Matron's Munchies

Kitty

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients: 

• 300g/1¼ scant cup peanut butter (any variety)
• 140g/⅔ scant cup vegan butter or spread (our favourite is the Naturli vegan block), very slightly softened
• 150g/¾ cup sugar 
• 150g/½ scant cup syrup (eg maple, agave, fruit) 
• 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 250g/2 cups plain flour (use GF if necessary)

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan)/325°F/Gas Mark 3. 
2. Line two baking trays with parchment. 
3. Get a large bowl and add all of the ingredients except for the flour. Cream them all together either with an electric whisk or manually. 
4. Fold in the flour and stir through until you get a dough like consistency. 
5. Using your (washed ;)) hands, create a smooth dough and shape into around 20 evenly sized balls. 
6. Place about 10 per baking tray and flatten them down with your hand until each ball is about 0.5cm thick. If you want a smoother edge then shape them with your hands. 
7. Bake in the oven for around 15 minutes or until lightly golden. 

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frogmorton

Lovely @kathleenT

Sometimes you just need something sweet!

Also they used MY vegan butter Naturali definite the best for baking 🙂

barbara12

Sorry I keep forgetting to pop in I need cake so will have a look what there is..
Thankyou Kath...xx

Turbogran

Ooh yummy peanut butter cookies yes they will go down very nicely thank you with a nice cup of tea hang on I will just put the kettle on.

Kitty

Chocolate & Banana Nice Cream

Aidan was never very struck on bananas, but I'm sur he wouldn't object to us having a little indulgence.

Healthy, delicious and made in under 5 minutes! The perfect quick treat :)

Ingredients: 

• 4 ripe bananas, cut into chunks, frozen for 2 hours    
• 3-4 tbsp plant milk
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder

Method: 

1. Place all items together in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Add more milk to make it smoother if you need.
2. Serve with chopped nuts, sauce or berries (optional). You could also flavour by combining with mixed frozen berries or peanut butter, for example.

frogmorton

If it has that much chocolate in it Kath he would be in there himself!!!!

Kitty

No Knead Spelt Bread

A super easy, delicious bread recipe that's fun and rewarding to make... oh and healthy! Thanks very much to Viva! podcast presenter Helen Wilson for this one! Check out her other recipes/news :) 

Ingredients: 

• 450g/3 & 5/8 cups spelt flour (you can also use standard bread flour) 
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• ½ sachet fast action dried yeast
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 400-450ml/1¾ cups lukewarm water
• 2 tbsp seeds for topping, eg sesame

Method: 

1. Mix together the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle with a wooden spoon.
2. Mix in the water and oil and stir to form a smooth, wet dough.
3. Spoon the wet dough mix into a well-oiled bread tin. Top with seeds.
4. Preheat your oven to 220ºC (fan)/430ºF/Gas Mark 7. 
5. Cover the dough and set it aside somewhere warm to rise. The bread won't rise a lot, usually just reaching the top rim of the tin.
6. Bake for 25-30 mins. Remove from tin. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped. If it doesn't, return to the oven for a few minutes, out of the tin.
7. Cool on a wire rack.

https://us.v-cdn.net/6031919/uploads/967/bread and butter.jpg

Kitty

Simple Pear & Walnut Tarte Tatin

A number of people in the Viva! office said this is the best dessert they've ever had! Let's not mention the fact that it's actually really easy to make and looks impressive too... result!

Ingredients: 

• 300g ready-to-roll puff pastry (eg Jus-Rol). Use GF where necessary. 
• 2 pears, sliced and cored
• 30g/⅛ heaped cup caster sugar
• 2 tbsp golden syrup
• 65g/⅓ scant cup vegan butter (our favourite is Naturli)
• 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste (optional) 
• Pinch salt
• 80g/5/8 cup walnuts or pecans
• Cinnamon, for dusting 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 190ºC (fan)/375ºF/Gas Mark 5. 
2. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry so that it's around 0.5cm thick. 
3. Using an oven-proof frying pan (we used 28cm pan but you don't need to be exact), cut the pastry to fit the pan leaving 1cm extra around the edge. 
4. In a frying pan, combine the sugar, golden syrup, vegan butter, salt and vanilla extract. 
5. Heat on a medium heat for a few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken and turn slightly brown. 
6. Remove from the heat, stir in the brandy (if using) and then coat the pears and nuts in the caramel sauce until thoroughly coated. 
7. They will be very hot at this point so using tongs (or alternative), arrange the pear slices in a pretty pattern on the bottom of the frying pan. Once you have the pattern you like, scatter the nuts over and around the pear slices. 
8. Place the sheet of pastry over the top of the frying pan, tucking in the edges around the filling. 
9. Brush the pastry with a little rapeseed oil and place in the oven for 20 minutes or until crisp and evenly golden. 
10. Remove the pan from the oven (be careful, the handle will be hot!) and place a large plate over the top. Flip the pan over so that the tarte displays fruit side up on the plate. 
11. Sprinkle with cinnamon, add a little more golden syrup if necessary and serve with vegan ice cream. 

barbara12

Oh my goodness Kath you do us proud I need to make the banana ice cream or nice cream..I am sure Aidan is eyeing it up..
And no need bread now I will try that ..have to make bread in my machine these days.. xx

frogmorton

That I have to make I have everything except pecans, but have a Tesco order coming on Saturday.......shall I?

Thanks Kath lovely recipe still using my favourite vegan butter almost as good as Aidan's and my favourite French butter.......sigh.....

Kitty

Coconut & Raspberry Cake with White Chocolate Icing

Definately something Aidan would like.

Juicy raspberries, sweet coconut and white chocolate... we can't think of a better combination! The cake itself is fluffy, moist and very easy to make :)

Ingredients: 

Dry ingredients

• 250g/2 cups self raising flour
• 150g/¾ cup golden caster sugar
• ½ - ¾ tsp baking powder 
• ½ - ¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g dessicated coconut 
• Pinch salt

Wet ingredients 

• 240ml/1 scant cup soya milk
• 130ml/¼ cup rapeseed oil
• Juice of 1 lemon 
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste

Extra

• 100g/1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 

Icing

• 35g/⅛ heaped cup vegan butter or spread
• 35g/⅛ heaped cup vegetable shortening (eg Trex)
• 350g/3⅛ cup icing sugar, sieved
• 60ml/¼ cup plant milk (if you need to add a little more to get the right consistency, do it ½ tsp at a time)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
• 150g vegan white chocolate, melted 

Decoration

A selection of fresh raspberries, coconut flakes, freeze-dried raspberries, dusting of icing sugar

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan)/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. 
2. Line a medium-sized loaf tin with greaseproof paper and set aside. 

Dry ingredients

1. Thoroughly combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and set aside. 

Wet ingredients 

1. Thoroughly combine all wet ingredients in a large jug. 
2. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir through so fully combined (but don't over-mix). 
3. Pour the mixture into the pre-lined loaf tin and then push the raspberries evenly into the cake mix so they're fully submerged. 
4. Place the cake into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until golden and a cake skewer or knife comes out clean. It's best to check after 20 minutes and if the top of the cake is starting to burn, cover it with some foil. 

Icing

1. Melt the chocolate using a double boiler/bain marie (a glass or ceramic bowl that fits on a saucepan of simmering water but doesn’t touch the bottom) and while you're waiting for it to melt, weigh out the other ingredients. 
2. Combine all ingredients using a hand or electric whisk (electric much easier!) until you get a nice fluffy consistency (not runny). 

Decoration

1. Remove cake from the oven and wait for it to cool before icing. 
2. Icing and decorate the cake to your taste. 

Mike1

Any chance of putting a slice in an envelope and sending it down please 🙏

Kitty

Concentration Smoothie

This smoothie is bursting with zingy fruits, healthy fats, unrefined chocolate and turmeric to enhance concentration and productivity. 

Ingredients: 

• 1 ripe banana
• 2 handfuls frozen blueberries
• Small handful spinach
• ½ tbsp nut butter 
• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• ½ tsp turmeric powder or 2 inches turmeric root, peeled
• ¼ avocado (fresh or frozen)
• 1 tbsp raw cacao powder (unprocessed chocolate full of nutrients... buy from health food shops, bigger supermarkets and online)
• Pinch black pepper
• 250ml/1 cup plant milk

Method: 

Add all of the ingredients to a blender and blitz until smooth. 

frogmorton

I am with @Mike1 1 there Kath that cake looks amazing! It would have been one of Aidan's favorites for sure.😋

That healthy drink is well-disguised too.....🤔 looks amazing beats my chocolate oatly hands down!

Kitty

Easy Berry Crumble Slices

These berry slices are a real summer delight! Simple and fun to make... go on treat yourself :) 

Ingredients: 

Base/crumble

• 300g/2 & 3/8 cups plain flour (use GF if necessary)
• 150g/¾ cup sugar (brown sugar tastes best)
• ¾ tsp baking powder 
• ¾ tsp cinnamon
• 200g/7/8 cup vegan spread or butter (our favourite is Naturli Vegan Block)

Blueberry filling 

• 350g/2½ cups blueberries (fresh or frozen, defrosted)
• Zest of 1 lemon, finely chopped 
• 1½ tbsp lemon juice 
• 2 tsp cornflour 
• 2½ tbsp sugar 
• Pinch salt (optional)
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract or paste 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC (fan)/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. 
2. Line a 20cm/8" square tin with baking parchment. 

Base/crumble

1. In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together apart from the butter/spread.
2. Add the butter and work it in thoroughly with your hands until you have a fine crumble. 
3. Set aside 160g/1 cup of the crumble for the topping and press the rest of the crumble mix into the baking tin. 
4. Put it in the oven for 10 minutes then leave it to sit for 5-10 minutes before adding the blueberry filling. 

Blueberry filling

1. Mix everything together in a large bowl. 
2. Pour the blueberry filling onto the base, making sure it's evenly spread. 
3. Sprinkle the crumble topping evenly over the blueberries. 
4. Put in the oven for 25-30 minutes (or until golden on the top) but check after 20 minutes that it's not browning too quickly. 
5. Remove from the oven and enjoy as they are or with a nice helping of vegan ice cream or custard, fresh blueberries and mint. 

frogmorton

Mmmmmm......

yes please I have some custard to go with🙂👍️

Kitty

Banana Cardamom & Coconut Biscuits

These delicious vegan biscuits are high in fibre from the oats and flour, rich in potassium from the bananas and bolstered by heart-healthy omega 3s from the chia seeds. A stunning, energy-packed mid-morning or afternoon treat.

Recipe created by Rachel de Thample, director of the Vegan Natural Chef Diploma course. 

Ingredients: 

• 125g dark rye flour 
• 150g jumbo porridge oats 
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ¼ tsp sea salt 
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Ground seeds from 6 cardamom pods 
• A generous grating of nutmeg
• 100g coconut sugar
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 tsp chia seeds
• 100ml olive, hemp or coconut oil, or a mix
• 100g finely chopped pitted dates
• 100g desiccated coconut 

Method: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas Mark 4. 
2. Mix all of the ingredients together really well in a large mixing bowl – make sure you fully mix in the bicarb and salt – you don’t want to bite into a clump of it! 
3. Scoop it up by heaped teaspoons or scant tablespoonfuls and arrange with 3cm between each cookie on a lightly oiled baking tray. 
4. Gently press each cookie flat (about 1cm or slightly less) thick – tidy up the edges a little, if needed. Finish with an added sprinkling of nuts, seeds or coconut on top, if you like. 
5. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 12 minutes, or until nicely coloured. They’ll be a little soft when fresh from the oven but will firm up on cooling. 
6. They’ll keep in an airtight container for up to a week. You can freeze the batter if you don’t want to make the full batch – if you freeze the batter in a log shape you can just cut and bake from frozen – just add 2-3 minutes to the cooking time.

Kitty

Budget Banana Bread

Yum! This simple, cheap banana loaf can be frozen and is amazing for using up overripe bananas!

Ingredients: 

• 3 large, very ripe bananas
• 60g vegan margarine OR 50ml vegetable oil 
• 100g caster sugar
• 250g self-raising flour. We like using half each wholemeal SR and white SR, but all-white works too. (GF flour works too)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 5 tbsp soya milk or other non-dairy milk
• 2-3 tbsp raisins or sultanas
• Optional: chopped nuts or sunflower seeds
• Icing (optional)
• 200g icing sugar
• 8 tsp warm water

Method: 

Cake

1. Pre heat 180°C (fan) 350°F/Gas Mark 4. Grease a large non-stick loaf tin with oil spray or a light coating of margarine/oil. Add a base layer of greaseproof paper too. 
2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas in a bowl with a fork or potato masher. Add the margarine and cream it all together well - that is, mix it so it has a fairly creamy texture.
3. Add the sugar and mix in well.
4. Sieve the flour and baking powder then add the banana mixture and stir well.
5. To this, add the soya milk and vanilla essence a little at a time, mixing in well.
6. Add dried fruit – and nuts/seeds if using.
7. Spoon batter into the loaf tin and cook for 40-50 mins until cooked through and golden brown on the top. Test after 40 mins, using a toothpick - it should come out clean if it’s ready – otherwise, put the cake back in the oven for another 10 mins and test again.

Icing

1. Sieve the icing sugar into a medium-sized bowl and stir until smooth. 
2. Pour over the cake and leave to set or enjoy straight away if you like it sticky.

Mike1

I have a simpler recipe for banana bread!

Take one slice of bread, spread butter, add a spinkling of sugar; peel a banana and place on one half of the piece of bread, fold bread over banana then squash a bit. Hey presto, Banana Bread - now eat! 😁

Kitty

Dandelion Root Latte

This is set to be the new latte trend: dandelion root latte. Dandelion roots have a rich, coffee- and chocolate-like flavour without sending you on a caffeine-fuelled rollercoaster. Instead, you get a sustained shot of energy and a rich source of antioxidants. Dandelion root is particularly good for liver health, helping your body rid itself of toxins without depleting nutrients and minerals.

TIP: if you’ve got dandelions growing in your garden, you can dig up the roots in late Autumn (or early Spring), scrub them clean, gently peel, chop into 1-2cm pieces and roast in a 200°C/Gas 6 oven for 20-30 minutes, until nut brown. Once cooled, grind to a powder in a coffee grinder, just as you’d grind coffee but finer.

Recipe created by Rachel de Thample, director of the Vegan Natural Chef Diploma course.

Ingredients: 

• 250ml oat, hazelnut or almond milk
• 1 tbsp dendelion root coffee or powdered dandelion root
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch freshly ground nutmeg (optional) 
• Maple syrup or coconut sugar (to sweeten, optional)

Method: 

1. Warm the plant milk in a saucepan then whisk until frothy. 
2. Add the dandelion root coffee, ground cinnamon and nutmeg and stir through. 
3. Sweeten to taste and drink warm. 

frogmorton

Sweet treats Kath!

They all look lovely. If I dig up some dandelions for the roots will I wet the bed? I think there's some truth in that old wives tale isn't there?

I haven't got self raising in ATM but I have got baking powder so I can soon sort that I love nana bread I know Aidan didn't like it much 😕

Kitty

Toni, hope this answers your question'

"Dandelions… Do they really make you wet the bed?

Previous Next

Can picking a dandelion really lead you to wet the bed?

I grew up on a small farm in North Bedfordshire. At every possible opportunity you’d find me outside, either making perfume with rose petals for my mum (water with squashed rose petals), fishing for tiny fish with what I remember being only a stick and a small piece of fishing line and a hook attached to it , making a den with my sister in an area of the farm we called monkey island, amongst the old twisted tree trunks or catching stunning cabbage butterflies amongst a load of angry hen pecked chickens. When I think back, my childhood was very hard for my parents but totally idyllic for my sister and I.

Now however on some days you may still find me outside as often as possible but with a wicker basket, pair of small scissors and gloves to prevent prickles and thorns. Today I wanted to share with you my love and total respect for the humble dandelion flower. I’m sure you were told the same as I ‘Melly don’t pick the dandelions because you’ll wee in your bed’. So incredibly random I know. What’s funnier is the fact that my family all call them ‘Wee the beds’ and not dandelions! 

On Easter Saturday I took my youngest daughter Chiara out to a local field and picked a few dandelions. She loved the idea that mummy would cook and eat them and that they were free food. I loved it more! The heads are used in salads, or fritters. They are not only for beauty and a visual look but they add a wonderful mild yet peppery flavour too. Spring time is when It’s best to pick dandelions as they tend to be a little sweeter. Stay clear of the roadside dandelions due to fumes and dog mess and make sure you wash and dry them well to remove any hidden bugs. The stems and great lengthy dark green leaves are wonderful when pan-fried with a little olive oil, garlic, seasoning and chilli. Served as a side or squashed in-between a toasted panino filled with mortadella, provolone and tomatoes. A little indulgence from field to frying pack. Now grab your basket and have fun foraging for these stunning treasures that do not lead you to wet the bed but have the ability to brighten your salad instantly."

Vegan Cherry Meringue Pie

El, our amazing pastry chef, loves cherries, pies, meringue and blow torches and this recipe uses all of them! At the Deli, any time we top something with meringue it just flies out the door. We’ve come up with a super-simple meringue recipe for all your vegan meringue needs. Go ahead and use this to top everything: doughnuts, cakes, puddings. The one thing we will say is that it’s worth it to go to a hardware store or cooking supply store to get yourself a little blow torch. They’re cheap, super fun and surprisingly handy.

This recipe comes straight from the amazing new cookbook from Smith & Deli!

Ingredients: 

Base

• 450g/3 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
• 250g/1 cup vegan spread/margarine/butter
• 55g/¼ cup caster (superfine) sugar
• 185ml/¾ cup dairy-free milk of your choice

Filling

• 1kg/5 cups jarred morello or sour cherries, drained (juice reserved)
• 575g/2½ cups (firmly packed) light brown sugar
• Zest of ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch), sieved
• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice

Meringue

• 125ml/½ cup aquafaba (chick pea liquid)
• Pinch of citric acid
• 230g/1 cup caster (superfine) sugar

Method: 

Base

1. To make the pie base, combine all the ingredients, except the milk, in a bowl. Using your fingers, rub the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles loose, wet sand.
2. Make a well in the centre and pour in the milk. Gently incorporate the milk into the flour until you have a firm dough, but be careful not to overwork it.
3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. Once the pastry has had time to rest, grease a 20cm (8 in) pie dish with cooking spray or some spread.
5. Lightly dust a surface with flour and roll out the pastry to about 4mm (¹/8 in) thick, ensuring it is larger than the tart tin.
6. Gently roll the pastry back over your rolling pin, then unroll it over the top of the pie dish. Use your fingers to gently press the pastry into the dish.
7. Carefully trim any excess pastry with a small knife. Refrigerate for another 30 minutes.
8. Preheat the oven to 160°C (320°F).
9. Line the pastry with a piece of baking paper, ensuring it comes up the sides, and fill with baking beads or dried legumes, such as chickpeas or lentils.
10. Blind-bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before removing the baking weights and baking paper. Leave the oven on.

Filling

1. To make the filling, place the cherries and 460g (2 cups) of the brown sugar in a mixing bowl and stir until the cherries are well coated in the sugar. Leave to stand for 30 minutes.
2. A lot of liquid will have seeped out of the cherries, so use a fine-mesh sieve to drain the excess liquid, then return the cherries to the bowl.
3. Add the remaining brown sugar, the lemon zest, cornflour and spices to the cherries and toss well to mix.
4. Pour into the pastry case and bake for 30–40 minutes (or 15–25 minutes if you're making small pies), or until the filling is bubbling and has noticeably thickened.
5. Remove from the oven and set aside until cool enough to handle.
6. Gently lift the pie out of the dish and place on a wire rack. (Don’t wait until the pie has completely cooled to remove it from the tin, as any bubbled-over filling can harden, causing the pastry to stick.)
7. Leave to cool completely before topping with meringue.
8. While the pie is cooling, prepare the meringue.

Meringue

1. Combine the aquafaba (chick pea liquid) and citric acid in the bowl of a freestanding electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
2. On medium–high speed, whisk the mixture to stiff peaks (be patient, it will take a few minutes). Reduce the speed to medium and slowly add the sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly.
3. Once all the sugar has been incorporated, increase the speed to high and whisk for a further 3 minutes, or until the meringue is thick and glossy.
4. Use a spatula to gently spread the meringue on top of the cooled pie and toast the meringue with a blow torch until golden brown all over (don’t worry if parts turn black). Make sure you hold the torch about 20 cm (8 in) away from the pie.
5. Serve immediately!

Kitty

Frangipane Tart

This is one of my favourite dessert recipes: light, crisp pastry with a frangipane topping over a delicate layer of jam. Everyone who tries it loves it, so I hope you will too.

Ingredients: 

For the pastry

• 225g/1¾ cups plain (all-purpose) flour
• 25g/¼ cup ground almonds
• 150g/⅔ cup pure coconut oil or vegan butter/spread
• Pinch of salt

For the frangipane filling

• 180g/1¾ cups ground almonds
• 90g/scant ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
• 75g/⅓ cup vegan butter/spread
• 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
• 180ml/¾ cup almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp almond extract
• Pinch of salt

To decorate

• 200g/7oz (approx.) raspberry jam (jelly), (about ½ jar)
• 80g/½ cup icing (confectioners’) sugar
• 50g/2oz dark (bittersweet) chocolate, melted (using a double broiler method/bain-marie)

Method: 

Pastry

1. Mix all the ingredients for the pastry together in a bowl by hand, until the mixture forms a dough. Alternatively, blitz in a food processor for 1 minute until well combined. 
2. Form the pastry into a ball, flatten it slightly and place it between 2 large sheets of greaseproof paper. Thinly roll out the pastry to fit a 25cm (10in) round shallow flan tin (tart pan). Prick the pastry all over with a fork, then place in the freezer for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
4. Bake the tart case for 18–20 minutes until just golden at the edges, then set aside to cool.

Filling

1. Meanwhile, place all the filling ingredients into a food processor and mix to a smooth batter.
2. Cover the bottom of the cooled tart case with enough jam (jelly) to form a thin layer (the quantity can be adjusted to taste; the more jam, the sweeter the tart), then pour over the frangipane batter mixture to cover. Bake for a further 30 minutes until the filling is puffed up and golden. Set aside to cool. 

Decoration

1. To decorate, add about 2–3 tsp water to the icing (confectioners’) sugar to make a thin glacé frosting. Cover the tart with a thin layer of the frosting, then pipe over the melted chocolate to finish.

frogmorton

Aha so I won't wee the bed then Kath, but I can actually eat them? There was me saving them for the bees too😉

Love the meringues - I must buy me some citric acid so I can have a go at those. As for the frangipane pie well.....I know who else would have enjoyed that.

Matron himself! With a huge dollop of clotted cream on top totally defeating the veganness (new word) of it!

Thanks Kath ((()))

Kitty

Eton Mess

This is delicious. Vegan meringues really do work! They can be prepared ahead and stored in an airtight container until needed. Once you’ve done that, the rest is quick and simple.

This recipe comes straight from our Here Comes Summer guide - brimming with sun-drenched recipes to cook and share over the summer months - or just about any time of year!

 

Ingredients: 

Meringues

• 1 x 400g tin of chickpeas, drained – use the water (aquafaba) to make the meringues. Use the chickpeas for another recipe or freeze them for another time)
• ¼ tsp cream of tartar
• 100g/½ cup caster sugar, preferably golden

 

Whipped Cream

• 250ml/1 cup thick coconut cream, eg Blue Dragon
• ⅛ tsp cream of tartar
• 2 tbsp caster sugar

OR 

Cheatin’ Cream Alternative

• 1-2 tubs Oatly Creamy Oat Fraiche, a vegan crème fraiche. Keep chilled until just before it is needed 
• Syrup eg agave or maple, to taste

 

Raspberries

• 250-375g fresh raspberries (about 2-3 fresh punnets) OR a large box of defrosted frozen raspberries – or other berries/fruit of choice

Method: 

Meringues

1. Line 1-2 baking trays with baking paper – crumple the paper first as this makes it sit on the tray more firmly. 
2. Using a glass or metal bowl, whisk the chickpea water with an electric whisk until it starts to turn white and frothy. Add the cream of tartar and whisk in.
3. Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time and whisk until it is glossy and stiff. Depending how powerful your mixer is, this can take from 10-20 minutes. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down without the meringue fluff falling out.
4. Midway through the beating, pre-heat your oven to 100°C/200°F/just under Gas Mark ¼.
5. Transfer the stiff meringue mixture to a piping bag and pipe small dollops onto baking paper on a baking tray.
6. Bake at for two hours then turn off the oven. Unclick the door and leave to cool for an hour before taking out. Gently peel away from paper. Once they’re cooled, store in an airtight container until the dessert is assembled.

Whipped Cream

1. Chill the coconut cream overnight – or in the freezer for half an hour but don’t let it actually freeze! 
2. When you’re ready to serve, beat it in a glass with the electric whisk and add the cream of tartar. Add the sugar gradually. Chill again until needed.

Cheatin’ Cream Alternative

1. Mix the well-chilled Oatly Crème Fraiche with the syrup until it is sweet enough for you. 

To assemble the Eton Mess

1. Mix the raspberries into whichever cream you are using then fold in the meringues. Spoon into glasses and serve immediately. 
2. Or see the photograph for serving ideas – we used a mixture of raspberries and blackberries as well as fresh mint leaves and a dusting of icing sugar! We also used a combination of whole and broken meringues for texture.