Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Rose Petals

Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache and Rose Petals

These little shiny cupcakes are based on brilliant fail-safe recipe I have used many times, from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World (with a few personal amendments). After a trip out to a local cafe, who had sold out of vegan cakes… Iolo asked if we could make our own! Instead of getting messy with a piping bag and buttercream, I opted to glaze them with a lovely ganache instead and a few pretty rose petals. They were soft and delicious and didn’t last long in our house.

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Ganache and Rose Petals
Makes 10 large or 12 medium cupcakes

1 cup almond milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup caster or granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable or rapeseed oil
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Topping
1/4 cup almond milk
100g dark chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp agave syrup
2 tbsp Rose petals

1. Preheat your oven to 180C/Gas Mark 4 and line a cupcake tin with 10 or 12 liners. If you use a muffin tray, the mix will only make 10.
2. Whisk together all the wet ingredients with the sugar in a jug and set aside.
3. Sieve all the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.
4. Gently stir the liquid into the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, adding gradually and stirring until no large lumps remain.
5. Spoon the cake mixture into the liners, distributing it evenly amongst them all.
6. Bake for 18-20 mins. They are cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
7. Place the cupcakes on a rack to cool completely while you prepare the ganache.
8. Bring the milk to a boil in a small pan. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and agave with a wooden spoon, so it melts.
9. Pour the ganache over the cupcakes and then top with petals.

Two vegan pancake recipes for Pancake Day

You better believe that is it more than possible to make delicious pancakes on Pancake Day, without using eggs. Vegan pancakes are quick, simple and effective to make and something I do sometimes once a week!

My little boy and I love to eat them stuffed with savoury fillings such as spinach and mushroom for lunch, as well as for a special weekend breakfast treat, with lemon and sugar. So I thought I’d share my two favourite recipes.

Vegan Pancakes with Lemon and Sugar

Vegan Savoury Pancakes with Spinach and Mushroom

Vegan Pancakes
Serves 2-4

175ml/6fl oz plant milk
175ml/6fl oz water
175g/6oz plain flour, sieved
2 tbsp chickpea flour (also known as gram), sieved
1 tsp baking powder, sieved
1 tbsp plain vegetable oil
Pinch of salt
Additional oil for frying

Method:

1. Place all of the ingredients, except the oil for frying, in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively whisk by hand until there are no lumps.
2. Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan until piping hot. Drain off any excess.
3. Pour enough of the batter mixture in to the frying pan to thinly cover the bottom. Fry on one side for about a minute. Loosen the edges with a spatula and flip. Fry the flip side for another minute or until done.
4. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven on its lowest setting.
5. Add more oil to the pan if and when necessary. Repeat steps 3 to 6 until all of the mixture is used up. Serve with your chosen accompaniments, sweet or savoury.
This recipe is taken from the Viva! Cookbook.

Canadian Pancakes

Canadian Pancakes
Makes 12

200g/7oz plain white flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g/2¾oz vegan yoghurt
2 tbsp maple syrup
200ml plant milk
1 medium banana, mashed (optional)
2 tbsp sunflower oil

1. Mix together the plain flour with the salt, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
2. Mix together the plain yoghurt, maple syrup, plant milk and mashed banana (if using) and pour this into the flour, whisking well until you have a smooth, thick batter.
3. To cook the pancakes, heat a drop of sunflower oil in a frying pan, swirl the oil around to cover the whole pan.
4. Drop 2 tablespoons of batter into four places in the pan and cook over a medium heat until the underside of the pancakes are golden and bubbles have appeared throughout (about 30 seconds).
5. Loosen the pancakes by shaking the pan and then flick each one over and cook for a further 20 seconds. Continue until you have finished the mix.
6. Serve with fresh fruit and more maple syrup.

So what’s the problem with eggs anyway?
Some people say, why on earth don’t you eat eggs? Chickens just lay eggs don’t they? It doesn’t hurt them? Well I’m sorry, but they are wrong. At the very worse and most cruel are battery or caged eggs (usually the cheapest ‘value’ kind), where hens are crammed into inhumane, dirty, prison like conditions. And at the other end of the scale, undercover investigations by groups such as Viva! have shown, that even ‘happy eggs’ are no such thing, with lots of sick birds never seeing the light of day. You can read more about Viva!’s Happy Egg Company investigation here.

The difficulty that all these ‘types’ of eggs share, (and yes this includes Organic), is that all the males chicks born into the industry are surplus to requirements. Thousands of tiny baby birds are either gassed or macerated everyday, so you can enjoy that boiled egg.. whichever way you look at it, the main elements of this ‘food’ are cruelty and a complete disrespect for the value of life.

Redbush Chai Vegan Cupcakes

From many a weekend spent enjoying homemade soya chai at my yoga teacher training school, Yoga Satsanga Ashram in West Wales, I have developed a love for tea infused with Indian spices. I’m also trying to reduce the amount of caffeine I have and so was delighted to try two varieties of loose Redbush Tea from organic suppliers, Steenbergs. After enjoying several pots of warm and fragrant Redbush Chai and Vanilla Redbush, I thought it would be a grand idea to try to transfer the flavours into some soft and delicate cupcakes; and so here they are. The little bundles were dusted off with some milled cocoa nibs, cinnamon and icing sugar. The recipe follows the pictures.

Redbush Vanilla Chai Cupcakes
Makes 12
Preparation/cooking time 30 mins

1.5 cups almond milk
2 tbsp of Redbush Vanilla Chai Tea*
1/4 cup vegetable or sunflower oil
1/4 cup coconut or soya yoghurt (I used Coyo Coconut Yoghurt)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Topping
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp cocoa nibs, milled (I used Steenbergs) or cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg

1. Preheat oven to 180C or 160C with a fan assisted oven.
2. Line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.
3. Heat your almond milk in a small saucepan until nearly boiling. Stir in the loose tea, over and remove from the heat. Let it rest for 10 mins.
4. The pour the tea mixture into a jug through a tea strainer, to collect the loose tea. If you are left with any less than 1 and a half cups of tea mixture, add a bit more milk (this is about 12.5 fl oz).
5. Whisk the oil, yoghurt, sugar and vanilla into the tea mixture until smooth.
6. Now sift in the flour, raising agents and salt, mixing with a wooden spoon until all the large lumps are gone.
7. Use a tablespoon to fill the cupcake liners to the top and then bake for around 22-25 mins. They are cooked when a skewer inserted in one comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool completely while you prepare the topping.
9. Mill the cocoa nibs (I used my Nutribullet) or similar grinder (or use cocoa powder).
10.  Combine the icing sugar, cocoa, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl, then shift over the top of the cupcakes.
11. Enjoy with a matching cup of Redbush Chai Tea!

*You could use ordinary Redbush tea, then add 2 tbsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ground cardamom, 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp ground cloves.

Raw Chocolates with Edible Flowers

I was, up until recently, a virgin at making raw chocolates. Approaching Christmas time I thought this ought to change. So after some research, I gathered together ingredients from several different places to make my first two batches. I thought I’d share the results with you all!

So I picked up a lovely little heart silicone mold from Wilkinson for £2.99. Super wholefood suppliers Suma sent me some amazing Raw Cacao Powder from Creative Nature and the fabulous Steenberg’s offered up some beautiful dried rose petals and marigold flowers. The other key ingredients were Agave Nectar (a vegan honey alternative available from health shops) and Coconut Oil (also now widely available).

I’ve made two batches of what can only be described as the most luxurious, rich, velvety chocolates you could possibly imagine.. and they definitely put a spark in your step. For the first batch I used Choc Chick’s Cacao Butter and for the second, I used Coconut Oil. Both worked really well. The pictures were taken during the making of both lots of chocolates!

Raw Chocolates with Edible Flowers
Makes around 18

100g Cacao Butter or Raw Coconut Oil or a mixture
6 tbsp Creative Nature Raw Cacao Powder
2-3 tbsp Agave Nectar
Pinch sea salt
Edible flowers like Rose Petals and Marigold Flowers from Steenbergs
Silicone chocolate mold

1. Melt the cacao butter and/or coconut oil in a bowl over a pan of water on a low heat (Bain Marie).

2. Once melted, take off the heat and then add the cacao powder, salt and agave nectar. Mix well with a balloon whisk.

3. Pour carefully into your silicone mold tray. You may need to do a couple of batches if you only have one, with 12 spaces for example. Carefully place some edible flowers in the top of each one.

4. Leave to set in the freezer for 15-20 minutes, before carefully removing from the tray and enjoying! Be prepared to feel wonderful eating these!

Raw Chocolate explained.. excerpt from The Ecologist:

So what is raw chocolate and why is it different from ‘normal’ chocolate? The process for making chocolate is fairly simple: heat cacao beans, grind into a liqueur, add fat and sweeten. However, subtle alterations at any of these stages can result in wildly different chocolate bars. The fundamental difference between your commercial chocolate bar (such as Cadbury’s or Green & Blacks) and raw chocolate (like this recipe) is this: the cacao in raw chocolate is never heated above 45°C, unlike commercial chocolate which is roasted at 130°C, meaning all the anti-oxidants, enzymes and nutrients remain intact. What’s more, whereas most commercial bars are chock full of sugar, milk, saturated, hydrogenated fats and flavourings, raw chocolate is made up just four simple ingredients; cacao beans (chocolate), cacao or coconut butter (fat) and agave syrup (sweetener) plus natural essential oils, berries and nuts for flavouring.

Why is Cacao good for you?
Nutritionally, cacao is a powerhouse of over 300 nutritients including antioxidants, flavonoids, fibre, iron, zinc, copper, calcium and magnesium. It also contains tryptophan, known to ameliorate depression, and the bliss inducing chemicals anandamine and phenylethylamine which simulate the feeling of falling in love. Oh, and it’s an aphrodisiac. Raw chocolate producers also sprinkle in a healthy dose of superfoods such as goji berries, which are rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin C, acai berries containing vitamins A,B, C and D, lacuma powder, which is a natural sweetener and high in iron, and Maca, which is an energy boosting and hormone balancing powder from the Andes.

Indian Rice Pudding (kheer)

A few weeks ago someone fed me some incredibly lovely Indian-style rice pudding. It was the first time I’d ever had any. Since being vegan, rice pudding has been off the menu and had become nothing but a distant, not very pleasant childhood memory of something from a tin.

Now it’s time to think again! This Indian Rice Pudding is totally delicious, fragrant, creamy and warming. It is made using a combination of almond and coconut milk, basmati rice, coconut, cardamom and the highest quality Organic Saffron strands and Rose Water, from specialist Fairtrade supplier, Steenbergs. Both the saffron and the rose water boast a delicate, precious quality with their origin and fragrance.

This kheer would make a special dessert for supper time over the festive season.. or a mid evening snack with a hint of luxury.

Indian Rice Pudding (kheer)
Serve 4
Preparation/cooking time 1.5 hours

5 cups plant milk (I used 3 coconut milk, 2 sweetened almond) plus extra to add at the end
1/2 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup caster sugar
6 almonds, roughly chopped
1/8 tsp rose water
12 strands of saffron
4 cardamom pods, lightly cracked
2 tbsp desiccated coconut

1. Pour the milks and rice into a medium-sized saucepan and bring to the boil.
2. Stir with a wooden spoon, then turn down to simmer for around 20 mins, or until the rice becomes soft and creamy.
3. Add in the almonds, rose water, saffron and cardamom.
4. Stir in another 3/4 cup of coconut or almond milk.
5. Now place a lid on the saucepan and leave the rice pudding to stand for around an hour. It will soften even more in this time and the flavours will infuse.
6. When you return to the pudding, stir in the desiccated coconut and some more milk if it is too thick and return to the heat to warm thoroughly, before serving (you can also eat it cold of course). I also broke the rice down a bit more by mashing the pudding a few times with a potato masher.
7. Sprinkle with a few flaked almonds or pistachio nuts to serve.

Vegan Christmas Recipe Series 2: Cranberry, Toasted Pinenut and Smoked Tofu Nut Roast for Suma Bloggers Network

For several years now I’ve been experimenting with different options for the centre piece of Christmas dinner. A common favourite is Viva!’s Chestnut Pate en Croute. But this year I fancied trying a new take on the good old nut roast – by adding some juicy cranberries, smoked tofu and toasted pine nuts.

A little cheat, to help make this dish super quick and convenient to prepare while your busy sorting out all your other Christmas day food: the basis for this recipe is a Nut Roast Mix from Suma Wholefoods. It makes a wonderful nutty, juicy and flavoursome main course for any seasonal roast dinner. I also baked the nut roasts in individual metal pie pots, making four separate attractive portions.

You could also use any other nut roast mix available in health stores or supermarkets. Suma also do a gluten-free nut roast mix.

Cranberry, Toasted Pinenut and Smoked Tofu Nut Roasts
Serves 4
Preparation/cooking time 45 mins

370g Suma Nut Roast Mix
250ml water
30g sweetened cranberries
100g Viana Real Smoked Tofu, cut into small cubes
3 tbsp pinenuts, lightly toasted
Sea salt
Oil to grease tins
4 small metal pie pots, or bread tin

1. Preheat oven to 200C/Gas Mark 5.
2. Place nut roast mixture in a bowl and combine well with the water. Set aside to soak for 20 mins.
3. Meanwhile, cut up the tofu (also available from Suma Wholefoods) and toast the pinenuts in a small frying pan (just turn them over on a medium heat, use no oil, but watch them as they can burn easily).
4. Grease the individual pie pots or whichever tin you are using.
5. After letting the nut roast sit, mix in the cranberries, tofu and pinenuts. Season with salt.
6. Spoon the mixture into the pots with a tablespoon. Press it down firmly and smooth over the tops.
7. Bake for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and check the roasts are cooked. If they need a little more browning, return to the oven for another 5 mins.
8. To remove the roasts from the tins, slot a metal palette knife in and around the edge of each to ease them away.
9. Place a saucer on the top of each, then turn upside town to tip out carefully.
10. Serve with lots of lovely homemade vegan gravy, roast potatoes and veg.

 

Vegan Christmas Recipe Series 1: Miniature Creamed Pea and Herb Pithiviers

With a month until Christmas, Lots of Nice Things is delighted to bring you a series of unique, stylish and incredibly mouth-watering vegan Christmas food ideas, to impress all the family, vegetarian, vegan or otherwise.
We begin with a wonderful starter of peas, herbs and vegan cream cheese, encased in puff pastry. This recipe is one I wrote for vegan charity, Viva!.

Miniature Creamed Pea and Herb Pithiviers
Makes 16
Preparation/cooking time 35 mins

1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp vegan margarine
125g/4½ oz vegan cream cheese with herbs and garlic
2 tbsp dried tarragon
Handful fresh parsley, finely chopped
150g/5½ oz frozen peas
2 packets puff pastry sheets (Jus Roll is vegan, or many supermarkets own brand)
Sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Preheat your oven to 200°C/400°FGas Mark 6.
2. Melt the margarine in a small frying pan and then cook the onion until soft.
3. In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the other ingredients until they are evenly distributed, seasoning to taste.
4. Lay out the two sheets of puff pastry. Cut 16 circles using an 8cm cutter and 16 from a 7cm cutter.
5. Grease a large baking tray. Lay out the smaller circles evenly on it.
6. Place a tablespoon of creamed pea filling in the centre of each.
7. Brush around the edge of each circle with soya milk, then lay a bigger circle of pastry on the top of each. Press the edges down with a fork and score around the top using a knife.
8. Bake for around 25 minutes until risen and golden.
9. Serve with roasted vine tomatoes and mixed leaves.

Yoga and Vegan Cookery Retreat, West Wales

Last week, I was delighted to host a wonderful Yoga and Vegan Cookery Retreat at my Yoga Ashram in West Wales.

Between Friday and Sunday, I was joined by 10+ hungry and enthusiastic students at Yoga Satsanga Ashram, near Whitland, for a full programme of hatha yoga, pranayama, meditation, bhajan singing and lots and lots of vegan cookery!

Our menu showcased some of my favourite dishes from the recently published Viva! Cookbook, including the Artichoke, Butterbean and Filo Pie, Mediterranean Roast Potatoes, Cheeze and Cranberry Parcels, Chestnut Pate en Croute, Porcini Mushroom Gravy, Savoury Scones, Chocolate Chip Muffins and our Big Vanilla Sponge! Many of these recipes can also be found at the accompanying website www.veganrecipeclub.org.uk

Many thanks to budding vegan cook Kass, Sarah and Debi for all their help and support too.

I am hoping to run more such retreats next year, and can also be found leading guided lunch cooking sessions during general Yoga Retreats at the Ashram. Visit their website for more details and dates.

Cookery lesson

Savoury Scones

Suma Blogger’s Network: Creamy Cashew and Chia Seed Pâté

Let’s face it, if you are in the know-how, there are much healthier things to spread on your toast or oatcakes in the morning than margarine, let alone butter…such as a homemade plant-based pâté.

Why not make something that tastes great but also gives you a fabulous nutritional boost to start your day.

This pâté is made using heart-healthy cashew nuts, packed with monounsaturated fats, copper and magnesium, which are great for bone health; teamed with brilliant Organic Black Chia Seeds, which are rich in Omega 3 and 6 (needed for good cell health, brain and nerve function). They also contain good levels of fibre and protein.

Enjoy it on wholemeal toast, or as I did, spread across some lovely Organic Amisa Gluten Free Quinoa-fibre Crispbreads. The Black Chia Seeds, Crispbreads and all the herbs and spices can be purchased from Suma Wholefoods.

Creamy Cashew and Chia Seed Pâté
Makes 3 medium pots
Preparation time 12 hours soaking plus 5 mins

200g/ 7oz cashew nuts
4 tbsp Raw Health Black Chia Seeds
3 tbsp sunflower 1 tsp salt
Black pepper (to taste)
1 tsp olive oil
1 large clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig fresh parsley
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
3 tsp zatar spice (optional)
1 tsp salt
Black pepper (to taste)
Sprinkle cayenne pepper (to taste)
1 tsp lemon juice (or to taste)

1. Place the cashews, chia seeds and sunflower seeds in a bowl and cover with water. Leave to soak overnight.
2. The next day, mix in the rest of the ingredients apart from the salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Blend with a stick blender until thick but textured. Now add in the final three ingredients to taste.
4. Spoon into pots and allow to chill, before spreading on quinoa crackers or bread!

Cashew and Chia Seed Pâté

Viva! Cookbook is finally published

Working with my friend and vegan cookery guru, Jane Easton, we spent over four years producing a vegan cookery book for vegan charity, Viva!.

Filled with hundreds practical, delicious and easy-to-follow recipes, I’m delighted to have shot all the pictures within this book, with Jane selecting and testing all the dishes we included and writing literally thosands of words!

It is the definitive, wonderful, vegan crème de la crème of recipe books!

This is no ordinary collection of animal-free recipes, for a start there’s sections devoted to kid-friendly recipes; entertaining non-vegetarian friends; eating solo and how to freeze your food to save time and money. We have everything covered – chapters include: Feel the Pulse; Tofu Secrets; Souperb; Lunch-out; A bit on the Side; The Main Event; Sweet Thing and more!

Boasting 145 recipes with accompanying full colour photos, the Viva! Cookbook will take your taste buds on a culinary adventure; from satisfying starters – Sautéed Squash with Olive Tapenade & Cannellini Beans and Luscious Two Pear Salad with Balsamic Dressing; to decadent desserts like Juliet’s Luxury Chocolate Mousse and Viva!Blocker Glory. For the main event, we’ve scoured the globe for fresh and flavourful dishes that hold their own such as Viva!’s Very Moorish Moroccan Stew or that work well as part of our ‘Cool Combos’ – pair the Quesadillas with Guacamole & Lime Sour Cream Dip with our tangy Mango Salsa. For a stunning show-stopper, our Big Puff Pie – bursting with mixed mushrooms and topped with a crown of puff pastry – will not disappoint.

The book is avaialble to buy from the Viva! shop, priced £9.99 plus p+p.