Yet another Bliss Ball Recipe

This is probably the simplest bliss ball recipe I make. Super yummy, with a fudgy texture. Plus, very very easy.




2 cups brazil nuts (or use any nuts you wish)
1/2 cup pitted dates, soaked
2 Tbsp melted cacao butter
2 Tbsp melted coconut butter
1 Tbsp raw honey or maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon or 1 Tbsp raw cacao powder



Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until pureed. Shape into balls. Put in fridge until set.

Chocolate Bliss Balls

Heaven in a little ball ....

1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup pitted dates, unsoaked
2 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract or 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
tiny pinch of sea salt
Extra cocoa or coconut for rolling

Process walnut and dates in a food processor until well combined. Add oil, cocoa powder, sea salt and vanilla. Roll into small balls, and coat in cocoa or coconut. Keep in fridge.

"I can't believe its vegan " Chocolate Cake

This recipe I found in a great wee cookbook called "the great new zealand vege road trip" ... it is full of recipes from cafes around New Zealand. This recipe harks from the Eutopia cafe in Kaiwaka which is an unlikely have for organic and vegan food, mainly because of the success of Kay Baxter's Koanga Gardens.

Anyway, I have made the recipe largely as per the instructions, although I find a smaller banana makes the recipe more chocolately. I also added in a splosh of very strong espresso because I love that kind of flavour.

I have made it as a whole cake, but actually prefer it as cupcake, in which case this recipe will make about 18 - 24.

I baked some as cupcakes for a bunch of committed carnivores, including a large policeman friend of mine, and he actually couldn't believe it when I told him (after he had eaten several) that it was vegan.

Cake
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cocoa
2 cups sugar
1/ 2 cup rice bran oil
2 Tbsp vinegar (I used apple cider but white would be fine too)
2 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups cold water
1 small-medium banana, mashed
2 Tbsp strong coffee, optional

Icing
1 Tsbp olivani or other dairy free spread
2 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
1 Tbsp vanilla essence or strong coffee
1 Tsbp approx boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius fan bake.
Grease a 23 cm cake tin and line with baking paper, or grease 2 x 12 hole muffin tins.

In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients. Make three wells in the mixture and in each place the vanilla, oil, and vinegar. Pour cold water over, add the banana and coffee if usig. Mix well and then pour into prepared tins.

Bake for 45-50 minutes (15 minutes for cupcakes) until a skewer comes out clean.

For the icing place all the ingredients in a pyrex dish and mix well. Add a few drops more water if needed. Ice cakes once cool.

Megan's Orange and Poppyseed Cake

My teenage cousin is just getting into baking, and delighted us all with this amazing cake. Frosted with cream cheese icing it was really sensational.

175g butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
finely grated zest and juice of 3 large oranges
4 large eggs
1/2 cup plain yoghurt
1 1/2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup poppyseeds

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar, then add the zest and the eggs, one at a time.

Fold in juice and yoghurt then the dry ingredients.

Bake at 160' fan forced for 45-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

Gingerbread loaf - some like it dark

Gingerbread to me is one of the ultimate comfort foods. If I can eat it with a hot cup of tea and a good book, I am in heaven. (You see, my needs in this life are very simple).

Anyway, this loaf freezes well and is totally delicious for about 4-5 days if kept airtight.

I love gingerbread to be rich, dark and spicy. If you don't, substitute white sugar instead of raw sugar, golden syrup instead of treacle, and leave out the fresh ginger. The result will be a lighter, sweeter loaf.

Using molasses is ideal but its hard to find sweet molasses here in New Zealand ... the stuff you can buy at the supermarket here will make it taste awful!


Gingerbread loaf


90g butter
¾ cup raw sugar
3 heaped dessertspoons treacle
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ milk
1 2/3 cup plain flour
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced (optional - makes it gloriously spicy!)
pinch salt



Instructions

In a large saucepan boil together the butter, sugar, syrup, baking soda and milk.
Allow to cool (this is really important or it will go lumpy. I just pop the saucepan in a sink of cold water for five minute).

Add sifted dry ingredients and fold together.

Place in a greased and lined loaf tin and bake (not fan forced) at 160°C for 1 hour

Boiled Sultana Loaf

This is my version of a Delia Smith recipe for 'Sticky Tea Bread' which is pretty good ... but I think using raw sugar and spices makes it even nicer.

¾ cup raw sugar
110 g raisins or sultanas
110 g butter
1 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1 ¼ cups plain flour

Preheat oven to 180 degrees bake (not fan bake), and line a medium sized loaf tin, or a small cake tin if you don’t have a loaf tin. (It is better as a loaf though).Then take the largest saucepan you have, and add and the water, the sugar, sultanas, butter and baking soda. Cook them on a medium-high heat and boil for about ten minutes. The baking soda will make it rise, so watch it carefully in case it boils over. Then remove from heat and allow to cool – I just pop the saucepan into a sink of cold water. Once cool add the beaten egg, baking powder and flour. Mix it well, pop it into the tin and bake for a bit over an hour, until a skewer comes out clean.

Keeps well for at least a week.