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Chocolate-Dipped Magnolia Flowers

In our part of the world, Magnolia flowers are among the first signs of spring. Tightly wrapped in their ‘blankets’ – the sepal – they’re just waiting for the warmer weather to open up and show their cheery faces to the sun.

There are many different types of magnolia trees, and while all magnolias are considered edible, not all of them have been tested, so people can be a bit weary of trying newer species.  Some sources say you can’t eat them raw, others say you can… I’ll leave it up to you to make up your mind! Continue reading “Chocolate-Dipped Magnolia Flowers”

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Borlotti Magic Bean Chocolate Brownies

Borlotti Bean Chocolate Brownie

I had my first experience of the Magic Bean Chocolate Cake phenomenon sitting in a friend’s garden in Australia in 2012. I strongly dislike beans, so when they brought out this mythical bean-chocolate cake I was highly suspicious and the surprise on my face after tasting had everyone laughing. If you aren’t told that there are beans in this brownie, you wouldn’t know.  In the years since, there have been dozens of ‘magic bean’ cakes that have sprung up around the web, and some of them have loads of ingredients. I like these Borlotti Magic Bean Chocolate Brownies because it makes a flatter brownie, and it’s highly adaptable.

Borlotti Magic Bean Chocolate BrowniesSometimes we make it plain, as it is. Othertimes we might add dried/freeze dried cranberries or nuts. My favourite is to add milk chocolate chips that provide gooey pockets of sweet chocolate throughout. Borlotti Magic Bean Chocolate Brownies

I recommend this brownie pan as the recipe below fills it perfectly, and when you’ve taken it out of the oven and allowed it to cool slowly, you can fit the cutting bit over it, and have perfectly sized brownies.

If you’re not using a Thermomix® to make this, just make sure you pulse the chocolate and beans into a smooth batter, and you’ll be set. Allow it to cool, sprinkle with icing sugar, drizzle cream, or enjoy your Borlotti Magic Bean Chocolate Brownies as is.

Borlotti Bean Magic Chocolate Brownies
 
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This recipe couldn't really be easier, whether you're using a Thermomix® or not. It is also quite forgiving, but it's IMPORTANT to note that all chocolate isn't created equal. If you are using a rich dark chocolate, like 80% Lindt, you may want to have a taste of the batter and add a couple of tablespoons of sugar. If you are using a sweet dark chocolate, or a milk chocolate, you may want to add a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder. You can also add extras, like chocolate chips or dried fruit or nuts. It's very flexible, very forgiving, and ends up tasting delicious either way.
Author:
Serves: 24
Ingredients
  • 400g beans - we used Borlotti
  • 200g dark chocolate
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp baking powder
Optional:
  • 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 50g dark chocolate or white chocolate chips
  • 100g freeze dried fruit chips
Instructions
Thermomix® Instructions:
  1. Heat the oven to 180C
  2. Drain the beans and break the chocolate into blocks
  3. Add beans, chocolate, eggs and baking powder to the Thermomix® bowl and mix Seconds 30 Speed 10. (In a regular food processor, add them one at a time till they are properly blended). It should resemble a creamy buttercream. Have a little taste of the batter.
  4. Add any of the optional extras.
  5. Tip the mixture into a brownie tray and bake for 20 minutes.
  6. Leave to cool and serve as is, drizzled in cream or lightly dusted with icing sugar.

 

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Camping Food: Fireside Chocolate Brioche

Fireside Chocolate Brioche

As much as I love camping, I love eating good food. Being out in nature and eating pot noodles? Just not my thing. If the air is clean I feel like my tastebuds are enhanced, and I want fresh, tasty, good food as much as possible.

One of my best campfire breakfasts is a fireside chocolate brioche. When that comes off the fire it is warm, with melted chocolate chunks and it smells like sweet heaven.

I haven’t  yet mastered making dough out in the wild, (we normally go for non-electric pitches too!) but the secret to a simple fireside brioche breakfast is Jus-Rol. They last really well in a cool box for a few days, and if you’re camping in the UK they are easy to find in most supermarkets anyway, so picking a couple up every few days isn’t a big deal. Fireside Chocolate Brioche

To make a fireside brioche you need some equipment, and you’ll need a fire. On an open fire it takes a little longer, but it does work. It does need to be over an open flame. We do it on a mini gas burner* and it works quickly. Either is fine. You do need the heat though. Don’t put it IN the flame as you’re likely to have a cooked outside and a raw inside.

To make fireside brioche you will need: 

Fireside Chocolate BriocheA sharp knife, though you could tear them but it will be a bit messy

Two camping cooking pots – they need to fit inside each other with a lid that can go over both. (These are great to have in your camping kit anyway as they save space and mean you can cook real food!)

Two spoons,  or rocks or even twigs of similar size. They idea is that they create a little space between the pots for the heat to move around the bottom and sides but the space must be small enough that you can still fit the lid over both pots, creating an oven effect.

Jus-Rol Chocolate Brioche (also works well with cinnamon swirls)

Method

To make the chocolate brioche you need to open the Jus-Rol package, and cut the roll into six equal sizes. If your pots aren’t non stick you will need to oil or butter the smaller one first. Place the six rolls in the smaller of the two pots, five around the outside, one in the middle.Fireside Chocolate Brioche

Place two spoons or twigs into the larger pot. They need to be fairly equally sized to keep the smaller pot resting on them fairly straight.DSCN5679 (Copy)

Place the smaller pot inside, and put the lid in place.

Fireside Chocolate Brioche

Put the pots on the fire and leave. Remember, remember lifting the lid will cause the heat to escape like in a fire. Depending on how much space there is at the top, the top of the brioche may not look like it’s cooking. Fireside Chocolate BriocheWhen you can see the edges are browned and it’s starting to smell like fresh bread, you can tip it out gently and pop it back in upside down if you really want to, or just tip it over and serve it upside down.Fireside Chocolate Brioche

The top needs to be cooked obviously, but it will be a very light colour.

Fireside Chocolate Brioche

Put aside to cool slightly, but serve warm, ideally.

Happy Camping!

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Six Minute Chocolate Puddings

Six Minute Chocolate Pudding

In a life before my children, I used to host regular dinner parties, and Six Minute Chocolate Puddings were a go-to standard pudding for a number of reasons. First, it’s so easy to make. You mix all the ingredients together and set it aside, popping it in the oven for 6 minutes when you’re ready for your warm and yummy dessert. Secondly, these chocolate puddings a small portion, but it’s so rich you really only need a small portion per person. Thirdly, it’s really good, hot or cold, with cream or ice cream. Six Minute Chocolate Puddings

The key to these chocolate puddings is to have the oven hot and to keep an eye on the puddings. In a normal small round ramekin, they should only need 6 minutes in the oven. If your ramekins or bowls are bigger, they may need a little longer, but sit and watch it, if need be, so you can see when it forms a skin on top that looks like cake. Like this:Six Minute Chocolate Puddings

Pull it out of the oven immediately, and serve. If you leave it in too long it’ll sort of ‘set’ and not be runny any more, but it will still be delicious.

Six Minute Chocolate Puddings
 
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Recipe type: Dessert
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
  • 60g Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • 3 Egg Yolks
  • 185g Dark Chocolate
  • 185g Butter
  • 15g Plain Flour
  • Cocoa Powder, for dusting
  • cream or ice cream for serving
Instructions
  1. If you're serving immediately, turn the oven up to 230C/450F
  2. Add the sugar to the Thermomix® and whiz on speed 10 for 3 seconds
  3. Add the eggs and the extra egg yolks and whisk the eggs for 30 seconds, speed 5
  4. Set aside
  5. In a clean bowl add the chocolate and whiz on speed 10 for 3 seconds again to get the chocolate to melt faster. Scrape down the sides if you need to then melt the chocolate for 2 minutes/speed 2/ 50C
  6. Once it's melted add the butter and melt 1 minute/speed 2/ 50C
  7. Finally add the sugar and egg - pour it in in a steady stream - and then the flour
  8. (If you're organised, you can just set the chocolate on to melt for 4 minutes, and add the butter after two minutes, and the egg and sugar mix and the flour after another minute so you don't keep having to reset the timer)
  9. Pour into ramekins. This mix will rise slightly, so don't fill all the way to the top.
Serving straight away
  1. Place into a hot oven and bake for 6 minutes (vary according to the size of the ramekins)
  2. Serve as is for the molten inside to be a surprise or turn upside down to have it running and oozing pleasantly over the plate
Serving later
  1. Once everything is mixed, pop the chocolate mix into the fridge. When your guests arrive, remove it so that it returns to room temperature, when you're having your mains, turn on the oven and after dinner put the ramekins in the oven for six minutes.
  2. Serve with cream, ice cream or on it's own

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Chocolate Cranberry Muffins (Egg-Free)

Chocolate Cranberry Muffins

I’ve been making muffins a lot lately, because they’re a really easy way to fill the kids up when they’re hungry thirty-seven million times.a.day. They are pretty quick to make while I’m making breakfast, and then they can snack for the rest of the morning. Of course these have too much sugar for that to be a sustainable idea, but we’re calling it a Christmas treat.

These are really only egg-free because I ran out, but the banana binds it together. If you want to use egg, substitute the banana for two eggs.

These have dried cranberries in, but you can substitute that as you wish – raisins or choc chips, both work well.

With the banana in these do have a little bit of a banana taste, but chocolate and banana work well anyway.Chocolate Cranberry Muffins

Chocolate Cranberry Muffins (Egg-Free)
 
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Author:
Recipe type: Breakfast
Cuisine: Breakfast, Snacks
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 280g self-raising flour
  • 30g cocoa powder
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • 100g brown sugar
  • 70g olive oil
  • 1 banana
  • 200g milk
  • handful of dried cranberries - more or less depending on taste
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C
  2. Add all the ingredients to the Thermomix® bowl, except the cranberries
  3. Mix speed 4/ 60 seconds
  4. Add the cranberries
  5. Scoop out into 12 large or 36 small muffin cases and bake for 10 - 20 minutes, depending on the size of the muffins.
  6. Find the largest muffin and stick a knife into it. If it comes out clean, it's ready.

 

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Thick Chocolate Mousse & Basil Cream

thick chocolate mousse and basil cream

I love Basil. It’s such a sensory herb, with the ability to transport you to just about anywhere – usually in Italy.

I also love chocolate, and one of my favourite memories is from my honeymoon, some 10 and a bit years ago, where we spent time backpacking through Italy, from Sorento through to Bergamo. Our last night was in a  hotel in Turin, and by the time we got there we were pretty worn out. The 4-star hotel had an amazing jacuzzi in the bathroom, and with promises to return one day, we didn’t venture further than the cafe on the corner.

This particular cafe, however, had a delicious selection of home made chocolates and ice cream, and I fell in love with the combination of Basil and Chocolate. No, it’s not one you come across often, but it works – trust me, it works.

I recently agreed to participate in a challenge where I had to come up with a recipe that speaks to the taste of Italy, and I can’t think of much that speaks of Italy like Basil does, so here is my contribution: Chocolate Mousse with Basil Cream – and here is my advice: don’t knock it till you try it!
thick chocolate mousse and basil cream

This is an incredibly rich mousse. We had two people (including two children) sharing the two ice cream bowls of mousse & cream in the pictures, and it was still a lot. So it’s a great sharers dish.

Thick Chocolate Mousse with Basil Cream

We hope you love the Chocolate Mousse & Basil Cream as much as we do!

Easy French Chocolate Mousse - Kids In The Kitchen
 
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Serve with home made clotted cream, strawberries & mint leaves!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Serves: 2-3
Ingredients
  • 335g double cream
  • 10 fresh basil leaves
  • 15g icing sugar
  • 150g chocolate
  • 2 large eggs, separated
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Basil Cream
  1. In a sealable container, add 200g cream and whole basil leaves together.
  2. Cover and put in the fridge for 5 hours. After that time, remove the basil leaves and discard
  3. Add the icing sugar to the cream and whisk to stiff peaks. (I find it easiest here to transfer into a piping bag, and set aside.
Regular Instructions
  1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, on a double boiler, in a bowl nestled inside a pot on the stove top (making sure not to get any water in) or however you normally melt chocolate.
  2. While it's melting, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar slowly as you whisk, then put the egg whites in the fridge.
  3. Next, whisk the cream to stiff peaks, and place in the fridge.
  4. Finally, in a large bowl add the vanilla extract to the egg yolks and mix until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate slowly in to the egg yolks, stirring all the time.
  5. Next, add the cream to the egg and chocolate mix, and stir till it's all combined.
  6. Finally fold in the egg whites. Do not beat, whisk or over stir this as doing so will cause the mousse to collapse. Follow instructions below for combining.
Thermomix® Instructions
  1. These instructions are for one bowl. If you have two, melt the chocolate in one and do the whisking in the other.
  2. Place the egg whites and sugar in the Thermomix® bowl and whisk with the butterfly speed 4 about 1 minute. Keep an eye on it - the freshness of your eggs and the temperature will affect how long you need to whisk this for, and you don't want it to collapse again, so just stop when you reach stiff peaks.
  3. Scoop into a bowl and set aside in the fridge
  4. Wash out the bowl and dry thoroughly.
  5. Pour the cream in and add the butterfly again. Whisk the cream for about 30 seconds/speed 4. Again, keep an eye on it - freshness of cream and starting temperature of cream will affect how long it needs to be whisked for. You don't want butter!
  6. Set aside the cream, and wash and dry the bowl.
  7. Add the chocolate to the Thermomix® bowl and chop speed 5, 10 seconds.
  8. Heat to 50C/Speed 2/ 3 minutes. Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix the egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir to combine. When the chocolate is melted pour in a thin stream whisking together. (Don't pour the egg into the hot chocolate or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.)
  9. Add the cream to the bowl, whisking to combine.
  10. Finally, add the egg whites and gently fold them in. If you whisk or stir too vigorously you'll knock all the air out of the egg whites and your mousse will fall flat.
To Finish
  1. Smaller ramekins or glasses are better for this desert as it is very rich.
  2. Place a layer of chocolate mousse in your serving dish and flatten out.
  3. Next you need a layer of basil. I find piping it around the edges first then in through the centre the easiest, before adding a final layer of chocolate. If you're confident in your piping skills, pipe a pattern of the basil cream on top - I messed it up first time, so scooped it up again, hence mine looks a bit chocolatey.
  4. You can serve it immediately for a light and fluffy mousse, but it's equally delicious, if a bit denser and less airy a few hours later.

 

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Easy French Chocolate Mousse – Kids In The Kitchen

Easy French Chocolate Mousse

We’re still learning about France this week, and another recipe from the France: Food and Celebrations* book that we’ve been using that we just had to try is the Chocolate Mousse. According to the Frenchling in this book, this dessert is only for special ocassions, but a great thing about it is that it’s really simple to make.

I think if you have two Thermomix® bowls this is the simplest recipe in the world. I just have the one and it’s still dead simple, just requires a bit of a wash inbetween.Easy French Chocolate Mousse

Of course I am trying to teach the kids to cook without the Thermomix® too, so there’s a bit of ‘elbow grease’ required in three sets of whisking, but that’s good for them too. They used the Annabel Karmel Casdon Baking Set which has a fabulous bowl and whisk, perfectly child sized and very effective in whisking.

I had each girl responsible for her own whisking ingredients while I did the chocolate, but managing kids whisking liquids doesn’t leave much time for photo taking!Easy French Chocolate Mousse

The original recipe calls for three hours in the fridge, but I’m not convinced by that. After an hour the mouse was almost more of a pudding, whereas initially upon finishing it, I couldn’t resist tucking in a little had to perform a taste test and it was very light and airy.

You can add flavoured chocolate to this to make a flavoured mousse – mint, orange, strawberry, whatever you  like. I used dark chocolate in this recipe.

Easy French Chocolate Mousse - Kids In The Kitchen
 
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Serve with home made clotted cream, strawberries & mint leaves!
Author:
Recipe type: Dessert
Cuisine: French
Serves: 3
Ingredients
  • 150g chocolate
  • 2 large eggs, seperated
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 125g (125ml) whipping cream or double cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • fruit and cream to serve
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave, on a double boiler, in a bowl nestled inside a pot on the stove top (making sure not to get any water in) or however you normally melt chocolate.
  2. While it's melting, whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks, adding the sugar slowly as you whisk, then put the egg whites in the fridge.
  3. Next, whisk the cream to stiff peaks, and place in the fridge.
  4. Finally, in a large bowl add the vanilla extract to the egg yolks and mix until smooth. Pour the melted chocolate slowly in to the egg yolks, stirring all the time.
  5. Next, add the cream to the egg and chocolate mix, and stir till it's all combined.
  6. Finally fold in the egg whites. Do not beat, whisk or over stir this as doing so will cause the mousse to collapse.
  7. Once combined, dish into serving dishes and place in the fridge for 1 - 3 hours to set.
  8. Top with strawberries, mint leaves and cream for a luxurious finish.
Thermomix® Instructions
  1. These instructions are for one bowl. If you have two, melt the chocolate in one and do the whisking in the other.
  2. Place the egg whites and sugar in the Thermomix® bowl and whisk with the butterfly speed 4 about 1 minute. Keep an eye on it - the freshness of your eggs and the temperature will affect how long you need to whisk this for, and you don't want it to collapse again, so just stop when you reach stiff peaks.
  3. Scoop into a bowl and set aside in the fridge
  4. Wash out the bowl and dry thoroughly.
  5. Pour the cream in and add the butterfly again. Whisk the cream for about 30 seconds/speed 4. Again, keep an eye on it - freshness of cream and starting temperature of cream will affect how long it needs to be whisked for. You don't want butter!
  6. Set aside the cream, and wash and dry the bowl.
  7. Add the chocolate to the Thermomix® bowl and chop speed 5, 10 seconds.
  8. Heat to 50C/Speed 2/ 3 minutes. Meanwhile in a large bowl, mix the egg yolk and vanilla extract and stir to combine. When the chocolate is melted pour in a thin stream whisking together. (Don't pour the egg into the hot chocolate or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.)
  9. Add the cream to the bowl, whisking to combine.
  10. Finally, add the egg whites and gently fold them in. If you whisk or stir too vigorously you'll knock all the air out of the egg whites and your mousse will fall flat.
  11. Once combined, move to your serving dishes and refrigerate for 1 - 3 hours.
  12. Top with strawberries, mint leaves and cream for a luxurious finish.

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Vegan Chocolate Cake, Not Vegan Buttercream And Vegan Chocolate Glaze

We aren’t vegan as you can tell by the creamy and beautiful buttercream or chocolate that decorate this cake, but the cake itself is vegan, and beyond being a really tasty treat, it’s also a useful recipe to have to hand when you don’t have eggs, which often happens in my life.

So, this cake is vegan, the chocolates aren’t and the buttercream isn’t. But there’s a lovely topping that you can use if you’re particularly after a vegan cake too – I’ll include that in the recipe.

As for the Bambi shapes, they are moulds from the Disney Cakes and Sweets range from Eaglemoss. We subscribed to this a couple of years back and now have 79 issues filling up my shelves, and a ton of baking goodies too. Ameli’s birthday party last year was a Princess Party, where we used some of the supplies from the Disney Cakes & Sweets magazines, and obviously this Bambi, owl, rabbit and little birds are from that too. It’s a really fantastic magazine to subscribe to, and along with fantastic quality bakeware and silicone moulds there are step by step instructions and recipes for every Disney character you could imagine. It’s something else. You can find out more about what’s available in the Disney Cakes & Sweets Magazine subscription by clicking here.

Did you know? 

You could also pick up this Special Edition Bambi & Friends issue for £9.99 by clicking here.

 

Vegan Chocolate CakeNow, on to the cake. These characters use 3 standard slabs of chocolate. You could get away with two and just make them a bit thinner. I used two dark and one milk, melted together (I use a Thermomix®, 90C, 3 mins, speed 2, but you can use a double boiler).

For this particular cake I also bought the flowers, and my 3 year old called it a ‘forest cake’. When a grown-up friend at our party said ‘Oh, they’re even resting on the grass’ I was very pleased that my marbled green fondant icing, with the bits of ‘soil’ towards the bottom actually translated as such!

Last year I made a similar cake for a spring party, and I added toadstools, flowers and other Disney Cakes & Sweets foresty themed buttons and it looked really pretty. (If you ignore the actual cake baking skills!)

Easy Vegan Chocolate Cake
 
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The vinegar and baking powder cause a reaction so you need get the cake into the hot oven as soon as these two ingredients are mixed, so start with the dry ingredients. In the images above, I have made three batches of the recipe below.
Author:
Recipe type: Cakes,
Cuisine: Dessert, Cakes, Vegan
Serves: 1 cake
Ingredients
  • 160g (1¼ cups) self raising flour
  • 160g (1 cup) sugar
  • 40g (1/3 cup) cocoa powder (I recommend this one)
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 190g (1 cup) warm water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract (I recommend this one)
  • 60g (1/3 cup) vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp distilled white or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp baking soda/bicarbonate of soda
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Oil or prepare your baking tin.
  3. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients, adding the baking powder and vinegar last.
  4. Pour into an ovenproof dish, and put in the centre of a hot oven.
  5. Bake at 180C for about 30 mins.
  6. Cool completely before icing.
Thermomix® Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
  2. Oil or prepare your baking tin.
  3. Add all but the last two ingredients listed to the bowl, and mix speed 4, 5 seconds.
  4. Add the vinegar and baking powder and mix speed 1, 5 seconds.
  5. Pour into an ovenproof dish, and put in the centre of a hot oven.
  6. Bake at 180C for about 30 mins.
  7. Cool completely before icing.

For my cake I made a buttercream icing, and topped with fondant. My mother used to make the best buttercream in the world. Here’s her recipe, adapted to the Thermomix®, but you can use any electric beater for the job – just focus more on the appearance than the timing.

I like to use a beautiful rich yellow salted butter for this, as it cuts the sweetness a little.

Buttercream Icing/Chocolate Buttercream Icing
 
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Author:
Serves: 400g
Ingredients
  • 200g salted butter
  • 200g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla essence
  • 30g cocoa powder (I recommend this one) (optional)
  • Optional extra: milk
Instructions
  1. Add the butterfly to the Thermomix®
  2. Add the butter to the bowl and whisk speed 3, 2 minutes till the butter is white and fluffy looking. Remove the butterfly.
  3. Add the icing sugar and vanilla essence and whisk speed 3, 1 minute.
  4. For a chocolate buttercream, add the cocoa powder and whisk again for 20 seconds, speed 5 or whenever it's all mixed through.
  5. If the mixture is too dry add a TEASPOON of milk at a time till you get it to the consistency you require.

To stick to the vegan roots of this vegan chocolate cake you can make a delicious chocolate glaze instead.
Bambi Summer Cake - Vegan Chocolate Cake
 
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Author:
Ingredients
Instructions
Regular Instructions
  1. On the stove top, place all the ingredients in a pot on a low heat and stir all the while till it melts.
  2. Pour over cake and leave to cool.
Thermomix® Instructions
  1. Place all the ingredients except the vanilla in the Thermomix® bowl.
  2. Cook at 90C for 2-3 minutes checking that the sugar has all melted.
  3. Add the vanilla and whizz for 2 seconds on speed 4, then pour over cake.
  4. Leave to cool.

I hope you enjoy this delicious cake and it’s multiple variations on decorations. And remember to have a look at Disney Cakes & Sweets magazine too!

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Chocolate Crispy Bars {Dairy Free Sugar Free Gluten Free}

It’s almost Easter again, and while we aren’t really a free-from anything family, when there’s so much focus on chocolate – between Valentine’s day, Mother’s Day, and Easter, I like to have alternatives available, so that even if I don’t manage to curb my sweet tooth, I’m at least not filling up myself or the children with cheap, often actually not very good – chocolate.Chocolate Crispies

This recipe is very easy. The children can help you make it, or you can whip it up quickly. It’s quite dark, we like dark chocolate. If you don’t like it as dark, adjust the cocoa down. You could add other things, like marshmallows, nuts, or cherries, but just remember to adjust the quantity of rice crispies down then. The main thing to remember is this isn’t held together by chocolate, which is strong, but by coconut oil, which needs to be kept cool, otherwise you’ll end up with what looks like a (very tasty) bowl of chocolate cereal.

I use a gluten free Rice Crispie from Nature’s Path, because we have it at the moment, but you can use any other if you prefer.

I also use this brownie pan because it’s super convenient.

5.0 from 1 reviews
Dairy Free Sugar Free Gluten Free Chocolate Crispy Bars
 
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A lovely snack box recipe for the kids, and fabulous for hitting that sweet spot, while not being overly unhealthy.
Author:
Recipe type: Sweets, TM31
Serves: 24 blocks
Ingredients
  • 50g Coconut Oil (1/4 cup)
  • 70g honey (1/4 cup)
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 30 - 50g cocoa powder (1/3 cup) (Cacao for Paleo)
  • pinch of fine sea salt or Himalayan pink salt
  • 100g rice crispies (1.5 cups)
Instructions
Thermomix® Recipe
  1. Add the coconut oil and honey to the Thermomix® bowl. If you're using runny honey, 30 seconds/37 degrees/speed 2 should melt it all, but if the honey is crystalised or set, about 1 minute/50 degrees/speed 2. It must be mixed and melted before you go to step 2.
  2. Add the vanilla and cocoa powder, and a small pinch of sea salt. 15 seconds/speed 3
  3. Add the rice crispies and use the spatula to stir it in so that all the rice crispies are covered with the chocolate mix.
  4. Transfer to a brownie pan (this one is fantastic!) and squash it all in nicely. Put in the fridge for an hour or two to set, then cut into squares.
  5. Tip: Remember this is kept together with coconut oil, so keep it cool otherwise it might fall apart a bit.
Regular Instructions
  1. Create a double boiler by boiling a pot of water on the stove, and put coconut oil and honey in a glass bowl over it. Once they're melted, mix together and add the vanilla extract (be careful - both the glass bowl and the mixture will be very hot).
  2. Add the cocoa powder and sea salt, and then add the rice crispies.
  3. Mix together till all the rice crispies are covered in the chocolate mixture and transfer into your brownie pan.
  4. Place in the fridge till it's cooled and set, then cut into squares.

chocolate crispies

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Hazelnut Chocolate (Nutella) Cheesecake

Nutella Cheesecake

We’ve had a really busy week here to the point that it was late last night that I realised that Valentines day was TODAY. My kitchen was still stacked full of boxes, and while I’ve managed to make a little progress, I focused today on making space to bake a chocolate cake for our Valentine’s day dinner. As it turns out, however, the oven in our new house is gas, and has no markings! I’ve never baked in a gas oven before, and this didn’t seem to be the day to start experimenting!Nutella Cheesecake

Fortunately I had Saturday Kitchen on while I was unpacking and sorting, and Nigella Lawson came on and made her Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake, which looked simple and delicious. Below is an adaptation on her recipe. The basic recipe is the same, but I’ve Thermified it. This recipe, however, you’ll be able to make any even the most basic of food processors.

In Nigella’s recipe (If you read this, Nigella, I hope you don’t mind the first name basis!) she tops it with crushed hazelnuts, but I’ve topped it with cocoa powder, then decided that wasn’t striking enough, so sprinkled icing sugar over it. The icing sugar absorbs into the cake quite quickly though, so only dust with icing sugar when you’re ready to serve. The cocoa doesn’t absorb as easily. I think it would be lovely with fresh raspberries and strawberries in the summer too – or maybe some orange if you like the chocolate and orange combination.DSCN0761

This is absolutely delicious and it’s terribly rich, so a little goes a long way.

And lastly, before I get to the recipe, there is probably a much healthier way of doing this – by making your own hazelnut and chocolate sauce using this recipe here. But we’ve just moved house, and I was looking for a quick fix and I don’t feel (too) sorry.

Hazelnut Chocolate Cheesecake
 
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A rich and delicious desert, perfect for a special occasion, great when you're short of time and even better if made in advance.
Author:
Recipe type: Desert
Serves: 10
Ingredients
  • 250g digestive biscuits (substitute for egg free alternatives)
  • 75g soft butter
  • 400g Nutella
  • 500g cream cheese (at room temperature)
  • 60g icing sugar
Instructions
  1. Remove cream cheese from the fridge and bring to room temperature.
  2. Meanwhile, add digestive biscuits, butter and 40g Nutella to the food processor and mix till it resembles wet sand. (30 seconds speed 5)
  3. Sprinkle over the base of a cake tray, and press down so that it creates a firm and solid base for your cheesecake.
  4. Put it in the fridge - Nigella says overnight, but an hour works fine.
  5. When the base is ready, add the cream cheese, Nutella and icing sugar and mix (with the butterfly) (speed 2, 30 seconds)
  6. Pour over the base,smooth the top and put in the fridge till you're ready to serve.
  7. I use a springform tin, gliding a knife around the edges to loosen first, then releasing and serving on the base.
  8. Once released, decorate the top and serve.
Notes
I think a little Frangelico liquer would be amazing with this, as would orange essence or even rum essence. For a 'prettier' presentation, try making it in individual ramekins.