Sunday Bake - Peach & Plum Crumble

Its getting to that time of year when lots of local fruit stalls are selling off over ripe fruits cheap as they come to the end of their season, or that they just don't keep as long due to the hot weather. Instead of throwing them out add a little sugar and cook em' up! This summery crumble was an accidental bake yet delicious and made with 4 over ripe plums and a squashed peach.

You will need:

4-5 over ripe plums

1-2 over ripe peach

2 tbsp dairy free butter spread

100g plain flour

3 tbsp caster sugar

De-stone fruit and chop into quarters place into a Pyrex dish and sprinkle over 2 tbsp of your sugar. In a mixing bowl rub together spread and flour til its like bread crumbs and stir in last sugar. Put your crumble crumbs on top of your fruits and pat down. Bake on 170oC for 15/20 mins til golden on top and the fruit is bubbling!

I am greedy so ate it straight from the dish when it was still a little too hot... You could serve it with vanilla ice cream like the delicious one Swedish Glace do!

Sunday Bake - Very Squishy Vegan Lemon Cake

This super juicy vegan lemon cake is part bake part pudding (warning its very gooey and delicious you'll need a fork to tackle it) and perfect as a Sunday afternoon treat.

You will need:

100g golden caster sugar

100g diary free margarine spread

220g self raising flour

2 tsp egg replacement powder such as Orgran

the rind of 2 lemons

100ml almond milk

the juice of 3 lemons

2 tblsp caster sugar for syrup

Pre heat your oven at 175oC. Whisk together butter and sugar and then add lemon rind. Sift flour and egg re placement powder in slowly mixing as you go. As the mixture thickens up pour in a little almond milk to make stirring easier. You don't have to use all the milk but just enough to get your batter to a thick pouring consistency. Grease and line a medium sized loaf tin and pour all of mixture in. Bake for 30 mins until cracked and dark brown on top. Once out of the oven pour over your syrup which is simply made by mixing 2 tblsp of sugar with the juice of 2 lemons (minus pips!) If you add the syrup whilst the cake is still hot the sugary goodness seeps through making a deliciously zingy and juicy top!

You'll need a fork to eat this one and a nice pot of Darjeeling tea. x

Sunday Bake - Cocoa Beetroot Cup Cakes with Coconut Icing

This recipe combines two of my best things, cake + veg. Its vegan, gluten free and topped with the best  coconut creme frosting.

For the cake:

175g Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour
1tsp xanthem gum
1tsp Agron no egg
2tsp cocoa or cacao powder
1 medium sized fresh betroot peeled and grated (approx 50g)
100g golden caster sugar
100g dairy free butter spread, eg Pure
100ml almond milk

Icing:
1 tin coconut milk (full fat)
3tblsp icing sugar

electric balloon whisk

Pre heat your oven at 175oC. Place sugar and spread in a mixing bowl and whizz till fluffy. Combine flour, cocoa,  gum and no egg and sift in to the bowl together little at a time adding a splash of almond milk as the mixture thickens. Stir in the beetroot and watch your batter go a lovely pink colour!

Spoon mixture into a greases and lined muffin tin and bake for 20 mins. Whilst the cakes are baking whisk together your coconut milk and icing sugar, cover and place in the fridge until your cakes are baked and cooled. Spoon a generous amount of coconut cream onto each cake before devouring!

Recipe - Breakfast Smoothie's Obsession

For those of you who occasionally take a peek at my Instagram you will know I am a recent convert and huge fan of a smoothie breakfast. This all came about a few months back when I completed Dr.Junger's Clean Detox and has continued to become my morning staple. I am finding posting occasional pics of my concoctions a good way to make note of their random recipes and also to share the vegan joy! I do not have the fancy kit or nutribullet etc but my handy stick blender which works a treat and costs a fraction of the price.

I always try and make my smoothies a 50/50 fruit to veg split as I am a little concerned about too much fruit acid hurting my teeth.. eep! But sometimes thats not always possible. The idea is that having a smoothie for breakfast allows your stomach to absorb precious nutrients without having to stress itself in breaking them down... You may however find you need a handful of almonds or a cereal bar by 11am!

Here are two of my current favourite recipes:

Chocolate dreamz (pic 4)

1/2 raw beetrrot peeled/grated

1/4 ripe avocardo

4 pitted medjool dates

100ml almond milk

1 tblsp flaxseed

2 tsp cacao

100ml H20

Whizz with stick blender and enjoy a chocolaty treat for brekkie!

*Sometimes I add a handful of spinach or chard if I have some in the garden for a little extra iron. I also use Flaxseed with added Vit D and bio-cultures as I am vegan and feel like it can't hurt!

Fruiti Tutti (pic 6)

1/8 fresh and seeded watermelon

1 cup frozen raspberrys

200ml coconut water

1/2 avo

3 medjool dates

I often freestyle recipes depending what has been reduced at my local fruit and veg store 'Tropical 4 U' yep that's its real name. So last week watermelon halves were only £1 and thus my mornings were a little more tropical than usual which was lovely!

p.s my recipes usually make two glass fulls which works out just perfect for me.

Top tip! If you can't stand the taste of spirulina but really want to jump on board with its magical health benefits I found that its taste is almost pleasant when whizzed alongside a smoothie that has frozen raspberry's in it! Who knew!

Do you own a Nutribullet or Vitamix? Jealls. Are they as good as all that? Let me know what you think x

Sunday Bake - Banana Cake with Blueberry's (vegan)

Possibly the fluffiest banana cake I have ever made.. all the extra mixing with my stick blender balloon whisk attachment has really made all the difference!

You will need:

300g self raising flour
200g golden caster sugar
200g dairy free spread such as Vitalite or Pure
2 tsp Argan egg free powder
3 very ripe/brown bananas
A handful of fresh blueberry's
Hand whisk


Pre heat your oven at 175oC. Mix the butter and sugar together in your bowl for a good few minutes to get it all light and creamy! Next add your egg free powder and bananas and mix them in thoroughly. Lastly add flour at intervals whilst whizzing with your hand mixer. Pour into a lined and greased cake tin and push your berrys onto the surface of the batter. Bake for 20 mins until golden on top.

Sunday Bake - Blueberry Tea Cake (gluten free)

A great store cupboard cake which is like a fruit scone in texture but with lots of hot juicy blueberries squishing out with every bite!

2 cups gluten free self raising flour
1/2 cup free from butter spread
2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp xanthem gum
1 tsp Argen no egg
110 ml Koko milk
1/2 tsp baking powder

Heat your oven at 170oC. Thoroughly mix together your sugar and dairy free spread and then sift in together all the dry ingredients a little at a time with a splash of the coconut milk. Continue like this until all your ingredients are combined and then beat for a few minutes to make sure you've got lots of air in as the nature of gluten free flour is to be heavy. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown and set aside to cool a little.

I would serve this one hot with a jasmine tea.

Recipe - Chocolate Fudge (vegan)

Rich, creamy, delicious and only four ingredients! This plate full is 1/3 of what this recipe makes and trust me a little goes a long way in treat terms. Definitely one for the chocoholics!

You will need:

2 cups 70% /vegan dark chocolate

1 cup coconut milk (the really thick stuff)

1/3 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup smashed nuts

Melt your chocolate and set to one side to cool. Smach nuts in a paper bag with a rolling pin. Now mix the the ingredients together with a balloon whisk by hand! Line a small square tin with grease proof paper and pour the mixture in. Place in the fridge to set for minimum 2 hours and serve!

These slices are approx 2 inches square and perhaps a little too much for one serving! Enjoy.

Sunday Bake - Gluten Free Chocolate Brownie

I haven't posted a Sunday bake for a while so to make up for my lack of cakey goodness here is a brownie recipe that quite frankly might change your life... I also used my new cup measures set  that I picked up for £1 from our local thrift store for the first time so we are working in 'cups' today.

You will need:

1 cup 70% cocoa chocolate (melted)

1/2 cup sweet potato purée

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/3 cup gram (chickpea) flour

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup flax seed

1 cup frozen raspberries

1/2 cup cashew nuts

Start by heating the oven at 180oC. Peel, chop and boil your sweet potato for 10 mins and then drain and blend with a stick blender. Melt chocolate and set to one side. Now in a large mixing bowl combine, gram flour, choc, purée, flax seed, icing sugar and baking powder and blitz with stick blender until smooth. Stir in raspberry's and nuts... spoon mixture into a shallow square lined baking tin. Bake for 30 minutes.

Eat warm with a glass of cava outside in the sunshine.

Inspiration - On Being Newly Vegan

I didn't ever think it would work for me but last October (2013) I decided to try becoming vegan. There were several reasons why the idea intrigued me, firstly my boyfriend Daniel has been a strict vegetarian for many years and is very passionate about animal rights which has begun to become very important to me also. We moved in together a year ago and I began eating less fish and white meat (never really ate red meat) and we would cook together every night so it just become the norm. I began reading articles about animal welfare and food production and became increasing aware of some awful things that go on behind the scenes as well as the cost to me the consumer to buy good quality, organic, 'happy' meat.... So actually thats a few things! I watched a video posted on fb about dairy and egg production which was the decider. I was literally horrified to see thousands of chicks being hoovered up into a grinding machine because they were male and therefore no good. Seriosly. And that aint the half of it.

Another reason was my health. For years I have suffered with digestive problems commonly diagnosed as IBS but I think thats just a lame excuse for we don't know when presenting my symptoms to various doctors... So I have tried wheat free, gluten free, dairy free fast diets etc and nothing really ever got to the roots of why i'd generally spent at least one afternoon a week in bed with severe stomach pains and nausea for the past 10 years. Boring huh! Since I have become vegan I have had two maybe three bouts of my old symptoms which has honestly changed my life.

Becoming vegan has definitely been a challenge! To start with I missed cheese a lot but then after a few weeks without it slowly became less of an issue and now i'm not bothered. Same with eggs! Constantly having to check the ingredients on packaging was boring for a while but now I have gotten know pretty much whats ok to have and try and cook most things from scratch where possible :) Living in Brighton we are pretty spoilt for vegan and veggie cafes, restaurants and stores that offer wide ranges of vegan friendly produce.  And it doesn't have to cost the earth! An exciting part of this lifestyle change has been all the new and amazing recipes I have been able to find, follow and invent. AND the really cool blogs and Instagram people I am finding along the way.

Another challenge was having to explain to people friends, family and peers who just don't get it why I have chosen vegan and that its really not that difficult. 'But what do you eat?' Everything all the time!

I'm really loving my new vegan lifestyle and all its quirky challenges, but i'm not promising its forever. Who knows what might happen in the future? For now its what I want and where I am at and that's great!
I'd love to hear about your vegan lifestyles... What are your reasons for choosing veganism? What do you think about all these bloggers who take 'sexy' selfies with smoothies? Do you have an amazing cake recipe I need to try immediately? Have you tried one of mine yet?

Here are some useful links...

http://www.govegan.org.uk/
http://www.viva.org.uk/
http://www.vegansociety.com/
http://www.foodforfriends.com/
http://www.terreaterre.co.uk/
http://www.iydea.co.uk/Iydea_Vegetarian_Restaurant/Welcome.html
http://gb.pinterest.com/imcalledclaire/vegan/
https://www.lush.co.uk/

I'd really like to know what you think afterall I am still pretty new to all this!
Amy x

Guest Post - Home Made Bounty Bars

I met Laura and Tia a few years back when they attended several craft classes I ran in Brighton, I could tell from the off these two were not just your average novice crafters but had big plans for their newly found skills. Over the last few years we have become close friends and crafting allies! These Ladies really do take making to the next level and are a constant inspiration. I mean, running a successful blog with 3 children under 2 years old between them in tow! Pretty fantastic i'd say.

This is a lovely post with a recipe that can be altered slightly for vegans readers too... Replace condensed milk with the cream of 1 can of coconut milk whipped with 1oz icing sugar and the milk chocolate with dark/dairy free, Hey presto! 

A x

This has to be the easiest chocolate bar replica ever. We've tried Daim Bars, Creme Eggs and now it's the turn of the Bounty Bar. The great thing about this non-bake recipe, is how quickly they can be made.

To make 12 of these bars you will need:

• 1 can of condensed milk
• 200g desiccated coconut
• 300g milk chocolate

 Begin by mixing the condensed milk and desiccated coconut together in a bowl using a spoon.

Scoop out a spoonful of the mixture and shape it into a bar, repeat for all 12 bars placing them on a lined baking tray. Pop them in the fridge for 30 minutes, for the bars to set a little.

Melt half the chocolate in a bowl over the hob. Allow to cool but not harden, then spread over the bars. Leave to harden in the fridge.

Melt the remaining chocolate, then spoon it onto the bars, filling in any gaps where you can see coconut, then smooth the top and sides with a knife.

Pop in the fridge to harden again - and you're ready to eat.

For more baking and craft projects visit our blog www.littlebuttondiaries.com 

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Sunday Bake - Gluten Free Chapatti

This weekends sunday bake is a savoury side dish thats a simple yet staple part of our weekly menu. Though its not strictly baked but dry fried in a hot non stick pan its creamy and spongy texture could fool anyone

You will need:

140g Gram (chickpea) flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp ground nut oil
65 ml boiling water
1 tsp coriander seeds

Start by seiving the flour into a mixing bowl and then adding the salt and coriander seeds followed by the oil. Give it a stir. Now pour in your hot water and mix well until it comes together into a smooth yellow dough. Flour your work surface and roll out a ball of dough roughly the size of a small egg. Roll it very thin!

Now in a hot pan fry the chapatti until you see bubbles rising on the surface, roughly 30 seconds, and then flip and repeat on the other side. They are done when the surface is covered with brown speckles. Enjoy with soups, curry or a juicy salad as an alternative to wheaty bread or crackers.

Sunday Bake - Rhubarb Tart Recipe (vegan)

This weekend's Sunday Bake is simple rhubarb tart recipe. I picked up the mini flan dish for 75p in a charity shop and then saw rhubarb at the grocers next door and boom!

For the pastry...

100g plain flour
50g vegan margerine
2 tbsp cold water

Filling...

3 big stems of rhubarb
3 desert spoons muscovado sugar


Mix the flour and butter together with cold hands and add the water until you have a firm pastry. Wrap in cling film and refrigerate whilst the rhubarb stews...

Chop the rhubarb and place in a pan with sugar, simmer on a medium heat til compote consistency, maybe 15/20 mins stirring occasionally.

Roll pastry out 4mm thick or thicker if you prefer heavy pastry.

Prick with a sharp knife and blind bake for 5 mins on 180oC and then fill with the rhubarb mixture.

Bake on 175oC for 15/20 mins and watch the rhubarb go caramalised and golden! 

Try and wait a few minute for it to cool before you gobble one up... Serve with Swedish Glace if you have some its YUM!

Sunday Bake - Banoffee Pie Recipe (vegan)

This weekend's Sunday Bake is my first attempt at a Banoffee Pie Recipe the vegan way. I have wanted to try something like this for some time but it wasn't until my best pal Claire set me the challenge as she handed over a bunch of over ripened and unwanted bananas...

You will need:

3 ripe bananas

2 tins full fat cocnut milk

3 oz muscovardo sugar

1 packet vegan friendly Digestive biscuits

6 tbsp vegan margarine

1/2 tsp salt

Dark chocolate

This recipe works in 3 parts...

crunchy biscuit base

creme de leche - caramel filling

cocnut whipped 'cream' topping

Start by making the base - Blend 18 vegan digestive biscuits together and then mix well with 6 tablespoons of vegan margarine. press this mixture into a lined and greased flan tin and bake on 190 oC for 10 minutes and then leave to cool completely.

Creme de leche - I made the night before and refrigerated. Separate the fat from a tin of coconut milk and place in a pan with 3 oz muscavardo suger, and 1/2 tsp salt. Melt and then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk for a few minutes until the mixture thickens up. Place in a glass jar and leave to set.

Whipped 'cream' - Seperate the fat from second tin of coconut milk and place in a bowl. whisk for 5 minutes (or 2 if you have an electric mixer) and then add 3 tbsp icing sugar. Whish this in for a further 3 mins util yo achieve peaks in your mixture. set aside! Try and make this when all the other parts are complete and cooled.

Layer your banana slices onto the biscuit base and cover with caramel mixture.

over this evenly with whipped cream and grate over lots of dark chocolate!

 Refrigerate until you are ready to serve...

Recipe - A Springtime Vegan Chilli

Its almost May but this everchanging weather has got us all guessing... this week with rain coming down intermittently in sheets and blustery winds whipping hats off all I have craved is hearty warm dinners. This springtime vegan chilli recipe is exactly what i'm talking about!

You will need:

3 small onions or shallots
4 carrots
half a red or bell pepper
6-8 mushrooms
a tin of chickpeas
2 cartons of chopped tomato
2 cloves of garlic
2tsp paprika
1 tsp coriander seeds
1tsp dried or fresh and chopped chilli
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
80g 74% or higher cocoa solids chocolate
1 tblsp tomato purée
salt & pepper
Coconut oil for frying

Chop onions coarsely and fry on high for a few minute in coconut oil. Now add the garlic stir and lower heat. I roughly copped the carrots, mushrooms and pepper (I favour a chunky style chilli) and put them all in to fry together. Add the dried chilli, paprika and coriander seeds then season with salt & pepper. Next add your tin of drained and rinsed chickpeas stir and turn up the heat! Cook for 3/4 mins continuously stirring to coat the veg in the spices evenly before lowering heat again and adding the chopped tomato. At this point I stirred in 1tblsp tomato purée and then cayenne pepper. Let the chilli simmer away for a few minute whilst you break up your dark chocolate into small pieces. after a further 5 mins turn the heat off and throw the chocolate on top of the chilli and let it melt. Stir slowly and watch the sauce go deliciously smooth and creamy with a rich dark reddy brown colour. Put a lid on your pan and leave the chilli to sit until you are ready to re heat slowly before serving. The last thing you want to do is burn the chocolate so take care when doing this.

I served our chilli with pearl barley and fresh coriander and a light beer. Enjoy!

Recipe - Quick Flax Seed Pancakes (vegan)

I really love a hearty weekend breakfast but often have too many things to do to take too much time over planning one.. This recipe for quick flax seed pancakes is vegan and full of flax and soya milk protein and can be whipped up in five minutes flat. You can accompany them with any topping!

You will need: (makes 6 small pankes)

250g self raising flour

150g ground flax seed

unsweetened soya milk (I used Alpro Simply Mild)

100ml filtered water

Coconut oil to grease pan

Non stick pan

I served mine with rice syrup, lemon juice and a pinch of Maldon sea salt!

Place your flour and flax in a medium mixing bowl and stir in the water. Now slowly beat in enough soya milk to give your batter a thick pouring consistency. Beat well and rest whilst you heat a pan and melt 1tsp coconut oil. I used 2 desert spoons of batter per pancake and fried on a medium/high heat turning when the surface began to bubble.

 Flip a few times to achieve your desired golden finish and serve!

Have a lovely active weekend!

Sunday Bake - Cashew Nut and Peach Cake

For this weekends Sunday bake I wanted to try making something different to my usual style bake with a bunch of nuts and a heap of old school juicy fruit! So on spotting peaches and cashew nuts nestled next to each other on a shelf in the local shop I thought why not! I can never understand why ground almond are quite as expensive as they are but I love using them when I bake all the same. 

You will need:
150g ground almonds
300g self raising flour
3 ripe bananas
100g golden caster suger
1 tin of peach slices
100ml sunflower oil
100g cashew nuts
1 tsp baking powder

Pre heat your oven at 175oC. Blend together bananas, oil and sugar til well combined. now add the dry ingredients and beat well to get as much air in as possible... often this style of vegan cake can be quite dense so the more beating the better!

Stir in your peach slices and cashew nuts and transfer the maixture into a well greased/floured tin. I found this beauty of a bunt cake tin at the car boot sale a few weeks back for 50p!

Bake for 40 minutes and stab with a knife to check the center is cooked.

Once cooled drizzle with peach juice from the can mixed with 3 tablespoons of icing sugar. Mmm sugary sweet!

Recipe - Coconut Balls (vegan/gf)

This no cook vegan coconut ball recipe is one to make in advance and save in the fridge for a high energy sweet treat.

You will need:

175g shredded coconut
2tsp coconut oil
2 tblsp agave or rice syrup
2 tlbsp coconut milk
1tsp peanut butter
1/2 cinnamon

Blend together all the ingredients with a food processor or stick blender. Using a teaspoon to measure quantity roll your mixture into a littl ball in some extra coconut. Put in a Tupperware in the fridge for 3 hours min to set.

Enjoy!

Sunday Bake - Coconut Oat and Banana Breakfast Cake

This weekends Sunday bake is a versotile recipe suitable for breakfast and afternoon tea alike!

You will need:

210g oat flour

50g shredded cocnut

112ml coconut oil

85g brown suger

2 ripe bananas

75ml cocnut/soya milk

100g chopped walnuts

2 tsp chia seeds

Icing:

2 tblsp peanut butter (I like crunchy best)

100g icing sugar 

Pre heat your oven at 175 degrees oC. Start by blending porridge oats in a food processor to make the oat flour. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir to combine evenly.

Blend together the bananas, oil and milk separately

Lastly combine the dry mix with the banana mix and stir in the shredded coconut. Stir well and spoon into a lined loaf tin. Cook for 30-35 mins and take out of the oven to rest and cool a little.

Make the icing by combining nut butter and icing sugar and spread on top of your juicy cake!

I've had 2 slices this morning already... x