Chocolate orange & almond fridge cake

As it’s the start of December today, I thought I’d share my first Christmas recipe of the season. It’s a dead easy one and you can either scoff it yourself, serve as little after-dinner treats on the big day or make for friends and family as gifts.

Fridge cakes make great presents as they look really festive chopped up in clear gift bags (there are lots of biodegradable options!) and tied up with ribbon. These would be lovely treat to leave one someone’s doorstep this Christmas - we all need cheering up a bit at the moment!

Using the quantities below, you should be able to make gifts for 4-6 depending on how you divide it up. I used a 20 x 20cm tray, but if you want to make a larger batch (23 x 30cm) then just double the recipe.

Ingredients

• 75g cranberries

• Juice of ½ & zest of 1 orange

• 250g dark chocolate

• 90g unsalted butter

• 75g golden syrup

• 130g digestive biscuits

• 1/4 tsp almond essence

• 80g whole almonds

Method

• Zest the orange, then juice ½ and pour over the cranberries. Leave to soak over night if you can, otherwise for at least 30 minutes.

• Keep the zest in a small lidded tub if you’re soaking overnight.

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc.

• Line a 20 x 20cm baking tin with parchment.

• Put the almonds on a baking try and place in the oven for 6 minutes. Once cooled, crush in the tray with the end of a rolling pin.

• Put the chocolate, butter and syrup in a large heat proof bowl and melt over a pan of boiling water stirring regularly. Make sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl as the chocolate will get too hot.

• Once the chocolate mix is melted remove from the heat, add the orange zest, stir and leave for 5 minutes to cool slightly.

• Break up the biscuits in a bowl using the end of the rolling pin again, but make sure you leave some larger pieces for texture.

• Drain the cranberries and add to the chocolate along with the biscuits, almond essence and ¾ of the almonds.

• Mix well and scrape into the tin and press down lightly with a spatula, then sprinkle over the remaining almonds.

• Leave to cool for 15 minutes and then put in the fridge for 2-3 hours to set.

• Chop and then transfer the pieces to an air tight container or gift bags.

• Store in the fridge.

Vegan banana hot choc

I got my 10 year old daughter’s seal of approval on this one, so I must be doing something right as her favourite thing is ‘real’ hot choc. This is an alternative made with ingredients that all have nutritional value, so it’s healthy as well as being a treat. It’s perfect for this time of year and a nice substitute for a mid morning or afternoon snack if you need to warm up.

Ingredients

Serves 1

• 180ml Oatly semi chilled

• 40g banana (approx 4 x 1cm thick slices)

• 2.5 tsp raw cacao, or coco powder if you don’t have it

• 1 tsp maple syrup or honey

• 1/2 tsp white chia seeds, optional

Method

• Pour 40ml of Oatly to the smoothie maker with the banana. Briefly blitz to a smooth liquid.

• Then add the rest of the Oatly and warm for about 1 minute in the microwave, or do this in a pan if you prefer (I like to save on washing up!). Be careful not to let it boil though as it’ll be too hot for the smoothie maker and cause it to leak.

• Then add the rest of the ingredients and blitz really well for about 1 minute so it’s totally smooth and has a frothy top.

• Chia seeds are optional - they’ll add protein, keep you fuller for longer and make the drink a little thicker, so you decide!

Vegan hazelnut brownies

Ingredients

Makes one 23 x 23 cm tray

• 1 medium sized sweet potato, 230g roasted - weigh out once cooked

• 350g medjool dates

• 4 tbsp almond butter

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 7 tbsp maple syrup or honey

• 9 tbsp raw cacao powder

• 100g hazelnuts, toasted and bashed roughly with the end of a rolling pin

• 100g dark chocolate

  Method

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc and line a cm tin with parchment.

• Put the sweet potato on a tray and roast for approx 30-40 minutes until soft and squishy right through.

• Next put about 1/4 of the dates, coconut oil, maple syrup and almond butter in a food processor and start to blitz, after 30 seconds add the rest of the dates one at a time. Doing this slowly means your processor won’t get clogged up.

• Then add the sweet potato, blend again until really smooth and spoon in the cacao continuing to blitz.

• Once the mixture is smooth, stir in the hazelnuts and scrape into the baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes on the middle shelf.

• Once cooled, melt the dark chocolate in the microwave - I do 1 min on 600W and repeat 2-3 times, stirring in between. Then pour over the brownie base and set in the fridge for 20-30 min.

Tip

• I like to keep these in the fridge so they stay firm

This is my new favourite healthy treat - I’m currently working my way through the entire tray! But, unlike ‘normal’ brownies, they keep really well in the fridge, so I don’t have to eat them all in 2 days. I reckon they’ll last about 2 weeks as they stay just as squishy as when they were first baked.

The other great thing about these brownies is that they’re full of nutrients, they’re not ‘empty’ calories. I’ve used almonds, dates, sweet potato, raw cacao and hazelnuts - so they’re packed with protein and fibre. You could literally eat one pre or post workout to give yourself an energy boost. Personally I like one with a cuppa in the afternoon and then another cheeky slice after dinner!

Honey flapjack

Switching golden syrup for honey in flapjacks has been a game-changer for me as the flavour is so much better. I realise that this is a more expensive way of making them, so you could always cut the cost a little by going 50:50. This recipe makes a big tray though, so they will last a while (in theory!). I froze half to: a/ stop me eating it all, b/stop anybody else eating it all so I could save some for packed lunches. That way you have a little stock of sweet treats hidden away when there’s nothing else in the cupboard.

Ingredients

Makes a large 21x32cm tray, but you could halve the ingredients to fit 20x20cm

• 400g unsalted butter

• 400g demerara sugar

• 400g honey

• 800g porridge oats

Method

• Preheat the oven to 180 °c and line the tray with baking parchment.

• Melt the butter, sugar and honey in a large pan, stirring to mix well.

• Add the oats and stir well to combine.

• Scrape the ingredients into the tray and pack down fairly tightly, I use a cake slice to flatten the mix down.

• Bake for 15-20 minutes, you’re looking for a golden colour with slightly browned edges. The flapjack should still feel quite soft when it comes out of the oven if you want it to be chewy not crunchy like me.

  Tip

• If you scrunch the baking parchment into a ball first and then open up it’s much easier to line you tray with it.

• I’ve used demerara sugar to give the flapjacks a little crunch, but you can always switch to normal caster if you don’t have it.

Super seed coconut energy balls

In the interests of healthy snacking I decided to make these today. I’ve noted how you can switch the ingredients to work with what you have in the cupboard, so you can make your own version.

Ingredients

Makes 24 falafel sized balls

• 400g dates (or 350g dates / 150g apricots as I needed to use them up)

• 50g sunflower seeds (or any other nut)

• 50g pumpkin seeds (ditto)

• 100g desiccated coconut (or nuts)

• 4 tbsp cacao (or coco powder - I think - never tried it but can’t see why not!)

• 2 tbsp coconut oil

• 2 tbsp peanut butter (or any nut butter, smooth or crunchy)

Method

• Put the seeds into the food processor and blitz, before adding all the other ingredients, except the dates.

• Turn on the processor and add the dates one at a time - I’ve found this is the best way of avoiding clogging up the blades. Mix until you have a smooth thick paste.

• Use a mini ice cream scoop to measure out if you have one, and shape the balls as you press them into desiccated coconut.

Banana & pecan bread

I know this isn’t my recipe, but it’s shared quite widely online so I hope Mr Ottolenghi won’t mind me posting this, especially as I can say nothing but good things about it! This is literally the most delicious banana bread ever and it's so easy to make. I made it one Friday evening (yeah my life is that exciting these days), so we could eat it for breakfast the next day. It's absolutely amazing with honey and tahini as suggested in the recipe which you can find in Plenty More.

Ingredients

• 150g Pecans

• 300g mashed banana

• 275g soft light brown sugar

• 3 medium eggs, lightly beaten

• 140ml milk

• 70ml sunflower oil

• 275g plain flour

• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ teaspoon salt

To serve:

• Tahini

• Honey

Method

• Preheat the oven to 170ºc. Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin with baking paper.

• Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 6 minutes. When they’re done, take them out and roughly chop.

• In a bowl, sift together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder, then set aside. In a jug, combine the milk, oil and salt and also set aside.

• Put the whole bananas in a mixing bowl and if you have a stand mixer set on medium speed and this will mash them - easier than by hand. Add the sugar, egg and combine. Slowly add the milk and oil whilst continuing to mix, making sure all the ingredients are well combined. Then, add the flour mixture, continuing to blend on a medium speed for a couple of minutes. Finally, stir through the pecans before pouring the mixture into your prepared tin.

• Place the tin on the middle shelf of your oven and cook for 1 hour 10 minutes.

• When cooked, remove and leave in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.Once cooled, slice the banana bread, spread the butter on one side and put it under the grill until lightly toasted.

• Spread with tahini, drizzle with honey and sprinkle with salt.

• Note - this bread is lovely without doing anything to it, so if you want it plain then go for it.

Tip

Remove the top shelf in your oven as this cake rises a lot.

Plum & almond tart

This is our house favourite for a grown-up birthday cake. We can't resist a frangipane, which is basically what this tart is; lovely shortcrust pasty filled with squishy almond filling and slightly sharp plums. Really delicious at any time of the day. I'm not kidding this tart is great for breakfast with fresh coffee - think of it as a French-style patisserie type of affair. 

Ingredients

Serves 8-10

• 6-7 plums , halved and destoned

• 3 tablespoons vanilla, or plain caster sugar

• 300 g unsalted butter

• 300 g caster sugar

• 3 whole free-range eggs

• 350 g ground almonds

• 1 handful whole pistachio nuts , shelled (optional)

• Shortcrust pastry (see below)

Method

• Line a 28cm/11 inch loose-bottomed flan tin with the pastry and bake it blind (see instructions below).

• Toss the plums in the vanilla sugar, let them macerate for while you make the filling.

• Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer until light and creamy.

• Add the almonds and then the lightly beaten eggs and fold in until completely combined. Stir in the pistachio nuts, then place in the fridge to firm up slightly.

• Once the mixture has chilled, spoon it into your tart case making sure it is about three-quarters full. Don’t overfill otherwise it will spill over the edge in the oven.

• Push the plums into the mixture.

• Bake on a tray at 170°C/350°F/gas 4 for 1 hour, or until the almond mix has become firm and golden on the outside, but is still soft in the middle.

• Allow to cool for about ½ an hour and serve with ice cream, or crème fraîche.

  Sweet shortcrust pastry

I have found that this Jamie Oliver recipe that works best for me. Others have ended in various versions of grey lumps. I use a food processor to start the pastry off as it saves time and is much easier, but probably not purist. If you don't have one, grate the butter into the flour and use cold hands!

Ingredients

• 125g unsalted butter, 2cm cubes

• 250 g organic plain flour , plus extra for dusting

• 50 g icing sugar , sifted

• 1 large free-range eggs, beaten

• ½ - 1tbsp milk

Method

• Put the butter, flour and icing sugar into the food processor.

• Using the cutting blade, turn the food processor on in 2 second bursts to chop up the butter until you have a crumb-like texture.

• Continue until all the butter is combined with the flour, a few small lumps is fine though.

• Slowly add the eggs to the blender and again set the mixer going in very short bursts until you see the mixture coming together.

• Once you have added all the egg the pastry should be beginning to form.

• Carefully scrape the mixture out and onto a clean worktop and gently bring together with your (cold) hands, you may need to add a little milk at this stage.

• As soon as the pastry is just about sticking together, but still looks quite flaky and not blended that well, shape into a large donut, wrap in clingfilm and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

• Take the pastry out once it has had time to rest and leave on the side to warm up to room temperature, so it is easier to roll out.

• Roll out fairly thin for your tart base. As the pastry has not been kneaded and worked too much you will notice small pieces of butter in it and it will have a fairly uneven colour and texture overall. This is fine; you will end up with a lovely flaky pastry that will be really light.

• Use the rolling pin to lift the pasty into the tart case and place in the freezer for 15 minutes so there is less shrinkage when baked.

• Remove the tart from the freezer and place baking parchment right over the pastry (including the edges) and fill the case with baking beads. Bake on 200°c for 20 minutes, remove the paper and beads before putting back in the oven for about 10 minutes on 170°c, or until the pastry begins to colour slightly.

Tip

Instructions for using a 23cm tart case:

• 3-4 plums , halved and de-stoned

• 1-2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, or plain caster

• 200 g unsalted butter

• 200 g caster sugar

• 2 large free-range eggs

• 200g ground almonds

• 1 small handful whole pistachio nuts , shelled (optional)

  Shortcrust pastry:

• 100g unsalted butter, 2cm cubes

• 200 g organic plain flour , plus extra for dusting

• 40 g icing sugar , sifted

• 1 large free-range eggs, beaten

  Bake pastry blind as above and reduce tart cooking time to 170°C/350°F/gas 4 50 minutes.

Apricot & cardamom cake

Oh my goodness I love this cake; it tastes amazing and is different from the norm. The subtle addition of cardamom makes this bake interesting and would be the perfect end to a Middle Eastern-style meal. Gorgeous. The recipe comes from Simply Nigella and is very easy to follow. I love Nigella's new book as it is full of fresh new recipes that are full of flavour, but more straightforward and lower in fat. 

Ingredients

• 150 g dried apricots

• 250 cold water

• 2 cardamom pods (cracked)

• 200 grams ground almonds

• 50 grams fine polenta (not instant)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free if required)

• 150 g caster sugar

• 6 large eggs; ideally at room temperature

• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon rosewater - I left this out as I find it too floral

• Sunflower oil or butter for greasing

• Decoration

• 2 teaspoons apricot jam (or rose petal jam)

• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

• 2½ teaspoons very finely chopped pistachios

Method

• Preheat oven to 180°c

• Use a 20cm (or 21cm also works well) springform cake

• Put the apricots in a small saucepan with the split cardamom pods and just enough water to cover them. While you're doing this grease the tin and line with parchment. Bring to boil and turn down to a gentle simmer for 10 minutes. Leave to cool and the apricots will absorb more water, so make sure you don't boil them dry

• Weigh the other ingredients while the apricots are cooling down. Once the apricots are cool put 5 aside and remove the cardamom pods, but not the seeds. Place the rest of the apricots and the cardamom seeds into a food processor, or if you don't have one you can finely chop with a knife (including the seeds - they'll be soft and easy to chop, just a bit fiddly)

• Next put the almonds, polenta, baking powder, caster sugar, sugar and eggs into a food processor or a mixer with the beater attachment and mix thoroughly. Once mixed add the lemon juice and then the apricots.

• Scrape the mixture into the tin and then position the apricot halves around the top of the cake and put in the oven for 40 mins.

• I checked mine after 30 minutes and it had browned enough on top so I placed a piece of tin foil lightly over the top for the last ten minutes - this is what Nigella recommends in her recipe

  Tip

• If you don't like cardamom then just leave it out of the recipe, or add a teaspoon of almond essence instead. It'll still be one of the most delicious soft cakes you have ever eaten.