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YNBO- barely baked bakewell tart

Val has exited the tent. I realize that she was probably never going to win, but I did have a soft spot for her. I love that fact that baked from memory and challenged Paul “we like our Danishes a little soft in the middle in our house”. It also turns out that she makes a Bakewell tart weekly. Who makes any tart weekly? Let alone a Bakewell? To be perfectly honest I don’t think I have ever tried bakewell tart, but I do love the combination of fruity jam, marzipan and a biscuity base.

I thought about tackling danish pastries or filo pastry this week, but filo seemed like a crazy crazy idea and most filo that you can buy ready made is plant based anyway, and danish pastries just don’t excite me. Lets not lie, if there was only one option for a Scandinavian treat it would OBVIOUSLY be the cinnamon bun!

So this morning I set about making the YNBO version of the bakewell tart. Knowing that the case would be holding marzipan and a sweet jam layer I didn’t want to make the dough too sweet. I used oats, ground down into a flour, added ground almonds and then used a ripe banana to bind it all together. A teaspoon of coconut oil and one date for added stickiness and I had the perfect consistency. If you can’t tolerate nuts you could easily not add them. This dough tastes amazingly good, not too sweet but somewhat decadent. It would be great rolled into balls or made into bars as a post or pre workout snack….

I pressed the dough into mini muffin tins and baked for 15 minutes until they were golden and crunchy. Then all I had to do was fill them with a spoonful of homemade marzipan and top then with a spoon of extra thick cherry and damson chia jam. So simply, so delicious. These barely baked bakewell tarts are the perfect afternoon treat, paired with a rich espresso and shared with friends.

 

Barely Baked Bakewell Tart – makes 24 mini tarts

Ingredients (base)
200g oats
3 tbsp ground almonds
1tsp coconut oil
1 ripe banana
1 date

Method
Preheat your oven to 160C
Place the oats into a food processor with the almonds and grind down into a flour
Add in the banana and the oil and process until a dough begins to form
Add in the date and pulse until combined
Press the dough into mini muffin tins and bake for 15mins
Remove and allow to cool

Ingredients (Marzipan)
150g blanched almonds
1.25 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp rosewater

Method
Place the almonds into a food processor & pulse until you have a fine flour like powder
Add in the syrup & rosewater
Pulse until you have a dough
Roll into balls or any shape you like
Store in the fridge for up to a week

For the chia jam I used this recipe but substituted the blueberries for half cherries and half damsons. I also added an extra tbsp of chia to make it extra thick.

 

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Sugar sugar baby – a guide to sugar alternatives

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the options when it came to sugar were white or brown. Maybe there was a packet of muscavado sugar languishing at the back of your mums cupboard for when the Christmas cake needed baking, and obviously there was the little clickers of splenda that someone had in their coffee because they ‘were trying to be good’.

Sugar is a natural substance that is derived from sugar cane. It is separated from the molasses and then washed and filtered. This process creates white sugar. Brown sugar is made by adding some of the molasses back into the white sugar. Raw sugar is the white sugar before it has been washed and filtered. Sugar gets a bad rep because excess amount of it confuse the body. It causes our blood sugar to spike as well as causing changes in our insulin response. It causes an acidic reaction in the body which is often blamed for many inflammatory illnesses.

Now sugar alternatives are everywhere and it is super confusing as to which ones are a healthy alternative but also how to substitute them in baking or cooking. I thought I would write a little guide to help us all out & keep checking back as I will keep on adding to it as I encounter and test out more alternatives. This is part 1…

HONEY

The original healthy alternative honey has a huge diversity in flavor allowing you to alter the end taste of recipes. When untreated it contains natural anti bacterial properties (which is why you can put it on a cut) as well as some B Vitamins and antioxidants. It is still high in sucrose though and will cause some blood sugar spike. This is my favorite go to raw honey with a mild taste which is perfect on porridge or in tea.

Best for: puddings, ice creams, gelato and in smoothies or tea. Can be used in very soft cakes & to top porridge, yoghurt etc

Cons: can’t be used where you need to cream ingredients as it doesn’t create the pockets of air that you need to create a rise so not great in traditional cakes like sponges.

MAPLE SYRUP

Made from the sap of maple trees (it is the trees natural anti freeze) it is suitable for plant based diets and is rich in calcium, iron and zinc (although raw honey contains more). You can get crystalized maple syrup too. Like honey it can’t be used in recipes that need you to cream ingredients. We love this 100% maple syrup on buckwheat pancakes with coconut butter.

Best for: caramels, sweets, puddings and gelato or on top of porridge or pancakes

Cons: can’t be used for creaming. Watch out that it is pure maple syrup as it can be mixed with artificial ingredients and fillers.

DATE SYRUP

Extracted from dates using a heating and pressing process it is natural product. Dates are known to cause less of a sugar spike thanks to their naturally low GI levels. As with any syrup you can’t use it where you need to cream but it is great in caramels with its rich taste. It is naturally high in iron and a good source of vitamins. You can easily make it yourself too. This stuff is addictive, amazing for sweetening yoghurt, making granola and eating off the spoon.

Best for: puddings, caramels,flapjacks, oat bars, soft cakes as well as a topping for porridge etc

Cons: it has a distinctive taste and can leave cakes very sticky

COCONUT SUGAR

Made from coconut blossoms (rather than coconuts), this sugar has a lower GI, contains some fibre and is softer than normal sugar. You can substitute it 1:1 in baking recipes that use traditional sugar. This one is the one I tend to use in baking and to top plant based creme caramels.

Best in: bakes that require a dryer texture. As it is a softer sugar you won’t get as much air which leads to a naturally denser bake.

Cons: can be very expensive and as it is not as sweet you often end up using more.

Once hailed as the golden alternative to sugar, this syrup has fallen from its spot lately. The harvesting of it causes damage to the environment as agave is a natural bat food. Less agave means less bats which means less pollination. It is naturally twenty times sweeter than sugar so you use less. It has a lower GI than sugar but contains high levels of fructose. This agave has a mild taste and is great when making granolas

Best in: smoothies, caramels, deserts

Cons: Can lead to sticky bakes so make sure to grease or line your tins/pans, also needs to be combined with fat to stop it separating

AGAVE

Once hailed as the golden alternative to sugar, this syrup has fallen from its spot lately. The harvesting of it causes damage to the environment as agave is a natural bat food. Less agave means less bats which means less pollination. It is naturally twenty times sweeter than sugar so you use less. It has a lower GI than sugar but contains high levels of fructose. This agave has a mild taste and is great when making granolas

Best in: smoothies, caramels, deserts

Cons: Can lead to sticky bakes so make sure to grease or line your tins/pans, also needs to be combined with fat to stop it separating

MOLASSES

Molasses is the left over product when white sugar has been evaporated from sugar cane. Blackstrap molasses has very high levels of iron and B vitamins. It is often used by breastfeeding women to boost their iron levels and milk supply. It is naturally acidic which means that when combined with baking soda, you get very light airy cakes. I used these molasses in ginger muffins and lactation cookies just after I had the little one and it was delicious.

Best in: gingerbread, granolas and savory dishes

Cons: has an intense taste and will overwhelm other flavours

FRUIT

Fruit is natures sugar and puree apple and grated fruit can easily sweeten a cake or granola. You can also get fruit syrups which can be used in the same way as date syrup or honey. They taste amazing and often have more vitamins. This one is my absolute favorite and I always stock up when i see it. Spices like cinnamon and vanilla can top porridge and yoghurts. Seasonal fruit tastes sweeter and roasting fruit caramelizes its natural sugars for extra sweetness. It’s really important to remember that sugar is sugar, even if it comes in the form of honey or from coconut blossom. Each alternative has its benefits but non of them can really be considered a health food. As with all things, eat them in moderation and be mindful.

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Using chia seeds

While chia may not make the best omelette and would almost certainly struggle with clafoutis, you can easily use them to replace eggs in baking and in one rather simple step you can add a super boost to your favorite baked treats.

Chia seeds have no taste but they pack a huge amount of nutrition. They contain calcium, manganese, and phosphorus, and they are an excellent source of healthy omega-3 fats. They are also high in fibre & high in protein.

They are a perfect boost sprinkle atop of porridge or thrown into a bought or homemade smoothie.

What I especially love about chia seeds is that you can use them to replace eggs in baked goods – this is a really easy way to adapt a cake recipe to one that would suit a vegan or someone with an egg allergy.

Ingredients
1 tbsp chia seeds (or one tbsp per egg replacing)
3 tbsp water

Method
Grind the chia seeds in a coffee or spice grinder (or using a pestle and mortar)
Stir the chia into the water and leave for 15 minutes – it will form a thick gel
Use to replace one egg in a recipe

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Homemade toner

This is a quick ‘how to guide’. A DIY beauty hack to making your own homemade toner. I am very basic with my skin care I always have been. I dont use cleanser or soap, I dont exfoliate or scrub. I wash my face with, I spritz with rose water, I moisturize. It is nothing revolutionary but its what I have always done. Now that winter has set in and I have hit 30, I decided that I needed to add toner into my life. Toner, in its best form, can help balance out your skins pH levels, and dissolve dead skin cells. During the colder months, when you go from cold harsh temperatures, into hot, dry, stuffy indoors, your skin can really struggle.

This toner uses a base of organic raw apple cider vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar has a pH of 3 and when it is diluted, it can help restore your skins natural pH levels. This will help improve your complexion and help your skin function optimally. Our skin is naturally acidic so when our levels are balanced our skin is neither oily nor dry. When you pH levels are out of balance it can cause breakouts, clogged pores or itchy, irritated skin.

This homemade toner will help ward off bacteria and allow your skin to shed dead skin cells at the proper rate stopping your pores from getting clogged and keeping your skin healthy. Many people find that this natural toner helps improve the skins overall appearance and reduce marks and scars.
Apple cider vinegar does have a distinct smell but this dissipates as soon as it has dried. You can add essential oils to your toner – lavender or hazel work well. You can also boil green, white or camomile tea in the water, leave it to cool and then blend with the ACV.

Ingredients
100 ml of raw apple cider vinegar
300 ml of filtered water (you can dilute it further if you have sensitive skin)
4 drops of essential oil

Method
Blend all the ingredients in a sterile kilner jar
Store in a cool place and shake before use
After washing your face, apply the toner using cotton wool
Leave to dry and then moisturize as normal

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