Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

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Peanut butter browni

My mum didn’t bake much sweets when I was growing up. Koreans don’t eat much sweet cakes, muffins and pies, but have a fruit plate for dessert. However, we do have some chocolate snacks from the shop. Oh oh.. I remember when I visit to my grandma’s house, she always gives me some money and asks me to get a packet of cigarette from the shop. Then I’m more than happy to run down to the shop because I can buy whatever with the change. The bigger note she gives me the more snacks for us 🙂 We have a couple of snacks called “Choco pie” and “Oh! yes!” (yes, it is English name >.<). First one is basically similar to a whoopie pie with marshmallow in the middle. Second one is a light chocolate sponge cake bar with chocolate cream in the middle. It comes in an individual packet, a dozen in a box. I then kindly share with all my cousins when I get back from the shop. A dozen of pies easily gone in a sec! Brownies kind of remind me of those snacks I used to have and baking them makes me happy. This brownie recipe gave me 8 little squares. When it’s all done in the oven you are supposed to take it out, cool it down in a pan, even put in the fridge to cool completely before cutting them. Me? I just don’t wait whenever I bake cakes or bars. Why is it so hard to walk away and let it cool? Don’t make same mistakes like me x

Ingredients

100g dark chocolate
100g self-raising flour
1/4 cup of oats
1/2 cup of coconut oil
1 egg
1/4 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of milk
1 teaspoon of baking powder
a teaspoon of cacao powder
a pinch of salt
3 teaspoons of crunchy peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 180. Sift all dry ingredients and set aside. Melt the chocolate and coconut oil in a double boiler over medium heat or in a microwave and then stir in the sugar. Whisk the egg, milk and chocolate mixture in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold to combine until smooth. Transfer to a prepared pan, drop little globs of peanut butter and swirl with a knife. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. Allow the brownies to cool in the pan before cutting.

Posted in: Baking, Dessert, My recipes, Snack

Raw Berry Cashew Cheese Cake

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Having a handful of nuts everyday is good for you because nuts have a moderate amount of protein (9-20%) and high quantity of essential fat (49-74% total fat). They are also a good source of fibre, a range of essential nutrients, especially vitamin B and vitamin E, minerals like iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium and anti-oxidant compounds. Increasing nut consumption is NOT going to cause a weight gain, however, you need to enjoy in moderation and replace them for less nutritious foods such as chips and sugary snacks. So how much is recommended daily? 30-50 grams which correspond to

  • 20 almonds
  • 15 cashews
  • 20 hazelnuts
  • 15 macadamias
  • 15 pecans
  • 2 tbsp pine nuts
  • 60 pistachios in shells (30 g of kernels)
  • 10 whole walnuts or 20 walnut halves
  • a small handful of mixed nuts

As per my previous post, it is better to soak your nuts for your digestion. I find an easy way is making a nut-based “cheese” cake and enjoying a slice a day to have your daily nut intake. They are absolutely raw, pre-soaked and blended for you with a pack of flavour. Make this cake (about 6-7 servings) on the weekend and enjoy for a week. So easy!

Raw Berry CakeIngredients

For the base
100g mixed nuts (I used cashew, almonds, walnuts)
1 table spoon of coconut oil
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 tablespoon of nutmeg
5 Medjool dates
a pinch of salt

For the filling
100g raw cashew nuts (soaked 4-5 hours or overnight)
100g frozen mixed berries
1 table spoon of coconut oil
1 table spoon of maple syrup or honey

Place the base ingredients in a food processor and pulse until it all comes together. Scoop out the mixture and spread in a spring-form pan. Press firmly and set in the fridge. Now onto the filling. Put all filling ingredients in a food processor and whiz up until smooth. Then pour the mixture onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Place in the freezer for a few hours to set. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices to serve. Keep the rest in the freezer. Enjoy with berries on the side or just by itself x

Posted in: Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

GF Black Bean Brownies

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Black beansYes, dessert can be healthy yet still delicious! I like putting savory ingredients in sweets e.g. beetroot, zucchini, eggplant, pumpkin, beans. It really fools you! They don’t taste like beans at all, but adds an amazing flavour and consistency. Rich, dark, moist, chocolatey and fudgy. Just the way the brownie should be! Trust me on this. You will fall in love with this after the first bite. From a health point of view, it is gluten-free, sugar-free and guilt-free. This brownie has a good amount of protein from beans and eggs, which means it fills you up and stabilises your blood sugar level unlike other desserts that are commonly full of sugar and empty calories. Great for a breakfast if you have a sweet tooth, a snack with a cuppa, even a satisfying yummy dessert with a glass of red 🙂

Black bean brownie 2Cacao powder – well known superfood. The best source of magnesium and anti-oxidants.
Almonds – high in essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E
Black beans – very high in fibre, folate, protein, anti-oxidants, an amazing longevity food!
Cinnamon – natural anti-infectious components, contains fibre, calcium, iron and manganese
Chia – very high in fibre, omega 3, a complete protein, anti-oxidants
Maple syrup – an anti-oxidant powerhouse. contains anti-inflammatory compounds, essential minerals like zinc, iron, calcium, and potassium. helps with digestion and muscle recovery

Black bean brownie

Ingredients

1 cup of cooked black beans and adzuki beans
50g almond meal
25g cacao powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1 teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
1 table spoon of chia seeds
1/4 cup of coconut oil
1/3 cup of maple syrup
3 eggs
a pinch of salt

Soak dried black beans over night. Wash well and cook in a boiling water until soft and tender. Drain and mash them with the back of the fork. Add all wet ingredients in a mixing ball, and then dry ingredients. Combine well making sure there is no lumps. Pour into the baking tin and bake in the preheated oven (180) for 40 minutes until cooked.

Posted in: Baking, Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes

Chia Pudding

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Chia puddingI love making puddings for a healthy snack or dessert. Milk tea pudding, panna cotta, sago…but since I started making this chia pudding. Oh my god, it is so simple to make, delicious and packed with nutrients (protein and fibre, yeah!). It is gluten-free and vegan, of course when you use a non-dairy milk. It is so awesome how these little guys turn into sticky pudding texture. You can absolutely play with flavours here. Fabulous flavours? chocolate, banana, cinnamon, mango, berry, Macha green tea, vanilla, pumpkin, chai.. Toppings? crunchy nuts, dried or fresh fruits, shaved chocolate, coconut chips, honey or maple syrup… what ever you fancy!

Ingredients (For one serving)

250ml coconut milk (you can use almond milk or soy milk too, but coconut has lots of flavour and healthy fats)
20g chia seeds
1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
1 table-spoon of maple syrup
1 cup of mixed berries (frozen or fresh)toppings (goji berries, cacao nibs, buckwheat)

Combine all ingredients in a glass or a jar except topping and refrigerate overnight. Stir occasionally making sure chia seeds are not all stuck together. Sprinkle toppings and serve chilled in the morning. It doesn’t get easier than this. Remember. Enjoy every mouthful, stay healthy, be grateful, enjoy your life x

Posted in: Breakfast, Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian

GF Rawmazing Raspberry Tartlets

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Berry Cup
You don’t have to give up on delicious cakes, cookies and pies because you have food allergies. Before I got to know raw desserts, I didn’t have much sweets at all, maybe some ice creams and sorbet if I feel like it. Then I realised I actually have a sweet tooth! Raw desserts are so yummy and full of nutrition. I cannot skip even a day without them. Yes, it is better than traditional desserts which are full of refined sugar and empty calories. Desserts are desserts though. You need to enjoy in moderation since all the ingredients in raw desserts are quite high in calories and fat from nuts, dried fruits and coconut oil/ butter. One of the benefits of raw desserts is to avoid common allergenic foods such as gluten and dairy. It’s made of whole foods, all natural. For this recipe, raspberries are rich in anti-oxidants and vitamin C for boosting your immune system, reducing inflammation, balancing blood sugar levels and fighting against cancer. The crust is mixed nuts and dried fruits which are nutritious and leaves you full for longer. This dessert is easy to make, sweet, tart and full of delicious fat from coconut oil and nuts.

Ingredients

For the base
5 Medjool dates
1 cup of almonds, walnuts and cashews
a teaspoon of cinnamon
a teaspoon of nutmeg
a teaspoon of vanilla extract
a table spoon of coconut oil
a pinch of salt

For the filling
a teaspoon of chia seeds
1 cup of raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 table spoon of maple syrup
a table spoon of coconut oil
cacao nibs, raisin and buckwheat groats for garnish

Blend all ingredients for the base in a food processor. Add a bit of water if the mixture is too crumbly. Press the mixture inside the tartlet mold and put it in the fridge to set. For the filling, blend rasberries, chia and maple syrup until it’s thick (chia will make the mixture thick over time). Spoon the filling mixture into the tartlet base and top with some crunchy goodness. Keep them in the fridge. Thanks to the magic of coconut oil, they will set in a few hours.

If you want to go nut-free, substitute the 1 cup of nuts to 1/2 cup of pepitas (pumpkin seeds) and 1/2 cup of shredded coconut. You can absolutely choose to use other fruits, blueberries, strawberries, mangoes. I love using cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg in the base, but skip them if you are not a fan of them.

Posted in: Dessert, Gluten Free, My recipes, Snack, Vegetarian