Vegan Mac and Cheese

Ok, let's be real for a second here. This 'Mac and Cheese' contains some mac but no cheese. 

 BUT, it will give you the same fuzzy, warm feeling the folks at Kraft have always promised minus the bloating, bubbling layer of grease and the gnawing sense of regret that will follow you to the gym for the entire week as you try to 'exorcise' (*BADDUM TCH!*) those cheesy demons! 

Or maybe that's just little old self-loathing me... I should really work on that... 

Either way though, this dish is legitimately the bomb dot com! Its not only VEGAN but also GLUTEN-FREE and pretty low in fat, especially when compared with its traditional counterpart. Rather than a cheesy, floury sauce it uses fresh pumpkin roasted with garlic and spices, almond milk and nutritional yeast for that familiar cheddar' flavour. Plus I served it in an edible pumpkin bowl so you know... its got that cute yet practical factor going on.

Carrot cake = Good!

Individual sized carrot cupcakes = Amazing!

Individual sized carrot cupcakes topped with cream cheese and candied carrot tuille = SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

 

Carrot and Cream Cheese Cupcakes

Makes ~10 cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

125g Self-Raising Flour

1/2 tsp Bi-Carb Soda

2 tsp Cinnamon, ground

Pinch of Salt

150g Caster Sugar

1 cup Pecans, chopped

2/3 cup Vegetable Oil

2 Eggs

2 large Carrots, grated

For the Cream Cheese Icing

250g Cream Cheese

500g Icing Sugar

100g Butter 

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

To Decorate

2 cups Pecans

Candied Carrot Tuilles (see this recipe for how to make them)

To make the cupcakes, start by combining the first six ingredients in one bowl and the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, whisking the wet mixture until combined. Add the wet mixture into the dry and stir until totally combined. 

Divide the cupcake mixture between 10 cupcake cases and bake at 180 degrees C for 20-25min until cooked through when tested with a skewer. Set them aside to cool completely. 

To make the icing, beat the butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer until totally combined and light. Beat in the vanilla and then gradually add in the icing sugar and continue beating until the entire mixture is smooth. 

Use a knife to spread a thin layer of icing over the top of the cooled cupcakes. Take half of your decorating pecans and place them in a zip lock bag, then use a rolling pin to crush them finely. Sprinkle the crushed nuts over the top of the cupcakes, making sure they are well covered all the way to the edges. Shake off any excess nuts which didn't stick in the icing. 

Place the rest of your icing in a piping bag fitted with a star-shaped tip and pipe a swirl of icing on top of each nut-covered cupcake. Top each with an extra pecan and a candied carrot curl.

That's it! Enjoy XO

Mother's Day Spoils

As everyone should know, this past weekend was Mother's Day (and if you didn't know that you are officially the worlds worst child! Just kidding! But really... for shame).

So a belated "Happy Mother's Day" to all those mums, Nannas, mother-figures and that teacher I accidentally called mum that one time...

Every year on this oh-so-special day, as part of a wider present package, I make my lovely mother a batch of her favourite Florentine biscuits. Fruity, buttery and chocolaty... I have no idea why she loves them!

 

Furthermore, this year I decided to kick the usual breakfast in bed caper up a notch by creating a delicious behemoth of bacon, french toast and Gruyere cheese. My mum loves to go for morning beach walks with her friends and they often stop for breakfast at a nice little cafe just off the sand. French toast with bacon and maple syrup is always the dish of choice. With this in mind I decided to make said meal for my mum's breakfast and was casually googling how I could present it nicely when I stumbled upon a game changer.

Recipe upon recipe detailing a concoction of crusty sourdough stuffed with crispy bacon and rich Gruyere, dipped in a custard bath and fried to golden perfection. Surely this food was that of Gods and not meant for the humble human? Could I dare follow the lead of these brave soles and venture into the crispy wonderland of digestation parts unknown? 

Short answer: Yes, and it was delicious!

 

Florentine Biscuits

375g mixed dried fruit
120g slivered almonds
200g glace cherries, chopped
1/4 cup plain flour
150g butter, chopped
1/2 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
375g dark chocolate


In a small saucepan heat the the butter and honey until completely melted and smooth then set aside to cool slightly.

Place the fruit, almonds and cherries in a mixing bowl and stir in the flour. Mix in the egg and the cooled honey mixture.

Spoon the mixture amongst a non-stick cupcake tray (I used one with heart shaped moulds)  and press down the make them even and flat. Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Set aside in the tray to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate either over a baine marie or in the microwave and dip each biscuit into the chocolate so that the bottom in completely covered. Set aside on a sheet of baking paper with the chocolate side facing upwards for half an hour or until the chocolate completely sets.

Bacon and Gruyere Stuffed French Toast

 

Sourdough bread
2 eggs
1 cup milk 
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 slices rindless shortcut bacon
100g Gruyere cheese, grated
Olive oil (or butter), for frying
Maple syrup, to serve


Using a serrated knife, cut a thick slice of sourdough (~4cm) and then cut into the side of the bread (without going all the way through!) to create a pocket inside the bread. 

In a non-stick fry pan, cook the bacon over a high heat until crispy then remove to a plate lined with absorbent paper. When cool enough to handle, roughly chop the bacon and combine in a bowl with the grated cheese. Stuff the mixture into the pocket of the bread slice and pinch the edge to help seal the mixture in.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and vanilla and then dip the stuffed bread into the custard mix, coating both sides until saturated. 

In a fry pan heat the oil or butter over medium heat and add the bread, cooking for 5 minutes before flipping over. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for a further 5-10 minutes or until cooked through. 

Serve with a generous drizzle of maple syrup and enjoy!