Divine Ve An Desserts: Lisa Fabry

Divine
Vegan
Desserts
Lisa Fabry
Photography by Heidi Linehan
Divine Vegan Desserts
For Doris Fabry,
who never let a guest go unfed.
Thanks for everything, Mum.

Divine
Vegan
Desserts
Lisa Fabry
Photography by Heidi Linehan
Wakefield Press
16 Rose Street
Mile End
South Australia 5031
www.wakefieldpress.com.au
First published 2012

Reprinted 2016
This edition published 2016
Copyright © Lisa Fabry, 2012
All rights reserved. This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the
purposes of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under
the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced without written permission.
Enquiries should be addressed to the publisher.
Edited by Julia Beaven, Wakefield Press

Designed by Liz Nicholson, designBITE
Typeset by Clinton Ellicott, Wakefield Press
Photographs by Heidi Linehan, www.heidiwho.com
Additional photographs by Esme Fabry
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry
Author: Fabry, Lisa.

Title: Divine vegan desserts / Lisa Fabry.
ISBN: 978 1 86254 990 6 (ebook: pdf).
Subjects: Desserts.
Vegan cooking.
Dewey Number: 641.86
contents
Introduction – divine desserts 1
Key ingredients in vegan baking 7
The art of baking 19
Tips for successful baking 20
Key 21
A note regarding tablespoon measurements 21
1. Cakes 22
Real Food Daily, Los Angeles, USA 24

Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with raspberry puree 27
Coffee and walnut cake 28
Spiced carrot cake 31
Squidgy fruit cake 32
Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35
Chocolate torte 36
Vitality cake 39
Black forest gateau 40
Three kinds of vanilla cake: basic, wheat free, gluten free 43–45
2. Teatime treats 46 4. Tarts, trifles and
cheesecakes 88
Las Vegan Nirvana, Melbourne, Australia 47
Las Vegan sour cherry muffins 49 Revel Cafe, Auckland, New Zealand 89
Double fudge pecan brownies 50 Revel chocolate midnight cake 91
Steve’s flapjacks 53 New York style lemon cheesecake 92
Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54 Lime tart 95
Anzac biscuits 57 Hello daddy chocolate berry pie 96
Almond and lemon cantucci 58 Tiramisu 99
Devon scones with jam and cream 61 Lemon raspberry trifle 100
Chocolate almond fudge shortbread 62 Banoffi tarts 103
Chocoblock cookies 64
Bags of energy bars 65
Matrimonial cake 67
5. Proper puddings 104
Lancrigg Vegetarian Country
3. Pies and pastries 68 House Hotel, Lake District, UK 105

Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106
De Bolhoed, Amsterdam, Netherlands 70 Sticky date puddings with toffee sauce 109
De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73 Bread pudding 110
Walnut treacle tart 74 Coconut rice pudding 111
Fruit mince pies 77 Plum and pecan crumble 112
Hungarian cheese pie 78 Apple and blackberry betty 115
Tarte tatin 81 Berry cobbler 116
Baklava 82 Bread and butter pudding 119
Mini peach pies 85 Lemon syrup sponge pudding 120
Eccles cakes 86 Christmas pudding 123
6. Fruit desserts 124 8. Mousses, custards and
creams 156
le cru, Melbourne, Australia 125
le cru pineapple carpaccio 126 In the Raw, Adelaide, Australia 157
Winter fruit compote 127 In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159
Amaretto peacherines 129 Coconut creme brulee 160
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig Perfect chocolate mousse 163
filling 130 Zen green tea coconut custard 164
Apple and strawberry jelly 133 Cream 167
Five grain pancakes with flambeed Cashew cream 167
bananas 134 Custard 168
Summer pudding 137 Chocolate ganache 169
Baked apples 138 Chocolate sauces: fudge, easy, raw 170
7. Ice-creams and 9. Sweet bites 172

sorbets 140
Bliss Organic Cafe, Adelaide, Australia 173
Millennium Restaurant, Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
San Francisco, USA 142 Liqueur truffles 176
Millennium peppermint choc-chunk Christmas apricots and dates 179
ice-cream, mango sorbet and peanut Panforte 180
butter chocolate chip ice-cream 144–145 Rice crispy crackles 183
Vanilla ice-cream 146 Chocolate crunch 184
Brown bread ice-cream 147 Carob clusters 185
Cornet-oh! 149 Raw chocolate 187
Raspberry sorbet 150
Lemon and lime sorbet 150
Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Strawberry ice-cream 154 Food allergy index 188
Index of ingredients 191
Conversion tables 199
viii
introduction
divine
desserts
what’s good about dessert?
Desserts have a bad reputation. They are seen to be bad for your teeth,
your heart and your waistline. No wonder, when most desserts are made
from white processed carbohydrates, saturated fat and refined sugar.
But there is another side to the story. Desserts can give you energy
and lift your spirits. They look beautiful and deliver the pleasure of
anticipation as well as the satisfaction of consumption. As for the unhealthy
ingredients – refined sugar, white starches and saturated fat – these can
be replaced with natural sweeteners or unrefined sugars, wholegrains and
healthier vegetable milks, creams and oils. Other nutritious ingredients
can be used in a dessert to supply nutrients that may have been lacking in
the first course. For example, many children will often accept ingredients
in dessert that they wouldn’t dream of eating otherwise, such as carrot,
pumpkin or sweet potato, ground nuts and seeds, or dried fruit purees.
Some desserts can even be regarded as health foods, especially if they are
raw or contain wholegrains, fruit or nuts.
guilty eating
You know what it feels like when someone starts an argument over dinner.
Suddenly, your enthusiasm for eating disappears. Your throat constricts,
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your hunger is replaced by butterflies or nausea. If you continue to force
yourself to eat, it feels like you are trying to digest a stone. It is clear that
your digestive processes are affected by your emotions.
If you feel guilty when you eat dessert, what effect is this likely to have
on your body? Traditional systems of medicine such as Ayurveda and
Traditional Chinese Medicine have long accepted that emotions have a
powerful influence on digestive and general health and these ideas are
now becoming more commonplace in Western medicine. Feelings of
shame and guilt have been linked with eating disorders and obesity and
it has been suggested that emotional stress is the number one cause of
digestive problems.
joyful eating
Let’s think of food another way. You decide to make a cake. You take the time to find a recipe and read
through the ingredients. You might replace white flour with wholemeal flour and white sugar with unrefined
sugar. Perhaps you decide to add chopped walnuts, sesame seeds, and a handful of raisins. You are
developing a healthy relationship with your food – and you haven’t even started cooking.
Now it’s time to bake. Like any creative activity – painting, writing, singing, gardening – baking connects
what you do with what you feel. It can be an activity of inspiration and joy, if you are fully and mindfully
engaged with the process. It can be a way of pouring your love – for
yourself, your family, your friends – into what you are doing, so that love
becomes embodied in the final product. How could eating something
made from such carefully chosen ingredients and baked with such loving
care be anything less than a divine experience?
We all need to eat. We need food to stay alive and be productive.
I believe that we can combine this physical need with a spiritual sensibility
by cultivating a connection with our food that reflects:
• a compassionate understanding of the environmental issues associated

with food
• loving respect for our bodies and our health
• the expression of love, nurture and community through the creation
and sharing of food
• a deep appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of food (colour, shape,
aroma, texture, flavour) and its effects on our minds and bodies.
2
you are what you eat – listening to your body
If you go to a yoga class the teacher is likely to tell you, ‘Listen to your body.’ Meaning: ‘Don’t just
mindlessly do what I tell you, even if it hurts like hell, be mindfully aware of your body.’
This is wise advice whatever you do with your body. Walking, gardening, dancing, making love –
in each of these endeavours you will be more successful, enjoy yourself more and avoid pain and injury
if you mindfully watch for cues from your body that tell you to act more, less or differently.
So it is with eating. It might seem obvious to exclude a food from your diet if you really dislike it or it
makes you ill, but the time between cause and effect may be great, so it is not always clear what it is in
your diet that is causing your migraines, digestive disorders, mood swings, weight gain, fungal infections,
tiredness or allergies. Continuing to eat foods that are causing your body distress could lead to even
more serious consequences: irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease
or cancer.
But the good news is that you can learn to listen to your body. You can tune into its signals before they
become too serious, and respond to them with a loving concern for your own wellbeing. And the more
you do this, the easier it becomes, because as you reduce the load you place on your body it will become
more finely tuned, more responsive. You can then notice your body’s reaction to different foods and
respond readily.
vegan desserts
I have been a vegetarian since my late teens, making that choice on ethical, moral, health and
environmental grounds. Since then I never doubted my decision not to consume the dead flesh of another
being.
In my thirties I developed symptoms of severe IBS and, after a long, difficult struggle to find some
answers, finally decided to eliminate dairy from my diet. Almost overnight my pain was alleviated. A few
weeks later I gave up eggs as well and felt even better.
As a vegan, my health improved rapidly, my IBS symptoms disappeared – and so did my constant
sneezing and runny nose, what I thought were colds in winter and hay fever in summer. I had more energy,
it was easier to keep my weight down and I was rarely sick. This was what it felt like to be healthy!
A vegan diet is healthier. The China Study, one of the biggest studies of nutrition ever undertaken
(The China Study, Campbell and Campbell published by Wakefield Press), revealed that a diet that avoids
meat, fish and dairy products is the healthiest; it promotes longevity and reduces disease. A vegan diet
contains no dietary cholesterol, thus significantly reducing your risk of cardiovascular disease. Vegans tend
to eat a diet high in wholegrains, fresh vegetables and fruit. This helps prevent macular degeneration,
3
cataracts and high blood pressure. Vegans suffer less from arthritis, osteoporosis and type 2 diabetes.
A plant-based diet is often recommended as part of the holistic management of many types of cancer.
And by avoiding meat, you also avoid all the antibiotics, hormones and other chemicals ingested by the
animals, eliminating your risk of catching animal-borne diseases, such as e-coli, salmonella or BSE.
A vegan diet is more compassionate and truly cruelty free. Billions of animals are killed each year for
meat. The vegan and vegetarian website Happy Cow features a shocking real-time update on the exact
numbers of animals that have died since you logged on (www.happycow.net/why_vegetarian.html).
Millions of cows also suffer and die each year as a direct result of the dairy industry. To keep a cow
producing milk, she must give birth regularly – these babies are taken away at birth and the males are
killed for meat (www.milkmyths.org.uk). Far from the idealistic image of contented cows munching grass in
a pasture or little lambs frolicking in the fields, animals in both the meat and dairy industry are often kept
in overcrowded conditions, deprived of space, sunlight, veterinary care, access to the outdoors or contact
with their mates or young. Animals, like us, are sensitive, intelligent creatures with emotions and feelings
and treating them this way is inhumane.
A vegan diet is also better for the environment. On the most fundamental level, it simply takes fewer
resources to grow vegetables than to raise animals. Plus, the production of meat is responsible for some
of our worst environmental problems: polluted water systems, soil erosion, over-intensive farming and
overgrazing. Avoiding meat and dairy is one of the most effective ways
of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By switching from a meat-eating
diet to a vegan diet, you save around two tons of CO2 per person each
year. Animal agriculture is responsible for the production of more than
100 million tons of methane a year (www.earthsave.org/globalwarming).
Reducing meat consumption would have a significant effect on lowering
methane levels in the atmosphere.
Veganism makes sense to me. Of course you would only want to
put foods into your body that do not harm you, that lead you on a path
towards optimum health, foods created without harming other creatures,
for how can simply liking the taste of something override compassion
when making food choices? And foods that are grown without harming
the Earth, our precious home.
4
divine desserts around the world
One of the unique features of this book is the inclusion of a
selection of divine vegan desserts being created around the
world in cafes, restaurants and cooking classes. I have been
lucky enough to visit some of the most talented vegan and
vegetarian chefs in the world and taste some of the best
vegan food on offer.
The food in every place I visited was created with a
passion both for good eating and good health, reflecting
a trend towards a more integrated approach to diet.
The priority for a high quality, sensuous eating experience
remains, but this is merged with a consciousness of how
ingredients are produced, compassion for animals and the
planet, and an awareness of the effect of what we eat on our total wellbeing.
I asked chefs from Australia, New Zealand, the west coast of the USA, and Europe to share their
recipes so you can see that the creation of top-quality vegan desserts is not confined to the stainless-steel
enclaves of international chefs, but can happen in your kitchen. This is by no means a comprehensive
survey of vegan and vegetarian eating establishments. I’d love to include more next time, so please send
your recommendations to lisa@divinevegan.com.
the quality of food

If you believe, as I do, that your health and wellbeing are dependent on the food you eat and your
relationship to it, then good food should not be a luxury but a priority.
By good food I mean beautiful, inspiring food straight from nature. Food that comes off trees or out
of the ground. Food as close to its original state as possible, uncontaminated by pesticides. Fresh fruits,
vegetables, herbs, spices, beans, nuts, seeds, wholegrains, cold-pressed, unrefined oils and natural
sweeteners. If the majority of your diet consists of these foods, you will be supporting your body to
become optimally healthy.
When I buy food, I look for good quality produce that is:
• seasonal
• local
• organic
• fairtrade
5
Seasonal food is fresh. It hasn’t been picked green, stored for months and then artificially gas-ripened.
Eating seasonally means eating lighter foods such as melon and cucumber in summer; more warming
foods such as pumpkins and potatoes in autumn. Seasonal food tastes better because natural ripening
allows the flavours in the food to develop.
Local food is grown in your region. Buying local produce supports your local economy, even more so if you
choose to shop at farmers’ markets and food co-ops instead of supermarkets. It also significantly reduces
food miles, the number of miles food has to travel from where it is produced to where it is consumed.
This reduces your carbon footprint.
Organic food is grown without the aid of artificial fertilisers, pesticides

and herbicides or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Soil fertility
is managed naturally and the long-term sustainability of the land is a
high priority. It has been found that pesticides and herbicides from
conventionally grown food can cause long-term health problems. Organic
food is also more nutritious – recent studies in Europe show that organic
food has higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants than conventionally
grown food.
Fairtrade is an internationally agreed standard that aims to create a fairer

international trading system. Small-scale farmers are often marginalised
and disempowered by big business. Fairtrade helps them to have more of
a say in the trade of their produce. Farmers and workers benefit because
they are guaranteed longer-term trade relationships and fair prices. They
receive technical training, help with business development and better
health care and education. Fairtrade standards also help the environment
by encouraging sustainable agricultural practices such as organic farming.
6
key
ingredients
in vegan
baking
non-dairy milks
Cows’ milk is for baby cows. It isn’t intended for humans and there is
a wealth of research to show that, contrary to popular belief, it is not a
wholesome nutrient but actually detrimental to our good health. (The Milk
Imperative by Russell Eaton is a good starting point.)
While we have all grown up being told that dairy products are essential to
the development of healthy teeth and bones, this is not the case. It is easier
for our bodies to obtain the calcium we need from broccoli, dark leafy greens,
nuts, seeds and soy beans. A study in 2001 found that high animal protein
intake may actually lead to increased bone loss and a higher risk of fractures
(A high ratio of dietary animal to vegetable protein increases the rate of
bone loss and the risk of fracture in postmenopausal women, Sellmeyer et al.
American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2001). To promote good bone health
and prevent osteoporosis you need a balanced intake of protein, calcium,
potassium and sodium, all available in a vegan diet.
7
There are many options for replacing cows’ milk. Soy milk is the most commonly used substitute
because it replaces the protein and fat found in dairy milk and provides the associated creaminess. Use
a really good brand of soy milk for your dessert baking; one with creaminess but not the intrusive beany
flavor. Look for a brand that doesn’t contain added sweeteners or oil. And try to get one made from
organic soy beans that have not been genetically modified.
Rice or oat milks work well in most recipes and are also widely available. Coconut milk can be used but
has a characteristic flavour, which works in some dishes but not others.
You can also quite easily make your own nut and seed milks. Almost any kind of nut or seed can be
used. Try almonds, brazils, cashews, hazelnuts, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds.
Make your own nut or seed milks

1. Take 1 cup any nut or seeds and soak overnight in filtered water.
2. Drain the water and place nuts or seeds in a blender.
3. Add 3 cups filtered water and blend until the nuts or seeds are as fine as possible.
4. Place a large piece of cheesecloth or muslin in a sieve over a large bowl.
5. Pour the blended mixture into the cloth-lined sieve and allow most of the liquid to drain through.
6. Here is the fun part! Wash your hands thoroughly or get food preparation gloves, and wear an apron. Gather up
the edges of the cloth, twist the top and squeeze the bag with your hands to extract the rest of the liquid. Keep
squeezing until all you have left is a bag of dryish nut fibre. You can use this as an addition to stews, pie fillings,
cake mixtures or raw biscuits. Store it in the fridge.
7. If you wish to sweeten the milk, add vanilla, a little stevia or agave.
8. Bottle and store in the fridge. Use as fresh milk.
egg replacers
Eggs fulfil a variety of functions in baking so the replacer you choose will depend on the job it needs to do.
• Raising: baking powder, or a bicarbonate of soda/vinegar combination work extremely well, and I use
one or both in most of my cakes.
• Binding and adding moisture: use apple sauce, sweet potato or pumpkin puree. Silken tofu and soy yogurt
are good for adding moisture without a strong flavour. Ground flax seed or chia seed and water makes a
gooey slop which is an excellent binder. Proprietary brands of egg replacer, such as No-Egg in Australia and
Europe or Ener-G in the USA, work well to bind ingredients but don’t add much nutritional value to a recipe.
• Increasing the protein content of a dish, as well as binding: use soy or chickpea (besan) flour.
8
sugar and other sweeteners
Sugar is, as everyone knows, a delicious, but unnecessary addition to our diet. It is bad for our teeth, plays
havoc with our blood sugar levels and has been linked to a variety of more serious health conditions such
as mental health problems, gallstones and diabetes. In 2005, the per capita consumption of refined sugar
in Australia was 50.8 kg – that’s 140 g (¾ cup) per person every day.
The World Health Association recommends we eat no more than 48 g (12 teaspoons) a day. The
American Heart Association would like it to be closer to 25 g (6 teaspoons) for women and 38 g
(9 teaspoons) for men. Based on these guidelines, I have marked as ‘low sugar’ any dessert which
contains less than 12 g (3 teaspoons) refined sugar per serving, which is still half of the lowest of these
recommendations. Most of the other recipes use less sugar than their conventional equivalents. You can
work out the sugar content by dividing the total grams of sugar by the number of servings – don’t forget
that ingredients such as agave nectar and maple syrup are also sugars, and that chocolate contains about
30 per cent sugar. You could choose a smaller serving of a higher sugar recipe if you want to keep your
sugar intake low.
Refined sugars are often produced with the aid of bone char, so are not vegan. You may wish to contact
your supplier to find out if this is the case. Sugar Australia, who manufacture the CSR brand, do not use
any animal products in their refining process, and are vegan and kosher certified. This is not the case with
all refineries in the USA.
Glycemic Index (GI)

The GI value refers to the glycemic index of a sweetener, how quickly it releases its glucose. A lower value means a
slower, steadier release, less likely to result in large blood sugar fluctuations.
Low GI 55 or less
Medium GI 56–69
High GI 70 or more
These categories depend on you and your sensitivity, for example if you are diabetic or insulin resistant you would need
a lower GI than others. Your best indicator is how you feel after consuming different sweeteners.
9
types of sugar and sweetener
When a recipe states sugar your alternatives are:
• light raw cane sugar – includes some nutrients, GI 65

• white sugar – highly refined, no nutrients, GI 80
• maple sugar – what is left after making maple syrup, twice as sweet as sugar, GI 54
• date sugar – dehydrated ground dates, whole food so valuable source of nutrients, about 30% sweeter
than sugar, won’t melt, GI 30–60
• fructose/fruit sugar – refined fruit sugar, no nutrients, G1 17–25
• any of the brown sugars below.
When a recipe states brown sugar your alternatives are:

• evaporated cane juice/rapadura sugar/sucanat – dehydrated sugar cane juice, minimally processed,
good flavour, contains many nutrients, GI 55
• unrefined coconut palm sugar – dehydrated palm flower sap,
described by the World Health Organisation as ‘the most
sustainable sweetener in the world’ as it is collected from a
natural forest environment, without damage to the ecosystem,
high in vitamins B and C, zinc, magnesium, potassium and
iron, GI 35
• jaggery – unrefined sugar which can be made from palm sap
or sugarcane juice, similar to both palm sugar and evaporated
cane juice but has a unique and delicious flavour, considered
to be of great medicinal benefit in Ayurvedic medicine,
GI 35–55, depending on source
• muscovado/turbinado/dark raw cane sugar – similar types of
sugar made from partially refined sugar cane, good flavour,
moist, retain some nutrients, GI 65
• brown sugar – white sugar with molasses added to give colour
and flavour, GI 80.
10
When a recipe states icing sugar your alternatives are:
(icing sugar is also known as confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar)
• unrefined icing sugar – raw sugar ground more finely, will add a light brown colour and slight molasses
flavour, if you can’t get this, you can grind your own raw sugar or evaporated cane juice in a coffee
grinder, GI 65
• white refined icing sugar – smooth and white, good for icing but no nutrients, GI 80.
When a recipe states maple syrup or agave nectar your alternatives are:
• agave nectar – produced from the agave plant, 25–30% sweeter than sugar, retains some nutrients,
good vegan alternative to honey, low GI 10–30
• maple syrup – made from the sap of maple trees, about 60% as sweet as sugar, delicious but distinctive
flavour, GI 54
• concentrated fruit juice – typically apple or grape, made by boiling fruit juice until reduced to a syrup,
GI n/a (but closer to refined sugars than fruit purees)
• brown rice syrup – made from cultured brown rice, about 50% as sweet as sugar, GI 25
• barley malt syrup – produced from sprouted barley, many nutrients, strong malty taste, about 50% as
sweet as sugar, best combined with other sweeteners, GI 42
• fruit purees – whole foods, many nutrients, low GI (apple 40, prune 30, date 30–60)
• honey (see below) – can be 25–50% sweeter than sugar, GI 30 (raw), 75 (refined)
• golden syrup or corn syrup – highly refined sweeteners, good viscosity and flavour, GI 63 (golden
syrup), 75 (corn syrup).
Honey
Honey is produced by bees, and is therefore something that vegans do not usually eat. However, I believe that when
choosing what to eat you need to follow your heart, and my heart tells me that sharing raw, unprocessed honey with
bees kept by small-scale, local beekeepers who tend their bees lovingly and with respect is not a bad thing.
Raw, local honey is rich in nutrients, has many medicinal qualities and racks up few food miles. I find it difficult to
choose agave nectar or maple syrup – which has often been heated and refined, bottled thousands of miles away and
transported by plane and truck – over raw, local honey.
But, as this is a vegan book, I have assumed that people would generally not choose honey, and I have usually
suggested agave nectar or maple syrup instead. One exception is panforte (p. 180). Honey is a traditional ingredient in
this recipe, and I have offered it as an option. If you are convinced by my argument, and have access to a local source
of good, raw honey, feel free to substitute it for any of the wet sweeteners in this book, remembering that it can be a
lot sweeter than sugar so you may need to use less than other syrups and nectars.
11
Other sweeteners
• stevia – not an artificial sweetener, but an extract from a herb which is 200–300 times sweeter than
sugar, considered to be the only safe and natural sweetener on the market, slight aftertaste, GI 1
• artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin) – highly refined, no nutritional value, studies
suggest health risks associated with these chemicals (such as an increased risk of stomach cancer),
these sweeteners do not affect blood sugar so do not have a GI value
• sugar alcohols (xylitol, maltitol, sorbitol, isomalt, etc.) – highly refined sweeteners made from plant
fibres, low in kilojoules compared to sugar, very low glycemic index so often marketed to diabetics,
excessive consumption can cause bloating, flatulence and diarrhoea, GI 1–7.
grains
Without a doubt, whole grains are best. They contain fibre, antioxidants, iron, magnesium, vitamin E and
the B group vitamins. Eating whole grains can reduce your risk of stroke, type 2 diabetes, heart disease,
asthma, bowel cancer and high blood pressure. And they taste great! Cakes, biscuits and pastries made
with wholemeal flour have a nutty flavour and a rich texture. They fill you up more, so you don’t need to
eat as much.
Sometimes a recipe calls for a lighter texture and, in this case, I use unbleached, organic flour. I never
bother buying self-raising flour as you can always make it by adding baking powder to plain flour. Just add
two teaspoons to each cup of flour (140 g wholemeal or 160 g white flour) and sift well.
Flours that are gluten free include buckwheat, amaranth, millet, quinoa, sorghum, rice, tapioca, maize
meal, cornflour, potato starch and chickpea (besan) flour. If you want to use gluten free flour, why not make
up your own mixes rather than relying on the highly refined, very ‘white’ gluten free flours you can buy
commercially? Do read up on their properties, however, as each flour is different. Remember to balance
the starchy, binding flours (cornflour, tapioca and potato starch) with the ones with a bit more flavour or
nutritional value (buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa, maize meal, sorghum, chickpea and rice flour). Try
the mixes I have suggested on p. 45 and p. 85, but feel free to experiment with your own.
fats and oils

In my recipes, I have not been too specific about what kind of fat or oil to use. I tend to list either ‘light
oil’ or ‘dairy-free spread’. But which oil or dairy-free spread should you choose? If you want to make the
healthiest choice it helps to understand a bit about different types of fat.
Depending on their molecular structure, fats and oils are grouped into three categories: saturated,
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Fat molecules are made up of carbon, hydrogen and
12
oxygen atoms, joined together by bonds. The saturated fats have all their bonds used up, they are
full – ‘saturated’. The unsaturated fats have spaces where extra atoms could go, they are not full –
‘unsaturated’.
Saturated fats include animal fats and vegetable fats that are solid at room temperature, like coconut oil
and palm oil. It used to be thought that all saturated fats raised ‘bad’ cholesterol (LDL) and lowered ‘good’
cholesterol (HDL), which could lead to heart disease. New research suggests that only animal fats do this
and that the vegetable saturated fats, like coconut oil, may, in fact, confer a range of health benefits.
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found

in plant foods like olive, sunflower, safflower and soybean
oils, avocadoes, nuts and seeds. They have slightly
different molecular structures but it is thought that
they both help increase HDL cholesterol and lower LDL
cholesterol and therefore help prevent heart disease.
Choosing fats and oils

• Animal fats are saturated and can lead to heart disease.
• Most vegetable fats are unsaturated and help to maintain a
healthy heart.
• Even the vegetable fats that are saturated (coconut and palm) offer health benefits.
• Hydrogenated fats contain trans fats which pose a health risk.
• When using oil, choose a good quality, light-flavoured oil such as rice bran, sunflower or canola. Try to find a brand
that is GM free.
• When using dairy-free spread, look for a brand that is not hydrogenated and contains no trans fats.
Hydrogenation is a chemical process where extra hydrogen atoms are attached onto the molecules
in unsaturated vegetable oils. They become ‘saturated’ with hydrogen. This has the effect of making
the oils solid at room temperature, which is useful for manufacturers who want to make ‘short’ pastries,
solid spreads or creamy icings more cheaply than if they used animal fats or good quality vegetable
oils. Hydrogenation also increases the shelf life of products, which is great for manufacturers, but not for
our health.
13
A result of hydrogenation is the formation of trans fat, which greatly increases the risk of heart disease.
Indeed, trans fats are considered so damaging to health that some countries and regions have banned
their use.
If you want to avoid hydrogenated fat, stay away from anything that mentions ‘hydrogenated’, ‘partially
hydrogenated’, ‘vegetable shortening’ or ‘trans fats’, on the label. Better still, do your own baking, using a
good quality vegetable oil or non-hydrogenated dairy-free spread.
thickeners
Arrowroot, cornflour, agar, kuzu, psyllium and lecithin are all products which can be used as a substitute for
eggs and gelatine to thicken or gel a vegan dessert.
Arrowroot (tapioca flour) is a gluten free flour which dissolves easily and thickens without becoming
cloudy. For this reason it is really good for thickening fruit purees as it will not alter the colour of the fruit.
Cornflour (cornstarch) can be gluten free but some varieties have wheat added so check the label.
Both cornflour and arrowroot need to be dissolved in a little liquid first and mixed to a paste before
adding to a hot liquid, then simmered for a few minutes to thicken and cook the flour. Both flours thicken
easily without clumping.
Kuzu (kudzu) is made from the root of a Japanese plant similar to arrowroot. Kuzu thickens without flavour
and gives a glossy, clear texture, and is said to have health benefits such as reducing blood pressure and
helping with poor digestion. Use kuzu in a ratio of one part powder to five parts liquid. Mix to a paste with
water, add to liquid and simmer until thick, whisking all the time.
Agar is a Japanese product made from seaweed used as a gelling agent. Very little is needed to produce
a clear, good textured jelly but it is important to get the proportions of agar and liquid correct or the
result could be a brick-like texture! I have experimented with agar flakes, sticks and powder and I find
the powder easiest to control. The best ratio is one to two teaspoons of agar powder to one litre liquid.
Sprinkle the agar on cold liquid and leave to soak for 15 minutes. Then heat the liquid and bring to the
boil. Simmer for 15 minutes – the mixture may not visibly thicken, but do not worry, it will do so on cooling.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Psyllium comes from the seeds of the plantago plant. Psyllium husks are often used to add fibre to a diet
and can also help to lower LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol. If you grind psyllium husks to a powder in a coffee
grinder they can be added raw to a liquid to help thicken it. This makes them especially useful in raw
food preparation.
14
Lecithin is found naturally in soybeans, vegetable oils, nuts, seeds and eggs. It contains phosphatidyl
choline, inositol and Omega 3 essential fatty acids. Lecithin can lower cholesterol, disperse long-term fat
stores in the body and improve memory and brain function. You can buy lecithin in granule form, derived
from soybeans. If you grind the granules in a coffee grinder the powder can be added to creams and
ice‑creams to give a thicker texture and a creamy mouthfeel.
nuts
Nuts are best consumed raw, as cooking can
destroy nutrients. Nuts are seeds so have the
potential to grow into a new plant. However, they
contain enzyme inhibitors which prevent the nut
sprouting until conditions are right. When it rains
and the nut becomes saturated with water the
enzyme inhibitors are destroyed and the nut can
germinate. Mimicking this natural process, by
soaking nuts for a few hours or overnight before
using them, softens the nut and neutralises the
enzyme inhibitors which can make the nuts easier
to digest.
Roasting nuts
Although it is preferable to eat nuts raw, the flavour of roasted nuts is very special, and if they are going to be used in
a cooked dessert anyway, you may as well do it.
To roast pecans, cashews or macadamias: place in a single layer on a baking tray in an oven set at about 170°C/325°F/
Gas 3 for 7–10 minutes until they look slightly browned and smell delicious.
To roast almonds: soak raw almonds in a bowl of boiling water for 5–10 minutes. Strain the almonds, then squeeze each
one to pop the almond out of its skin. If it doesn’t come out easily, soak in boiling water for a little longer. Leave the
nuts to dry, then brown the almonds in the oven, as above.
To roast hazelnuts: place in a single layer on a baking tray in an oven set at about 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 for 7–10
minutes, then remove and pour onto a clean tea towel. Gather up the edges of the tea towel and rub the nuts briskly
through the towel, until the skins rub off. Remove the nuts and empty the skins by shaking the tea towel outside.
15
chocolate, cacao and carob
Yes, vegans can each chocolate! Good quality dark chocolate does not usually contain dairy products, but
you do need to check the label. I have to confess to being a chocoholic. I love the stuff and, if possible, like
to have some every day. But I am a discerning chocoholic. I only eat quality chocolate with 60–70% cocoa
solids. And I don’t gorge, I might have 20 or 30 g at a time. At these levels, I consider chocolate to be a
health supplement.
Chocolate contains essential minerals like magnesium, potassium, copper and iron; phenylethylamine,
the chemical produced when we are in love; anandamide, the bliss chemical; and bucketloads of
antioxidants which mop up free radicals in our bodies and prevent disease.
Yes, it does also contain caffeine and its milder cousin,
theobromine, chemicals which increase our focus and alertness
but are often followed by a ‘down’ an hour or two later. However,
the levels of caffeine in chocolate are much smaller than those in
coffee and tea.
Cocoa powder is processed using heat and solvents which
destroys many of the nutrients and antioxidants. Raw cacao, on
the other hand, is cold pressed without solvents from the natural
cocoa beans, then milled into powder. Raw cacao has all the same
great nutrients as chocolate but loads more, as none have been
destroyed during processing. It has approximately four times as
many antioxidants as ordinary cocoa – scoring the highest level of
all foods. This is why raw cacao has been hailed as a superfood.
Of course, raw cacao still contains theobromine and caffeine but some studies show the effects of these
chemicals are less severe with raw cacao than chocolate.
Eating chocolate, raw cacao powder or whole cacao beans can certainly produce feelings of energy
and wellbeing, and may also have long-term health benefits. However, as with all things, moderation is
the key. Only you can judge the effects on your body of eating chocolate and cacao. If you feel jittery and
can’t sleep afterwards then maybe you should limit your intake or cut it out of your diet, perhaps replacing
it with carob. But if you eat moderate amounts of chocolate, feel great, and don’t suffer any ill effects, then
I urge you to take your pleasure guiltlessly.
Please do think, however, about buying fairtrade chocolate and cocoa. Human rights abuses abound in
the chocolate industry. We know that forced and abusive labour, including thousands of children, has been
used in West African cocoa farms for years and yet companies are slow to act. Only chocolate and cocoa
16
marked ‘fairtrade’ can guarantee that this does not occur. With fairtrade chocolate, forced and abusive
child labour are prohibited, farmers receive a price for their cocoa that meets their basic needs and
environmentally sustainable production methods are encouraged.
Carob is often used as an alternative to chocolate. Carob has a pleasant, smoky flavour which is a
little, but not much, like chocolate. It is sweeter than chocolate, contains no caffeine or theobromine and
supplies a variety of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, B, B2, B3 and D, calcium, phosphorus,
potassium and magnesium, iron, manganese, barium, copper and nickel.
flavourings and colourings

I don’t recommend artificial flavourings or colourings. In general I prefer to use natural foods to add
flavour. But it is convenient to have a range of little bottles in your cupboard to enhance your baking. It is
now possible to find natural and organic extracts such as vanilla, peppermint, orange, lemon and coffee
flavourings, and natural food colourings.
Vanilla
The best flavour comes from fresh vanilla beans (see box below for how to use them), but they can be
expensive so I tend to save them for dishes where the flavour really comes through, like vanilla ice-cream
and raw desserts. In some places it is possible to buy vanilla powder which is made from dehydrated,
ground vanilla beans. When buying vanilla in a bottle, check the label and try to avoid brands that contain
imitation vanilla, flavour, propylene glycol or preservative.
To scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean

1. Make a slit all the way down the bean with the tip of a sharp knife.
2. Open up the bean and lay it flat on a chopping board.
3. Using the flat blade of the knife, scrape from one end to the other,
collecting all the sticky beans.
4. Add the beans to the liquid in your dish.
5. Use the empty pod to flavour icing sugar or agave nectar, just
poke it in the jar, submerging the bean under the sugar or nectar.
17
Peppermint
The recipe for peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream (p. 144) gives a method for shocking fresh peppermint
to extract its flavour and colour. This method could be adapted to any recipe, by blending the shocked
peppermint with whatever liquid you are using, and straining. This can be a bit time-consuming, but gives
great results. As with vanilla, if buying essence, check the label for artificial additives.
Coffee
When a recipe suggests ‘coffee essence’, I prefer to brew some double-strength coffee, decaf coffee or
coffee substitute, using a tablespoon of that instead of a teaspoon of essence. If this is likely to make the
mixture too runny, reduce the other liquid in the recipe.
To make double-strength coffee or coffee substitute

Make a cup of coffee or coffee substitute in your usual way, using twice the amount of ground coffee or instant
granules in the same amount of water. Cool and use as directed in recipe. This gives a nice strong coffee flavour
without needing to use artificial coffee flavouring.
Orange, lemon, lime

When a recipe suggests citrus essence, I use the zest of the whole fruit plus the juice of half a fruit instead
of a teaspoon of essence, reducing the other liquid in the recipe if necessary. As with vanilla, if buying
essence, check the label for artificial additives.
Colours
For me the best colour in the world is rich chocolatey brown – and you don’t need colouring for that, just
the real, dark thing. But I know some of you out there like to spruce up your ice-creams and frostings with
a hint of colour. Maybe you can get hold of natural food colours where you live, but here are some ideas
for doing it naturally.
• yellow/orange – a small pinch of turmeric

• red/pink – cherry, pomegranate or fresh beetroot juice
• blue/purple – blueberry juice
• green – a pinch of spirulina, or mint (see peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream, p. 144).
salt
Last, but not least, the humble but essential salt. It is strange, but a little salt works wonders for a sweet
dish. I usually include anything from a pinch to half a teaspoon in my recipes. I like to use Himalayan Pink
Salt, a pure, hand-mined salt that contains over 80 natural minerals. Celtic sea salt is a good alternative.
18
the art of
baking
Some cooking allows you to be spontaneous and inventive: soups, stews,
sauces and curries, for example. You can sniff, taste, add a bit more of this
or that, change the whole thing every time depending on your mood and
what’s in the fridge.
Baking is not like this. Believe me, I have munched my way through
enough of my daughters’ baking ‘inventions’ to know this. You can be
creative in baking but you will probably have to test your attempts several
times to get one that works. Many of the recipes in this book were born
this way. I had a great idea, tried it, it was a disaster. I tweaked and
changed things and had a couple more tries until finally it was just right.
It takes dedication to make up dessert recipes from scratch.
So when you are making a dessert, at least for the first few times, you
should probably stick to the recipe as it is written.
I don’t want to inhibit your creativity, however, and once you know a
few basic techniques you can experiment with variations. For example,
once you know how to make ice-cream, there are no end of flavour
combinations you could come up with. The same goes for biscuits, cakes,
crumbles, tarts and muffins. Stick to a basic recipe you know works and
stamp your signature on it.
19
Tips for successful baking
l Read the recipe all the way through
first.
l Preheat oven – check your oven

temperature with a thermometer.
l Use recommended or similar size pan.
l Grease and line pans if recommended.
l Choose one set of measurements –

cups or grams – and stick to it
throughout the recipe. Teaspoon and
tablespoon measurements can be
used for both methods.
l Use accurate measuring equipment; measuring spoons rather than a normal teaspoon
and well-calibrated measuring cups and jugs.
l If using scales, find some that measure down to 5 g. Digital scales are great,
and can measure to 1 or 2 g, but they are expensive and use a lot of batteries.
The old-fashioned sort your grandma used to have, with little weights, are excellent
if you can get hold of some.
l When filling cups, level them with a flat knife, don’t shake or bang the cup to settle
the ingredients.
l When measuring liquids in a jug, read the measurement at eye level.
l Don’t panic – if it all goes wrong you’ll probably still be able to eat it, and you might
have invented something amazing!
key
Everything in this book is free from animal ingredients: no eggs, no dairy, no gelatine or any other animal
additives.
In addition, many of the recipes are suitable for people following gluten free, wheat free, raw, low sugar
and nut free diets. Each recipe is coded, and here is a full list.
GF gluten free
WF wheat free
R raw
LS low sugar
NF nut free
Do be careful when using processed ingredients, for example, soy milk, baking powder, icing sugar,
cornflour, etc. Many products contain added sugars and gluten-containing ingredients, and cannot
guarantee they are nut free. Check the labelling carefully and, if you are in any doubt, contact the
manufacturer for more information.
A note regarding tablespoon measurements

In this edition of Divine Vegan Desserts, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml.
21
chapter one
cakes
‘How can you make a cake without eggs and butter?’
I can’t remember how many times I’ve been asked this question. The
answer, of course, is ‘Easy!’ In fact, vegan cakes are much easier to
make than their dairy and egg counterparts. There’s no time-consuming
creaming of butter that you forgot to take out of the fridge, or adding
eggs little by little in case they curdle. In general a vegan cake is simply a
matter of mixing all the wet and dry ingredients together separately, then
combining the two and popping them in the oven.
In conventional recipes, butter adds flavour and moisture to a cake.
Instead of butter, vegan cakes often use a clean-tasting oil, such as rice
bran, sunflower or canola. Oil is easier to use, it mixes well with the other
wet ingredients, like soy milk and vanilla. Dairy-free spread (preferably
one without hydrogenated fat, colours or preservatives) can also be used,
creamed as in a traditional cake recipe, and adds a little more flavour and
moisture than oil. Lower fat cakes can be made with some or all of the oil
replaced by nut butters or fruit purees.
Traditionally, eggs add moisture and act as a raising agent in cakes.
Vegan cakes are kept moist by the oils, milks and fruits added to the
recipe. Baking powder, bicarbonate of soda or a mixture of the two works
well as a raising agent. If bicarbonate of soda is used, a little acid needs
to be included, such as apple cider vinegar or citrus juice. This acid reacts
with the alkaline soda and creates an instant ‘whoosh’. For this reason,
the wet ingredients (including the acid) should be mixed with the dry
ingredients (including the soda) at the last minute and put in the oven
immediately, so that all the little air bubbles created by the ‘whoosh’ can
be captured and baked.
22
Tips for a successful cake
l Choose the right pan for the job and grease and/or line it according to instructions.
l Preheat the oven and assemble all your ingredients before mixing.
l Combine the wet and dry ingredients separately, then mix the two together at the last
minute before putting them in the oven.
l Pour batter into prepared pans and level by tilting from side to side if the batter is
runny, or gently smoothing with a palette knife or the back of a spoon if the batter is
thicker. Put in the oven immediately.
l Set the timer for the minimum time specified. Don’t open the door before this time is up
as the air bubbles won’t be set and the cake will collapse.
l After the minimum time has elapsed, check your cake. Have ready a wooden or metal
skewer or toothpick, open the oven door and pull out the oven tray. If the cake has
shrunk slightly away from the sides of the tin and bounces back when you press gently
on top, it’s ready. If you’re not sure, poke the skewer right into the centre of the cake.
If it comes out with bits of wet cake mix stuck to it, give it another five minutes and
try again. When the cake is cooked the skewer will come out clean or slightly oily.
l If the skewer is coming out sticky but the surface of the cake looks too brown or the
sides are shrinking too far from the sides of the pan, the oven is probably set too high.
Cover the cake with foil and cook it for a few more minutes. Remember next time you
make this cake to reduce the temperature by ten degrees.
l When you remove the cake from the oven, stand the tin on a wire cooling rack for
between five and twenty minutes, then slide a palette knife around the edges of the
cake and turn out on to the rack to finish cooling. Some cakes are cooled in the pan.
l Keep the cake in an airtight box and, if iced, in the refrigerator. Most cakes keep for
two to three days. Fruit cake and chocolate torte keep longer.
I used to live in rural Lancashire in the northwest of England where, if
Real Food Daily

Los Angeles
you went to a restaurant asking for a vegan meal, they asked, ‘What’s a
vegan?’, looked at you as if you were barking mad when you told them
and, if you were lucky, offered you a salad.
When I first visited Los Angeles in 2004 and discovered Real Food
Daily, I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. A menu, pages long, filled
with amazing, tasty vegan dishes and, an added bonus, all organic. When
I returned in 2009 they had extended their restaurant and added a bakery.
Heaven just got better. Rows and rows of delectable pastries, cookies
and cakes of the sort a vegan believes they are never going to have the
opportunity to eat. My two daughters and I shared five desserts – for
breakfast! But we didn’t need to feel guilty for, as well as being organic,
the dishes contained healthy ingredients such as barley flour and natural
sweeteners like maple syrup, agave nectar and fruit juices.
Ann Gentry, the creator of Real Food Daily, is a passionate food
educator who has been working to raise the profile of vegan cooking in
the USA for 25 years. As well as running Real Food Daily at two locations
and constantly developing new recipes for the restaurant, Ann has written
The Real Food Daily Cookbook and Vegan Family Meals. She frequently
appears on television as an expert on vegan and organic cuisine.
The food at Real Food Daily is prepared using high quality organic
produce and ingredients, and nearly everything is made from scratch.
They use no meat, fish, fowl, dairy, eggs, butter, cholesterol, saturated fats
from animals or animal by-products. Dishes are cooked with fresh herbs,
spices, and sea salt, and condiments prepared in-house add a variety of
gourmet flavours. Real Food Daily draws on Eastern health philosophies
Real Food Daily
514 Santa Monica Boulevard
and Western nutritional recommendations, giving optimal nutrition and
Santa Monica energy as well as a delicious taste experience.
USA
Tel: 310 451 7544
Real Food Daily

414 N. La Cienega Boulevard
Los Angeles
USA
Tel: 310 289 9910
www.realfooddaily.com
24
25
26
Real Food Daily double chocolate WF
layer cake with raspberry puree*
This cake is moist and delicious – not too sweet, but rich and chocolatey. The raspberry
flavour complements the chocolate beautifully. If you haven’t got time to make the puree,
just serve with fresh raspberries. You can use this sponge recipe as the basis for any
chocolate cake or cupcake.
Grease and line the base of two 23 cm (9") pans with 4 cm (1½") high sides. Serves 12
For the cake, sift the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of Cake
soda, and salt into a large bowl. Whisk the soy milk, maple syrup, oil, vanilla and vinegar 3 cups (450 g) barley flour
in another bowl. Mix the wet and dry ingredients until just blended. Pour the batter into ¾ cup (90 g) cocoa
the prepared pans, dividing equally. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted ¼ cup (30 g) instant decaffeinated
into the centre of each cake comes out clean and the cakes begin to pull away from the coffee (or coffee substitute
sides of the pans. Cool in the pans on a metal cooling rack for 20 minutes. Turn out the powder)
cakes onto the rack and cool completely. 1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
For the frosting, melt the chocolate chips in a bain-marie (see box below). Blend the
1 teaspoon sea salt
tofu, cocoa, agave nectar and vanilla in a food processor until smooth and creamy. Add
2 cups (500 ml) soy milk
the melted chocolate to the tofu mixture and blend well, scraping down the sides of the
1½ cups (375 ml) maple syrup
bowl with a spatula if needed. Transfer the frosting to a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for
¾ cup (180 ml) light oil,
about an hour, or until just firm enough to spread.
e.g. sunflower
For the raspberry puree, combine the water and agar powder in a heavy saucepan and 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
soak for 15 minutes. Bring to a simmer over high heat and then decrease the heat to 3 teaspoons cider vinegar
medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently. Transfer the mixture to a
Frosting
blender. Add the thawed raspberries and agave nectar and puree until smooth. Pour the
2 cups (400 g) chocolate chips
puree into a bowl and stir in the fresh raspberries. Cover and refrigerate until the puree
3 cups (720 g) firm silken tofu
is cold. Stir before serving.
1 cup (120 g) cocoa
To assemble: place 1 cake layer on a platter, spread with 1½ cups of frosting. Top with ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) agave nectar
the second cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting over the sides and top of the cake 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
using a spatula. Serve the cake with raspberry puree.
Raspberry puree
*Reprinted with permission from Ann Gentry, The Real Food Daily Cookbook: Really Fresh, Really Good, Really Vegetarian,
¾ cup (180 ml) water
Ten Speed Press, 2005.
¼ teaspoon agar powder
2 cups (200 g) frozen raspberries,
Melting chocolate thawed
It’s important to melt chocolate gently, ideally in a bain-marie – a glass or ceramic ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) agave nectar
bowl balanced over a small pan of gently simmering water. The bottom of the bowl 1 cup (100 g) fresh raspberries
should sit above the level of the simmering water, so that the heat from the steam
Oven 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
melts the chocolate. Be careful not to drop any water into the chocolate as it is
melting, otherwise it could ‘seize’, becoming stiff and granular.

27
coffee and walnut cake
This really is my favourite layer cake. Not as sweet as chocolate cake and with the lovely crunch of walnuts. I urge you to go the
extra mile for fairtrade organic coffee if you can. It makes a big difference to the coffee farmers and their families. It works just
as well with decaffeinated coffee or a coffee substitute. Just make sure you double the amount of coffee you would normally
use to get the strength of flavour you need for the cake.
Grease and line the base of two 20 cm (8") round cake tins. Serves 8–10
First, brew a cup of double-strength coffee or coffee substitute and leave to cool. In Cake
a small bowl or jug, whisk together the soy or rice milk and cider vinegar and leave 2 tablespoons (40 ml) double-
for a few minutes before whisking in the oil, vanilla extract and coffee. Sift the flour, strength coffee, cooled
bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar to the (see p. 18)
flour mixture. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together and beat until smooth. If mixture 1 cup (250 ml) soy or rice milk
is too dry, add a little more soy milk until the mixture drops easily off a spoon. Stir in the 3 teaspoons cider vinegar
chopped walnuts. Fill the two sandwich tins evenly. Bake for 25–30 minutes until the ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) light oil,
sponge comes away slightly from the side of the tin. Leave the cakes in the tins for five e.g. sunflower
minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. When cool, frost with coffee icing. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (280 g) wholemeal flour
For the icing, beat the spread, salt, half a cup of the icing sugar, vanilla extract and
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
one tablespoon of the coffee until light and fluffy. (If you don’t have a mixer, a food
1 teaspoon baking powder
processor will do the job, but the result will not be as fluffy.) Add the remaining icing
½ teaspoon salt
sugar, half a cup at a time, blending well after each addition. The icing should be
¾ cup (150 g) sugar
light, creamy and fluffy. If it is too firm, add a little more of the coffee and beat well.
½ cup (50 g) walnuts, chopped,
If it seems too runny, don’t add any more coffee, sift in a little more icing sugar and
plus 8 walnut halves to decorate
beat well.
Coffee icing
Spread half the icing between the cooled cake layers and cover the top of the cake with
½ cup (100 g) dairy-free spread
the remainder. Decorate with walnut halves.
pinch of salt
2 cups (320 g) icing sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1–2 tablespoons double-strength
coffee, cooled (see p. 18)
28
29
30
spiced carrot cake
Over the years this carrot cake has developed into the fine thing it is today. Moist, with just the right amount of spice. Wholesome,
with just the right amount of creamy sweet icing. I flavour mine with wattle seed, an Australian native spice with a rich nutty,
coffee-ish flavour. If you don’t have it, don’t stress. Why not try adding a spice from your neighbourhood, maybe five-spice,
coriander or even a tiny pinch of cayenne?
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm (9") loaf tin. Serves 10–12
For the cake, grate the carrots and soak the wattle seeds (if using). Soften the grated Cake
carrots in a large pan over a low heat for a few minutes, stirring every now and again. 2–3 medium (350 g) carrots, grated
Allow to cool. In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the soy or rice milk and cider ½ teaspoon wattle seed, soaked in
vinegar and leave for a few minutes, then add the oil and vanilla extract and whisk. Sift 1 tablespoon hot water (optional)
the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, spices and salt into a large bowl. Add 1 cup (250 ml) soy or rice milk
the sugar to the flour mixture. Stir in the carrots, chopped walnuts and sultanas. Add 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
the soaked wattle seeds to the soy milk mixture, then mix into the flour and beat until ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) light oil,
smooth. If mixture is too dry, add a little more soy milk until the mixture just drops off e.g. sunflower
a spoon. Fill the loaf tin and bake for 45–50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Leave the cake in the tin for 10–20 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack. 1 cup (140 g) wholemeal flour
1 cup (120 g) unbleached
For the icing, beat the spread, vanilla extract, salt and a quarter cup of icing sugar in a
white flour
mixer until light and fluffy. (If you don’t have a mixer, a food processor will do the job,
but the result will not be as fluffy.) Add three more quarter-cups of the icing sugar, a
quarter cup at a time, blending well after each addition. Add the cream cheese and
1½ teaspoons cinnamon
lemon zest and mix. Depending on how runny your cream cheese is, add a further ¼
½ teaspoon nutmeg
cup icing sugar and beat well. The icing should be light, creamy and fluffy. If it is too
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
firm, add more soy milk. If it is too runny, add a little more icing sugar. When you are
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
happy with the texture, taste the icing to see if you need to add a little more lemon zest
½ teaspoon salt
or salt. Spread the icing on top of the cooled cake.
²⁄³ cup (130 g) brown sugar
²⁄³ cup (70 g) walnuts, chopped
coarsely
¹⁄³ cup (55 g) sultanas or raisins
Vanilla cream-cheese icing

¼ cup (50 g) dairy-free spread
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
1–1¼ cups (140–175 g) icing sugar,
sifted
¼ cup (50 g) vegan cream cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest
31
squidgy fruit cake
‘Squidgy’ because the marzipan and fruits keep this cake sticky and moist all the way through. Be careful not to overcook this
cake or you’ll end up with ‘Dry fruit cake’ which isn’t nearly as nice. It gets better the longer it is kept so – if you can – wait a
few days before eating.
Line the base and sides of a 20 cm (8") deep, loose-based cake tin with a double layer Serves 10–12
of baking parchment, extending it about 5 cm (2") above the level of the pan.
1 pack (250 g) marzipan
The night before you make the cake, chop the marzipan into 1 cm (½") cubes and lay 1 cup (150 g) dried pears, chopped
on a baking tray or freezer box in a single layer. Freeze overnight. Place the chopped 1 cup (150 g) dried apricots,
apricots and pears in a large bowl with the sultanas and juice. Cover and leave to soak chopped
overnight. 1 cup (150 g) sultanas
In a small bowl or jug, gradually add the water to the flaxseeds or egg replacer and ½ cup (125 ml) orange juice
whisk until fluffy. Leave for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken. 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
(or if you don’t have them,
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Add the ground almonds, lemon 3 teaspoons egg replacer)
zest and sugar to the flour. Add the flaxseed mixture, oil and frozen marzipan to the ½ cup (125 ml) water
soaked fruit and mix well. Then add the flour and mix thoroughly. It should be a heavy 1½ cups (200 g) wholemeal or
mixture, hard to stir. You’ll know it’s right if, when you hold up a spoonful of mixture, it spelt flour
slowly drops off the spoon. If it seems too dry, add a little more orange juice to loosen it 1 teaspoon baking powder
a bit. Spoon into the baking tin and flatten down. ½ teaspoon salt
Bake for around 2 hours until cooked but not too dry. To test if the cake is ready, insert ¹⁄³ cup (45 g) ground almonds
a skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean, it’s cooked. If the cake starts to get too 1 teaspoon lemon zest
brown before it is cooked, cover with foil. When it’s done, remove from oven and stand ½ cup (100 g) firm-packed
the tin on a wire cooling rack to cool. When cool, remove the cake from the tin and brown sugar
wrap in parchment and foil to keep it moist. ½ cup (125 ml) light oil,
e.g. sunflower
1–2 tablespoons orange juice
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34
hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling*
If you don’t already have a copy of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero,
shame on you. As they have defined the vegan cupcake, there is simply no point in me trying to compete. So I asked Isa and
Terry if I could reproduce one of my favourites from their book. They gladly agreed to share. This recipe should convince you
to go immediately and buy a copy of their book.
Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Makes 12
For the cupcakes, grind the hazelnuts finely in a food processor or coffee grinder. Sift Cupcakes
the ground hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon, nutmeg ¹⁄³ cup (45 g) hazelnuts
and salt into a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk together the rice milk and ground 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (135 g)
flaxseeds. Add the oil, maple syrup, brown sugar and vanilla extract to the milk mixture unbleached white flour
and beat well. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing until smooth. Pour into 1 teaspoon baking powder
cupcake liners, filling them two-thirds full. Bake 22–24 minutes until a skewer inserted ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling. ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the mocha mousse filling, chop the chocolate and melt it in a bain-marie (see p. ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
27). Dissolve the coffee or substitute in a small amount of boiling water. In a food ½ teaspoon salt
processor, blend all the ingredients, except the chocolate, until very smooth. Then, ²⁄³ cup (160 ml) rice milk or nut milk
add the melted chocolate to the mixture and continue to blend, scraping down the 1 tablespoon ground flaxseeds
sides of the bowl with a spatula now and again. Transfer the mousse to a bowl and ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) light oil, e.g. sunflower
refrigerate for about an hour to firm up. ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
½ cup (100 g) brown sugar
TO DECORATE THE CAKES 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Prepare the chocolate ganache (p. 169) and chop the hazelnuts coarsely. Fit a piping Mocha mousse filling
bag with a wide nozzle and fill it with the mocha mousse filling. 1½ bars (150 g) chocolate
Use a finger to poke deep holes in the top of each cupcake. Fill each hole with as ²⁄³ cup (160 g) silken tofu
much mousse as you can. Remove any excess from the top of the cake. 2 tablespoons soy milk
1–2 tablespoons agave nectar or
Spread the ganache over the top of the cupcake and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts.
maple syrup, to taste
Chill in the fridge to set the ganache.
2 teaspoons instant coffee, or coffee
*Reprinted with permission from Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World, substitute
Marlowe & Company, 2006. 2 teaspoons hazelnut liqueur
(optional)
To Finish
½ batch chocolate ganache (p. 169)
½ cup (70 g) toasted hazelnuts
(see p. 15)
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chocolate torte GF NF
This is divine – a gluten free torte frosted with a creamy, chocolatey, not-too-sweet tofu frosting. Don’t expect the torte to rise
like a sponge, it’s moist and dense and will stay flat, or even sink a little. This isn’t a failure, just top with frosting, it will taste
wonderful. The torte will keep well in the refrigerator for up to three days, if you can leave it that long.
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm (9") round cake tin. Serves 6–8
To make the torte, sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt into Torte
a bowl. Add the sugar. In a food processor or blender combine the tofu, maple syrup, ¼ cup (35 g) cocoa
oil, vanilla and cider vinegar and mix thoroughly until creamy. Add the coffee and blend 1 cup (135 g) gluten free flour
again. Add this wet mixture to the bowl of sifted flour and whisk until smooth. Pour mix 1 (p. 45) or other gluten
batter into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20 minutes or until cake comes a little away free flour
from the sides of the tin. Cool in tin. When cool, invert onto a plate and peel off the ½ teaspoon baking powder
baking parchment. ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon salt
For the frosting, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27). In a food processor,
½ cup (100 g) sugar
blend the rest of the ingredients until very smooth. When the chocolate has melted add
½ cup (120 g) silken tofu
it to the mixture and blend, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula now and
¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
again. Transfer the mousse to a bowl and refrigerate for about an hour until it thickens.
¼ cup (60 ml) light oil,
Then spread a thick layer on top of the torte.
e.g. sunflower
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons double-strength
coffee (see p. 18)
Frosting
½ cup (120 g) silken tofu
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons soy or rice milk
1 bar (100 g) chocolate
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vitality cake GF LS
A version of this cake was introduced to me by a friend who called it ‘menopause cake’ as it contains so many beneficial
nutrients for women at that stage of life. I chose ‘vitality cake’ to focus on the positive health benefits of the ingredients for
women – and men – of all ages. This cake contains no added fat or sugars, only the healthy plant oils in nuts and seeds and
natural fruit sugars. Because of this it won’t keep as well as fruit cake, so best eaten within two to three days. Last time I made
it I was in a hurry and discovered that it is very tasty eaten while still warm.
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm (9") round cake tin, or 21 cm x 30 cm (9" x 12") Serves 12–16
rectangular tin.
Date Puree
To make the date puree, put the dates in a saucepan with the water and simmer for ten 2 cups (250 g) stoned, chopped
minutes or until meltingly soft. Cool then puree in a blender or food processor. dates
1¼ cups (300 ml) water
Sift the flour, baking powder, cocoa or carob powder and spices. Add the fruit, seeds
and nuts. Cake
1¼ cups (185 g) whole-wheat flour
Mix in the date puree and the lemon and orange juice. If it still seems a bit too stiff and
or gluten free flour mix 1 (p. 45)
dry, add a little soy or rice milk. Spread in the prepared pan and bake for about 1–1¼
hours until firm on top and a skewer comes out clean. Remove from oven and stand the
1 tablespoon cocoa or
tin on a wire rack. Once cool remove the cake from the tin and wrap in parchment and
carob powder
foil to keep moist.
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon mixed spice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
3½ cups (500 g) any dried fruit:
sultanas, raisins, chopped
apricots or prunes (if the fruit is
hard, soak for a couple of hours
in warm water)
½ cup (75 g) any seeds: sunflower,
sesame, linseed, pumpkin
½ cup (80 g) ground almonds or
other nuts
juice 1 orange and 1 lemon
39
black forest gateau GF LS R
Okay, this is probably not what you are expecting from a black forest gateau. Gluten free. Low sugar. Raw. But if there’s one
dessert that’s going to convince the wary that raw food can be decadent and delicious, this is it. Chocolate, cherries, cream,
macadamia fudge crumble crust . . . who could argue with that? It does take a bit of time to put together, but – for a celebratory
feast – is so worth it. There are lots of stages so read through the recipe carefully before you start, and remember to leave
enough time for soaking and chilling.
A couple of hours before you’re ready to start, soak the cashews for the cream and the Serves 12
hazelnuts for the filling. Then assemble all your ingredients in the order you’ll need them.
1 batch raw chocolate (p. 187)
I recommend making the chocolate, cashew cream and chocolate sauce first, then the
1 batch cashew cream (p. 167)
crumble crust and the hazelnut filling and finally assemble everything.
½ batch raw chocolate sauce (p. 170)
Mix up a batch of raw chocolate and spread it thinly on a tray lined with baking parchment. 1 cup (about 225 g) fresh black
Put in the freezer to set. Make the cashew cream and the raw chocolate sauce and chill. cherries, halved and pitted
For the macadamia fudge crumble crust, put the macadamias, cacao powder, carob 6–8 whole cherries, for decoration
powder, vanilla seeds and salt in a food processor and blend to crumbs. Add the dates Macadamia fudge crumble
and agave nectar and process until the mixture starts to come together in a ball. Divide crust
the mixture in two. Press half into the base of an 18 cm (7") loose-bottomed cake tin, 1½ cups (200 g) macadamias
with sides at least 10 cm (4") deep. Reserve the other half in the fridge. ¼ cup (30 g) cacao powder
For the chocolate-hazelnut mousse, first make the hazelnut milk. This isn’t as hard as it 2 tablespoons carob powder
sounds. Just blend the soaked hazelnuts with the water at high speed until the nuts are as seeds of 1 vanilla bean
fine as they will go. Then strain the mixture into a large jug or bowl through some muslin pinch of salt
or cheesecloth if you have it, or a fine sieve. Squeeze to get as much milk out as you can, ½ cup (100 g) medjool dates,
and discard the nut fibre. Put the cacao, carob, vanilla seeds, dates, maple syrup and chopped
salt in the blender, and add the hazelnut milk gradually as you blend. When the mixture 1 tablespoon agave nectar
is smooth and you have added all the milk, add the lecithin, coconut oil and psyllium Chocolate-hazelnut mousse
powder with the blender still running. Pour the mousse into the cake tin. Chill until set. 1 cup (140 g) hazelnuts, soaked
Spread the halved, pitted cherries over the top of the mousse, then pour the cashew 1½ cups (375 ml) water
cream over the cherries. Break the remaining macadamia fudge crumble crust into small ¼ cup (30 g) cacao powder
pieces with your fingers and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Drizzle the chocolate 2 tablespoons carob powder
sauce over the crumble. Break the raw chocolate into chunks and poke in the cake. seeds of 1 vanilla bean
Decorate with the whole cherries. Set in the freezer for at least an hour or chill in the ½ cup (100 g) medjool dates,
fridge overnight. chopped

When you are ready to serve, carefully push the base of the cake tin up. Depending on pinch of salt
the thickness of your mousse and cream, and how long you have left the gateau to chill, 1 tablespoon soy lecithin (see p. 14)
it may collapse a little as you remove the sleeve, but it won’t matter, it will taste divine. ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut oil
1 teaspoon psyllium powder
(see p. 14)
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42
three kinds of vanilla cake
basic
This is a foundation sponge which can be used for all kinds of recipes: cupcakes, layer cakes, loaf cakes, trifles or tiramisu. This
quantity will make 12 small cupcakes, one small (23 cm/9") loaf tin, (23 cm/9") round tin or (23 cm/9") square tin. Double the
quantity if you want a two-layer sandwich cake.
Grease and line pan with baking parchment. If using a muffin pan, line with 12 1½ cups (240 g) unbleached flour
paper liners. ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In a smaller
½ teaspoon salt
bowl, or large jug, mix the milk and cider vinegar and leave for a few minutes to thicken
1 cup (250 ml) soy milk
slightly. Whisk in the oil, sugar and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
and stir gently with a spatula to incorporate all the flour into the mixture. Pour the batter
¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) light oil,
into the tin and roll it gently to level the mixture.
e.g. sunflower
Bake according to the times given below until the cake has risen, turned golden and ²⁄³ cup (130 g) sugar
doesn’t wobble too much when you give it a little shake. Take the cake out of the oven 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
and check if it is done by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake – if it comes out
with sticky stuff on it, cook a little longer. Try not to overbake or the sponge will be dry
and the edges crispy! Cool in the pan for 5 to 10 minutes, then remove from pan and
cool on a wire rack.
Baking times
Cupcakes: 20–25 minutes.
23 cm (9") sandwich or square tin: 25–30 minutes.
23 cm (9") loaf tin: 35–40 minutes.
Options
Chocolate: substitute ¹⁄³ cup of the flour with cocoa.
Lemon: add the zest of one lemon to batter, replace vanilla with 1 tablespoon lemon
juice or ¼–½ teaspoon lemon extract.
Orange: add the zest of one orange to batter, replace vanilla with 1 tablespoon orange
juice or ¼–½ teaspoon orange extract.
Almond: substitute ½ cup of the flour with ground almonds, add ¼–½ teaspoon
almond extract.
43
wheat free WF
Here is a wheat free (but not gluten free) version of the basic vanilla sandwich. It is also soy free. This is a lighter, slightly drier,
less sweet version of the basic vanilla sandwich recipe – good for trifles and tiramisu, or for cupcakes or layer cakes with lots of
frosting. It has a more ‘wholemeal’ look and flavour, and is definitely more nutritious!
Grease and line pan with baking parchment. If using muffin pan, line with 12 paper liners. 2¼ cups (325 g) barley flour
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Sift the barley flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In
a smaller bowl, or large jug, mix the cider vinegar and milk. Rice milk won’t thicken like
½ teaspoon salt
soy milk, so you can whisk in the oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sugar straightaway.
3 teaspoons cider vinegar
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir gently with a spatula to incorporate all the
1 cup (250 ml) rice milk
flour into the mixture. Pour the batter into the tin and roll it gently to level the mixture.
Bake according to the times given on p. 43 until the cake has risen, turned golden and e.g. sunflower
doesn’t wobble too much when you give it a little shake. Take the cake out of the oven ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
and check if it is done by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake – if it comes out 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
with sticky stuff on it, cook a little longer. But try not to overbake or the sponge will be ½ cup (100 g) sugar
dry and the edges crispy! Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on
a wire rack.
Baking times and options as basic cake.
44
gluten free GF
Grease and line pan with baking parchment. If using muffin pan, line with 12 paper liners. 2 cups (280 g) gluten free flour
mix 1 (see below) or other gluten
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In a smaller
free flour
bowl, or large jug, mix the milk and cider vinegar and leave for a few minutes to thicken
slightly. Then whisk in the oil, sugar, agave nectar and vanilla extract. Add the wet
ingredients to the dry and stir gently with a spatula to incorporate all the flour into the
½ teaspoon salt
mixture. Pour the batter into the tin and roll it gently to level the mixture.
1 cup (250 ml) soy milk
Bake according to the times given on p. 43 until the cake has risen, turned golden and 3 teaspoons cider vinegar
doesn’t wobble too much when you give it a little shake. Take the cake out of the oven ½ cup (125 ml) light oil,
and check if it is done by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake – if it comes out e.g. sunflower
with sticky stuff on it, cook a little longer. But try not to overbake or the sponge will be ½ cup (100 g) sugar
dry and the edges crispy! Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove from pan and cool on ¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar or
a wire rack. maple syrup
Baking times and options as basic cake. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Gluten free flour mix 1 (great for cakes)

½ cup (65 g) cornflour
½ cup (60 g) tapioca flour
½ cup (90 g) potato starch
½ cup (60 g) rice flour
¼ cup (35 g) chickpea (besan) flour
¼ cup (40 g) white sorghum or buckwheat flour
Measure all the flours into a big bowl and mix well.
45
chapter two
teatime
treats
I am fortunate indeed to have lived in two countries where it is considered
appropriate, nay necessary, for the day to include a pause for a cup of tea
and a taste of something sweet. I was born and brought up in England
where, as everyone knows, 4 pm afternoon tea is a national institution, and
the English teashop a cultural treasure. Now I live in Australia where there
are not one but two daily opportunities for ‘a little something’. It is not
unusual for Australians to have a break for morning tea at around 10 am
and another one for afternoon tea at around 4 pm or 5 pm. Gatherings
of friends frequently come with the invitation, ‘Bring a plate of morning/
afternoon tea to share’.
My definition of a teatime treat is something not quite as big as a cake,
nor as small as a sweet. It should be robust enough to be packed in a box
and carried in a basket to a park or beach; small enough to hold easily in
the hand; and plentiful enough to share with lots of friends.
46
I’d visited Melbourne twice before. People kept asking me, ‘Have you
Melbourne
Las Vegan Nirvana
been to Las Vegan Nirvana?’ I couldn’t believe that I hadn’t explored
such an intriguing sounding place, so on my third visit I was determined
to do so. I arrived on a Friday evening after an eleven-hour train journey
from Adelaide. I was starving, so, suitcase and all, I boarded a tram to
Collingwood, one of Melbourne’s trendy inner suburbs. Smith Street is
home to an eclectic mix of cafes and shops focusing on books, music and
fashion. Not quite as genteel as big sister Brunswick Street, and still a bit
daggy in places, Smith Street has a more comfortable, friendly feel – like
your favourite old cardi. Smith Street also seems to be fast becoming a
vegan hub, with Las Vegan Nirvana, Trippy Taco (a vegan-friendly Mexican
cafe) and Ethical Wares (selling beautiful, made-to-order vegan shoes).
I arrived at Las Vegan Nirvana, looking like I was planning on moving
in, parked my suitcase and made myself comfortable in the cosy, colourful
dining room. I took some time to peruse the menu full
of wholesome and yummy vegan dishes – all made from
scratch in their own kitchen and organic where possible.
Many dishes were also gluten free. I eventually chose
the Nirvana lentil burger, a tasty homemade pattie in
a homemade bun with masses of salad. Just what I
needed. But – and I always do this – I was then too full
for dessert, which was really what I came for. I’d heard
that muffins were a speciality at Las Vegan, so I took
away two for breakfast the next day: a sour cherry and
a chocolate. They were both gorgeous, but the cherry
muffin was definitely the winner and I have procured the
recipe for your delight.
Las Vegan Nirvana started in 1999 as a vegan bakery,
but has been running as a cafe since 2005.
Las Vegan Nirvana

22 Smith Street
Melbourne
Australia
Tel: 03 9415 9001 or 0433 457 591
www.lasvegan.com.au
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Las Vegan sour cherry muffins
These muffins are big and sticky and tasty, but surprisingly lower in fat and sugar than
usual varieties. You will need a jar of pitted sour cherries, which usually come from Eastern
Europe and can be found in continental delicatessens and some supermarkets.
Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Makes 12
Strain the cherries, reserving the juice for the muffin mix and the glaze. Muffins
¼ cup (35 g) almonds
For the muffins, in a food processor, coarsely grind the almonds. Sift the flour,
2½ cups (400 g) unbleached
bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar and
white flour
almonds to the flour and mix well. Mix the cherry juice, apple juice, oil and vanilla in
a small bowl. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Fold together carefully – do not
½ teaspoon cinnamon
overmix – and stir in the cherries. Add extra apple juice if needed; you are looking for a
1¼ cups (125 g) sugar
fairly loose but not too runny consistency.
½ cup (125 ml) cherry juice
Pour the mixture into the tin – I find it useful to use a ¹⁄³ cup measure for this, which 1 cup (250 ml) apple juice
seems to be about the right amount. Pour a generous amount of batter into each liner ½ cup (125 ml) light oil,
and bake for 25–30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Do not over bake. e.g. sunflower
For the glaze, heat the cherry juice and sugar together in a small pan. Bring to the boil, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
then remove from the heat. Brush the muffins with the syrup immediately after baking, 1 cup (225 g) pitted sour cherries
then cool on a wire rack. Glaze
¼ cup (60 ml) cherry juice
2 tablespoons (25 g) sugar
49
double fudge pecan brownies* GF NF
This recipe comes from the very first vegan dessert book I owned, Simple Treats by Ellen Abraham. The page in my book is now
covered with chocolate smudges and little notes like ‘great’ and ‘make double’. I’ve altered the recipe over the years, mainly to
make it gluten free – and to double it! It is, without doubt, the best brownie recipe in the world. The secret is sweet potato – but
don’t tell anyone until after they have declared it delicious. I love these brownies warm with vanilla ice‑cream.
Grease and line the base of a 20 cm x 30 cm (8" x 12") rectangular tin. Makes 12–15
Prepare the sweet potato puree and leave to cool. ½ cup sweet potato puree (about
In a large bowl sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into a bowl and stir in the 150 g sweet potato, peeled,
nuts, chocolate chips and sugar. In a smaller bowl or jug whisk together the oil, maple boiled and mashed)
syrup, vanilla, soy milk and sweet potato puree. Add the wet ingredients to those in the 1½ cups (200 g) gluten free flour
large bowl and stir well. The batter should be moist enough to pour into the pan. If it is mix 1 (p. 45), or other gluten free
too stiff, stir in a little more soy milk. flour

1 cup (120 g) cocoa
Pour the batter into the tin. Bake for 30–35 minutes until just done. This is when you ¾ teaspoon baking powder
can gently push the top of the cake with your finger and it springs back, NOT when a ½ teaspoon salt
skewer comes out clean. For this cake, you want the inside to remain slightly moist. ½ cup (50 g) pecans, or walnuts
Cool in the tin. Cut into 12–15 pieces. (optional)
*Adapted with permission from Ellen Abraham, Simple Treats: a wheat-free, dairy-free guide to scrumptious baked goods, ½ cup (100 g) chocolate chips,
Book Publishing Company, 2003 or chopped chocolate
1 cup (200 g) sugar
½ cup (125 ml) light oil,
e.g. sunflower
½ cup (125 ml) maple syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (180 ml) soy milk
Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
50
51
52
steve’s flapjacks GF LS
Steve has been making these for years, without a recipe. They vary each time but are always full of spices and big chunks of
fruit, nuts and seeds. Unlike many flapjack recipes, they are not at all greasy. Everybody loves them. I finally pinned him down
to making a batch with me standing by measuring and weighing each ingredient.
Grease and line the base of a 20 cm (8") square tin. Makes 12
Weigh out and chop all the ingredients before you start because once you have melted ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) dairy-free spread
the fat and sweeteners you need to add everything quickly. ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) sugar
Put the dairy-free spread in a large, heavy-based pan and melt over a low heat. Add 2 tablespoons agave nectar or
the sugar and allow it to dissolve. Then add the syrups. When the mixture is all runny, maple syrup
remove from heat and stir in all the other ingredients except the rolled oats. 1 tablespoon brown rice syrup or
barley malt syrup
Add most of the oats and stir well to combine. If there is still any liquid at the bottom, ¾ cup (75 g) walnuts or brazil nuts
stir in some more oats. You want a moist but not too wet mixture. The exact quantity of or a mixture, chopped coarsely
oats you need depends on how much liquid they will absorb. Quick porridge oats are ¼ cup (35 g) each of pumpkin,
probably more porous than steel-cut oats, so you may not need as many. sunflower and sesame seeds
Put the mixture into the prepared tin and press down well. Bake in the centre of ½ cup (80 g) raisins or sultanas
the oven for about 20–25 minutes. They are done when the top looks and feels dry. ¼ cup (35 g) each of dates and
The middle is supposed to stay a bit sticky and you don’t want them to brown too dried apricots, chopped coarsely
much – better to undercook than burn these. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon mixed spice
Remove from the oven and stand the tin on a wire cooling rack. After about 10 minutes,
2–2½ cups (200–250 g) rolled oats
loosen from the edge of the tin and mark into 12 pieces. Cool in the tin. Flapjacks keep
for a week or more in an airtight tin. Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
53
cinnamon apple raisin muffins GF LS
This recipe is gluten free and refined sugar free (with an optional sugary topping for you sweet tooths out there). It includes
bags of wholesome ingredients and tastes divine just out of the oven with a hot cuppa.
Grease a 6 or 12-hole muffin tin, or use paper muffin liners. Makes 6 enormous or
12 average-sized muffins
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices. Stir in the ground nuts.
Whisk the oil, maple syrup or agave nectar, vanilla and rice milk together and add to the 1½ cups (200 g) gluten free flour
dry ingredients. Stir lightly together, don’t over mix. Stir in the apples and raisins. If the mix 1 (p. 45) or other gluten free
mixture seems too dry, add a couple more tablespoons of rice milk. flour
Fill each cup in the muffin tin about three-quarters full. If using, sprinkle with the 1 teaspoon baking powder
cinnamon sugar topping. ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1½ teaspoons cinnamon
Bake for 18–22 minutes until risen and firm on top. Cool for a few minutes in the tin, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
then run a palette knife around each muffin and lift out on to a cooling rack. ½ cup (70 g) almonds or hazelnuts,
ground
e.g. sunflower
¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup,
agave nectar or rice malt syrup
½ cup (125 ml) rice, soy or
almond milk
¹⁄³ cup (55 g) raisins
2 apples (around 200 g), peeled,
cored and chopped
Cinnamon sugar topping

(optional)
Mix together:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Oven: 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
54
55
56
anzac biscuits LS WF NF
These biscuits were invented during World War I by the wives, mothers and girlfriends of Australian soldiers who wanted to send
nutritious food to their loved ones, containing ingredients that would survive the long journey by sea. They came up with rolled
oats, sugar, flour, coconut, butter, golden syrup and bicarbonate of soda. Because of the war, eggs were not readily available,
making this recipe easy to veganise. My recipe is slightly less sweet than the traditional recipe, as well as being lower in fat and
wheat free. There’s also an option of adding extra nutritional value with a few nuts or seeds, thus pleasing almost everyone.
Cover a large baking tray with baking parchment. Makes 14–16
Mix the oats, coconut, flours and salt. Add nuts or seeds if using. 1 cup (100 g) rolled oats
Melt the sugar, golden syrup and oil in a small pan. When it is melted boil the kettle and ½ cup (50 g) desiccated coconut
mix the bicarbonate of soda with two tablespoons of boiling water. Stir quickly and add ½ cup (70 g) brown rice flour
to the pan. As it bubbles up, pour over the dry ingredients and mix together. ½ cup (60 g) tapioca flour
pinch of salt
Drop teaspoon-size balls onto the baking tray and flatten down. Bake for 10–12 minutes handful chopped nuts or seeds
until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on the tray. (optional)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
¼ cup (60 ml) light oil (coconut oil
is nice if you have it)
2 tablespoons boiling water
Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
57
almond and lemon cantucci LS
When we were in Siena, Italy, we saw these delicious-looking biscuits everywhere, but as they weren’t vegan we couldn’t try
them. I vowed to create a vegan version when we got home, and here they are. Some people call these biscotti. This simply
means biscuits in Italian and derives from the Latin word meaning ‘twice baked’. Cantucci is the more accurate term for these
almond-flavoured slices from Tuscany, which are often served with, and dipped in, a glass of the local fortified wine, Vin Santo.
Cantucci keep for several weeks in an airtight container, and make great Christmas presents.
Grease and line a large baking tray. Makes 20–24
Cook the apple with a little water until it softens, then mash to a puree. (If you don’t 1 large apple, peeled and chopped
have time for this step, you can use bottled apple sauce.) 1 cup (160 g) white flour
Sift the flours, baking powder and salt. Mix the oil, extracts and half a cup of the apple 1 cup (140 g) wholemeal flour
puree in a jug or small bowl. Add the liquid, sugar, lemon zest and whole almonds to 2 teaspoons baking powder
the flour and mix to a soft dough. If too dry, sprinkle tablespoons of water one at a ¼ teaspoon salt
time until the dough comes together. Divide into two and roll into log shapes, about 3 tablespoons light oil,
5 cm (2") across and 2 cm (1") high. e.g. sunflower

Place on the baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and leave to cool 2–3 drops almond extract
for 5 minutes. Cut each log diagonally into slices about 2 cm (1") thick, using a sharp ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
knife so you can cut easily through the whole almonds. Lay the slices on their sides and 1 teaspoon lemon zest
bake for 15 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake for a further 15 minutes until 1 cup (140 g) almonds, raw,
golden brown and quite firm. Cool on a wire rack. skins left on
Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
58
59
60
devon scones with jam and cream LS
Why should vegans miss out on the quintessential English afternoon tea of a freshly brewed pot of tea with homemade scones,
jam and cream? Secrets of a really puffy, light scone:
• sift the baking powder and flour a few times, holding the sieve high to incorporate as much air as possible
• mix the liquid in gradually with a fork
• handle the dough as little as possible – I never use a rolling pin, I just pat the dough into shape with the flat of my hand
• cut rounds with a sharp cookie cutter, avoiding too many scraps as the ones you re-roll will not rise as well.
Grease a baking tray. Makes 6–8 large scones
Mix the soy milk and vinegar and allow to thicken for a few minutes. Sift the flour, 1 cup (250 ml) soy milk
baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt several times to aerate the flour and 1 teaspoon cider vinegar
incorporate the raising agents. Mix in the sugar, then rub in the fat until the mixture 2 cups (320 g) unbleached flour
looks like breadcrumbs. 2 teaspoons baking powder
Make a well in the centre of the flour and add most of the milk mix. Stir with a fork, ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
gradually bringing in the flour as you stir. You may not need the rest of the milk, but pinch of salt
if the mixture starts to look dry near the end, you can add it then. You should end up 1 tablespoon sugar
with a soft, springy dough. Handling as little as possible, pat the dough into a ball. ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) dairy-free spread
Turn out onto a floured surface and flatten the dough gently with your hands no Oven: 220°C/425°F/Gas 7
less than 2.5 cm (1") thick. Using a sharp cookie cutter, cut into rounds and place on
the baking tray. Knead the scraps and pat out again to cut a couple more scones.
Alternatively, to avoid re-rolling, simply pat the dough into a round and cut it into
about eight wedges with a sharp knife.
Bake near the top of the oven for 10–15 minutes until risen and golden brown. Remove
from the oven and cool on a cooling rack. Serve warm or cold with jam or fruit spread
and thick soy cream (p. 167).
61
chocolate almond fudge shortbread
Look, I know this recipe is way too complicated, not to mention completely over the top with sugar and fat and all. But just try
it, once, the way it is written. I promise you it’s worth it. Then if you want to feel virtuous next time, bump up the wholemeal
flour and miss out the caramel – it’s still good, but a little less decadent.
Grease and line the base of a 20 cm x 30 cm (8" x 12") rectangular tin. Serves 12
To make the shortbread, cream the sugar, salt, dairy-free spread and vanilla in a food Shortbread
processor. Sift the flours and add the bran back in. Add the sifted flours to the creamed ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
mixture and pulse to combine. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the tin, using a pinch of salt
flat spatula to level off. Bake for 18–22 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool. ½ cup (100 g) dairy-free spread
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the almond fudge, mix the almond butter, maple syrup and salt in a small bowl.
½ cup (70 g) wholemeal flour
Spread on top of the shortbread. Put the tray in the freezer for 15 minutes.
½ cup (80 g) unbleached flour
For the caramel, place all the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed pan and heat,
Almond fudge layer
stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture starts bubbling madly.
½ cup (140 g) almond butter
Keep at this temperature for 3–5 minutes until it turns a rich caramel colour. Cool a
little, then pour on top of the almond fudge layer. Freeze for another 15 minutes.
¼ teaspoon salt
Melt the chocolate and dairy-free spread or oil in a bain-marie (see p. 27) and cool a
Caramel layer
little. Pour the chocolate over the toffee layer and roll around to get an even coating.
Chill in the fridge for at least an hour, then mark into 12 squares.
¾ cup (150 g) dairy-free spread
½ cup (125 ml) thin soy cream
(p. 167)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
¼ teaspoon salt
Chocolate topping
1½ bars (150 g) chocolate
1 tablespoon dairy-free spread
or light oil, e.g. sunflower
62
63
chocoblock cookies WF LS
Chocoblock full of interesting ingredients including, yes, chocolate chips, but low in fat and sugar and made with wheat free,
wholegrain flours. Best eaten warm from the oven, but will keep for two or three days. Use to make ice-cream sandwiches. Yum.
Grease a large baking tray. Makes 12–14
Sift flours, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt into a large bowl. 1 cup (140 g) barley flour
Add oats, coconut, nuts, sultanas and chocolate chips. In a jug or small bowl whisk the 1 cup (120 g) oat flour
oil, vanilla, rice syrup, sugar and date puree. Add the wet to the dry ingredients and mix ¼ cup (35 g) brown rice flour
to a firm dough. 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Using a large tablespoon drop balls onto the greased baking tray. Use a large glass or ¼ teaspoon baking powder
cup dipped in a bowl of water to flatten the cookies a little. Bake for 15–18 minutes until ½ teaspoon cinnamon
golden brown. Remove from oven, loosen cookies with a metal spatula while still warm ½ teaspoon salt
and cool on a wire cooling rack. ½ cup (50 g) rolled oats

½ cup (50 g) desiccated coconut
½ cup (75 g) brazil or other nuts,
coarsely chopped
½ cup (75 g) sultanas or raisins
½ cup (100 g) chocolate chips
½ cup (125 ml) light oil,
e.g. sunflower
¼ cup (60 ml) rice syrup
¼ cup (50 g) brown sugar
¼ cup (60 g) date puree (p. 39)
64
bags of energy bars LS R
This recipe is easy to remember – pretty much half a cup of everything. The result is a nutritious, filling, sweet treat. Pack a few
in your bag for emergencies.
Put the oats, nuts and seeds in a food processor and blend until chopped. Add the rest Makes 12–16
of the ingredients and blend until the mixture starts to come together in a ball.
½ cup (50 g) rolled oats
Press into a rectangular shape, about 1 cm (½") thick, on a solid dehydrator sheet. ½ cup (75 g) walnuts, almonds
Dehydrate* for 6 hours, then flip and dehydrate for a further 4–6 hours until firm and or brazils
dry. Cut into bars. ½ cup (75 g) sunflower seeds
*If you don’t have a dehydrator, these can be baked in a greased, lined 23 cm (9") ½ cup (75 g) sesame seeds
square tin at 150°C/300°F/Gas 2 for 20–25 minutes. They will still be nutritious though ½ cup (75 g) dried apricots,
not, of course, raw. chopped

½ cup (100 g) medjool dates,
chopped
½ cup (75 g) sultanas
½ cup (50 g) grated apple, about
1 small apple
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
¼ cup (60 ml) cold-pressed
almond, olive or coconut oil
65
66
matrimonial cake NF
I always used to call this dessert ‘date slice’. But the original 1930s recipe from Canada is known as matrimonial cake, which
I like much better. There are a couple of explanations for the name. One is that the contrast between the rough and smooth
textures mirrors the ups and downs of married life; another that two seemingly different sets of ingredients blend together in
perfect harmony. As a result matrimonial cake is often served at weddings and bridal showers in the USA and Canada.
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm (9") square tin. Makes 9
Put the chopped dates in a pan and just cover with orange juice. Bring to the boil and 1½ cups (240 g) stoned,
simmer gently until the dates are cooked and the juice is absorbed. Leave to cool. chopped dates
Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cardamom and salt. Add the oats and sugar. Rub in orange juice
the dairy-free spread until the mixture becomes like breadcrumbs. Press half the mixture 2 cups (280 g) wholemeal flour
firmly into the tin. Spread the date mixture over the top. Crumble the rest of the oat ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
mixture on top and press down lightly. ½ teaspoon ground cardamom

pinch of salt
Bake for 1 to 1¼ hours until brown on top. Cool in the tin and then cut into 9 squares. 2 cups (200 g) rolled oats
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g)
dairy-free spread
67
chapter three
pies and
pastries
I know lots of people who can cook, but say they never make pastry. I think
it is a myth that making pastry is difficult. This chapter includes a variety
of pastries. I hope that once you’ve tried a few of them, you’ll agree that
pastry-making is a cinch. I’ve tried to include a variety of ingredients and
techniques, so that you can see what suits you best.
Baking blind
Recipes often ask you to ‘blind bake’ the pastry. This means cooking a pastry
pie shell before filling. If the pie is going to be cooked with the filling, you only
need to part bake the shell, just until the pastry changes colour and starts to
lose that ‘wet’ look. If the filling is to be uncooked, you will need to fully bake the
pastry shell. The technique is the same:
• line the pie dish or tin with pastry, allowing a little extra pastry around the
edge because it will shrink in the oven
• cut a square of baking parchment and press it into the pastry shell so that
the paper extends up the sides
• weigh the paper down with a handful of dry beans or lentils

• bake for the specified time
• remove the beans and paper and bake for a few minutes more to dry out the base
• keep the beans in a jar labeled ‘baking beans’ to use again next time, and
don’t try to cook with them!
68
Pastry guide
De Bolhoed apple pie: rich shortcrust, made with wholemeal flour enriched with
almonds and sweetened with rice syrup. A tasty, biscuity, satisfying pastry. This recipe
uses some of the pastry mix as a crumble topping, which works well.
Walnut treacle tart: plain shortcrust, made with half wheat and half oat flour. For
a shorter (more crumbly) texture, unsweetened. This is a good pastry for lining tart tins
but doesn’t roll out well so can’t be used for pies with lids.
Fruit mince pies: a traditional wholemeal shortcrust pastry, unsweetened. Lighter than
some recipes, because of the addition of baking powder and extra liquid. This is a good
all-purpose pastry for any type of pie.
Hungarian cheese pie: a light shortcrust, made with unbleached flour, sweetened
with a little icing sugar and flavoured with lemon zest. This is a good pastry for carrying
a delicate filling, like fruit or custards, when you don’t want the pastry to dominate.
Tarte tatin: rich shortcrust, made with wholemeal flour, enriched with almonds and
sugar, but lower in fat than most pastry. This has a good flavour and the texture of
shortbread, but is fairly robust so needs a good tasty filling to balance it.
Baklava: the only pastry that I’ve suggested you buy in a shop. I’ve seen people
making filo by hand and, believe me, you don’t want to try it. Bought filo pastry is
good quality and you get loads in a packet. Well wrapped, it will keep in the fridge for
several weeks.
Mini peach pies: a good, all-purpose, gluten free pastry, made from a mixture of
tapioca, besan, rice, quinoa and buckwheat flours. Can be used for any of the recipes
in the chapter. Gluten free pastry is best eaten on the day it is made, so make in small
quantities.
Eccles cakes: flaky pastry, made with unbleached white flour and equal amounts of
fat and flour (double the fat of shortcrust). Not quite as puffy as puff pastry, but a lot
easier to make.
It had been a struggle to find vegan food when travelling for three weeks
De Bolhoed
Amsterdam
in France and Italy. My two daughters and I had been living, on the whole,
on crusty bread and ripe, knobbly tomatoes. The bread and tomatoes in
France and Italy are undoubtedly among the best in the world, but one
can overdo it. We were desperate to get to Amsterdam and the myriad
vegan eats to be had there. De Bolhoed was our destination for brunch on
our first morning.
De Bolhoed means ‘The Bowler Hat’ in Dutch. Contrary to internet
rumour it was not built on the site of an old hat shop but started about
25 years ago as a health food store and is now a well-known vegetarian
restaurant. The owner just thought the name sounded nice! De Bolhoed
sits on the edge of one of Amsterdam’s grandest and most beautiful
canals, the Prinsengracht, about five minutes walk from the Anne Frank
House. You can sit outside by the canal and watch the bikes whizz past,
or choose one of the tables inside the cafe where the walls are
decorated with painted pumpkin vines and eclectic artworks. It
was busy when we arrived and all the outdoor and window tables
were occupied, so we sat at a cosy corner table on bench seats
below shelves covered with ornaments. We wondered why a big,
fat ginger and white cat was looking at us strangely, but when he
leaped up and installed himself in the corner of the bench seat we
noticed the indentation in the cushion and the cat hairs that told us
this was his place. He deigned to share it with us for the morning.
The food at De Bolhoed is organic, all vegetarian and mostly
vegan, with generous portions at a fair price for expensive
Amsterdam. The menu is a mix of world cuisines – Mexican, Asian,
African, Mediterranean – with an amazing array of salads which
are prepared fresh daily. Each day there is a mixed vegan plate on
offer, which contains seven or eight different dishes, both hot and
cold. And joy of joys, after three weeks of dessert fasting, there was a tall
fridge stuffed full of pies, cheesecakes and cakes, many of them vegan.
We had a delicious meal, and although we looked at the other
De Bolhoed
Prinsengracht 60–62
restaurants on my list, we came back to De Bolhoed every day for the
Amsterdam rest of our stay in Amsterdam.
Netherlands
Tel: 020 626 1803
70
71
72
De Boelhoed GF* LS
dutch apple pie
This was our favourite dessert at De Bolhoed, served in gigantic portions with soy cream.
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm (9") round springform tin, with 7 cm (3") sides. Serves 12
For the filling, put the apples, raisins, lemon zest, liqueur, cinnamon and water in a Filling
large pan with a lid and cook over a moderate heat, shaking every now and again, until 1.5 kg (8–10 large) apples, peeled,
the apples are soft but not broken up. If there is any liquid at the bottom of the pan cored and chopped into 1 cm
remove the lid and raise the heat to boil any excess away. Leave to cool, then fold in the (½") chunks
chopped almonds. ²⁄³ cup (100 g) raisins
For the crust, grind the almonds to fine crumbs in a food processor, then add the flour,
splash of liqueur: Cointreau,
salt and lemon zest and blend to combine. Add the vanilla, dairy-free spread and rice
Calvados, Amaretto (optional)
syrup and blend until it all comes together in a moist ball. Bring the pastry together with
2 teaspoons cinnamon
your hands and place in a container in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.
²⁄³ cup (150 ml) water
Take three-quarters of the pastry dough and roll out into a circle, about 30 cm (12") ½ cup (70 g) almonds, blanched,
across. Lift the pastry into the tin, draping it up the sides of the tin. Don’t worry if the roasted and chopped coarsely
pastry breaks, just press it back together using the scraps to fill any gaps. Using your (see p. 15)
fingers, form a neat top edge. Fill with the apple mixture, pressing it down slightly.
Crust
Crumble the remaining dough over the top and bake for around 25 minutes until brown.
1 cup (150 g) almonds
If the pastry starts to get too brown too soon, cover with foil for the remaining baking
2 cups (300 g) wholemeal flour
time. Remove from the oven, stand on a wire cooling rack and leave to cool in the pan.
¼ teaspoon salt
Remove outer sleeve of tin when cool, leaving base. Serve with soy cream (p. 167),
cashew cream (p. 167) or vanilla ice-cream (p. 146).
½ cup (125 ml) rice syrup
*or use gluten free pastry on p. 85
73
walnut treacle tart GF*
Treacle tart is usually made with sweet, white pastry, white breadcrumbs and bucketloads of golden syrup. This version is
healthier and a lot tastier.
You will need a 23 cm (9") loose-bottomed tart tin. Serves 12
For the pastry, sift the flours and salt. Rub the dairy-free spread into the flour, lightly with Pastry
just your fingertips, until it resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle two tablespoons of the 1 cup (120 g) oat flour
water over the mixture and bring together with a flat knife until it starts to stick together. 1 cup (140 g) whole-wheat flour
If it seems too dry, sprinkle more water, little by little, until the pastry comes together pinch of salt
and does not seem dry. Then lightly use your hands to bring it together in a ball. ²⁄³ cup (130 g) dairy-free spread
Chill, covered, in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This pastry is quite crumbly so you 2–4 tablespoons cold water
can’t roll it like conventional pastry. To line the pie dish, cut thin slices of pastry and put *or use gluten free pastry on p. 85
them in the dish, side by side, to cover most of the dish. Then use your fingers, or the Filling
back of a spoon, to press the pieces together until there are no gaps and the pastry ¼ cup (50 g) dairy-free spread
comes right up to the edge of the dish. Trim off any extra pieces and use to fill gaps. 1 tablespoon molasses
Pinch the edges of the pastry so that there is a neat edge, just above the rim of the ½ cup (125 ml) maple syrup
dish. Bake for 10–15 minutes until the pastry has lost its uncooked look, but is still pale ½ cup (125 ml) golden syrup
in colour. If you overcook it now, the edges will burn when you bake it with the filling. ¼ cup (60 ml) rice syrup
For the filling, melt the dairy-free spread, molasses and syrups. Add the other grated zest of 1 lemon and
ingredients and combine well. Pour into the pie crust and bake for 20–25 minutes. If 1 orange
the edges look like they are getting too brown, cover them with strips of aluminium foil. 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Serve warm with vanilla ice-cream (p. 146) or soy cream (p. 167). 1 cup (100 g) walnuts, chopped
coarsely
1 apple, skin left on, grated
2 cups (150 g) wholemeal
breadcrumbs or gluten free
crumbs
Oven: 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
74
75
76
fruit mince pies GF* LS
You’re bound to want lots of fruit mince come Christmas time, so this recipe makes enough for a few batches of pies. It keeps
in the fridge for several months, or you can preserve it in sterilised jars. For me, wholemeal pastry perfectly complements the
sweetness of the fruit mince. Because I like the filling more than the pastry, I just put a star on top instead of a lid, but you can
put lids on the pies if you prefer.
12-cup shallow tart tin, ungreased. Makes 12
For the fruit mince, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl and stir thoroughly. Cover and Fruit mince
leave the mixture overnight. 2 medium apples (250 g) peeled,
cored and chopped into ½ cm
Next day, heat the oven to 120°C/250°F/Gas ¼. Place the mincemeat in an ovenproof
(¼") cubes
bowl, seal with foil and allow to cook slowly for 2½ hours. Cool.
For the pastry, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Put back any bran flakes in the sieve e.g. sunflower
and mix in. Rub in the dairy-free spread, lightly with just your fingertips, until the fat is 2½ cups (400 g) raisins, sultanas
incorporated and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. As different wholemeal flours and currants in roughly equal
absorb water differently, you’ll have to use your judgement as to how much water to proportions
add. First, try sprinkling 4 tablespoons onto the flour. Then use your hands to bring the ²⁄³ cup (100 g) dried apricots,
pastry together. If there are dry bits which look like they aren’t sticking together, sprinkle chopped
a little more water on, until the flour comes easily together into a moist, springy dough. ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
It’s better to be a little too sticky at this stage than too dry because the bran will absorb zest and juice of 1 orange and
more water as the pastry rests. Cover and chill for half an hour or so before using. 1 large lemon
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3. Roll out the pastry and cut 12 circles with a ¹⁄³ cup (50 g) almonds, blanched,
7 cm (3") cookie cutter to line the tart tin. Cut 12 small stars with a star-shaped cutter. roasted and chopped coarsely
Line each depression of the tin, put a big spoonful of fruit mince in the tart and top with (see p. 15)
a star. 1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
Bake for 10–12 minutes until the pastry is cooked but not browned. Serve warm or cold,
½ tsp ground cardamom
with soy cream (p. 167) or cashew cream (p. 167).
Pastry
1½ cups (200 g) wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
4–5 tablespoons cold water
Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
77
hungarian cheese pie GF* NF
I am half-Hungarian, yet to my shame speak only six words of the language (yes, no, little, large, your very good health, sorry).
Hungary has a fine culinary heritage but it is very meat and dairy-based. As a child, I grew up with beef goulash, beef stroganoff,
paprika chicken and cottage cheese dumplings. I still love the flavour of Hungarian soups and stews, and it’s pretty easy to
recreate these tastes using beans, vegetables, tofu and tempeh but, until recently, I’d never attempted to recreate my favourite
childhood dessert: curd cheese pie, traditionally made with turo, a kind of fresh cottage or curd cheese, mixed with sugar, eggs
and sour cream, and topped with meringue. Not the easiest recipe to veganise – but after much experimentation, I now offer
a dairy-free version. Sajnálom.
You will need a 23 cm (9") pie dish. Serves 8
For the pastry, sift the flour with the salt, then rub in the dairy-free spread, lightly with Pastry
just your fingertips, until the fat is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse 1 cup (160 g) plain white flour
breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and lemon zest and mix in with your fingertips. The idea pinch of salt
is to touch this pastry as little as possible to keep it light. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (75 g)
water over the crumbs and mix in gently with a flat knife until the crumbs start to stick dairy-free spread
together. You may need another 1 or 2 tablespoons of water to do this. Lightly roll the ¼ cup (35 g) icing sugar, sifted
pastry into a ball with your hands. You should have quite a moist and soft dough. Place ½ teaspoon lemon zest
the pastry in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. 3–5 tablespoons cold water
Roll out the pastry and place it in the pie dish so that it overhangs the edges of the
dish by about 1 cm (½"). Turn the edges under and press your thumb or the handle of Filling
a wooden spoon every 1 cm (½") or so all around the rim to make a fluted shape. Blind ½ cup (125 ml) soy milk
bake (see p. 68) the pastry shell for about 7–8 minutes, then remove the paper lining 2 tablespoons lemon juice
and bake for another few minutes to dry out the middle. You don’t want the edges to 1 cup (230 g) silken tofu
brown at all, or they will burn when you cook the pie with its filling. Remove the pie shell 1 cup (230 g) vegan cream cheese
from the oven and cool. ¹⁄³ cup (45 g) icing sugar
For the filling, mix the soy milk with the lemon juice and leave for a few minutes to
3 tablespoons cornflour
thicken. Blend the tofu, cream cheese, icing sugar, lemon zest, cornflour and vanilla
extract in a food processor, then add the soy milk mixture and blend again. Pour the
filling into the cooled pastry shell and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the cream cheese Meringue topping
mixture is just starting to set. ½ cup aquafaba (the strained
liquid from a can of chickpeas or
Reduce the oven temperature to 110°C/225°F/Gas ¼.
cannellini beans)
You will need a hand-held or stand mixer, with metal beaters or whisk attachment to ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
make the meringue (you could do it by hand with a whisk, but it will be very hard work!). ¾ cup icing sugar
Put the aquafaba and cream of tartar in the bowl and beat, until the mixture reaches the ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
‘soft peak’ stage, i.e. as you lift the beaters out of the mixture, it forms a peak, but then
Oven: 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
drops back down again.
78
.
Add the icing sugar, a quarter of a cup at a time, and beat

very well in between. I find sieving the sugar in helps to
maintain lightness. After the last addition, the meringue
should have reached ‘firm peak’ stage, i.e. the peaks
will stay up. Finally add the vanilla and beat again. It will
soften a little, then firm up as you continue beating.
Pipe or spoon the meringue onto the tart. Bake at

110°C/225°F/Gas ¼ for 30 minutes, until the meringue
firms up enough for you to touch it gently without
collapsing.
You can eat it like this, but if you want to brown the top,
put it under the grill (not too close!) for a minute or two,
watching carefully all the time to prevent burning.
Serve warm or cold. Do not cover or the meringue might

go soft. Egészégedre!
79
80
tarte tatin GF*
This recipe was introduced to me by Manu, a lovely French vegetarian chef who worked for me at Bliss Organic Cafe in
Adelaide. His pastry is a macrobiotic tart crust, lower in fat and higher in fibre than the puff pastry which is usually used in this
recipe. Other than that, it is a traditional French favourite, oozing with sweet, apple-y juices. Be careful when you turn it over
as the hot juices can escape!
Ideally, you’ll need an ovenproof frying pan or shallow casserole, about 20 cm (8") wide. Serves 12
If you don’t have one, grease a similar size cake tin, or ceramic dish.
Pastry
For the pastry, grind the almonds to fine crumbs in a food processor. Sift the flour, icing ¹⁄³ cup (50 g) almonds
sugar and baking powder and add to the bowl. Blend to combine. Add the apple juice 1¾ cups (250 g) wholemeal flour
and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the melted dairy-free spread 2 tablespoons (25 g) icing sugar
and pulse again. Pinch the mixture together with your fingers. If it sticks together easily, ¾ teaspoon baking powder
it is ready. If it crumbles apart, add another tablespoon of apple juice and pulse again, ¼ cup (60 ml) apple juice
until the mixture comes together into a moist dough. Bring the pastry together with ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) dairy-free spread,
your hands and place in a container in the fridge for 20–30 minutes. melted
Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the core. Roll the pastry out into a
circle and, using your cooking pan as a guide, cut it about 2–3 cm (1") bigger than the Caramel
pan. Set aside while you make the caramel. 1 cup (200 g) sugar
2 tablespoons water
Put the sugar and water in the pan or casserole you will be baking in or, if using a cake
¼ cup (50 g) dairy-free spread
tin or ceramic dish, a heavy-based frying pan. Cook over a low heat, without stirring,
until the sugar dissolves, then add the dairy-free spread and let it melt. Cook the
4–5 apples
caramel until it is golden brown. Lay the apples in the caramel, placing them so that
the curved side is down – this will be the side you can see when the tarte is turned out. Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
Cook the apples for about 10 minutes, or until they start to turn translucent and brown
slightly around the edges.
Remove the pan from the heat and place it on a baking tray or, if you are using a cake
tin or ceramic dish, transfer the apples and caramel to this dish, and place on a tray. Lay
the pastry on top of the apples, using a spoon to press the pastry gently down over the
edge of the fruit. Put the pan and baking tray in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes,
until the pastry is brown. Remove from the oven and leave to settle for 10 minutes.
Place a large plate over the top of the pan and, quickly and carefully, invert the whole
thing. Be careful as the juices are really hot – use an oven glove to protect your hand.
Remove the pan to reveal your tarte tatin. Serve warm or cold with soy cream (p. 167) or
vanilla ice-cream (p. 146).
81
baklava GF*
Yes, this is mainly fat and sugar. With more sugar poured on top. But look at all those nuts! Got to be healthier than a cream
bun. I have reduced the quantities of sugar and fat a little. But low-fat filo just doesn’t work, it looks and tastes like cardboard.
So eat just a little.
You will need a 23 cm x 32 cm (9" x 13") baking pan, about 5 cm (2") deep. Makes about 20 small pieces
For the syrup, heat the sugar, water, agave or maple syrup and cinnamon stick in a Syrup
heavy-based pan over a medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then raise the heat and 1 cup (200 g) sugar
bring the syrup to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes, then add the lemon ¾ cup (180 ml) water
zest and juice and allow to cool. Remove cinnamon stick when cool. 2 tablespoons agave nectar or
maple syrup
For the pastry, melt the dairy-free spread in a small pan. Turn off the heat, but leave the
1 cinnamon stick
pan on the stove to keep the spread liquid.
The easiest way to deal with the nuts is to grind 1 cup almonds to fine crumbs in the food juice of 1 lemon
processor, then put these in a large bowl. Add the other cup of almonds, along with the
Pastry
walnuts and pistachios, to the food processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped.
Mix all the nuts together in the bowl and add the sugar and spices. Stir well to combine.
1 cup (140 g) almonds, finely
Count out your sheets of filo pastry and wrap them in a damp tea towel until you are ground
ready to use them to stop them going dry and crispy. Now you can start to assemble 1 cup (140 g) almonds, coarsely
the baklava. Remove 6 sheets of filo and cut them with scissors so that they fit the pan. chopped
Brush the pan with melted spread, then lay 1 sheet filo in the bottom. Brush again with 1 cup (100 g) walnuts, coarsely
spread, add another sheet of pastry and repeat until all 6 sheets, plus trimmings, are chopped
used up. Take about a third of the nut mixture and sprinkle evenly over the pastry. Then ¼ cup (35 g) pistachios, coarsely
take out another 3 sheets of filo and do the pastry/spread layer thing again. Sprinkle chopped
another third of nuts over the pastry, layer another 3 sheets filo, then add the final third ½ cup (100 g) flavoursome brown
of nuts. Finish layering with the remaining 6 sheets of pastry, plus the trimmings, and sugar, such as rapadura, sucanat
brush all the remaining spread over the top. or jaggery (see p. 10)
If you are making a gluten free version of baklava, use a single layer of rolled gluten free 2 teaspoons cinnamon
pastry on the bottom of the pan, fill with all the nut mixture and top with another single 1 teaspoon mixed spice
layer of pastry. You don’t need to brush gluten free pastry with dairy-free spread, as the 1 teaspoon cardamom
fat is already in the pastry. 18 sheets filo pastry
Cut through the top layers of the baklava with a sharp knife. This looks pretty and
facilitates serving. You can cut rectangles or diagonally to make diamond shapes. Oven: 170°C/325°F/Gas 3
Bake at 170°C/325°F/Gas 3 for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to

120°C/250°F/Gas ¼. Bake for a further 25–30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from
the oven and allow to cool in the pan. When completely cold, pour the syrup over the
baklava. Refrigerate overnight to allow the syrup to soak in.
82
83
84
mini peach pies GF LS NF
These are cute, gluten free and low in sugar. You could use any fruit you like for the filling, or use the pastry to make any of the
other recipes in this chapter.
6 hole muffin tin, ungreased. Makes 6
For the pastry, sift the flour with the salt and sugar, if using. Rub in the fat until the Pastry
mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, to the flour with 1 batch gluten free flour mix 2
a palette knife or your fingers until it becomes a workable dough. You might only need (see box below)
one tablespoon of the water. Cover and chill for an hour or so, but don’t leave in the pinch of salt
fridge for too long or it could become brittle and crumbly. ¼ cup (35 g) icing sugar (optional)
²⁄³ cup (130 g) dairy-free spread
For the filling, put the peaches in a pan, with ¼ cup (60 ml) of the water, the star anise
1–2 tablespoons water
and the amaretto or almond extract, if using, and simmer for a few minutes until the
peaches are tender, adding a little more water if necessary. Mix the arrowroot with Filling
the rest of the water and add to the pan. Heat until thickened. Add agave or stevia to 4 large peaches (about 500 g),
taste. Cool. chopped into 1 cm (½") cubes
½ cup (125 ml) water
Roll out the pastry and cut six large circles to line the muffin tin and six medium circles
1 piece of star anise
for lids. As this is gluten free pastry, you don’t have to worry about over-working the
splash of Amaretto, or a few drops
pastry – you can roll and re-roll as many times as you like without fear of the pastry
of almond extract (optional)
becoming hard and unworkable. Line each hole with a large circle, and fill with the
1 teaspoon arrowroot
peach mixture. Put a small circle on top and pinch edges together. Prick holes in the
1 tablespoon agave nectar or a few
top of the pie with a fork, to allow steam to escape. Decorate the pies with leaves cut
drops of stevia (see p. 12)
from the scraps. Brush with the glaze.
Glaze
Bake for 15–20 minutes until golden. Allow to cool in tin.
1 teaspoon chickpea (besan) flour,
mixed with a little water
Gluten free flour mix 2 (great for pastry) Oven: 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
¾ cup (100 g) tapioca flour
¹/ cup (50 g) chickpea (besan) flour

³
¼ cup (35 g) brown rice flour
¼ cup (35 g) quinoa flour
2 tablespoons (20 g) buckwheat flour
Measure all the flour into a big bowl and mix well.
85
eccles cakes GF* LS NF
My daughter tells me that puff pastry, when properly made, is folded 10 times in half and that due to the amazing magic of
maths, this results in an incredible 1024 layers in one single thin sheet of puff pastry. Hence mille-feuille in French and mille
foglie in Italian, both meaning ‘a thousand layers’ and referring to a puff pastry slice filled with cream. These little pastries
originate in Eccles, a town in Lancashire, England, and are far less pretentious. They are made with an easier version of puff
pastry, ‘rough puff’, which by my reckoning, results in 243 layers, which is good enough for me.
Grease a baking tray. Makes 12
Rough puff pastry requires cold hard butter to be gradually integrated into the flour as Rough puff pastry
it is rolled out but most dairy-free spreads are usually soft and spreadable. To overcome 1 cup (150 g) unbleached
this, measure the spread and put it in the freezer overnight. white flour
pinch of salt
The next day, sift the flour and salt. Chop the frozen spread into small chunks and add
¾ cup (150 g) dairy-free spread,
to the flour. Using a flat knife, gently mix the chunks into the flour mixture without
frozen overnight
breaking them up. Add the water and mix to a firm dough. Bring the pastry together
¹⁄³ cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 ml)
into a ball with your hands, handling it as little as possible. Generously flour the work
cold water, with a squeeze
surface and pat the pastry into a rectangle. Using a well-floured rolling pin, roll the
of lemon
pastry into a strip three times as long as it is wide. Don’t worry if the blobs of spread
(or use gluten free pastry on p. 85)
break through – just sprinkle them with flour and carry on rolling. Fold the ends of the
strip into the centre so that you have a parcel three layers thick. Press on each end and Filling
in the middle with the rolling pin. Turn the pastry through 90° and start the process 2 tablespoons (30 g)
again: rolling, folding and turning. Do this four times in total. By this time, the spread dairy‑free spread
should have integrated into the flour nicely and the pastry should be light and feel ½ cup (80 g) currants
spongy to the touch. Wrap the pastry in greaseproof paper and leave it to rest in the 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar
fridge for 20 minutes. zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
For the filling, melt the spread and mix in the fruit, sugar and zest. Cool. Glaze
1 teaspoon chickpea (besan) or
Roll out the pastry thinly and cut twelve 10 cm (4") circles (use a big mug or a small
soy flour, mixed to a wash with a
bowl if you don’t have a cutter this size). Put a spoonful of fruit mix in the centre of each
little water
circle, leaving a rim around the edge. Gather the edges and pinch them together. Turn
1 tablespoon sugar
the cake over and flatten slightly. Put the cakes on a greased baking tray. Cut 3 slits in
each cake with a sharp knife. Brush with the glaze and sprinkle with sugar. Oven: 220°C/425°F/Gas 7
Bake at 220°C/425°F/Gas 7 for 10 minutes, then reduce to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for

another 5–10 minutes until the pastries are golden brown. Serve warm with custard
(p. 168) or soy cream (p. 167). They are also good cold.
86
87
chapter four
tarts,
trifles
and
cheese-
cakes
This chapter is a bit of a mishmash. You might argue that there is only one
actual cheesecake, and even that, being vegan, doesn’t contain cheese.
I humbly agree. You could say, ‘But two of the recipes have pastry – why
aren’t they in the pies and pastries chapter?’ And I would have to answer,
‘I don’t know.’
I just feel that this selection of desserts belong together. Maybe
because they are served cold, maybe because they are particularly creamy
and a bit elegant. Or maybe because it’s sometimes good to follow your
instincts.
88
I first discovered Revel Cafe through a great blog that got my mouth
Auckland
Revel Cafe
watering with its gorgeous pictures of Revel’s vegan cupcakes, and other
delicious offerings (aucklandvegan.wordpress.com). Revel does serve an
‘omnivorous’ menu, but vegans are very well provided for.
I like to start exploring a new city with brunch. This sets me up for
a day’s sightseeing and saves money by combining two meals. On our
first morning in Auckland, my girls and I decided to head for Revel.
After an embarrassing few minutes trying to find the location of the
unpronounceable Karangahape Road (‘K Road’ to the locals) we set off.
Twenty uphill minutes later, a splash of colour on a rock-album-style banner
caught my eye – Revel, a cool, retro, higgledy-piggledy place, with nooks
and crannies, interesting chairs to try out, toys, board games and, best of
all, an old tabletop Space Invaders game.
Our brunch, The Vegan Reveller, included home-made falafel patties,
hummus, pesto and relish – a tasty twist on breakfast.
We carried out two gorgeous cupcakes to eat later, one
pumpkin and chocolate and one lemon. Their cupcake
recipes are from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World
(see p. 35). So that’s why they’re so yummy . . .
Another day and another visit to Revel began with
disappointment and ended with joy. Leaving it until late
afternoon (this time to indulge in cake, cake, cake) we
discovered all the vegan cupcakes sold! Our faces must
have looked too sad to bear because the lovely people
there quickly offered us a cake that had only just come
out of the oven – the vegan chocolate midnight cake.
It was delicious.
Revel was started in 2002 with a mission to provide
tasty, quality, healthy food, great coffee, friendly and
attentive service, with minimal environmental impact. They serve fairtrade
organic coffee, use biodegradable takeaway containers and recycle all
their food waste.
Revel Cafe
146 Karangahape Rd
Auckland
New Zealand
Tel: 09 309 2372
89
90
Revel chocolate midnight cake GF
This is a magic cake. Depending on how long you cook it, it turns from mousse to
cheesecake to cake. The filling could be eaten on its own as a lovely mousse. Cooked
for 15–20 minutes, it just sets and cools to a medium-dense cheesecake texture.
Cooked a little longer, I am told, it becomes more cake-y. But I love it about halfway
between mousse and cheesecake, so I’ve never gone that far.
Grease and line the base of a 23 cm (9") round springform tin. Serves 8
For the crust, blend the almonds, sugar, brown rice flour, potato starch and salt in a Crust
food processor. When the almonds are finely chopped, add the vanilla and oil and ½ cup (70 g) almonds
pulse until the mixture becomes like biscuit crumbs. Press into the lined tin and bake 2 tablespoons (30 g) brown sugar
for 10 minutes. ½ cup (70 g) brown rice flour
½ cup (60 g) potato starch
For the filling, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27). Blend the tofu, sugar,
¼ teaspoon salt
vanilla and salt in a food processor until very smooth. Add the melted chocolate and
blend. Pour the filling onto the base and bake for 15–20 minutes, until the filling is set
but jiggles a little. Or longer if you want to test the cake theory.
e.g. sunflower
Cool on a wire rack. When cold, run a palette knife around the edge and release the
Filling
springform sleeve.
1²⁄³ cup (400 g) silken tofu
¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
91
new york style lemon cheesecake NF
I’ve experimented with many recipes to get the authentic taste and texture of the traditional New York style cheesecake, a plain,
unadulterated baked cheesecake made with cream cheese. Vegan cream cheese is available pretty much everywhere; mixing
it half and half with tofu cuts the fat and increases the nutritional value. Don’t worry if the cheesecake cracks, this only adds to
its authentic look.
Grease a 23 cm (9") round springform tin. Serves 12
Place a shallow pan filled with water on lower rack of oven. This creates a moist Base
atmosphere in the oven that helps create the cheesecake texture. ¹⁄³ cup (55 g) unbleached flour
1 cup (140 g) wholemeal flour
For the base, sift the flours, baking powder and salt. Put the dairy-free spread and
sugar into a food processor and blend together. Add the flour mixture and pulse until
¼ teaspoon salt
incorporated. Flatten into the tin and bake for 10–15 minutes.
For the filling, blend the cream cheese and tofu in a food processor. Add sugar and ¹⁄³ cup (75 g) brown sugar
blend until creamy. Add lemon juice, lemon extract and flour. Blend and pour into crust.
Filling
Bake 50–60 minutes until the cheesecake is set, but still wobbles a little when you shake 2 cups (450 g) vegan cream cheese
it. Turn off oven but leave the cheesecake in for another half an hour. Remove from 2½ cups (600 g) silken tofu
the oven and leave the cheesecake to cool completely. Drizzle with the lemon syrup, ²⁄³ cup (130 g) sugar
allowing it to run into any cracks. Run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake and ½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
release the springform clip. ½–1 teaspoon natural lemon
extract (optional)
¹⁄³ cup (55 g) unbleached flour
Topping
1 batch lemon syrup (p. 100)
92
93
94
lime tart GF R LS
This is such a refreshing summer dessert. Easy to make, and you don’t need to turn on the oven in hot weather. The base tastes
like a beautiful biscuit crumb; who would know it is just nuts and a few dates? The filling is a creamy pale green, thanks to the
avocado, with a zesty flavour that makes your tastebuds tingle. I made this for family friends, who are not really into raw food,
and not even vegan. Everyone, including the kids, shouted for more.
You will need four individual tartlet pans, preferably loose-bottomed, or one Makes 4
23 cm (9") pan.
Base
For the base, place all the ingredients in the food processor and blend, until you can 1 cup (140 g) brazil nuts
pinch the mixture together and it sticks. If it seems too dry, add one or two more dates. ½ cup (50 g) desiccated coconut
Press firmly into the bottom of the tartlet pans, pushing the mixture well into the fluted ¹⁄³ cup (70 g) medjool dates,
edges. Chill for at least an hour. chopped
For the filling, blend all the ingredients except the lime juice and coconut oil in a food Filling
processor until very smooth and creamy. Melt the coconut oil by placing it in a glass or ²⁄³ cup (90 g) cashews, soaked for
ceramic bowl, over another bowl of hot water. Gradually add the lime juice and then the 1–2 hours
coconut oil, with the motor still running. Pour over the crust and chill in the fridge for at 1 medium avocado (about
least 3 hours, or in the freezer for an hour. 120 g flesh)
pinch of salt
Sprinkle with lime zest and serve with cashew cream (p. 167).
seeds of 1 vanilla bean
¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) agave nectar
1 teaspoon lime zest, plus extra
for decoration
²⁄³ cup (160 ml) lime juice, or a
mixture of lime and lemon
¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) coconut oil
95
hello daddy chocolate berry pie NF
My daughter wanted to make a special treat for her dad when he returned from a long trip. We had recently seen the film
Waitress in which the main character invents amazing pies, with long-winded names reflecting major events in her life. Inspired
by this, my daughter and I invented this tart and christened it ‘hello daddy chocolate berry pie’. Of course, you can pipe
whatever message you like on top.
Use a 25 cm (10") glass or ceramic pie dish. Serves 8–10
For the pastry, sift the flour and icing sugar into a bowl. Rub the dairy-free spread into Pastry
the flour, lightly with just your fingertips, until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. 1¼ cups (200 g) white flour
Sprinkle over the water and mix with a flat knife, until the pastry starts to stick together. ¼ cup (35 g) icing sugar, sifted
If necessary add another teaspoon or two of water. Using your hands, lightly bring ½ cup (100 g) dairy-free spread
the pastry together into a ball. Cover the pastry and leave in the fridge for at least 2 tablespoons (40 ml) water
30 minutes to rest.
Filling
Roll the pastry into a circle approximately 30 cm (12") wide and line the pie dish. 2 heaped cups (250 g) berries of
your choice
For the filling, wash the berries, chop if large and place in the pastry case. Melt the
1½ bars (150 g) chocolate,
chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27). Whisk the egg replacer with 2 tablespoons soy
chopped
milk until fluffy, then whisk in the rest of the milk. Blend the tofu, vanilla and agave
1 tablespoon egg replacer
nectar in a food processor, then add the egg replacer mixture and melted chocolate
¾ cup (180 ml) soy milk
and blend again until well mixed. Pour over berries
1¼ cups (300 g) silken tofu
Bake for 20–25 minutes until set. When cool, pour a layer of soy cream over the top and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
chill in the freezer for about 30 minutes. Then pipe your message in chocolate ganache. ¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar
Icing (optional)
½ cup (125 ml) thick soy cream
(p. 167)
1 batch chocolate ganache (p. 169)
96
97
98
tiramisu GF NF
Tiramisu means ‘pick me up’. The combination of coffee, chocolate and sugar will certainly do this for you. I usually use decaf
coffee to keep my children on this planet.
Grease and line the base of a 30 cm x 20 cm (12" x 8") rectangular pan and grease and Serves 8
line a large flat baking sheet for the cake.
1 batch vanilla cake (basic vanilla,
You will need a large, shallow glass or ceramic dish, or 8 individual dessert dishes to assemble wheat free or gluten free,
the tiramisu. pp. 43–45)
Bake the vanilla cake mixture in the rectangular pan for about 20 minutes, until risen 2 cups (a double batch) thick soy
and golden. Turn out onto a wire cooling rack and cool for 5 or 10 minutes, until it is cream (p. 167)
cool enough to slice into fingers about 4 cm (1½") wide. Lay the fingers sideways on the 1 cup (220 g) vegan cream cheese
baking sheet and bake for a further 15 minutes, until they are brown and a little crispy. 2 tablespoons icing sugar
Place on the rack and allow to cool completely. 1 cup (250 ml) double-strength
coffee (see p. 18)
Mix the soy cream, cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth, and chill until needed. 2 tablespoons sugar
Brew the coffee, then dissolve the sugar in it. Allow to cool, then add the liqueur, if using. ¼ cup (60 ml) coffee liqueur
(optional)
Lay the sponge fingers in the base of the large dish (or individual dishes) and pour
²⁄³ cup (100 g) chocolate, finely
the coffee mixture over them, saturating them completely. Spoon the cream over the
grated
sponge and sprinkle the grated chocolate on top. Chill.
99
lemon raspberry trifle GF NF
As a kid I used to love trifle. You know those really big ones, with loads of layers? Packet sponge fingers, packet jelly, tinned
fruit salad, packet custard, aerosol squirty cream, hundreds and thousands on top? This version is more to my taste these days –
a bit more grown up, and a lot healthier.
You will need a large glass dish. Serves 6–8
To make the syrup, put the lemon juice and sugar into a small pan over a low heat Lemon syrup
until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat and leave to cool. Make the cake and ½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
custard and leave to cool. 1¼ cup (200g) icing sugar
Slice the cake into pieces about 2 cm (1") thick and lay into a glass dish.
1 basic vanilla or gluten free
Pour the syrup over the cake and leave to absorb while you make the cream. sponge, lemon variation, baked
Scatter the raspberries over the cake. Mix the cream and the cooled custard together in a 23 cm (9") square pan
and spoon over the top. (p. 43 or 45)
2 punnets fresh or 2 cups (about
Optional – sprinkle with toasted flaked almonds.
250 g) frozen raspberries
1 cup (250 ml) thick soy cream
(p. 167)
1 cup (250 ml) thick custard (p. 168)
100
101
102
banoffi tarts NF
My first job was as a waitress in a great restaurant called The Vineyard, back in my pre-vegan, or even pre-vegetarian days.
I loved the food there, and was allowed to taste it all (thank you, Jim, for inspiring my passion for good food and wine!). This
was one of my favourite desserts, and I’ve missed it. So, for this book, I decided to create a dairy-free version. It works! The
banana-coffee-toffee combination is sensational. This is best assembled just before you eat it so, if you can, make individual
pastry shells beforehand and assemble as you need them – or just eat the whole pie at one sitting!
8 small 12 cm (5") tart tins, or one large 23 cm (9") tin. Serves 8
For the pastry, sift the flour, icing sugar and salt. Add the lemon zest and vanilla bean Pastry
seeds, if using. Rub in the dairy-free spread, lightly with just your fingertips, until the fat 1½ cups (240 g) white flour
is incorporated and the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons ¹⁄³ cup (50 g) icing sugar
of water over the mixture and mix gently with a flat knife until the crumbs start to stick pinch of salt
together. You may need another tablespoon of water to do this. Lightly roll the pastry ½ teaspoon lemon zest
into a ball with your hands. Cover the pastry and put in the fridge for an hour. seeds of 1 vanilla bean (optional)
²⁄³ cup (125 g) dairy-free spread
Roll out the pastry and line the tin/s. Prick the base with a fork. Blind bake (p. 68) for
2–3 tablespoons (40–60ml) water
10 minutes then remove the beans and paper and cook for a further 5 minutes until
the pastry is lightly coloured around the edges, and you can’t see any damp patches. Caramel
Remove from the oven and cool in the tin. 1 cup (250 ml) soy milk
For the caramel, combine the ingredients in a large saucepan. Heat, stirring constantly,
1¾ cups (350 g) sugar
until the sugar dissolves and the mixture turns a light golden brown. Remove from the
2 cups (175 g) dried soy milk
heat and allow to cool a little. Half fill the pastry cases with caramel.
For the coffee cream, mix the maple syrup, vanilla and coffee with the soy milk in a
tall, narrow container that your stick blender will fit into. Insert the blender down to the 4–5 large bananas
bottom and switch it on. Keep the blender running, hold your container still and slowly
Coffee cream
drizzle the oil in, until the cream becomes thick. Chill.
1 tablespoon maple syrup
When ready to serve, slice the bananas over the caramel, and spoon the coffee cream ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
on top. 2 tablespoons double-strength
Optional – decorate with grated chocolate and serve with chocolate sauce (p. 170). coffee (see p. 18)
¼ cup (60 ml) soy milk
²⁄³ cup (160 ml) light oil,
e.g. sunflower
103
chapter five
proper
puddings
I’m a pretty tolerant person when it comes to international nomenclature.
As a stranger in a strange land, I’ve had to be. I’ll happily ask for zucchini,
eggplant and capsicum at the market and snuggle up under my doona at
night. I’ve even been known to talk about my thongs in public!
But I dig my heels in on pudding. Pudding, in general terms, is a not-
so-posh way of saying dessert, as in ‘What’s for pudding, Mum?’ More
specifically, pudding is a baked or steamed sponge, served with sweet
sauce, as in Christmas pudding or sticky date pudding.
The desserts in this chapter are all proper puddings. It should
preferably be chilly outside when you eat them, it helps if you have a heap
of people round the table and you really have to plan to leave room for
them when eating your main course. But you can be sure that when you’ve
eaten them, you are going to feel warmed, nourished and loved.
104
Some people’s idea of a perfect holiday is lying by a pool, novel in one
Lake District
Country House Hotel
Lancrigg Vegetarian
hand, cocktail in the other. Others prefer city sights and a bit of culture.
Me, I like tramping up craggy, soggy, misty Cumbrian hillsides with a
good breakfast in me and the promise of a warm fire, hot bath and more
scrumptious food ahead.
The English Lake District has some spectacular scenery, but the weather
can be unpredictable to say the least. So it is essential when you go there
to have a place to retreat to when the rain just won’t let up. Lancrigg
is such a place: roaring fires, squashy sofas, four-poster beds and claw-
footed baths. It’s an old country house surrounded by acres of woodland,
and William Wordsworth and his sister, Dorothy, used to hang out with
the original owners. In fact Will probably wrote ‘Daffodils’ sitting on the
terrace, after a roam across the dales.
The food at Lancrigg is organic, vegetarian and all homemade – and
vegan or gluten free diets pose no problem. Breakfasts are gargantuan,
just the ticket if you’ve got a day’s walking ahead, or just planning to
write poetry in the garden.
Traditional English afternoon
teas on the lawn or by the fire
are everything you’d expect
and delicious dinners, served
in the elegant candlelit dining
room, round off a perfect day
of eating.
Lancrigg
Grasmere
Cumbria
UK
Tel: 015394 35317
www.lancrigg.co.uk
105
Lancrigg fig and GF LS
almond pudding
This is a lighter-than-usual baked sponge, gluten free and low in sugar, served with a
delicate spiced sauce instead of heavy custard or cream.
Makes 4 Grease and line the base of 4 ramekin dishes with baking parchment.
Topping For the topping, mix the dairy-free spread, almonds and chopped figs in a small bowl.
2 tablespoons (30 g) dairy- Divide the mixture between the ramekin dishes and press down.
free spread
For the sponge, cream together the dairy-free spread and maple syrup, either by hand
¹⁄³ cup (50 g) almonds, finely
or in a food processor. Sift the soy flour and baking powder and add to the mixture.
chopped
Stir in the ground almonds and vanilla. Add 2 tablespoons of water or a little more to
²⁄³ cup (100 g) dried figs, finely
form a smooth batter. Divide the mixture between the ramekins, covering the fig and
chopped
almond mixture. Bake for 40–45 minutes, until the puddings are risen and golden.
Sponge
Remove from the oven and run a knife around the puddings to loosen. Turn out onto
¹⁄³ cup plus 1 tablespoon (75 g)
a plate.
dairy-free spread
¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup For the sauce, heat the maple syrup, orange zest, juice and spices in a pan and simmer
½ cup (50 g) soy flour for a few minutes. Remove the spices and spoon the sauce around the puddings.
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup (75 g) ground almonds
Spiced orange sauce

finely grated zest and juice of
1 orange
½ cinnamon stick
3 cardamoms, crushed
Oven: 150°C/300°F/Gas 2
106
107
108
sticky date puddings with toffee sauce NF
Sticky date pudding is a great Australian favourite. The sponge in this vegan version is a little less sweet than many recipes, but
the sauce is the full whack!
Grease 6–8 individual pudding tins or large muffin tins. These puddings can stick, so it’s Serves 6–8
a good idea to cut a small circle of baking parchment to sit in the base of each tin.
Pudding
For the pudding, soak the dates in the coffee and boiling water and leave while you 1 cup (160 g) dates, stoned and
assemble the other ingredients. chopped small
2 tablespoons double-strength
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and spices into a medium bowl. In a
coffee (see p. 18)
smaller bowl, mix the soy milk and vinegar, leave to thicken for a few minutes, then add
½ cup (125 ml) boiling water
the vanilla extract, oil and sugar.
1¼ cups (200 g) unbleached flour
Add the soy milk mixture and the soaked dates to the flour and mix well. 1 teaspoon baking powder
Pour the batter into the greased tins, about three-quarters full. Bake for 20–25 minutes ¾ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
until the puddings have risen and spring back when you press them slightly. Remove ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
from the oven, cool for around 5 minutes, then slide a palette knife around each ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
pudding and turn out carefully. ½ cup soy milk
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
For the toffee sauce, combine all the ingredients in a pan and place over a low heat,
without stirring, until the sugar has melted. Then stir with a wooden spoon to combine
the ingredients and simmer for about 5 minutes.
e.g. sunflower
Serve the puddings, warm, slathered with toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream (p. 146). ¾ cup (150 g) sugar
Toffee sauce
½ cup (125 ml) thin soy cream
(p. 167)
1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
pinch of salt
109
bread pudding NF
I grew up on this old English favourite. Like bread and butter pudding (p. 119), it was originally invented as a cheap pudding
to use up stale bread. Unfortunately, modern bread is so loaded with preservatives that it tends to go mouldy before it dries
out, and if you make your own, without preservatives, people are so delighted they eat it all before it gets a chance to go stale.
Try catching end-of-the-day offers on artisan bread in a good baker or health food store, or make your own and hide it for a
few days!
Grease and line a 23 cm (9") square tin or ceramic dish. Serves 8
Cut or tear the bread into small chunks and place in a large bowl with the sultanas, 450 g (1 lb) stale wholemeal bread,
prunes and apricots. Cover with the soy milk and soak for 20 minutes. without crusts
Add the rest of the ingredients and beat well, so that the bread breaks down a bit and 1 cup (160 g) sultanas
everything is well combined. ½ cup (75 g) ready-to-eat prunes,

chopped
Press into the tin and bake for around an hour until firm and brown. You can eat this ½ cup (75 g) ready-to-eat dried
warm from the oven, but it tastes even better the next day. Serve as it is or with soy apricots, chopped
cream (p. 167), custard (p. 168) or vanilla ice-cream (p. 146). 2½ cups (625 ml) soy milk
½ cup (100 g) dairy-free spread,
melted
¾ cup (150 g) dark brown sugar
450 g (1 lb) apples, peeled, cored
and chopped
egg replacer to equal 2 eggs
zest and juice of 1 orange
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons mixed spice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
110
coconut rice pudding GF LS
This nutritious update on a nursery favourite should please all kids and all those who remember being a kid.
Grease a medium glass or ceramic baking dish. Serves 6
Measure all the ingredients, except the pistachio nuts, into a large bowl and stir to mix. Pudding
Pour the mixture into the baking dish and cover with a lid or foil. Place the dish on a ¾ cup (125 g) risotto (arborio) rice
baking tray, to catch any drips, and place on the bottom shelf of the oven. After 30 ¹⁄³ cup (50 g) sultanas or raisins
minutes carefully remove the tray, stir the rice and place back in the oven. Set the timer ½ cup (50 g) grated apple, about
for another 30 minutes, stir again and check to see if the rice is soft – if it is not, return 1 small apple
to the oven for another 15 minutes. If at any stage you think the pudding is getting ¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar or
too dry, add a little more rice or soy milk and stir in. Serve warm or cold, sprinkled with maple syrup
chopped pistachio nuts. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 tin (400 ml) coconut milk
1 cup (250 ml) rice or soy milk
To serve
1 tablespoon unsalted pistachio
nuts, chopped
111
plum and pecan crumble WF LS
Whoever invented crumbles deserves a medal for creating one of the easiest and most popular desserts ever. Chop up any
fruit in the house, rub a bit of fat into some flour and stir in some sugar, throw it on top of the fruit, whack the whole lot in the
oven and away you go – a fantastic, warming winter sweet, needing only a good dollop of custard or ice-cream to complete it
perfectly. This crumble adds a couple more refinements to justify it being in a recipe book.
You will need a shallow 1 litre (2 pint) glass or ceramic baking dish. Serves 8
Halve the plums and layer them in the dish, packing them tightly together. Sprinkle with 10–12 large (750 g) plums
one tablespoon of the brown sugar, reserving the other tablespoon to sprinkle on top of 2 tablespoons (30 g) brown sugar
the crumble. Bake the plums for about 15 minutes in the oven, until they start to soften. 1 cup (140 g) barley flour
Meanwhile, measure the barley flour into a large bowl and using your fingertips rub the ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) dairy-free spread
dairy-free spread into the flour, until the mixture looks like lumpy breadcrumbs. Stir in ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
the sugar, rolled oats and pecans. ½ cup (50 g) rolled oats
½ cup (50 g) pecans, roughly
When the plums come out of the oven, spoon the crumble on top and press down chopped
around the fruit. Sprinkle the remaining tablespoon of brown sugar over the surface if
you like a crunchy, sweet top (omit for LS). Bake for 30–40 minutes until the crumble Oven 200°C/400°F/Gas 6
looks crunchy and lightly browned. Serve with custard (p. 168) or vanilla ice-cream
(p. 146).
112
113
114
apple and blackberry betty NF
Unlike a charlotte, which consists of layered slices of sugared bread with fruit in the middle, a betty is fruit topped with a layer of
breadcrumbs and sugar. Many people confuse the two. My grandmother was a Charlotte, and I could have been a Betty (short
for my full name, Elisabeth), so I feel a responsibility to clarify this matter.
You will need a 1 litre (2 pint) shallow glass or ceramic baking dish. Serves 6
Melt the dairy-free spread in a frying pan over a low heat. Once melted add the sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) dairy-free spread
syrup, lemon zest and juice and stir until dissolved. Add the breadcrumbs and stir until ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) brown sugar
they soak up all the liquid. Remove from the heat and mix in the ground hazelnuts, 2 tablespoons golden syrup
if using. zest and juice of ½ lemon
Layer the apples in the bottom of the dish and scatter the blackberries on top. Sprinkle 2 large slices (125 g) wholemeal
the crumb mixture on top and bake for 20–25 minutes, or until the fruit is soft and bread, broken into breadcrumbs
the crumbs are lightly browned. Serve warm with soy cream (p. 167) or cashew cream 2 tablespoons (25 g) ground
(p. 167). hazelnuts (omit for NF)

3–4 (500 g) large apples, peeled,
cored and thinly sliced
1 cup (125 g) blackberries
Oven: 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
115
berry cobbler NF
If possible, this is even easier than a crumble. Any kind of fruit can be used as the base. Berries are lovely because of the bright
colours and all those antioxidants! I used blackberries, blackcurrants and blueberries, but any mixture of berries would do – just
try and have a mixture of sweet and tart. The topping is simply stirred together and then plopped on top, leaving gaps for the
fruit to ooze through. The result looks like cobblestones, hence the name. I’ve seen some neat and tidy versions where a scone
(biscuit) dough is made and cut into circles and laid on top, but honestly, who wants to do that when you can have the fun of
throwing lumps of dough around?
Grease a glass or ceramic baking dish, about 20 cm x 20 cm (8" x 8") or 6 individual Serves 6
ramekin dishes.
Fruit filling
For the filling, mix the berries, sugar and arrowroot and place in the baking dish or 3 cups (about 450 g) mixed berries
ramekins. ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) sugar
2 tablespoons arrowroot
For the topping, stir the lemon juice and zest into the soy milk and leave for a few
minutes to thicken. Then add the oil and whisk together. Sift the flour, baking powder, Topping
salt and cinnamon, then stir in the sugar. Mix the milk and flour into a sticky dough. 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Now ‘cobble’ – drop spoonfuls of the dough randomly all over the top of the berries, 1 teaspoon lemon zest
leaving gaps between. ¾ cup (180 ml) soy milk
Bake for 25–30 minutes until the dough has risen and browned and the berries are
e.g. sunflower
bubbling through the gaps. Serve warm with soy cream (p. 167) or vanilla ice-cream
1½ cups (240 g) unbleached flour
(p. 146).
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
116
117
118
bread and butter pudding LS NF
This one takes me back to my childhood. I can remember peering through the door of the oven, looking to see if the top was
brown enough. My favourite part was the crispy top layer, so it was important to wait for just the right amount of brown-ness.
Grease a glass or ceramic baking dish, about 20 cm x 20 cm (8" x 8"). Serves 6–8
Spread each slice of bread thickly with dairy-free spread, reserving a little spread for 250–300 g good white bread,
the top. Cut each slice into four triangles. Place a layer of bread slices, spread side up, sliced thinly (about 6–8 slices)
in the bottom of the dish, cutting pieces to fit in the gaps. Sprinkle with a tablespoon ¼ cup (50 g) dairy-free spread
of sugar and about half the raisins or sultanas. Cover with another layer of bread, ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
another tablespoon of sugar and the rest of the dried fruit. Finish with a layer of bread, ½ cup (80 g) raisins or sultanas
overlapping the slices so that the points of the triangles stick up a little – these corners ¼ cup (70 g) chickpea (besan) flour
should turn brown and crispy. 2 tablespoons cornflour
Mix the chickpea flour and cornflour in a large jug or bowl. Gradually whisk in the milk. 2 cups (500 ml) oat, rice or soy milk
Pour the mixture evenly over the bread slices. Put in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour Oven 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
to allow the bread to soak up some of the liquid.
Sprinkle the rest of the sugar on top of the pudding and dot with the remaining dairy-
free spread. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until crisp and golden brown. My mum used to
fob me off with more milk poured on top, but I recommend trying it with thin soy cream
(p. 167).
119
lemon syrup sponge pudding NF
Who doesn’t remember syrup sponge? There was never enough syrup, was there? This version has lots, but with the addition
of lemon to cut the sweetness a little and make it go further.
Grease a 1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin with dairy-free spread. Serves 8–10
Pour the golden syrup into the base of the pudding basin. Stir in half the lemon juice. ½ cup (200 g) golden syrup
Sift the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. In a separate bowl or jug, juice of 1 lemon
whisk the rest of the lemon juice and the zest into the soy milk and leave for a few ¾ cup (120 g) unbleached
minutes to thicken slightly. Add the oil and sugar to the milk mixture and whisk together. white flour
Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and stir until combined. Pour the sponge ½ cup (70 g) wholemeal flour
mixture into the basin. 1 teaspoon baking powder

Cover the basin with baking parchment (leaving a pleat to allow for expansion) and tie ¼ teaspoon salt
with string. Place the bowl in the top section of a steamer and steam for 1½ hours. If 1 teaspoon lemon zest
you don’t have a steamer use a large pan with a lid, and a trivet or upturned saucer in 1 cup (250 ml) soy milk
the bottom for the pudding basin to sit on. Keep an eye on the water level throughout ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) light oil,
the cooking time and top up with boiling water when necessary. e.g. sunflower
When the time is up, carefully remove the pudding from the steamer and remove the ½ cup (100 g) sugar
paper. Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer – if it comes out dry it is
done. Leave to settle for about 5 minutes, then run a palette knife around the edge and
turn the pudding onto a large plate.
Serve with custard (p. 168).
120
121
122
christmas pudding GF LS NF
This recipe was based on my mum’s, which was based on her mum’s, and I expect my daughters will carry on the tradition – each
generation altering the recipe a little, adding its own tidbit of history. My mum used to make her pudding weeks before
Christmas but, even though I intend to every year, I never seem to manage it. It still tastes good, even if it hasn’t had time
to mature properly. It’s traditional in our family that everyone gives the pudding mixture a stir and makes a wish. But I’ve
abandoned my mum’s habit of wrapping a coin in foil and hiding it in the pudding, because of my anxiety about choking or
aluminium poisoning!
Grease a 1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin. Serves 12
Mix the dried fruit, grated apple, lemon and orange zest and spices in a large bowl. 5 cups (800 g) mixed dried fruit,
Pour over the beer, orange and lemon juice, and brandy or rum, stir well, cover and e.g. sultanas, raisins, currants,
leave overnight. chopped figs, chopped prunes,
Next morning sift the flour and baking powder and add to the fruit mixture, along with candied peel, sour cherries,
the breadcrumbs, sugar and salt. Mix the molasses with the oil and stir into the mixture. or similar
Now everyone have a stir and make a wish. 1 large apple, grated
juice and zest of 1 lemon and
Pack the mixture into the pudding basin and flatten the surface. Cover the basin with 1 orange
a double layer of baking parchment and a layer of foil (leaving a pleat to allow for 1 teaspoon nutmeg
expansion) and tie with string. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Place the bowl in the top section of a steamer and steam for 6 hours. If you don’t have a 1 teaspoon mixed spice
steamer, use a large pan with a lid, and a trivet or upturned saucer in the bottom for the ½ cup (125 ml) beer
pudding basin to sit on. Keep an eye on the water level every 1 to 2 hours throughout 2 tablespoons brandy or rum
the cooking time and top up with boiling water when necessary. (optional)
1 cup (140 g) wholemeal flour or
When the time is up, carefully remove the pudding from the steamer and allow to
gluten free flour mix 1 (p. 45)
cool in the bowl. Then remove the parchment and foil, and cover the basin with new
parchment and foil. Keep in a cool, dark place or, in a warm climate, the fridge, until
2 cups (125 g) breadcrumbs
Christmas. To reheat, steam for 1 to 2 hours. Serve with custard (p. 168) or vanilla
(or gluten free breadcrumbs)
ice‑cream (p. 146).
½ cup (100 g) dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons molasses
¾ cup (180 ml) light oil,
e.g. sunflower
123
chapter six
fruit
desserts
If we are 98 per cent genetically similar to apes, we probably ought to
live on a diet based mainly on fruit. Nutrient-rich, with the sweetness
we all seem to crave, fruit can provide a complete diet, especially if
the vegetable-fruits (avocadoes, tomatoes, capsicums, cucumbers) are
included. I love to eat only fruit at breakfast time, either one single variety,
or a fruit salad or mixed fruit juice. It’s sweet, cleansing and provides
instant energy – better than a shot of caffeine to get you going in the
morning.
Fruit also makes a great dessert, with most of the sweetness coming
from the natural sugars in the fruit rather than added sugars. Cooking fruit
often makes it palatable to people who profess not to like fruit, although
many of the nutrients are lost this way.
124
Melbourne
le cru
The raw food revolution is happening! Radiant, happy people all over the
world are telling us of the benefits of a raw food diet, and they look so
great it’s easy to believe them. ‘Raw’ means unprocessed, often organic
food in its natural state. Any heating is below 40–46°C (104–115°F), the
temperature at which the enzymes in food are destroyed. A raw food diet
is naturally gluten free, low in sugar and usually vegan. It doesn’t contain
artificial additives like flavours, colours or preservatives. Instead, it is full of
vitamins and bursting with antioxidants. Raw foodists say they get loads
of energy from this diet which, they argue, is the best defence against
premature ageing and disease. You don’t have to restrict yourself only to
raw foods to enjoy the benefits, just incorporate more raw food such as fruit,
freshly squeezed vegetable juices, green smoothies, raw muesli, salads,
dried fruits and nuts into your diet. If you get enthusiastic, gourmet raw food
preparation will leave your tastebuds tingling. Not sure how good it will
taste? Start with some of the dessert recipes in this book such as lime tart,
black forest gateau or chocolate chunk ice-cream (p. 95, 40 and 153) and
you’ll be convinced.
I was very excited when I heard that a raw food restaurant had opened
in Melbourne, le cru – which means ‘raw’ in French. Carolyn Trewin, the
founder of le cru, told me she became convinced of the benefits of raw
food through her experience of breast cancer. Trying to find answers,
she studied cell rejuvenation and the treatment of tumours with a living
wholefood alkaline diet for four years. Her daughter, Nush, the chef,
prepares ‘Living Cuisine’ with passion, love and commitment – blending,
sprouting, fermenting and dehydrating vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds,
sea vegetables, Irish Moss, fresh herbs and exotic spices.
I started an incredible meal with beetroot ravioli and smoky lapsang
mushrooms, followed by potato salad and ruby kraut. For dessert, my
friend and I shared a pineapple carpaccio and a slice of chocolate ganache
cake with coconut cream. And we drank a lovely organic New Zealand
riesling – wine is raw after all! The food was beautiful to look at, colourful
and flavoursome – a delight to every sense.
Carolyn and Nush are now concentrating on developing their
wholefoods business, supplying delicious raw, vegan ice-cream, crackers
and granola to the retail and catering industry. Sadly for raw food fans,
the restaurant is now closed, but you can buy many of Nushie’s Natural www.nushiesnatural.com.au
products in stores and online.

125
le cru pineapple carpaccio GF R
This is a refreshing, summery dessert easy enough for anyone to make.
Serves 8 For the carpaccio, slice the pineapple very finely with a sharp knife or mandolin. Soak
the slices in the rum or pineapple juice and agave nectar overnight.
Carpaccio
1 small pineapple Choose 8 perfect slices and reserve for garnish. If you have a dehydrator, you can dry
2 tablespoons rum or these for 8 hours to make beautiful pineapple crisps.
pineapple juice
For the sorbet, blend all the ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth and
¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar
freeze according to your ice-cream maker’s instructions. Alternatively, follow instructions
Sorbet on p. 141 for freezing without an ice-cream maker.
1 large pineapple, chopped
To serve, place slices of pineapple onto a plate in a circle. Place a scoop of sorbet in the
¾ cup (180 ml) agave nectar
centre and top with a pineapple slice or crisp.
¹⁄8 teaspoon ground cardamom
126
winter fruit compote GF R LS
This is a great winter dessert, served with plain soy yogurt or raw cashew cream (p. 167). I love it on porridge in the morning,
too, for a breakfast you can’t fault: full of fibre, jam-packed with vitamins and minerals and it’ll keep you glowing all the way
until lunchtime . . .
Squeeze the orange and pour the juice into a dish with about the same amount of Serves 2–3
water. Add the fruit and spices, making sure they are submerged, and leave overnight.
8 dried apricots
Remove the spices before serving.
8 prunes
a handful of sultanas
a sprinkling of goji berries
juice of 1 orange
1 stick of cinnamon
2 cloves
a small piece of star anise
127
128
amaretto peacherines GF LS
I love peacherines. I never heard of them until I moved to Australia, so I’m not sure if they are available in the rest of the world.
They are a cross between a peach and nectarine, as I’m sure you have guessed, combining the best of both. They are large,
smooth-skinned, fleshy and juicy. If you can’t get them, use the biggest nectarines you can find. This is a very simple summer
dessert, made special by the addition of amaretto. If you haven’t got it, or want the dessert to be alcohol free, just add a drop
of almond extract to the agave and spread mixture. You can also char-grill these on a barbecue or griddle.
Melt the dairy-free spread and mix in the agave nectar and amaretto or almond extract. Serves 6
Cut the peacherines or nectarines in half and place cut side up on a baking tray. Brush
2 tablespoons (30 g) dairy-free
the amaretto mixture on the fruit.
spread
Put the tray under the grill for 8–10 minutes. Serve with cream or ice-cream and drizzle 2 tablespoons (40 ml) amaretto
the remainder of the syrup on top. (or 1–2 drops almond extract)
2 tablespoons (40 ml) agave nectar
6 peacherines or nectarines
129
vanilla-poached pears with GF LS
hazelnut-fig filling
My favourite dessert as a child was Poire Belle Helene. My mother always knew how to posh things up, even when it was a
tin of pears and bought ice-cream. She did, however, always make home-made chocolate sauce. I remember she put ground
almonds in the sauce – always trying to sneak the healthy things in where I wouldn’t notice them.
This grown-up version has the nuts hidden inside the pear instead, which is filled with a mixture of roasted hazelnuts, figs
and goji berries, with a hint of orange. You can serve the pears with a reduction of the poaching syrup, for a low sugar option,
but they are still best with vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce!
Peel the pears, leaving the stalk, and place upright in a saucepan just big enough Serves 6
to hold them. Add the agave nectar, cinnamon, whole vanilla bean, star anise and
Pears
enough water to just cover the pears. Cover and bring to a simmer over a medium
6 large, firm pears
heat. Poach the pears for 15–20 minutes until a skewer goes in easily. Remove the pears
carefully and place in a dish in the fridge to cool. Remove the whole spices and carry
1 cinnamon stick
on simmering the liquid until it has reduced to a thickish syrup. Remove from the heat,
1 vanilla bean, split
transfer to a heatproof container and allow to cool.
1 star anise
For the filling, blend the hazelnuts, figs and orange zest in a food processor until finely 1–1½ cups (250–375 ml) water
chopped. Strain the goji berries or sultanas and stir them in, along with enough orange
Filling
juice to make the mixture stick together.
¹⁄³ cup hazelnuts, roasted and
To stuff the pears, cut a thin slice off the bottom of each pear to leave a flat surface so skinned (see p. 15)
that it will stand up. Using a narrow, sharp knife, carefully cut a circle around the core 3–4 (80 g) dried figs, chopped
of the pear and hollow out with a spoon. Fill each pear with as much of the hazelnut 1 teaspoon orange zest
mixture as you can and stand it upright in a serving dish. Drizzle the pears with the 2 tablespoons goji berries or
reduced poaching syrup. sultanas, soaked in hot water
1–2 teaspoons orange juice
Serve cold, with ice-cream and chocolate sauce if desired.
Optional, to serve
vanilla ice-cream (p. 146)
easy chocolate sauce (p. 170)
130
131
132
apple and strawberry jelly GF LS
My friend Jenni made these for her son’s birthday party, but they were so tasty that all the adults wanted to eat them.
You will need 6 small glasses or glass dessert dishes. Serves 6

2 teaspoons agar powder
Sprinkle the agar powder onto the apple juice in a large pan and leave to soak for 15
1 litre clear apple juice
minutes. Place over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Don’t
½ cup (70 g) hazelnuts, roasted,
worry if the mixture doesn’t look thick, it will thicken on cooling. Don’t add more agar
skinned and ground (p. 15)
powder than suggested, otherwise you will have rock-like jellies.
1 cup (150 g) strawberries, sliced
Keep an eye on the mixture as it cools and when it begins to thicken, fill the glasses 2 tablespoons maple syrup
one third full with jelly. Add a layer of strawberries and sprinkle with a teaspoonful of
hazelnuts. Add another layer of jelly, strawberries and nuts, then finish with a jelly layer.
Leave to set completely in the fridge. To serve, top with a drizzle of maple syrup and a
strawberry.
133
five grain pancakes with NF LS
flambeed bananas
This is a basic pancake recipe that you can adapt to suit any occasion. The recipe suggests five different flours, which makes
a nutritious, low-gluten, high-fibre pancake. However, you can use any variety of flour you like, as long as the total amount of
flour adds up to three cups (about 400 g). You can also choose which milk you like – soy, rice, oat or nut. You can make thick
American-style pancakes, using a little less liquid, or thinner crepes, using a little more. You can use the pancakes for sweet or
savoury dishes. A very versatile recipe!
This version makes a great winter dessert. Setting fire to your food is always fun and impresses big and little kids.
Sift the flours, baking powder and salt together and add any bran or coarse bits back in. Serves 6
Pour the milk into a blender, add half the flour mixture and blend. Add the rest of the
Pancakes
flour and blend until smooth. Pancake batter improves if you leave it to stand for about
¹⁄³ cup (50 g) buckwheat flour
30 minutes. Heat a good non-stick or cast iron pan over a medium heat. Add a splash
²⁄³ cup (90 g) maize flour
of oil and roll the pan around to cover the base. If the oil starts to smoke, the pan is too
1 cup (120 g) oat flour
hot. If it doesn’t roll around the pan easily, the pan is not hot enough. You don’t want
½ cup (70 g) barley flour
too much oil, only enough to just coat the base of the pan. If you pour too much in by
½ cup (70 g spelt flour
mistake, empty it into a heatproof bowl and use it for the other pancakes. Pour about
¼–¹⁄³ cup batter into the pan and roll around to spread out a little. This mixture is half
pinch of salt
way between a crepe and an American pancake. If you want a thinner crepe, add a little
1 litre soy, rice, oat or nut milk
more milk to the batter. If you want American-style pancakes, use a little less milk and
light oil, e.g. sunflower, for frying
don’t roll the pan, just allow the mixture to settle by itself. Allow the pancake to cook
until the surface dries out. This should take about 45 seconds to one minute. Using a Bananas
flat spatula, ease the pancake over and cook the other side. If you find that the pancake 6 large bananas
is a bit too brown when you turn it over, turn the heat down a bit. If it takes more than ¼ cup (50 g) dairy-free spread
a minute for the pancake to dry out, turn the heat up a bit. Once you’ve got the correct 2 tablespoons brown sugar
heat, repeat the process for all the other pancakes, greasing the pan with just a bit of oil 3 tablespoons rum
each time. Keep the pancakes warm in a low oven while you’re cooking the rest.
Cut the bananas in thick diagonal slices. Melt the dairy-free spread in a large frying pan
and fry the banana slices, until they start to brown. Add the sugar and allow it to melt.
Add the rum and quickly touch a match to it. Allow the flames to burn out naturally.
To serve, place a few slices of banana in the centre of a crepe and roll up. Good with
soy cream (p. 167), peanut butter ice-cream (p. 145) or praline ice-cream (p. 149).
134
135
136
summer pudding GF NF
Summer pudding is a traditional English dessert which combines a mixture of summer fruits with bread. It was invented in the
19th century, when it was known by the delightful name of ‘hydropathic pudding’ because it was served in health spas, as a
healthier alternative to pastries. Fortunately, someone in the early 20th century thought of the name ‘summer pudding’ and the
recipe survives to this day. It has a beautiful ruby red colour and intense fruit flavour, without the heaviness of a pie or crumble.
Raspberries and redcurrants are the best fruits to use, but you can also add small amounts of blackberries, black cherries and
blackcurrants. Traditionally white bread is used, to show the rich red colour, but you could use a very light wholemeal. I haven’t
tried it with gluten free bread, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t work.
You will need a 1 litre (2 pint) pudding basin, and a saucer that just fits inside the rim of Serves 6
the basin. 3 cups (750 g) mixed summer soft
fruits (raspberries, redcurrants,
If the fruits are fresh, wash and remove any stalks or stones. Put the fruit, sugar and
blackberries, black cherries or
water in a large, heavy-based pan over a low heat, until the sugar dissolves and the
blackcurrants), fresh or frozen
juices begin to run – about 3 or 4 minutes for fresh fruit; 9 or 10 minutes for frozen.
Line the pudding basin with the slices of bread, tearing them to fit and overlapping 3 tablespoons (60 ml) water
slightly. Save some of the bread to cover the pudding. 6–8 slices (about 250 g) white, light
Strain the fruit and save about half a cup (125 ml) of the juice in a separate container. wholemeal or gluten free bread,
Spoon the fruit and remaining juice into the bread-lined basin. Cover the surface of the crusts removed
fruit with the remaining bread, cover with the saucer and place a heavy weight on top
(a few cans of baked beans or similar work well). Chill overnight in the fridge.
To serve, remove the saucer, place a serving dish upside-down over the basin and invert
quickly. Unmould the pudding, spoon the remaining juice over any parts where the
white of the bread is still showing, and serve with chilled soy or cashew cream (p. 167).
137
baked apples GF LS NF
Why, oh why, can’t I buy Bramley apples in Australia? I fantasise about their melting puffiness when baked or stewed, and grit
my teeth over the firmness of the apples I am trying to cook. If you can get Bramleys for this recipe, I envy you. If not, Granny
Smiths are the best alternative.
You will need an ovenproof dish big enough to hold the apples. Serves 4
Mix all the filling ingredients in a small bowl and leave for about 30 minutes, so that the 4 of the largest apples you can find
dried fruit soaks up the juice.
Filling
Wash and core the apples, digging away quite a big hole, so that you can fit in lots ½ cup (70 g) sultanas or raisins
of filling. Cut a horizontal slit just through the skin around the centre of each apple. 4 (about 60 g) medjool dates,
If you don’t do this, there could be an explosion in your oven which is not nice to finely chopped
clean up. Stuff as much filling as you can into each apple and sit upright in the dish. ¼ cup (35 g) ready-to-eat prunes,
Sprinkle 4 tablespoons water around the apples and cover the dish with a lid or foil. finely chopped
Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until the apples are soft. Serve warm with custard 2 tablespoons almonds, chopped
(p. 168). (omit for NF)

juice of one orange
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139
chapter seven
ice-
creams
and
sorbets
Okay, so there are some places on the planet where you can buy yummy,
reasonably healthy vegan ice-cream. Adelaide, South Australia, is not one
of them. When I moved here, an occasional tinkering with home-made
ice‑cream became a serious, full-time occupation.
I tried lots of recipes for vanilla ice-cream, but found many of them
too watery or too beany (though I love tofu, in my opinion it has no place
in ice-cream). I decided to imitate conventional dairy recipes, using soy
cream instead of double cream, but this tasted too fatty. In the end, the
perfect combination was half custard and half cream; thick and creamy
with just enough fat, but not too much. My basic vanilla is a big hit with
everyone, it is easy to make, tastes great and is relatively low in fat and
sugar compared to bought varieties. You can also adapt it easily by adding
whatever flavours or ingredients you like.
140
Fresh home-made sorbet. So easy. So fresh. So free from colourings,
flavourings and preservatives. And in summer, when there are gluts of fruit,
so cheap. What is stopping you adventuring into this world? I encourage
you to try whatever fruits you happen to like, or are on special in your
market. I’ve included two classics, which are favourites in our family.
More recently, I have been experimenting with raw ice-creams. This has
been a revelation. With just a few fresh, raw foods, delicious ice-cream can
be yours in minutes. Complete guilt-free indulgence. They even pass the
kid test.
How to make ice-cream

I have a great ice-cream maker, which chills as it churns, but it was a big indulgence.
For many years I had a cheap but trusty machine with a bowl that you freeze overnight
before making the ice-cream. If you have any type of ice-cream maker, just follow the
manufacturer’s instructions with the recipes in this chapter.
If you don’t have an ice-cream maker, do not despair! It is still quite easy to make
home-made ice-cream.
1. Make the recipe as instructed.
2. Pour the mixture into a robust freezer-proof container and cover.
3. Freeze for a couple of hours.
4. Remove from the freezer and break the ice-cream into chunks with a fork.
5. Either mash the mixture well with a fork or pour into a blender or food processor and
give it a quick whizz.
6. Repeat steps 2–5 once or twice more. The more times you do it, the smoother it will
be, but you’ll probably forget and find the ice-cream rock solid. Don’t worry, just
thaw for half an hour or so and whizz or mash again.
The Artful Vegan, Millennium Restaurant’s second cookbook, has always
Millennium Restaurant
San Francisco
had a special place on my shelf. It’s the one I get out when I want to make
a pull-all-the-stops-out, impress-all-your-friends (even the really posh non-
vegan ones) meal. With lists of ingredients a page long, it’s not for the
faint-hearted chef, but the instructions are clear and easy to follow and
the rewards are worth the extra effort. Recipe titles tantalise with strange
and interesting ingredients and combinations; the dish is presented as a
gorgeous combination of colours and shapes on the plate and with texture
and flavour explosions in your mouth. Just a couple of examples to whet
your appetite: black quinoa cake over smoky calypso bean sauce; curried
squash and mango-habanero coconut sauce; or white bean-filled phyllo
purse over soft garlic polenta with porcini-zinfandel sauce, broccoli rabe
and grilled pear.
The desserts are as beautiful and delicious as the savouries, with a
focus on pure and delicate tastes using light and healthy ingredients and
local, seasonal fruits (and sometimes even vegetables, for example, apple
cake and candy cap flan which includes dried mushrooms). The dishes are
low in sugar and fat but high in fascinating flavours.
I knew Millennium had to feature in my book. And when I got the
chance to travel through Los Angeles, I decided to give myself a birthday
treat and take a side trip to visit the restaurant in San Francisco. We arrived
on the day of a special event, the Southern Comfort Annual Dinner, a
five-course banquet of food from the American South complete with
waiters dressed like farm girls and boys, mint juleps and buckets of beer
on the table. The menu sounded like it was going to be heavy, fatty and
sugary but of course, being Millennium, they had turned traditional
gut-busting, heart-attack-inducing dishes into gourmet vegan cuisine.
We had marvellous fun.
It was really hard to decide what to include from Millennium in this
book. In the end, I decided to choose something really simple – ice-cream.
Millennium Restaurant
Millennium makes ices and sorbets that are completely yummy, and yet
580 Geary Street they manage to do it without high fat or high sugar ingredients. I couldn’t
San Francisco decide which one I love more, peppermint choc-chunk or peanut butter
USA
ice-cream, so I included both, and also the raw mango sorbet to show just
Tel: 415 345 3900
how simple life can be.
www.millenniumrestaurant.com
142
143
Millennium peppermint
choc-chunk ice-cream GF
This ice-cream is a beautiful green, with a fresh mint flavour – all with no artificial additives
or refined sugar. The peppermint blanching is time-consuming but quite easy and
essential for the lovely colour. This ice-cream has been pronounced ‘amazing’ by my
children, high praise indeed.
Makes about 1 litre/2 pints Line a large tray with baking parchment.
1½ bars (150 g) chocolate, Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27) and spread melted chocolate thinly over
chopped the parchment. Place in freezer until the ice-cream is ready.
1–2 bunches fresh peppermint Fill a medium saucepan with water and add 3 tablespoons salt. Place over a high heat
(or chocolate mint if you grow it, to bring it to a rolling boil. Prepare a bowl or other container with ice water using lots of
use spearmint if you can’t find ice cubes.
either)
Pick all the mint leaves off the stems then drop them all into the boiling water for about
2½ cups (625 ml) coconut milk
10–15 seconds; the water should make the leaves bright green. Immediately strain the
1 cup (250 ml) rice milk
peppermint leaves, and drop them in ice water. This step is necessary as the chlorophyll
½ cup (125 ml) agave nectar
in the peppermint will oxidise and turn brown if the leaves are not blanched and
pinch of salt
shocked. Strain cooled peppermint leaves.
natural peppermint extract to taste Place the strained peppermint and the coconut milk in a blender and blend for about
(optional) a minute until the coconut milk turns green. Strain the peppermint milk through a
cheesecloth or muslin if you have one or a fine sieve if you don’t, and return to the
blender. Add the remaining ingredients and blend briefly to combine.
Taste and add a few drops of peppermint extract if you feel it needs it.
Freeze by one of the methods on p. 141. When almost frozen, break the chocolate up
into the size of chunks you like and fold in.
Makes about 500 ml/1 pint Millennium

mango sorbet GF LS NF R
3 mangoes, peeled and chopped
¼ cup (60 ml) lime juice
¼ cup (60 ml) orange juice Put all ingredients except agave nectar in blender or food processor and puree until
½ cup (125 ml) water smooth. Add agave to taste depending on how ripe the mangoes are. Freeze by one of
pinch of salt the methods on p. 141.
2–4 tablespoons (40–80 ml) agave
nectar
144
Millennium peanut butter
chocolate chip ice-cream GF LS
Put all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in the blender or food processor and Makes about 1 litre/2 pints
blend until smooth. Freeze by one of the methods on p. 141, folding in chocolate chips
2 cups (500 ml) coconut milk
towards the end of the freezing time if desired.
1½ cups (375 ml) rice milk
½ cup (125 ml) maple syrup or
agave nectar
1 cup (280 g) peanut butter
(if salted, omit salt below)
½ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
handful chocolate chips (optional,
not LS)
145
vanilla ice-cream GF NF
Easy-peasy. Don’t waste your money on store brands, which are usually expensive and often contain nasties like artificial flavour
or colour. If you can, use a good quality, fresh vanilla bean to get the best flavour.
Make a batch of soy custard, omitting the sugar and vanilla – you are going to add Makes 1 litre/2 pints
these later. Leave to cool, while you whip up a double batch of thin soy cream, again
1 batch (500 ml) soy custard
without sweetener or vanilla.
(p. 168), without sugar or vanilla
Stir the custard and soy cream together in a large bowl, then mix in the sugar and the double batch (500 ml) thin
vanilla bean seeds. Chill in the fridge for about an hour. Then freeze by one of the soy cream (p. 167), without
methods on p. 141. sweetener or vanilla
seeds of 1 vanilla bean or
146
brown bread ice-cream NF
I love it when odd ingredients turn up in unexpected places.
Lightly grease a large baking tray. Makes 1 litre/2 pints
Blend the bread to fine crumbs in a food processor. Mix with the sugar and spread 1 cup (65 g) brown breadcrumbs
evenly on the baking tray. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes, until the sugar caramelises and the ¹⁄³ cup (65 g) brown sugar
crumbs are light brown. Cool. 1 batch vanilla ice-cream (p. 146)
Make a batch of vanilla ice-cream. I prefer to reduce the sugar in the ice-cream recipe Oven 180°C/350°F/Gas 4
to ½ cup (100 g) instead of ¾ cup (150 g) as the caramelised crumbs are so sweet, but if
you have a sweet tooth, just follow the normal recipe.
Freeze by one of the methods on p. 141, stirring in the cooled crumbs before it
becomes too firm to stir.
147
148
cornet-oh! GF
My children love being vegan and have pretty healthy eating habits. But they sometimes get sad when they see other kids
eating the kind of ice-creams you can buy in the shops. So I set about creating a superior version of the chocolate nut cones
their friends eat. This divine treat is a bit fiddly, but worth it!
For the cones, break up the chocolate and melt it in a bain-marie (see p. 27). When Makes 6
melted, remove the bowl from the heat and place on a folded tea towel so that it won’t
Chocolate-dipped cones
slip. Dip each cone deep into the chocolate, rolling the bowl around if you need to, to
1 bar (100 g) chocolate
get a good deep band of chocolate. Hold the cone upside down over the bowl for a
6 waffle cones (or gluten free
few seconds to let it drip. Then pour about a tablespoon of chocolate inside the cone,
alternative)
and again roll it around to coat as much of the inside as you can. Lay the cone on a
baking sheet or tray covered with greaseproof paper to cool. Repeat with all the Praline
other cones. 1 tablespoon dairy-free spread

¼ cup (50 g) sugar
To make the praline, place the dairy-free spread and sugar in a small, heavy saucepan
¼ cup (35 g) almonds
and slowly melt. Don’t stir as it is melting, just give the pan a shake from time to time.
When melted and you can’t see any grains of sugar remove from the heat, add the
1 batch vanilla ice-cream (p. 146)
almonds and shake around to coat them all in the caramel. Pour onto a greased baking
1 batch chocolate fudge sauce
sheet and bake for 10–15 minutes until the almonds have browned slightly and smell
(p. 170)
delicious
Have another baking sheet or tray ready, covered with greaseproof paper. Remove the
almonds from the oven, and empty onto the paper-covered tray. When completely cool,
place the almonds into a food processor and pulse to a chunky texture. Alternatively,
you could put them into a sturdy plastic bag and hit them a few times with a rolling pin
until they are the right texture.
For the ice-cream, follow directions for the basic vanilla (p. 146). Shortly before the
ice-cream is frozen, add 4 or 5 tablespoons praline to the mixture. Pour the ice-cream
into a freezer container, and drizzle 4 or 5 tablespoons fudge sauce over the surface.
Use a fork to gently ripple the sauce through the ice-cream and freeze.
To serve, scoop ice-cream into the cone, top with extra fudge sauce and praline and
dive in . . .
raspberry sorbet GF NF
I first had fresh raspberry sorbet in a wonderful vegetarian B & B in northern France. It was early summer and raspberries were
plentiful in the abundant kitchen garden. The sorbet was ruby red and utterly delicious. Every time I make it, I am transported
back to that idyllic scene. If only it were always so easy to recapture moments of perfect happiness.
If using frozen raspberries, thaw at room temperature. Put the fresh or thawed Makes about 1 litre/2 pints
raspberries in a blender or food processor with half the syrup and puree. Press the
4 cups (500 g) fresh or frozen
pureed raspberries through a fine-mesh sieve, mix in the lemon juice and remaining
raspberries
syrup, and freeze by one of the methods on p. 141.
juice of 1 lemon
2 cups (500 ml) sorbet syrup
(see box below)
lemon and lime sorbet GF NF
Lemon sorbet is my youngest daughter’s absolute top dessert. She’s always been a sucker for sour and sweet together, and I’m
happy to give in to this relatively innocent craving. I’ve jazzed this one up with lime for an even tarter experience.
Mix the syrup with the rest of the ingredients and freeze by one of the methods on Makes about 750 ml/1½ pints
p. 141.
2 cups (500 ml) sorbet syrup
½ cup (125 ml) lime juice
½ cup (125 ml) lemon juice
finely grated zest of 1 lemon and
1 lime
Sorbet syrup
4 cups (800 g) sugar
4 cups (1 L) water
Heat the sugar and water in a pan over a moderate heat until the sugar has
completely dissolved. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and cool. Keep
in the fridge until needed.
150
151
152
chocolate chunk ice-cream GF LS R
This is a raw ice-cream that delivers a real chocolate punch. I’ve suggested including the superfoods, lucuma and maca, but
these are optional. Lucuma adds a sweet, maple-like flavour and a smooth texture, as well as healthy doses of vitamins A and
B, and iron. Maca has a malty, nutty taste and is said to enhance energy and balance the hormone system. You can buy both
of these in health food shops.
Blend the brazil nuts and water until smooth. Then strain the mixture through a muslin Makes about 1 litre/2 pints
cloth or nut milk bag, squeezing as much liquid as you can from the mixture.
1½ cups (225 g) brazil nuts
Put the nut milk and everything else except the chocolate chunks into a blender and 3 cups (750 ml) water
puree until very smooth. Freeze by one of the methods on p. 141. Just before the end ¼ cup (30 g) raw cacao powder
of the freezing time, add the chocolate chunks and stir in. Serve as it is, or with raw 2 tablespoons soy lecithin, ground
chocolate sauce (p. 170). to powder in a coffee grinder
2 tablespoons lucuma powder
(optional)
2 tablespoons maca powder
(optional)
¼ cup (50 g) medjool dates
pinch of salt
1 batch raw chocolate (p. 187),
broken into chunks
153
strawberry ice-cream GF LS R
This is such a creamy, sweet ice-cream that no one will guess it’s raw. The banana helps give it a smooth texture, but if you really
hate bananas, leave it out.
For the puree, blend the two cups of strawberries with the agave nectar. Set aside. Makes about 500 ml/1 pint
For the ice-cream, place the cashews in a blender, add half a cup of water and blend Strawberry puree
until smooth. Add the remaining water, banana, agave nectar, vanilla seeds, coconut 2 heaped cups (250 g) strawberries
oil, lecithin and salt. Blend until very smooth. Stir in the strawberry puree and freeze ¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar
by one of the methods on p. 141. Just before the ice-cream is firm, stir in the chopped
Ice-cream
strawberries.
1 cup (140 g) cashews, soaked for
an hour or two
1 cup (250 ml) water
1 small banana
¼ cup (60 ml) agave nectar, or
to taste
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon soy lecithin, ground
to a powder in a coffee grinder
pinch of salt
1 cup (125 g) strawberries,
chopped finely
154
155
chapter eight
mousses,
custards
and
creams
There are so many options for replacing dairy in mousses, custards and
creams. Soy milk is an easy, creamy option and, if you choose a good
brand, the taste is good too. Other ‘milks’ such as rice or oat milk work
well too. You can make your own nut and seed milks quite easily (see p. 8)
and these are a nutritious, unadulterated, raw version of the white stuff that
we all crave. Other ingredients, like coconut milk and cream, tofu, soaked
nuts and even avocado can add a creamy texture to dishes at the same
time as supplying valuable nutrients. So you can feel good about indulging
in these creamy treats!
156
Remedy Bliss is one of those radiant, happy people whose very presence
Adelaide
In the Raw
convinces you of the benefits of a raw food diet. Remedy set up In the Raw
in 2008, running raw food demonstration classes with the aim of creating
confidence and giving people the skills they need as they transition to a
high raw diet. Remedy’s classes are a hoot; her natural humour and vivacity
shine through as she takes you on a journey of discovery through the
amazing world of raw food. Talking as she creates the food, Remedy shares
her extensive knowledge of current food research and enthusiasm for
quality, local, organic ingredients and superfoods. The food is incredible:
beautiful, fresh, tastebud-tingling. And, when you’ve eaten, you feel as if
your cells are singing with joy, your body thanking you for the gift of pure,
natural, life-giving food.
Remedy first encountered the idea of a raw food diet when she met
Dr John Fielder, founder of the Academy of Natural Living, in Queensland,
Australia, who had been a raw vegan for 40 years. She couldn’t believe
that someone could exist on raw food alone,
however she was immediately convinced on
meeting this vibrant, intelligent man; his radiance
and amazing clarity reflecting the lifestyle he had
chosen. From this meeting, a seed was planted,
which a few years later had a chance to fully
germinate when Remedy travelled to the USA to
take an apprenticeship with Dr Gabriel Cousins at
the Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center in Arizona.
She spent three months working in the cafe there,
learning everything about raw food cuisine and
transforming her life. As she says, ‘That was it,
forever. I knew that was my path.’
For more information about raw food classes, raw film nights and
the programme of international speakers on raw issues, please contact
Remedy. Remedy Bliss
In the Raw,
Adelaide
Australia
Tel: 08 8327 1426
remedybliss@gmail.com
157
158
In the Raw GF LS R
chocolate mousse parfait
You will need 4–6 small wine glasses, or dessert dishes. Makes 4–6, depending on the
size of your dishes
To make the coconut-cashew cream, put all the ingredients in a food processor or
blender and process until quite smooth. Coconut-cashew cream
¼ cup (35 g) cashews (soaked for a
For the chocolate mousse, combine the avocado flesh, agave nectar, vanilla, cacao,
few hours or overnight)
cinnamon, salt and ¼ cup of the water in a food processor and blend well. If the
2 tablespoons agave nectar
mousse seems too thick, add more water, little by little, until it reaches the consistency
½ cup (80 g) flesh from a young
you prefer.
coconut
Fill each glass about a quarter full with coconut-cashew cream, add about half a cup of ¼ cup (60 ml) coconut water
chopped berries, then top with chocolate mousse. Decorate with berries, a little flaked 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the
coconut or a sprig of mint. Refrigerate for half an hour before serving. seeds of 1 vanilla bean
¼ teaspoon Himalayan salt
Chocolate Mousse
How to open a young coconut 2 large avocadoes
1. Place the coconut on its side on a firm cutting board. ½ cup (125 ml) agave nectar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract or the
2. Use a large, sharp, kitchen knife to cut away the fibrous husk from the top
part of the coconut to expose the shell.
1 cup (120 g) raw cacao powder
3. Stand the coconut up on the chopping board. cinnamon (to taste)
good pinch of Himalayan salt
4. Use the ‘heel’ of the knife to hit the coconut shell firmly about a third of the
¼–½ cup (60–125 ml) water
way down to make a hole.
5. Use the heel or the point of the knife to lever the top of the coconut off.
2 punnets berries of your choice
6. Pour out the coconut water and reserve.
7. Use a spatula or spoon to scoop out the white coconut flesh.
159
coconut creme brulee GF
Creme brulee is one of those dairy dishes that I never thought I’d eat again once I became vegan. But crunching your teaspoon
through crackly sugar into creamy, custardy depths is an experience that no one should have to sacrifice. So, after many
experiments, here is a delicious, crunchy, creamy, cruelty free brulee. The coconut cream gives a lovely rich texture and hides
any possible beany flavour from the tofu. Unrefined coconut palm sugar contributes great flavour and is a healthier and more
environmentally friendly alternative to cane sugar, but you can use ordinary sugar if you prefer.
Lightly grease 4–6 small ramekin dishes with oil and place in a baking pan. Makes 4–6
Drain the tofu and put it into the food processor with the arrowroot, coconut cream, 1¼ cups (300 g) soft silken tofu
¼ cup (50 g) of the sugar, salt and vanilla seeds. Blend well. Divide the mixture between 2 tablespoons arrowroot
the dishes. ½ cup (125 ml) coconut cream
Boil a kettle and pour the water into the bottom of the pan so that it comes about half ½ cup (100 g) coconut palm sugar
way up the sides of the ramekins, taking care not to splash water into the custard. Cover (see p. 10)
just the ramekins with foil – you don’t want to seal the foil around the whole pan or it pinch of salt
will be too steamy inside. Place the tray into the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or seeds of 1 vanilla bean
until just set. Oven 170 ºC/325 ºF/Gas 3
Remove the tray from the oven and take the ramekins out of the water bath. Place them
in the fridge to cool completely.
There are 3 ways to make the brulee topping:
1. Sprinkle about 1½ teaspoons of sugar on top of each ramekin. Blast them with a
mini blowtorch until the sugar caramelises and turns brown and crispy. Chill until
quite cold.
2. Preheat your grill to its highest setting. Sprinkle about 1½ teaspoons of sugar on top
of each ramekin. Place the dishes under the grill and watch carefully until the sugar
caramelises and turns brown and crispy. Remove immediately and chill until quite
cold. This method is simple, but can be hard to caramelise the sugar evenly.
3. Put ¼ cup (50 g) sugar and 2 tablespoons water into a heavy-based pan over a low
heat, until the sugar melts. Don’t stir the sugar but you can shake the pan every so
often to help it melt evenly. Once melted, bring the sugar to a simmer, again without
stirring, and let it bubble until it turns a deep caramel colour. This will probably take
about 10–15 minutes. When the whole thing is brown and bubbling, remove from
the heat and carefully pour about a tablespoon on top of each ramekin. Roll the dish
around to cover the top evenly, and chill until quite cold.
160
161
162
perfect chocolate mousse GF NF
This is so simple but so good. It all depends on the quality of the chocolate, so don’t stint here. Go for a brand with 70% cocoa
solids. You could also experiment with flavoured chocolate. It works well with orange or peppermint. I like to serve this mousse
in tiny espresso coffee cups.
You will need 8 small cups or glasses. Makes 8
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27). Remove chocolate from the heat and 2 bars (200 g) good quality dark
cool a little until it becomes slightly thicker. Don’t omit this step because if you add hot chocolate
chocolate to cold cream the chocolate will seize and you’ll have a lumpy, hard mixture 1½ cups (375 ml) thin soy cream
(if this does happen to you, don’t despair, just let it cool, then roll into truffles – it still (p. 167)
tastes good!). Whip the cream with a balloon whisk in a large bowl until it is full of tiny ¼ cup (60 ml) sorbet syrup (p. 150)
bubbles (it won’t thicken much). Add melted chocolate little by little to the soy cream, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
whisking as you go. Then stir in 2 tablespoons sugar syrup and the vanilla extract.
Taste to see if sweet enough and correct by adding more sugar syrup if necessary.
Spoon the mousse into small cups or glasses, and place in the refrigerator to set.
163
zen green tea coconut custard GF LS
I am grateful to Stephen Galpin, an inspirational Ayurvedic chef (www.ayurvedickitchen.com.au), for passing on this recipe to
me and allowing me to adapt and share it. It contains home-made coconut milk, coconut oil, green tea, kuzu and jaggery –
all ingredients which have myriad health benefits – and happens to be utterly delicious too.
You will need 4 ramekin dishes. Makes 4
To make the coconut milk, place the coconut in a blender, add the water and blend Coconut milk
vigorously for a couple of minutes. Let it stand for 30 minutes. Strain the mixture 2½ cups (250 g) desiccated
through a muslin cloth or very fine sieve, squeezing out as much liquid as you can. coconut, or fresh coconut flesh
You can use the leftover coconut pulp for cakes and biscuits. 2½ cups (625 ml) water, boiled
in a kettle and allowed to cool
For the custard, dissolve the green tea in a little warm water and set aside. Pound the
slightly
kuzu to a powder in a mortar and pestle.
Custard
In a large saucepan, mix the kuzu powder to a paste with a little cold water. Add the
1 teaspoon powdered green tea
coconut milk, coconut oil and jaggery and mix well until all the ingredients are blended.
½ cup (60 g) kuzu (p. 14)
Cook on a medium heat, whisking all the time, until the mixture starts to thicken. This 2½ cups (625 ml) coconut milk
should take about 5 minutes. As soon as it thickens, remove from the heat and whisk 2 tablespoons coconut oil
well to get rid of any lumps. Reduce the heat, return the pan to the stove and simmer 2 tablespoons (30 g) jaggery
for 3 to 4 minutes, whisking all the time until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. (p. 10), crumbled
Remove from the heat and stir in the green tea paste.
Pour the custard into the ramekins while still hot. Eat warm, or cool to room temperature
when the custards can be turned out and served on a small plate.
164
165
166
cream GF LS NF
What, you’ve been paying good money for soy cream? Can you believe this is so easy to make? And, of course, it’s much
healthier than the dairy version because it uses unrefined sweeteners and unsaturated fat. Ideally, you should use a stick
blender for this cream, if you have one. If you’re using an upright blender or food processor, you may find it hard to get the
cream to thicken. Some soy milks work better than others for this recipe so, if you’re having trouble getting it to thicken, try a
different brand.
Mix the maple syrup or agave nectar and vanilla with the soy milk in a tall, narrow Makes 1 cup
container that your stick blender will fit into. Put the blender in right to the bottom and
Thick cream
switch it on. Keep the blender running, hold your container still and slowly drizzle in
¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) soy milk – it’s got
the oil. This can feel like it takes 3 hands, and if you have a friend around by all means
to be soy; rice or oat just
rope them in. But, with practice, you’ll get the hang of it. As you add the oil, the cream
won’t thicken
will start to thicken. If you’re making the thick cream you may think it is never going to
²⁄³ cup (160 ml) light oil,
thicken enough; then suddenly, with just a few more drops of oil, it will.
e.g. sunflower
1 tablespoon maple syrup or
agave nectar
Thin cream
½ cup (125 ml) soy milk
½ cup (125 ml) oil
agave nectar
cashew cream GF LS R
Put the cashews, agave nectar, water, vanilla seeds and salt in a blender and blend until Makes about 1 cup
very smooth. Leave the motor running as you add the coconut oil. Chill.
1 cup (140 g) cashews, soaked for
an hour or two
2 tablespoons agave nectar
½ cup (125 ml) water
pinch of salt
167
custard GF LS NF
I know there are some people who make their custard using eggs and milk, but let’s be honest, most people just mix up custard
powder, sugar and milk. Most custard powder is vegan, so you could just make it up with any non-dairy milk you like. Or you
could make this cheaper version, which includes all the ingredients in custard powder, except the yellow food colouring, which
I have replaced with turmeric.
Mix the cornflour, sugar, vanilla and turmeric to a paste with a little of the milk in a large Makes 500 ml/1 pint
jug or bowl. Warm the rest of the milk in a non-stick pan over a moderate heat until it is
2–3 tablespoons cornflour,
steaming but not boiling. Pour the warm milk into the cornflour-sugar paste, whisking
depending on how thick you
as you go, then pour the whole lot back into the pan and let it come to the boil, stirring
like it
all the time. Turn the heat to low and continue to stir as you simmer the custard for
1–2 tablespoons sugar
about 2 minutes to thicken it and cook the cornflour. Be careful, as custard easily sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or the
and burns.
pinch of turmeric
2 cups (500 ml) non-dairy milk
168
chocolate ganache GF NF
This is my all-time favourite sweet thing to eat as a topping for ice-cream or drizzled over cupcakes, brownies, cookies or
flapjacks. If you let it cool in the fridge, ganache can be shaped into balls and rolled in cocoa for easy truffles. Certain members
of my family are guilty of dipping spoons, or even fingers, into the bowl whenever they peer in the fridge looking for inspiration.
Melt chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27). Let it cool slightly while you measure the Makes about 2 cups
other ingredients into a small food processor bowl or hand blender jug. Then add the
2 bars (200 g) chocolate, chopped
chocolate and whizz for about a minute, until the ganache becomes thick and glossy.
²⁄³ cup (160 ml) soy milk
If frosting a large cake, pour over the cake immediately allowing it to dribble over the 2 tablespoons maple syrup
sides in thick, oozing runnels. Or drizzle with a spoon over small cakes or bars. If storing 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
in the fridge, pour the ganache into the bowl you used for melting the chocolate.
To re-melt it, simply put the bowl over a pan of simmering water again.
169
chocolate fudge sauce GF NF
An essential ingredient in the Cornet-oh! (p. 149) and great on all kinds of desserts, this is low in fat and lower in sugar than
many similar sauces.
Mix the sugar, cocoa and arrowroot in a jug or bowl, and mix to a paste with a little of Makes about 2 cups
the milk. Heat the rest of the milk in a non-stick saucepan. When it is steaming but not
boiling, pour over the sugar-cocoa paste, whisking all the time. Return to the pan and
¼ cup (30 g) cocoa
heat gently, stirring all the time, until it thickens. Add the vanilla and salt and stir well.
2 teaspoons arrowroot
1 cup (250 ml) soy or rice milk
pinch of salt
easy chocolate sauce GF NF
Similar to ganache, but quicker. This is great for a last-minute ice-cream sauce.
Warm the soy milk gently. When it is steaming but not boiling, remove from the heat Makes about ¾ cup
and stir in the chocolate. Add the maple syrup or agave and stir until melted.
¼ cup (60 ml) soy milk
½ cup (75 g) chocolate, chopped
agave nectar
raw chocolate sauce GF NF R
Great as a topping for ice-cream and cakes – or add to warmed almond milk for a delicious chocolate drink. Don’t even save it
for the raw stuff, everyone loves this easy sauce.
Mix the cacao, cinnamon and salt. Stir the syrup into the cacao mixture little by little Makes ¼ cup
until it forms a smooth paste. Add the vanilla. Stir in the melted coconut oil. Add water
¼ cup (30 g) raw cacao
until it is the texture you require. This keeps for ages in the fridge.
tiny pinch of cinnamon
tiny pinch of salt
2 tablespoons maple syrup or
agave nectar
170
171
chapter nine
sweet
bites
It is the sad truth that this is where vegans really miss out. Which could be
a good or a bad thing, depending on how you look at it. On the one hand,
we can never grab a chocolate bar when we stand in line at the petrol
station or supermarket checkout. On the other hand, we are not tempted
to grab a chocolate bar every time we stand in line at the petrol station
or supermarket checkout and thus we avoid excessive consumption of
saturated fats, refined sugar and artificial additives.
And when we do make the effort to produce our own sweets they are
full of quality ingredients and taste all the better for it. Here is a lovely
selection of healthy and not-so-healthy tasty morsels for special occasions,
parties, or just because.
172
When I first moved to Adelaide I searched the internet for vegan places to
Adelaide
Bliss Organic Cafe
eat and somewhere to practice yoga. I knew there was some magic going
on when I found Bliss, an organic, vegan cafe, with the Centre Om yoga
studio upstairs! My family and I visited Bliss lots of times over the next few
months, enjoying its beautiful courtyard garden, healthy food and laid-
back atmosphere. We liked it so much that, when we heard through the
grapevine that the owners were thinking of leaving, we offered to buy the
cafe. We ran Bliss for just over a year and had a wonderful time meeting
lovely people, inventing, creating and experimenting with vegan food,
and learning rapidly about the pleasures and pitfalls of running a small
business in Australia. When we passed on the reins to the new owners, it
was with a mixture of sadness and relief. It was great to feel that we didn’t
have to neglect our two (homeschooled) children anymore, and that we
could have the occasional day off, but I will always have a soft spot in my
heart for lovely Bliss.
The new owners, Kas and Shane, demonstrate the
same passion and commitment to the cafe, continuing
to provide homemade vegan food that is also local,
organic and fairtrade whenever possible. On the menu
are delicious breakfasts, homemade burgers, curries,
soups, salads and cakes; organic, fairtrade coffee and
tea; delicious hot chocolate and chai; and a variety
of freshly squeezed juices and smoothies. There are
many raw options, too. The cafe is a venue for movie
screenings, live music nights and monthly art exhibitions.
It’s also a great place to stock up on all your vegan
needs, from cookbooks to vegan cheese to chocolate.
Bliss Organic Cafe

7 Compton St
Adelaide
Australia
Tel: 08 8231 0205
www.blissorganiccafe.com.au
173
174
Bliss Organic Cafe GF LS R
bliss balls
Bliss balls are a raw, not too sweet, satisfying treat. They are easy and quick to make
and contain so many excellent ingredients that they could be considered a superfood
in a ball.
Grind the almonds just a little in a food processor, add the dates and blend a bit more, Makes about 24
then add the prunes and blend again. It’s important to add the ingredients in this order
1 cup (140 g) almonds
to get the right consistency. Once the fruits are chopped quite well, add the walnuts,
2 cups (320 g) dates, pitted and
seeds and coconut and whizz a bit more. Add the carob powder at the end. The mixture
chopped
should be dark, sticky and easy to work with.
2 cups (320 g) prunes, pitted and
Put 2–3 tablespoons of coconut into a small bowl. Using your hands, roll the bliss ball chopped
mixture into balls the size of a golf ball and roll in the shredded coconut to coat. 1 cup (100 g) walnuts
½ cup (75 g) sunflower seeds
Bliss balls keep well for up to a week.
½ cup (75 g) pumpkin seeds
¼ cup (35 g) sesame seeds
¼ cup (25 g) shredded or
desiccated coconut
¼ cup (30 g) carob powder, or raw
cacao, or a mixture of the two
2–3 tablespoons shredded or
desiccated coconut, for coating
Alternatives
• cashew nuts or hazelnuts (instead
of walnuts or use a mixture of
the two)
• try coating with cacao powder,
carob powder, crushed nuts,
poppy seeds or sesame seeds
instead of coconut
175
liqueur truffles GF NF
These make lovely presents, if you can bear to give them away.
Melt the chocolate and dairy-free spread together in a bain-marie (see p. 27). Scrape Makes about 24
the vanilla seeds from the pod, and add the seeds and the empty pod to the milk.
Warm the milk in a small pan over a gentle heat for about 2 minutes to allow the
2 tablespoons (30 g) dairy‑free
flavours of the vanilla to infuse. Do not let the milk boil. Remove from the heat and
spread
allow to cool a little.
When the chocolate has melted, remove the bowl from the heat and allow to cool a ½ cup (125 ml) soy milk
little. Remove the empty vanilla pod from the milk and stir in the liqueur, if using. 2 tablespoons brandy or other
Add the milk to the chocolate. Stir well until everything is blended. Pour the chocolate liqueur (optional)
mixture into a large glass or ceramic dish and chill until set. 2 tablespoons cocoa
Sift the cocoa onto a plate. Use a teaspoon to scrape curls out of the truffle mixture.
Press the curls gently into a ball shape, but avoid pressing them together too tightly.
Roll each truffle gently in the cocoa to coat. Store in the fridge.
176
177
178
christmas apricots and dates GF LS R
These lovely little Middle Eastern sweets look pretty on a platter and satisfy the sweetest tooth.
To make the apricots, soak the almonds in boiling water for a couple of minutes. Makes 12 of each
Remove from the water and slip off their skins. Place on a baking tray and roast for
Apricots
7–10 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to cool. If you prefer to keep the recipe raw,
24 whole almonds
just use raw, unskinned almonds. Chop 12 of the almonds coarsely and mix with the
¹⁄³ cup (50 g) ready-to-eat prunes,
chopped prunes, cinnamon and maple syrup. In a separate bowl, mix the chopped
finely chopped
pistachios and sesame seeds. Cut a slit down the side of each apricot, use your fingers
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
to create a pocket, and stuff a spoonful of prune mixture inside. Roll in the pistachio/
sesame seed mixture and poke a whole almond into the top.
¼ cup (30 g) pistachios, finely
For the dates, carefully slit each date across one side and remove the stone. Spoon in chopped
half a teaspoon of tahini and place a brazil nut inside each date. Close the date and 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
arrange on a plate. If desired, melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27) and drizzle 12 ready-to-eat dried apricots
over the dates. Leave to set.
Dates
12 medjool dates
2 tablespoons tahini
12 large brazil nuts
¼ bar (25 g) chocolate (optional,
omit for LS or R)
179
panforte GF
There are lots of stories about the origins of panforte, but the one I like the best is this one. A nun in 13th century Siena, finding
that mice had eaten through all the sacks in the pantry and that there was a huge pile of nuts, dried fruits, sugar and spices all
mixed together, decided to make it all into a cake rather than throwing it away. And so panforte was born. Aside from the health
and safety angle, I guess this appeals to my minimal waste mentality; I just love making something yummy from what’s left in
the store cupboard. Before you get agitated about my suggestion to use honey, read what I have to say about it on p. 11. And
use agave or maple syrup if you prefer. Panforte keeps well for several weeks, wrapped in baking parchment.
Grease and line with baking parchment a 23 cm (9") round cake tin Serves 10–12
Soak the sultanas or raisins in the brandy or orange juice for about an hour. Leave half ¾ cup (120 g) sultanas or raisins
the almonds whole and chop the other half and the hazelnuts coarsely. 1 tablespoon brandy or
Put the nuts, ground almonds, mixed peel, spices and lemon zest in a large bowl and orange juice
mix well. Add the soaked sultanas or raisins. ¾ cup (100 g) almonds, skinned
and toasted (see p. 15)
Heat the sugar and honey, agave nectar or maple syrup gently until the sugar melts, ¾ cup (100 g) hazelnuts, toasted
then heat until the mixture bubbles madly. Keep at this heat for 2 minutes (if you have and skinned (see p. 15)
a sugar thermometer, until the mixture reaches 115°C). Remove from the heat and ½ cup (70 g) ground almonds
pour into the nut and fruit mixture. Working quickly, mix well and spread the mixture 1¼ cups (170 g) chopped
into the cake tin, dipping your spoon into a jug of hot water occasionally so you can mixed peel
smooth it flat. 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Bake for 30 minutes, then cool in the tin on a wire rack. Turn out when cool. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
with icing sugar to serve. 2 cloves, ground
²⁄³ cup (130 g) brown sugar, firmly
packed
½ cup (125 ml) honey, agave nectar
or maple syrup
180
181
182
rice crispy crackles GF
This recipe is a real English/Australian hybrid. What it gets from its English parent is real chocolate, and golden syrup to make
it gooey. The Australian parent has passed on desiccated coconut and cocoa. The white, hydrogenated fat usually included in
the Aussie version has evolved into much healthier dairy-free spread, and sultanas add an extra chewy dimension.
Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Serves 12
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27). In a large pan, melt the dairy-free 1 bar (100 g) chocolate, chopped
spread, then add the syrup. When melted, add the cocoa and a pinch of salt and stir ½ cup (100 g) dairy-free spread
well. Remove from the heat, then stir the chocolate into the pan. Mix in the rest of the ¼ cup (60 ml) golden syrup
ingredients and stir well to coat. Fill the paper liners and leave to set in the fridge. ¼ cup (30 g) cocoa
pinch of salt
3 cups (100 g) puffed rice cereal
½ cup (50 g) desiccated coconut
½ cup (75 g) sultanas
183
chocolate crunch
When I first created this recipe, it became such a favourite in our family that people would choose it for their birthday cake, and
I think we had it for Christmas dessert a few years running too.
Grease a 20 cm x 30 cm (8" x 12") rectangular tin. Serves 10–12
Melt the dairy-free spread and golden syrup. Remove from the heat. Add the cocoa and ½ cup (100 g) dairy-free spread
stir until dissolved. Add the biscuit crumbs, dried fruit and chopped nuts and stir well. ½ cup (200 g) golden syrup
Press into the tin, level off and chill until firm. ¾ cup (100 g) cocoa
Melt the chocolate in a bain-marie (see p. 27), then pour over the base and roll the pan 1 cup (100 g) digestive biscuits,
around to coat the surface evenly. Chill until set, then mark into small squares. broken into crumbs
²⁄³ cup (100 g) raisins or sultanas
½ cup (50 g) pecans or walnuts,
chopped
184
carob clusters GF LS
Chewy, sticky, nutty treats that are full of goodness.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Makes 12–14
Melt the peanut butter, maple syrup or agave nectar, tahini and salt in a large pan over a ½ cup (150 g) peanut or
low heat. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. almond butter
Use your hands to form clusters the size of a golf ball. Place on the baking tray and chill. ¹⁄³ cup (80 ml) maple syrup or
agave nectar
2 tablespoons tahini
pinch of salt
¹⁄³ cup (40 g) carob powder
½ cup (50 g) walnuts or almonds,
chopped
¼ cup (35 g) pumpkin seeds
¼ cup (35 g) sesame seeds
¼ cup (35 g) sunflower seeds
¼ cup (25 g) desiccated coconut
¼ cup (40 g) sultanas or
chopped dates
185
186
raw chocolate GF LS R
Raw chocolate has an intense, rich flavour and is really easy to make. Fill any size mould for chocolate pure and simple. Spread
thinly on baking parchment and break it up to use as chocolate chunks in raw ice-cream (p. 153) or as a decoration for black
forest gateau (p. 40). For a yummy nut cup, layer chocolate with almond fudge (p. 62) in miniature cake cases. Try flavouring
with natural peppermint or orange extract, liqueurs, chopped nuts or dried fruits.
Melt the cacao butter in a glass bowl in a dehydrator, or set over another bowl of hot ¹⁄³ cup (40 g) cacao butter
water. When it is melted, stir in the agave nectar, then add the cacao powder and ¹⁄³ cup (40 g) raw cacao powder
mix well. 2 tablespoons agave nectar
If the mixture starts to stiffen up, don’t panic. This can happen but, unlike ordinary
chocolate, raw chocolate can be rescued. Simply put the bowl back in the dehydrator
or over a bowl of hot water for a few minutes, then whisk until it becomes smooth and
glossy again.
Pour into chosen moulds and put in the freezer to set. Store in the fridge or freezer.
187
food
allergy
index
Everything in this book is free from animal ingredients: eggs, dairy,
gelatine – or other animal additives.
In addition, many of the recipes are suitable for people following gluten
free, wheat free, raw, low sugar and nut free diets. Look for the code on
each recipe, and here is a complete list for easy reference.
Do be careful when using processed ingredients, for example, soy milk,
baking powder, icing sugar and cornflour. Many products contain added
sugars and gluten-containing ingredients, and cannot guarantee that they
are nut free. Check the labelling carefully and, if you are in any doubt,
contact the manufacturer for more information.
gluten free GF
Amaretto peacherines 129
Apple and strawberry jelly 133
Baked apples 138
Baklava (with gluten free pastry) 82
Black forest gateau 40
Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Carob clusters 185
Cashew cream 167
188
Chocolate ganache 168 wheat free WF
Chocolate sauces: fudge, easy, raw 170
EVERYTHING LISTED UNDER GLUTEN FREE, PLUS:
Chocolate torte 36
Anzac biscuits 57
Christmas apricots and dates 179
Bags of energy bars 65
Christmas pudding (with gluten free flour and breadcrumbs) 123
Chocoblock cookies 64
Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54
Plum and pecan crumble 112
Coconut creme brulee 160
Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with
Coconut rice pudding 111
raspberry puree 27
Cornet-oh! 149
Steve’s flapjacks 53
Custard 168
Wheat free vanilla cake 44
De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie (with gluten free pastry) 73
LS
Double fudge pecan brownies 50
Eccles cakes (with gluten free pastry) 86 low sugar
Fruit mince pies (with gluten free pastry) 77 (less than 12g/serving, see p. 9)
Gluten free vanilla cake 45
Hungarian cheese pie (with gluten free pastry) 78 Almond and lemon cantucci 58
In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159 Amaretto peacherines 129
Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106 Anzac biscuits 57
le cru pineapple carpaccio 126 Apple and strawberry jelly 133
Lemon and lime sorbet 150 Baked apples 138
Lemon raspberry trifle (with gluten free sponge) 100 Bags of energy bars 65
Lime tart 95 Black forest gateau 40
Liqueur truffles 176 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Mango sorbet 144 Bread and butter pudding 119
Millennium peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream 144 Carob clusters 185
Mini peach pies 85 Cashew cream 167
Panforte 180 Chocoblock cookies 64
Perfect chocolate mousse 163 Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Raspberry sorbet 150 Chocolate mousse parfait 159
Raw chocolate 187 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Revel chocolate midnight cake 91 Christmas pudding 123
Rice crispy crackles 183 Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54
Strawberry ice-cream 154 Coconut rice pudding 111
Summer pudding (with gluten free bread) 137 Cream 167
Tarte tatin (with gluten free pastry) 81 Custard 168
Tiramisu (with gluten free sponge) 99 De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73
Vanilla ice-cream 146 Devon scones with jam and cream 61
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Eccles cakes 86
Vitality cake 39 Fruit mince pies 77
Walnut treacle tart (with gluten free pastry and breadcrumbs) 74 Five-grain pancakes with flambeed bananas 134
Winter fruit compote 127 Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106
Zen green tea coconut custard 164 Lime tart 95
189
Mango sorbet 144 Lemon raspberry trifle (omit almonds) 100
Mini peach pies 85 Lemon syrup sponge pudding 120
Peanut butter ice-cream 145 Liqueur truffles (omit nut-based liqueur) 176
Plum and pecan crumble 112 Mango sorbet 144
Raw chocolate 187 Matrimonial cake 67
Spiced carrot cake 31 Mini peach pies (omit Amaretto and almond extract) 85
Steve’s flapjacks 53 New York style lemon cheesecake 92
Strawberry ice-cream 154 Perfect chocolate mousse 163
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 le cru pineapple carpaccio 126
Vitality cake 39 Raspberry sorbet 150
Winter fruit compote 127 Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with
Zen green tea coconut custard 164 raspberry puree 27
Sticky date pudding 109
NF
Summer pudding 137
nut free Tarte tatin 81
Anzac biscuits 57 Three kinds of vanilla cake 43–45
Apple and blackberry betty 115 Tiramisu (omit Amaretto) 99
Baked apples 138 Vanilla ice-cream 146
Banoffi tarts 103 Winter fruit compote 127
Berry cobbler 116
Bread and butter pudding 119
raw R
Bread pudding 110
Brown bread ice-cream 147 Bags of energy bars 65
Chocolate ganache 168 Black forest gateau 40
Chocolate sauces: fudge, easy, raw 170 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Chocolate torte 36 Cashew cream 167
Christmas pudding 123 Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Coconut creme brulee 160 Chocolate mousse parfait 159
Cream 167 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Custard 168 le cru pineapple carpaccio 126
Double fudge brownies (omit pecans) 50 Lime tart 95
Eccles cakes 86 Mango sorbet 144
Five grain pancakes with flambeed bananas 134 Raw chocolate 187
Hello daddy chocolate berry pie 96 Raw chocolate sauce 170
Hungarian cheese pie 78 Strawberry ice-cream 154
Lemon and lime sorbet 150 Winter fruit compote 127
190
index
a Apples, cont’d
Agar 14 Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54
Allergy index 188 Coconut rice pudding 111
Almonds De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73
Almond and lemon cantucci 58 Fruit mince pies 77
Bags of energy bars 65 Tarte tatin 81
Baked apples 138 Walnut treacle tart 74
Baklava 82 Apricots
Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54 Bread pudding 110
De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Fruit mince pies 77 Fruit mince pies 77
Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106 Squidgy fruit cake 32
Las Vegan sour cherry muffins 49 Steve’s flapjacks 53
Lemon raspberry trifle 100 Vitality cake 39
Milk 8 Arrowroot 14
Revel Cafe chocolate midnight cake 91
Roasting 15 b
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Bags of energy bars 65
Tarte tatin 81 Baked apples 138
Vanilla cake, almond variation 43 Baklava 82
Vitality cake 39 Bananas
Amaretto Banoffi tarts 103
Amaretto peacherines 129 Five grain pancakes with flambeed
De Bolhoed dutch apple pie 73 bananas 134
Mini peach pies 85 Strawberry ice-cream 154
Anzac biscuits 57 Berries
Apples Apple and blackberry betty 115
Almond and lemon cantucci 58 Apple and strawberry jelly 133
Apple and blackberry betty 115 Berry cobbler 116
Apple and strawberry jelly 133 Hello daddy chocolate berry pie 96
Bags of energy bars 65 In the Raw chocolate mousse
Baked apples 138 parfait 159
Bread pudding 110 Lemon raspberry trifle 100
Christmas pudding 123 Raspberry sorbet 150
191
Berries, cont’d Cakes, cont’d
Real Food Daily double chocolate Coffee and walnut cake 28
layer cake with raspberry puree 27 Double fudge pecan brownies 50
Strawberry ice-cream 154 Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35
Summer pudding 137 Las Vegan sour cherry muffins 49
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with raspberry
Winter fruit compote 127 puree 27
Biscuits Spiced carrot cake 31
Almond and lemon cantucci 58 Squidgy fruit cake 32
Anzac biscuits 57 Vanilla cake: basic, wheat free, gluten free 43–45
Chocoblock cookies 64 Vitality cake 39
Black forest gateau 40 Carob 17
Blackberries Carob clusters 185
Apple and blackberry betty 115 Carrots
Berry cobbler 116 Spiced carrot cake 31
Summer pudding 137 Cashews 15
Blind baking 68 Black forest gateau 40
Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175 Cashew cream 167
Blueberries In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159
Berry cobbler 116 Lime tart 95
Brazil nuts Milk 8
Bags of energy bars 65 Strawberry ice-cream 154
Chocoblock cookies 64 Cherries
Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153 Black forest gateau 40
Christmas apricots and dates 179 Christmas pudding 123
Lime tart 95 Las Vegan sour cherry muffins 49
Milk 8 Summer pudding 137
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Chocolate 16
Bread Black forest gateau 40
Apple and blackberry betty 115 Chocoblock cookies 64
Bread and butter pudding 119 Chocolate almond fudge shortbread 62
Bread pudding 110 Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Brown bread ice-cream 147 Chocolate crunch 184
Christmas pudding 123 Chocolate fudge sauce 170
Summer pudding 137 Chocolate ganache 169
Walnut treacle tart 74 Chocolate torte 36
Brown bread ice-cream 147 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Cornet-oh! 149
c Double fudge pecan brownies 50
Cacao 16 Easy chocolate sauce 170
Cakes Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35
Black forest gateau 40 Hello daddy chocolate berry pie 96
Chocolate torte 36 In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159
192
Chocolate, cont’d Coffee, cont’d
Liqueur truffles 176 Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35
Melting 27 Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with raspberry
Millennium peanut butter chocolate chip ice-cream 145 puree 27
Millennium peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream 144 Sticky date puddings with toffee sauce 109
Perfect chocolate mousse 163 Tiramisu 99
Raw chocolate 187 Conversion tables 200
Raw chocolate sauce 170 Cornet-oh! 149
Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with raspberry Cornflour 14
puree 27 Cream
Revel chocolate midnight cake 91 Cashew 167
Rice crispy crackles 183 Soy 167
Tiramisu 99 Custard 168
Vanilla cake, chocolate variation 43
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 d
Christmas apricots and dates 179 Dairy-free spread 12–13
Christmas pudding 123 Dates
Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54 Bags of energy bars 65
Coconut Baked apples 138
Anzac biscuits 57 Black forest gateau 40
Bags of energy bars 65 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Black forest gateau 40 Carob clusters 185
Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175 Chocoblock cookies 64
Carob clusters 185 Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Cashew cream 167 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Chocoblock cookies 64 Lime tart 95
Coconut creme brulee 160 Matrimonial cake 67
Coconut rice pudding 111 Puree 39
In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159 Steve’s flapjacks 53
Lime tart 95 Sticky date puddings with toffee sauce 109
Milk 8 Sugar 10
Millennium peanut butter chocolate chip ice-cream 145 Vitality cake 39
Millennium peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream 144 De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73
Oil 13 Devon scones with jam and cream 61
Palm sugar 10 Double fudge pecan brownies 50
Rice crispy crackles 183 Dried fruit, also see apricots, dates, figs, goji berries, prunes,
Young coconut, how to open 159 raisins, sultanas
Zen green tea coconut custard 164 Bags of energy bars 65
Coffee Baked apples 138
Banoffi tarts 103 Black forest gateau 40
Chocolate torte 36 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Coffee and walnut cake 28 Bread and butter pudding 119
Flavouring 18 Bread pudding 110
193
Dried fruit, cont’d Food allergy index 188
Carob clusters 185 Food colourings 17–18
Chocoblock cookies 64 Fruit mince pies 77
Chocolate crunch 184 g
Christmas apricots and dates 179 Ganache 169
Christmas pudding 123 Gluten free
Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54 Flour 12, 45, 85
Coconut rice pudding 111 Index of recipes 188–189
Date puree 39 Pastry 85
De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73 Glycemic index 9
Eccles cakes 86 Goji berries
Fruit mince pies 77 Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130
Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106 Winter fruit compote 127
Lime tart 95
Matrimonial cake 67 h
Panforte 180 Hazelnuts
Spiced carrot cake 31 Apple and blackberry betty 115
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Apple and strawberry jelly 133
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Black forest gateau 40
Sticky date puddings with toffee sauce 109 Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35
Vitality cake 39 Milk 8
Winter fruit compote 127 Panforte 180
Roasting 15
e Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130
Eccles cakes 86 Hello daddy chocolate berry pie 96
Egg replacer 8 Honey 11
Panforte 180
f Hungarian cheese pie 78
Fairtrade 6, 16–17 Hydrogenated fat 13–14
Fats and oils 12–14
Dairy-free spread 13 i
Hydrogenated 13–14 Ice-cream
Saturated 13 Brown bread ice-cream 147
Unsaturated 13 Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Vegetable oil 13 Cornet-oh! 149
Figs Method 141
Christmas pudding 123 Millennium peanut butter chocolate chip ice-cream 145
Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106 Millennium peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream 144
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Strawberry ice-cream 154
Five grain pancakes with flambeed bananas 134 Vanilla ice-cream 146
Flavourings 16–18 In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159
194
k Millennium peppermint choc-chunk ice-cream 144
Key 21 Mini peach pies 85
Kuzu 14
n
l Nectarines
Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106 Amaretto peacherines 129
Las Vegan sour cherry muffins 49 New York style lemon cheesecake 92
le cru pineapple carpaccio 126 Nuts, also see almonds, brazils, cashews, hazelnuts,
Lecithin 14–15 macadamias, pecans, walnuts
Lemons Almond and lemon cantucci 58
Almond and lemon cantucci 58 Apple and blackberry betty 115
Flavouring 18 Apple and strawberry jelly 133
Hungarian cheese pie 78 Bags of energy bars 65
Lemon and lime sorbet 150 Baked apples 138
Lemon raspberry trifle 100 Baklava 82
Lemon syrup sponge pudding 120 Black forest gateau 40
New York style lemon cheesecake 92 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Vanilla cake, lemon variation 43 Carob clusters 185
Limes Cashew cream 167
Flavouring 18 Chocoblock cookies 64
Lemon and lime sorbet 150 Chocolate chunk ice-cream 153
Lime tart 95 Chocolate crunch 184
Millennium mango sorbet 144 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Liqueur truffles 176 Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54
Low sugar Coffee and walnut cake 28
index of recipes 189–190 De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73
Double fudge pecan brownies 50
m Fruit mince pies 77
Macadamias Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35
Black forest gateau 40 In the Raw chocolate mousse parfait 159
Roasting 15 Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106
Marzipan Las Vegan sour cherry muffins 49
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Lemon raspberry trifle 100
Matrimonial cake 67 Lime tart 95
Milk Nut milks 8
Cows’ 7 Panforte 180
Nut 8 Plum and pecan crumble 112
Oat 8 Raw 14
Rice 8 Revel Cafe chocolate midnight cake 91
Soy 8 Roasting nuts 15
Millennium mango sorbet 144 Soaking 14
Millennium peanut butter ice-cream 145 Spiced carrot cake 31
195
Nuts, cont’d Peppermint 18
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Perfect chocolate mousse 163
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Pies
Strawberry ice-cream 154 Baklava 82
Tarte tatin 81 Banoffi tarts 103
Vanilla cake, almond variation 43 De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Eccles cakes 86
Vitality cake 39 Fruit mince pies 77
Walnut treacle tart 74 Hello daddy chocolate berry pie 96
Nut free Hungarian cheese pie 78
Index of recipes 190 Mini peach pies 85
Tarte tatin 81
o Walnut treacle tart 74
Oats Pineapples
Anzac biscuits 57 le cru pineapple carpaccio 126
Bags of energy bars 65 Prunes
Chocoblock cookies 64 Baked apples 138
Matrimonial cake 67 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Plum and pecan crumble 112 Bread pudding 110
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Christmas apricots and dates 179
Oil 12–13 Christmas pudding 123
Oranges Vitality cake 39
Flavouring 18 Winter fruit compote 127
Lancrigg fig and almond pudding 106 Psyllium 14
Vanilla cake, orange variation 43 Pumpkin seeds
Winter fruit compote 127 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Organic 6 Carob clusters 185
Milk 8
p Steve’s flapjacks 53
Panforte 180 Vitality cake 39
Peacherines
Amaretto peacherines 129 r
Peanut butter Raisins
Carob clusters 185 Baked apples 138
Millennium peanut butter chocolate chip ice-cream 145 Bread and butter pudding 119
Pears Chocoblock cookies 64
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Chocolate crunch 184
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Christmas pudding 123
Pecans Cinnamon apple raisin muffins 54
Chocolate crunch 184 Coconut rice pudding 111
Double fudge pecan brownies 50 De Bolhoed Dutch apple pie 73
Plum and pecan crumble 112 Fruit mince pies 77
Roasting 15 Panforte 180
196
Raisins, cont’d Sugar and sweeteners, cont’d
Spiced carrot cake 31 Dietary guidelines 9
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Evaporated cane juice 10
Vitality cake 39 Fructose 10
Raspberries Fruit juice, concentrated 11
Lemon raspberry trifle 100 Fruit puree 11
Raspberry sorbet 150 Golden syrup 11
Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with raspberry Honey 11
puree 27 Icing sugar 11
Summer pudding 137 Isomalt 12
Raw Jaggery 10
Index of recipes 190 Low sugar index of recipes 189–190
Raw chocolate 187 Maltitol 12
Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with raspberry Maple sugar 10
puree 27
Maple syrup 11
Revel Cafe chocolate midnight cake 91
Muscovado sugar 10
Rice crispy crackles 183
Rapadura sugar 10
Raw sugar, light 10
s Raw sugar, dark 10
Salt 18
Saccharin 12
Saturated fat 13
Stevia 12
Sorbet 140–141
Sorbitol 12
le cru pineapple carpaccio 126
Sucanat 10
Lemon and lime sorbet 150
Sucralose 12
Method 141
Sugar syrup 150
Millennium mango sorbet 144
Turbinado sugar 10
Raspberry sorbet 150
Vegan processing of 9
Spiced carrot cake 31
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Xylitol 12
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Sultanas
Sticky date puddings with toffee sauce 109 Bags of energy bars 65
Strawberries Baked apples 138
Apple and strawberry jelly 133 Bread and butter pudding 119
Strawberry ice-cream 154 Bread pudding 110
Sugar and sweeteners 9–12 Carob clusters 185
Agave nectar 11 Chocoblock cookies 64
Aspartame 12 Chocolate crunch 184
Barley malt syrup 11 Christmas pudding 123
Brown rice syrup 11 Coconut rice pudding 111
Brown sugar 10 Fruit mince pies 77
Coconut palm sugar 10 Panforte 180
Corn syrup 11 Rice crispy crackles 183
Date sugar 10 Spiced carrot cake 31
197
Sultanas, cont’d Vanilla, cont’d
Squidgy fruit cake 32 Vanilla ice-cream 146
Steve’s flapjacks 53 Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130
Vanilla-poached pears with hazelnut-fig filling 130 Vanilla cake
Vitality cake 39 Basic 43
Winter fruit compote 127 Gluten free 45
Summer pudding 137 Wheat free 44
Sunflower seeds Veganism 3–4
Bags of energy bars 65 And Animal welfare 4
Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175 And the environment 4
Carob clusters 185 Health benefits 3–4
Milk 8 Vitality cake 39
Vitality cake 39 w
Walnuts
t Bags of energy bars 65
Tarte tatin 81 Baklava 82
Tiramisu 99 Bliss Organic Cafe bliss balls 175
Tofu 8 Carob clusters 185
Chocolate torte 36 Chocolate crunch 184
Hazelnut cupcakes with mocha mousse filling 35 Coffee and walnut cake 28
Real Food Daily double chocolate layer cake with Double fudge pecan brownies 50
raspberry puree 27 Spiced carrot cake 31
u Walnut treacle tart 74
Unsaturated fat 13 Wheat free
Index of recipes 188–189
v Wholegrains 12
Vanilla 17 Winter fruit compote 127
Flavouring 17
Three kinds of vanilla cake: basic, wheat free, gluten free z
43–45 Zen green tea coconut custard 164
198
conversion tables
All conversions are approximate, for ease of use.
NOTE: In this edition of Divine Vegan Desserts, 1 tablespoon = 20 ml.
Liquid measurement
Volume Australia/UK/Europe USA/Canada
1 teaspoon 5 ml ¹⁄6 fl. oz (5 ml)
1 tablespoon 20 ml (15 ml UK/Europe) ½ fl. oz (15 ml)
¼ cup 60 ml 2 fl. oz
¹⁄³ cup 80 ml 2.5 fl. oz
½ cup 125 ml 4 fl. oz
²⁄³ cup 160 ml 5 fl. oz
¾ cup 180 ml 6 fl. oz
1 cup 250 ml 8 fl. oz
1 pint 575 ml (20 fl. oz) 16 fl. oz (475 ml)
1 quart — 32 fl. oz (950 ml)
Oven temperatures
° Celsius ° Fahrenheit Gas Temperature
110 225 ¼ very cool
120 250 ¼ very cool
140 275 1 cool
150 300 2 cool
170 325 3 warm
180 350 4 moderate
190 375 5 fairly hot
200 400 6 hot
220 425 7 very hot
230 450 8 very hot
Weight
Metric Imperial
15 g ½ ounce
30 g 1 ounce
100 g 3.5 ounces
115 g 4 ounces
225 g 8 ounces
450 g 1 pound
199
Wakefield Press is an independent publishing and
distribution company based in Adelaide, South Australia.
We love good stories and publish beautiful books.
To see our full range of books, please visit our website at
www.wakefieldpress.com.au
where all titles are available for purchase.
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It’s time to redeem the reputation of desserts, proving they can be beautiful,
wholesome and delicious. You can make the switch to a healthier, more
compassionate, lifestyle without giving up the joy of dessert.
The recipes in this book – all dairy and egg free, with many gluten free, low
sugar and nut free choices – will give you energy and lift your spirits. There
are mouth-watering favourites like sticky date pudding, New York style lemon
cheesecake, double fudge pecan brownies, and tiramisu. Or celebrate with one
of the many vegan recipes, such as a sensational double chocolate layer cake
with raspberry puree, contributed by cafes and restaurants around the world.
How could eating food made from fresh, carefully chosen ingredients and
baked with loving care be anything but a divine experience?
Lisa Fabry’s two great passions in life – food and yoga – led her to the
‘divine vegan’ concept, a way of combining practical food choices with
ethical, moral and spiritual awareness.
Born in London, Lisa now lives in Adelaide. She has worked as a film
and television producer, writer, editor, barista, chef, and yoga teacher.
In between times, she home educated her two daughters, and ran a
vegan, organic cafe. You can visit Lisa Fabry at www.divinevegan.com.
Front cover photography by Heidi Linehan

Cover design by Liz Nicholson, designBITE

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What is the book about?

What is the book about?

What types of recipes are included in the book?

What types of recipes are included in the book?

Divine

Thanks for everything, Mum.

First published 2012

Copyright © Lisa Fabry, 2012

Edited by Julia Beaven, Wakefield Press

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry

Author: Fabry, Lisa.

Real Food Daily, Los Angeles, USA 24

Lancrigg Vegetarian Country

3. Pies and pastries 68 House Hotel, Lake District, UK 105

7. Ice-creams and 9. Sweet bites 172

• a compassionate understanding of the environmental issues associated

the quality of food

Organic food is grown without the aid of artificial fertilisers, pesticides

Fairtrade is an internationally agreed standard that aims to create a fairer

Make your own nut or seed milks

2. Drain the water and place nuts or seeds in a blender.

4. Place a large piece of cheesecloth or muslin in a sieve over a large bowl.

cake mixtures or raw biscuits. Store it in the fridge.

8. Bottle and store in the fridge. Use as fresh milk.

Glycemic Index (GI)

• light raw cane sugar – includes some nutrients, GI 65

When a recipe states brown sugar your alternatives are:

transported by plane and truck – over raw, local honey.

fats and oils

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are found

Choosing fats and oils

a cooked dessert anyway, you may as well do it.

nuts to dry, then brown the almonds in the oven, as above.

flavourings and colourings

To scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean

2. Open up the bean and lay it flat on a chopping board.

collecting all the sticky beans.

4. Add the beans to the liquid in your dish.

To make double-strength coffee or coffee substitute

without needing to use artificial coffee flavouring.

Orange, lemon, lime

• yellow/orange – a small pinch of turmeric

l Preheat oven – check your oven

l Use recommended or similar size pan.

l Grease and line pans if recommended.

l Choose one set of measurements –

l When measuring liquids in a jug, read the measurement at eye level.

A note regarding tablespoon measurements

Real Food Daily

Real Food Daily

melting, otherwise it could ‘seize’, becoming stiff and granular.

Vanilla cream-cheese icing

Line a muffin pan with 12 paper liners. Makes 12

fridge overnight. chopped

23 cm (9") sandwich or square tin: 25–30 minutes.

23 cm (9") loaf tin: 35–40 minutes.

Baking times and options as basic cake.

Gluten free flour mix 1 (great for cakes)

½ cup (60 g) tapioca flour