Desserts – Page 2 – Bit of the Good Stuff

This year we had a bumper crop of fruit on our apple tree. Thanks to the late September sunshine, within the space of two weeks the apples transformed from green and small to red and huge! We must have picked at least a hundred apples so far. And with this amazing bounty, we’ve been able to indulge in lots of delicious apple treats.

For this month’s Suma entry, I thought I’d share one of our all-time favourite Autumnal desserts – Apple Crumble ♥ I’ve lost count of the number of crumbles I’ve made this past month, but it could be getting on for ten!

As well as oats and wholegrain flour, I love to add some pecans and almonds into the crumble, which gives it a delicious crunch. Traditionally, this dessert has a fair amount of cane sugar and dairy butter in it. However, instead of cane sugar, I prefer to use coconut sugar and maple syrup as they add a delicious, caramel-like sweetness and beautiful golden hue to the crumble.

Instead of dairy butter, I use coconut butter (the aroma-free kind) or a non dairy spread. Through Suma, I discovered the Tiana Organic Coconut Cooking Butter and I’m loving it! It’s really versatile and you can use it for all kinds of cooking and baking. I made some scrumptious pasties with it last week. Unfortunately they were devoured before I could take any pics, so I’ll re-create them soon and post the recipe.

BTW, those lidded Pyrex glass dishes are really handy for cooking, storing and transporting the crumbles. I took a couple with me to Essex recently to share with our relatives. Stored in a thermal bag, six hours after I’d baked them they were still warm!

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This healthy twist on the classic Apple Crumble is packed with delicious flavours and crunchy texture. We love to serve it in colourful ramekins, either on its own or with a drizzle of non dairy cream, yogurt or custard. It’s delicious eaten warm or cold. Lil’ L and I actually prefer it cold as the topping firms up in the fridge for extra crunchiness!

Serves 6
Hands on time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes
Ready in: 45 minutes

Ingredients
1 kg / 35 oz cooking apples (e.g. Bramleys), peeled, cored and sliced (about 7 medium apples)
1 tsp ground cinnamon
60g / 2 oz / 1/3 cup sultanas
3 TBSP fruit juice (or water)
3 TBSP maple syrup (or agave syrup)

Crumble Topping:
100g / 3½ oz / ¾ cup fine wholemeal (whole wheat) or chapatti flour (use a GF flour mix, if needed)
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
60g / 2 oz / 4 TBSP aroma-free coconut butter (e.g. Tiana) or non dairy spread (e.g. Pure)
75g / 2½ oz / ¾ cup rolled oats (use certified GF oats, if needed)
4 TBSP coconut sugar (or unrefined caster sugar)
2 TBSP maple syrup (or agave syrup)
30g / 1 oz / ¼ cup pecans, chopped
40g / 1½ oz / ¼ cup almonds, chopped

Method
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F / Gas 4.

Place the sliced apples, cinnamon, sultanas, juice and syrup in a large saucepan. Partially cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes until the apples are soft and fluffy. Taste test and add more sweetener, if needed.

Meanwhile, prepare the topping: Place the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and coconut butter in a food processor and pulse until the butter is fully incorporated. Tip into a bowl and stir in the oats, sugar, syrup and nuts.
Spoon the apples into a 1.5 litre / 1½ quart ovenproof dish. Sprinkle the crumble on top. Bake for 20 minutes or so, until the topping is golden.

Stored in an airtight container, it will last up to a week in the fridge, or for weeks in the freezer.

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Products used in this recipe (UK stockists)
Pyrex Rectangular Lidded Dish, available from Amazon (currently discounted to £3.50)
Magimix Food Processor
Tiana Coconut Cooking Butter, available from Suma, health food shops and online
Biona Organic Coconut Sugar, available from Suma, health food shops and online
Suma Organic Sultanas, available direct from Suma, via Amazon, and independent health food shops (love that they come in recyclable packaging!)
Clarks Original Maple Syrup, available from Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons

What’s your favourite fruit crumble? For me, it’s a close call between apple and plum 🙂

Have you made any crumbles this Autumn/Fall? If you’ve posted any recipes, please do share below xx

We’ve had a glorious summer here in the UK ♥

This week, there’s been a change in the air. It’s cooling off, the rain’s returned and the evenings are drawing in.

But before we officially say goodbye to summer, I’m going to enjoy one last weekend of summer dishes, rounded off with a slice or two of this sunshine-filled Pina Colada ‘Cheesecake’. Cheesecake was my favourite childhood dessert, but I love this dairy-free version even more!

In this version, the dairy’s been replaced with delicious pineapple and coconut-flavoured cashew cream, gently sweetened with maple syrup. Instead of a biscuit base, we use crushed almonds and pecans for crunch, and dates for sweetness. The cake is then dressed with a layer of crushed pineapple and finished with a sprinkling of coconut flakes.

While cheesecakes aren’t usually considered to be a healthy option, this version is packed with goodness, including lots of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants and heart-healthy fats. Like regular cheesecake, it is pretty calorie-intensive, but you’ll find that even the thinnest of slices will leave you feel satiated. Once the cake has firmed up, I slice it then pop it back in the freezer. That way, we can pull out a slice whenever we fancy one.

This recipe first appeared in Issue 3 of the fab e-magazine Fresh Vegan. One of my lovely readers has already made the cheesecake and I was thrilled to hear how much her family enjoyed it. It’s one of my family’s all-time favourite desserts and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do ♥

Note: Recipe updated 9th July 2017 – this is the new and improved version that features in the Bit of the Good Stuff cookbook.

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This dessert is bursting with the colours and flavours of my two favourite summer ingredients. If I can’t be sitting on a Caribbean beach sipping Pina Coladas, then tucking into a slice of this scrumptious dessert is definitely the next best thing. It’s incredibly easy to make. You simply need to blend and freeze. No baking required!

Serves: 12
Hands on time: 30 minutes Ready in: 3 hours

Ingredients

Crust
115g / ¾ cup almonds or pecans (or use a mix of the two)
50g / ½ cup desiccated coconut
170g / 1 cup soft, sticky dates (e.g. Medjool), pitted
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Filling & topping
280g / 2 cups raw cashews
340g / 2 cups fresh sweet pineapple, cubed
80ml / ¼ cup maple syrup
6 drops rum essence, or to taste (or substitute with 1 tsp vanilla extract)
100g / ½ cup virgin coconut oil, melted
4-5 TBSP coconut chips

Method

1 Soften the cashews by soaking them in freshly boiled water for 30 minutes, then rinse and drain.

2 Grease the sides of a 18-20cm (7-8 inch) loose-bottomed tin with coconut oil and line the bottom with non-stick baking paper.

3 Place the almonds/pecans in a food processor and blitz into crumbs. Add the remaining crust ingredients and whiz to combine. Test the crumbs by pressing a small amount between your thumb and finger. If they stick together, they’re ready. Tip them into the prepared tin and press down firmly.

4 Pulse the pineapple in the food processor to crush it. Place in a sieve over a bowl and use the back of a spoon to press out as much juice from the pineapple as possible.

5 Place the cashews in the food processor and blitz into crumbs. Add the syrup, rum essence and 120ml / ½ cup pineapple juice from the drained pineapple. (If you don’t have sufficient juice, top it up with water). Process for a few minutes until the cashews are ground into a creamy mixture, pausing now and then to scrape down the bowl. Add the melted coconut oil and continue processing until the mixture is completely smooth. Taste test for smoothness and sweetness. Add a touch more syrup, if desired.

6 Stir half of the crushed pineapple into the creamy cashew mixture.

7 Spoon the filling onto the crust and use a knife to smooth the top. Place in the freezer for about 2 hours, until it has firmed up. When ready to serve, top with the remaining crushed pineapple and a sprinkling of coconut chips.

8 Stored in an airtight container, this dessert will keep for a couple of days in the refrigerator or for two months in the freezer. If frozen, allow 30 minutes to an hour to thaw before serving.

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Do you have anything special planned for this last weekend of August? I’ve got lots of jobs to tackle this weekend… like my jungle of a garden & school uniform buying (as usual I’ve left the latter to the last minute!) Once the jobs are out the way, I’m looking forward to heading out on my bike in the beautiful English countryside.

Whatever you’re up to, have a great weekend everyone! xx

Category: Desserts

Crunchy Nut Apple Crumble (Vegan / Dairy-free) for Suma Blogger’s Network

Pina Colada ‘Cheesecake’ (Dairy-free / Gluten-free / Vegan)