Hot Chocolate and Marshmallows on a Rainy Afternoon

After the hell-on-earth heatwave we've had for most of the last month, you can well imagine our jubilation at waking up to the sound of delightful rain! And rain it has, all day long.

The air is thick with the smell of it, and the sky is woolly and grey. A cool breeze is finally running through the house, trying to whisper relief into the heat fatigued timber and bricks. And my little people have finally been able to get back into the garden without sunscreen, hats and long sleeves. They've had a lovely morning playing in puddles and getting muddy, and now, as the day draws to a close, I'm giving them the perfect afternoon (in my opinion, anyway). Snow White, and hot chocolates with marshmallows. 

These are heavenly 'made from scratch', but if I'm completely honest, that had more to do with the ingredients I had to hand than any virtuousness on my behalf.

Homemade marshmallow is both easy and incomparably delicious - a wholly different creature to the powdery puffs you buy at the supermarket. Using organic raw caster sugar, gelatine and water (with two drops of naturally derived pink colouring) I made this marbled bloc of mallow. 

For the hot chocolate, I melted dark chocolate over low temperature, slowly whisking a full fat milk from a good quality and local dairy. 

As this was for small people, I then let the hot chocolate cool down a bit before serving with a scoop of the chilled marshmallow on top. 

I'll confess, I have puritan tastebuds when it comes to drink - I'll take my water in abundance with my poisons on the side (coffee, black, and wine, red). But one sip of this tempted me into the realm of impossible-to-resistness and I poured myself half a cup. 

Now, back to those sweet little dwarves of mine and the fabulous Snow White!

vegan and gluten free chocolate mousse.

I have read a great many recipes for this type of concoction, and I've been so sceptical as to how it would taste. 

It was amazing! 

In a food processor, I mixed a whole, ripe avocado with two bananas and 1/3 cup of carob powder (the recipe called for raw cacao but I am a carob fiend from way back and, as this was for my birthday, I indulged my own little tastebuds). I also added a tablespoon of manuka honey. Blitz it until it's really smooth and airy, set it in the fridge. Now, I topped it with this awesome organic yoghurt that is seriously just so creamy and rich (yet miraculously natural and low fat and low sugar), and some fresh strawberries. If you have kids coming for a party, this is such an excellent option for a treat. Next time I make it for my smalls, I'm going to whip through some peanut butter (keep in mind I'm trying to chub up my petite little miss sweet any way that I can). I will never again sceptically frown when I see avocado and banana parading as dessert substitutions. 

Coconut and Berry Polenta Bites (sugar free)

These are sensational, and sensationally simple. 

Gently heat organic coconut cream and half a cup of filtered water until it bubbles, tip in polenta (around a cup) and stir constantly over low heat until liquid is absorbed. Add half a cup of desiccated coconut and stir, then half a cup of berries. Incorporate gently so as not to stain the mix with berry juice. Remove from heat.

Turn out onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and flatten with the back of a wooden spoon to make a square shape around a cm thick. 

Bake at 170' for 20 minutes, remove and cool, then slice. These are just so virtuous, gluten free and tasty. Mmmm! Store in fridge (if you have any leftover). What a great alternative to coconut ice (that's all confectioners sugar and colours.)

Apricot Delight

My husband is an apricot fiend and has been forever. As a small boy he called them Cotticots and played tirelessly at his grandma's feet begging for Cotticot after Cotticot after Cotticot. He has passed this gene onto our son, except he calls them "sollies", as in "special lollies".

You know those little cubes called Apricot Delights? They have like a smidgen of dried apricots and a truckload of sugars, but they are so delicious. I started off trying to replicate that flavour, but they morphed into something else altogether. A different flavour but equally delicious and so much better for you.

Ingredients
120g macadamia nuts
500g dried Turkish apricots (organic if you can get them)
125g dessicated coconut plus extra for dusting
3 tablespoons filtered water

Combine nuts, apricots, water and dessicated coconut in a food processor until it's completely paste like. Lay baking paper into a shallow baking tray. Sprinkle some reserved coconut then scoop in the paste. Flatten with your fingers until it is level. Sprinkle the top with extra coconut and refrigerate at least two hours to set. Cut into bite size cubes. Yummo!

The softest and most virtuous cupcakes, ever.

Yesterday when I blogged my recipe for banana rusks, I discovered that my one year old nephew (himself a delicious little morsel, utterly sweet and lovely) is currently eating just about only bananans, and certainly prefers finger food to being spoon fed. Ahhh, the moment a baby becomes an independent being. It's so wonderful and rewarding, but let's not forget, it's also incredibly hair-pullingly frustrating.

I am always experimenting and today, on my to-do list in the kitchen, was to have a play around with cupcake recipes. My daughter is turning one in less than eight weeks and I want to throw a party with yummy, healthy party food that doesn't send her running to a psychologist at eighteen, screaming, "My mum's a crazy weirdo health nut!" Which, FYI, I certainly am not. But since being diagnosed at 26 with type 1 diabetes, what has always been a bit of an interest in healthy eating for me ramped up a gear into a proper preoccupation, and I find myself steering the little kids away from all sorts of "treat" foods as often as possible.

So. You can imagine my delight when my first recipe experiment absolutey nailed what I am not too modest to call the best, most amazing, fluffiest, NO SUGAR cupcakes. As in, ever. Seriously. Make a batch and I dare you to disagree.

Ingredients

1 banana, mashed
100g unsalted butter - room temp
1 vanilla bean (please use fresh if possible, but, if like my sister-in-law you are on a dairy farm in you know, the middle of glorious nowhere, then a half teaspoon of vanilla essence will suffice....)
1 free range egg
1 and 1/4 cup organic spelt flour
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 170'

Using an electic mixer, beat butter, mashed banana and vanilla beans of one pod at moderate-high speed until paler in colour. It will not fluff up the way butter and sugar does, but mix it for sbout three minutes to be sure you have whipped sufficient air in. While the motor is still going, beat in an egg and continue to beat for another two minutes at high speed until well incorporated.

Fold in the sifted spelt flour and baking powder until incorporate.

These quantities make 9 satisfyingly sized cupcakes.

Bake for approx 15 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Honestly, try to resist these. ...

Next step, I am trying out some different icings. I want to avoid using colours if possible... But this afternoon's configuration of icing sugar, butter and raspberries spoils the "no sugar" nature of these lovely bites. So. Next I am going to try cream cheese, the juice from an orange, and raspberries. Fingers crossed.

Banana Biscuits (banana and date teething rusks)

Ingredients
1 ripe banana
2/3 cup almond meal
2/3 cup rolled spelt oats
Small handful of dates
Small handful of brazil nuts

Preheat oven to 140'c fan forced.

Combine ingredients in a food processor and whizz until a dough forms. Use your hands to form into logs and bake for two hours in a low oven. Leave to rest for a minimum of one hour to really firm up. Be aware that they are slightly easier to chew because of the moistness of almond meal. You should never leave a baby unattended during meals, but especially not while eating rusks.

These are really good though- sort of like super hard muesli bars. I have already eaten two and Jonno keeps asking for more "banana biccies".

Baby bites

Ricotta and smashed raspberries

Banana and manuka honey Spelt pancakes

I made these very virtuous little pancakes for my two year old's breakfast over the weekend. Despite my wish that he be naturally moderate and abstemious, the little guy has absolutely got a major sweet tooth. I have to think creatively to give him yummy treats without poisoning him with with processed sugar, colours and additives.

Ingredients

1 cup spelt flour, sieved
1 tablespoon manuka honey
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg, whisked lightly
1/3 cup milk
Fresh ground nutmeg (just a pinch)
Sliced banana
Butter for frying


In a bowl, mix the sieved spelt flour and the baking powder until combined. Add the egg, honey and milk and whisk until combined. The honey will give it a gloopy, shiny consistency. Add more milk or flour as required until you have the consistency of a moderately thin batter.

Put a small teaspoon of butter in a pan, then take a paper towel and wipe out the excess, so only a thin film remains. Place pan over moderate flame.

Add about four slices of banana, well spaced. On top of each banana, dollop a tablespoon of the batter on top. Wait until bubbles appear and then flip. The pancakes are done when you see them "lift" a little.

Remove pancakes from the pan and repeat until all cooked. I served them with greek yoghurt.

These can be frozen.

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