Today I’m delighted to be sharing the recipe for one of my favourite childhood treats – Old Fashioned English Bread Pudding. Its name certainly doesn’t do it justice though, as it tastes nothing like bread nor would I describe it as a pudding! Instead, it is more like a sweet, dense fruit cake. It is delicious served with a hot cuppa, and also makes a fantastic energy-boosting snack to stash in your backpacks for hikes and bike rides. I think this year, all of us have been spending a lot more time outdoors and we definitely need some tasty snacks to keep us fuelled and put a spring in our step. This bread pudding definitely fits that bill!
As many of you will know, I am a big fan of home-made energy balls. Not only are they delicious, but they also happen to be packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients such as oats, dates and nuts that help to boost our energy levels, and support good health in general. Each ball is filled with protein, heart-healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre, plus a whole host of minerals and antioxidant compounds. It’s amazing just how much goodness fits inside one little ball!
Healthy AND delicious? That’s definitely my favourite kind of snack!
* This recipe was originally posted in March 2015. The page was updated in October 2019.
Have you ever tried making your own energy balls? It’s so easy! You simply throw all the ingredients in a food processor, whizz for a few seconds then shape the mixture into balls. It couldn’t easier!
What I especially love about these balls is that they taste decadent, yet they’re packed full of nutrient-rich ingredients that are not only going to increase our energy levels, but also boost our health in general. Each ball is filled with protein, heart-healthy fats, complex carbs, fibre, plus a whole host of minerals and antioxidant compounds. It’s amazing just how much goodness you can fit into one little ball!
* 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’d like to share another of my family’s favourite granola recipes. Filled with hazelnuts, pecans, cranberries and chocolatey goodness, this granola is perfect for this season.
My garden is bordered by cob nut trees, and this year they produced the most amazing crop. I made a deal with the squirrels whereby I would collect nuts from the low hanging branches, and they could have the rest. They then got to work, burying nuts all over my lawn and flower beds, and in my plant pots. Invariably they forget where they’ve buried them and we end up with nut trees growing literally everywhere!
Once they’ve matured, cob nuts are very similar in taste and texture to hazelnuts, so I put them to good use in recipes, like this granola!
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, Lil’ L loves home-made granola, especially when it’s formed into clusters. It’s so easy to make. You simple press down the mixture as if you’re making a thin granola bar then, once completely cooled, you break it into clusters.
As well as oats, I Iove to add buckwheat into the granola which adds some lovely crunch as well as more great nutrients. The name ‘buckwheat’ is pretty misleading as it’s actually a fruit seed and doesn’t contain any wheat at all! It is a good source of protein, dietary fibre, antioxidant phytonutrients, B vitamins and minerals. In the UK, buckwheat is currently available in some of the larger supermarkets (Tesco, Waitrose, Ocado), health food stores and online.
Our favourite sweetener for granola is maple syrup. This adds a delicious caramel-like sweetness, rather than a ‘sugary’ flavour. I use Clarks Original Maple Syrup, which is a blend of maple and carob syrups. It’s widely available in the UK, and a fair bit cheaper than pure maple syrup. I really like its flavour and consistency, which is slightly thicker than the pure grade syrup.
These granola clusters make wonderful breakfasts, snacks and desserts. For breakfast, we like to serve them with plant milk or non-dairy yogurt. For an omega-3 boost, I often add a light sprinkling of ground linseed and finely chopped walnuts before serving. I also sprinkle in a few extra cranberries to brighten up the bowl.
Layered with yogurt and fresh or frozen fruits, the clusters also make a delicious dessert or after-school snack. They look really fancy yet take literally seconds to throw together!
Chocolate Granola Clusters with Hazelnuts, Pecans and Dried Cranberries
These granola clusters make a wonderful breakfast, snack or dessert. For a fancy treat, layer up the granola with yogurt and fruits to make a parfait. Despite taking only seconds to prepare, it looks really beautiful and is bound to impress family and friends!
100g/ ½ cup raw buckwheat(or you can substitute with more oats)
30g/ 4 TBSP cocoa powder
30g/ 3 TBSP coconut sugar or unrefined caster sugar
¼tspsalt
75g/ ½ cup hazelnutsroughly chopped
65g/ ½ cup pecansroughly chopped
70g/ ½ cup dried cranberries(preferably sweetened with fruit juice)
150ml/ ½ cup maple syrup*
2tspvanilla extract
45g/ 3 TBSP virgin coconut oilmelted
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 150C (130C fan) / 300F. Line a large baking tray (38 x 26cm / 15 x 10 inches) with non-stick baking paper. If your coconut oil is solid, place in the oven in a heat-proof bowl for a couple of minutes until it has liquefied. Be careful when removing the bowl as it will be very hot!
In a large mixing bowl, stir together the oats, buckwheat, cocoa powder, sugar and salt. Stir in the nuts. You can also stir in the cranberries at this stage or, if you'd like to preserve their vibrant colour, add them to the granola once it's baked.
Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla extract, and stir until all the grains become coated and shiny. Add the coconut oil and stir until thoroughly combined. Spread the granola out evenly on the prepared baking tray. Press down firmly with a silicone spatula so that the mixture sticks together as if you were making a thin granola bar.
Bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. (The granola will firm up as it cools). Once completely cooled, break up the granola. The clusters from the centre of the tray may still feel a little soft when fresh baked but I find they firm up and become crunchy over time. Stored in an airtight container in a cool place, the granola will last for weeks.
Notes
*I use Clark’s Original Maple Syrup which is blended with carob fruit syrup. It’s much cheaper than pure maple syrup and I really like its flavour!
If you make this granola, I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media and they will find their way to me. You can also connect with me on my social media channels here:Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
