Flourless Brownies

If I had to pick a favourite dessert, I think brownies would be have to be it. These brownies are rich, gooey & delicious. They are made with 72% dark chocolate, real Irish butter and coconut sugar for sweetness. They are also gluten-free and grain-free. They are perfect party food and make for a delicious end to any meal. They are quite rich so go for smaller squares than your average brownie. They are nice served with whipped cream, coconut cream or even a little thick natural yoghurt for a hint of sour to act as the perfect foil to the sweetness of the brownies.

Ingredients:

• 225g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids
• 225g butter
• 4 free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 225g coconut nectar
• 225g ground almonds
• Pinch of sea-salt

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas 3.
2. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
3. Melt the dark chocolate with the butter using a double boiler.
4. Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, vanilla extract and coconut nectar together in a large bowl.
5. Once the dark chocolate and butter have melted to a smooth consistency, pour over the egg mix and whisk to combine.
6. Add the almonds and sea-salt and bring the mix together using a spatula.
7. Pour the mix into the prepared cake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes.

Chocolate Cupcakes With Avocado Chocolate Frosting

I know the sound of avocado as an icing ingredient does not sound immediately appetising but it honestly works perfectly in this glossy chocolate recipe & lends a rich creaminess to the icing. These cupcakes are fully gluten & dairy-free so a great one to make for parties & special occasions if you have people with any food intolerances attending. You could stick some candles in the top for a birthday cupcake display or top with fresh fruit or berries. I've gone for a mix of dried rose petals, bee pollen and dried cornflowers. You can pick these toppings up in speciality food stores and health food shops, the dried petals definitely hold up better than fresh petals would & well they look pretty too :) Enjoy!

Makes 8 cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 40g cocoa powder
• 340g ground almonds
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bread soda
• Pinch of sea-salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 75ml almond milk (or milk of your choice)
• 125ml coconut oil, melted

Chocolate Icing:

• 2 ripe avocados, mashed
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Toppings:

• Dried rose petals
• Bee pollen
• Dried cornflower petals

Method:

1. Line a muffin tray with 8 paper cases. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4.

2. Place the cocoa powder, ground almonds, baking powder, bread soda and sea-salt into a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, vanilla extract, maple syrup, almond milk and coconut oil. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients and stir to combine.

3. Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases. Transfer the muffin tray to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

4. To prepare the icing, whisk the avocados, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla extract together until glossy and smooth.

5. Once the cupcakes have cooled, spread the icing over the top of the cupcakes and sprinkle with your choice of natural toppings.

Chocolate & Walnut Banana Bread

A slice of banana bread is a handy snack to have to hand for that mid-afternoon slump. I often make a loaf, slice & freeze the slices individually. I'll defrost a couple of slices as necessary & eat them as they are or maybe warm gently on a frying pan or on top of the toaster before enjoying with a cup of tea. This version is made with a mix of ground almonds and coconut flour, making it naturally gluten free and high in easily digestible plant protein.

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 100ml olive oil

• 3 tbsp honey

• 4 bananas, mashed

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• 75g coconut flour

• 1 tsp bread soda

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 75g ground almonds

• Pinch of sea salt

• 100g dark chocolate chips

• 75g walnuts, chopped

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas 4. Grease and line a loaf tin.

2. Whisk together the eggs, vanilla extract, olive oil and honey. Add the mashed bananas and cinnamon, mix through.

3. Sift in the coconut flour, bread soda and baking powder. Fold through the ground almonds and salt. Lastly add the chocolate chips and walnuts and mix together well.

4. Tip the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Transfer to the oven and bake for about 40 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

Chocolate Coconut Bites

These little bites of heaven are a play on the 'Bounty' bars I grew up eating. This version is a little healthier of course but is rich & flavoursome with addition of dark chocolate & real pieces of coconut.

Serves 12

Ingredients:

• 240ml coconut milk
• 60ml coconut oil
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea-salt
• 225g desiccated coconut
• 400g dark chocolate, 72% cocoa solids

Method:

1. Grease and line a 20cm square tin.
2. Whisk together the coconut milk, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract and sea-salt. Once well combined add the desiccated coconut and beat together.
3. Pour the coconut mix into the prepared cake tin and transfer to the freezer for at least 2 hours. Take out of the freezer at this point and cut into bite sized bars. Freeze again for a further 30 minutes.
4. Melt the chocolate over a double boiler, being careful to not allow the chocolate to burn.
5. This is the messy part; cover the coconut bars with the melted dark chocolate. You can apply two thin coats of the chocolate for a more even finish if you wish.
6. Once covered, transfer to the fridge to set.

Chocolate Raspberry Peanut Butter Cups.

There is something about the appeal of those ubiquitous American peanut butter candies which crosses age-gaps and borders. With this recipe I set out to make a slightly more healthy, darker chocolate version with the addition of raspberry to cut through that stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth quality of peanut butter.

Ingredients:

• 170ml coconut oil, melted
• 120g cacao powder
• Pinch of sea-salt
• 4 tbsp maple syrup
• 6 tbsp peanut butter
• 1 punnet of raspberries, (about 24 raspberries)

Method:

1. Line a mini muffin tray with mini muffin cases.
2. Pour the melted coconut oil over the cacao powder and whisk until smooth.
3. Add the sea-salt and maple syrup and continue to whisk.
4. Pour a drop of the chocolate mix into each of the muffin cases, enough to cover the bottom of the case. 
5. Place the tray into the freezer for about 5 minutes or until firm.
6. Remove the tray from the freezer and spoon a small piece of peanut butter on top of the chocolate base.
7. Place a single raspberry on top of the peanut butter layer.
8. Pour a thin layer of chocolate over each case to cover the raspberry and peanut butter centre.
9. Transfer to the freezer to set for at least 30 minutes.
10. Remove from the freezer and serve immediately.
11. Top with a few flakes of sea-salt or a little freeze dried raspberry powder drizzle if you wish.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes you just need the crunch of a good cookie. On this occasion I was craving something chocolaty but a little healthier than the shop bought sugar-laden variety. The result was this recipe which is free from refined sugar, gluten and dairy but still tastes really good and provides that all important crunch.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp bread soda
• 1/4 tsp sea-salt
• 100g dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
2. Lay a sheet of baking paper on a baking tray. 
3. Mix together the coconut oil and maple syrup.
4. Add the egg and vanilla extract, whisk together gently.
5. Place the ground almonds, bread soda, sea-salt and chocolate chips into a separate mixing bowl.
6. Pour over the wet ingredients and mix together well.
7. Scoop small balls of the cookie dough using an ice-cream scoop.
8. Place these on the prepared baking tray and flatten with the back of a spoon.
9. Bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes or until golden brown.
10. Leave to cool on a wire rack before enjoying.

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