. Before serving decorate with slices
of banana and chocolate shards, slightly pushing them into the
filling, finishing off by sprinkling on buckwheat groats, cacao nibs
and passionfruit seeds. Or serve it as it is, pouring over some of the
sauce with each portion. The pie and the sauce will last well in the
fridge for about five days.
Pristine Black Forest parfait

Fresh sweet black cherries and dried sour cherries combine to make this
vibrant and seductive raw layer cake. It’s not only power-packed with
flavour and texture but goodness too from the cacao, Brazil nuts and
sprouted oat base to the sensuous creamy layers made with cashew nuts and
coconut oil.
Serves 10

Chocolate cake
60 g (2 oz/scant ⅓ cup) Brazil nuts
80 g (2¾ oz/½ cup) pitted Medjool dates
¼ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out ½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tbsp cacao powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
40 g (1½ oz) homemade chocolate, see here, or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids, roughly chopped 40 g (1½ oz/scant ⅓ cup) sprouted oats

Vanilla layer
100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup) cashew nuts
70 ml (2½ fl oz/¼ cup plus 2 tsp) almond milk (see here) 30 g (1 oz/2 tbsp) blonde coconut
nectar or raw clear honey ½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out
50 g (1¾ oz/¼ cup) coconut oil, melted

Cherry layer
100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup) cashew nuts
200 g (7 oz/1½ cups) pitted fresh cherries
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Finely grated zest of ¼ lemon
3 tsp lemon juice
100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) coconut oil
50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) dried sour cherries
10–20 g (⅓–¾ oz/2–4 tsp) coconut nectar or raw honey, optional

Soak the cashew nuts for each layer separately in 200 ml (7 fl oz/¾
cup plus 1 tbsp) of filtered water with a scant ½ tsp of Himalayan
pink salt for 3–4 hours. Drain and rinse well.
Line a baking tray at least 27 cm (10½ inches) long and 4 cm (1½
inches) deep with baking parchment.
In a food processor, roughly chop the Brazil nuts for the cake.
Remove from the processor, then add the dates, vanilla seeds, salt,
cacao powder and cinnamon to the blender and bli to make a
paste. Add the chopped nuts, chocolate and sprouted oats, and pulse
a few times to combine. The mix will be in crumbs but should come
together when you squeeze a piece in your hands.
Turn out the raw cake mix and press it along one long and one short
edge of the baking tray to make a 26.5 x 9 cm (10½ x 3½ inch)
rectangular base. Now you need to make a make-shift mould around
the cake base. Fold up a piece of aluminium foil, overlapping it
about three times to make a 4 cm (1½ inch) high wall. Place the wall
around the two edges of the cake that aren’t touching the baking
tray. Freeze.
Make the vanilla layer. Blend the soaked cashew nuts and almond
milk until smooth. Add the coconut nectar or honey, vanilla seeds
and coconut oil and blend until completely smooth. Pour over the
chocolate base, making sure none of the mix leaks through the
mould. Freeze immediately to set (1–2 hours). The vanilla layer must
be completely set before adding the cherry layer.
Make the cherry layer. Place the cherries, cinnamon, salt, lemon zest
and juice in the blender and process to make a cherry juice. Add the
soaked cashew nuts and blend until almost completely smooth. Melt
the coconut oil and add it to the blender, along with the sour
cherries, and blend once more until completely smooth, scraping the
mix down from the sides if necessary. The mix should turn from a
deep purple to red when the sour cherries are added. Taste and
adjust to your preferred sweetness if desired. Pour the cherry layer
over the vanilla layer and freeze for a further 1 hour until firm but
not frozen solid. Remove from the freezer and slice into 2.5 cm (1
inch) wide rectangles. To get a clean cut, dip a sharp knife in hot
water and slice when frozen.
Decorate each piece as you want to. I love to use cacao nibs, fresh
cherries and edible flowers. If you are feeling particularly naughty,
make a batch of the Chocolate silk glaze here to serve with it. Keeps
in the fridge for five days. This can be frozen for up to three months
but it needs to be defrosted before serving as it should be served like
a cold mousse.
NOTES
In season, red-pink cherries are a must for this, otherwise you won’t achieve
the right colour. You can also add a li le beetroot powder if you are not
satisfied with the colour.
Bitter chocolate orange ice cream cake
with chocolate glaze

This fun but sophisticated stripy cake marries two flavours that were born
to be together – chocolate and orange and their sensuous bi ersweet notes.
Thin layers of homemade chocolate crack between the ice cream while the
intense flavours of the filling are rounded off with salty-sweet crunchy nuts.
Serves 12–16

Crystallized salted nuts

50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) pine nuts
50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) pistachios, preferably activated dried (see here) 20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp)
maple syrup
20 g (¾ oz/2 tbsp) coconut sugar
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt

Walnut and pistachio base

100 g (3½ oz/⅔ cup) dried figs
85 g (3 oz/¾ cup) walnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 85 g (3 oz/⅔ cup)
pistachios, preferably activated dried (see here) ½ vanilla pod (bean), cut lengthways and
seeds scraped out ¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
Finely grated zest of ¼ orange
30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal)

Bi er orange ice cream

150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup plus 2 tbsp) macadamia nuts
175 g (6 oz/scant 1¼ cups) pitted Medjool dates
400 ml (14 fl oz/1¾ cups) orange juice
180 ml (6 fl oz/¾ cup) coconut milk
½ vanilla pod (bean), cut lengthways and seeds scraped out Finely grated zest of 1 orange
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp orange extract

Chocolate orange ice cream

2 tbsp cacao powder
45 g (1½ oz/⅓ cup) pitted Medjool dates
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
60 ml (2 fl oz/¼ cup) coconut milk
50 g (1¾ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids Chocolate silk glaze
80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil, melted
160 g (5½ oz/½ cup) maple syrup
70 g (2½ oz/scant ⅔ cup) cacao powder
½ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out Pinch Himalayan pink salt
50 ml (1¾ fl oz/¼ cup) filtered water
Soak the macadamia nuts for the bi er orange ice cream for 6 hours
in 300 ml (10½ fl oz/1¼ cups) of filtered water with ½ tsp of
Himalayan pink salt, then drain. For the crystallized nuts, mix all the
ingredients in a bowl, making sure the nuts are evenly coated.
Dehydrate at 45°C/113°F for 12–24 hours, depending on how
crunchy you want your nuts, or dry out in your oven set to the
lowest temperature, checking them every half-hour or so until they
are crunchy.
Line the base of a 18–20 cm (7–8 inch) loose-bo omed cake tin with
baking parchment. Soak the figs for 30 minutes in filtered water then
drain and cut off the tops. In a food processor, roughly chop the
walnuts and pistachio nuts then set aside. Place the figs, vanilla
seeds, salt and orange zest in the food processor and blend to form a
paste. Add the chopped nuts and ground almonds (almond meal)
and bli once more until everything starts to stick together. Turn out
the mix into the prepared tin and fla en it down to form an even
base. Freeze.
To make the bi er orange ice cream, put all the ingredients,
including the drained and rinsed nuts, in a blender and blend until
completely smooth. There will be a very slight graininess from the
nuts, but this will not be detected in the finished frozen cake. Pour
out 310 g (11 oz/a third) of the mix onto the frozen base to make the
first orange ice cream layer. Freeze until it has set, about 2–3 hours.
Pour out another 310 g (11 oz/another third) of the ice cream mix
and set aside. Leave the last third of the mix in the blender to make
the chocolate orange ice cream and add the cacao powder, dates, salt
and coconut milk. Blend until smooth.
When the first orange layer has set, melt the chocolate in a bain-
marie (see here) and paint a thin layer over the frozen orange ice
cream using a pastry brush. This adds a crunch and makes the cake
look even more impressive when sliced into. Pour over the chocolate
orange layer and return to the freezer for 2–3 hours. Repeat the
process with another layer of melted chocolate and the final layer of
orange ice cream. Freeze until set or overnight.
To make the glaze, place the melted coconut oil in a blender with the
maple syrup, cacao, vanilla and salt and blend until smooth. Finally
add the water and blend once more. Pour the mix out and set aside
somewhere cool until needed.
To glaze, remove the cake from the freezer. Using a li le hot water
or a blow torch, warm the edges of the tin and then slide a knife
around to loosen the cake. Demould the cake and remove the base of
the tin. Place the cake on a wire rack with a tray fi ed below it to
catch excess glaze. If the glaze has set, heat it very slowly in a
saucepan until just liquid and warm to touch. Using a ladle, pour the
glaze over the cake, working quickly to get an even smooth layer.
Tip the cake slightly to help if necessary, le ing the glaze fall over
the edges. Any leftover glaze can be warmed and served alongside
the cake. Top with the crystallized nuts and serve immediately.
Keeps in the freezer for at least three months.
Blueberry lemon mousse cake with
scented geranium flowers

Whipped coconut cream lifts up this dessert to amazingly light and

gorgeously smooth dimensions. It is rich and fresh at the same time,
rounded out with the otherworldly scents of the fresh scented geranium
flowers.
Serves 10–12

Filling
1 x 400 ml (14 fl oz) can coconut milk
150 g (5¼ oz/1⅛ cup) cashew nuts
325 g (11½ oz/scant 2¼ cups) blueberries
Finely grated zest of 2 lemons
100 ml (3½ fl oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) lemon juice
110 g (4 oz/⅓ cup) raw clear honey
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
75 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil

Vanilla base
90 g (3 oz/scant ⅔ cup) pitted Medjool dates
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out 70 g (2½ oz/¾ cup plus 2
tbsp) desiccated coconut
35 g (1¼ oz/¼ cup) hemp seeds
30 g (1 oz/generous 2 tbsp) coconut oil

Decoration
150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) blueberries
Scented geranium flowers or other edible flowers

The night before making this, place the can of coconut milk in the
fridge. Line the base and sides of a 23 cm (9 inch) springform or
loose-bo omed cake tin with baking parchment.
Soak the cashew nuts in 300 ml (10½ fl oz/1¼ cups) of filtered water
with ½ tsp of Himalayan pink salt for 3–4 hours.
To make the base, in a food processor chop up the dates with the salt
and vanilla seeds to form a ball-like paste. Add the coconut and
hemp seeds and bli to combine. Melt the coconut oil, add to the
mix and process until everything is combined. Turn out into the
prepared tin and press down to form an even base. Refrigerate.
In a blender, process 150 g (5¼ oz/1 cup) of the blueberries, the
lemon zest and juice, honey and salt to form a purple juice. Drain
and rinse the cashew nuts thoroughly, then add them to the
blueberry juice and process until smooth.
Open the can of coconut milk and remove the cream on the top,
which will have set overnight. You need 240 g (8½ oz/1 cup), so use
some of the thinner milk from the bo om of the can if necessary.
Whip up the coconut cream in a freestanding mixer or using an
electric whisk, until smooth and thick.
Melt the coconut oil and blend it into the blueberry juice and then
add everything in the blender to the whipped coconut cream.
Lightly whisk everything once more until just combined. If you
overmix, the cake won’t be as light as it should be. Fold in the
remaining 175 g (6 oz/scant 1¼ cups) of blueberries then pour the
mix over the prepared base. Refrigerate for about 2 hours until firm.
When set, demould. Decorate with blueberries and scented
geranium flowers. Serve immediately. Keeps well in the fridge for
up to five days.
 Chocolates, petit fours and little clean
treats

Homemade chocolate

This is proper dark (bi ersweet) chocolate with no added flavourings,

emulsifiers or powders. It’s rich and intense so best enjoyed in small pieces,
le ing it melt in your mouth to truly appreciate its pure flavour. To create
a smooth chocolate with a glossy finish and a good ‘snap’ when broken, it is
important to achieve the right ‘temper’.
Makes about 450 g (1 lb) chocolate/5 x 90 g (3 oz) bars

250 g (8¾ oz/1⅛ cup) cacao butter, chopped or processed into small pieces 125 g (4½ oz/1
cup plus 1 tbsp) cacao powder
90 g (3 oz/generous ¼ cup) maple syrup
1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways and seeds scraped out

Line a large 35 x 25 x 2 cm deep (13¾ x 9¾ x ¾ inch) tray with

baking parchment.
Make a bain-marie by fi ing a glass or ceramic bowl over a saucepan
of water. Do not let the bo om of the bowl touch the actual water.
Bring the water to the boil then turn it down to a simmer. Very
slowly melt the cacao bu er in the bowl of the bain-marie. Take the
cacao bu er to no higher than 40–45°C/104–113°F. If you think it is
ge ing too hot but hasn’t all melted, take it off the heat to finish
melting. It is important not to overheat it or the chocolate will taste
grainy and be ‘bloomed’, with a white cloudy appearance.
When the cacao bu er has melted and is at around 40–45°C/104–
113°F, add the rest of the ingredients. This should lower the
temperature and we now want to bring it down to 28–30°C/82–86°F;
just above or below will be fine.
Blend all the ingredients together with a hand-held blender to get rid
of any cacao powder lumps and until velvety smooth and glossy. Do
not over-blend or the chocolate will stiffen too much. If it is too stiff,
place the bowl back over the hot water and stir gently for a minute
or so then remove from the heat. Keep stirring the chocolate gently
to cool it then, when around 28–30°C/82–86°F, pour it into the lined
tray. Bang the tray on a surface and shake it gently to get rid of any
air bubbles and make a nice even layer of chocolate, then refrigerate.
Break up the set chocolate and store in a large glass jar or container
in the fridge, where it will keep for at least three months.
Make your own chocolate bars

Homemade chocolate bars make the best edible gifts! I have given you my
favourite toppings and flavourings, but add whatever you like to your real
chocolate.
You need chocolate moulds measuring 15 x 7 x 1 cm deep (6 x 2¾ x
⅓ inch). Wash the moulds with hot water, soap and a soft cloth, then
dry with a cloth and polish with co on wool before each use.
Make or melt the amount of homemade chocolate you want to use in
a bain-marie (see here). Once the chocolate is around 28–30°C/82–
86°F, pour or ladle it into the moulds, one at a time. Each bar can
take 90 g (3 oz) of chocolate. Shake the moulds slightly and bang
them a few times to get rid of any air bubbles and make an even
layer. Next, if you want to, add 40–50 g (1½–1¾ oz) of toppings (see
here) and transfer to the fridge immediately to set. If you are in a
rush, place in the freezer. Once set, the bars will fall out easily from
the moulds.

Suggested toppings and flavourings

Wonder berry bar

Goji berries, white mulberries, Incan berries, buckwheat groats,
hulled hemp seeds and pumpkin seeds Exotic bar
Dried mango, dried pineapple, toasted coconut flakes and cacao nibs
Fruit ‘n’ nut 1
Chopped dried unsulphured apricots and figs, raisins, Brazil nuts
and almonds Fruit ‘n’ nut 2
Pistachio, hazelnut, dried cranberry and dried blueberry
Peppermint
Add 1 tsp pure unsweetened peppermint extract to 90 g (3 oz)
chocolate, then fill the mould Bi er orange
Add 1 tsp pure unsweetened orange extract to 90 g (3 oz) chocolate,
fill the mould, then decorate with cacao nibs Rose, orange blossom,
raspberry, macadamia and sesame
Add a generous ½ tsp rosewater and ½ tsp orange blossom water to
90 g (3 oz) chocolate, pour into the mould and then decorate with
freeze dried raspberries, macadamia nuts and white sesame seeds
Dark (bittersweet) chocolate truffles

All the dark (bi ersweet) chocolate truffle recipes make about 40 truffles.
They can be stored for a week in the fridge in an airtight container and are
best served cold. They are also suitable for freezing.
 From left to right: Dark (bi ersweet) chocolate, Espresso, Blackcurrant and
Nutmeg chilli cinnamon truffles.

Dark (bi ersweet) chocolate truffles

125 g (4½ oz/6 tbsp) maple syrup
80 g (2¾ oz/⅔ cup) cacao powder, plus extra for coating
100 ml (3½ fl oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut oil

Combine all the ingredients, except the coconut oil, in a blender and
blend until smooth. Melt the coconut oil and add to the blender,
blending everything once more until completely smooth. Pour the
ganache into a bowl, cover with baking parchment to the surface and
refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm to the touch. Remove from
the fridge and shape small amounts of ganache between two
teaspoons. For round truffles, roll the ganache between the palms of
your hands. Roll in cacao powder to finish and refrigerate.
Espresso truffles

Espresso truffles
1½ tbsp good-quality ground coffee
150 ml (5 fl oz/⅔ cup) boiling water
125 g (4½ oz/6 tbsp) maple syrup
70 g (2½ oz/½ cup plus 2 tbsp) cacao powder, plus extra for coating 80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup
plus 1 tbsp) coconut oil
Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Combine the coffee and boiling water to make a strong coffee. Leave
to brew. Strain through a small sieve to get 140 ml (5 fl oz/½ cup
plus 4 tsp) of coffee. Combine the coffee, maple syrup and cacao
powder in a blender and blend until smooth. Melt the coconut oil
and add to the blender with the salt, blending until completely
smooth. Pour the ganache into a bowl, cover with baking parchment
to the surface and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to 1 hour or until
firm to the touch. Remove from the fridge and shape and finish the
truffles as above.
Nutmeg chilli cinnamon truffles

Nutmeg chilli cinnamon truffles

1 x recipe Dark (bittersweet) chocolate truffles (see here), just made ¼ tsp chilli flakes
About 4 cm (1½ inch) piece freshly grated cinnamon or ½–1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ whole
nutmeg, grated
Pinch of paprika
Cacao powder, for coating

Blend all the ingredients except the cacao powder in a blender until
completely smooth. Pour the ganache into a bowl, cover with baking
parchment to the surface and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or
until firm to the touch.
Remove from the fridge and shape and finish the truffles as above.
Blackcurrant truffles

Blackcurrant purée
150 g (5¼ oz/1½ cups) blackcurrants, fresh or defrosted if frozen
25 ml (¾ fl oz/5 tsp) water
20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw honey or coconut nectar
½ tsp lemon juice

Blackcurrant truffles
120 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) blackcurrant purée (see here) 70 g (2½ oz/½ cup plus 2 tbsp) cacao
powder, plus extra for coating 125 g (4½ oz/6 tbsp) maple syrup
80 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut oil

Put all the ingredients for the blackcurrant purée in a food processor
and bli until as smooth as possible. Pass everything through a fine
sieve, pressing as much through as possible to make at least 120 ml
(4 fl oz/½ cup) of purée.
Combine the blackcurrant purée, cacao powder and maple syrup in
a blender and blend until smooth. Melt the coconut oil and add to
the blender, blending until completely smooth. Pour the ganache
into a bowl, cover with baking parchment to the surface and
refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour or until firm to the touch.
Remove from the fridge and shape and finish the truffles as above.
‘White chocolate’ truffles

The ‘white chocolate’ truffle recipes make about 25 small truffles. They can
be stored for at least a week in the fridge in an airtight container and are
suitable for freezing.
 Cut chocolates top to bo om – Hazelnut and lime rocher and
Matcha sesame ‘white chocolate’ truffle. Boxed chocolates
left to right – Camomile and honey ‘white chocolate’ truffles,
Hazelnut and lime rochers and Matcha sesame ‘white
chocolate’ truffles.

‘White chocolate’ truffles

120 g (4¼ oz/generous ½ cup) cacao butter
80 g (2¾ oz/scant ⅓ cup) cashew butter (see here) ¼ vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways
and seeds scraped out
Finely grated zest of ¼ lemon
45 g (1½ oz/2¼ tbsp) raw clear honey

Melt the cacao bu er in a bain-marie (see here). Pour the melted

bu er into a blender, add the rest of the ingredients and blend until
completely smooth. Add the flavourings below to make ‘white
chocolate’ truffles. If you have leftover ‘white chocolate’, pour it out
onto a tray lined with baking parchment and refrigerate to set. Snap
up and store in a glass jar for use in other recipes.
Matcha sesame ‘white chocolate’ truffles

Matcha sesame truffles

½ x recipe ‘White chocolate’ truffles (see here), just made or melted 1½ tsp Matcha green
tea
20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw honey
1 tbsp cashew butter (see here) Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Shell
½ x recipe ‘White chocolate’ truffles (see here), melted 30 g (1 oz/¼ cup) white sesame
seeds
15 g (½ oz/⅛ cup) black sesame seeds

In a blender, blend all the truffle ingredients together until

completely smooth. Pour into a bowl, cover to the surface with
baking parchment and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until just firm.
Combine the white and black sesame seeds in a small bowl. Using a
teaspoon, spoon out rounds of the truffle mix then roll them between
your palms to make round truffles. Dip your fingers on one hand in
the ‘white chocolate’ and spread it on your palms, then roll each
truffle, one by one, in your palms, coating each truffle with white
chocolate. Coat twice if necessary. When the chocolate is still wet,
roll the truffles in the sesame seeds and leave to set.
Camomile and honey ‘white chocolate’
truffles

Camomile and honey truffles

4 tbsp dried camomile heads, stalks removed
½ x recipe ‘White chocolate’ truffles (see here), just made or melted 1 tbsp cashew butter
(see here) 20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw honey
Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Shell
½ x recipe ‘White chocolate’ truffles (see here), melted Sprinkling of dried camomile

In a spice grinder, grind all the camomile heads. Reserve ¼ of the

ground camomile for sprinkling at the end. Add all the truffle
ingredients to the blender and blend until smooth. Pour out into a
bowl, cover to the surface with baking parchment and refrigerate for
15 minutes or until just firm.
Using a teaspoon, spoon out rounds of the mix then roll them
between your palms to make round truffles. Dip your fingers on one
hand in the remaining ‘white chocolate’ and spread it on your
palms, then roll each truffle, one by one, in your palms, coating each
truffle with white chocolate. Coat twice if necessary. When the
chocolate is still wet, sprinkle the tops of the truffles with the
reserved ground camomile.

NOTES
I prefer to use raw honey in these truffles as it really helps to enliven the
flavours, but blonde coconut nectar also works as a vegan replacement.
Hazelnut and lime rochers

Crunchy toasted hazelnuts coated in dark (bi ersweet) chocolate

surrounding a soft praline centre with a hint of lime, these are some
seriously sophisticated petit fours.

Makes about 30 rochers

100 g (3½ oz/¾ cup) hazelnuts, preferably activated dried (see here) 200 g (7 oz)
homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa solids 100 g
(3½ oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) hazelnut butter (see here) 40 g (1½ oz/2 tbsp) raw honey or
coconut nectar
Finely grated zest and 1 tsp juice of ½ lime
Pinch Himalayan pink salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray

with baking parchment. Place the hazelnuts on the lined baking tray
and toast for 6–8 minutes. Leave to cool, remove the skins then
roughly chop in a food processor until small pieces, but not ground.
Set aside on a plate.
Melt the chocolate slowly in a bain-marie (see here). Once melted,
remove 60 g (2 oz/¼ cup) and in a bowl combine it with the hazelnut
bu er and honey to form a smooth paste. Add the lime zest, juice
and salt and stir once more. Using two teaspoons, make about 30
small rounds. Roll into balls. Check the remaining melted chocolate
is at 28–30°C/82–86°F. Dip all the balls, one at a time on a fork, into
the chocolate then roll in the chopped nuts. Finish by coating your
palms in chocolate and rolling each of the balls in your palms to coat
with chocolate. Leave on a piece of baking parchment to set, repeat
with the rest of the balls and then refrigerate. Will keep in the fridge
for up to ten days.
Cardamom, cranberry and pistachio
mendiants

Mendiants are popular French petit fours, coin-shaped morsels encrusted

with jewels in the form of nuts and dried fruits. Serve after a meal or wrap
in pre y packaging to make delightful edible gifts. Do play around with the
flavours, nuts and dried fruits.
Makes about 30 mendiants

½ x recipe ‘white chocolate yogurt’ (see here) 1 tsp ground cardamom

20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw clear honey or blonde coconut nectar
25 g (¾ oz/3 tbsp) pistachio nuts, preferably activated dried (see here) ½ tsp fleur de sel
25 g (¾ oz/scant ¼ cup) dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3. Line two small baking

trays with baking parchment.
Place the ‘white chocolate yogurt’ in a large bowl and stir in the
cardamom and honey or coconut nectar. If you have just made the
‘white chocolate yogurt’ and it is very runny, leave to cool until just
about to set. In the meantime, toast the pistachio nuts on one of the
baking trays for 5–7 minutes until just ge ing colour, leave to cool
then chop in half.
Place the cooled ‘white chocolate’ mix in a piping bag and cut a
small hole in the end. If necessary, warm the mix inside the bag in
the palms of your hands. Squeeze out about 2 cm (¾ inch) diameter
rounds of ‘white chocolate’ onto the unused baking tray. While the
chocolate is still wet, sprinkle each round with a li le fleur de sel,
top with a few pieces of cranberry and pistachio and transfer to the
fridge to set. Serve straight from the fridge. These will keep for at
least a week in a sealed container in the fridge.
Fresh mint thins

With only two ingredients, these are very simple to make but are extremely
yummy. A thin layer of dark (bi ersweet) chocolate snaps to reveal a
refreshing real mint leaf centre. Just make sure that the chocolate is at the
right temperature for dipping. Serve these after supper or as sweet canapés,
with fresh mint tea or strong coffee.

Makes about 50 mint thins

100 g (3½ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids Large bunch fresh mint leaves

Place a tray lined with baking parchment or a piece of marble lined

with baking parchment in the freezer before you start. Melt the
chocolate using a bain-marie (see here). Keep the chocolate at 28–
32°C (82–89°F) for best results. Pluck all the mint leaves off the large
stalks, leaving the small stalks on each leaf so they can be held while
dipping the leaf. Reserve the end sprigs for use in smoothies or
salads.
Remove the tray or marble from the freezer. Lower each leaf, one at
a time, into the chocolate, coating the whole leaf well, then place on
the chilled tray or marble. If the chocolate is at 28–32°C (82–89°F)
you should get a good coating, but dip the leaf again if necessary.
The fresh mint is strong so it’s best to have a good layer of chocolate
covering it.
Allow the chocolate to set, either in a cool place or in the fridge, then
carefully remove the leaves from the tray or marble and store until
needed in the fridge. These are best eaten fresh or on the following
day.
Adzuki bean Brazil nut fudge

This may be the most healthy and delicious fudge that you will ever taste! It
is sublimely soft and creamy with malty chocolate-caramel notes from the
combination of the carob, maca and lucuma with the cacao. Enjoy it as an
afternoon pick-me-up with a cup of tea or serve after a meal.
Makes about 35 x 2.5 cm (1 inch) square pieces

100 g (3½ oz/generous ½ cup) dried adzuki beans (about 215 g (7½ oz/scant 1 cup)
cooked weight) 500 ml (17 fl oz/2⅛ cup) filtered water
220 ml (7½ fl oz/scant 1 cup) sweet thick cashew milk (see here) 2 tbsp cacao powder
3 tsp carob powder
1 tsp maca powder
1 tsp lucuma powder
½ tsp Himalayan pink salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
120 g (4¼ oz/generous ¾ cup) pitted Medjool dates, or dates soaked in filtered water for 1
hour then drained 75 g (2¾ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil, melted
10 g (⅓ oz/½ tbsp) date syrup, optional
80 g (2¾ oz/generous ⅓ cup) Brazil nuts, roughly chopped

For dusting
½ tsp cacao powder
1 tsp carob powder
¼ tsp maca powder
¼ tsp lucuma powder

Soak the adzuki beans for 12 hours or overnight in 300 ml (10½ fl

oz/1¼ cups) of filtered water. Line a small baking tin that is at least
2.5 cm (1 inch) deep with baking parchment. I use a 30 x 20 cm (12 x
8 inch) brownie tin and the fudge fills half the tin.
Strain and refresh the soaked beans and place in a saucepan with the
measured filtered water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat to
medium and continue cooking for 25–30 minutes, until soft and very
slightly al dente, drain and rinse.
Place the cashew milk in a blender with the cacao, carob, maca,
lucuma, salt and vanilla and blend until smooth. Scrape down the
blender and repeat if necessary. Add the dates to the blender and
bli on high speed for about 20 seconds. You will need to scrape
down the mixture about three times until almost totally smooth, but
don’t worry if you have a few lumps.
Once smooth, add the cooked beans, alternating with the coconut
oil. Start on the slowest speed and gradually increase to full speed,
scraping down the mix a couple of times – it will take about 5
minutes to become smooth. Then taste the fudge. I like it as it is, but
if you want it a li le sweeter, add the date syrup and blend once
more.
Scrape the fudge into a large bowl and combine with the Brazil nuts,
then spread out evenly in the lined tray to a thickness of about 2.5
cm (1 inch). Chill for 3 hours in the fridge or preferably overnight, as
it will then be firmer and easier to cut as it is quite a soft fudge.
When set, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) cubes with a sharp knife. Mix
together the cacao, carob, maca and lucuma powders and sieve over
the top of the fudge. The fudge will keep in the fridge for at least
three days or in the freezer for up to one month.

NOTES
The Brazil nuts add a lovely crunch, but feel free to use other nuts and even
dried fruits; or leave them all out and keep it delightfully smooth.
The malty chocolate mixture made before you add the beans, oil and nuts
can be used to make delicious drinks. Add your favourite plant-based milk
for an indulgent superfood-boosting smoothie, or warm it up with extra
milk, a pinch of cinnamon and chilli to make a decadent hot chocolate.
Dream coconut ice

When my Malaysian friend, Grace, mentioned using fresh coconut in my

coconut ice, as opposed to dried desiccated coconut, I knew she was on to
something. Fun as well as elegant, these light cubes of intense coconut
flavour delicately sweetened with a li le honey are perfect for children and
adults alike.
Makes 35–40 squares

1 whole coconut, to get about 260 g (9¼ oz) grated flesh and coconut water 60 ml (2 fl oz/¼
cup) coconut milk
100 ml (3½ fl oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) coconut water (using water from the coconut first) ½ tsp
vanilla extract
40 g (1½ oz/2 tbsp) raw clear honey
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
70 g (2½ oz/⅓ cup) coconut oil

Line a 20 x 16 x 2 cm deep (8 x 6 x ¾ inch) rectangular baking tin (or

similar sized square tin) with baking parchment.
Grate the coconut using a box grater. Place half of it, 130 g (4½ oz), in
a saucepan with the rest of the ingredients, except the coconut oil,
and heat, bringing just to a boil. Add the coconut oil and keep the
mix on a low boil for about 10 minutes, until most of the milk and
water have been absorbed and you are left with mainly melted oil.
Add the remaining coconut and stir in thoroughly.
Pour the mix into your prepared tray and press it in, compacting it
well. You want it to be no more than 1 cm (⅓ inch) thick. Refrigerate
for 1 hour or until firmly set, remove from the tin carefully and cut
up into 35–40 squares with a sharp serrated knife. This is best eaten
fresh, but it will last in the fridge for three to five days, depending on
the freshness of the coconut.

VARIATION
Toasted Coconut Ice Cups
To get that delicious toasted coconut flavour, I often make half of the
mix into these wonderful coconut cups. Simply take pieces of the
mix, compact it in your hands, and put into mini cake cases. Bake for
8–10 minutes on 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 or until the tops are golden
brown. Leave to cool and set then serve.
Puff-me-up clusters

Movie nights just got a whole lot be er with these amazingly tasty good-
for-you treats: crunchy popcorn tossed in peanut bu er caramel plus nu y
puffed quinoa with bi ersweet chocolate and crunchy almonds, both with
delectable sweet and salty notes. These are irresistible, so watch out, they’ll
be gone in a flash.
Peanut butter caramel popcorn clusters

Serves 6–8

½ tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp popcorn kernels
4 tbsp coconut sugar
5 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp peanut butter
1 tsp coarse sea salt, finely ground

Line a large tray with baking parchment. In a medium–large lidded

saucepan, melt the coconut oil, add the popcorn and put the lid on
the saucepan. Keep the lid on until all of the popping has stopped,
shaking the saucepan around a li le as it pops so that it doesn’t
burn. Place the popped corn into a bowl.
In the same saucepan, melt the coconut sugar, maple syrup, peanut
bu er and salt until smooth and just starting to bubble. Add the
popcorn, remove from the heat and keep stirring until all the corn is
coated. Transfer onto a tray, leave to cool slightly and then break up
into clusters or individual pieces.
These are best eaten fresh but will keep in a sealed bag or container
for up to three days.
Dark (bittersweet) chocolate chip, salted almond and puffed
quinoa clusters

Serves 6–8

70 g (2½ oz/½ cup) almonds, preferably activated dried (see here) ½ tsp coarse sea salt,
finely ground
70 g (2½ oz) homemade chocolate (see here) or dark (bittersweet) chocolate 85% cocoa
solids 70 g (2½ oz/generous ¼ cup) almond butter (see here) 6 tbsp quinoa puffs
20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray or

regular tray, about 30 x 20 cm (12 x 8 inches), with parchment paper.
Line another baking tray with baking parchment, spread out the
almonds and toast for 6–8 minutes or until they are just starting to
colour. Remove from the oven, cool slightly then roughly chop and
toss in a bowl with the salt.
Roughly chop 20 g (¾ oz) of the chocolate and add it to the almonds,
along with the almond bu er, quinoa puffs and maple syrup and
stir. Melt the rest of the chocolate in a bain-marie (see here) and pour
it over the mix, combining everything together.
Pick up pieces of the mix in your fingertips, making them into rough
clusters. Place the clusters onto the lined tray and refrigerate for a
few minutes to set the chocolate then serve.
These are best eaten fresh but will keep in a sealed bag or container
for at least one week.
Lemon, strawberry and Earl Grey friands
with lemon drizzle

These light and fresh lemon sponge morsels burst with juicy, plump
strawberries while the delicate fragrant Earl Grey flavour lingers on your
taste buds. I like to serve them at summer tea parties or for pudding with
fresh berries and natural yogurt or ice cream. You can use other berries
such as blueberries and raspberries, or experiment with different teas,
ground dried petals, or spices.
Makes 16 friands

Friands
90 g (3 oz/⅓ cup plus 1 tbsp) non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter
75 g (2¾ oz/½ cup plus 1 tbsp) agave sugar
15 g (½ oz/1½ tbsp) brown rice flour
15 g (½ oz/2 tbsp) sorghum flour
1 tbsp arrowroot
3 tsp Earl Grey tea leaves, finely ground in a spice grinder
3 egg whites (120 g/4¼ oz/scant ½ cup)
¼ tsp Himalayan pink salt
75 g (2¾ oz/⅔ cup) ground almonds (almond meal)
Zest of ½ lemon, finely grated
16 small or 4 large strawberries, quartered, about 125 g (4½ oz)

Glaze
2–2½ tsp lemon juice
6 tbsp agave sugar, sifted

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Melt the bu er and

brush a li le of it over the friand moulds (or a fairy cake tin) to
grease them. Put the rest of the bu er to one side.
Sieve together the agave sugar, flours and arrowroot. Mix in the
ground Earl Grey. Whisk the egg whites with the salt until light and
firm using a hand-held whisk or freestanding mixer. Lightly fold the
flour mix and tea into the whisked egg whites, followed by the
ground almonds (almond meal) and lemon zest. Finish by carefully
folding in the melted bu er until everything is just incorporated, but
do not overmix.
Using a teaspoon, divide the mix between the friand moulds. Do not
overfill the moulds – leave a few millimetres (⅛ inch) between the
top of the mix and the mould. Finish each cake with a small
strawberry or quarter of a large strawberry, pressed down into the
mix.
Bake for 10–12 minutes, rotating the tray after 5–6 minutes, until the
friands are light golden brown and firm but light to touch. Leave to
cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the mould and leave to
cool on a wire rack.
To make the glaze, stir the lemon juice into the agave sugar until
smooth. Spoon teaspoons of the glaze onto the friands, picking them
up and turning with your hands so that the glaze just falls over the
edges. Serve immediately. The glaze does sink in after a while but
the friands will still have a lovely shiny finish.
Serve with a cup of Earl Grey tea made with a slice of lemon. These
are best eaten fresh, but will keep for up to three days in an airtight
container.

NOTE
This is the only recipe in this book in which I use agave sugar. The
traditional recipe for friands calls for icing (confectioner’s) sugar to create
their characteristic light texture. To achieve that texture with an alternative
sweetener, I found agave sugar worked best. It also does not mask the
delicate lemon and Earl Grey flavours. However, in the rest of my cooking, I
prefer to stick to other sweeteners, as here. If you prefer not to use agave,
you can replace it with raw honey, though the friands will be slightly less
sweet.
Honeybee madeleines

Made with honey and coconut sugar to give them a slight caramel crust and
a mellow sweetness, these are u erly blissful morsels. As light as fairies and
with a wholesome note from the slightly nu y flours, serve them straight
from the oven to truly appreciate them at their best. A cup of tea is the
perfect accompaniment.
Makes 12–16

110 g (4 oz/½ cup) non-hydrogenated dairy-free butter, plus extra for greasing, both melted
55 g (2 oz/⅓ cup) brown rice flour
55 g (2 oz/scant ½ cup) sorghum flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
Pinch Himalayan pink salt
80 g (2¾ oz/scant ⅔ cup) coconut sugar
20 g (¾ oz/1 tbsp) raw honey

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. With a pastry brush,

grease a madeleine tray (or fairy cake tin) with a li le of the melted
dairy-free bu er. Sieve together the flours with the baking powder.
In a freestanding mixer, whisk the eggs and salt, starting from a slow
speed and then gradually increasing to a high speed, until they are
frothy and firm. Add the sugar and honey and continue whisking
until just combined. Change the whisk to a paddle and alternately
mix in the flours and melted bu er until everything is just combined
and well emulsified. Chill the mix in the fridge for at least 4 hours or
overnight, covered to the surface with cling film (plastic wrap).
Give the mix a stir then pour it into a piping bag and cut a 1.5 cm (½
inch) diameter hole at the end. If the hole is too small, air will be lost
from the mix when it is piped. Fill each madeleine mould, leaving a
few millimetres (⅛ inch) at the top for the cakes to rise. Stop the mix
from coming out of the piping bag by blocking the hole with two
fingertips after filling each madeleine. You can spoon the mix in if
you find it easier, just be careful not to knock too much air out of the
mix.
Bake for 8–10 minutes until golden brown and the cakes just spring
back when touched lightly. Leave to cool for about a minute,
demould carefully, using a knife if necessary, and serve straight from
the oven!
INDEX
acai berry powder ref1
‘activated dried’ nuts and seeds ref1
adzuki bean Brazil nut fudge ref1
allergies ref1
almond milk ref1, ref2
cinnamon saffron almond milk ref1
almonds: almond bu er ref1
almond milk ref1, ref2
almond, oat and raspberry bars ref1
almond tea bread ref1
dark chocolate chip, salted almond and puffed quinoa clusters ref1
gooseberry and almond tart ref1
lavender, honey and almond bisco i thins ref1
amaranth ref1
amaranth, berry and banana muffins ref1
apple cider vinegar ref1
apples: apple and hazelnut muffins ref1
apple purée ref1, ref2
blackberry and apple cinnamon crumble cake ref1
maple baked apple pies ref1
apricots: apricot, cranberry and almond tea bread ref1
lavender apricot ‘yogurt’ ref1
arrowroot ref1
avocados ref1
avocado lime cream ref1
creamy avocado and lime chia pudding ref1
velvet chocolate pots ref1

baking powder ref1

bananas: amaranth, berry and banana muffins ref1
baked banana, date and pecan loaf ref1
chocolate, banana and passionfruit pie ref1
baobab powder ref1
bars: almond, oat and raspberry bars ref1
chocolate truffle teff brownies ref1
coconut-cacao-quinoa bars ref1
five grain omega mix granola bars ref1
raw super seed energy boosters ref1
salted tahini shortbread biscuit bars ref1
sour cherry and macadamia bu erscotch blondies ref1
bicarbonate of soda ref1
biscuits: chai-spiced oatmeal, raisin, sultana and currant cookies ref1
chilli choc-chip cookies ref1
dark chocolate dipped peanut bu er and jelly dreams ref1
 lavender, honey and almond bisco i thins ref1
raw herby hemp seed crackers ref1
rosemary, orange, dark chocolate and hazelnut sablés ref1
tu i fru i buckwheat florentines ref1
Black Forest parfait ref1
blackberry and apple cinnamon crumble cake ref1
blackcurrant truffles ref1
blueberries: blueberry and pistachio cakes ref1
blueberry gale es ref1
blueberry lemon mousse cake ref1
Brazil nut fudge ref1
bread: go-to wholegrain gluten-free bread ref1
multi-seed quinoa bread ref1
sweet potato cornbread ref1
buckwheat ref1
bu er, dairy-free alternatives ref1

cacao ref1
cacao bu er ref1
cacao-maca-lucuma ‘yogurt’ ref1
coconut-cacao-quinoa bars ref1
cakes: blackberry and apple cinnamon crumble cake ref1
blueberry lemon mousse cake ref1
clementine and pomegranate jewel cake ref1
coconut rose cake ref1
courge e, basil, lime and pistachio cake ref1
pear, honey and walnut upside-down cake ref1
pumpkin, carrot and walnut cake ref1
see also loaf cakes; small cakes
camomile and honey ‘white chocolate’ truffles ref1
caramel sauce ref1
cardamom, cranberry and pistachio mendiants ref1
carob powder ref1
carrots: coconut and carrot muffins ref1
fennel, carrot and ginger juice ref1
pumpkin, carrot and walnut cake ref1
cashew nuts ref1
cashew cream ref1
cashew nut bu er ref1
cashew nut milk ref1
cashew orange ‘frosting’ ref1
cashew ‘yogurt’ ref1, ref2
vanilla cashew ‘yogurt’ ref1
vanilla cream ref1
cauliflower chickpea curry cakes ref1
chai-spiced oatmeal cookies ref1
cheese, alternatives to ref1
cherries: cherry and pistachio upside-down cakes ref1
 pristine Black Forest parfait ref1
sour cherry and macadamia bu erscotch blondies ref1
chestnut cakes, hot chocolate ref1
chestnut flour ref1
chia seeds ref1
mango, coconut and lime chia puddings ref1
quick-blend raw raspberry chia jam ref1
chickpeas: cauliflower chickpea curry cakes ref1
chilli: chilli choc-chip cookies ref1
nutmeg chilli cinnamon truffles ref1
chocolate ref1, ref2, ref3
adzuki bean Brazil nut fudge ref1
bi er chocolate orange ice cream cake ref1
chilli choc-chip cookies ref1
chocolate and hazelnut torte ref1
chocolate, banana and passionfruit pie ref1
chocolate truffle teff brownies ref1
coconut-cacao-quinoa bars ref1
dark chocolate chip, salted almond and puffed quinoa clusters ref1
dark chocolate dipped peanut bu er and jelly dreams ref1
dark chocolate spread ref1
fresh mint thins ref1
hazelnut and lime rochers ref1
homemade chocolate ref1
hot chocolate chestnut cakes ref1
pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart ref1
pristine Black Forest parfait ref1
rosemary, orange, dark chocolate and hazelnut sablés ref1
truffles ref1
tu i fru i buckwheat florentines ref1
velvet chocolate pots ref1
‘white chocolate’ truffles ref1
white chocolate ‘yogurt’ ref1
cider vinegar ref1
citrus fruits ref1, ref2
clementine and pomegranate jewel cake ref1
coconut: coconut and carrot muffins ref1
coconut-cacao-quinoa bars ref1
coconut rose cake ref1
coconut yogurt ref1
dream coconut ice ref1
mango, coconut and lime chia puddings ref1
vanilla coconut cream ref1
coconut bu er ref1
coconut flour ref1
coconut milk ref1
vanilla cream ref1
whipped coconut cream ref1
coconut nectar ref1
coconut oil ref1
coconut sugar ref1
coeliac disease ref1
coffee: espresso truffles ref1
tiramisù mousse ref1
cookies see biscuits
cornbread, sweet potato ref1
cornflour (cornstarch) ref1
cornmeal see polenta
courge e, basil, lime and pistachio cake ref1
crackers, raw herby hemp seed ref1
cranberries: apricot, cranberry and almond tea bread ref1
cardamom, cranberry and pistachio mendiants ref1
cream, alternatives to ref1
crème anglaise, pistachio ref1
cucumber: strawberry verbena granita ref1
curry cakes, cauliflower chickpea ref1

dairy alternatives ref1

date syrup ref1, ref2
dates ref1, ref2
baked banana, date and pecan loaf ref1
sticky toffee sauce ref1
dried fruit ref1
extra fruity fruit loaf ref1

eggs ref1, ref2, ref3

equipment ref1

fennel, carrot and ginger juice ref1

figs: fig and ginger tea bread ref1
fig and raspberry pie ref1
raw super seed energy boosters ref1
yogurt-coated figs ref1
five grain omega mix granola bars ref1
flax seed oil ref1
flax seeds ref1
florentines, tu i fru i buckwheat ref1
flour ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
flowers and flower waters ref1, ref2
fruit ref1, ref2
purple haze loaf ref1
summer fruit tart ref1
fruit loaf, extra fruity ref1
fudge ref1

ginger: fig and ginger tea bread ref1

gluten ref1, ref2
goji berries ref1
gooseberry and almond tart ref1
grains, soaking ref1
gram flour ref1
granita, strawberry verbena ref1
granola bars ref1
guar gum ref1

hazelnuts: apple and hazelnut muffins ref1

chocolate and hazelnut torte ref1
hazelnut and lime rochers ref1
hazelnut, buckwheat and blueberry bars ref1
hazelnut bu er ref1
hazelnut milk ref1
pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart ref1
praline paste ref1
hemp seed crackers ref1
herbs ref1
honey ref1
honey praline ganache ref1
pear, honey and walnut upside-down cake ref1

ice cream cake, bi er chocolate orange ref1

jam (jelly), raspberry ref1

kale: super alkaline green juice ref1

lactose intolerance ref1

lavender, honey and almond bisco i thins ref1
lemon: blueberry lemon mousse cake ref1
lemon, strawberry and Earl
Grey friands ref1
limes: courge e, basil, lime and pistachio cake ref1
hazelnut and lime rochers ref1
lime and mint raita ref1
mango, coconut and lime chia puddings ref1
loaf cakes: apricot, cranberry and almond tea bread ref1
baked banana, date and pecan loaf ref1
extra fruity fruit loaf ref1
fig and ginger tea bread ref1
purple haze loaf ref1
lucuma powder ref1

maca powder ref1

macadamia nuts ref1, ref2
madeleines, honeybee ref1
mango, coconut and lime chia puddings ref1
maple syrup ref1
maple baked apple pies ref1
Matcha sesame ‘white chocolate’ truffles ref1
milk, alternatives to ref1
millet flour ref1
millet, mushroom and sage riso o cake ref1
mint thins ref1
molasses ref1
mousses ref1, ref2
muffins: amaranth, berry and banana ref1
apple and hazelnut ref1
coconut and carrot ref1
polenta with spinach ref1
pumpkin, carrot and walnut ref1
spiced parsnip ref1
mushrooms: millet, mushroom and sage riso o cake ref1

nutmeg chilli cinnamon truffles ref1

nuts ref1, ref2, ref3
crystallized salted nuts ref1
nut bu ers ref1, ref2
nut creams ref1
nut milks ref1, ref2
soaking ref1
toasting ref1

oat flour ref1

oats: almond, oat and raspberry bars ref1
chai-spiced oatmeal, raisin, sultana and currant cookies ref1
orange: bi er chocolate orange ice cream cake ref1
cashew orange ‘frosting’ ref1
rhubarb and orange polenta cupcakes ref1

Palmyra nectar powder ref1, ref2

parsnip muffins ref1
passionfruit: chocolate, banana and passionfruit pie ref1
pastry ref1
peanut bu er: dark chocolate dipped peanut bu er and jelly dreams ref1
pears: pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart ref1
pear, honey and walnut upside-down cake ref1
peppers: tomato and pepper pissaladière ref1
pies: fig and raspberry pie ref1
maple baked apple pies ref1
quince pies ref1
pineapple upside-down cake ref1
pistachio nuts: cherry and pistachio upside-down cakes ref1
cardamom, cranberry and pistachio mendiants ref1
 courge e, basil, lime and pistachio cake ref1
pistachio crème anglaise ref1
pistachio nut milk ref1
plum crostata ref1
polenta (cornmeal) ref1
polenta muffins with spinach ref1
rhubarb and orange polenta cupcakes ref1
sweet potato cornbread ref1
pomegranate: clementine and pomegranate jewel cake ref1
popcorn kernels: puff-me-up clusters ref1
praline: honey praline ganache ref1
praline paste ref1
pseudocereals ref1, ref2
psyllium husk powder ref1
puff-me-up clusters ref1
pumpkin, carrot and walnut cake ref1
purple corn flour ref1
purple haze loaf ref1

quinces: quince, honey and walnut upside-down cake ref1

quince pies ref1
quinoa ref1
coconut-cacao-quinoa bars ref1
dark chocolate chip, salted almond and puffed quinoa clusters ref1
multi-seed quinoa bread ref1

raita, lime and mint ref1

rapeseed oil ref1, ref2
raspberries: almond, oat and raspberry bars ref1
fig and raspberry pie ref1
quick-blend raw raspberry chia jam ref1
quick-cook raspberry jam (jelly) ref1
raspberry and rose tartlets ref1
rhubarb: rhubarb and orange polenta cupcakes ref1
rhubarb and pistachio cakes ref1
rice: torta di riso ref1
rice flour ref1
riso o cake, millet, mushroom and sage ref1
rosemary, orange, dark chocolate and hazelnut sablés ref1

salt ref1
salted tahini shortbread biscuit bars ref1
seeds ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4
raw super seed energy boosters ref1
sesame seeds: Matcha sesame ‘white chocolate’ truffles ref1
small cakes: blueberry and pistachio cakes ref1
cauliflower chickpea curry cakes ref1
cherry and pistachio upside-down cakes ref1
 honeybee madeleines ref1
hot chocolate chestnut cakes ref1
lemon, strawberry and Earl Grey friands ref1
rhubarb and orange polenta cupcakes ref1
rhubarb and pistachio cakes ref1
see also bars; muffins
soaking ref1
sorghum flour ref1
sour cherry and macadamia bu erscotch blondies ref1
soya products ref1
spices ref1, ref2
spinach, polenta muffins with ref1
squash: baked kabocha squash pie ref1
storing ingredients ref1
strawberries: lemon, strawberry and Earl Grey friands ref1
strawberry compote ref1
strawberry verbena granita ref1
sugar, alternatives to ref1
SugaVida ref1
summer fruit tart ref1
sweet potato cornbread ref1

tahini: salted tahini shortbread biscuit bars ref1

tarts: baked kabocha squash pie ref1
blueberry gale es ref1
chocolate, banana and passionfruit pie ref1
gooseberry and almond tart ref1
pear, chocolate and hazelnut tart ref1
plum crostata ref1
raspberry and rose tartlets ref1
roasted root vegetable tarts ref1
summer fruit tart ref1
tomato and pepper pissaladière ref1
tea bread see loaf cakes
teas ref1
teff flour ref1, ref2
chocolate truffle teff brownies ref1
tiramisù mousse ref1
tomato and pepper pissaladière ref1
tortes: chocolate and hazelnut torte ref1
torta di riso ref1
truffles, chocolate ref1
tu i fru i buckwheat florentines ref1

vanilla ref1, ref2

vanilla cashew ‘yogurt’ ref1
vanilla coconut cream ref1, ref2, ref3
vanilla cream ref1
vegan recipes ref1
vegetables ref1, ref2
roasted root vegetable tarts ref1
velvet chocolate pots ref1
vinegar, apple cider ref1

walnuts: pear, honey and walnut upside-down cake ref1

pumpkin, carrot and walnut cake ref1
yogurt-coated walnuts ref1
‘white chocolate’ truffles ref1

xanthan gum ref1

yogurt, alternatives to ref1

STOCKISTS, BIBLIOGRAPHY AND
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
STOCKISTS
Although there is an array of brands available, here are some of my favourites.
Supermarkets and healthfood shops should stock most of the ingredients used in my
recipes. If there are any you can’t find, online shops are very reliable and economical,
particularly when buying in bulk. You can find out more about my producers, suppliers
and their products on my blog www.henscleancakes.com.

Aduna, www.aduna.com. The highest-quality baobab and moringa powders.

Biona Organic, www.biona.co.uk. Date syrup, virgin coconut oil and bu er, and apple cider
vinegar.
Coconom, www.coconom.com. Organic, sustainably produced coconut sugar and coconut
nectar syrup.
Coyo, www.coyo.co.uk; www.coyo.us; www.coyo.com.au. Dairy-free coconut yogurt; I use
natural and chocolate.
Doves Farm, www.dovesfarm.co.uk. Gluten-free baking powder, bicarbonate of soda (baking
soda), xanthan gum and some gluten-free flours.
Hillfarm Oils, www.hillfarmoils.com. Extra virgin cold pressed (EVCP) rapeseed oil.
Hodmedod’s, www.hodmedods.co.uk. British-grown quinoa, beans and peas.
Maldon Salt, www.maldonsalt.co.uk. Coarse pure sea salt.
Meridian, www.meridianfoods.co.uk. Maple syrup, molasses and nut bu ers.
SugaVida, a Conscious Food Company, www.sugavida.com. Organic, sustainably produced
and ethically traded Palmyra nectar powder.
Pump Street Bakery, www.pumpstreetbakery.com. Chocolate: I use 100% and 85% cocoa
solids.
Pure, www.puredairyfree.co.uk. Non-hydrogenated dairy-free sunflower bu er with no
artificial colours or preservatives.
Rainbow Wholefoods, www.rainbowwholefoods.co.uk. Stock many of the ingredients used in
Clean Cakes.
Rude Health, www.rudehealth.com. Plant-based milks such as almond and hazelnut, gluten-
free sprouted oats and sprouted buckwheat flour.
St Dalfour, www.stdalfour.co.uk; www.stdalfour.com.au. All natural 100 per cent fruit
preserves with no added cane sugar.
Shipton Mill, www.shipton-mill.com. Outstandingly high-quality wholegrain gluten-free
organic flours. Or use Bob’s Red Mill, www.bobsredmill.com, in the USA.
Steenbergs Organic, www.steenbergs.co.uk. Pure extracts, such as vanilla, orange and lemon
and peppermint, and flower waters as well as spices.
Teapigs, www.teapigs.co.uk; www.teapigs.com; www.tea-pigs.com.au. Chai-tea, powdered
Matcha green tea and other interesting infusions.
OTHER USEFUL STOCKISTS AND WEBSITES
www.detoxyourworld.com
www.ea heseasons.co.uk
www.ethicalsuperstore.com
www.goodnessdirect.co.uk
www.planetorganic.com
www.suma.coop

BIBLIOGRAPHY
In 2014, I passed the Institute of Optimum Nutrition Home Study Course. The following
material helped me greatly with my understanding of many of the subjects covered in my
book, notably gluten, grains, dairy and refined sugar: Patrick Holford’s New Optimum
Nutrition Bible, Patrick Holford, Piatkus, 2004
The Concise Human Body Book, Steve Parker, Dorling Kindersley, 2009
The Complete Guide to Nutritional Health, Pierre Jean Cousin and Kirsten Hartvig, Duncan
Baird Publishers, 2004

CREDITS
Chad Robertson and Tartine Bakery for inspiring my Dark (bi ersweet) chocolate dipped
peanut bu er and jelly dreams here and my Rosemary, orange, dark (bi ersweet) chocolate
and hazelnut sablés on here; and to Diana Henry for inspiring my Clementine and
pomegranate jewel cake on here.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Writing this book has been a dream come true so I would like to say a huge thank you to
Jacqui for giving me the chance to do it. Thank you to Fritha, Rachel and Claire for making
my vision become a reality; to Lisa for your beautiful photography and Fiona for all your
help on shoot days. Thank you to friends, family and local villagers, my chief recipe-testers;
to Rosemary and Caroline for your endless supply of stunning flowers and extra props and
to Wendy for always being there. A huge thanks to everyone who has helped me get where
I am today – old colleagues who taught me so much; all those who have supported my
work, in Suffolk and beyond, and those who wholeheartedly supported my new business,
Hen’s Clean Cakes. I look forward to deepening my knowledge of these wonderful
ingredients and sharing more of my food with you through the recipes on my blog and at
future events. To my brother and sister, thank you for always encouraging me in everything
that I do. And lastly, none of this would have been possible without my parents to whom I
am eternally grateful for your undying support, patience, generosity and love. This book is
dedicated to you.
First published in 2016 by Jacqui Small LLP
74–77 White Lion Street
London N1 9PF

Text copyright © 2016 by Henrie a Inman Design, layout and photography copyright ©
Jacqui Small 2016

The author’s moral rights have been asserted.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmi ed, in any form or by any means, electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape,
mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission in writing from
the publisher.

Publisher: Jacqui Small

Senior Commissioning Editor: Fritha Saunders Managing Editor: Emma Heyworth-Dunn
Senior Designer: Rachel Cross Project Manager and Editor: Claire Wedderburn-Maxwell
Production: Maeve Healy
Photographer: Lisa Linder Additional photography here, here, here, here, here and here by
Laura Edwards Prop Stylists: Cynthia Inions and Henrie a Inman E-ISBN: 978 1 910254 81 3

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.