Showing Tag: "chocolate" (Show all posts)

Coconut caramel slice

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, November 26, 2022, In : slices 


This is one of Donna Hay's better-for-you recipes from One Pan Perfect (Fourth Estate, 2022). She swaps out refined sugars and grains for unrefined sweeteners and nut flours. Coconut caramel is easy to make and versatile to use in slices or tarts or a sauce over ice cream.


Coconut caramel:

1 400 g coconut cream

1 1/2 c coconut sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract


Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over high heat until sugar is dissolved and sauce is bubbling. Turn down to medium heat and contin...


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Chocolate orange marble cake

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, In : big cakes 


Ooh my favourite combo with dark chocolate - the classic jaffa. The flavours not only go well together but the mix of brown and orange is so groovy, baby. The addition of yoghurt ensures this cake stays moist.


Serves 10-12

225 g butter

3/4 c sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 c yoghurt

1 3/4 c flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 Tbsp grated orange zest

1/2 tsp orange essence if desired

red and yellow food colouring 

30 g dark chocolate, melted


Syrup:

1/4 c sugar

2 Tbsp orange liqu...


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White chocolate & cranberry muesli bars

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, In : slices 

A super easy one-pot mix. White chocolate and cranberries are a good pair but you can mix and match with your favourite flavours and add nuts too, eg dark chocolate and apricot, chocolate and macadamia, white chocolate and pistachio, chocolate and prunes.


125 g butter

1/3 c brown sugar or coconut sugar

2 Tbsp honey

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1/3 c self-raising flour

1 c cranberries

1 c white chocolate drops

50 g white chocolate for drizzling


Preheat oven to 180C and line a 20 x 30 cm tin with baking paper, m...


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Millionaire's flapjacks

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 11, 2022, In : slices 


This is Allyson Gofton's 'healthier' version of millionaire's shortbread. It has an oaty base but the caramel is still made with evil condensed milk. Scrummy, no less!


1 3/4 c rolled oats

1 3/4 c desiccated coconut

1/2 c sugar (I used coconut)

175 g butter, melted

1 egg


For the caramel:

1 x 395g sweetened, condensed milk 

50 g butter

2 Tbsp golden syrup (I used brown rice syrup)


For the topping:

150 g dark chocolate

4 Tbsp coconut oil or Kremelta


Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan). Line a 20 x 30 cm brow...


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Double chocolate fudge cake

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, October 10, 2022, In : big cakes 

This one from A World in My Kitchen by Peter Gordon (Hodder Moa, 2003) is a real doozy of indulgence. It's his favourite chocolate cake. We are lucky to have an excess of eggs thanks to our chickens so I went for it.


300 g dark chocolate (I use Whittaker's)

150 g butter

6 eggs

100 g sugar (I used ground coconut sugar, as I tend to do with dark cakes)


Ganache:

220 g dark chocolate

180 ml cream, chilled (you can use cow cream but I used coconut)


Preheat oven to 180c. Line the base and sides of a 20 cm ...


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Chocolate ginger macadamia chilli cookies

Posted by Frances Chan on Sunday, September 25, 2022, In : cookies 

I'm having a biscuit week in my house, inspired by A World in My Kitchen by Peter Gordon (Hodder Moa, 2003). He often has interesting flavour combinations with modern takes on classics. Elevate your average biscuit in style. This one's all done in a food processor so not much effort needed. The chocolate, ginger and chilli really complement each other, and the nut is ideal to offset the ginger sweetness and add texture.


Makes 24-30

125 g butter, room temperature

120 b demerara sugar

1 egg

1/2 fres...


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Chocolate marshmallow cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, September 10, 2022, In : cookies 

Who doesn't like a dark fudgy cookie bursting with oozy marshmallow? Not many, if any. No creaming involved, just melt and mix.


Makes around 16

1 1/4 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

115 g butter, melted

2/3 c brown sugar

1/4 c granulated sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

About 16 marshmallows or a cup of mini marshmallows


In a large bowl sift in the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and mix to combine.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan or bowl in the microwave. Stir in the suga...


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Chocolate nut biscotti

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, September 3, 2022, In : cookies 

Use any nut you have on hand - pistachios, macadamias, almonds... they will all add flavour and protein to a very snackable biscuit. 


Makes 12-16 

120 g flour (I used wholemeal)

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tsp cocoa powder

75 g sugar (I used coconut, finely ground)

25 g butter, chilled and cut into cubes

1 egg

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

40 g nuts

50 g dark chocolate, chopped


Preheat oven to 160C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa into a bowl, then stir in the sugar.

Rub in th...


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Mexican spice cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, August 14, 2022, In : cookies 

You know chilli and chocolate go so well together. This soft batter can be made two ways: as cookies or brownies. Why not do both like I did?

2 c icing sugar
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp each of ground cinnamon and allspice (or nutmeg and clove mix)
pinch cayenne pepper
1 c ground almonds
1/2 tsp sea salt
150 g dark chocolate chips/melts/pieces
1 egg
2 egg whites or 60 ml aquafaba
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 150C.
In a large bowl mix together the icing sugar, cocoa, spices, almonds, salt and choc...
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White chocolate cranberry fudge

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, July 31, 2022, In : sweets 

It's the simplest of recipes for a good-looking sugar hit. The cranberry and brazil nut combo elevates the milky bar to new heights. Chelsea Winter made double this recipe but using one block of chocolate was enough for me.


250 g white chocolate, chopped (I used Whittaker's)

50 ml cream

1 Tbsp butter

1/2 c chopped cranberries

1/2 chopped Brazil nuts (or nuts of choice - macadamias would be my second choice)

zest of 1 lemon

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp flaky sea salt


Line a loaf tin with baking paper or cl...


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Vegemite/Marmite brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, May 13, 2022, In : slices 

Are you a Vegemite or Marmite person (or Promite, Our Mate or Bovril)? Or do you detest yeast extract in any shape or form? I go for Vegemite as it has only 2.2 g of sugar per 100g and Marmite has 11.2 g. It is a nutritious spread and adds flavour to brownies. You don't actually taste it, but the depth of flavour is there, and makes for a fudgy, gooey delight.


200 g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

150 g unsalted butter or dairy-free spread

1 Tbsp Vegemite or Marmite or yeast extract

3 eggs

1 c gra...


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Chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, May 4, 2022, In : big cakes 

I do love an easy chocolate cake that you don't need eggs for. Benjamina Ebuehi's recipe from A Good Day to Bake (Hardie Grant, 2022) is vegan and you can make it gluten-free and refined sugar-free too. I added swirls of jam or you could go to town with peanut butter, nuts or dried fruit.


1/2 tsp espresso powder

1 c hot water

1 1/2 c flour of choice

1 c granulated sugar of choice

1/3 c cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 c neutral vegetable oil

1 Tbsp vinegar


Preheat ...


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Chocolate truffles two ways

Posted by Frances Chan on Sunday, April 24, 2022, In : sweets 

A packet of goji berries had been sitting in the pantry for too long so I put them in these delicious vegan truffles. My other favourite flavour at the moment is rum and raisin so I made those too. I found Lagusta Yearwood's recipe in Sweet & Salty (Da Capo Lifelong, 2019) very easy and with lots of flavour options.


Master ganache recipe makes 2 cups:

200 g coconut milk or cream

1/4 c coconut oil

1 Tbsp water

340 g dark chocolate, broken into small pieces


Flavourings:

1/2 c goji berries, soaked unti...


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Chocolate cupcakes

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, April 19, 2022, In : small cakes 


A great go-to recipe if you need to bake a free-from treat. Swap out flours, milks as you need. Another one by Jo Pratt from The Flexible Baker (White Lion, 2022)

Makes 12

1 1/3 c milk of choice

2 tsp vinegar

1 3/4 c self-raising flour (if using normal flour add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder)

1/3 c cocoa powder

1 c sugar of choice, fine

1/2 c light vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

sprinkles 


Preheat oven to 180C. Line 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

In a jug mix the milk and vinegar together ...


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Chocolate orangey cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, In : cookies 

A delightfuly easy one-bowl recipe. No creaming, just mix!


Makes 24

2 1/4 c flour

1/3 c granulated sugar (I used coconut)

1/2 c soft brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

zest and juice of 2 oranges - juice simmered until reduced by half

170 g butter or dairy-free spread, at room temperature

2 eggs

200 g dark chocolate bar, broken into small squares


In a large bowl or food processor whisk together the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda and zest. Add the juice, butter and eggs and be...


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Chocolate macadamia brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, In : slices 

The healthiest, fudgiest brownie you'll ever make.


3 Tbsp ground flaxseed

6 Tbsp milk of choice

2 cups dates, pitted and soaked in boiling for 15 minutes

2 Tbsp almond butter

2 Tbsp milk of choice

1 c flour of choice (I used ground almonds)

1/4 c cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c milk of choice

200g dark chocolate, melted

1/2 c chopped macadamias plus 1/4 c

1/4 c dark chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper.

Mix the flaxseed and milk together in a small bowl a...


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Chocolate coconut marble cake

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, March 31, 2022, In : big cakes 

I like the surprise element of a marble cake - never know what pattern you'll get!

2 c flour (I used gluten free and added 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

110 g milk chocolate

140 g butter or dairy-free spread

1 c sugar

1/2 tsp sea salt

 3 eggs at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c coconut milk or cream

1/3 c desiccated or shredded coconut


Preheat oven to 160C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a small bowl whisk the flour, baking soda and baking powder t...


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Chocolate ganache cake

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, March 23, 2022, In : big cakes 



This decadent recipe is by Dorie Greenspan (Baking with Dorie, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2021). She calls it her Lisbon Chocolate Cake, after tasting something similar at Lisbon's Landeau Chocolate cafe. She says the three layers are essential to make the whole - a fudgy brownie-like cake, a whipped moussey ganache and a cocoa dusting.


1/3 c / 28 g cocoa

1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

113 g butter or dairy-free spread

142 g dark chocolate, chopped

1/2 c sugar

3 cold eggs...


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White chocolate & macadamia cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, March 18, 2022, In : cookies 

Very straightforward recipe to make these crowd pleasers. I quickly whipped up a batch to have for after school. White chocolate - the kid's favourite; macadamias - mine.


Makes 12

110 g butter or non-dairy spread

1/2 c caster sugar

1/4 c soft brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

180 g flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 Tbsp milk of choice

50 g white chocolate, roughly chopped (use dairy-free if going vegan), plus 2 Tbsp for topping

50 g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (or cashews), plus 1 Tbsp for topping


Preheat o...


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Chestnut kisses

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, February 21, 2022, In : cookies 

Baking with chestnuts is not a common practice in the Antipodes, it's more a European or Asian thing. I love boiled chestnuts though, and have fond memories of picking them in my childhood. The whole family used to go on a day trip to Cambridge to pick them in the big parks. We wore gumboots and would scrounge around for the perfect stick to help prize open their prickly shells, then stuff the deep brown nuggets into specially made fabric chestnut-picking bags. I don't know if those huge ches...


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Smores bars

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, February 14, 2022, In : slices 

if you don't have a campfire handy, you can make s'mores bars at home! These were truly delicious and worth the effort making the 3 separate elements.


Crust:

1/2 c wholemeal flour (I used spelt)

1/2 c plain flour (I used spelt)

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

56 g cold butter, cut into cubes

2 eggs, separated


Filling:

250 g dark chocolate

1/2 c almond butter


Marshmallow:

1/3 c granulated sugar

2 Tbsp honey

1/3 c water


Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20 cm square tin with baking paper.

In a ...


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Caramel white chocolate blondies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, February 6, 2022, In : slices 

An on-the-fly recipe to use up almond pulp from making almond milk and some failed caramel that split. You can use any flour you wish and if you don't have caramel handy you can omit or marble the top with melted chocolate.

150 g coconut oil (or butter)

1/3 c granulated sugar

1/3 c brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

2 c almond pulp or meal 
1 tsp baking powder

3/4 c white chocolate chips

3/4 c caramel or butterscotch sauce


Preheat oven to 180C. Line a brownie tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl...


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Mocha chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, January 23, 2022, In : cookies 

One of the best flavour combos - chocolate and coffee - in one biscuit! It's from Better Baking by Genevieve Ko (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016). I have a few favourites from this book that utilises wholesome ingredients. It's important to chill the dough for several hours so make it in the morning or the night before.

Makes around 36
2 c flour (I used wholemeal spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c coconut sugar
1/2 c brown sugar
1/3 c neutral oil
2/3 c cold espresso coff...
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Banana bread

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, January 4, 2022, In : big cakes 

This is similar to another banana bread recipe on Bake Club. The additional chocolate drops in this one adds nice melty surprises.

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 c milk (I used rice)

1/2 c softened coconut oil or neutral oil

1 c coconut sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 c flour (I used wholemeal spelt)

1 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 c chocolate drops. optional


Preheat oven to 190C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl whisk together the bananas, milk, oil, sugar and vanilla. ...


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Raw berry bounty bars

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, December 28, 2021, In : sweets 

I made berry bounty bars by combining two tried and true favourites - coconut bars and berry chia jam, then coated bite-size morsels in chocolate. A virtuous sweet treat.

Coconut layer:
2 c desiccated coconut
1/3 c maple or brown rice syrup
1/4 c coconut oil, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt

Berry layer:
4 dates, pitted
1/3 c water
2 c fresh or frozen berries
2 Tbsp chia seeds

500g chocolate of choice (70% dark chocolate is best)
Sprinkles of choice such as shredded coconut, freeze-dried or d...
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Healthy chocolate nut butter truffles

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, December 21, 2021, In : sweets 

For the ultimate healthy but still decadent chocolate truffle, these ones don't take much effort or fancy ingredients, and you can do it all one pot. Adapted from Melissa Hemsley's Eat Happy (Ebury Press, 2018).


Makes around 30

1/2 c coconut oil

1/2 c maple syrup

1 c cocoa powder

1 3/4 c nut or seed butter

pinch sea salt


toasted coatings:

desiccated or shredded coconut

chopped pistachios

freeze-dried strawberry powder or pieces


Put all the ingredients in a small pot and melt over low heat, stirring unti...


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Chocolate cheesecake with marshmallow topping

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, December 11, 2021, In : desserts 

There's no denying it, this is a decadent treat, but you only live once, right? It could be the salve to soothe any physical or spiritual malaise you might be experiencing at this time!


Base: 

2 c malt biscuits

70 g melted butter

2 Tbsp sugar (I used coconut)


Cheesecake:

500 g cream cheese, softened

1/2 c sugar (I used coconut)

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

85 g milk chocolate, melted


Marshmallow topping:

4 egg whites

1 c sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat ...


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Chocolate toffee toothpullers

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, November 29, 2021, In : cookies 

I didn't realise the chewiness factor of toffee increases by a hundred-fold once melted! The caramel oozed out of my cookies, which wasn't a bad thing. However, I will try and enclose them better in the cookie dough next time. Instead of toffees, you can add different stir-ins to this dough, such as nuts, choc chips, dried fruit or candies.


Makes 12

1 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

1/2 tsp baking powder

pinch sea salt

110 g butter

1/4 c brown sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar (I used coconut)

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla extra...


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Hazelnut truffles (homemade Ferrero Rocher)

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 19, 2021, In : sweets 

The ubiquitous Ferrero Rocher chocolates are a familiar sight at celebrations of all kinds, especially at Christmas. It's all about the hazelnut and wafer combo that Pietro Ferrero nailed in Alba back in 1942 that has stood the test of time. I've never had enough hazelnuts on hand to try making my own but since I bought that kilo from Mt Hyde Hazelnuts in Dunedin, I gave it a go from scratch. This is adapted from Bigger Bolder Baking.

Makes 35-40
Filling:
2 c toasted hazelnuts
1/2 c maple syrup (...
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Chocolate hazelnut salted caramel tart

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, November 16, 2021, In : desserts 

I bought a freshly shelled kilo of hazelnuts from Mt Hyde Hazelnut Farm in Outram, near Dunedin. Oh, the things I can do! I usually go for quick gratification recipes but I went all out on this layered pie. Multiple ingredients and components equals multiple dishes and applied time management. The result though is totally worth it. It's a rich tart so moderate-size slices will feed plenty, or the three in our family multiple times! It's from BBC Good Food


Pastry:

1/2 c hazelnuts, toasted and ...


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Chocolate chip pan cookie

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, In : cookies 

This looked so impressive on Nadiya Hussain's Time to Eat show that I had to try it. What's not to love about a giant cookie in a pan! I must admit I burned the bottom at bit because the top wasn't cooking, and I left it on the heat too long. You can put a lid on the pan for 5-10 minutes to help cook the top. Never mind, a bit of scrapeage and all was forgiven. I topped it with white and dark choc bits I had in my pantry but you can sprinkle on anything, such as smarties, 100s and 1000s, toff...
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Peanut butter fudge and chocolate fudge

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, November 8, 2021, In : sweets 

A couple of options for sugar-free treats that you don't need many ingredients for or special equipment. If you don't have silicone moulds you can use mini muffin tins, or a loaf tin and cut into squares once firm.


Peanut butter fudge:

1/4 c cacao butter, melted

1/2 c peanut butter

2 Tbsp maple syrup, brown rice syrup or honey

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch sea salt

silicone moulds


Melt the cacao butter in a bowl. Whisk in peanut butter until fully incorporated and smooth. Whisk in sweetener and vanilla...


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Chocolate pretzel cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, November 2, 2021, In : big cakes 

This is pure decadence from Donna Hay. I usually shy away from recipes that use more than 3 eggs but I was seduced by the funky aesthetic of this cake. It's basically a helluva chocolate and eggs, so you could use any flourless chocolate cake batter and add pretzels for prettiness. Nutritionally dubious but definitely enough tryptophan to give your serotonin levels a spike. Mine turned out a bit crumbly (I couldn't wait for it to be chilled), which lead me to eat it with flavour-absorbers suc...
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Chocolate sugar cookies with royal icing for Halloween

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, October 30, 2021, In : cookies 

Auckland is in lockdown during Halloween 2021 but I made a token effort with these sugar cookies and had a go at flooding royal icing to frost my ghosts. Cookie dough is great to store in the freezer so make a double batch and keep some for a rainy day bake. It's adapted from Preppy Kitchen.

Makes 24 large cookies

2 c flour (I used wholemeal and white spelt)

2 Tbsp cornflour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c cocoa powder

225 g butter

1 c granulated sugar (I used coconut)

1 egg

1 Tbsp vanilla extract


Royal icing:

2 egg...


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Chocolate brownie

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, October 28, 2021, In : slices 

Everyone needs a go-to brownie recipe. Here's a gluten-free, dairy-free version if you feel so inclined.


1 1/2 c flour of choice (I used wholemeal and white spelt)

1 tsp xanthan gum, if using gluten-free flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp espresso or instant coffee

1 c coconut oil, softened

1 1/2 c / 220 g dark chocolate chips or chopped (I use Whittaker's 72%)

1 c granulated sugar (I used coconut)

1/2 c soft brown sugar

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 c toasted chopped nuts (I used walnuts)


Prehe...


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Bliss slice

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, In : sweets 

Bliss balls are the easiest cheat sweet. Just bung everything in a food processor and press the button. Start with a base of nuts or seeds, add your dried fruit of choice and bind with sticky sweeteners such as maple syrup, dates, brown rice syrup, or nut butters. It's a good way to use up things that have bene neglected in your pantry.
If you're time constrained or just too lazy to roll into balls, just make into a slice.

200g dried fruit (I used apricots, use whatever mix you like. Get tropic...
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Almond meal macarons

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, September 24, 2021, In : small cakes 

I'm more than halfway through French week! I've never managed to get my macarons super smooth and with feet but hey, they always taste good. I didn't expect smoothness with these ones either, as I used homemade almond meal that has flecks of almond skin in it, much heavier than pure blanched almond flour. The almond meal was made from dehydrating almond pulp, which was a byproduct from making almond milk - The Minimalist Baker is an expert at this and her recipes are easy to follow.
The egg wh...
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Chocolate eclairs with creme patisserie

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, September 22, 2021, In : desserts 

For my self-designated French week, one must make choux! There are a lot of components to these eclairs; the French certainly don't do pastry by halves. Was it worth it? Mais oui!


Makes around 20

Choux pastry:

200 ml water

80 g butter

pinch salt

pinch sugar

1 1/4 c flour

4 eggs


Creme patisserie

1 1/4 c milk (I used homemade almond)

1 tsp vanilla paste or extract or 1/2 vanilla pod, seeds scraped

3 egg yolks

1/2 c sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 Tbsp cornflour


Chocolate ganache:

150 g dark chocolate

1/2 c cream (I...


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Chocolate mint thins

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, September 17, 2021, In : cookies 

Better than store-bought for sure! It's a three-part process but definitely worth the delight in biting into your own fancy chocolate and mint biscuit. The recipe from @kitchenoftreats can be easily adapted to be gluten and dairy free. These store well in the freezer.

Makes 24-28

1 c flour of choice

1/3 c cocoa

60 g butter or non-dairy spread

1/2 c  sugar

1 egg


Filling:

1 1/2 c icing sugar

4 tsp milk of choice

1/2 tsp peppermint essence


1 Tbsp jam mixed with a little hot water


Coating:

250 g dark chocolat...


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Brioche scrolls 2.0

Posted by Frances Chan on Wednesday, September 15, 2021, In : bread 

I first made brioche scrolls in during 2020's lockdown. It's not surprising I've had cravings for enriched dough again, since I haven't been able to purchase my favourite brioche at my local cafe, Seabreeze. This recipe yields a smaller amount of dough, but it fits perfectly into a bundt tin to make a beautiful wreath. The dough is best chilled overnight in the fridge to develop flavour so make it the day before you want to eat them!
There are many delicious flavour combos you can use for your...
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Striped Swiss roll

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, September 9, 2021, In : big cakes 

This is a little fiddly to make, but looks great! Takes your stock standard Swiss roll to a new level. You can get even fancier by dividing your batter into more colours. If your mixture gets too runny you can chill one colour of stripes in the fridge before you add the next one.

3 eggs

1/3 c caster sugar (I use organic golden)

1/3 c flour + 1/2 Tbsp hot water

1/4 c flour + 2 Tbsp cocoa powder + 1/2 Tbsp hot water + 1 Tbsp milk

2 piping bags or plastic bags


1 1/2 c whipped cream mixed with 1/2 c ja...


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Caramel cashew fudge

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, September 6, 2021, In : sweets 

This is Donna Hay's simple recipe for a better-for-you fudge - only 4 ingredients! You can use another nut butter and mix or match your nuts if you prefer, such as almond, hazelnut, macadamia, pistachios or tahini. It's best to use roasted nuts for flavour. You can also add dried fruit, such as sour cherries or cranberries, but there is already enough dates to make the fudge sweet.


2/3 c cashew butter

400 g fresh pitted dates (medjool are best but you can use any other kind. Dried dates too can...


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Boiled chocolate cake with glaze

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, September 3, 2021, In : big cakes 


The 9-year-old wanted me to get back into the "chocolate zone" - so I dutifully obliged with the easy boiled chocolate cake and tzujed it up with a chocolate glaze. It uses one pot and minimum utensils.

125 g butter

1 c coconut sugar

1 c water or espresso coffee

2 Tbsp cocoa 

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

2 c flour (I used spelt)

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda


Glaze:

200 g 70% dark chocolate

100 g butter

1/4 c liquid glucose

2 tsp vegetable oil


Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a bundt tin or line a 20cm...


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Cherry choconut slice

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, September 1, 2021, In : slices 

Raw slices are great to make because they keep in the freezer for months and you can just take out slice as you need and defrost for half an hour before eating. You could also use other berries for the filling such as blueberries, raspberries or strawberries. This is from Donna Hay's Modern Baking (Fourth Estate, 2018).


Base:

1 c cashews

1 c desiccated coconut

1/4 c brown rice syrup


Filling:

1 c desiccated coconut

120 g fresh medjool dates (about 6-7)

1/3 c melted coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla extract or ...


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Chessboard cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, August 21, 2021, In : cookies 

I have made checkerboard cookies before, but this recipe from The Nordic Baking Book by Magnus Nilsson has a different method and doesn't use egg. Both turned out well. I was a bit lazy in my food colouring skills, just squirted red and yellow food gel into the dough without measuring, hence the dough became more red than orange. The orange taste comes through though - all good!


Makes about 50

200g butter, cold and diced

300g / 2 1/2 c flour (I used a mix of rice, tapioca and gluten-free leftove...


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Chocolate cuts

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, August 17, 2021, In : cookies 

200g coconut oil or butter, softened

1 c sugar

2 1/2 c /300g flour (I used white and wholemeal spelt)

6 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder


Egg wash:

1 egg lightly beaten with 1/2 quantity of milk (2-3 Tbsp)


Sprinkles or pearl sugar


Preheat oven to 175C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a bowl mix the coconut oil and sugar until well combined. If using butter, cream until pale and fluffy. Sift in remaining ingredients and mix together until just combined into a dough. If it's too crumbly ad...


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Cheesecake brownie or brownie cheesecake?

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, August 14, 2021, In : big cakes 

Whatever you want to call it, this double-storey cake is a double-win. The tangy cheesecake layer melds so well with the rich, fudgey brownie. You can make this in a round or straight-sided tin, depending on what shaped pieces you prefer on the day. The coffee is optional but it adds a depth of flavour to the brownie.

Cheesecake:

250g cream cheese at room temperature

1/2 c yoghurt

1/2 c icing sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract


Brownie:

250g dark chocolate

100g butter

1/2 c yoghurt

1 c sugar

1/3 c cocoa po...


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White chocolate almond cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, August 12, 2021, In : cookies 

Coconut oil not only helps make a crisp biscuit, it's also easy to soften and there's no creaming required. Soft brown sugar dissolves and mixes in quickly too. You can use any chopped nuts you prefer but I like flaked almonds as they're easier to bite into. Mix and match whatever chocolate and nut or dried fruit variety you like. It's a good way to use up what's in your pantry.

Makes 16

1/4 c coconut oil, softened (it's already soft at room temperature in summer or microwave for 20 sec)

1 c bro...


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Chocolate molasses cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, July 11, 2021, In : cookies 

With our impending trip to the snow upon us, I wanted a sturdy, robust cookie that would provide tasty sustenance on the slopes. So I made a spicy molasses cookie and added chocolate chunks - how good?!


Makes 24-26

1 1/2 c flour (I used white and wholemeal spelt)

1/2 c oat flour (oats ground in a coffee grinder)

1 1/2 c sugar (I used a mix of coconut and cane)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

ground spices:

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger (double the ginger if you want a gingernut!)

1/2 ts...


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Another trio of bliss balls - peanut butter, lemon & chocolate prune

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, July 2, 2021, In : sweets 

Bliss balls are the easiest thing to make. Basically chuck everything in the food processor and blitz. To fancy them up you can coat them in melted chocolate. You can use anything you have available in your pantry and swap out different nuts, seeds and dried fruit and sweetener to create different versions. Here's another 3 versions here.

Peanut butter, makes about 30

1 c oats

1/2 c peanut butter

1/2 c dates

1/4 c toasted peanuts


Chocolate prune, makes about 30

1 c cashews

1 1/2 c prunes

1/4 c ground ...


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Jaffa bliss balls

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, July 1, 2021, In : sweets 

For you lovers of chocolate and orange, here's a quick bliss ball. You can leave them uncoated but I think coating them in chocolate makes them extra special.

Makes about 18

1 1/2 c walnuts

8 medjool dates, pitted

1/3 c almond butter

1/4 c cacao powder

zest of 1 orange

t tsp orange essence or 3 drops orange essential oil


coating:

1/2 c cacao butter

1/2 c cacao powder

1/4 c maple syrup to taste

1/2 tsp orange essence

pinch sea salt


Blitz all the ingredients in a food processor. Roll into balls and refrigera...


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No-bake chocolate slice

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, June 24, 2021, In : slices 

This is one of the easiest sweet treats you could make - aka chocolate biscuit slice or fridge slice Just melt and mix. It's not a health food though! Went like hot cakes at the school bake sale.


150g dark chocolate

100g butter

395 g can condensed milk

250g plain biscuits

1/2 c chopped walnuts

1/2 c desiccated coconut

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 c cranberries, optional


Icing: 

1 c icing sugar

2 Tbsp cocoa powder

pinch salt

50g butter, melted

2-4 Tbps boiling water

sprinkles of choice


Line a 20cm square tin or br...


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Chocolate orange mousse

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, June 10, 2021, In : desserts 

This mousse couldn't be easier: melt the chocolate, whisk the aquafaba and mix; refrigerate then tszuj it up with toppings. Strangely, my husband is averse to chocolate and orange together. I found this out when I got him a classic Terry's Chocolate Orange for Xmas. The look of disappointment on his face when he opened the wrapping! Followed by the joy on mine when I realised I could eat the whole thing myself! So now it's a running joke when I make chocolate-orangey things.


100g chilled water...


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Vegan chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream

Posted by Frances Chan on Sunday, May 30, 2021, In : big cakes 

Our birthday girl requested the usual for her cake again - chocolate with vanilla buttercream. So I made it gluten-free and vegan so all the kids in the 12-strong party could get stuck in! I increased the recipe by 50% to make a higher cake.

2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 c plant-based milk (I used rice)
1 c coconut sugar
3/4 c organic golden sugar
2 c flour of choice
3/4 c cocoa powder
1 Tbsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 c + 2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp instant co...
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Madeleines

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, May 9, 2021, In : small cakes 

My sister gave me a madeleine pan for my birthday! Now I know how easy they are to make! They take a little prep but these soft, buttery sponges don't take long to bake and were perfect for a mother's day tea. Great for lunchboxes too.

Makes 20
1 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp honey or maple syrup or golden syrup
1/2 tsp lemon zest
115g melted butter

For chocolate madeleines: replace 2 tbsp flour with cocoa powder. Use orange zest or orange ext...
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Cherry choc cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, March 11, 2021, In : cookies 

I made up this recipe to use some glacē cherries that had been at the back of the fridge for too long. Almonds match well with cherries, as does chocolate.


Makes 12 big cookies

1tbsp ground flaxseed

2 1/2 tbsp water

150g butter, at room temperature

3/4 c coconut sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 c flour (I used spelt)

1 tsp baking powder.

1/2 c glace cherries

1/2 c chopped almonds

1/2 c dark chocolate chunks/melts/buttons


Mix flaxseed and water together in a cup.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar un...


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Chocolate cinnamon tree cookies

Posted by Frances Chan on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, In : cookies 

These lovely bites are upmarket versions of cinnamon swirls. Making the dough as thin as possible before rolling will give youThis recipe is from Bakeland: Nordic Treats Inspired by Nature by Marit Hovland (Greystone Books, 2018). She makes stunning cookies and cakes that look like flowers, snowflakes, etc, and these chocolate rocks, which truly rock.


Makes about 44

Filling:

75g butter, at room temperature

1/3 c sugar

3 tbsp cinnamon


Dough:

3 c (375g) flour

3 tsp ground cardamom

1/2 tsp salt

225g butte...


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Healthy caramel slice

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, March 3, 2021, In : slices 

Here's a lockdown baking experiment - i wanted to make a healthy caramel slice. This recipe fits a loaf tin but you could double it to fit a 20 x 20 cm square tin.


Makes about 10 slices

Base:

1 c almond meal or flour

2 1/2 tbsp coconut sugar

2-3 tbsp coconut oil, melted or softened

1 tsp vanilla extract

pinch sea salt


Caramel:

1 c dates, soaked overnight then drained

1 tbsp cashew butter (or any smooth nut butter)

pinch sea salt


Topping:

1/2 c cacao butter

2-3 tbsp maple syrup (or honey or rice syrup)

1/2 c...


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Passionfruit & white chocolate lamingtons

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, February 12, 2021, In : small cakes 


What a joy when passionfruit are back in season. Even better when a family friend gives you a huge bag to scoff. Nothing beats it scooped straight out of the shell but I decided to flavour a sponge with these little beauties.

1 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 c desiccated coconut

1/2 c sour cream or yoghurt

1/2 c passionfruit pulp
125g butter, softened

125g caster sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract


Ganache coating:
500g icing sugar

3/4 c milk of choice (I used coconut)

200g white chocolate, chopped

juice f...


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Red wine chocolate ganache cake

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, February 5, 2021, In : big cakes 

When we were gifted a bottle of red wine, I managed to sip a thimbleful and my husband had half a glass. What to do next? Use it in cooking, of course. In the last week I've poured a few swigs into lentil casseroles, bean stews, tomato sauce, macerated peaches (my favourite) and this rich chocolate ganache cake.

1 1/4 c flour (I used wholemeal spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
115g melted butter or non-dairy spread or coconut oil
1 c granulated sugar (I used coconut)
1 egg
1 ...
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Milk chocolate truffles

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, January 31, 2021, In : sweets 


These take a bit of faffing about but they're worth it for a posh little treat.

Makes 30-40
300g milk chocolate, broken into pieces
1/2 c cream (I used coconut cream)
2 tsp honey
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
170g flaked almonds (or use half almonds, half desiccated coconut)
300g milk chocolate, broken into pieces

Preheat oven to 160C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Place chocolate into a bowl. In a small saucepan heat the cream, honey and vanilla bean seeds until just boiling. Pour over the ch...

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Vegan vanilla cake

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, January 18, 2021, In : big cakes 

No eggs? No problem! This vegan cake can be made with pantry staples and turns out soft and fluffy. Thanks to https://www.thecuriouschickpea.com/ for the inspiration. You could fill the cake with whipped (coconut) cream and fresh fruit but I chose my go-to chocolate ganache this time with a jam spread for a subtle flavour hit.


2 1/4 c non-dairy milk (I used homemade almond)

1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 c and 2 tbsp flour (I used spelt)

1 1/2 c granulated sugar (I used organic cane)

1 tbsp baki...


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Fruit and nut chocolate rocks

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, January 15, 2021, In : sweets 


Aren't these cute?! These edible rocks will be a hit in your household or next party. Super easy to make with kids too. It's from Bakeland: Nordic Treats Inspired by Nature by Marit Hovland (Greystone Books. 2016).


2 Oreo cookies

200g white chocolate

90ml sweetened condensed milk

pinch salt

1/8 tsp cocoa powder


Filling:

1/2 c any salted nuts (I used brazils, almonds and cashews)

1/4 c any dried fruit (I used cranberries and apricots)


Remove the white filling from the Oreo cookies then place them in a ...


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Afghan biscuits aka chocolate roughs

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, November 12, 2020, In : cookies 


The etymology of these classic New Zealand cookies may be considered controversial in these modern times, so much so that Griffins renamed them 'roughs' in their packaging. Either way, they're still a yummy chocolate biscuit with added crunch from cornflakes. I added cocoa rice puffs too. I made a double batch for World Kindness Day to give to our daughter's teachers and classmates. In lieu of the traditional chocolate icing and walnut topping I opted for chocolate ganache and a single silver...


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Black Forest gateau

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, September 16, 2020, In : big cakes 


Here's another excellent vegan chocolate cake (another one here) zhujed up with some cherries in the chocolate ganache. A 3-tiered cake means business! Thanks to Nadia Lim for the foolproof recipe. She says you can use any liquid but coffee gives more depth and richness to the cake.

2 1/2 c self-raising flour or plain flour with 3 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 c cocoa

1 1/2 c sugar (I used coconut)

1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt

2 c coffee, water or milk (I used decaffeinated coffee)

2 tsp vanilla extract...


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Healthy florentines

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, September 7, 2020, In : sweets 

A refined-sugar-free treat for any time of the day. I think the thinness of a florentine is the secret to its success, so use flaked or slivered almonds. Pepitas and oats add extra nutrition.


Makes about 25

1/2 c rolled oats

1/3 c almonds

1/3 c finely chopped walnuts

1/3 c pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1/3 c finely chopped apple-sweetened cranberries (I didn't have any so used sulphur-free apricots. Other tangy dried fruit would work well too, such as cherries or blueberries)

1 tsp mixed spice (or a mix o...


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Lavender and white chocolate sables

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, September 6, 2020, In : cookies 

Sablés are just French versions of shortbread, i.e. very buttery and sugary! The lavender here is a subtle fragrance that complements the white chocolate well. A lovely crisp biscuit perfect with a cuppa.

Makes about 40
1/2 c sugar
2 tsp ground culinary lavender
2 1/3 c flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
225 g unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into pieces (omit salt if you use salted butter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
115g white chocolate, finely chopped

Put sugar and lavender in a bowl of a stand mixer or foo...
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Choconutty popcorn cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, August 29, 2020, In : cookies 

Heidi Swanson calls these carnival cookies, not the sickly sweet artificial-coloured kind, but wholesome sugar-free bites packed with nutrients. The popcorn and chocolate chips bring to mind amusement park snacks.


Makes 22-24

1 1/2 c rolled oats

1/2 c almond meal or ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 c mashed bananas (about 3 or 4)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 c coconut oil, softened or just melted

1 1/2 c popcorn

1 c chocolate of choice (chopped, chips, buttons or b...


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Healthy chocolate spread

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, August 17, 2020, In : sweets 


This is a great alternative to store-bought Nutella or chocolate spread. The kids will never know it's full of chickpeas. The recipe is from David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl's Little Green Kitchen (Hardie Grant, 2019). The spread can be used on crackers, bread, plain biscuits or cakes, pancakes, waffles - go crazy!

400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
8 pitted dates
3 tbsp peanut butter, tahini or any nut/seed butter of your choice
4 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup or rice syrup or honey
2-4...

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Cornflake haystacks

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, August 6, 2020, In : cookies 

A very satisfying caramely crunch that uses up cornflakes that have been sitting around for too long. It's from a 517-page tome called Dorie's Cookies by Dorie Greenspan (Houghton MIfflin Harcourt, 2016).

Makes about 36
2 eggs
1/2 c natural liquid sweetener, eg brown rice syrup, maple syrup, honey
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 c desiccated or shredded coconut
1 c chopped nuts (I used almonds)
1 c raisins (I plumped mine up by placing them in a small bowl and soaking in boiled water for 5 min, then drain)
170g m...
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Banana chocolate muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, In : small cakes 

What's the secret to soft fluffy muffins? Don't overmix the batter. This is Nadia Lim's very easy recipe and it works well. You can swap out whatever flours/sugars/flavours you want or have on hand. You can even use replace the egg with a flaxseed egg (1 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tbsp water).

Makes 12
2 c self-raising flour (or use any flour mixed with 2 1/2 tsp baking powder)
3/4 c sugar (I used coconut), or use 1/2 c honey/rice syrup/maple syrup
1/2 c chocolate chips/buttons/chopped bit...
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Peanut butter & jam brownie

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, July 27, 2020, In : slices 

This is the most dense, fudgey, gooey brownie I've ever attempted. It will last a while, as you only need a small slice to accompany your cuppa. The jam and berries really help to lighten the brownie with a bit of tartness. It's from Bosh! by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby (HQ, 2018) but I've reduced the quantities of sugar and cocoa.

2 3/4 c flour (I used spelt)
2 1/2 c coconut sugar (or muscovado)
1 1/2 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 c peanut butter, runny
220ml water
220ml vegetabl...
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Chocolate goji bars

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, July 27, 2020, In : sweets 

For a quick healthy chocolatey snack, just blitz all these ingredients in a food processor and chill!

Line a loaf tin with cling film, making sure it hangs over the sides.

1 c almonds (you can use other nuts or pumpkin/sunflower seeds)
1 c dates
3 tbsp goji berries (you can use other dried berries)
3 tbsp cacao powder (or cocoa)
3 tbsp coconut oil

Place all ingredients in a food processor and blitz until sticky. Press evenly into your loaf tin, cover and chill in fridge until firm enough to cut into...
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Vegan chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, July 10, 2020, In : big cakes 

A very similar riff to my go-to chocolate ganache cake. This recipe uses larger quantities so will easily fill 2 sponge tins and once you lavish with ganache it's makes a tall and impressive cake! Thanks to Fearne Cotton's Cook Happy Cook Healthy (Orion Publishing, 2016).

300g spelt flour
100g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
150g coconut oil, melted
350g natural liquid sweetener (I used brown rice syrup, you can use maple or honey)
2 tsp vanilla extract
460ml no...
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Chocolate nut cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, July 2, 2020, In : cookies 


A basic chocolate chip cookie recipe can be made more nutritious with nuts.

Makes 24

125g butter or non-dairy spread
3/4 c sugar of choice (I used organic golden)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c self-raising flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 c chocolate chips (I used white)
1/2 c chopped nuts (I used peanuts and toasted them first)
glace cherries to decorate if desired

Preheat oven to 190C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.
Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and beat...

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Flourless chocolate orange cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 21, 2020, In : big cakes 



This is a light yet fudgy chocolate cake that would work well in a brownie tin too. Ground almonds provide a lovely texture. I thought the orange flavour didn't come through strongly, so if you want more of an orangey jaffa vibe I'd add orange zest and some orange extract too.

1/3 c cocoa powder

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/2 c freshly squeezed orange juice (blood oranges if you have them)

3 eggs

1 c coconut sugar

2/3 c olive oil

1 1/2 c almond flour (you can also grind raw almonds in a coffee grinder t...


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Prune blondies

Posted by Frances Chan on Saturday, June 20, 2020, In : slices 

This recipe originally uses apricots but I just used what I had to hand, prunes. The prunes add a lovely sweet and sticky flavour to the blondies. Slab or tray cakes are quite robust and practical to make for lunchboxes or to feed a crowd


175g butter, softened

1/2 c brown sugar

1/2 c caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1/2 c self-raising flour

1 1/2 c plain flour

1 c chopped prunes (or apricots)

1/2 c white chocolate chips (optional)

icing sugar to dust


Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 17 x 27cm cake ...


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Afghans

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, June 20, 2020, In : cookies 

A classic crunch and a good little lunchbox filler that will please most!


125g butter

1/3 c granulated sugar (I used coconut)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 c self-raising flour (if you don't have self-raising use 1 c flour and 1 tsp baking powder)

1/2 c plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 c cornflakes. lightly crushed

1/4 c desiccated coconut


Icing:

125g dark chocolate

1 tbsp butter or vegetable shortening

sprinkles to decorate or walnut halves


Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking pap...


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Swiss meringue buttercream

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, May 23, 2020, In : big cakes 

8 is such a cool cake shape to make! Just 2 round cakes with a slice off each end and pushed together. I made a sugar-free and dairy-free vegan chocolate ganache cake and vegan lemon cake and contrasted them with a decadent swiss meringue buttercream for our daughter's birthday. She couldn't resist licking the bowl.

This is a standard way to make swiss meringue buttercream. I've also read a reverse method where you cream the butter then add cooled egg white/sugar meringue. Maybe I'll try that ...


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Chocolate wheaten cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, May 18, 2020, In : cookies 

Just like the ones you can buy in the shops but better cos they're homemade! Very similar to chocolate digestives or the vegan digestives.


Makes 20-30

125 g butter, softened

1/2 c brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 c wholemeal flour

1/3 c self-raising flour

1/4 c wheatgerm or bran, optional

1/4 c desiccated coconut

60g dark chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 c milk of choice


Icing:

100g dark chocolate

1 tbsp butter or vegetable shortening



In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in egg. Sift i...


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Alfajores

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, May 6, 2020, In : cookies 

I made my own dulce de leche for these banoffee cupcakes - dairy and refined sugar-free! I used the rest in these classic Spanish/South American sandwich cookies.

Makes about 15 sandwiched cookies

1 c cornflour

3/4 c flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

110 g butter at room temperature

1/3 c granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

1 tbsp brandy (or pisco, cognac or sherry)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract


180g melted chocolate for dipping

1/2 c desiccated coconut


1 c dulce de leche at room temperature


Mix...


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Anzac cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 26, 2020, In : cookies 

My Anzac cookies turned out huge this year! They spread out quite wide that's that aaaaall good. Using coconut sugar gives the cookies a darker appearance and a deep caramel flavour.


1 c flour

3/4 c coconut sugar

1 c rolled oats

1 c desiccated coconut

100g butter

1 tbsp rice syrup

1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tbsp boiling water


Optional extras: chocolate chips, dried fruit


Preheat oven to 170C. Line or grease 2 baking sheets.

In a large bowl mix the flour, sugar, oats and coconut. You can add your optional ext...


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Orange polenta cake with chocolate ganache

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, April 22, 2020, In : big cakes 

I fell asleep last night thinking of an orange polenta cake with chocolate ganache. I woke up this morning thinking of the same cake. Here is the physical manifestation of my craving! 

3 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 1/2 c water
1/2 c rice syrup (or maple or honey)
3/4 c olive oil
2 c ground almonds
1 c polenta
3 tsp baking powder
Zest and juice of 1 large orange
2 tsp orange extract or essence

Chocolate ganache:
1 can coconut cream or milk
250g dark chocolate (I use Whittaker’s 72%)

Orange jam or ma...

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Pea flour cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, April 16, 2020, In : cookies 

You can make cookies from any flour, really. Yellow pea flour makes a wholesome cookie and the molasses gives them a dark brown caramelly chewiness. The dough is quite soft and sticky so best to refrigerate for an hour before shaping. Thanks Ginny for her flour leftovers!

Makes around 20
Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl:
2 tbsp flaxmeal mixed with 3 tbsp water
1 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp maple syrup (or rice syrup or honey)
1/3 c coconut sugar (or brown)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c vegetable or rice...
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Checkerboard cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, April 7, 2020, In : cookies 

These lil checkerboard cookies are quite fun to make and are fun to eat too. You get a hint of chocolate and a hint of coconut in every bite. The aim is to get a crisp biscuit that does not spread. You can also freeze the dough for baking at a later date. This is from The Everyday Baker by Abigail Johnson Dodge (The Taunton Press, 2015).

Makes 50-60 cookies
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
170g butter, softened
2/3 c sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c desiccated coconut
1/2 tsp...
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Sticky chocolate-topped sponge

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, March 31, 2020, In : big cakes 

This is a decadent way to elevate your average vanilla sponge. It's from How to Hygge by Signe Johansen (Bluebird, 2016). She was inspired by the Scandinavian classics of dream cake topped with coconut caramel and toscakake (cake topped with almond caramel). The dark chocolate topping is a dramatic, and tasty, contrast to the light sponge.


3 eggs

175g golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

100g butter, melted

100ml buttermilk (or normal milk mixed with 1 tsp lemon juice)

200g spelt flour

1 tsp ba...


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Chocolate ginger meringues

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, March 27, 2020, In : cookies 

We are day 2 of Covid-19 lockdown in New Zealand but the baking doesn't stop. Our daughter chose these for me to make - and I happily obliged. We had all the ingredients in the pantry waiting to be used. It's from Gluten-Free Baking by Kristine Kidd (Weldon Owen, 2014).

Makes about 20 meringues

100g dark chocolate
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
3/4 c toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped
1/3 c crystallised ginger, roughly chopped

Preheat ovent o 165...
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Chocolate cake with Italian meringue buttercream

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, March 23, 2020, In : big cakes 

I knew my birthday today wasn't going to be about me. These are unprecedented times. Time to think about the future of humankind. But, determined to keep calm and carry on baking, I made this healthy chocolate cake and lavished it with Italian meringue buttercream, to celebrate my day of birth. I've always wanted to make a 3-tiered cake with this kind of buttercream. Novices take note, don't take your eyes off your sugar syrup! I burnt my first lot but tried again.

For the chocolate cake:
3 egg...
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White chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, March 18, 2020, In : cookies 

With an hour to go before our 7-year-old daughter arrives back home with a play date (first boy from school!) I whipped up these white chocolate chip cookies. Add some fancy sprinkles and it's an afternoon delight!


Makes around 24 small or 18 large cookies

2 c flour (I used half white spelt and half wholemeal spelt, you can use GF flour if you like)

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 c sugar-free chocolate chips or drops, plus extra for topping

1/2 c fine coconut sugar or rapad...


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Chocolate almond biscotti

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, March 15, 2020, In : cookies 

These chocolate biscotti have a coffee-tinged flavour - perfect with coffee!

1 1/2 c ground almonds

2 tbsp arrowroot or cornflour

3 tbsp cacao powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 c brown rice syrup or maple syrup


Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.

Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Stir in vanilla and rice syrup until a firm dough forms.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each one into a log about 10cm long, 5cm high and 4cm wid...


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Chocolate marshmallow whoopie pies

Posted by Frances Chan on Wednesday, March 11, 2020, In : small cakes 

Whoopie pies are a wholly American invention and they are not such a phenomenon in New Zealand, hence I have never made them before until now. It combines features of a cookie, cake, pie and sandwich and the result is rather delicious. I cut back on the sugar and used sugar-free marshmallows too.

Makes 24-30 sandwiched pies

1 1/2 c flour

1/2 c cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

150g softened butter

3/4 c brown sugar ( I used a mix of brown sugar and stevia)

2 tsp vanilla extrac...


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Healthy millionaire's shortbread

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, March 2, 2020, In : slices 

The classic millionaire's shortbread usually involves sugar, butter, condensed milk, egg, golden syrup and sometimes cream. This version is free from refined sugar and dairy and can be gluten too.

Tastes amazing, with that mix of crunch, salty/sweet caramel and silky chocolate. I guarantee you'll be pleased you switched to a healthier version!


For the base:

200g flour of choice (I used spelt)

pinch salt

100g coconut oil, room temperature

50g cane sugar or stevia


For the caramel:

300g pitted dates

150g...


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Chocolate peanut butter cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, February 9, 2020, In : cookies 

These a nice little chewy bites, great for lunchboxes.

90g oat flour
80g ground almonds
2 tbsp cacao powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
50g coconut sugar (or another unrefined sugar)
4 tbsp stevia
2 eggs
120g peanut butter (or any nut butter)
100g coconut oil, melted
100g cacao nibs or chocolate buttons

Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 trays with baking paper.

In a bowl mix the flour, almonds, cacao, baking soda, sugar and stevia. In another bowl mix the eggs, peanut butter and coconut oil.

Mix the wet ing...


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Chocolate cashew truffles

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, December 12, 2019, In : sweets 

First attempt - used stick blender and only did one coat of chocolate - very nice


Second attempt - doubled the recipe, used Omniblend, double coat of chocolate - extremely nice

Yum - guilt-free treats that are full of nutrients. Everything tastes better coated in homemade chocolate, right? A stick blender is best for this recipe. I tried processing the filling in my Omniblend but there wasn't enough mixture for the blades to mix.

Makes 14
100g cashews
3 tbsp coconut oil
3 tbsp date syrup
1 tbsp caca...
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Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, November 28, 2019, In : cookies 

This will be the 14th chocolate chip cookies recipe on Bake Club! And it's a good variation - adding oats and being free of gluten, sugar and dairy if you need to bake for special dietary requirements. Thanks to Minimalist Baker for the inspo.

3/4 c rolled oats, or quick cook oats
3/4 c ground almonds
1/4 c desiccated coconut
3/4 tsp baking powder
14 tsp salt
1/4 c dark chocolate chips
1/4 c chopped dried fruit, optional (I used apricots but I've also used prunes and freeze-dried blueberries)
1/4 c a...
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Mocha molasses loaf

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 22, 2019, In : big cakes 

Coffee and chocolate is another baking match made in heaven. If you want to make an even more decadent version you could replace the cocoa powder with melted dark chocolate.

115g butter
1 c soft brown sugar
2 tbsp molasses
1 egg
1 c black coffee
1/4 c kahlua or substitute coffee for non-alcoholic version
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin with baking paper.

In a bowl beat the butter, sugar, molasses and ...


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Matcha mint slice

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 15, 2019, In : slices 

I must admit when I first made this I didn't get much green tea or mint flavour, so I've upped my quantities and now use a larger tin to get thinner slices. Whatever works for you though, thick slices are just as good too. Thanks to Lola Berry's Food to Make You Glow (Plum, 2017) for the inspiration.

Base:
1 c desiccated coconut
1 c almond meal (I ground almonds in a coffee grinder)
2 tbsp almond butter (or any nut butter you prefer)
1 c dates (medjool are best but I also use deglet nour)...


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Chocolate mud brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, October 27, 2019, In : slices 

You can make this batter into brownies, cakes, muffins - whatever suits your occasion. I usually go for a square or rectangle tin so it's easier to cut for lunch boxes or to serve many people. The best thing is that the food processor does all the work. Thanks Rachel Khoo for a winning free-from recipe from The Little Swedish Kitchen (Michael Joseph, 2018).

250g pitted dates
90ml hot espresso coffee
80g ground flaxseed
180ml vegetable oil
1 x 400g can black beans, drained (reserve 1/2 c of the liq...


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Chocolate cornflake slice

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, October 15, 2019, In : slices 

A super easy slice to rustle up in less than 30 minutes.

1 c flour of choice (I used spelt)
1 c cornflakes
1 c desiccated coconut
2 tbsp cocoa
3/4 c sugar of choice (brown or coconut are good)
150g butter or non-dairy spread, melted

Icing:
1 c icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa 
2-3 tbsp milk of choice
sprinkles

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a brownie tin with baking paper, leaving overhang on the sides.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Press evenly into tin and bake for about 25 min until cooked through and you...
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Chocolate banana muffins with streusel

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, September 19, 2019, In : small cakes 

Elevate your muffins with a salty nutty topping! You can make the streusel ahead of time and keep in the fridge until needed. This recipe is adapted from Sweet Sugar Sultry Spice by Malika Ameen (Roost Books, 2016).

Makes 18 muffins
For streusel:
2 tbsp sesame seeds (I prefer unhulled)
3/4 flour
1/2 c brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
6 tbsp butter, melted
1/2 c roasted nuts of choice (I used cashews as they were on hand but macadamias or pecans would be excellent)

For batter:
1 3/4 c flour
1 c sugar
1 tsp ...
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Kärleksmums (Swedish chocolate squares)

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, August 30, 2019, In : slices 


These Swedish chocolate cakes translate to "love yums" - a quick non-creaming cake that's elevated with a ganache topping with a hint of coffee.

150 g butter or non-dairy spread
2 c flour
4 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c unrefined sugar
3/4 c milk of choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache:
1/2 c cream or coconut cream
3 tbsp cold coffee
115g dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, in small pieces
2 tbsp butter or non-dairy spread
Topping:
1/2 c shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a b...

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Havreflarn (oat thins)

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, August 25, 2019, In : cookies 

Here's a healthy twist on a classic Swedish havreflarn (thin oat biscuits). I've used banana instead of sugar and added toppings for variety. Sometimes chocolate is sandwiched in between 2 biscuits; I've just spread one side with chocolate, like a chocolate digestive.

Makes around 20
2 c rolled oats
2 bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
1 tbsp coconut oil, melted (optional)
toppings if desired: threaded coconut, black sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds
125g dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 175...
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Chokladbollar (chocolate balls)

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, August 23, 2019, In : sweets 

I am officially obsessed with fika - the Swedish art of the coffee break. A time to take a break alone or with friends, to reflect and recharge with a coffee (or tea) and something delicious to eat. I'd like to share some of my favourite recipes from Fika by Anna Brones & Johanna Kindvall (Ten Speed Press, 2015). The Swedish chocolate ball is a classic that all bakeries will make. Like most Swedish baked goods, it uses butter and cane sugar. These may look like one of those raw bliss balls ma...
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Bonfire cracklers

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, In : cookies 

What a great name for these delicious chocolate morsels with a hint of chilli. The recipe is from Miranda Gore Browne's Biscuit. You can make these without the chilli too and you could use almond flour instead of hazelnut.

Makes 30+
175g 70% dark chocolate (I use Whittaker's)
50g butter or non-dairy spread
1 tsp coffee essence (I didn't have any so used 1 tbsp strong espresso)
100g toasted hazelnuts
175g flour (I used spelt)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp chilli powder or flakes, finely chopped
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/...
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Slice and bake cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, June 28, 2019, In : cookies 

This is a great basic recipe from which to make any kind of slice and bake cookie - add your favourite flavours and coatings then freeze the dough until you need it. This is adapted from Bake Me Home by Alice Arndell (HarperCollins, 2015).

Makes 60
250g butter, softened
1 1/4 c sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
4 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Flavouring examples
1/2 c each cranberries and pistachios
1/2 c each dark and white chocolate chunks
2/3 c chopped almonds and 1/3 c crystallised gin...
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Neapolitan cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, June 21, 2019, In : cookies 

This is my second attempt at these cookies. My first lot were too big and the strawberry dough was too soft, as I added too much jam to the mix. Now I've fine-tuned my technique I can share it with you! It's another recipe from Elinor Klivans' Slice & Bake Cookies.

Makes 40
225g butter, softened
1 c sugar
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
55g dark chocolate, melted
1 tbsp cocoa
3 tbsp strawberry jam or 1tsp strawberry essence and few drops red food c...


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Chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, June 10, 2019, In : cookies 

What to do when the child is home sick - bake, of course! Here's another version of a healthy choc chip cookie. This one uses a flaxseed egg.

Makes 16-20 cookies
1 tbsp flaxseed
3 tbsp water
2 c ground almonds
1/2 c brown rice flour (or another gluten free flour or almond flour)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c maple syrup (or rice syrup or honey)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c melted coconut oil
3/4 c dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Mix flaxseed a...
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Chocolate lamington cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, June 4, 2019, In : big cakes 

What's better than a lamington? A giant lamington cake! I made this to celebrate Boomerang Bags Dominion Rd reaching 2019 recycled reusable cloth bags since its inception in Oct 2017. I started volunteering late 2018 and always enjoy the sewing bee sessions at the Gribblehirst Hub. Lovely bunch of people! This is Julie Le Clerc's recipe. Instead of putting coconut on the top I have a ganache top with royal icing.

4 eggs
1 c caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1 c flour
2 tbsp cocoa powder...
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Chocolate shortbread

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 2, 2019, In : cookies 

Here's an easy way to make cute wedges of shortbread - in a cake tin! From one of my favourite baking books at the moment, Bake Me Home by Alice Arndell (HarperCollins, 2015)

150g butter
1/2 c brown sugar or ground coconut/rapadura sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c flour (I used spelt)
1/3 c cocoa
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 150C. Line a 23cm round cake tin with baking paper.

Cream butter and sugar in a bowl until sugar has dissolved. Beat in vanilla. Sift in flour, cocoa and salt. Mix to combine....


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Hazelnut thins

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 28, 2019, In : cookies 

This is a sophisticated biscuit for grown-ups. The thins are lovely as they are but you can take it to the next level by sandwiching them with a hazelnut chocolate ganache! This is from Biscuit by Miranda Gore Browne (Ebury Press, 2012).

Makes 32 singles or 16 sandwich cookies
110g butter or non-dairy spread, softened
55g soft brown sugar
170g flour (I used wholemeal and white spelt)
120g hazelnuts, toasted and ground

Chocolate hazelnut ganache
150ml coconut cream
150g dark chocolate, broken into pie...
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Chocolate banana cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, April 16, 2019, In : big cakes 

When you want a chocolate and banana hit - have both in your cake!

2 c flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp cocoa
3/4 c rice syrup
2 tbsp molasses
2 eggs OR 2 flaxseed eggs (4 tbsp flaxseed mixed with 8 tbsp water)
1/4 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c vegetable oil
2 ripe bananas, mashed

For the icing:
125g dark chocolate
1 c coconut cream

50g white chocolate
1/4 c coconut cream

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a loaf tin or 20 round cake tin with baking paper.
Sift flour, baking powder and cocoa in a large bowl.
In another bowl...
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Vegan vanilla cupcakes with chocolate ganache

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, April 9, 2019, In : small cakes 

Mini cupcakes are ideal to make for a small gathering of people - you can have one or two and not feel like a glutton! I'm taking these to Boomerang Bags Dominion Rd tonight for our regular sewing bee - making free resuable cloth bags for shoppers.

Makes 40 mini cupcakes or 12 large cupcakes

3/4 c non-dairy milk
2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1 3/4 c flour (I used spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c melted coconut oil
1/3 c non-dairy yoghurt (or milk)
3/4 c unrefined sugar...


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Vegan beet brownies with salted caramel frosting

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 7, 2019, In : slices 

These chocolate brownies taste so decadent but they are in fact free from refined sugar, gluten and dairy PLUS fully loaded with folic acid, manganese and potassium from the beetroot.

2 tbsp ground flaxseed
6 tbsp water
2 beetroot, cooked or grated raw
1 1/4 c coconut milk or cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 c flour (I used a spelt mix but you can use ground almonds, oat flour or other GF flours)
3/4 c unrefined sugar 
3/4 c cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp s...


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Fully loaded chocolate chunk cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, March 29, 2019, In : cookies 

These cookies are pretty serious about themselves and they are seriously good cookies!

Makes 24 cookies

185g butter or non-dairy spread
3/4 c coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 c flour (I used white and wholemeal spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c activated buckwheat groats
1/2 c cranberries
1/2 c chopped hazelnuts
1 c dark chocolate chips or chunks

Preheat oven to 180V. Line 2 bnaking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl cream the non-dairy spread/butter and sugar until ...


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Gateau chocolat

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, March 22, 2019, In : big cakes 

The French version of a chocolate cake - virtually flourless, a lot of chocolate. Made pour moi, for my birthday.

160g dark chocolate
100g butter
1/3 c unrefined sugar (I used coconut)
1/3 c flour (I used wholemeal spelt)
3 eggs, separated
pinch salt
4 tbsp jam

For the ganache
1/2 can coconut cream
100g white or dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20cm round tin with baking paper.
Melt chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat. Once melted, whisk in sugar, flour and egg yolks.
In a large bo...
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Mini chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, March 15, 2019, In : cookies 

A special request from the 6-year-old for the school picnic.

125g butter or dairy-free spread
1/2 c unrefined sugar (I used panela)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 c flour (I used spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 c choc chips (I used dark and white)

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, Beat in egg and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking powder and salt and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips.

Rol...


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Jaffa thins

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, March 4, 2019, In : cookies 

Unlike my husband, I'm a big fan of orange and chocolate. So this batch is just for me! 

Makes around 45
250g butter or dairy-free spread, softened
1/2 c fine granulated sugar (I used panela)
zest from 1 orange
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp orange extract or essence
2 1/2 c flour (I used wholemeal spelt)
200g dark chocolate, melted (I used Whittaker's 72%)

In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric whisk (or by hand) until soft. Add sugar, zest, baking powder and salt and bea...


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Vegan chocolate cranberry muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, February 19, 2019, In : small cakes 

No eggs - no worries! You can still whip up a batch of yummy muffins, and make them sugar-free and gluten-free too. I got these done in less than an hour and took them to a Connect the Dots art appreciation event. This charity connects and engages older people and people living with dementia in art tours and workshops in galleries around Auckland. I help out at Pah Homestead, such a lovely venue.

4 tbsp flaxmeal (ground flaxseed)
10 tbsp filtered water
1/4 c maple syrup
3/4 c rice syrup
1/4 c coco...
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Caramel slice - version 4

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, January 25, 2019, In : slices 

Here's another version of a raw caramel slice. I've tweaked the ingredients to make it simpler. If you're not averse to peanuts, peanut butter makes a very good caramel base. The prunes add a lovely sweetness to the base.

Base:
1/2 c pitted dates
1/3 c prunes, optional
1 c almonds (toasted if you like)
1 1/2 tbsp coconut oil
pinch sea salt

Caramel:
1/2 c pitted dates (or date syrup)
1/2 c maple syrup
1/3 c peanut butter (I prefer smooth)
1/4 c coconut oil

Topping:
1/4 c cacao powder
1/4 c coconut oil, so...


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Chocolate mint sandwich cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, January 17, 2019, In : cookies 

Like oreo cookies but better! These cookies don't use butter. You can easily use gluten-free flour too.

Makes 12-14 sandwiched cookies
1/2 c/90g dark chocolate or chocolate chips
40ml hot water
1 c flour (I used spelt)
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 c icing sugar
1 egg 

Peppermint filling:
1 c icing sugar
1 tsp peppermint extract
1-2 tbsp water

Melt the chocolate and hot water in a double boiler or in a microwave. Stir until smooth and let cool.
In a medium bowl sift the flour, sugar and baking powder. Mix the e...
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Strawberry coconut bounty bars

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, December 28, 2018, In : sweets 

Would you believe our oven broke down two days before Xmas! I couldn't bake any cakes so a good excuse to make raw treats. I updated my usual bounty bars with strawberry chia jam. Thanks to Little Bird Goodness by Megan May (Penguin, 2017) for the inspiration. The jam is so versatile - it can be used to jazz up muffins, granola, ice cream and swirl it into these bounty bars to make a healthy 'cherry ripe'.

Berry jam:
1/4 c ground chia seeds
1/4 c filtered water
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp...
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Rocky road

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, December 19, 2018, In : sweets 

Quick and easy rocky road to give to the teachers this year, and for random visitors to our house this festive season.
1 c cacao butter
1 c cacao or cocoa powder
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/2 c cranberries
1/2 c toasted hazelnuts
1/2 c mini marshmallows

Line a loaf tin with baking paper.
Melt the cacao butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan with 2-3 cm water. Heat on a low-medium heat until melted.
Take off the heat and stir in the maple syrup, cacao powder, vanilla, sal...
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Vegan neapolitan ice cream

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, December 17, 2018, In : desserts 


This is my go-to recipe for dairy-free ice cream. I went all out and made three kinds for neaopolitan thrills.

Vanilla ice cream:
2 cans coconut cream
1 tsp vanilla extract (use vanilla bean paste for extra yummy flavour and looks)
1/4 c maple or rice syrup
pinch salt

Blitz all the ingredients in a blender then transfer to an ice cream maker and churn for 10-15 min. Pour into a litre container and freeze. If you don't have an ice cream maker you can just freeze for a couple of hours then blitz agai...

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Vegan chocolate muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, December 7, 2018, In : small cakes 


A good, basic muffin that you can jazz up with icing and sprinkles for the kiddies. Ok, they look like cupcakes now but you don't have to cream the butter and sugar in this recipe.

1 1/2 c flour (I used wholemeal spelt, you can use oat flour or almond flour for other gf options)
1 c cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c water, plus up to 1/4 c
1/2 c non-dairy milk
1/4 c coconut or rapadura sugar
1/4 c maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c coconut oil, melted

Icing:
1/2 c dairy-free butte...


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Neapolitan marble cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, December 4, 2018, In : big cakes 

I thought the time had come for me to introduce the joys of neapolitan to our 6-year-old. Marble cakes are fun and a relatively easy way to make an impressive bake. I think I might try neapolitan ice cream next - yum!

250g butter, softened
2/3 c caster sugar
1/2 c rice syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
3 eggs
1/2 c milk of choice (or yoghurt or sour cream)
2 c flour (I used white spelt and wholemeal spelt)
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp milk of choice
2 tbsp strawberry ...


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Vegan chocolate biscotti

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, November 14, 2018, In : cookies 

1/4 c ground chia seeds
1 c hot water
1/2 c coconut sugar or raw sugar
1/4 c brown rice syrup or maple syrup
1/2 c olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
2 c flour (I use spelt)
3/4 c cocoa or cacao powder
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c desiccated coconut
100g dark chocolate for dipping

Preheat oven to 160C. Line 2 baking sheets with baking paper.

Put chia seeds and hot water in a blender and let soak for 5 minutes. Add sweeteners, oil, vanilla and salt and blitz until smooth.

Sift flour, cacao...


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Healthy chocolate cereal

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, November 8, 2018, In : sweets 

When the 6-year-old won't eat porridge or muesli it's time to make cereal a bit more appealing. Homemade cacao puffs are simple to make and you can swap out with any puffed grain or activated buckwheat groats.

4 cups puffed spelt (or wheat, rice, amaranth puffs)
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1/4 c cacao powder

Preheat oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Put the puffs in a large bowl.

In a small bowl heat or microwave the oil until melted. Stir in...


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Chocolate chip cranberry cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 2, 2018, In : cookies 

Only 4 basic ingredients in these cookies! Inspired by Wholefood Simply, you can swap out nut butters, sweeteners and flour and add spices or dried fruit if you like too.

Makes 16-20
4 tbsp almond butter (or peanut butter or cashew butter)
3 tbsp brown rice syrup (or maple syrup or honey)
1 1/4c almond meal
1/4 c dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa)
1/4 c cranberries (this is my favourite combo to give the cookie some tartness)

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a ba...


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Chocolate pretzel spiders and webs

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, October 31, 2018, In : sweets 

If you can't be bothered baking for Halloween, just have some fun with pretzels and chocolate.

Makes about 16 webs and 24 spiders
pack of pretzel sticks
250g white chocolate (I use Whittaker's)
250g dark chocolate (I use Whittaker's 72% cocoa)
1 1/2 c coconut cream
cocoa powder to dusting
cachous (silver balls) for decorating

For the webs:
Line 2 trays with baking paper. Make sure they can fit in your fridge.

Melt white chocolate and put in an icing bag with a small nozzle. Layout 6 pretzel ...


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Zucchini double chocolate brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, October 19, 2018, In : small cakes 

Z is for zucchini brownies. It's no. 26 of 26 alphabetical bakes! I've made a vegan version before and this is just as easy with a couple of eggs. I added my go-to vegan chocolate ganache, to make it extra special. You can make these in muffin tins or a round cake. Brownies are an excellent quick option for school or office bakes.
This is the end of my A to Z of bakes, a little Instagram project, but now I'll just bake with whatever letter I fancy. Keep calm and carry on baking!

2 cups zucchini...
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Chocolate yoyos

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, October 15, 2018, In : cookies 

Y is for yoyos! Those classic filled shortbread cookies with a chocolate twist, aka melting moments. It is easy to make them vegan, as I have done.

Makes 40
250g non-dairy spread, or butter
100g coconut sugar or cane sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g flour (I used a gluten-free mix)
1/2 tsp guar or xanthan gum (if you're using g-f flour)
65g cornflour
40g cocoa powder

Buttercream filling:
50g non-dairy spread or butter
85g icing sugar
few drops of lemon juice

Ganache filling:
1/2 c coconut cream
50g dark cho...
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Vegan vanilla ice cream

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, September 11, 2018, In : desserts 

V is for vegan vanilla ice cream with vegan chocolate sauce. No. 22 of 26 alphabetical bakes! OK, not technically a 'bake' but a recipe well worth trying.

Ice cream:
2 cans coconut cream or milk
1/2 c brown rice syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla paste with seeds or seeds from 1 vanilla pod
pinch salt

Chocolate sauce:
1/2 c water 
1/2 c cacao or cocoa powder
2 tbsp cacao butter
pinch sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the ice cream, put all ingredients in a blender and whiz. Churn in an ice cream...


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Vegan salted caramel chocolates

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, August 13, 2018, In : sweets 

S is for salted caramels - no. 19 of 26 alphabetical bakes! I was pretty pleased with how these turned out. You CAN make caramels without cream, and I used unrefined sugars too. 

Makes 36-40 

400ml can coconut milk or cream
1/2 c rice syrup
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 3/4 c coconut sugar (or rapadura)
3/4 c water
450g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa, dairy free)
digital sugar thermometer

Line a 20cm x 20cm square tin with baking paper.

In a small saucepan heat the coconut cream, r...


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Quinoa carrot breakfast cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, August 2, 2018, In : cookies 


Cooking 1 cup of quinoa 'seeds' yields a lot of quinoa! Enough to make 2 different batches of sweet cookies. These full-o-goodness chunky breakfast cookies are adapted from Healthful Pursuit. It's a bonus bake in my list of 26 alphabetical bakes!

Makes 18 cookies
1 1/2 c cooked quinoa
1 c flour (I used oat)
1/2 c ground flaxseed
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch salt
1/2 c liquid natural sweetener (I used rice syrup and a bit of date syrup. Maple syrup is also g...


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Minty bites

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, June 19, 2018, In : sweets 

These are rather like after dinner mints, but you won't feel guilty having one, two, or more... It's no. 13 of 26 alphabetical bakes!

Makes 36

3 x 12 mini muffin tins
1 c desiccated coconut
1 c cashews
2 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp coconut oil, warmed

chocolate coating:
1 c cacao butter
3-4 tbsp maple syrup or brown rice syrup
1 c cacao powder
pinch salt

Blitz the coconut and cashews in a food processor until crumbly. Add the peppermint, honey and coconut oil and mix until fu...


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Lunchbox slice

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, June 16, 2018, In : slices 

This is another great recipe from Wholefood Simply to which I zhujed up with a chocolate marble topping to increase the appeal to a 6 year old. You can swap out seeds for nuts or tahini for another nut butter. I have not met anyone yet who did not like this slice! This is no.12 of 26 alphabetical bakes!

1 c desiccated coconut
1/3 c sunflower seeds
1/3 c pumpkin seeds
1/3 c sesame seeds
pinch of salt
1/2 c brown rice syrup or honey
1/2 c tahini
1/3 c dark chocolate drops if desired or add som...


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Jaffa cakes

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, June 11, 2018, In : small cakes 

I do love the combination of chocolate and orange. These healthy jaffa cakes from Nadia's Healthy Kitchen
don't last long but they're worth the effort. The chocolate coating can get a bit messy but that's all part of the fun.

Makes 12

Base:
1/2 c flour (I use spelt)
1/3 c ground almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
3 tbsp brown rice syrup (or maple syrup)
up to 4 tbsp milk

Orange jelly:
1/2 c orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 tbsp rice syrup
1 tsp agar powder
20cm round cake/sp...
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Forgotten cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, May 10, 2018, In : cookies 

Forgotten cookies are actually super easy meringues - you just leave in a turned-off oven overnight and they should be crisp by the morning. Mine weren't unfortunately, I think I preheated the oven too low. If this happens you can just bake at 60-70C for an hour or so until meringues are dried or put in a dehydrator. The recipe is adapted from Healthy Food Guide. You can leave plain or flavour with mint and strawberry. It's my no. 6 of 26 alphabetical bakes!

Makes 20-15
2 egg whites, r...


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Quick chocolate hearts

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, April 13, 2018, In : sweets 

There are a few recipes for homemade chocolate on Bake Club. I've experimented and tweaked amounts many times and have found this one works best for me if I want to make hard chocolate as it's easy to remember and measure. You can use any size moulds you like. I wanted generous servings filled with a nut/fruit mix so I used heart-shaped silicon muffin moulds. The servings weigh around 40-50g each. The good thing about chocolate is that if you make any surplus to needs you can just store in an...
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Raw mini lamingtons

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, March 22, 2018, In : sweets 

Did you know the lamington was invented in New Zealand not Australia?! They first appeared in art in New Zealander J R Smythe's still life 'Summer Pantry' in 1888, featuring inside a cottage with a view of Wellington Harbour. They were known as Wellingtons - soft sponge covered in chocolate and coconut to resemble the snow-capped mountains of NZ.
However, Australians have claimed the cake as their own, named after Lord Lamington, governor of Queensland, who visited NZ in 1895, and was ...


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Raw fudge

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, March 20, 2018, In : sweets 

This raw chocolate fudge is soooo silky smooth and takes 2 minutes to make!
1/2 c coconut oil
1/2 c almond butter (you could also use cashew, tahini or peanut)
1/2 c cacao powder
1/4 c sweetener such as rice syrup, maple or honey
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt

Line a small cake tin, loaf tin or plastic container with baking paper or plastic wrap. The container I used was 13 x 20cm.
Melt the coconut oil over a low heat or in a bain marie. Pour into a bowl with all the other ingredients and mix w...
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Black bean brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, March 1, 2018, In : slices 


This is the third version of black bean brownies that have appeared on Bake Club. The other two were vegan; this one uses eggs - but you can substitute with 2 tbsp of ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water if you wish. Such a quick recipe - blitz in the blender and you're done!

8 pitted dates, soaked in 1/2 c boiling water for 10 min
1 can black beans, drained
2 eggs
1/4 c coconut oil
1/3 c rice syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 c flour (I used ground almonds, you can use oat flour or any ...


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Raw afghans

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, In : cookies 


A wholesome chocolatey hit.

1 c dates, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes
1 c sunflower seeds
1 c nuts or activated buckwheat
2 tbsp ground chia seeds
1 tbsp psyllium
1/2 c cacao powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c cacao butter, melted

Icing:
1/4 c cacao butter, melted
1/3 c cacao powder
1/3 c rice syrup (or maple syrup)

Whole walnuts, pecans or almonds for decoration

Blitz the seeds and nuts in a food processor until crumbly. You can leave chunks in there if you w...


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Vegan chocolate ganache cake

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, February 10, 2018, In : big cakes 

A deep, rich cake perfect for special occasions. No one will even tell it's vegan, gluten free and refined sugar free.

1 1/2 c non-dairy milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 c flour (I've used spelt and buckwheat on different occasions and both worked fine)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2/3 c cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2/3 c rice syrup
1/2 c sunflower or rice bran oil
grated zest of 1 orange or lemon
4 tbsp jam (I use sugar-free St Dalfour)
juice of half orange or lemon

Gan...


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Double chocolate zucchini muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, December 31, 2017, In : small cakes 

Our 5-year-old runs at the sight of zucchini but she scoffed these muffins - ha gotcha! No one could tell these cakes had vegetables in them, and vegan and gluten free to boot. Adapted from The Love & Lemons Cookbook by Jeanine Donofrio (Avery, 2016).

1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp water
1 c non-dairy milk at room temperature (I used rice)
2 tsp lemon juice
2 c spelt flour
1/2 c cacao powder
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 c coconut oil, melted
2/3 c brown rice sy...

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White chocolate Christmas bars

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, December 16, 2017, In : sweets 

Apparently white chocolate isn't technically traditional chocolate because it doesn't contain chocolate solids, ie cocoa/cacao powder, but homemade white chocolate is next-level goodness! You can use any dried fruit or nuts in this recipe, and pour into any shaped moulds. Pistachios and gojis are perfect for Christmastime.


1 c cacao butter...


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Easy chocolate mendiants

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, December 15, 2017, In : sweets 

Last year I made my own chocolate for mendiants. This Christmas I'm doing the cheat's version - just melted Whittaker's chocolate with colourful toppings. I've used pistachios, macadamias, toasted flaked almonds, toasted coconut, gojis, cranberries, blueberries, mango and pretzels. Any dried fruit or nut will do. You can spoon circles of chocolate onto trays lined with baking paper or just spoon into mini muffin tins, and top with your extras.
Super easy gifts to make.
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Chocolate sponge

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, December 12, 2017, In : big cakes 

Made with love for our wedding anniversary, 12.12. The keys to a light sponge are: no butter, separate the eggs and 50% cornflour.

3 eggs 
110g sugar (I used powdered coconut sugar)
60g flour (I used organic spelt)
60g cornflour
2 tbsp dutch cocoa
1 tsp baking powder

For the filling:
1 can coconut cream that's been refrigerated for at least 24 hours
1 tsp rice malt syrup
cut strawberries
strawberry jam if desired (I use a sugar-free brand, or make your own chia jam)

Line 2 sponge tins with baking paper a...
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Hazelnut chocolate fudge bars

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, November 30, 2017, In : sweets 

Why are hazelnuts so expensive? I love these lil' nuts but I only buy them for special occasion bakes. Or nonbakes as the case may be. These fudgy bars start melting as soon as they're out of the freezer but I'm gonna attempt to take some on a flight to Wellington tomorrow for our vegan friends - wish me luck!
This recipe is adapted from Vladia Cobrdova's A Whole New Way to Eat (Murdoch Books, 2017). She adds fresh ginger to hers, caramelised with honey. I did a cheat's version and just used o...
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Chocolate marmalade cake

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, November 29, 2017, In : big cakes 

Another one from Scandilicious Baking (Saltyard Books, 2012) by Signe Johansen. The chocolatey jaffa flavour is rather yummy!

200g spelt flour
50g ground almonds
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
250ml brown rice syrup
2 tbsp yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g cocoa powder
2 tbsp espresso coffee
200g orange marmalade
juice and zest of 1 large orange
100g butter, melted
75 g dark chocolate, chopped (orange-flavoured if desired)

Preheat the oven to 180C. L...


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Double chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, November 6, 2017, In : cookies 

160g butter or non-dairy spread (I used Olivani)
3/4 c coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c oats, ground in a coffee grinder to make flour
2 c buckwheat flour
2 tbsp cacao powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c dark chocolate chips or 150g dark chocolate cut into chunks

Cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add in egg. Then mix in flours and dry ingredients. Lastly mix in the chocolate chips.

Wrap dough in cling film and chill in freezer for half...


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Trio of bliss balls - chocolate, strawberry, cookie dough

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 3, 2017, In : sweets 

It all started with our daughter wanting chocolate chip cookies. I decided to make healthy chocolate chip cookie bliss balls and found this easy recipe from Wholefood Simply. Then I decided to make my own recipes using different sweeteners, flavours and flours, but all still raw, whole, organic, sugar and gluten free.

Makes about 24
2 c rolled oats
1/3 c tahini
2 tbsp honey or rice syrup
2 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
1/3 c dark chocolate chips
Blitz the oats in a ...
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Healthy Halloween snacks

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, October 29, 2017, In : sweets 

So easy to make these cute Halloween snacks for kids. Pumpkin mandarins with a bit of celery as the stalk (or use cucumber), boonanas or ghost bananas with chocolate drop eyes and pretzel broomsticks with sliced cheese brooms (held together by a string of spring onion or chive)
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Chocolate thins

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, October 27, 2017, In : cookies 

If you make anything heart-shaped with icing it's a guaranteed winner with the kids. This is a very basic but easy chocolate biscuit. The key is to chill the dough and roll out to an even 3mm thickness.

125 g chilled butter or non-dairy spread (I used Olivani this time and it worked well)
2/3 c coconut/brown/rapadura sugar (I used organic golden sugar that I put in a spice grinder first)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 c cornflour
1/2 c cacao or cocoa powder
1 1/2 c flour

Cream t...


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Ghost pretzels from scratch

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, October 27, 2017, In : bread 

Last year for Halloween I painstakingly chocolate-dipped about 50 tiny pretzel sticks and added chocolate chips for eyes and a mouth. They sure didn't last long at the kindergarten's Halloween party. This year I decided to make my own thick pretzel rods so they'd be much quicker to coat with chocolate. It's quite a process making your own pretzels; like bagels, you poach them before baking, but in a special solution. The result is a flavoursome crunchy stick. It's adapted from Serious Eats.

Ma...
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Chocolate and strawberry chia jam cups

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, October 25, 2017, In : sweets 

It's great to make your own chocolate and jam as you can control the sweetness and get your kids to get used to less sugary foods. Grown-ups will like these too, of course!

Make the jam first by blitzing in a blender 1 c strawberries or other berries, 2 tbsp water, 2 tbsp brown rice syrup and 2 tbsp chia seeds. Transfer to a small bowl and heat over medium heat until mixture starts to bubble. Cook for 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly, until mixture thickens. Remove from the heat and c...


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Coconut almond macaroons

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, October 15, 2017, In : cookies 

Whenever I make hummus with canned chickpeas it's an excuse to make something with the aquafaba as well. It's a perfect vegan alternative to egg whites. I've been experimenting to make macaroons with the least amount of ingredients possible.

Makes about 16
1/2 c aquafaba
1 tsp cream or tartar or 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 c brown rice syrup
1 1/2 c desiccated coconut
1 1/2 c ground almonds
150g dark/bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 170C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Simmer the aquafaba in a...
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Healthy caramels

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, October 12, 2017, In : sweets 

Mmmmmm - make your own caramels for a guilt-free sweet treat.

Makes 14-16
1 cup pitted dates (medjools are superior but you can use deglet noors too)
1 tbsp nut butter (peanut, almond or cashew work well)
1 tbsp coconut oil
pinch sea salt
For coating:
150 g unsweetened dark/bittersweet chocolate
or 1/2 c cocoa butter, 1/2 c cacao powder, 1/4 c rice syrup

Line a small tray or plate that you can fit in your freezer with baking paper.
If you are going raw, soak the dates in a bowl with a little bit of wa...
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Chocolate biscotti

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, October 4, 2017, In : cookies 

Our 5-year-old had some fancy biscotti at a cafe this week and asked me to make some. Always up for a baking challenge, I duly produced these. Easy to overbake biscotti, so keep an eye on it.

Makes 12-14 sticks
1/2 c spelt flour
1/2 c buckwheat flour
1/3 c coconut sugar
3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
For dipping: 50g chocolate, 50g white chocolate

Preheat oven to 190C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper.
In a bowl mix the flours, sugar, cocoa, bakin...
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Prune chocolate slice

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, September 28, 2017, In : slices 

This is adapted from Eleanor Ozich's apricot and chocolate slice. I love the combination of prunes and chocolate, and have made my own chocolate in this recipe. This is another entry into #PlantBasedChallengeNZ #LittleBirdGoodness

1 c prunes, chopped
2 c ground seeds/nuts/grains - this is YOUR choice! I used 1 c rolled oats, 1/2 c sunflower seeds, 1/2 c activated buckwheat groats (you can also use pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews, walnuts)
1 c desiccated coconut
1/3 c coconu...


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Apricot and chocolate slice

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, September 7, 2017, In : slices 

It's always a pleasant distraction when a blog I subscribe to posts a new recipe. In the case of Eleanor Ozich's apricot and dark chocolate bumper bars my eyes and tastebuds were duly tantalised and I decided to make them the same day. Key words: apricot, chocolate, fudgy, no bake – and I had all the ingredients in the pantry.

1 c chopped dried apricots (I used organic sulphur-apricots hence they are not bright orange like non-organic ones)
2 c rolled oats
1 c desiccated or shredded c...


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Healthy afghans

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, August 31, 2017, In : cookies 

It's easy to substitute the ubiquitous refined ingredients for more wholesome options that make equally yummy and healthy afghans.

Makes 16
1 c almond meal
1 c buckwheat flour
4 tbsp cocoa or cacao powder
1/3 c coconut oil
1/4 c honey, rice syrup or maple syrup
3 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 c gluten-free cornflakes (no added sugar)

For the icing:
60g dark chocolate (I used Whittaker's 72%)
3 tbsp non-dairy milk
1 tbsp honey, rice syrup or maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
pinch salt
desiccated...
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Chocolate beetroot brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, August 29, 2017, In : slices 

A great way to use vegetables in baking and the kids will never know. I like brownies with raspberries or nuts sometimes, but my kid prefers plain flavours so I've kept it simple.

300g beetroot, boiled, peeled and cut into chunks
3 eggs or make flaxseed eggs
1/2 c sweetener such as rice malt syrup, maple syrup, honey, coconut sugar, panela (not agave)
1/4 c melted coconut oil or butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1/2 c cocoa or cacao powder
1 c flour or almond...
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Quick mini muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, In : small cakes 

These are the quickest and easiest muffins I've made. Only 6 ingredients plus your choice of flavour. With an hour to go before we went visiting, these were mixed and baked in no time. I also made a runny icing with icing sugar and lemon juice to drizzle over, topped with sprinkles for extra child-friendliness. Mini muffins only take 5-7 min to bake, so be careful not to overbake or else it might just taste like a rubber ball.

Makes about 36 mini muffins
200g almond flour/meal (or mix of 100g a...
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Chocolate aquafaba sponge

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, June 23, 2017, In : big cakes 
 
Make a quick sponge from chickpea brine! Aquafaba, as it is known, is useful if you're doing vegan baking. The brine whisks up like egg white.

1 c flour (spelt, wholemeal, gluten free, whatever you usually work with)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 tbsp cacao powder
pinch salt
1/4 c aquafaba (brine from a can of chickpeas, drained)
1/4 coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/4 c applesauce
1/2 c raw sugar

Preheat oven to 180C. Line 2 loaf tins with baking paper.
Sift and mix all dry ing...
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Strawberry rose cheesecake

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, May 5, 2017, In : desserts 

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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Wookie cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, April 27, 2017, In : cookies 

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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Vegan chocolate mousse

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, April 27, 2017, In : desserts 

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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Apricot bites and chocolate brownie chews

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, March 11, 2017, In : sweets 

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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Milk chocolates

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, March 11, 2017, In : sweets 

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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Vegan black bean brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, February 21, 2017, In : slices 

I've made black bean brownies before in a slab tin and they were DF, GF, SF too. This recipe is adjusted slightly, tastes better and the nuts are a good addition.

Makes 18 small brownies about 2 tbsp each

400g can of black beans, drained

2 tbsp ground flaxseed stirred into 4 tbsp warm water and set aside for 5 min

1/4 c coconut oil

1/4 c cacao or cocoa powder

1/2 c rice malt syrup

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract
chopped nuts for topping if desired

Preheat oven to 1...


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Vegan chocolate chunk cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, January 10, 2017, In : cookies 

This is adapted from Eleanor Ozich's My Family Table (Murdoch Books, 2015) but I used less sugar and a bit of spelt flour to help bind. The oats add a texture and the sugar helps to make a crispy cookie. You could replace the sugar with a natural liquid sweetener to make a chewy cookie.

2 1/2 c oats (or use any gluten free flour)
1 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2/3 c muscovado, rapadura or coconut sugar
1/3 c melted coconut oil
1 linseed egg (1Tbs linseed mixed with 3 Tbs water)
1 tsp vanilla extract
15...
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Marshmallow fridge slice

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, December 19, 2016, In : slices 

An easy, indulgent, no-bake slice good for parties and get-togethers. You can basically chuck in anything you like with the chocolate, any nuts or dried fruit will give a crunchy, chewy texture. I prefer a tart fruit such as cranberries or cherries to offset the chocolate.

100g butter, cubed
200g milk or dark chocolate, as you prefer
2 Tbs golden syrup
200g digestive biscuits
1/2 c mini marshmallows
1/2 c dried cranberries
1/2 c salted peanuts, roughly chopped
desiccated coconut to sprinkle i...


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Chocolate beetroot cake v2

Posted by Frances Chan on Wednesday, December 7, 2016, In : big cakes 

I made a chocolate beetroot cake in 2015 that used raw beetroot, this one uses cooked beets and I think that helps to give the cake a real fudgy texture. Kids won't even know there's beetroot in there! This recipe is from Marian Keyes' Saved By Cake, but I used less sugar.

250g cooked beetroot
100g dark chocolate
125g butter
1c muscovado or brown sugar
3 eggs
225g flour (I use spelt)
30g cocoa powder
pinch salt

Preheat oven to 180C and line a 20cm cake tin with baking paper. Grate the beetroot or blit...
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Chocolate buckwheat crackle bars

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, December 5, 2016, In : sweets 

I came across puffed buckwheat at my local organic shop - brilliant! These easy bars are a super yummy healthy sweet treat.

3 c puffed buckwheat (or puffed rice or spelt)
1/4 c toasted sesame seeds, optional
1/3 c coconut oil
1/3 c rice syrup
2 Tbs cacao powder
150g coconut butter
pinch salt
1 tsp cacao powder

Line a 20cm square tin with baking paper. In a bowl mix the the puffs and sesame seeds.

In a saucepan over low heat melt the coconut oil, syrup, 100g coconut butter and cacao. Once melt...


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Choconut slice

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, November 16, 2016, In : slices 

This is a simple biscuit base slice adapted from Blissful Bites by Christy Morgan (BenBella Books, 2011). For a crunchier base you could add buckinis as I do in my perfect ginger crunch.

1 3/4 c flour (I used spelt)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 Tbs vanilla extract
1 Tbs natural sweetener such as coconut sugar, maple syrup
1/2 c coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp salt
250g dark chocolate (at least 70%)
200ml coconut cream or milk
3 Tbs maple syrup or rice syrup
coconut chips or desiccated coconut and slice...


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Halloween ghost pretzels

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, October 30, 2016, In : sweets 

Being a New Zealander we don't traditionally celebrate Halloween but this year I succumbed to making my first Halloween-themed snack for kindergarten's 'Freaky Friday' - ghost pretzels. Trust me to make the most finicky, fiddly thing. You can't get big thick pretzel sticks here so I only had thin little ones to work with. Dip in melted white chocolate and place chocolate chips for eyes and mouth. They barely fit on the stick and some of the faces looked a bit dodge but they tasted great and t...
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Treasure chest cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, October 30, 2016, In : big cakes 

This is Miss Four's second birthday cake, for the other side of the family. A sugar-free beetroot chocolate loaf cake. Make one loaf cake and another one half the height. The half becomes the lid of the chest. Ice the lid and chest with chocolate ganache and attach with toothpicks.
To decorate I used raspberry licorice straps and smarties/pebbles and filled the chest with chocolate coins and sweets to represent jewels -  gourmet jellybeans, Hershey's kisses and jubes. I used green food colouri...
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Chocolate chip cookies (vegan, gluten-free)

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, October 26, 2016, In : cookies 

A really easy recipe from 'Gluten-Free & Vegan for the Whole Family' by Jennifer Katzinger (Sasquatch Books, 2015). The recipe is also refined sugar-free (I used dark choc chips that weren't sugar-free though as I didn't have 85% dark chocolate on hand). You could do many variations on this recipe - raisins or other dried fruit instead of chocolate, add coconut, use hazelnuts, oats, add cinnamon.
Makes about 20
2 c almonds (I used 1 c almonds and 1 c oats)
1 c dates (or about 10 medjool dates)
2 ...
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Nigella's chocolate orange cake (vegan, gluten-free)

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, In : big cakes 

I was pleasantly surprised that Nigella Lawson has a GF, DF recipe for chocolate cake, seeing she is the queen indulgence and full-fat everything. I did not put dark chocolate in my batter, I thought it was sweet enough. A lovely dense cake with gooey icing. Instead of chia seeds you could also make flaxseed 'eggs' - 6 Tbs flaxseed soaked in about 15 Tbs water).

2 oranges
6 chia 'eggs' (6 Tbs chia seeds soaked in 18 Tbs water)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 c almond meal (or hazelnut me...
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Chocolate mendiants

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, October 22, 2016, In : sweets 

Chocolate mendiants are traditional French sweets during Christmas time. The chocolate discs are studded with nuts and fruit to represent the four monastic orders of the church - usually raisins, figs, hazelnuts and almonds. In our household, however, I make chocolate treats all year round. These ones are decorated with goji berries and coconut, apricots and almonds, pumpkin seeds and ginger, and mini marshmallows. Just go crazy with your toppings...

Makes 12 little discs
1/2 c cacao powder
1/2 ...
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Chocolate apricot cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, In : cookies 

This easy recipe is adapted from Healthy Food Guide. From this base you can make many variations of cookie – plain, with nuts, with coconut, oats, other dried fruit, spices. I like that it adds LSA to sneak in an extra nutrient punch.

100g butter
½ c natural sweetener (I used rapadura sugar and honey)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
1 ¼ c flour (I used spelt)
¼ c Dutch cocoa powder (Dutch process cocoa gives a fudgier, denser flavour but natural is fine too. Here's an...


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Chocolate crunch

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, In : slices 

I made up this recipe to enter an @ceresorganics and @panaceas_pantry Instagram competition - turned out pretty good! It's a superfood version of two of my faves - ginger crunch and childhood chocolate slice. I'm in a Ceres co-op so where possible I've used Ceres products.
Please Like this recipe on RecipeYum

1 Tbs chia seeds soaked in 3 Tbs water
1/2 c coconut oil, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 c spelt flour (you can use gluten free flour and also add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum)
1/2 c buckinis (...
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Salted apricot caramels

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, March 13, 2016, In : sweets 

Thank you Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley for this super easy recipe that feels like such a treat.
Makes 40-50 
250g organic unsulphured apricots, chopped
1 tsp salt
80g coconut oil
2 Tbs hot water
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the chocolate coating:
200g cocoa butter
12 Tbs cacao powder
2 Tbs maple syrup or rice syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
In a food processor blend the apricots, salt, oil, hot water and vanilla until smooth.
Roll into little balls and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. If mixture is...
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Bounty bars with raspberry

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, February 24, 2016, In : sweets 

Here's a variation on the first raw bounty bars I made. The raspberry powder adds a special touch. You can see the subtle colouring in the pic. I found the chocolate melts really quickly once out of the fridge.

1/4 c coconut butter
2 Tbs coconut oil
1 tsp freeze-dried raspberry powder 
1/2 tsp vanilla extract or powder
3 Tbs coconut nectar (I used rice malt syrup)
pinch sea salt
1 1/2 c desiccated coconut

chocolate coating:
1/3 c cacao butter
1 Tbs coconut oil
1/3 c cacao powder
1 Tbs coconut nectar

Soft...


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Crunchy chocolate buckwheat bars

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, January 28, 2016, In : slices 

I love using buckinis in baking for a healthy, wholesome crunch. This recipe by Lee Holmes from Supercharged Food worked out well.

1 c shredded or desiccated coconut
1 c buckwheat buckinis
1 Tbs cacao powder
1 c flour (I use spelt)
1/2 c pumpkin seeds
1/2 c coconut oil
1/2 c rice malt syrup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

50g 80% dark chocolate for drizzling

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 20 x 20cm or 20 x 30cm baking tin with baking paper.

Mix coconut, buckinis, cacao, flour and seeds in a bowl. Ad...


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Orange & apricot cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, January 15, 2016, In : desserts 

Thank you Emily Rose, who wrote Have Your Cake (Five Mile Press, 2011). Her recipes have "no butter, no white flour, no added sugar". She uses wholemeal flour, rice bran oil and honey. I prefer spelt, coconut oil and rice malt syrup so have substituted with these and results were good!
Makes 16-20 cookies
1 c spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/3 c dessicated coconut
1/3 c rolled oats (have also used buckinis)
1/2 c coconut oil, softened (or rice bran oil)
1/2 c rice malt syrup (or honey)
1 tsp grated ...
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Chocolate strawberry bran muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, December 16, 2015, In : small cakes 

With the abundance of strawberries at the moment I wanted to make a healthy combination of strawberries and chocolate. This is a mixture of my recent strawberry muffins and the last post, chocolate olive oil cake. Macerating the strawberries first in balsamic vinegar really adds depth to the flavour.
2 c strawberries
1/2 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
50g cocoa
125ml boiling water
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 c rice malt syrup
100ml olive oil
1 1/2 c flour (I used a mix of wholemeal and ...
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Chocolate olive oil cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, December 15, 2015, In : big cakes 

This lovely recipe is from Nigella Lawson's Nigellissima (Chatto & Windus, 2012). She made a cake but I decided to try these silicon moulds. The mixture rose quite a lot so my little bundt cakes were large, but moist and delicious just the same. Nigella uses 200g sugar but I was very happy with 150g.
150ml olive oil
50g cocoa, sifted
125ml boiling water
2 tsp vanilla extract
150g ground almonds or 125g flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch salt
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
Preheat oven to 170C. Grease an...
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Six-layer slice

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, December 13, 2015, In : slices 

What a decadent flop! It didn't look like the one in the book (High Tea, Viking 2014) but it still tasted good - evil good. I rarely use condensed milk (so much sugar!) but I made an exception for this easy slice – just pour in each ingredient on top of the last one.

125 g butter, melted
1 c sweet biscuit crumbs (I used gluten-free arrowroot biscuits)
1 c desiccated coconut
325g chocolate chips
395g tin condensed milk
1 c nuts, roughly chopped (I used cashews and almonds)

P...


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Aquafaba chocolate mousse

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, December 3, 2015, In : desserts 

Following on with my adventures with aquafaba, first I made meringues and now chocolate mousse. Super easy when you can whip up the aquafaba (chickpea brine) real good with the electric mixer.
Serves 2
100g dark chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract or seeds from one vanilla pod
aquafaba from one can drained chickpeas, about 1/2 cup
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
Melt chocolate over a bain marie. Using an electric whisk, beat the aquafaba with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and mix in slowly...
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Chocolate & almond butter cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, October 28, 2015, In : cookies 

I made these after attending Kelly Gibney's wholefood cooking class from Bonnie Delicious. It was lovely to meet her and see her prepare several recipes. She made sauerkraut and almond butter look easy so I tried them myself and they worked! You can use different nuts or dried fruit in these cookies and their cute size are perfect for little hands.

3/4 c dried dates soaked for 10 min in hot water and drained
1 c desiccated coconut
1/2 c almond butter (homemade in 5 min in the Omniblend!)
1/2 c wa...
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Double chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, September 16, 2015, In : cookies 

This is adapted from I Quit Sugar. She uses buckwheat flour but I just used a gluten-free mix and added cocoa as well for double the fun!

1 1/2 c flour (I used a gluten-free mix)
1 tsp baking powder
2 Tbs cocoa
1/2 tsp salt
125g softened butter
1/2 c rice malt syrup
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence or powder
100g dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used 72% Whitaker's Dark Ghana)

Preheat oven to 160C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa and s...


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Chocolate beetroot cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, August 30, 2015, In : big cakes 

This recipe is a lot easier than Nigel Slater's one that Ginny made, even though it's probably not as decadent. But I added jam and cream for a special birthday treat. I like that the beetroot is added in raw, you don't have to precook.
This is adapted from the NZ Woman's Weekly.

1 c brown or muscovado sugar
1 1/2 c vegetable oil
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 c 5flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c cocoa
1 tsp salt
2 c raw beetroot, peeled and grated
Ganache: 
melt 125g dark chocolate, 1 tb...
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Nutty choc chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, August 12, 2015, In : cookies 

I adapted these beauties from I Quit Sugar. I added a bit more quantity of chia seeds and an egg at the end to help bind it all together as the mixture seemed very crumbly. Result: perfectly crunchy and healthy bikkies!

1 1/2 c almond meal
1/2 c walnut meal (I used 1 c almond meal, 1 c spelt flour)
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground chia seeds
1/2 c ground cinnamon
pinch salt
3 1/2 Tbs coconut oil
1 1/2 Tbs rice malt syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c dark chocolate, at least 70% cocoa, chips or chopped
1/...
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Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, August 4, 2015, In : small cakes 

Sorry about the crap photo. Our daughter gobbled them all up and only two were left when I remembered to take the photo. I love hiding vegetables in recipes like this, toddlers are non the wiser.

This is from Sally's Baking Addiction. From this basic recipe you can add other things you may have in the pantry - nuts, dried fruit, granola topping - go crazy. A cream cheese icing would be rather nice too. Here's another pumpkin recipe and cream cheese icing recipe on Bake Club.

1 3/4 c flour (I us...
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Jaffa cupcakes and orange sauce

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, July 28, 2015, In : small cakes 


I used up the oranges my friend gave me with these orange chocolate cupcakes. Then I made a orange sauce to have with the cupcakes as a pudding.
The recipe is a variation of the one I made up for these chocolate, cranberry, honey muffins I made for honey week last year.

2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 heaped Tbs cocoa or raw cacao powder
1 c yoghurt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 c rice malt syrup or honey
1/4 c oil or melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
3/4 c chocolate drops or chips (optional)

P...


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Florentines

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, July 7, 2015, In : sweets 

This is my first attempt at florentines. A bit fiddly but still yummy - anything coated in chocolate is! Worth the trouble for a special occasion, such as watching the final of the Superubgy where the Highlanders won against the Hurricanes 21-14! This recipe is adapted from the good ol' NZ Women's Weekly.

100g flaked almonds
1/4 cup sultanas
1/4 cup chopped mixed peel
1/4 cup chopped dried peaches (most recipes use glacé cherries but you can use any dried fruit such as cranberries, pears, prunes...


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Banana and chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, In : cookies 

An easy gluten-free cookie that especially kids will love! Not too much sweetener and full of good fibre. This is by Nadia Lim from Sunday magazine.
2 eggs
1 Tbs milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 c sweetener (coconut sugar or brown sugar ok, I used rice malt syrup)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c ground almonds
1 c rolled oats
1 c mashed ripe bananas (about 2 bananas)
1/2 c dark choc chips

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a baking tray with baking paper.
In a large bowl mix eggs, milk and vanilla. Add...
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Sugar-free chocolate muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 7, 2015, In : small cakes 

This is a really easy, quick recipe from a sugar-free website that made 36 mini muffins - ideal to take to preschool to celebrate our daughter's 3rd birthday. She requested the 'frozen' icing. I made it out of butter, rice syrup, vanilla and a couple of drops of blue food colouring, and sprinkled with coconut.

1 c rice syrup
2 eggs
1 c flour (I used spelt)
6 tbsp cocoa powder or cacao powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/3 c milk
1/3 c butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180C....


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Chocolate marble cake

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, May 8, 2015, In : big cakes 

A simple marble cake looks impressive for a birthday occasion. This is adapted from a Martha Stewart recipe.
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1 3/4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup sweetener
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature ...

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Chocolate pear cake

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, April 4, 2015, In : big cakes 

Since it was Easter I thought I'd make something chocolatey to take to a morning tea visit. This is a River Cottage recipe.

For the pears

  • 4 just-ripe pears
  • 35g butter
  • 2 tablespoons soft brown sugar
  • Finely grated zest of 1 orange

For the cake

  • 100g ground almonds
  • 100g self-raising flour
  • 25g cocoa powder
  • 150g butter, softened
  • 150g caster sugar (I used 100g)
  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • A splash of milk

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas 3. Butter a 20cm springform cake tin and line with baking parchment.

Peel, quarter...


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Double chocolate peanut butter honey cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, March 18, 2015, In : cookies 

This is my entry into the NZ Airborne National Honey Week competition. I wanted to create a recipe that only uses a few ingredients so the honey could shine through. A no-flour, one-bowl wonder - VERY easy to make and scrummy!

Makes 16-20 cookies

1/3 c New Zealand honey (I used clover)
1 c peanut butter (Pic's is my preferred brand but any organic, salt-free, all natural one is good)
2 tbs cocoa powder
3/4 c chocolate drops

Preheat the oven to 180C. Soften or slightly melt the honey in a saucepan o...
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Courgette brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, January 7, 2015, In : small cakes 

A very easy recipe from Sarah Wilson's I Quit Sugar For Life (Pan Macmillan Australia, 2014). Only the bought chocolate has sugar in it.

1 large or 1 1/2 small courgettes
1 c almond (or any nut) butter
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla powder or essence
1/4 c rice syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
100g dark (85%) chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line a 20cm square brownie tin.
Grate the courgette into a large bowl and then add the rest of the ingredients an...
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Fig, chocolate, chai, almond biscotti

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, December 24, 2014, In : cookies 

By Sophie
  • 100 g chopped almonds
    200 g gluten-free plain flour, plus extra for dusting (I used Doves Farm)
    1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
    ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
    200 g brown sugar
    30 g dark chocolate (over 70% cocoa solids), optional

    1 large free-range egg
    1/2 cup chopped dried figs
    1 teaspoon chai spices or 1 chai tea bag (cut open the bag and use loose spices)
    1 teaspoon cinnamon
    Almond milk or any other type of milk- optional

Spread out the almonds on a baking tray, then place in the hot oven ...

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Homemade bounty bars

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 15, 2014, In : sweets 

By Frances
These raw chocolate covered coconut bars are really easy to make - and delicious and healthy too! I adapted a recipe from Health Yeah.

2 cups desiccated coconut
1 cup of coconut cream or milk
3 Tbs coconut oil or coconut butter
4 Tbs natural sweetener (maple syrup, coconut syrup, rice syrup or date paste)
pinch sea salt

For the chocolate coating:
5 Tbsp of  organic coconut oil
3 Tbsp of raw cacao powder
2 tsp of coconut syrup or maple syrup

Mix all the ingreds except dessicated coconut in...
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Chocolate cherry macaroon cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 8, 2014, In : big cakes 

By Frances
Yet another great recipe from Julie Le Clerc's Favourite Cakes. Didn't rise a heck of a lot but still yummy with a macaroony taste with the coconut. Cross between a brownie and a cake.

100g butter, cubed
100g quality dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 c brown or dark sugar
1/2 c self-raising flour (I used rice and added 1 tsp baking powder)
1/4 c dessicated coconut
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c chocolate chips (didn't use)
1 c pitted cherries (fresh or well-drained preserved che...
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Raw chocolate strawberry truffle pie

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, May 26, 2014, In : desserts 

By Frances
Found this recipe on Chocolatecoveredkatie.com. Very nice and went down well at a vegan party.
  • 2.5 cups strawberries, or other berries (250g) (I used frozen and Fresh As strawberry slices)
  • 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder or cacao
  • 1.5 cups cashews (150g)
  • 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup virgin coconut oil
  • 3 NuNaturals stevia packets, or 1/4 cup agave or pure maple syrup
  • 1/8 tsp salt

Chocolate pie crust:

  • 2 tbsp cocoa powder (or cacao powder)
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews (or almonds, w...

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Giant chocolate lamington cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, May 25, 2014, In : big cakes 

By Frances
This was one of Tui's 2nd birthday cakes from Julie Le Clerc's Favourite Cakes (Penguin, 2011).
4 eggs
pinch salt
1 c caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 c plain flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 c cream lightly whipped
1/2 berry jam, to fill
Chocolate coconut coating:
150g dark chocolate
100g vegetable shortening or coconut oil
1 1/2 c coconut thread

Preheat oven to 190C. Line 2 x 20cm sponge tins. Lightly butter the sides and dust with flour.
Whisk eggs, salt, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with ele...
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Vegan double chocolate banana muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, May 5, 2014, In : small cakes 

By Frances
Found a great website called egglesscooking.com as I wanted to do some egg-free baking for our coffee group, as one of the toddlers has an allergy. Easy to make these vegan recipes sugar-free too. I adapted this vegan double chocolate banana muffin recipe.

Dry Ingredients:
  • 1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup white sugar (I used agave syrup and honey)
  • 1 cup mini vegan chocolate chips (did not use)
Wet Ingre...

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Raw chocolates

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, May 1, 2014, In : sweets 

By Frances
I've perfected the recipe for raw chocolate by adapting the recipe from Elements for Life.

  • 60-70g Raw Cacao Butter
  • 50g Raw Cacao Powder
  • 1-2 tbsp Sweet Freedom

Method

  1. All utensils must also be dry or the chocolate will separate. Wash your silicone mould before it's first use and then dry it thoroughly
  2. Place a clean bowl over a saucepan of hot water (bain marie). Ensure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water & no water goes inside the bowl
  3. Grate the cacao butte...

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Chocolate bliss bites

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, April 7, 2014, In : sweets 

By Frances

This super easy raw recipe is from Amaze Kitchen. A great sugar-, gluten and dairy-free treat. I made them into mini bites for my toddler, but didn’t roll them in cocoa as I thought it might be too messy for her.

250 grams dates or 12 medjool dates pitted

4 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil
extra cocoa for rolling

1. Blend all ingredients in a food processor.
2. Wet or oil your hands, and ro...


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Flourless chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, March 24, 2014, In : big cakes 

By Sophie
Oooh, this is oh so rich and velvety.

Ingredients:

  • 300g dark chocolate, chopped
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
  • 180 g icing sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180C

Line a 7 inch round cake tin with baking paper and grease with butter. 

  1. Melt butter and chocolate heavy saucepan over medium low heat. Stir until chocolate and butter are melted and smooth.
  2. Cream icing sugar and egg yolks for 1-2 minutes until pale and creamy
  3. Mix chocolate and butter mi...

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Meringue gelato cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, March 18, 2014, In : desserts 

By Frances
This is by far the easiest and most decadent of Nigella's desserts I've come across. No cooking skills required! It's not even gelato, more like a meringue ice creamy thing. Any berries or cherries would work, flaked almonds too, and experiment with different liquers if you're using them.

for the meringue gelato cake

  • 300 ml ...

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Florentine cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, March 16, 2014, In : big cakes 

By Frances

A rich nutty cake by Annabel Langbein from the February issue of Life & Leisure magazine.

Base:

¾ c flour

¾ c wholemeal flour

¾ c oats

¾ c brown sugar

180g cold butter, diced

 

Process all ingredients in a food processor until it resembles a fine crumb. Press into a 20cm round cake tin.

 

Cake:

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

¼ c brown sugar

½ c walnuts

½ c flaked almonds

¾ c almonds

¾ c dates

¾ c apricots

¾ c choc melts

¾ c coconut

...
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Chocolate goji slice

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, March 11, 2014, In : slices 

By Frances

Don’t you just love it when you come across an inspired recipe in a most unlikely source? I was randomly looking through Look real estate freebie and Buffy-Ellen Gill of Be Good Organics had contributed this recipe for a raw goji chocolate slice.

Makes 16 slices

Crunchy base:

1 c caramelised buckinis

1 c goji berries

½ c raw cacao powder

¾ c melted coconut oil

1 Tbs coconut nectar (I used maple syrup)

 

Chewy topping:

½ c raw cashews

1/3 c raw c...


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Banana & chocolate chip loaf

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, February 24, 2014, In : big cakes 

By Frances
Long time no bake! Today I decided to peruse my collection of cookbooks to find a banana cake I hadn't tried before. Ravinder Bhogal's Cook in Boots had this decadent banana loaf - with lashings of chocolate chips and walnuts. I used chocolate drops, which could have been chopped, and I could have used less, as the batter overflowed in the tin. It was the perfect treat to take to visit a friend.
I'm entering this in February's Sweet New Zealand, hosted by Alessandra Zecchini. Enter t...
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Raw vegan chocolate brownie

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, January 5, 2014, In : slices 

By Frances
This is from a Harvest Wholefood newsletter. The recipe is from Gabriel Power from nomnomnosh.com. Really rich! I'm entering this into this month's Sweet New Zealand, hosted by Alessandra Zecchini.


For the brownie:
1 c almonds (preferably activated)
1/2 c raw cacao powder
2 Tbs coconut sugar (or any sweetener - I used maple syrup)
2 Tbs cacao butter
1/2 c coconut oil
1 Tbs espresso coffee (I used decaf)
1 tsp vanilla extract
zest of one orange (I only had a lemon on hand)
pinch sea salt
sprink...
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Everyday chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, January 5, 2014, In : big cakes 

By Frances
This is from The Complete Vegan Kitchen by Jannequin Bennett (Thomas Nelson, 2001). The foreword is an enlightening piece by Olympian Carl Lewis who attributes his athletic success to his vegan diet.
The cake turned out well, you'd never know it was dairy free.

3/4 c boiling water
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 Tbs instant coffee powder
1 c soy mayonnaise (but I made the substitute version combining a block of tofu, 2 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp lecithin, 1 Tbs vege oil, 1/2 tsp salt)
2 tsp vanilla extra...
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Raw chocolate raspberry slice

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, December 14, 2013, In : slices 

By Frances
Got this one from the Amazing Paleo website. The banana gives it a softer texture than other raw slices I've made. Eat it straight from the freezer.

  • 2 ripe bananas
  •        ¼ cup fresh raspberries
  •        12 medjol dates
  •        ¾ cups unsweetened cocoa (divided)
  •        ½ cup almonds
  •        ½ cup walnuts
  •        5 tablespoons almond butter
  •        5 tablespoons RAW honey

Steps:

  1. Place dates, almonds, walnuts and ½ cup cocoa powder in food processor. Process for about 3-4 minutes, until all i...

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Chocolate, cranberry and honey muffins for National Honey Week

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, November 23, 2013, In : small cakes 

By Frances

This is for the ‘Cook Something Yummy With Honey’ competition for the inaugural National Honey Week 25 Nov – 2 December. I read about it on Alessandra Zecchini’s blog. This year’s hero honey is manuka – yummmmm.  I just made up this recipe with what I had in the pantry. I like to contrast the richness of chocolate flavour with the tartness of a fruit such as cranberry. Any fresh or dried berry would be equally delicious – raspberry is a favourite. I...


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Chocolate, pumpkin & walnut brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, November 3, 2013, In : slices 

By Sophie
Some healthy Halloween sugar-free, gluten-free brownies! From the Move Nourish Believe website.

500g pumpkin
500g almond meal
1 cup dates
½ tsp. bicarb soda
2 eggs
100g 85% dark chocolate
½ cup chopped walnuts

How To Make It:

  • Prepare the pumpkin puree at least an hour in advance.
  • Chop the pumpkin into small pieces, then steam or boil until soft.
  • Mash the pumpkin and then suspend it in a sieve lined with cheesecloth (or a clean, dry chux cloth) to drain out the liquid from the pumpki...

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Chocolate orange cake

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, October 11, 2013, In : big cakes 

By Rachael
This cake is reminiscent of a Terry's Chocolate Orange! Rachael made this cake to celebrate becoming a NZ citizen so she added jaffas for a very apt decoration!

Ingredients: 
Unpeeled oranges to weight of 375g
6 eggs
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
200g ground almonds
150g caster sugar
50g cocoa

Ganache - 200g dark chocolate & 200ml double cream

1.  Put whole oranges in cold water & boil with lid on for 2hrs or until soft. Drain & when cool, quarter & remove pips.
2.  Add o...

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Chocolate lamington cupcakes

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, September 24, 2013, In : small cakes 

By Ginny
 I wanted to make some chocolate cupcakes, and got inspired to try and Little & Friday cake recipe... The recipe is for two 23cm cakes, so I used a 2/5 version to make 12 small/regular size cupcakes (I would have halved it, but 2.5 eggs was tricky), but I've put the full recipe below. Given that it's dense and moist, I think the size is fine... (the cake recipe itself involves a sugar syrup but I didn't do this for the cupcakes)

Preheat oven to 150C. I cooked the cupcakes for a...
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Another raw caramel slice

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, September 4, 2013, In : slices 

By Frances
I'm on a roll with raw caramel. This time I wanted more gooey caramel. This slice is quite soft all round, the choc icing didn't set hard like the first caramel slice recipe I tried. This recipe is from All in the Raw in Australia.

Base
1 cup dates
½ cup almonds
1 tsp coconut oil

Caramel
1 cup dates
½ cup coconut oil
1 ½ tbls unhulled tahini
½ cup pure organic maple syrup
1 cup raw cashews (covered and soaked in water for an hour and then rinsed)
1/3 cup water

Top Chocolate layer
...


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Frances makes Dr Libby's beetroot chocolate mud cake

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, August 8, 2013, In : big cakes 

I went to the Auckland Food Show this year and saw Dr Libby and Chef Cynthia's demo. They made this raw beetroot chocolate mud cake - turned out well. They also showed how quickly it is to make proper raw chocolate with cacao butter, cacao, nibs and peppermint oil so I'm gonna try that soon too.
I'm entering this into August's Sweet New Zealand, hosted by Sweets and Brains.


For the cake:
  • 2 cups Brazil nuts
  • 4 fresh medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 cup currants
  • 1/4 cup maple syrup
  • 3 medi...

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Frances's chocolate chip, cranberry & almond cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, July 21, 2013, In : cookies 

The cranberries add a welcome tartness to these cookies. Quite a stiff mixture so flatten the cookies how you like, they won’t change shape much.

 

125g butter
¾ c sugar (I used a mix of demuera and golden)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 ¾ c flour (I used mix of spelt and plain)
½ tsp salt
1 c dark chocolate chips
½ c cranberries
½ c flaked almonds

Preheat oven to 190C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.

In a  medium bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and va...
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Rachael's milk chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 16, 2013, In : big cakes 

This recipe is courtesy of Be-Ro, the UK's equivalent to Edmonds. Rachael brought her classic Be-Ro recipe book over from England and she always bakes us treats for coffee group.

200g S.R flour
225g caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
25g cocoa powder sieved
100g marg
2 eggs, size 3
5 tbsp evaporated milk
5 tbsp water
a few drops of vanilla essence

1. Heat oven to 180/350/gas mark 4 & grease 2x20.5cm tins (not loose bottomed as mixture will run out)
2. Mix flour, sugar, salt & cocoa
3. Rub in marg.  Beat eggs with...

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Frances’s rosewater chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, June 6, 2013, In : big cakes 

I made this cake for Tui’s first birthday. It’s adapted from Julie Le Clerc’s Favourite Cakes (Penguin, 2011). She decorated hers with crystallised rose petals – fancy – but I just did ganache for another chocolate hit.

125g butter, really really softened

1 c caster sugar

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1 c sour cream

1 Tbs rosewater

1 c self-raising flour

¼ tsp baking powder

½ c cocoa

filling:

200g marscapone

¼ c pouring cream

¼ c icing sugar

½ tsp v...


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Triple chocolate cookies by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, May 19, 2013, In : cookies 

This is Nigella's evily good recipe for her Totally chocolate chocolate chip cookies. I have never made anything with three types of chocolate before. Seems so indulgent but just what the mental health doctor ordered on a rainy day with a hot cuppa and a lie down.
I always use less sugar than Nigella in all her recipes.

125 grams ...
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Frances's chocolate-coffee cake

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, May 14, 2013, In : big cakes 

This is called Superb Chocolate Cake by Robyn Martin in A Treasury of New Zealand Baking (Random House, 2009). I like it because it a one-pot cake.

125g butter
3/4 c sugar
2 eggs
1 c milk
2 c flour
1/2 c cocoa
4 tsp baking powder

coffee syrup
1/2 c strong black coffee
1/2 c sugar
25g butter

Preheat oven to 180C. Line base of 20cm round cake tin.
Melt butter in a large saucepan. Mix in sugar then remove from heat. Beat eggs and milk together. Sift flour, cocoa and BP and add to butter mixture with egg-milk...
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Frances's chocolate cherry louise cake

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, April 26, 2013, In : slices 

I adapted this recipe from Fiona Smith's chocolate, raspberry & coconut slice in A Treasury of New Zealand Baking (Random House 2009).

125g butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs, separated
1 1/2 c flour
2 Tbs cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 c jam (I used cherry)
50g chocolate, grated
1/2 c dessicated coconut (or long threaded)

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease a 18cm x 28 cm cake tin with baking paper.
Cream butter and half the sugar till light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks, Sift in flour, cocoa and...
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Ginny's macaroon madness!

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 21, 2013, In : small cakes 

Raspberry macaroons
This is an easy addition to the basic macaroon recipe (http://bakeclub.yolasite.com/index/coconut-macaroons-by-ginny), and offers a useful way to use up egg whites - e.g., if making lavender bars or rosemary salty-sweet shortbread.

2 cups coconut
2 egg whites
1/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup freeze-dried raspberries

heat oven to 180C
mix ingredients together
put into 2-3 tsp-sized mounds on a sheet of paper
bake for 10-12 minutes (til they're a bit golden)
remove from oven.
cool - don't ...

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Rachael's cranberry and chocolate fudge slice

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, March 15, 2013, In : slices 

Rachael made two yummy things for our mums' coffee group. The fudge slice appeared in this week's Herald Bite magazine. It's wickedly moreish.

...
1 packet Plain biscuits, crushed to fine crumbs (superwine, roundwine, malt, Girl Guide)
1½ cups Desiccated coconut

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Ginny's pink peppercorn and black salt brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, March 5, 2013, In : slices 

I was inspired to adapt (slightly) a pink peppercorn recipe I saw recently on the Frankie mag website http://www.raspberricupcakes.com/2013/01/pink-peppercorn-brownies.html) - and the feedback was very good...

Pink Peppercorn and Black Salt Brownies
85g (3oz / 6 tbsp) butter, cut into pieces (I used salted, add a pinch of salt if using unsalted)
225g (8oz) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped - I used ghana dark for more of a chocolate punch!
3/4 cup (150g) sugar (I used slightl...

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Frances makes gluten-free chocolate brownies

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, February 25, 2013, In : slices 

I had a GF friend staying and made these brownies for her (and me!). Recipe found here

100g butter
150g dark chocolate
100g gluten free plain flour
100g chopped hazelnuts or walnuts
200g sugar (I used 2 tsp stevia powder)
3 eggs
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 180C. Gently melt butter and chocolate. In another bowl mix dry ingreds. Beat in the eggs followed by melted chocolate. Sitr in nuts. Pour into lined/greased 150x200mm dish. Bake for around 30 mins, making sure the brownie doesn't dry out.
I...
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Chocolate and pistachio biscotti by Amy

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, January 24, 2013, In : cookies 


Adapted from an Annabel Langbein recipe. Goes down a treat with espresso.

2 + ¼ cup flour

2 + ½ tsp baking powder

¼ cup cocoa

1 + 1/3 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

½ cup chopped pistachios

½ cup chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 180 deg C (fanbake) and line baking tray with paper.

Mix all ingredients together trying not to overmix (seems very dry at first but becomes very soft once sugar mixes into eggs).  As soon as it comes together pat into a log shape about 23cm x 7cm on the tray then flatten t...


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Frances's raw chocolate mousse and cashew whipped cream

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, December 18, 2012, In : desserts 

I'm really enjoying making raw concoctions in the Omniblend blender I bought from Best Blenders. Comes with a recipe book for soups, sauces, savouries, spreads, dressings and desserts. Omniblend has 6 blades like the Vitamix that pros use but it's about a third of the price!

Chocolate mousse
2 med or 3 small avocados
1/2 - 2/3 c raw honey or agave nectar (I also use stevia)
1/4 c water
3 Tbsp cacao powder
2 Tbs carob powder (I don't like carob so just use more cacao)
12 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinc...
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Raw chocolate mousse tart by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, December 8, 2012, In : desserts 


I am making more raw goodies lately - maybe I should change this website to Unbake Club?! Thank you Nicola W for alerting me to this delicious raw, GF, DF, sugar-free choc mousse recipe. Justin and I gobbled it all up in 2 days. I had a little bit of crust left over so I made them into patties, dehydrated them and ate them as snacks.

2 c LSA (1 c flax seeds, 1/2 c sunflower seeds, 1/2 c almonds)
1 c macadamia nuts (I used cashews)
1/2 tsp sea salt
6 large Medjool dates (I used some soaked raisins...
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Chocolate pavlova by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, October 5, 2012, In : desserts 

After making Nigella's semifreddo with 4 egg yolks, I had to make something with the whites - thank God for pavlova! And this chocolate version rocks! I made it in the evening but waited till the next morning when I had the toppings to photograph it, and ended up having pav for breakfast. Yes!

This recipe is shamelessly cut and pasted from Nigella:

6 medium egg whites (I used 4)

300 grams caster sugar (I used 200g for 4 whites)

3 tablespoon(s) cocoa powder sieved

1 teaspoo...


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Tash's chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, August 31, 2012, In : cookies 

Welcome to Bake Club, Tash! She brought these along to coffee group and they were delicious - crisp on the outside and chewy in the middle. She also make a GIANT cookie with her stepdaughter - big and bad enough for Cookie Monster!


 



 



 


2 cups plain flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

185g butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

¼ cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1 egg

1 to 1 ½ cups chocolate chips (I used a whole bar Whittaker’s 70% dark chocolate instead)

 

Preheat oven...


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Marble cake by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, August 29, 2012, In : big cakes 

Sorry, crap photo, but you can't see a marble cake without cutting it! This was the first time I'd tried marbling so next time I know to mix up the vanilla, red and chocolate batters more in the tin. I just used red food colouring as in the recipe but next time I'd also add a strawberry flavour to it or maybe even beetroot pulp?


This marble cake turned out better - chocolate and orange. I love jaffa flavours! I mixed yellow and red colouring to make orange and also added orange essence flavour...
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Chocolate swirl cheesecake by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, July 8, 2012, In : desserts 

This recipe is from the Food Channel programme The Sugar Club with Dean Brettschneider and Julia Crownshaw. They added 25g brown sugar to the base, which I did not. Anyway, mine turned out really well. Super with yoghurt.

 

200g gingernuts
65g butter
1 tsp ginger
450 cream cheese
150g caster sugar
30g cornflour
2 eggs, 1 extra yolk
200g sour cream
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 tsp vanilla paste
100g chocolate

 

Method

Turn oven to 200°C. Line an 18cm-20cm springform tin with bak...


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Frances’s gluten-free chocolate roulade

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, June 29, 2012, In : big cakes 

A GF friend was coming to visit so I made this roulade sponge roll. First time for everything.

 

4 Tbs cocoa powder
100ml milk, plus 3 Tbs extra
5 eggs, separated
125g caster sugar
2 Tbs berry jam (I used cranberry)
whipped cream flavoured with vanilla extract
icing sugar to dust

Preheat oven to 180C. Line a 30 x 20cm Swiss roll tin with baking paper. In a bowl mix the cocoa ant 3 Tbs milk. Heat 100ml milk in a pan until almost boiling, then add to bowl, stirring. Leave...


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Macaroons by Mama Chan

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, June 24, 2012, In : small cakes 

This recipe is adapted from Dean Brettschneider's book Global Baker. Great stuff!

140g ground almonds
200g icing sugar
3 egg whites
1/4 c caster sugar
pinch of cream of tartar

filling:
chocolate ganache - melted dark chocolate with cream, whipped til the consistency to spread on macaroons

Sift ground almonds and icing sugar into a bowl. Use an electric mixer to whisk the eggs whites, sugar and cream of tartar. Dean adds a few drops of natural raspberry essence; Mama Chan used green colouring. Whisk u...
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Frances makes apricot and chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, June 14, 2012, In : cookies 

 

This is my first batch of baking since our daughter Tui was born 3 weeks ago. Feels great to get back in the kitchen; baking relaxes me.

I have also recently formed a co-op with some friends to order Ceres organic products wholesale. A 3kg bag of sulphur-free apricots was in my first order so it was a good chance to use some! Apricots and chocolate are always a tasty combination.

 

Makes about 20

100g butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla ess...


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Frances makes chocolate chip and spice orange cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, May 21, 2012, In : cookies 


Another recipe from Healthy Food Guide, May issue.

 

1 cup oats

½ cup flour

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ c brown sugar

115g reduced-fat spread or butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tsp mixed spice

1 orange, zested

½ c dark choc chips

 

Preheat oven to 190C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper. Mix oats, flour, baking soda and salt in large bowl.

In another bowl beat sugar, butter, egg, vanilla, spice and zest together.

Stir egg mixture into flour...


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Kara's luscious chocolate tart

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, May 15, 2012, In : desserts 



Welcome to Bake Club, Kara! Kara has her own blog, http://kazascakes.blogspot.co.nz/
and she'd like to share the recipe she made on Mother's Day.

This tart is really luscious - it's at its best when it's been well chilled. Recipe from Helen Jackson's book.

Sweet Chocolate Pastry

1 3/4 flour
1/4 cocoa
1/4 sugar
125g butter well chilled and roughly chopped
1 egg
1-2 tbls cold water

Place flour and sugar in food processor. With motor running, drop butter in piece by piece until mixture resembles coarse...

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Never fail fudgey chocolate cake by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, May 14, 2012, In : big cakes 

This is from the May Skywatch magazine - didn't know they had recipes! I have never made a cake with so many eggs - it turned out deliciously rich and intense and I used less sugar.

 

400g dark choc (I used Whittaker's Dark Ghana)

360g unsalted butter

360g caster sugar (I used under 350g)

6 heaped Tbs plain flour (could easily be gluten free)

pinch cinnamon or cardamom, optional (I used about 1 tsp of each)

6 eggs

icing sugar

 

Preheat oven to 200C. Melt chocolate, butter and sugar ...


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Frances's dark chocolate self-saucing pudding

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, May 2, 2012, In : desserts 

I'm sorry this doesn't look that pretty after being dealt to before the pic was taken, but sure tasted gooood. This saucy little number is from the June HZ House & Garden magazine. And this is my entry into the April Sweet New Zealand, hosted by myself this month!


1 cup self-raising flour
2 tablespoons good-quality dark cocoa
½ cup caster sugar
½ cup milk
1 large egg
60g butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate melts, buttons or pieces
1 cup boiling water
Icing sugar for dusting
T...
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Ginny's chocolate sour cream raspberry cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 22, 2012, In : big cakes 

This is from Marian Keyes' Saved By Cake. Delicious and very easy (if not the cheapest cake to make!)

100g dark (70%+) chocolate
250g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt (seems a lot!)
250g caster sugar
125ml sunflower (or other non-flavoured; I used grape-seed) oil
250ml sourcream
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
300g (approx) frozen rasberries, defrosted

The recipe says to make 2 23cm cakes, and stick together with rasberry jam; I made one, in a bundt tin, it just needed longer to...
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Oat biscuits with chocolate by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 8, 2012, In : cookies 

These are a lot like Anzac biscuits but the butter and sugar are creamed.
Makes about 20 sandwiched biscuits

65g rolled oats
160g softened butter
160g raw caster sugar
55g golden syrup
150g (1 c) plain flour
75g dessicated coconut
400g chocolate, chopped (I always use dark)

Preheat oven to 160C. Process oats in a food processor or coffee grinder until finely ground.
Beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add golden syrup, stir, then add flour, coconut and oats. Form heaped teaspoons into balls an...
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Frances makes Easter cherry and chocolate hot cross buns

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 8, 2012, In : bread 

Confession: my very first batch of hot cross buns was a disaster - I used nearly 100% gluten flour by mistake! They looked great, iced and glazed, but they were balls of elastic - totally inedible. I didn't bother reading the back of the gluten flour packet, which said to use only 2 Tbsp of the flour in a recipe. But I managed to salvage the cherries and choc bits to use on the next batch, which was a raging success.

Recipe from April's Mindfood

750g plain flour
1/3 c caster sugar (I just used s...
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Chocolate orange ricotta tart by Ginny

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, April 8, 2012, In : big cakes 

Just look at this thing of beauty.
Adapted it slightly from the Rose Bakery recipe:

Sweet pasty (make your own or buy one)
3 egg yolks
2 eggs, 1 blended for basting the pastry (to then be used in the tart)
100g caster sugar
1 tsp natural vanilla extract,
grated zest of 3 oranges, 500g ricotta cheese
roughly 180g grated dark chocolate (70% or more)
1 tablespoon plain flour

Method
Preheat oven to 180 deg C

Pastry
Put pastry in 28cm (roughly) tart tin, chill for 30 mins, then blind bake for 10 minute...
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Chocolate fudge sandwiches by Frances aka homemade Tim Tams

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, March 15, 2012, In : cookies 


This is from Recipes From the Baker (Murdoch Books, 2009). Thanks to Michelle who gave this sweet little book to me. She reviewed the baking and said: “Buttery, shorty and a hit of dark cocoa - they're better than TimTams, which I find too sweet!” Aw, thanks. I’ll be trying the two-seed crackers next!

This is my entry into March's Sweet New Zealand monthly blogging event, hosted by www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com -  check out Emma's lovely blog with loads of gluten and dair...


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Frances’s Fijian Black Forest gateau

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, February 25, 2012, In : big cakes 

This cake is an adaption of two recipes: Fijian chocolate cake by Alexa Johnston from foodie.co.nz (http://foodie.co.nz/Recipes/Fijian-Chocolate-Cake-by-Alexa-Johnston.aspx) with a Black Forest-type filling. Alexa calls in Fijian because it uses coconut cream. It makes a really dark, moist chocolate cake. I made 1 ½ times this recipe to make a big cake to feed 10 adults.

210 g flour
55 g cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
200 g sugar
2 eggs
125 g melted...


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Frances makes one-pot chocolate deadline cupcakes

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, January 21, 2012, In : small cakes 

On the last day of deadline week I made these for the work team, hence their new name – ‘deadline cupcakes’. This easy recipe is from Annabel Langbein’s Free Range in the City.

120g butter, in small cubes
½ c neutral oil
1 c water
100g dark chocolate, chopped
½ c cocoa, sifted
1 ½ c caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 c yoghurt or buttermilk
2 c flour
¾ c raspberries (or any fresh or frozen berries)


Preheat oven to 180C. Line 24 m...


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Ginny's chocolate crinkles

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, January 7, 2012, In : cookies 

Oh my these are died-and-gone-to-heaven delicious for the chocolate lover... easy peasy to make (just don't plan on cooking after mixing; read recipe to end before setting out on this adventure...). I really don't know how I lived without these in my life!
They don't spread that much so they can be placed relatively close together on the tray.
Again, another recipe from simplyrecipes.com
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla ex...

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Ginny's red wine chocolate cake

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, December 4, 2011, In : big cakes 

InTENSE! DeeVINE! AND served with masarcapone cream! This creation dates back to Ginny's indoor birthday picnic where she made about 3 different cakes!

Cake
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (179 grams) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (50 grams) white granulated sugar
1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup (177 ml) red wine, any kind you like*
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 cup + 1 tablespoon (133 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2...


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Ginny makes chocolate truffle cake for Dave's birthday

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, November 24, 2011, In : big cakes 

Ginny made this wicked chocolate cake. It was the crowning glory of a Persian feast, which included several courses beforehand. She also presented this amazing selection of Middle Eastern sweets personally brought over from Iran. Look how colourful they are. From left, there's REAL nougat (with 48% pistachios), baklava, various pistachio and lemon almond sweets and delicious spun sugar, like fancy candy floss, which we called horse's hair.

The cake was incredibly rich and melt in the mouth. It...
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Chocolate-dipped ginger biscuits

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, November 14, 2011, In : cookies 

Almost like shortbread, these biscuits are crisp and buttery.

Makes about 24

175 g butter (or spread)
50 g icing sugar
225 g flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 tsp ground ginger

Preheat oven to 190C. Beat butter and sugar until creamy and pale. Add flour, bp and ginger and mix to a dough. Turn out onto a clean surface and knead until mixed.
Roll out to 3-5 mm thick and cut into shapes. I roll inbetween 2 sheets of baking paper.
Bake for 10-12 min until pale golden. Remove from tr...


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Coconut shortbread by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, November 4, 2011, In : cookies 

Makes 18
1 c all-purpose flour
¼ c rice flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/3 c granulated sugar
¼ c desiccated coconut
½ c/125 g chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces (I used olive oil spread)
½ tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp almond extract (didn’t have any)

Preheat oven to 180C and lightly butter a baking sheet or line sheet with baking paper.
Sift together flours, salt and sugar into a bowl, then sift together into another bowl. Add coconut and butter and mix in until crumbly. Add the extr...


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Anna’s chocolate and coffee cream puffs

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, October 17, 2011, In : small cakes 


Choux pastry

½ c flour
pinch salt
55 g butter
½ c boiling water
2 eggs

Glossy chocolate icing
115 g icing sugar

55 g dark chocolate
1 tbs boiling water


Preheat oven to 220 C, line baking tray with baking paper and dust with flour. Sift flour and salt onto piece of waxed paper.
Put butter in a saucepan over low heat and pour on the boiling water. As soon as its melted, remove from heat and tip in all the sifted flour and salt.

Beat with wooden spoon until smooth, then ret...


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Frances's childhood chocolate slice

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, October 5, 2011, In : slices 

This slice reminds me of my childhood, making it with my cousin Suzanne. A hit with the kids - and adults.

base:
2 c self-raising flour
3/4 c sugar
2 c dessicated coconut
2 tbs cocoa
250 g melted butter

icing:
1 c icing sugar
2 tbs cocoa
75 g butter or margarine
2 tbs hot water
I also added some lemon juice, you could also add few drops of peppermint.

Mix together all base ingredients until well combined. Press into slice tin. Bake for 20 min at 180 C. Remove from oven and let cool a little. Make chocolat...
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Ginny's chocolate apple cake

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, October 1, 2011, In : big cakes 

Rich and spicy cake for any occasion!

2 21/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 tsb cocoa powder (more if you want it richer chocolatey)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 c butter
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/2 c water
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups soft brown sugar
2 cups apple (peeled and grated)
1 cup chocolate chips, chunks (dark!)


heat oven to 160C
cream butter and sugar in a mixer (or beating), then add eggs, then oil and water and vanilla (it''l be really liquid
sieve together: flour, cocoa, baking ...
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Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies by Alex

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, July 28, 2011, In : cookies 

Pumpkin and chocolate chip - who woulda thunk it!
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 egg
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
  • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1.   Combine pumpkin, sugar, vegetable oil, and egg. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, and salt. Dissolve the baking s...


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Anna’s chocolate vegan berry tofu cakes

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, July 19, 2011, In : small cakes 


What a fantastic debut on Bake Club, Anna! The tofu was a real surprise ingredient - delicious.

Cake Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ t. baking powder
1 ½ t. baking soda
¼ t. salt
1 12.3-ounce box firm silken tofu (I get the ‘fresh’ tofu from the Tofu Shop on the North Shore)
1/4 cup maple syrup or golden syrup
1 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoon oil
1tsp vanilla essence
1 cup almond milk or soya milk
1/3 cup boiling water
At least 1 cup of mixed ...


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Frances makes mocha shortbread

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, July 3, 2011, In : cookies 

Great to try a different kind of shortbread. The coffee/chocolate flavour came through really well. Took them to a function and they went like hot cakes.


1 c butter, softened
2/3 c icing sugar
2 c flour
1 tbs cocoa
1 tsp instant coffee granules
½ c chocolate bits

 

Preheat oven to 160 C. Line or lightly grease a baking sheet.
Using electric beaters, cream butter and sugar until light and creamy. Sift together flour, cocoa and coffee. Use a metal spoon to fold four mixtu...


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Pirzad's chocolate walnut balls

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, July 2, 2011, In : small cakes 

Welcome to Bake Club, Pirzad! Great to have another male baker on our books. We also know you are a fine cake decorator, so we look forward to seeing some of your creations!

Thanks for sharing your chocolate balls with us. Here's the recipe:

First make a chocolate cake

1/2 cup soft butter
1 cup  sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder  
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
4 tablespoons sour cream

Ingredients for frosting
200 g...


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Ginny's chocolate bread & butter pudding

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, June 23, 2011, In : desserts 


Ginny says: I exchanged evaporated milk for the cream/milk in an attempt to make it slightly less 'give you a heart attacky'...

3 eggs
375 ml thin cream (1.5C)
375 ml milk (1.5C)
110g caster sugar (1/2C)
2 tsp vanilla extract
6 croissants
200g dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Heat oven to 160ºC
Whisk eggs, cream, milk, sugar, vanilla
Cut croissants into small pieces and arrange half in an ovenproof dish
Sprinkle with chocolate and cover with the rest of the croissants
Pour egg mixture over...


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Dark chocolate and feijoa cake by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, May 23, 2011, In : big cakes 

This is my attempt at Alessandra Zecchini's chocolate and fig cake. She used fresh figs, which looked beautiful and pinky, but I didn't have any on hand. The feijoas aren't so aesthetically pleasing but it still tasted good; the tart feijoa contrasts well with the chocolate.

250 g bar of Whittaker's Dark Ghana Chocolate
100 g butter
3 eggs, whites beaten into stiff peaks
2 tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
3 tbs self raising flour
10 feijoas peeled and cut in half

Melt chocolat...


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Ginny makes Nigel Slater's chocolate hazelnut cake

Posted by Bake Club on Wednesday, May 18, 2011, In : big cakes 

Below is what Nigel says about this cake ... I can't find fault with him, in any way. It was delightful.

However: I bought pre-toasted hazelnuts and accidentally put a mix of nutmeg and cinnamon into the cake (because I didn't read the spice jar label... it wasn't a disaster!)
I left the cinnamon out of the icing, and I dressed it with pomegranate. Yum!!

CHOCOLATE CHIP HAZELNUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CINNAMON BUTTER CREAM by Nigel Slater

I like birthday cake. I love maki...


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Super Size Me 5 – Taking bites of the Big Apple

Posted by Frances Chan on Tuesday, May 17, 2011, In : food blog 


Spring has sprung in NYC - tulips at the Rockefeller Center; view from the Top of the Rock

My final instalment of this trip is about our five holiday days in New York. Accommodation hassles and pounding the pavement tired us out somewhat, so we sought solace in good food, and weren’t disappointed. We arrived at Greenwich Village on a spectacular sunny Sunday and Bleecker St was buzzing. I had a hankering for comforting Italian and we fortuitously came across the original Ra...


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Christoph's orange coconut chocolate muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, April 8, 2011, In : small cakes 

Welcome to Bake Club, Christoph, our second male baker! Christoph is from Germany and has been an intern at The Aucklander. He wrote a story about Bake Club in an upcoming issue. The pic shows the two remaining muffins (Christoph and his flatmate and ate 4 of them straightaway out of the hot tin ^^).

Christoph used the recipe from www.food.com, but modified it a bit.
Ingredients (for 12 serves):
1 orange, seeds removed, with peel
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 egg
1/2 cup butter
...

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Hot chocolate soufflé by Mama Chan

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, March 31, 2011, In : desserts 

It was my birthday and I requested this from dear Mama Chan, and she obliged!

2 Tbs caster sugar
125 g plain dark chocolate
2 Tbs brandy or coffee
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 extra egg whites
icing sugar to serve

Preheat oven to 200 C. Butter a 1 litre soufflé dish and dust out with 1 Tbs caster sugar. Break chocolate into pieces and put into a double boiler or a bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water with the brandy or coffee.Set over medium heat and stir ...


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Carly’s banana & chocolate chip muffins

Posted by Bake Club on Saturday, February 26, 2011, In : small cakes 


Carly initiates her new silicon muffin tray with one of those made in heaven combinations - banana and chocolate.

Makes 12.

125g softened butter

¾ cups sugar

2 eggs

1teaspoon vanilla essence

1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (4 medium bananas)

¾ cup dark chocolate buttons roughly chopped

1 teapsoon baking soda

2 tablespoons hot milk

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder


Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease muffin tray or line with patty pans.

Cream butter and ...


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Mama Chan's apricot and chocolate bread

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, February 25, 2011, In : bread 


Stewed apricots are a winner in freshly baked bread!
Apricot filling:
Stew 1 cup dried apricots wiht 1/2 c water and 1/4 sugar until mushy and soft. Cool.
Chocolate filling:
Melt 300 g chocolate with some icing sugar, 1/2 c ground almonds, vanilla essence, dessicated coconut if you like. The mixture should have a peanut butter consistency so it's easily spreadable.
For 2 loaves:
1 c milk
3/4 - 1 c water
125g butter
1/2 c sugar
1 tsp salt
3-4 level tsp yeast
2 eggs
6 1/2 c flour
Make the dough and knead u...
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Carly's chocolate chip cookies

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, February 20, 2011, In : cookies 


Welcome to Bake Club, Carly! Here is her cookie recipe.

Makes 24.

200g softened butter plus extra for greasing

200g caster sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla essence

1 large egg

225grams flour

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

200grams dark chocolate buttons roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Grease two baking trays with butter.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence together until light and fluffy.

Add the egg and beat well. Sift the flour, salt and bakin...


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Frances's new chocolate moulds

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, February 10, 2011, In : sweets 

I bought two fantastic chocolate moulds in Venice - rose shapes and leaf shapes. No baking involved, but I thought I'd include my first batch to show you how easy it is.
Just melt dark and white chocolate. Filled the moulds halfway then added a toasted hazelnut or pistachio, and topped with more chocolate. For the leaves I mixed in chopped pistachios and dried cranberries.
Lately I've also made some batches of Annabel Langbein's espresso hazelnut chocolate ripple  - pouring dark and white choc...
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Ginny's Brooklyn brownie - alright already!

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, December 27, 2010, In : slices 


From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

(sorry about the imperial measures, but you can figure them out!)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp dark unsweetened cocoa powder
11 oz dark chocolate (60 to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
8 oz unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. ...
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Frances gets brownie points for GF vegan brownie

Posted by Bake Club on Sunday, December 5, 2010, In : slices 

I adapted this recipe from Miyuki McGuffie, the vegan baker on the Good blog. I made mine extra indulgent by using espresso coffee.

1 cup strong espresso
1 ¼ cup rice flour
1/4 cup muscovado sugar
½ cup brown sugar

¾ cup cocoa powder (I used fair trade cocoa but Valrhona from Sabato is excellent)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (you can get them at New World and Pak 'N Save but I used...


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Ginny makes most complicated chocolate cake ever

Posted by Bake Club on Friday, December 3, 2010, In : big cakes 

When Ginny said she used about 8 bowls to make this cake, we were so impressed. Ginny lets the story unfold...
I wanted to make a rich and moist chocolate cake for David's birthday. I leafed through a heap of recipes, but Nigel Slater's chocolate beetroot cake in Tender (Vol 1) jumped out at me and sounded pretty good. It was. Delicious. Rich. Moist. Sticky. Everything I wanted in the cake, and more.
It was also a lot of work! The most involved cake I have made...Three and a half hours i...
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Frances takes the easy road and makes gluten-free cookies from a packet

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, November 9, 2010, In : cookies 

These cookies using Sway's GF cookie mix are quick to make - just add some oil and an egg to the premixed organic ingredients and Robert is your father's brother. The packet made 17 little chocolate chip cookies. I tried it out because it was on special for $6.50. Not a cheap afternoon tea, considering you can get a packet of GF gingernuts for under 5 bucks, but you get a kick out of shaping the mixture and baking it yourself.



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Lamington love by Frances

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, September 20, 2010, In : small cakes 

I started out with a Genoese sponge by Alessandra Zecchini from her book Sweet As. Then used the Edmonds recipe for the chocolate icing.

I halved this recipe for the lamington sponge.

5 eggs, separated
140g sugar
grated lemon zest
120g flour (I used a bought gluten-free flour mix)
50g butter, melted

Preheat oven to 180C. Line base of 23 cm baking tin with baking paper, then grease and flour sides of tin.
Partly fill a small saucepan with hot water and set over medium heat. Set bowl over the simmering...
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Gluten- and dairy-free brownies by Nicola

Posted by Bake Club on Monday, September 20, 2010, In : slices 

Rich, dense morsels of chocolately goodness!

1 C unsweetened apple puree/sauce
1/3 C cocoa
¾ C flour/gluten free baking mix
½ tsp baking soda
½ C sugar
½ tsp salt
½ C dark chocolate chips ( or ¾ C of raspberries instead of choc chips & walnuts)
¾  C chopped walnuts

1.       Heat oven to 175C

2.       Place puree in medium bowl. Sift in cocoa, flour/baking mix & baking soda. Add sugar and salt. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate & nuts or fruit.

3.       Transfer...


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Ginny magicked up these magic bars

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, September 16, 2010, In : slices 


I want to rename these the yummy-gooey bars cos they were so, well, yummy and gooey. In this batch Ginny substituted the cashews for walnuts.

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) graham cracker crumbs (plain biscuits in kiwi speak)
1 1/3 cups (90 grams) sweetened flaked or shredded coconut
1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup (100 grams) chopped walnuts or peca...


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Frances 'baked' a 3-minute cake in the microwave

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, September 16, 2010, In : small cakes 

I got this recipe from a Trade Me newsletter and had to give it a go.

It's called: The most dangerous cake recipe 5-minute chocolate mug cake

4 Tb flour, 2-4 Tb sugar, 2 Tb cocoa, 1 egg, 3 Tb milk, 3 Tb oil 3 tablespoons, chocolate chips (optional), a small splash of vanilla extract, 1 large coffee mug
Add dry ingredients to mug and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug...
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Ben's exploding volcano for Flynn's 3rd birthday

Posted by Bake Club on Thursday, August 12, 2010, In : big cakes 

Ben excelled himself for Flynn's 3rd birthday in Nov 09 with this exploding volcano. The volcano is a meringue with pink, orange and red coloured cream 'bubbling' out of the crater. This rather complicated and involved project included customising a baking tray using steel cutting tools to make a hole in it so a bowl could be inserted! This created a mould to shape the meringue over. Once the candles were blown out, the kids all took turns cracking open the volcano's shell to get their volcan...

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Ginny made these chocolate cookies with cacao nibs and lime on the same night the All Blacks beat the Wallabies 20-10 to retain the Bledisloe Cup

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, In : cookies 

1 cup of butter
3/4 cup of brown sugar
3/4 cup of white granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 1/2 teaspoons of heavy cream or yoghurt
1 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
3/4 cup of cocoa nibs
Zest of one large lime

1 Preheat the oven to 350°F. Beat the butter and sugars together for about two minutes at me...


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Frances' first attempt at a gluten-free, sugar-free cake (ok it's got chocolate bits in it)

Posted by Bake Club on Tuesday, August 10, 2010, In : big cakes 

I just freestyled this recipe so feel free to make up as you go along too!

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup carrot pulp (from my Oscar juicer)
1/2 cup beetroot pulp
tsp each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger (whatever spices you like)
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder (or make your own with 2 parts cream of tartar, 1 part baking soda, 1 part cornflour)
1/2 cup dark choc bits
another version I added chopped toasted hazelnuts and coconut
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
1/2 cup oil or 1/2 cup melted Olivani
about 4 tbsp Fre...
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WELCOME 2 BAKE CLUB -
MAY THE CAKE B WITH U

EST. 2010

Frances C loves to bake. She's also a freelance editor and DJ. She shares some of her adventures, culinary or otherwise, on Instagram.


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CAKE — THE FINAL FRONTIER

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