Vegan Powerjacks

I often turn to these when I need a naughty treat after the gym, as they are packed with good things to help my creaking body refuel and regenerate! They are also practically sugar free and vegan, although I stopped short of calling them gluten-free, as although oats don't technically contain gluten, the protein within them (called avenin) is similar. I've used dates and coconut in my version but you can freestyle at will if you want to throw in anything else. You're the head chef in your own kitchen after all. ;-)

Prep time: 20 Mins

Baking time: 20 Mins

300g Jumbo Oats

50g Quinoa Flour (You get this from most speciality shops and even supermarkets these days)

50g Desiccated Coconut

80g Vegetable Oil

200g Smooth Cashew Nut Butter (Or you could use a Natural Smooth Peanut Butter)

190g Fruit Based Natural Sweetener (I use Sweet Freedom Light)

165g Pitted Dates (Chopped)

1tsp Vanilla Extract

1 Banana (Well mashed)

For this you'll need a large saucepan, a large mixing bowl and a medium sized rectangular baking tin. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and line the baking tin with baking paper. Add the oats, flour and coconut to the mixing bowl and mix together to combine. Add the oil, nut butter, sweetener and chopped dates to the saucepan and place on a low heat. Let it all melt together, stirring occasionally, then add the banana and vanilla extract. You don't want this to boil as the sweetener has a low burning temperature, so once it's all nice and loose remove the pan from the heat.

Add in the dry ingredients and mix together until evenly combined. Tip the lot into your prepared tin, press to the edges, then bake in the centre of the oven for around 20 minutes, until lovely and golden on top. When you are happy the jacks are baked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for an hour.

Once cooled all you need to do is carefully remove from the tin and  then slice into squares. I'll leave how big you make each square to your discretion. They should be soft and just slightly chewy, which is just how I like my jacks. Ooooh I want one right now!

Coconut Pudding Cake with Lemon Curd

THIS CAKE IS DELISH. MAKE IT IMMEDIATELY!

Prep time: 15 Mins
Baking time: 50-55 Mins
175g Unsalted Butter
200g Golden Caster Sugar
3 Large Eggs
1tsp Vanilla Extract
200g Coconut Cream
100g Ground Almonds
125g Plain Flour
1tsp Baking Powder
200-225g Lemon Curd
1-2 Handfuls of Dessicated Coconut

Cake time! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease a medium sized rectangular baking dish. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract. Mix through the coconut cream, then add the ground almonds and do the same. Sift in the flour and baking powder then mix vigorously until you are a left with a lovely, consistent batter. 

Spoon into your prepared tin and gently even to the edges. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 50-55 mins, until a metal skewer or knife comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven and pierce the top all over with a sharp knife. Slather the top with half of the lemon curd and leave for 1 hour. Slather again (ooh I love the word slather!) with the rest of the lemon curd and sprinkle over the dessicated coconut. Leave for another hour until just warm and you are ready to serve. Yummmmmmmmmmmmm YUM!

Quick and Easy Trifle

It really does vex me when people deem 'easy' recipes as somehow less worthy than their more complicated counterparts. Sometimes the easiest things can be the most satisfying and what is more satisfying than a dirty great trifle? I've made this one child friendly, but you can always add a little sherry if you'd like to make things more grown up. And as far as the sprinkles go? You can have whatever you want, WHATEVER YOU WANT!

Prep time: 15 Mins
Baking time: About 10 Mins for the fruit and then a few hours to chill
800g-1kg of Frozen Summer Fruits
160g (8) Trifle Sponges
800g Yellow Custard (It has to be yellow doesn't it!)
600ml Double Cream
The Sticky Seeds from a Vanilla Pod
75g Caster Sugar
Sprinkles (Be it Hundreds and Thousands, Toasted Nuts, or whatever you fancy!)

You'll only need your hob for this first bit, so grab a large saucepan and tip in the frozen fruit. Leave on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally until some of the fruit has burst to release its delicious juice. You don't want it to boil but get to just beyond warm. Once the fruit is all juicy, remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.

Take each trifle sponge, dip one side in the fruit to soak up some juice and lay in the base of a good sized trifle dish. Ladle over the fruit (and remaining juice) to cover entirely. Top with the custard and spread carefully to cover. 

In a large mixing bowl add the cream, vanilla seeds and sugar. If you want to make use of the pod itself later, then just pop it into an airtight container and cover with more sugar. You'll then have lovely vanilla sugar for whenever you need it. Whisk the flavoured cream until soft peaks form, then spoon over the custard. Again carefully spread to the edges and finish with a generous helping of sprinkles. 

Pop in the fridge, covered if you can for a few hours, ideally overnight. You're then ready for the fun to begin!

Apricot and Amaretti Biscuit Upside Down Cake

Now, I know it's January and we're trying to be virtuous after a period of such indulgence, but I'm sure you can justify a little treat. If not how about trying out some of the excuses, ahem, sorry reasons that I have used in the last week or so...

• I walked to work today
• I went extra hard in the gym
• That meeting was especially boring
• It's Tuesday

So if you can rationalise it in your mind then why not try this one out? I'm sure you won't have to try too hard to make peace with your decision!

Prep time: 20 Mins

Baking time: 60-70 Mins

200g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

200g Golden Caster Sugar

3 Large Eggs

1tsp Vanilla Extract

200g Plain Flour

1tsp Baking Powder

11-12 Hard Amaretti Biscuits (Crushed)

5 Ripe Apricots (Halved and stoned)

2tbsp Apricot Jam (Warmed through until just syrupy)

To the kitchen once more! Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4, grease a 20cm deep baking tin and line with baking paper. In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla extract.

Sift in the flour and baking powder, Then sprinkle in the crushed grounds from six of the biscuits. Fold through until you are left with a consistent batter.

Sprinkle over the crushed grounds from four more amaretti biscuits over the base of you tin and top with the halved apricots. Spoon over the cake mixture and even gently to the edges. Bake in the centre of the oven for around 60-70 minutes, until a metal skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle of the cake. When you are happy the cake is baked remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 60 minutes. 

Carefully remove the cake from the tin, upturning onto a wire rack so the base is now on the top. Brush with apricot jam and finish with a final sprinkle of crushed biscuits. Done!