A quick muffin for a spontaneous afternoon tea. Make vegan by using a flax egg and substituting the butter in the crunchy crumb.

1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 c milk
1 c blueberries, fresh or frozen

Crunchy crumb:
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c flour
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 c butter, cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper muffin cups.
If you're using fresh blueberries, coat them with a little flour. If you're using frozen blue...
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This is from Jamie Oliver's Superfood cookbook. It rather annoys me how 'superfood' has become an overused word to market brands, books and recipes. Some food is higher in particular nutrients than others; it's just common sense to eat a variety and as whole as possible. I wouldn't call this bread a superfood, it's just a simple bread made from wholesome ingredients. That said, if Jamie can get the masses to eat more seeds, berries, vegetables and whole grains and less meat, that can only be ...
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When it comes to birthday cakes, kids usually prefer simple flavours but lots of icing - and then just eat the icing. Our daughter requested a vanilla PJ Masks cake for her 5th birthday, so this is my first foray into fondant icing. It was easier than I thought. I just drew and cut out a template of Owlette's mask onto paper, then rolled out the store-bought red fondant, placed the template on top and cut it out. The black parts are cut from a licorice log. The white eyes are made from a mixt...
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Another one from Vanelja - a rawish cake with the right combination of strawberry tang, fragrant rose and rich chocolate.

Base:
1 1/2 c almonds
6 dates
2 tbs cacao powder
pinch salt

Filling:
1 c cashews
1 c strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 banana
1 tbs rosewater or extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of a lemon
1/4 c grated cacao butter, melted
1/4 c coconut oil, melted

Icing:
2/3 c grated cacao butter
3 tbs coconut oil
1/2 c cacao powder
2 tbs honey or rice syrup
pinch sea salt

First, soak the cashews...

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This granola has just the right mix of nuts, fruit, spices and sweetness for me - and a fantastic crunch.

3 c oats
2 c chopped nuts
1 c sunflower seeds, or do a pumpkin seed mix
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
4 tbs coconut oil
3/4 c rice syrup
2 tbs water
2 tbs vanilla extract
1/2 c chopped apricots
1/2 c goji berries
1/4 c raisins or chopped prunes

Preheat oven to 160C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Melt the coconut oil and rice syrup in a saucepan or double boiler over low heat. Mix the oats, ...

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If you're avoiding dairy and eggs, this carrot cake will hit the spot for you! This recipe is adapted from Chocolate Covered Katie.

1 c grated/shredded carrots
1/2 c applesauce (basically stewed and mashed apples)
1/3 c oil
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c flour (I use spelt)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 c cane/rapadura/coconut (ground or powdered)
optional - 1/2 c chopped walnuts, raisins, desiccated coconut

Mix the first five ingredients in a bowl and set a...
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I made these chocolate thins for a Star Wars kids' party. Low in sugar and no gluten, eggs, dairy or nuts, if you're avoiding such things.
1c buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs cocoa powder
1/4 c coconut sugar/rapadura - ground into a powder using a coffee grinder
1/4 c coconut oil
5-8 tbs nondairy milk

Whisk all the dry ingredients in a food processor. Add coconut oil and mix. With the motor running add the milk one tablespoon at a time until a dough forms. Wrap in cling film a...
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Super easy chocolate mousse! 

110g dates or apricots simmered in juice and zest of an orange for 15 min

400g silken tofu

4 tbs cocoa

Once fruit is stewed blitz all ingreds in a blender and then pour into ramekins. Store in the fridge until you want to serve. I served mine with toasted coconut flakes and cashew toffee praline. Any thinly sliced fruit or stewed dried fruit will complement the rich mousse.

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Sugar-free toffees that have healthy ingredients! Thank you Virpi Mikkonen from It's a Pleasure (Weldon Owen, 2016). I used my homemade almond butter too so I'm well chuffed about that.
1/3 c nuts (I used cashews)
1/2 c honey
1 c almond or another nut butter
2 tbs coconut flakes
flakey sea salt (Maldon is my choice)

Have moulds ready or a baking tin lined with baking paper.
Crush or chop the nuts with a knife, in a grinder or mortar and pestle.
Pour honey into a frying pan over medium heat. Stir cont...
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These are a chewy choco bite. Don't overcook or they'll be rock hard (as mine were, on the edges). From Sweet & Easy Vegan by Robin Asbell (Chronicle, 2012).

1 1/2 c rolled oats
3/4 c spelt flour
1/4 c cocoa or cacao powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 c rice syrup
1/2 c rapadura/coconut or palm sugar
1/4 c almond butter
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp nondairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 170C and line a 20x20cm cake tin.
Mix all the dry ingredients (except almo...
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Hazelnuts! Yummy but expensive little things, aren't they? That's why I don't often bake with them, but I had half a cup in the cupboard for some such occasion. I added some diced dried fruit to the mix to sweeten the package for the 4-year-old. She turned her nose up at them, however. Oh well, more for me. These fall into the brutti ma buoni style of biscuit - ugly but good.

Makes about 20

1 c spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c rice syrup
1/4 c almond butter (...
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Been meaning to try drying my own fruit leathers for a long time - so easy! Just roughly cut up 4 organic apples and blitz in a blender with 5 medjool dates (pitted) and about 1/2 c filtered water until a thick paste forms. Spread onto paraflexx dehydrator sheets and dehydrate for about 12 hours. I have a round dehydrator, so my sheets look like giant donuts.
This lot were quite thin and turned out crunchy but that's all good. I'll spread them thicker next time and get more of a leathery texture.


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In my constant search for the perfect muesli bar/granola bar/bliss ball/fruit bites that my four-year-old will eat, I've come across these two recipes that work really well from Wholefood Simply by Bianca Slade (2013). Great lunchbox fillers whatever age you are!

For the apricot bites you only need 1 c organic dried apricots, soaked for 30 min in boiling water then drained. Then put in a blender or food processor with 2 c desiccated coconut. Blitz on high for a while until it's all combined. P...
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These chocolates are especially good for kids as they have a more milky smooth texture, but they are not hard setting. The recipe is from Virpi Mikkonen. You need to keep these in the freezer, they are sticky and soft - and very moreish.

1/2 c cashews or macadamias or mix of, soaked a few hours then drained
1/2 c grated cacao butter
1/3 c coconut oil
1/3 c cacao powder
1/3 c rice syrup, honey or coconut syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Melt the cacao butter and coconut oil in a bowl set ove...
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These remind me of brandy snaps. Easy to make and bake in a few minutes. Virpi Mikkonen from Vanelja.com has a super book called It's a Pleasure (Weldon Owen, 2015). Everything is free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar, although this recipe has some butter. I accidentally baked these at a higher temperature, hence they're a bit too brown but still awfully moreish.

1/4 c butter (by all means use vegan butter if you can find it)
1/4 c honey
1/4 g ground oats
1/4 c ground almonds
3 tbsp rapadura or ...
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