Let us Yoga while the cake bakes!

Born out of desperation our Yoga and Baking mornings have got off to a fine beginning. My dear friend Laura had lost all hope in gluten free baking so Peta and I decided we should right this wrong, gather, set a baking mission and of course do some yoga :-) with that our Wild Laurel mornings were initiated.
 We would choose a recipe, make said recipe and while it was in the oven we would Yoga to the delicious nose tingling delights of our baking magic. Let's just say it could not go wrong.

Today's recipe is from Susan Jane White's The Extra Virgin Kitchen

Praline Cupcakes
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (I used Raw Cacao)
1/4 Coconut Flour
I teaspoon Baking Powder
1/2 cup raw agave/ honey
3 Tablespoons almond butter or Soya Yogurt
3 eggs beaten
5 tablespoons Coconut Oil melted
1 tablespoon Tamari
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Praline Frosting
2/3 cup Cashew Butter
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
2 teaspoons Tamari
taste if you like a little more salt and add tamari accordingly


Preheat oven to 180'/160'fan or 350'F
Sift Cocoa, coconut flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

Beat together, sweetener with Almond butter or soya yogurt with a large balloon whisk and blend in all remaining ingredients.

Add the wet mix to the dry and blend thoroughly with the balloon whisk until silky smooth.

Prepare your muffin trays with cupcake liners or as we did use brilliant star and heart shaped silicon muffin cups.
Mixture will be super runny so trying not to cover everything in this deliciousness, finding any excuse to lick all bowls and spoons repeatedly! Fill each cup about 2.5 cm

Cook for max 20 mins but keep an eye on them as ours cooked pretty quick and our second batch that we cooked less were more delectable. Coconut flour can be a little sticky in the mouth so these cupcakes need to be super moist to enjoy their decedent healthiness.

Mix frosting ingredients and smoother each little star with a heap of paradise.

Tip: The extra virgin chef states not to use maple, barley malt or brown rice syrup as sweetener in the mixture because it "misbehaves" with the coconut flour.
Coconut flour behaves unlike any other flour so don't substitute it with another flour, it won't work!

We baked 30 and devoured rather a lot of them with coyo and fruit.
Amazingness on all accounts……………

Green Smoothie- Current Favouite :-)

                     

There are green smoothies and there are green smoothies and then well..... The options are endlessly green ... My current favourite protein potent smoothie is this..... 

1 1/2 cups Oat milk

Ice/ water 

Teaspoon Matcha Green tea Powder

2 teaspoons green powder of choice -the Pukka Clean Greens packs a serious punch giving you your daily umph in the form of Nettles, Wheat Grass, Barley Grass, Parsley, Spirulina, Chlorella, seaweed, Kales sprouts, the list goes on!  (I think I need to write a whole article on this amazingness!!) 

2 large handfuls of fresh spinach

1/2 courgette?! 

I scoop of Sun Warrior plain vegan protein powder 

Cinnamon

Handful Chia seeds

Vanilla essence

Dash of coconut palm sugar if you need a little sweetness or a bit of banana is tasty too 

All ingredients can be modified to your taste buds so feel free to experiment 

It's a brilliant breakfast but also makes for an amazing afternoon pick you up. Enjoy it in all it's divine wild greenness 

X

Everybody's Easter Cookies

It's safe to say I like to bake, Friday has surreptitiously become the day for exploring new recipes and creating divinely delicious treats to healthily indulge in over the weekend.
This weekend I spent in the countryside visiting my God daughter Eleanora. Her mother, who has proclaimed total apathy towards baking leaves it up to me to cut the cookie dough.
But…."no eggs, no gluten, no nuts and no sugar"  Perfect, Just how I like it!

125g Vegan Margarine or Goats butter
4 tbsp Coconut Palm Sugar
I tsp Vanilla Essence
150g Gluten free flour
70g Self raising Gluten free flour

I am certainly not aspiring to be Heston but I am an explorer and love to experiment and mix it up. This was a basic biscuit recipe that I have gently doctored to meet the health requirements I desire without compromising on the taste.
I'd rather just lick maple syrup out of the bowl than eat a cookie that didn't cut it.

Keep the heat low. the slower you cook them the more shortbready they become.
I say 175'C but you could probably go lower.
Mix butter, sugar and vanilla in to a smooth paste
Sift in the flour
Roll mixture into a log and refrigerate for 30 mins or so
Then cut cookie sized slices roll in your hands to soften and flatten on to a cookie tray.
Press a fork in to the top to make a nice home made pattern.
Or for a special occasion roll out the dough to 1cm thickness and use fun cookie cutters. I am a stars and hearts fan myself.
Place in the oven for 15 mins or until golden, Turning them once during baking.

Everybody loves an easter cookie :-)

Ridiculously Tasty Healthy Courgette Muffins

When a rainy day hits there is nothing better than hibernating in the kitchen. Following on with my courgette obsession and while they are in season I thought I'd share another recipe.
My baking usually begins by looking in the fridge to see what veg I have, it somehow feels less indulgent if there are vegetables in the mix.
I found a recipe that had some of my favourite things, Courgette, Ginger, Spelt and Cinnamon..... and doctored it a little to suit what I had available. 

Courgette & Ginger Spelt Muffins

Originally from Babycakes by Erin McKenna

Makes 12 muffins depending on the muffin case used. 

2 cups spelt flour

1/2 cup ground flax seeds

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup coconut oil

3/4 cup agave syrup

3/4 cup rice milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups zucchini, shredded

I ended up using Doves Gluten free flour as had no spelt and just added an egg white to bind the mixture. Vegans can use Xanthan Gum 

I also replaced the coconut oil with apple puree.

I also added some final touches, sprinkling coconut palm sugar and some seeds on top before I put them in to bake. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line muffin tin with liners, or use amazing rubber ones in Stars and hearts.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, flax seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Add the ginger, oil, agave, rice milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients and stir until smooth.  Fold in the Courgette.  Fill the cups evenly with 1/3 cup of batter and bake on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the pan 180 degrees after 15 minutes.  

To test the muffins, insert a toothpick into the center.  The muffins are ready when the toothpick comes out clean.  I personally like them a little stickier so under cook them, your call. 

Let stand 15 minutes then transfer and cool.  

I have eaten them for breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner and they seem work well at any time of day 

They were a huge hit and even my nieces loved them, so brilliant snack for the kids too.