Chocolate tahini caramels

December 31, 2024

   

We saw in the new year with friends close by. The hosts were vegetarian and excellent cooks so we knew we'd be well fed and, as I often do, I thought I could best contribute by bringing something sweet. The guest list included dairy-free and gluten-free eaters and my mind swiftly turned to a chocolate tahini caramel recipe I'd bookmarked just a few weeks earlier.

The active preparation time looked pretty quick and I was so relaxed about it all that I took an afternoon nap and just barely allowed enough time for these sweets to set! The tahini caramel looks soft and smooth when poured into the loaf pan but it needs freezing to solidify and once that's achieved, it doesn't necessarily slice into neat little squares. I didn't mind odd little caramel shapes and trusted that my friends wouldn't, either. It's worth keeping the caramels in the freezer right until the last moment before coating them in chocolate, because they will melt - quick work is needed and then it's back into the freezer for a final set.

This is the one drawback of this treat - it's not stable at room temperature. These bites need to be carefully stored, ideally not touching each other, in the fridge or freezer until it's time to serve them. If you can manage that, there's much enjoyment to be had: a fudgy centre with a sweet, nutty flavour; a thin, silky layer of chocolate; and a bonus burst of texture from the sesame seeds on top. 

   

Chocolate tahini caramels

(slightly adapted from a recipe on Minimalist Baker)

2 tablespoons margarine

1/3 cup sweet syrup (e.g. maple, golden; I used brown sugar syrup)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup tahini

1 cup dark chocolate chips

sesame seeds, for garnishing

Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Place the margarine, syrup, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Whisk the mixture as you bring it to the boil. Turn off the heat and whisk in the tahini. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan and freeze for 1-2 hours, until solid.

When the caramel is solid, line a tray that will fit into your freezer with baking paper. Melt the chocolate using your preferred method. Retrieve the caramel from the freezer and slice it into bite-sized squares (as you can see from the photos above, my bite-sized chunks weren't always square). Use a teaspoon and a fork to swiftly drop one caramel at a time into the melted chocolate, coat it on all sides, and transfer it to the tray. Repeat with all the caramel bites. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the caramels and lightly press them into the top of the chocolate. Pop the chocolates back into the freezer for 30-45 minutes.

After serving, store any uneaten caramels in the fridge or freezer.

Coconut burfi

February 5, 2023

   

We had some friends over for a vegan, mostly gluten-free dinner - Michael made spiced chickpeas and stir-fried sweet corn, and served them with rice, roti and pickles. I clicked around for a suitably themed, easy-to-make dessert and hit on this 14-year-old recipe for coconut burfi from Mallika Basu. The original version uses ghee and sweetened condensed milk, but these are easily replaced with vegan alternatives.

The mixture was simple to stir together, it set rapidly in the fridge, and I was pleasantly surprised at how neatly it sliced. I went light on the cardamom, because it smelled strong and I wasn't sure if our guests would enjoy it, but I'll use a lot more next time. I loved the fudgy-chewy texture of these burfi and they were intensely sweet, so I'd recommend cutting them small and allowing their biggest fans to go back for seconds.

Coconut burfi

(slightly adapted from a recipe by Mallika Basu) 

175g desiccated coconut

2 tablespoons ghee or margarine

1 can condensed milk (I used Pandaroo sweetened coconut condensed milk)

1 teaspoon ground cardamom, or to taste

pinch of salt

nuts, to garnish (optional)

Soak the desiccated coconut in just enough hot water to cover it (I forgot to do this!). Line the bottom of a small baking tray with paper.

Melt the ghee/margarine in a saucepan, and add the coconut. Stir the coconut regularly until it's lightly toasted. Stir in the condensed milk, ground cardamom and salt until well mixed. Keep stirring, making sure the mixture doesn't get stuck to the bottom of the pot, until it's dry. (Mine was threatening to burn before it really looked dry, so I stopped there.) Pour the mixture into the baking tray and smooth over the top (I had good results with the back of a tablespoon, lightly sprayed with oil). Refrigerate the slice until firm.

Turn the tray upside down to release it, and slice it into small pieces. Garnish with nuts and an extra sprinkle of ground cardamom.

Coconut rum truffles

December 31, 2022

   

We saw the new year in with a casual potluck hosted by some friends nearby. We contributed a couple of vegan, gluten-free dishes. Michael revisited the butterbean hummus with red pepper and walnut paste, and teamed it with plain corn chips. I brought along coconut rum truffles, a new-to-me recipe that I made in stages while we watched Glass Onion with family in the afternoon.

This is a case where it's worth returning to the source material at Lazy Cat Kitchen. Ania's post includes a detailed method, and thorough background and potential substitutions for ingredients. This gave me a little more confidence to use golden syrup, almond meal and coconut oil instead of maple syrup, coconut flour and coconut butter. My coconut mixture ended up a touch too runny, most likely due to my mindless swap of Aussie for British tablespoons, but I think my use of coconut oil helped set up the coconut centres in the fridge before it was time to drop them into the melted chocolate. I worked quickly and unfussily - you can see that my truffles aren't perfectly shaped, and some of the later makes had desiccated coconut caught in the chocolate, but their bobbles and their coconut flake garnish signalled that everyone was in for a true home-made treat.

I have previously elected to double-coat other comparable chocolates, but I loved the flavour balance of a single, thin layer of dark chocolate here. It's smooth and less sweet than the textured coconut centre, and the inclusion of dark rum matches the depth of the chocolate. On a hot summer night, one or two each was enough to go round. The last couple truffles seemed to hold their shape on the plate, but they collapsed into melty puddles when picked up an hour later, a clear signal that they're best stored in the fridge.

   

Coconut rum truffles

(a recipe from Lazy Cat Kitchen)

1/4 cup maple or golden syrup

2 tablespoons coconut butter or oil

1/4 cup coconut milk 

   OR 2 tablespoons coconut milk and 2 tablespoons dark rum

1 cup dessicated coconut

2 tablespoons coconut or almond flour

generous pinch of salt

100g dark chocolate

coconut flakes, to garnish

Place the sweet syrup in a small saucepan over low to medium heat, and bring it to a gentle simmer. Whisk in the coconut butter/oil and allow it to bubble for a further minute. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the coconut milk and rum, if using. Stir in the dessicated coconut, flour and salt until well mixed. Refrigerate the mixture for an hour to cool it down.

Roll scant tablespoons of the coconut mixture into balls and place them on a tray. Return them to the fridge for another hour.

Melt the chocolate using your preferred method. Use a fork and a spoon to drop each coconut ball into the chocolate, roll it around until coated, and return it to the tray. Drop a couple of coconut flakes onto the top of each truffle, then return them to the fridge to set.

Continue to store the truffles in the fridge until you're ready to serve them. 

Cashew maple muesli bars

 February 24, 2021

   

Most of the novelty in our lives at the moment draws from the relaxation of COVID restrictions - we're getting out and seeing friends, attending events (gigs! karaoke! roller disco?!), and eating at/blogging restaurants we've not visited in a year, if ever. We're still spending plenty of time at home, but there it's back to the familiar - books, crafts and recipes that are a comfort rather than a stretch. 

So this is the first new recipe in a while. Even so, it's a familiar ingredient list and melt-and-mix technique, designed to make a low-fuss and moderately nutritious snack for slow, still-working-from-home afternoons. The peanut butter and maple syrup flavours are a bit more subtle than I anticipated - the main feature is really the rolled oats, which gave me something to chew on and would consistently tide me over until dinner. 

Cashew maple muesli bars

(a recipe from the blog Eat This My Friend,

still accessible from the Internet Archive)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup salted cashews

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup peanut butter

1 cup dates, pitted

Line a baking tray with paper. Place the oats in a frypan and gently toast them on medium heat, stirring them regularly. When they smell good, turn off the heat and transfer the oats to a large bowl.

Pulse the cashews briefly in a food processor, so that they're roughly and unevenly chopped. Pour them into the bowl with the oats, and mix them together.

Place the maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until they're melted and smooth. Pour the mixture over the oats and cashews and mix.

Thoroughly blend the dates in the food processor until as smooth as possible - I added a tablespoon or two of water to get things moving. Pour the date puree into the mixing bowl and stir everything thoroughly to combine. Turn the mixture out onto the baking tray and use the back of a spoon or clean hands to spread it out evenly across the tray. Refrigerate the slice for at least a few hours before slicing it up to serve.

Tahini rice puff squares

August 15, 2015

Hot on the heels of that cocoa crackles recipe, I've got another melt-and-mix rice bubble treat to share. I stirred this one up in 15 minutes to take along to a crafternoon, where I helped decorate my friend's exciting new recycling venture.

This slice comes from the indolent cook. I replaced the original honey with barley malt syrup for vegan-friendly convenience to good effect. I toasted the rice puffs and walnuts in a pan as directed, but somehow that dulled their fresh crunch, and I wouldn't repeat it.

The slice's dark and glossy finish suggests that this is will be an intensely sweet and chocolatey experience, but actually the flavour is dominated by tahini. It could be a fleeting disappointment, but ultimately it's a nutty, fudgy delight.

Tahini rice puff squares
(slightly adapted from a recipe at the indolent cook)

3 cups brown rice puffs
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped 
1/2 cup tahini
1/4 cup barley malt syrup
1/4 cup cocoa 
1/4 teaspoon salt

Line a small baking tray with paper.

Place the rice puffs and walnuts in a medium-large saucepan and set them over medium heat. Toss them around frequently until they start smelling toasty and good. Transfer the puffs and nuts into the baking tray to rest.

Combine the remaining ingredients in the saucepan and return the pan to medium heat. Stir the mixture regularly to thoroughly combine the ingredients and prevent burning. When the mixture is smooth, add the puffs and nuts back in and stir thoroughly to combine. Pour the mixture into the tray and smooth it out evenly. I sprayed the back of a spoon with a little oil and used that to press down the sticky, clumpy mixture.

Cover the slice and refrigerate it for at least an hour before cutting it into squares and serving.

Cocoa crackles

August 9, 2015

We were invited to celebrate the first birthday of our youngest friend last weekend. Her party had a rainbow theme, and the savoury food was provided by the wonderful Las Vegan Catering (I ate so much pizza). A week ahead I asked how I could help, and I was enlisted to make chocolate crackles.

Chocolate crackles are always vegan and very nearly gluten-free, but these ones have the 2015 treatment. There's coconut oil instead of copha, of course, and coconut sugar instead of regular icing. I even had gluten-free brown rice puffs on hand instead of Kellogg's bubbles. This version appeals to 2015 me much more than the original recipe - although it's a little crumbly, it's got a stronger cocoa flavour and none of the greasiness of copha.

The party wasn't exclusively new age mama mania - there was plenty of lurid colouring in the vegan-friendly Skittles and the spectacular six-layered rainbow cake prepared by a pro.

Cocoa crackles
(slightly adapted from a recipe at Natural New Age Mum)

125g coconut oil
1/2 cup coconut sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
2 cups brown rice puffs

Melt the coconut oil in a medium-large saucepan. Add the sugar, cocoa and salt, stirring until smooth. Stir in the dessicated coconut and then the rice puffs, until everything is well mixed.

Line a muffin pan with a dozen papers and spoon the crackle mixture out equally between them. Refrigerate the crackles for an hour or more before serving.

Gingernut hedgehog

May 23-24, 2015

Last weekend we joined in on a big party for a little girl's birthday. Much of the food was expertly catered by the Las Vegan crew, and another guest prepared a cake decorated with fairies and fondant mushrooms. I brought along a tray of hedgehog slice, a fairly common treat from my own childhood.

I don't have a family recipe, but I knew Vegan About Town posted one that I could draw from and adapt to suit my pantry. The whole hedgehog deal was really just a plot to use up two packets of LEDA gingernuts, and it served to polish off some walnuts, cashews and dried cherries too. Best of all, it's an oven-free melt'n'mix method easily accomplished in 20 minutes.

The slice has a great fudgy texture and a much darker chocolate base than the non-vegan versions I've known before. On reflection, it was probably too rich and bittersweet for the kids. In fact the little tackers barely took an interest in the savoury selection or the birthday cake once the candles were off either - they seemed to have eyes only for the bowl of Skittles! That just left us greedy grown-ups to graze on party pies, stuffed potatoes and pastry pinwheels all afternoon.

Gingernut hedgehog
(adapted from a recipe at Vegan About Town)

300g gingernuts
3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup raw cashews
3/4 cup dried cherries
300g margarine
300g dark chocolate
3 tablespoons cocoa
3/4 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
120g tub apple puree
2 teaspoons maple syrup

Line a large baking tray with paper.

Crush the gingernuts lightly, so that they're a mix of big chunks and powdery crumbs, and place them in a large mixing bowl. Roughly chop the nuts and add them to the bowl. Stir in the dried cherries.

In a medium-sized saucepan over low heat, melt the margarine. Add the chocolate and stir occasionally as it melts, ensuring that it doesn't burn. When the chocolate is completely melted, whisk in the cocoa, sugar, vanilla, apple puree and maple syrup. 

Take the saucepan off the heat and pour the chocolate mixture into the bowl; stir it all together with a wooden spoon until well combined. Pour the slice mixture into the baking tray and spread it out as evenly as you can. Refrigerate the slice for at least a few hours before slicing and serving.

Creamy cashew-coconut slice

January 5, 2014

Since Michael was making a rich salad for this potluck, I figured I should bring some dessert. I (correctly) guessed that we'd all be pretty full and not holding out for a multi-layered chocolate extravaganza, so I referred back to a raw 'cheesecake' slice recipe that I bookmarked on It Ain't Meat, Babe three years ago.

It's nothing you haven't seen before - dates, coconut and macadamias for a fudgy base, then sweetened cashews and lime juice for the 'cheesecake' topping. It's at the less strict end of raw cuisine - there's agave nectar, dessicated coconut, melted coconut oil and vanilla involved - but also large quantities of soaked and blended nuts, the cornerstone of raw desserts.

The base didn't quite meet my expectations. I did my ol' swap-soaked-dried-dates-for-fresh-ones trick and there was barely enough here to really bind together the dried coconut and macadamias. It was crumbly and missing the caramel colour and flavour I was anticipating.

I was much more pleased with the 'cheesecake' top. Though my limes were comically dry and useless and the topping thus lacked a bit of bite, the vanilla enhanced the flavour and the coconut oil did wonders for the texture, creating a dense and buttery texture that reminded me of white chocolate.

This slice stores just as well in the freezer as it does in the fridge. Either way, I'd recommend serving it as we did above, with a big bowl of cherries and strawberries for a refreshing end to an extended meal.

Creamy cashew-coconut slice
(slightly adapted from It Ain't Meat, Babe,
who cites Vegetarian Times)

1 1/2 cups raw macadamias
1 1/2 cups raw cashews
1/2 cup dried dates
1/4 cup dessicated coconut
6 tablespoons coconut oil, gently melted
1/4 cup agave nectar
juice and zest of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

In three separate bowls, soak the macadamias, cashews and dates overnight.

Line a 22cm square tray with baking paper. Drain the macadamias and place them in a food processing, whizzing them until they resemble crumbs. Drain the dates, adding them and the dessicated coconut and blend further until they're well mixed and the dates start binding the crumbs together. Tip the mixture out into the baking tray and use the back of a spoon to press and smooth it out into an even layer.

Clean out the food processor to use for the second layer. Darin the cashews and drop them in, blending them as finely as you can. Add the remaining ingredients and blend very thoroughly, to obtain as smooth a mixture as you can. Pour it over the base layer, evening it out with the back of a spoon. 

Freeze the slice for at least a couple of hours, then store it in the fridge. Slice it into squares to serve.

____________

While this recipe is not truly, 100% raw it is definitely in the spirit of so many raw recipes, so I'm contributing it to Catherine's January round-up, I Am Vegetarian - Hear Me Raw!.

Apricot delight

October 9-13, 2011

I spent a few days last week on the road and in the field with a colleague. Last time we set forth I brought macadamia-date balls - she's not one for sugary desserts, though she loves fresh fruit, and they seemed to hit the spot rather well. I knew just what to bring this time: the apricot delight I first saw on Green Gourmet Giraffe, which I later had the luck to taste when Mel brought it to the VegMel Picnic.

While the apricot delight commonly found in supermarkets is full of sugar, glucose syrup and oil, these sweet-and-slightly-sour squares contain nothing more than dried apricots, dessicated coconut, water, and a little honey (easily omitted or replaced with another sweetening syrup for vegans). It's no less delightful in its simplicity and wholesomeness! 

Apricot delight
(as seen on Green Gourmet Giraffe,
where it's credited to the Australian Women's Weekly)

250g dried apricots, chopped
3/4 cup boiling water
2 tablespoons honey (or alternative sweetener)
1 1/2 cups dessicated coconut, plus extra for coating

Place half the apricots and all of the boiling water in a small saucepan. Soak the apricots for about an hour. Bring the mixture to the boil and gently simmer them, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. I topped mine up with another tablespoon or two of water as they looked like they were drying out. Allow the mixture to cool a little.

Transfer these soaked apricots to a food processor, add the honey and purée them thoroughly. Plonk them into a bowl and stir through the remaining apricots and the coconut. The mixture will form a reasonably thick dough.

Line a small tray with baking paper and spoon in the dough, flattening it across the base. Place a second piece of baking paper on the top surface of the slice, then refrigerate it overnight.

When the slice is set, remove the baking paper and cut the slice into small squares. Roll each square in the extra coconut to coat the sides, then serve or store as you wish.

January 2, 2011: Half-baked choc-chip cookies

Our first attempt at tortillas was fraught but ultimately successful.  Thanks to some twitter tips and encouragement I felt game to invite five friends over for a lunch of soft tacos.  This time I tried using a tortilla press, on loan from tortilla veteran K.  While I don't think the tortillas I made with it were better, they were certainly quicker.  I punched out a couple of dozen in much less time than it took to fry them, while our guests settled in on the couch with a bowl of cashew crack.

For dessert I'd been planning just to offer fresh pineapple and coconut ice cream.  Michael was not impressed by the local pineapple stocks that morning so we gave them a miss and almost cancelled dessert.  But what with me always having a few recipe ideas stashed in the back of my mind, I sorted out a quick and easy alternative before Michael had even returned from the shops.  We tried the original entirely-raw version of these cookies at a Tex Mex-themed potluck a couple of years ago.  Pip was also there and photographed the recipe, which I went on to bookmark for future use.  

On this day I made a few substitutions to ensure these cookies were vegan, gluten-free, and used only ingredients I had in my pantry.  This rendered them less raw but no less tasty.  I used more peanut butter and tahini than was sensible (perhaps I misread teaspoon for tablespoon?) so the mixture was a bit sloppy.  A half-hour in the fridge before rolling, and then more fridge storage after sorted that out.  As a consequence they were immensely rich, with a fudgy texture and pleasing crunch from the cocoa nibs.

Half-baked choc-chip cookies
(adapted from a recipe shared by a kind stranger, photographed here)

1 cup macadamias
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
12 dates
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
3 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 1/2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/3 cup cocoa nibs

In a food processor, grind the macadamias, coconut and buckwheat flour to a coarse powder. Add the dates and process again until they're evenly distributed throughout the mixture.  Next in goes the salt, agave, tahini and peanut butter for more processing; you should now have a very moist dough.  Add the cocoa nibs and process very briefly, just enough to mix the nibs through.

Transfer the mixture to a bowl and refrigerate it for at least half an hour to firm up.  Take about 2-3 teaspoons of dough at a time and roll it into a ball, placing the balls on a tray.  Store the balls in the fridge until serving time.

December 24-25, 2010: Dark and white chocolate tiles

My family is pretty casual about Christmas (see, for example, last year's menu of pizza and icecream) so I went low-key when planning dessert for our lunchtime picnic.  After flicking through a few cookbooks I found the perfect things in the dessert-focused Tempted.  This book was a Christmas gift from Michael's brother Matt a few years ago, which made it even more perfect. 

I've played around with the basic fruit-and-nut-chocolate idea many times before but these recipes, for rum and raisin bagatelles and white chocolate bark, used combinations I wouldn't have thought of myself.  Even better, they made use of white chocolate, raisins, currants and shredded coconut left over from our Xmas party dishes.

I was particularly pleased to use up the white chocolate, as Michael and I don't much enjoy eating it on its own.  We did not expect the white chocolate bark to be our favourite of the day but it was the picnic's prom queen.  It's sweet, sure, but the apricots were tangy and the roastedness of the macadamias added a little depth.

Rum and raisin is an old favourite combination of Michael's yet not one I'm fond of.  But there we were with raisins and even white rum in the house so I soaked those raisins, melted some dark chocolate, and stirred through some shredded coconut and pine nuts as directed.  Yes, pine nuts!  I was intrigued and, sadly, disappointed.  All the pine nuts around seemed a little stale and there were too many of them here.  If I were to make this again (and I'm pretty sure Michael would like me to), I'd double the rum and raisins and halve the quantity of pine nuts.  I still believe they've got a 'lil something to contribute.

The rum and raisin bagatelles were supposed to be shaped into haphazard little balls but they pretty ugly to boot, and I decided to mimic the first recipe and form an equally ugly but much less fiddly sheet of chocolate to break into tiles.  It might be prettier, on reflection, if half of the pine nuts and/or coconut were reserved for sprinkling on top.  No one was too fussed on Christmas day, though - we had a very pleasant couple of hours lazing and grazing in a nearby park, prioritising relaxation over presentation.


White chocolate bark
(a half-quantity of a recipe in Tempted: 150 Very Wicked Desserts)

75g macadamia nuts, chopped
125g white chocolate
60g dried apricots, finely chopped
25g currants

Preheat an oven to 180°C.  Line a tray with baking paper and spread the macadamias over it.  Roast the nuts until lightly browned, just 5-6 minutes, and give them a couple of interim shakes for even cooking.  Set the nuts aside to cool, reserve the tray and paper for the chocolate.

Gently melt the chocolate in a saucepan, then stir in two-thirds of the macadamias, apricots and currants.  Pour the mixture onto the lined tray, spreading it to less than 1cm thickness.  Sprinkle over the remaining macadamias, apricots and currants, gently pressing them into the chocolate.  Refrigerate the chocolate until set, then break it into chunks to serve.



Rum and raisin tiles
(adapted from a recipe in Tempted: 150 Very Wicked Desserts)

100g raisins (next time I'd double this)
1 tablespoon white rum (next time I'd double this)
50g shredded coconut
100g pine nuts (next time I'd halve this)
400g dark chocolate

Stir the rum through the raisins in a small bowl and leave them to soak for at least an hour.

Preheat an oven to 150°C.  Line a baking tray with paper.  Spread the coconut over the tray and gently toast it until golden, 5-10 minutes, giving the coconut a couple of interim shakes for even cooking.  Set the coconut aside and use the same method to gently toast the pine nuts.

Gently melt the chocolate in a saucepan.  Drain the raisins and stir them into the chocolate; stir in the coconut and pine nuts.  (Alternatively, reserve half of the coconut and pine nuts for a prettier presentation.)  Pour the mixture onto the lined tray, spreading it to less than 1cm thickness.  If you have reserved coconut and pine nuts, sprinkle them over the chocolate sheet, gently pressing them into the chocolate.  Refrigerate the chocolate until set, then break it into chunks to serve.

August 28, 2010: Espresso & oat truffles

On the weekend Michael and I helped a friend move house.  She's an almost-neighbour that we swap cat-sitting favours and keep spare keys with; we're sad that she's moving further away from us but very happy that she's found a gorgeous house and terrific gardening space to call her own out in the country.  Not everything went to plan but we got the job done and the picnic lunch I prepared the night before became a celebratory dinner, eaten on the floor in Jos' grand new living area and washed down with champagne.  We started with silverbeet calzone and then moved on to cheese, fruit and these espresso and oat truffles.

The truffle recipe is from Green Kitchen Stories and seems to be inspired by a Danish Christmas sweet that I'm unfamiliar with.  I'm just keen for new no-bake treats that make use of the ingredients that are typically in my pantry. (And I've just decided, whilst perusing other such recipes in our archives, that they deserve their own label.)  These ones get their bulk from oats and coconut, sweetness from dates and a smooth truffle texture from coconut oil.  Everything gets blended up in the food processor and then rolled into balls - it couldn't be simpler.  I found the mixture too sloppy once processed so I added a little extra coconut and oats to the original quantity and gave it a little time in the fridge to allow the coconut oil to firm up.

I would have preferred these to be a little sweeter but Michael loved them just as they are.  A week later we're both thoroughly enjoying a second batch that substitutes rice bubbles for the oats, has a smidge of agave nectar for sweetness, and is much stronger on the coffee aroma.  They're definitely a worthy addition to the no-bake treat rotation - simple to prepare, using common pantry ingredients and amenable to substitutions for taste and convenience.

Espresso & oat truffles
(based on a recipe at Green Kitchen Stories)

15 fresh dates (or soak dried dates in water for half an hour and drain)
5 tablespoons rolled oats
3 tablespoons dessicated coconut
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 shot espresso, cooled
extra dessicated coconut and/or rolled oats for rolling

Use a food processor to mix together the first 8 ingredients. Taste the mixture and adjust the flavour to your liking.

If the mixture is too mushy to be rolled, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes so that the coconut oil solidifies. When the mixture is ready, roll it into balls and coat them in coconut or oats. Refrigerate the balls further before eating.

May 24, 2010: Peanut butter and chocolate squares

Michael wanted to prepare something easy for a special morning tea at work and though it's been almost two years since she posted the recipe, I knew that Lisa's peanut butter chocolate squares were what Michael needed.  Between you and me, they were what I needed too - we've had some rice bubbles hanging around in the cupboard for ever and I figured they'd make an excellent (if rather different) substitute for the graham crackers in the original recipe.  (As an aside, I've never eaten a graham cracker.  Can anyone tell me what they're like?)

While not quite as good as double choc-coated peanut butter bliss balls, this slice requires only a fraction of the effort.  It's one of those terrific melt-mix-chill recipes that you can accomplish in 15 minutes, even with the two layers.  A chocolate-peanut butter fix in this Reese's-scarce country has suddenly become scarily accessible.

My one tip is to keep the slice cool, as it has a tendency for melting goo-iness.  At the moment it's fine in the fridge, but in summer I'd be tempted to try it straight from the freezer!

Peanut butter and chocolate squares
(based on a recipe at Lisa's Kitchen)

base
2 cups rice bubbles (note that Kellogg's brand are not gluten-free!)
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup margarine
1 cup peanut butter

topping
1 cup dark chocolate
3/4 cup peanut butter

Line a 22cm square baking tin with paper and lightly grease it.  In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the rice bubbles and icing sugar.  Over low-medium heat, melt the margarine and peanut butter in a small saucepan.  Pour the melted mix over the rice bubbles and stir everything together thoroughly.  Press it into the baking tin, using the back of a spoon to smooth the surface.  Pop it in the fridge while you prep the second layer.   

For the topping, gently melt the chocolate and peanut in a small saucepan (just use the same one!).  When they're smooth and well-mixed, retrieve the slice from the fridge and pour the chocolate over, gently spreading it evenly across the slice.  Return the slice to the fridge for at least an hour to set, before cutting it into squares.

December 21-22, 2009: Macadamia-date balls and vanilla-vegan bubble slice

This year my Christmas baking wasn't baking at all - I went the melt-mix-chill route. It has much to recommend it: it's quick and simple and it doesn't get you too hot and flustered amidst the warm weather and general Christmas chaos.

My first priority was a gift for my step-grandfather, Max. He's been having some health problems in the last few months so I wanted to give him something tasty and treat-like that wouldn't be overly bloating or calorific. The date macadamia balls that Jo posted on It Ain't Meat, Babe seemed to fit the bill - my one-day foray into raw food proved the power of dates' sweet caramel flavour, and the creamy richness of ground macadamias. The bit of cocoa in this recipe only enhanced the treat factor. If I made these again just for myself, I'd sacrifice the sweetness and up the cocoa even further.

The second treat loitering fuzzily in the background is our old family favourite, bubble slice. It's appeared here in various guises before, and I'll dub this version the 'vanilla-vegan' one. Actually it doesn't contain vanilla at all, but rather is the plainest, bare-bones version of the slice without any added nuts, dried fruit or chocolate. The original recipe uses honey and butter, but I made the vegan- and pantry-friendly choice of substituting golden syrup and Nuttelex. In spite of these alterations the aroma of the peanut-butter caramel mixture bubbling on the stove took me straight back to my mum's kitchen. It remains a crowd-pleaser, going down equally well with my country-living, meat-eating brother and the inner-city vegan friends who dropped by for tofurkey sandwiches.

Macadamia-date balls
(based on this recipe from It Ain't Meat, Babe)

1 1/2 cups macadamias
1 cup fresh dates
2 (or more) teaspoons cocoa
~ 1 cup shredded coconut

Blend the macadamias to a powder in a food processor. Add the dates and cocoa and continue to blend until the mixture forms a smooth dough.

Form tablespoons of the dough into balls and roll them in coconut. Store them in the fridge until you want to scoff them.

Vegan-vanilla bubble slice

5 cups rice bubbles
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
125g Nuttelex/margarine
4 tablespoons golden syrup
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

In a large bowl, stir together the rice bubbles and coconut.

In a small-medium saucepan, melt the Nuttelex, golden syrup, peanut butter and sugar. Bring them to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the caramel mixture over the dry ingredients and combine thoroughly. Press the mixture into a small baking tray, using the back of a spoon to smooth over the surface. Refrigerate until set, then cut into squares.

September 13, 2009: Coconut chocolate nut truffles

Others have already blogged about the wonderful vegan potluck held in Miss T's home last Saturday, so I'll just focus on what I made (noting along the way that Kristy's vegan chorizo was otherwordly in its tastiness). The theme for the event was 'new', and the easiest way for Cindy and I to do something new was for me to take care of the sweets and her to deal with savoury.

In the end, I was almost embarrassed to present my offering, chocolate nut truffles courtesy of Johanna, alongside the other stunning desserts - they were trivially simple to make, and just a tiny bit disappointing (at least when put up against white chocolate risotto and peanut butter icecream). I really liked the flavour of these little balls, but the texture was a letdown - they were a bit dry and powdery and were only really rescued by being served with a variety of delicious icecream to moisten them up. I'm not sure if I mismeasured something but they didn't have the gooiness of Johanna's version.

Anyway, here's the recipe - experiment with upping the proportion of liquids slightly.

Coconut chocolate nut truffles
(courtesy Green Gourmet Giraffe)
makes about 15 balls

3/4 cup desiccated coconut
3 heaped tablespoon tahini
3 heaped tablespoons almond butter
6 tablespoons ground almonds
2.5 tablespoons maple syrup
6 teaspoons cocoa
3 teaspoons cocoa nibs (optional)

It's barely even worth writing directions: you just put everything in a mixing bowl and stir it all together. That's it! That's your mixture. Roll it into golf-ball sized spheres of deliciousness and refigerate. And you're done. See - that's a shamefully straightforward effort for a potluck. I'll have to go for something a bit more complex next time.

PS: Mad props to Rachel for hosting us all - it must almost be our turn again.

March 5, 2009: Golden bars for Golden Plains

Again we elected to spend the Labour Day weekend at the Golden Plains music festival. With a total fire ban in place and no camp stoves allowed, it was inevitable that we'd rely largely on the food stalls. This wasn't quite a dismal as it sounds - the menu was almost identical to last year's and for the most part we happily gulped down roti wraps, vegie burgers smothered in hot sauce, mango juice, and nutella-berry crepes. But come breakfast time, whether it occurred at 8am or 1pm, a chunky home made muesli bar was worth its weight in gold.

The muesli bars that we ate were concocted a couple of days early, and based on Heidi Swanson's recipe for Big Sur power bars. Though the recipe initially reminded me of the bubble slice I've eaten (and adapted) so many times, they're actually quite a different proposition. The rolled oats make them more chewy and filling, and though I would never have recognised the coffee in a blind taste test, it adds a terrific and unique depth of flavour. What this recipe does have in common with my bubble slice is flexibility of ingredients: there's a whole host of sweeteners, cereals, nuts and seeds that you could try substituting. My own choice of ingredients meant that I could prepare these entirely from ingredients already in our pantry!

As I stirred together the mixture I worried that it might not hold together (tip: press it into the baking tray using a fork, not a spoon!) and I stuffed it into the fridge overnight. This proved to be unnecessary, and actually made cutting it into squares much more difficult. Unless you're in a very warm place, you can probably keep this away from the fridge altogether.

Golden bars for Golden Plains
(based on the Big Sur power bars at 101 Cookbooks)

1/2 cup pecans, chopped
3/4 cup almonds, chopped
3/4 cup macadamias, chopped
2/3 cup dessicated coconut
1 1/4 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups rice bubbles
1 cup rice malt syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons ground coffee beans
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180°C. While you're waiting, chop up the nuts, then bake them for 5-10 minutes, stirring once or twice. When they just begin to colour, add the coconut and bake for a further 5 minutes, stirring once more along the way. Take it out to cool when everything's golden. Transfer the toasted nuts to a bowl and stir in the rolled oats and rice bubbles.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the rice malt syrup, sugar, salt, coffee and vanilla. Bring the mixture to the boil, still stirring, and allow it to thicken a little before taking it off the heat. Pour it over the cereal/nut mixture and combine everything thoroughly.

Lightly grease a baking tray and pour the mixture into it; I found the back of a fork most useful for smoothing over the top. Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature (don't refrigerate it!) before slicing it into chunks.

January 25, 2009: Chocolate almond figs

These chocolate almond figs kinda start with the Radical Grocery. I first noticed these peeps at World Vegan Day, picked up their card and checked out their website. I admired their M.O. - ethical, sustainable, environmentally friendly, vegan, organic, fair trade - even if it's overlong and overused in this bourgeois food-blogging bubble that I live in. There's a more succinct alternative on their website - "Because we give a shit".

Since then I've been introduced to Radical Grocery mastermind Anikee and on Sunday I had a chance to check out the new RG headquarters, a super-cute shopfront on Sydney Rd next to Scavengers and just across the street from the Don Bosco op-shop. (Don't rush out there just yet! Though the website currently says otherwise, it's most likely that the Radical Grocery will first open its doors for business at noon on Sunday, February 8. Then rush, rush, rush!) These chocolate almond figs were the shop-warming gift that I hastily cobbled together and brought along.

Here's how the recipe goes. Slice whole dried figs in half. Stuff an almond into each half. Coat the almond-fig-halves in melted dark chocolate. Refrigerate or freeze until firm. If you have more chocolate and time, chocolate-coat and cool them once more. There's no need to be neat; either way they'll be velvety and sweet. And they'll sweeten the day of everyone you share them with.

November 23-24, 2008: Grubs

Of all Johanna's posts, my favourite is Gorgeous Grubs. These curiously named sweets are a long time favourite in Johanna's family and it wasn't the recipe that appealed to me so much as the memories she recounted as she rolled them. I didn't plan to make them at all until I was faced with an imminent seminar from a guest speaker at work and a case of baking fatigue. The simple mix-roll-refrigerate process seemed achievable. It also seemed to invite mixing up the ingredients to suit one's own needs and pantry - I went for a gluten-free version, replacing the Marie biscuits with my remaining rice bubbles and some ground almonds. I can envisage mixing in dried fruit and chopped nuts; now that Léna's shared her recipe for sweetened condensed nothing, even a vegan rendition is within reach!

These grubs struck me as the ideal food for a children's party. Not only are they simple to make, they don't require complicated ingredients and their flavour is simple and sweet, not sophisticated. Regardless, they proved very popular with my adult audience! And where do they get their name from? I'm not sure, but I can guess:

Grubs

1 1/3 cups rice bubbles
2/3 cup ground almonds
3 tablespoons cocoa
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
400g can sweetened condensed milk
~2/3 extra dessicated coconut for rolling

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the dry ingredients (rice bubbles, ground almonds, cocoa, dessicated coconut or any substitute you want to make). Pour over the condensed milk and stir it all together until well combined. Roll generous teaspoons of the mixture into balls and toss them through the extra coconut.

Johanna likes these best gooey and at room temperature, but they should otherwise probably be stored in the fridge.

November 1, 2008: Three-shades-of-brown bubble slice

Leading up to our very long weekend away, the crew agreed that each couple would prepare a dinner, dessert and some lunch. Michael's already shown off the lip-smacking cashew curry he brought along for dinner, and this is an off-the-menu extra snack that I made. It's a variation on my old family favourite, bubble slice. I went for a different effect this time, hoping that walnuts and dates would complement the ground wattleseed that I wanted to include. I also replaced much of the butter and sweetener with some leftover coconut cream. It was a mixed success - the walnuts and dates worked together nicely, but I couldn't taste the wattleseed at all and there was too much of the rich binding ingredients for the amount of rice bubbles and nuts involved. Even so, there weren't any leftovers to contend with on our arrival home!

Three-shades-of-brown bubble slice

1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup dates, chopped
3 cups rice bubbles
~120mL coconut cream
4 tablespoons golden syrup
4 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter
60g butter
1 tablespoon ground wattleseed

Grease a medium-large tray. In a large bowl, stir together the walnuts, dates and rice bubbles.

Melt the coconut cream, golden syrup, peanut butter and butter in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes. Stir through the wattleseed.

Pour the sweet butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Press the mixture into the tray and refrigerate for at least an hour. Slice into squares and serve.

January 24, 2008: Leftover makeover - Bubble slice

After my baking disaster on Wednesday night, I called for my Mum. But it wasn't quite the desperate and childish plea you might think - I just wanted the no-bake slice recipe that I so enjoyed as a kid. I figured it'd salve my sore ego, fill the snacking void left by the muffins, and use up some of the rice bubbles I recently bought.

What I've made here only bears a passing resemblance to my Mum's version, which itself bore only a passing resemblance to the original recipe that she emailed to me. It began as some kind of muesli bar slice, with toasted muesli and seeds. I think the toasted muesli may have been phased out of Mum's, and I don't ever remember encountering seeds. For my texture-intolerant brother, there was the bare-basics version: just rice bubbles bound together with the molten butter/peanut butter/honey/sugar mixture. I liked dried apricots in mine, and for an occasional after-dinner treat, it would be spread with a top layer of dark cooking chocolate.

My updated version retains the dried apricots and bring almonds into the mix. The binding mixture is hardly the stuff of nutritionists' meal plans, so I buckled completely and put some chocolate chips in. Those things are designed to hold their shape when chucked into a 200 degree oven but funnily enough melt all over the place here, so rather than than having golden bubbles with fruit, nut and chocolate dots, it's a more uniform caramel colour.

Rather than being a healthy afternoon alternative to the vending machine, I think of these as a slightly less guilt-inducing way of satisfying a genuine chocolate craving. The rice bubbles add some bulk, the dried fruit and honey extend the sweetness, and the peanut butter and nuts bring some richness so that only a small amount of chocolate is required. You could also make these vegan by replacing the butter with Nuttlelex, and the honey with another sweetener - maple syrup, rice syrup, golden syrup... maybe I need to taste the golden syrup version for myself! There are still a few more rice bubbles left...

Last minute edit: Heidi of 101 Cookbooks just posted a power bar recipe with a similar style. I would never have thought to add coffee to this but now I can't wait to try it!


Bubble slice

3/4 cup almonds, chopped
3 cups rice bubbles
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup dried apricots, diced
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
125g butter
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar

Grease a medium-large tray. In a large bowl, stir together the first six ingredients.

Melt the remaining ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, bring to the boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.

Pour the sweet butter mixture over the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Press the mixture into the tray and refrigerate for at least an hour. Slice into squares and serve.