Tropical fruit cake

Tropical fruit cake

Makes one 23cm diameter round cake, serves 8-10

Ingredients:
125g wholemeal flour
100g white flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp mixed spice
200g soft brown sugar
50g desiccated coconut
435g can crushed pineapple
2 large, ripe bananas (or three small)
2 eggs (or egg substitute)
180ml oil (eg sunflower or olive)

Method:
Grease and line a round, deep cake tin of about 23cm diameter. 

Chocolate Tart (dairy-free)

Chocolate tart 

serves 10-12

Ingredients:

Base:

300g bourbon biscuits

60g spread or coconut oil, melted

Filling:

400g can thick coconut milk (or cream)

400g dark dairy-free chocolate

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

Crush the biscuits, either in a food processor or with a rolling pin after putting them in a large ziplock bag. They need to be quite well crushed. Stir in the melted fat, then press into a greased round pie dish or tart pan, around 25-28 cm in diameter. Refrigerate for an hour or two.

Trifle (dairy-free)

Trifle

Makes one biggish trifle

Ingredients:

a medium sponge cake or pack of sponge fingers
a large can of fruit in syrup (eg pineapple)
1 litre dairy-free milk substitute
4 tbsp custard powder
4 tbsp sugar
1 can thick coconut milk or cream, chilled
extra sugar, to taste
dairy-free sprinkles or glacé cherries

Method:

Line a large bowl with sponge fingers or crumbled pieces of cake. Drain the fruit, then pour enough juice over the cake to soften it. Cover with the fruit.

Chocolate sorbet

Chocolate sorbet
makes about 900ml

Ingredients:
560ml water
160g sugar
40g cocoa powder
pinch of salt
180-200g dark chocolate
1/2 tsp vanilla extract/essence

Method:
Break the chocolate into individual squares or smaller pieces, for easy melting. 

In a large pan, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, salt and about 375ml of the water. Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then allow it to boil while whisking for about 45 seconds.

Lemon Slices

Lemon Slices
Makes about 24

Ingredients:
Base:
225g dairy-free spread
150g wholemeal flour
150g plain flour
50g icing sugar

Topping:
4 medium eggs
400g white sugar
4 tbsp white flour
120ml lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Method:
Mix the base ingredients together in a bowl or food processor. It should make a dough-like ball. Press into the base of a greased or lined pan, about 32cm x 22cm and at least 3cm in depth. Use the flat of a large spoon or a spatula to ensure the mixture reaches the whole base, and flatten as much as possible. 

Chocolate fudge cake

Chocolate fudge cake
Makes one 18cm square or 20cm round cake

Ingredients

100g wholemeal flour

70g white flour

10g (2 tsp) baking powder

5g (1 tsp) bicarbonate of soda
25g cocoa powder
125g sugar
pinch of salt
75g softened butter or spread
150ml milk (dairy or otherwise)
2 eggs
1 tbsp molasses or treacle

Dairy-free chocolate cheesecake

Dairy-free chocolate cheesecake
Makes 4 portions

Ingredients
base: 
130g digestive biscuits
60g dairy-free spread

topping:
90g raw cashews, soaked for 48 hours in the fridge
20-25ml lemon juice
2 tblsp liquid coconut oil
150ml full fat coconut milk
100g dairy-free dark chocolate, melted
2 tblsp soft brown sugar

Method
Crush the biscuits with the end of a rolling pin in a bowl, or place in a strong zip-lock bag and using the rolling pin to squash them. They should be fairly finely crumbed.  Meanwhile heat the spread in the microwave or a small pan, until just melted.  Stir together with the biscuits until well mixed, then press down into four small individual greased dishes.  Put in the fridge.

Uncooked chocolate coconut 'cake'

Chocolate coconut 'cake' with raw ingredients
Serves 2

Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (or mixed with other seeds)
1/4 cup desiccated coconut
2 tblsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
6 dried dates, with stones removed
1 apple

a few strawberries and a teaspoon extra coconut to decorate

Method
Grind the seeds in a food processor or blender.  Add the coconut, cinnamon, cocoa and dates, and process briefly until mixed. Cut the apple into quarters and remove the core and stalk, but don't peel. Cut each piece in half, and add to the food processor or blender, and process until fairly homogenous.

You may need to scrape down the sides of the food processor, depending on its size.  With a large one, it may be easier to double all the quantities. However if there are still pieces of recognisable apple or date, it's not a problem.

When it's mixed well, place in a serving dish or tin, and press down firmly.  Sprinkle a little coconut on the top, and some halved strawberries, then put in the fridge for an hour or two.

This doesn't cut like a cake, but makes a fairly firm dessert.

Deep dark secret cake (dairy-free)

Deep Dark Secret Cake (with coconut cream topping)
makes up to 12 slices

Ingredients:
3 cups chopped dates (about 36 medium)
100g (1/2 cup) sugar or honey
100g (about 1 cup) walnuts, chopped finely
4 eggs
50g (1/2 cup) wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence

Middle: 
3-4 bananas
2 large oranges or 4-5 satsumas

Topping: 
435g can crushed pineapple
400g can full fat coconut milk, chilled

Method: 
Combine the first eight ingredients in a bowl, and mix together thoroughly. Spread them into a greased and lined cake tin, approximately 20x30cm. Bake for about half an hour at 180C, until the top is firm to the touch. Cool, then turn onto a wire rack.

Break half the cake into small pieces and spread out on a platter or flan dish, at least 30cm in diameter. Chop the bananas and spread over. Peel the oranges or satsumas, and place segments over the bananas, squeezing a little of the juice over them to stop them browning.

Break up the rest of the cake, and pile it on top, hiding the fruit. Top the whole with the can of pineapple, including the juice. Whip the coconut cream (see below for detail) and pile on top.  Refrigerate until needed.

Carrot cake (dairy-free topping)

Carrot cake with cashew topping
Makes 12-16 slices

Ingredients
100-150g (2 cups) grated (shredded) carrots
200g (1 cup) white sugar
200g (1 cup) soft brown sugar
120g (1 cup) white flour
120g (1 cup) wholewheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp cinnamon
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
4 eggs (or substitute)
435g can crushed pineapple, drained (about 1 cup)
100g (1 cup) raisins
60g (1 cup) crushed walnuts (optional)

Topping:
150g (1 1/2 cups) cashews, soaked overnight
60ml lemon juice
2 tblsp coconut oil, melted
2 tblsp sugar or honey
(water if needed)

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C, without using a fan if possible. Grease a deep 23cm (9 inch) springform or loose-bottomed round cake tin with butter or coconut oil. Line the base with greasefree paper if the pan is likely to stick.

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, until well combined.  Place in the pan, and cook for about 45-50 minutes until risen and firm in the middle.

Cool in the pain for at least 20 minutes, then remove carefully to a wire rack.

Flapjacks

Flapjacks
Makes 16 bars

Ingredients: 
190g butter or spread
280g soft brown sugar
4 tblsp golden syrup
370g oats

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C (or 170 fan)

Melt the spread, brown sugar and syrup in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring lightly, until the ingredients are mixed together.

Put the oats into a bowl, then pour in the contents of the pan, and mix together until well blended.

Line an ovenproof tray, 25cm x 20cm in size, with baking paper, then spoon the mixture in, pushing into the corners and smoothing the top so it's fairly even.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top is just starting to turn darker golden (or longer if you prefer them more crunchy). Remove from the oven, then leave to cool in the pan for about ten minutes. Cut into squares or rectangles in the pan, then turn out when cold.

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Chocolate Avocado Mousse

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
20g cocoa powder
40g dark chocolate (dairy-free if required)
2 tblsp soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
about 50ml nut or coconut milk

Method:
Melt the chocolate gently over a pan of hot water or in the microwave, stirring until it's just melted, then cool slightly.

Carefully cut open the avocados lengthways and remove the stones. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon and place it in a food processor or blender. Add the cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla and salt, and about half of the milk. Process until smooth. Don't be too concerned if it looks rather a vile colour at this stage.

Now use a metal spoon to fold the chocolate gently into the avocado mixture, with a little more milk if it feels a bit too stiff. When it's well combined, place in a suitable sized bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour or two.

We find that it goes very well with seasonal fruit such as strawberries or sliced peaches.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

With a dairy-free husband and son, I have been trying various dairy-free mousse recipes. And I came across a recipe for chocolate avocado mousse on the Chocolate Covered Katie blog and elsewhere. I have to admit that it didn't really appeal, but then avocados were in season, on sale ridiculously cheap, squashy enough that they had to be used within a few days.

So I tried it. Comments on a different recipe for this, using only cocoa powder, said that it was a bit dry and too strongly cocoa-flavoured. So the first time I used only dark chocolate - twice as much as in this recipe - and it was good, but a bit too sweet.

I don't use agave syrup so I substituted soft brown sugar and used a bit more nut milk. Doubtless very high fat, too. The picture shows the colour before I folded in the chocolate... and it's worse if, as above, you use cocoa powder in the first part as well.

The second time I made this, I used honey, as we're not vegans, and slightly less milk. I also tried using cocoa powder AND dark chocolate, as in the recipe above. And doubled the quantities, as there were five of us. We made it stretch over two meals. We thought it worked very well, particularly served with fresh strawberries.

My favourite home-made dairy-free milk for cooking is cashew milk, but this could be equally good with almond milk or coconut milk. Canned coconut milk would add some extra creaminess if you like a faint coconut flavour in chocolate desserts. If you're not vegan, you could probably use regular milk.

The great thing about this kind of recipe is that you can adapt it to your tastes. Avocados come in different sizes, so if, when you taste it, it's not chocolatey enough, just add a bit more cocoa powder. If it's too thick, add some more milk. If it's not sweet enough, add a little extra sugar.  If you don't like the appearance in a dish, drizzle over some melted chocolate, or scatter chocolate chips, or desiccated coconut, or slice strawberries.

And it's fun to challenge your guests to guess what the ingredients are...

Chocolate chip cookie cake

Makes one 18cm (7 inch) cake

Ingredients:
250g cooked chickpeas
150g soft brown sugar
50g oats
2 tblsp apple sauce OR aquafaba
1.5 tblsp olive oil OR coconut oil
1 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp vanilla extract
0.25 tsp salt
0.25 tsp bicarbonate of soda

85g dairy-free dark chocolate chips

2 tsp cocoa powder and water to mix (optional)

Method:
Drain the chickpeas, whether home-cooked or canned, reserving the cooking water (also known as aquafaba) if you plan to use it in this recipe or elsewhere.

Put the chickpeas in a food processor and set to high speed for about thirty seconds, until the consistency is approximately that of hummus. You can use a stick blender to puree them more at this stage, if you wish, adding the apple sauce or aquafaba to make it slightly less dry.

Add all the other ingredients except the chocolate chips to the food processor, and use a low or medium speed to blend them well together.

Stir in the chocolate chips, then place in an 18cm (7 inch) greased and/or lined cake tin, preferably one with a loose base. If you want a more chocolatey centre section, put about three-quarters of the mixture in the tin, pushing it to the edges. Then mix cocoa powder in a small bowl with a little cold water, until it forms a slightly runny paste, and stir that into the remaining mixture. Place it in the middle of the tin, then smooth the top so it's even.

Cook for about 25-30 minutes at 180C until the top is firm but still pliable. Leave to cool in the tin.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I had never heard of a chocolate chip cookie cake (or, indeed pie), although apparently they're well-known in the US. Traditional ones, it seems, have a pastry crust, and contain flour, butter and eggs rather than chickpeas, oil and apple sauce. They are highly calorific, and not suitable for vegans, nor for those who are gluten-free or dairy-free.

I first came across the wheat-free vegan variation, called 'deep dish cookie pie' on the 'chocolate covered Katie' blog. It sounded wonderful, but also huge. I didn't have a 10-inch (25cm) deep cake tin, either. So I did a rough calculation and decided that my convenient 18cm pan would be about right for half the quantity. That's the amount given, converted from cups to metric weights, above.

My first attempt didn't look much like the mouth-watering photos on Katie's blog, but it tasted very good. And was even better on the second day. To our way of thinking it was more a cake than a pie; pies, by my definition, contain some form of pastry. But that's merely semantics.

So I decided to try making the full recipe (ie double my version) for my second attempt, dividing it between two 18cm pans, to share with some friends. Since I’d soaked and cooked some chickpeas the day before, I decided to use aquafaba rather than apple sauce, as I didn’t want to have to cook an apple on a hot day to produce just a couple of tablespoons of apple sauce. It worked perfectly.

My food processor is fairly basic and it was difficult to get the chickpeas to a puree. The first time I used my stick blender as well, as suggested above, but the second time I didn't bother as it made a lot of extra mess.

It was fine from my perspective, and for those of us who like chickpeas; we couldn't taste them, but there was a hint of chickpea texture here and there. Those who don't like chickpeas may find that disturbing and prefer them more thoroughly blended.

I started wondering about adding cocoa powder to one of them, then decided to make a smaller chocolate section in the centre of each.  I weighed about 400g of the mixture into each of the tins, smoothing it out and hollowing the centre slightly, then I mixed cocoa powder with water to form a paste, and stirred that into the rest.

It didn't look particularly pretty, but it worked well. It still doesn't look like the recipe I've adapted, but the taste is still amazingly good, with a fudgy texture ... and we think it's even better when it's been refrigerated overnight.

Important note: if you're vegan or strictly dairy-free, you will need to check the ingredients in the chocolate chips to ensure that you can eat them. Many dark chocolate chips are free of dairy products, but some of them contain traces of milk. If you are coeliac, check the baking powder too, as some brands can contain small amounts of gluten. 

Microwave chocolate cake in a mug

Serves 1-2

Ingredients:
4 tblsp flour (plain or part wholewheat)
4 tblsp sugar
1 tblsp cocoa powder
3 tblsp milk (any kind - we use almond or coconut)
3 tblsp oil (any kind - we use olive)
3 tblsp dark chocolate chips
few drops vanilla essence or extract

Method:
Use a 15ml measuring tablespoon, with each ingredient flat rather than heaped.

Place the dry ingredients in a mug, which should be a good sized one, holding about 240-250mls (a little over an American cup). Stir in the oil and milk carefully, then gently mix in the chocolate chips and the vanilla essence.

Put the mug in the microwave, and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts, or four minutes at 700 watts.

This doesn't rise much, but it should have grown a little. It will be very hot. You can wait till it cools down a little and eat it directly from the mug, if you don't want to serve it in a bowl (or two) but BEWARE of the molten chocolate chips.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The first time we tried this recipe, we were rather cynical. What, we wondered, would make it rise? Wouldn't it just be a solid lump, kind of like clay, with these ingredients?

I wondered if I had made a mistake when jotting down the recipe, but then we realised that if it was a disaster, we hadn't lost much. My son followed the recipe exactly - using levelled tablespoon measures. And it came out perfectly.

Yes, these are all the ingredients necessary. No baking powder, no baking soda, no egg. I've found variations of this online which do use egg, or self-raising flour, but they all give warnings about the cake rising higher than the top of the mug. That sounds messy. The version we made rose perhaps a centimetre (we have NO idea how) and was of a delicious fudge cake consistency. We made two of them (one at a time) and shared them between three of us, with some leftover raspberry sauce.

Unbelievably delicious.

A week or so later I decided to try it myself.

So I started putting everything in the cup in order, wondering how on earth it would mix itself in the microwave. I then realised I should have mixed the milk and oil before adding the chocolate chips and vanilla.

Oops.




So I did what I could to mix it all together in rather a limited space,
using a large teaspoon.

It looked like this - and despite our previous experience, I felt dubious as to whether it would work.

Happily, all was well - and this final photo shows that it did indeed rise slightly and gave a good consistency.

This is not as good as real home-made cake, but if you have a desperate urge for chocolate cake and don't want to wait half an hour or more (quite apart from messy mixing bowls) this is ideal.

Note that the chocolate chips are very important - if you don't have any, small chopped up pieces of chocolate may work as an alternative. Don't be tempted to leave them out; they are what give this cake-in-a-mug its fudgy, gooey consistency. You can, however, use orange or peppermint essence rather than vanilla if you prefer a different kind of flavour.

Please remember that the cake - and particularly the chocolate chips - are VERY hot when they come out of the microwave. This is why we prefer to spoon it into a couple of plates to share, as shown at the top.

I don't think this can be made gluten-free, but if you use vegan chocolate chips, and almond or coconut milk, it's certainly dairy-free and vegetarian/vegan. If you serve it with fruit (fresh or lightly stewed) and use part wholemeal flour, it almost becomes a health food...

Mincemeat cake

Mincemeat cake
Makes about 16 pieces

Ingredients:
90g wholemeal flour (US: 3 ounces, or 3/4 cup)
90g white flour (US: 3 ounces, or 3/4 cup)
1 tsp baking powder
60g butter or spread (US: 2 ounces)
90g soft brown sugar (US: 3 ounces, or 1/2 cup)
90g regular sugar (US: 3 ounces, or a little over 1/2 cup)
1 egg
4-6 tblsp mincemeat

Method:
Heat oven to 160C (320F). Grease and line a fairly deep 20cm [8 inches] round, or 18cm [7 inches] square deep cake tin.

Cream the fat and sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixter until light, then beat in the egg, and fold in the rest of the ingredients. Add a little milk, almond milk or coconut milk if necessary to give a soft consistency, then put in the pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 30-40 minutes. Cool for ten minutes or so before turning out onto a wire rack, and cut into wedges or squares while still warm.


- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This recipe - or one approximating to it - is sometimes known as 'mincemeat brownies', but I find that rather misleading. Brownies, in my view, contain chocolate. However, this is a soft and very pleasant cake with a slighty fudgy consistency, ideal for using up leftover mincemeat after Christmas.

You can use all white flour, and all white sugar, but we prefer at least half wholemeal flour and brown sugar. If you prefer all wholemeal flour, that would produce a denser cake but it would probably still work just fine. If you have access to good quality self-raising flour, either white or wholemeal, you could use that and omit the baking powder.

If your mincemeat uses veggie suet (or no suet at all) then this cake would be suitable for vegetarians. If you use spread rather than butter and non-dairy milk, then it would be dairy-free. 

Apple Bundt Cake

Apple bundt cake

Makes 1 cake to serve 10-12

Ingredients:
3 medium apples
2 tblsp soft brown sugar
1-2 tsp cinnamon

375g plain or part wholewheat flour (US: 3 cups)
3 tsp baking powder
400g sugar (US: 2 cups)
250ml olive oil (US: 1 cup)
1 tsp vanilla extract
166ml orange juice (US: 2/3 cup)

Method:
Heat the oven to 175C (350F). Grease and flour a ring or bundt pan with about 25cm (10 inch) diameter.

Peel, core and chop the apples into thin slices, then place in a bowl with the soft brown sugar and cinnamon. Leave for flavours to blend.

Meanwhile, in another (large) bowl, beat the eggs and sugar with an electric whisk. Slowly beat in the oil, vanilla extract and orange juice. When blended, fold in the flour and baking powder carefully using a metal spoon.

Pour about half of the batter into the prepared ring tin, then place the apples on top to cover. Top with the rest of the batter.

Bake for about an hour, then cool for a while in the tin before turning out carefully onto a wire rack. 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

A bundt cake is technically baked in a ring mould with sloping sides. It's not something in our culture - but just over a year ago we re-watched the DVD of 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' with some friends, and started discussing bundt cakes afterwards. We had a loose-bottomed ring cake tin, about 25cm across, so a couple of days later I hunted around online and found various recipes.

The one that looked simplest - and which used apples, of which I had several - was for a Dutch apple bundt. I decided that I did not need as much sugar as listed to sprinkle on my apples and that soft brown sugar would be much nicer than regular white sugar. I reduced the cinnamon, since to our British tastebuds many American recipes have too much of this spice, and I also reduced the vanilla extract since most cakes use just one teaspoon.

The original recipe called for 'all purpose' flour, but I always like to use at least half wholewheat flour. It might be possible to use entirely wholewheat. Freshly squeezed orange juice is of course the best kind, but in the UK many people buy orange juice in packets, and since it just provides necessary liquid and a little flavour, any kind could probably be used. Or even apple juice, for those who want to avoid citrus products.

I found the most difficult part of this recipe was turning the cake out, as it stuck to the inside of the ring despite the greasing and flouring. It felt quite fragile so I was worried that it might break, but it was fine. We ate it with our friends, who provided a little spray of flowers as a nod to the film!

Toffee (caramel) ice cream

Toffee ice cream
makes about a litre of ice cream

Ingredients:
one large can of sweetened condensed milk, unopened - about 400g (US: 14oz)
[OR one large can of dulce de leche, similar size]
50g soft brown sugar (US: 1/4 cup)
400ml milk (US: 1 3/4 cups)
250g whipping cream (US: 1/2 lb)

Note: you need an ice cream maker for this recipe

Method:
Place the can of condensed milk on its side in a pan of water, which should cover the can completely. Bring to the boil, gently, then cover and simmer for about three hours. Check from time to time to ensure that the water level still covers the can, and top up with more boiling water as needed. Do NOT let this boil dry!

Turn off the heat, and leave the condensed milk in the water until it has cooled to room temperature. Inside, the milk will have turned into soft toffee, otherwise called dulce de leche.

(If you are in a hurry you can use a can of pre-prepared dulce de leche instead, and omit the boiling stage).

Several hours before you want to make the ice cream, open the can, and scoop the dulce de leche (soft toffee) into a saucepan. Add the soft brown sugar, and about 200ml milk. Stir gently with a balloon whisk, while heating gently on the stove. Stir constantly until the soft brown sugar has dissolved, and the toffee has softened and blended with the milk.

Add the remaining cold milk, stir well, and transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cool for about half an hour, then place in the fridge for at least three hours (or overnight).

When the mixture is well chilled, take another mixing bowl, and whip the cream until it stands in stiff peaks. Pour it all into the toffee mixture in the other bowl, and fold in very gently with just a few strokes. Don't worry about blending it completely - that will happen in the churning stage.

Carefully transfer the mixture to the ice cream churn. Switch on, and churn until the sound changes, or the mixture becomes too thick to churn (about 20-30 minutes). Place in a freezer-proof container, and freeze until needed.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

We came across this recipe many years ago, when - as a joke - my father asked if I could make toffee ice cream. I searched online and found a recipe similar to this, which seemed fairly simple. I tried it, and we thought it excellent. Unfortunately I can no longer find that page - most of the online recipes for toffee (or caramel, as they call it in the USA) ice cream includes several egg yolks.

I usually buy and simmer about three cans of condensed milk together, then keep them in the cupboard for this or other recipes involving dulce de leche. Note that it must be the thick, sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk (which is unsweetened, and much thinner). We buy a brand of condensed milk called 'Nounou'. Please, please be very careful with the simmering stage. We have never had a problem using a low heat and gentle simmer, but if the water boiled dry, or if you boiled too rapidly, it could potentially explode.

This ice cream is much more compllicated than most of my ice cream recipes, which require little more than whipping a can of evaporated milk and adding some sugar and other optional ingredients before churning. But we feel it's well worthwhile for special occasions. The taste is quite amazing.

Simple fruit smoothies

Serves: 2-3

Several pieces of fruit, such as peaches, strawberries, apricots, etc (2-3 types), fresh or frozen
About 250ml pure fruit juice, either fresh or from a packet or concentrate
A few ice cubes

Method:
Put the juice in a blender (liquidiser), then the ice cubes and any frozen fruit. Wash the fruit, remove any stones or stems, and chop into smallish pieces, then add to the blender. Switch on for about 30 seconds, until the mixture is smooth and well-mixed. Add extra juice if it's too thick and blend for a few seconds more. Refrigerate until needed. Serve in tall glasses, with extra ice and straws if liked.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

What can be better for a hot summer's day than a cold fruit smoothie? A year ago I tried looking for recipes online, but the majority of them contained either milk, or yogurt, or bananas. My teenage son gets 'glue ear' if he has any dairy products, and soya milk just doesn't taste right in a fruit drink. And he loathes bananas. Finally I was given a wonderful book - The Big Book of Juices and Smoothies - and learned that a recipe isn't really needed. You just choose fruit that you happen to have - even if it's getting a bit squashy - and add it to juice and ice. No sugar, no diary products, no additives.... just pure fruit goodness.

We particularly like smoothies made with peaches and strawberries, and freshly squeezed orange juice. When strawberries are in season, I buy a lot and open freeze them, so I can add a handful straight from the freezer to a smoothie. Four peaches and about eight strawberries gives an excellent blend.

Apricots and raspberries are a good mixture, too, in either orange juice or apple juice. Raspberries, too, can be frozen. And, of course, if you can't get any fresh fruit and don't have any in the freezer, you can always use canned fruit (in pure juice of course, not syrup) although it doesn't have the health benefits of fresh/frozen fruit.

Oh, and if your family does happen to like bananas, they make an excellent addition to a smoothie, in combination with almost any other fruit.

I tend to make a smoothie in the afternoon during the summer, while preparing our evening meal, and then keep it in the fridge for an hour or two, to ensure it gets really cold. We drink it after our meal, instead of a dessert.

One of the great things about smoothies is that you can use fruit that's going a bit soft and squashy, so long as it still smells all right and doesn't have any mould on it. I often buy bags of fruit that's on special low offer prices as it's a day or two old, since riper fruit are better for smoothies.

If you happen to have any left over, you can pour it into ice lolly (US: popsicle) moulds, and freeze. Much better for a quick snack than commercially made lollies or ice pops!

Chocolate Crumb Cake

(serves 4)

125g spread or softened butter
400-500g canned or frozen apricots or peaches
50g soft brown sugar
1 egg, beaten
100g dark chocolate
75g self-raising flour
75g breadcrumbs
4 tbsp milk (dairy or otherwise)

Method:
Heat the oven to 180C.

Grease a 1-litre ovenproof dish well with butter or coconut oil. 

Using a wooden spoon, beat the spread with the sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in half the egg, then the rest. Melt the chocolate gently, either over a pan of hot water or in the microwave (being very careful not to let it overcook), then add to the mixture with the flour, breadcrumbs and milk. Fold it all together with a metal spoon until well-mixed.

Roughly chop the drained fruit, and put in the dish. Then spoon the cake mixture of the top and smooth it down. Put in the oven, and bake for about 40-45 minutes until it feels firm to the touch (up to an hour, if you use a deep dish).

After about ten minutes cooling, you can turn the cake out onto a serving dish, or simply serve it straight from the cooking pan.

- - - - -

Chocolate crumb cake is a fairly frugal recipe that goes extremely well with home-made ice cream. Use any breadcrumbs - we use the blender to turn leftover crusts or bread that's getting stale into crumbs, and then keep in the freezer for stuffings or other recipes such as this one. Of course, you may get a slightly odd taste if your crumbs are from bread made with chili or cheese!

Since we can get crates of soft fruit inexpensively in the summer, I lightly stew pans of these, then freeze in 450-500g portions and thaw them as needed for recipes like this. If they taste too tart you can add a little honey or golden syrup to the fruit, but we like the contrast with the rich, chocolatey topping. 

If you can't easily find good quality self-raising flour, substitute 70g flour and 5g baking powder. The flour can be plain or wholewheat; I usually use about half of each. 

To make this vegan, use dairy-free spread and milk, and a chia egg in place of the egg. 

Chocolate chip oat cookies

(makes about 30-40)

1/2 cup margarine [125g]
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tblsp milk or soya milk
7/8 cup wholewheat or spelt flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (US: baking soda)
1 1/4 cups oats
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Beat margarine and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and milk, and beat well. Add flour and bicarb; mix in. Stir in the oats and chocolate chips gently, then drop by teaspoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 180C (approx 350F). Cool for about a minute, then move the cookies to wire rack using a spatula.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Chocolate chip oat cookies are an easy and delicious variation of the classic chocolate chip cookie recipe which is a little healthier than some as it uses wholewheat flour and oats. You can use whatever margarine you like, so long as it's suitable for baking: avoid hydrogenated fats if you can. You could even substitute carob chips for chocolate if you wish.

Pre-heat the oven to the correct temperature; then ten minutes should be the correct cooking time. The cookies may look rather soft, but don't leave them in the oven for longer or they will over-cook. Take them out, but don't try to transfer to a wire rack until they have hardened for a minute, or they will collapse.