* This post was originally posted in July 2016. The page was updated in August 2019.
In the hot summer months, nothing beats a cooling bowl of ice cream smoothie for breakfast. It might sound a bit indulgent to eat ice cream for breakfast, however this is no ordinary dairy and sugar-laden ice cream. The base is a blend of frozen banana and plant milk that magically transforms into the creamiest, smoothest soft serve. This is one ice cream that you can indulge in to your heart’s content!
As well as a great warm weather breakfast option, this ice cream smoothie bowl also makes a delicious post-school and exercise snack.
Today I’m sharing a recipe for a delicious chocolate treat that would be perfect for sharing in the upcoming festive season.
Say hello to the Giant Chocolate Biscoff Butter Cup…
This mix of melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate and biscoff cookies in butter form is a match made in heaven. Whether you’re vegan yourself, or looking for a chocolatey gift for a vegan/dairy-free loved one, these cups are bound to impress. And the fact that you made them yourself is sure to win you extra brownie points.
It was my blogging friend Aimee Ryan’s 2014 publication that got me hooked on coconut milk ice cream. I’ve always been a big lover of ice cream, but the shop-bought varieties paled into insignificance once I’d had my first taste of home-made coconut milk ice cream.
If you’ve experienced itself, you’ll know just how delicious it is. The texture is silky smooth and creamy. The coconut flavour is so subtle that the ice cream can be flavoured a myriad of ways. Aimee’s recipe book has over 50 to choose from, including fruity, nutty, spicy, boozy, floral and dessert-inspired flavours. And, in addition to being vegan (and gluten-free), her ice cream recipes also happen to be cane-sugar free too. For this, my tummy is very thankful.
Coconut milk ice cream is simple to prepare and only requires a few minutes of ‘hands-on’ time. Once the ingredients have been heated, combined then chilled, it’s over to the ice cream maker to do the hard work.
Today I’m sharing my “go-to” recipe for chocolate cupcakes. This recipe has never left me down. My oven can be really temperamental when it comes to cake baking, but these cupcakes always turn out perfectly. They’re light, fluffy and deliciously moist.
I’ve made them numerous times for fundraisers and they always sell in a flash. None of the children at our local school are vegan, but they choose these cupcakes simply because they love them. It also makes me happy to know that the children with dairy allergies are able to join in. I often spot their mums making a beeline for me as I step through the school gate with my cake tin.
Next Friday is the annual Macmillan coffee morning here in the UK, which has now gained the status of the World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. Last year, the event raised a wopping £25 million for people affected by cancer.
For this month’s Suma Blogger’s Network entry, I though I’d share one of my latest treat obsessions – Vegan Florentines ♥
I’ve been dreaming about Florentines ever since I saw them on display in the patisserie shops of Venice and Florence a few years ago. I’d never seen anything quite like them before. They looked so dainty yet totally decadent with their dark chocolate bottoms! I was pretty sure that they’d be full of dairy and off limits to me, but I was excited about the thought of creating a vegan version one day.
This week I finally got round to a little Florentine experimentation in the kitchen.
After a quick internet search, I discovered that Florentines are typically made with cane sugar, honey, butter, candied cherries, candied citrus peel and almonds. Since I’m not a fan of the first 4 ingredients, and I know a lot of my readers aren’t keen on candied peel, I ended up subbing 5 of the 6 ingredients. The almonds stayed 😉
The cane sugar and honey was swapped for coconut sugar and maple syrup, which gave the Florentines a wonderful golden hue and caramel-like sweetness. Instead of candied cherries and citrus peel, I used dried cranberries and orange zest. This gave the Florentines a fresh, citrussy flavour which I absolutely loved. The butter was exchanged for non dairy spread or organic aroma-free coconut butter.
I’ve done 6 trials so far this week, playing around with different ingredient ratios and combos. All have tasted delicious, but I was striving to bake a Florentine that was super thin with the traditional ‘lacey’ texture on the underside. By the 4th trial, I’d cracked it.
Once cooled, I then added the classic Florentine wavy chocolate bottom.
These Florentines are my new treat obsession. I absolutely love their texture – crisp on the outside, chewy in the centre with a melt-in-your-mouth chocolate bottom. Plus the flavour combination is so lush. The citrus zest gives them a wonderful lift while the dark chocolate makes them feel decadent.
Another great thing about this biscuit is that each one only contains 1 tsp of mixture which, in my eyes, makes it totally acceptable to go back for a second or third 🙂
‘M’ and Lil’ L seem to love them as much as me. I’ve made 72 so far this week, and there are very few left in the biscuit tin! I also took along a sample to my Tuesday night study class and they were a big hit!
Recipe Card
Cranberry, Orange and Dark Chocolate Florentines (Dairy-free | Vegan)
These Vegan Florentines are crisp on the outside, chewy in the centre, and finished with a smooth layer of dark chocolate. The zesty citrus and rich chocolate make them feel extra special.For the best results, I recommend weighing the ingredients. The shape and signature ‘laciness’ can vary depending on the size of the fruit and nut pieces, and the type of flour or fat used – but whatever their form, they’re always delicious!
30g3 TBSP coconut sugar or golden caster (unrefined cane) sugar
30g/ 2 TBSP maple syrup
18g2 TBSP fine wholemeal (whole wheat pastry) flour, chapatti flour or gluten-free flour mix
30g/ 3 TBSP dried cranberriesfinely chopped
zest of 1 unwaxed / organic orange
100g/ 3½ oz dark chocolate (or substitute with dark choc chips)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.
Crush the almonds between your fingers to break them up.
In a small pan, gently heat the dairy-free spread / butter. Once it has melted, whisk in the sugar and syrup. Remove from the heat and whisk in the flour. Stir in the almonds, cranberries and zest. You want to get the mixture as uniform as possible so that the Florentines spread evenly as they bake.
Drop six rounded teaspoons of mixture onto one baking sheet. Be sure to space them out to give them plenty of room to spread. Add another six teaspoons to the second baking sheet. Using damp fingers, press down on the Florentines to flatten slightly and shape into circles.
Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 8 minutes, or until the edges of the Florentines have browned. Leave to cool. (They will be very soft when they come out the oven, but they firm up as they cool).
Place the chocolate pieces in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (make sure the water doesn’t touch the bowl). When the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat. If the chocolate is very runny, stir until it thickens slightly. Using a knife, coat the bottom of each Florentine. Before the chocolate sets, wiggle a fork across it to form a wavy pattern.
Chill the Florentines until fully set, then transfer to an airtight container. Stored in the refrigerator, these Florentines will keep for at least a couple of weeks. They also freeze really well.
If you make these Vegan Florentines, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media – I’d love to see them! You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.