Buttery pears are exactly what we want to eat at this time of year – sweet, juicy and perfectly matched to chocolate’s rich deep flavours. The two combine beautifully in this tart which we think makes a pretty perfect end to dinner. Chilling the pastry for a little while before you roll it out helps to stop it falling apart so we recommend you do this. This has the advantage of being gluten free and vegan but you would never know! …
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Chocolate Strawberry Tart
This is perfection for a Summer party or as a vegan or gluten free birthday cake! It takes a little while to set so make sure you start at least 2 hours in advance of when you want to eat it! Rich with nut protein, dates, chocolate and, of course, strawberries, this really hits the spot – cover with edible flowers and leaves and you have a real treat to share. We make this one every year so thought we would share it again!…
Chocolate Orange Cake
At this time of year it feels like the Spring birthdays and celebrations are in full swing but that the season is yet to catch up with us! There’s so little growing in the ground that we go back to the store cupboard for ideas – like this easy chocolate orange cake. It’s quick to whip up from some store cupboard ingredients and a juicy orange. We enjoyed this as a Mother’s Day cake but it’s perfect for a weekend treat for the family or with a coffee in the afternoon! We can never have enough cake, obviously, and this classic combination works really beautifully….
Nutty Cluster Munchies
These are delicious!! They make you squeal with delight! Around Christmas time we like to make pan forte as they make great snacks for walking as well as ideal presents. This is a variation on that recipe to make smaller crunchy bites – fab for a walk or a mid morning snack to keep you going. They’re chewy and nutritious and don’t take long to make at all. We tested these out on a crew of friends and they were all gone!!…
Cherry Chocolate Tart
Quick!! Rush out and pick the cherries before the birds eat them all! Wild and garden cherries are super sweet at this time of year and well worth using for a tasty dessert. They also look like stunning gems on top of chocolate! We have adapted this from our strawberry tart from last time. It’s a no cook recipe but make sure you leave time to set the base in the freezer. Serve the tart as soon as you’ve put on the topping to avoid it going too soggy. Lovely for a Summer treat!…
Chocolate Beetroot Cake
What better than to use this ruby red vegetable to spoil your valentine? This cake or cakes if you decide to make small ones, far from being earthy and dense, is moist, fudgey and a divine chocolate delight – too good not to share with the one you love. We first made this cake back in November for wedding of some very dear friends and they fell in love with it. Vegan and gluten free, it doesn’t take long to make and keeps really well… so you could make it tomorrow and it will stay tasty until you ice and serve it on Tuesday – maybe with a wee glass of prosecco?! Our recipe made enough for 5 small heart cakes and a 9″ shallow cake – Lots of love x…
Chocolate Ginger Soufflé
To anyone who enjoys chocolate combined with the warmth of ginger, this is heaven in a small pot! We love this, served with lemon ice cream to cut through the richness. These light and fluffy soufflés can be prepared earlier in the day if you want to make them for friends but not be whisking noisily when your guests are there. Make them and put the mixture into the ramekins and leave in a cool but not cold place until you’re ready to cook them. Serves 6…
Nutty Fruit Cake
Our friend Ruth gave us the original idea for this Christmassy treat – with a bit of tweaking we’ve made it gluten free and sugar free, although there is technically sugar in candied peel and glacé cherries – you can just omit these if you like – it will still work very nicely! It’s not really a cake – more of a nutty fruity slab ! Which means it’s quite solid – ( in a good way! )…
Pan Forte
Pan forte is lovely to give as a small foodie gift at Christmas – it has a gorgeous citrus flavour from the peel and the nuts and dried fruit are a great little energy boost to keep you going on a long wintery walk. We like to wrap it up with a bow for Christmas stockings!…
Hazelnut Chocolate Torte
We were feeling a little in need of some indulgence this week so we called upon the trusted flavours of chocolate and hazelnut to pep up us. A festive decoration of pomegranate seeds and a grating of orange zest, and this becomes a lovely festive dessert or tea time treat. You could also serve it with some fresh orange segments or a raspberry sorbet (recipe coming soon)!…