chapter eight

AFTERS

To clarify my opinion on the subject of dessert: The wholesome nature of the recipes in this chapter should not imply that I take a hard-line stance against the odd, or regular, bit of flat-out indulgence, or that I don’t have a deep love for ice cream and pretty much all things sweet. . . . Everything in moderation and so on. I, and many others besides, have written reams of immoderate sweet recipes for special occasions, and I hope to write more in the future, but, in order to provide a solution to modern-day culinary conundrums, I had to keep this chapter of last courses in line with the premise of the others.

The nature of my cooking revolves around whole foods, a plethora of vegetables and unprocessed ingredients, whether sweet or savory, so it would be pretty odd for me to present a chapter of white-sugar-laden and refined-flour-rich desserts in the latter part of the book, even if I do make my own exceptions to the rule every now and then. Cooking with unrefined sugars (they still count as sugars, mind you; more on that later . . . ) and whole-grain flours doesn’t just add trace minerals and fiber, it also brings character and flavor, both traits I value greatly in a recipe.

Allergies and sensitivities appear to be more widespread than ever, and everybody involved in the world of professional cooking has to take notice. Gone are the days, I hope, of dismissing restaurant customers as fussy if they volunteer an allergy, and home cooks have to follow suit when cooking for friends and family. Sufferers will be used to preparing and choosing their food accordingly, but, as with the rest of the recipes in this book, I want to give you choices and solve potential problems.

You might be cooking for a group where only one person is lactose intolerant. Instead of making an entirely separate dessert—creating more work for yourself and perhaps making that diner feel segregated—I have developed sweet recipes using familiar and wholesome ingredients (you’ll find no fillers or gums here) and easy methods that are without common allergens such as dairy, gluten or wheat, but are no less delicious for that.

By focusing largely on cake and ice creams or frozen yogurts (who wouldn’t want either for dessert?), I hope I have given you choices for vegan, wheat-free, gluten-free and dairy-free diets, as well as a few more general wholesome options. Where relevant, I have given hints on tweaking recipes to suit. For example, butter, a natural ingredient I love to cook with, can be swapped for coconut oil in soft-but-solid form. Choose unrefined or extra virgin versions if you like the coconut taste, or refined if you don’t.

As I have mentioned elsewhere, spelt is a strain of wheat, and any flour made from it contains all the gluten that implies. However, compared to our overprocessed modern wheat flours, spelt is higher in protein and B vitamins and is widely thought to be better tolerated by modern humans than wheat is. I enjoy its soft, sweet flavor but concede that, for those who are skeptical about food sensitivities, the equivalent whole-grain wheat flour (by which I mean not stripped or mass-produced) will be comparable, so do directly substitute as you wish. Rye, though not a wheat flour, still contains gluten, but I love the way it combines with a judicious amount of sugar to add toasted flavor notes and a short, pleasingly sandy texture in baked goods. You could try using gluten-free buckwheat flour as a direct or partial replacement for rye. Nuts have proved useful in all forms in this chapter, often replacing flour completely, adding welcome fats, crunch or bolster in the process.

It has been in vogue for a while now to flag recipes as “refined-sugar-free” as a selling point, and I absolutely agree that honey, maple syrup, raw cane sugar, molasses, coconut sugar and the like have merits over white sugar, not least in their amazing range of flavors. They are also relatively unprocessed, depending on what you buy, and contain beneficial minerals such as calcium, magnesium and iron. In the case of agave nectar, honey and maple syrup, you will need about one third less by volume to attain the same sweetness levels as white sugar, and cooking with less sugar can only be a good thing. Add fiber to the mix, in the form of dried dates or other sweet dried fruits, for example, and you can be sure the body will break those sugars down more slowly than the refined equivalent.

But, and here’s the rub: Unrefined sugar is still sugar. Or, to put it another way, refined-sugar-free does not mean sugar-free! I would suggest that using a little less sugar in your desserts where possible—and choosing unrefined and interesting whole ingredients to replace some of those empty calories from refined sugar with real and natural flavors—is a far more sensible approach. I have certainly done my best to keep sugar levels in these recipes as low as possible without compromising taste, hopefully giving those other flavors the space to shine through.

Beyond that, if you eat a colorful array of fresh and thoughtfully cooked vegetables and salads combined with whole grains, a treat here and there is to be enjoyed wholeheartedly, rather than agonized over and wrangled into something it isn’t.

Roasted Pineapple, Coconut and Makrut Lime Sorbet

Roasting the pineapple has a twofold effect: Firstly, it renders even mediocre pineapples fragrant and sweet, and secondly, the oven’s heat stops the fruit’s bromelain enzyme from causing a soapy taste when it is mixed with coconut milk. Serve this refreshing sorbet in scoops or, if you don’t have a machine and can’t face the regular whipping, freeze it in pop molds without churning.

Serves 6 / Makes 1 quart (1 L)

• 1 large ripe pineapple

• ½ cup (120 g) palm sugar (the kind in a container, not a block)

• One 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can coconut milk

• 4 fresh or frozen makrut lime leaves, bruised

• Juice of 1 large lime

• Pinch of fine salt

Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Snap the green top from the pineapple, place the fruit in a roasting pan and cook, skin and all, for 1 hour, until tender. Set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes.
Put the sugar in a saucepan with 3 tablespoons of water and 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk. Bring to a boil very slowly, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once dissolved, simmer for 2 minutes. Add the bruised makrut lime leaves and remove from the heat. Let cool completely (this will take at least 20 minutes), remove the lime leaves, then stir in the lime juice and salt.
Meanwhile, cut the skin away from the roasted pineapple, removing any eyes in the process, and roughly chop the flesh, discarding the central core. Blend the chopped pineapple, with any of its juice, and remaining coconut milk in an upright blender (or with a hand version) until completely smooth. Add the lime syrup and blend again to combine. To make the sorbet really smooth, pass it through a fine sieve.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the blade stops. Then transfer to a freezable container, cover and freeze for 4 hours, or overnight.
To make without a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow, wide freezable container and freeze for 1 hour, until the mixture freezes in a border around the edge. Break up the ice crystals with a whisk and return to the freezer. Repeat this whisking every 30 minutes, until evenly set and too thick to whip. This should take about 3 hours in total. Cover and freeze undisturbed for 4 hours, or overnight.
Soften in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before scooping and serving.

Toasted Marzipan Ice Cream

A luxurious vegan ice cream made with only two ingredients, if you use store-bought, natural marzipan that is. If you want to make your own, blend 2½ cups (250 g) almond meal with ½ cup (75 g) Medjool dates and ½ teaspoon almond extract in a food processor to make a paste. Toast the homemade marzipan for a little longer, and strain the mixture after blending with the coconut milk to make a smoother base.

Serves 4 to 6 / Makes 3⅓ cups (800 ml)

• 11 ounces (320 g) natural marzipan (store-bought or homemade, see recipe introduction)

• 3⅓ cups (800 ml) coconut milk

• Cherries (see below), to serve

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Tear the marzipan into small pieces and spread out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, until turning golden in places. Store-bought marzipan will brown in about 5 minutes and homemade takes about 12, so keep watch. Transfer into a blender with the coconut milk and blend until silky smooth. Chill for 2 hours.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the blade stops. Then transfer to a freezable container, cover and freeze for 4 hours, or overnight.
To make without a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow, wide freezable container and freeze for 1 hour, until the mixture freezes in a border around the edge. Break up the ice crystals with a whisk and return to the freezer. Repeat this whisking every 30 minutes, until evenly set and too thick to whip. This should take about 3 hours in total. Cover and freeze undisturbed for 4 hours, or overnight.
Soften the ice cream in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before scooping. Serve with fresh cherries or, when they aren’t in season, frozen or canned cherries simmered in a covered pan for 15 minutes with a splash of water and a little maple syrup, to taste.

Beet, Cardamom and Black Currant Frozen Yogurt

With its black currant tang, earthy beet background notes and cardamom fragrance, this is more of an exotic sorbet, really, than a frozen yogurt. It does need the silky heft of full-fat yogurt to make it smooth and scoopable. Low-fat versions just won’t work here.

Serves 3 to 4 / Makes 2 cups (500 ml)

• 1⅓ cups (300 g) full-fat Greek yogurt

• 4 green cardamom pods

• 5.5 ounces (150 g; about 3 small) purple beets

• 1¼ cups (150 g) black currants, fresh or frozen

• ⅓ cup (90 ml) maple syrup

• Pinch of fine salt

• Juice of ½ lemon

Line a sieve with a single layer of muslin or cheesecloth. Empty the yogurt into the sieve and leave to drain over a bowl or the sink for 30 minutes.
Give the cardamom pods a good smash with a jar or rolling pin and shake out the dark seeds. Scrub and coarsely grate the beets.
Put the grated beets, black currants, maple syrup, salt and cardamom seeds in a saucepan with ¼ cup (60 ml) water. Cook over low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring often, until the currants begin to pop. Let cool, then transfer into a blender with the strained yogurt and lemon juice and blend until smooth (or blend everything in the saucepan with a hand blender). Pass through a sieve for a smoother result, pushing and scraping the purée with a spatula, or leave as is if you don’t mind a little texture.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the blade stops. Then transfer to a freezable container, cover and freeze for 4 hours, or overnight.
To make without a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow, wide freezable container and freeze for 1 hour, until the mixture freezes in a border around the edge. Break up the ice crystals with a whisk and return to the freezer. Repeat this whisking every 30 minutes, until evenly set and too thick to whip. This should take about 3 hours in total. Cover and freeze undisturbed for 4 hours, or overnight.
Soften in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before scooping.

Geranium Leaf Frozen Yogurt with Berry Ripple

Blame it on romance or nostalgia, but I can’t resist the lure of scented leaves or petals to fragrance syrups and custards. I have made this with geranium leaves and without; both versions are outstanding so don’t worry if you can’t get hold of any; they just add a hint of Turkish delight. The berry ripple is tart, to contrast with the soft and velveteen yogurt, but you may wish to up the honey by a tablespoon or two.

Serves 4 to 5 / Makes 2½ cups (600 ml)

• One 32-ounce (1 kg) container full-fat plain yogurt

• 6 lemon- or rose-scented geranium leaves

• ⅔ cup (190 g) acacia or other mild floral honey

• Juice of 1 large lemon

• Small pinch of fine salt

• 10.5 ounces (about 1 dry pint/300 g) blackberries or black mulberries

Line a large sieve with muslin or cheesecloth and set over a large bowl. Spoon in the yogurt and chill overnight, or for at least 8 hours. If you don’t want to do this, simply use a 16-ounce (500 g) container of thick Greek yogurt and skip the straining step.
Holding them over a small saucepan, snip the geranium leaves into pieces with scissors. Add ½ cup (160 g) of the honey to the pan with all but 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice and the salt. Bring to a boil slowly, then reduce the heat and simmer gently until reduced by half. Cool for 10 minutes, then strain into a container through a sieve to remove the leaves. Cool completely.
To make the blackberry ripple, put the berries in a saucepan with the remaining honey. Heat through gently over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until the berries burst, look “saucy” and reduce down to thicken slightly. Stir in the reserved 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and set aside to cool. Chill until needed.
These three steps can all be done, or started in the case of the yogurt straining, the night before, or even a couple of days before freezing. When ready to churn, combine the strained yogurt and honey syrup thoroughly.
Churn in an ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the blade stops. Or, to make without a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow, wide freezable container and freeze for 1 hour, until the mixture freezes in a border around the edge. Break up the ice crystals with a whisk and return to the freezer. Repeat this whisking every 30 minutes, until evenly set and too thick to whip. This should take about 3 hours in total. Either way, at this stage, ripple in the chilled berry mixture, cover and freeze undisturbed for 4 hours, or overnight.
Soften in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes before scooping.

Fig and Leaf Ice Cream with Fresh Figs

Make this intriguing “ice cream”—strictly a misnomer as it contains none of the usual dairy or eggs—when trays of plump figs are selling cheap, and offer more fresh figs on the side. You should have a good chance of finding a few fig leaves then, too, but don’t worry if they prove elusive. If you are curious, they impart a grown-up and intriguing taste, reminiscent of coconut, vanilla and roasted nuts.

Serves 4 / Makes 2½ cups (600 ml)

• One 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can full-fat coconut milk

• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch

• 4 large fig leaves

• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

• ⅓ cup (100 g) blossom honey

• ¼ teaspoon fine salt

• 4 ripe figs, plus plenty more ripe figs, to serve

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

In a small bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk with the arrowroot to make a paste.
Wash, dry and crumple the fig leaves to bruise slightly. Put them in a saucepan with the remaining coconut milk and split vanilla pod. Slowly bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and set aside to infuse for 20 minutes or up to a few hours for a stronger fragrance. Strain, pressing down on the leaves to extract all their flavor. Return the infused coconut milk to the pan, add the honey and salt and heat through gently. Stir in the arrowroot paste and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 1 minute until slightly thickened, then remove from the heat, cover the surface with plastic wrap and allow to cool. Chill overnight if you have time.
Chop the 4 figs and blend them with the chilled custard and the lemon juice in a blender. The mixture will turn a pale purplish pink.
Pour into an ice cream maker and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions, until the blade stops.
To make without a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow, wide freezable container and freeze for 1 hour, until the mixture freezes in a border around the edge. Break up the ice crystals with a whisk and return to the freezer. Repeat this whisking every 30 minutes, until evenly set and too thick to whip. This should take about 3 hours in total.
Either way, spoon the soft ice cream into an airtight freezable container and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight, until firm. Let soften in the fridge for about 15 minutes before serving with torn ripe figs.

Macaroon and Passion Fruit Curd Tart

I happened upon a good method when saving a curd I’d cooked too quickly: Blending it on a high speed introduces air, changing the consistency from dense and buttery to mousse-y and light. This tart sets and cuts like a dream in its macaroon shell. Do choose shriveled passion fruits; the taut, unripe fruits will be sharp, since they haven’t had time to develop their soft, muscat fragrance as they wrinkle up.

Serves 8

For the macaroon tart crust

• Coconut oil, for the pan

• 1 egg white

• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

• 3 tablespoons raw cane sugar

• 1 tablespoon almond meal

• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

• ¼ teaspoon fine salt

• 1½ cups (120 g) unsweetened desiccated coconut

• Finely grated zest of 1 lime

For the curd

• 2 large, ripe passion fruits, plus more if needed

• Juice of 1 lime, plus more if needed

• 2 eggs, plus 1 egg yolk

• ¼ cup (50 g) raw cane sugar

• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

• Ripe tropical fruit (pineapple, mango, papaya . . . ), to serve

To make the macaroon tart crust, preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Lightly oil an 8-inch (20 cm) tart pan with a removable base.
With a balloon whisk, whip the egg white and cream of tartar in a large, clean mixing bowl until the mixture forms soft peaks. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until stiff and shiny. Fold in the remaining macaroon ingredients to make a sticky mixture. Being very firm, press the mixture evenly over the base and sides of the pan to make a tart crust. Wet your hands if it sticks and do use quite a bit of pressure when spreading it out.
Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until pale golden, but do keep an eye if your oven runs hot because coconut catches easily. Let cool.
To make the curd, halve and scoop the filling from the passion fruits with a spoon and add to a container with the lime juice. There should be ½ cup (100 ml) in total; if not, add more passion fruit or lime juice. Add the eggs, egg yolk and sugar and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Don’t be alarmed by the caramel color! It will change. . . .
Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and stir continuously with a wooden spoon for 8 minutes, until thick, then remove from the heat and pour straight into a blender. Add the butter and blend at high speed until pale and thick with flecks of black throughout. Pour into the tart crust and chill for at least 2 hours to set the curd. Carefully remove the tart from its pan and serve in slices with lots of ripe tropical fruit.

Cinnamon, Apple and Walnut Cake

A little rye flour combines so well with whole-grain spelt flour or plain flour, the former adding nutty flavor in the absence of any dairy, the latter keeping the structure solid and the crumb tender. A bundt or tube-shaped cake pan is pretty much essential here; as the apples are plentiful and juice-filled, they make it hard for a standard round cake to bake through properly without drying out at the edges.

Serves 8 to 10

• ¾ cup (190 ml) mild canola oil, plus more for the pan

• 1⅔ cups (200 g) whole-grain spelt flour, plus more for the pan

• 4 eating apples, such as Braeburn, Gala, Jonagold or Granny Smith

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) raw cane sugar

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• ⅓ cup (50 g) rye flour

• 2¼ teaspoons baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon fine salt

• 3 eggs, lightly beaten

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• ⅔ cup (100 g) walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Oil a 9-inch (23 cm) bundt or tube-shaped cake pan with a little canola oil and dust very lightly with spelt flour, tapping the excess away.
Slice the cheeks off each apple around the core and lay the cheeks down on a chopping board, flat sides down. Slice thinly, skin and all, to make a pile of flattened half-moon shapes. Transfer to a bowl and toss with 3 tablespoons of the sugar and the ground cinnamon.
In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the 1⅔ cups spelt flour, rye flour, baking powder and salt together using a balloon whisk to aerate the ingredients. Measure the oil into a container and stir in the remaining sugar, the eggs, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the walnuts, and mix well. Spoon half this batter into the prepared pan and top with half the apple slices. Repeat the layers once more, finishing with the last of the apples and arranging them neatly.
Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, or until risen, firm and pulling away from the sides of the pan. Check after 40 minutes and, if the cake looks to be browning too quickly, lay a square of foil over it to protect the top. A skewer inserted into the thickest part should come out with no trace of wet batter on it.
Let cool in the pan before turning out and slicing.

Blood Orange and Olive Oil Cake with Almonds

This is definitely a pudding cake, mousse-like and free of both dairy and gluten. Don’t be put off if you’re not a marmalade fan, for the citrus here is full-bodied rather than bitter, and also tempered by grassy olive oil. Later in the year, use regular oranges, add a tablespoon of finely chopped rosemary leaves and serve the cake with raspberries.

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 medium or 3 small unwaxed blood oranges, plus more sliced blood oranges to serve

• ½ cup (100 ml) fruity extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan

• ¾ cup (175 g) raw cane sugar

• 4 eggs, lightly beaten

• 1⅔ cups (175 g) almond meal

• 2 teaspoons baking powder (gluten-free if needed)

Wash the oranges and put them in a saucepan. Cover with water, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until completely soft. Remove the oranges from the water with a slotted spoon and leave to cool.
Cut the oranges in half through their middles, discard any seeds and put the peel and pulp in a food processor. Blend to a purée and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil an 8-inch (20 cm) springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Whisk the ½ cup (100 ml) olive oil, the sugar and eggs together for 3 to 4 minutes, using electric beaters, until light and fluffy. Fold in the almond meal and baking powder with a large metal spoon. Fold through the puréed oranges until thoroughly mixed.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, until golden, well risen and no longer wobbly when the pan is jiggled.
Leave to cool in the pan until completely cold. Turn out and serve slices with more blood orange slices or segments.

Carrot and Lemon Polenta Drizzle Cake

A handsome dairy- and gluten-free cake, though you’d never think it without being told. I’ve called it a drizzle, but to be honest the texture has little in common with a delicate lemon cake; it is robust, yet not heavy, and brimming with caramel flavor from the dates and cane sugar. This is excellent with sweet dessert wine, or as a tea cake.

Serves 8 to 10

• ⅔ cup (150 ml) fruity olive oil, plus more for the pan

• 2 cups (200 g) almond meal

• ⅔ cup (100 g) fine cornmeal or polenta

• 1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

• ½ teaspoon fine salt

• ¾ cup (150 g) raw cane sugar

• ½ cup (60 g) pitted and chopped dates

• 3 eggs

• ½ cup (100 g) finely grated carrots

• Finely grated zest and juice of 2 small unwaxed lemons

• ¾ cups (100 g) unrefined powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Oil an 8-inch (20 cm) springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
Using a balloon whisk to introduce a bit of air, thoroughly combine the almond meal, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl.
In a second bowl, vigorously whisk the olive oil and sugar together until lighter in texture and paler in color. Add the dates to the bowl, then go back in with the whisk, whipping in each egg individually and breaking the dates down a little in the process. Fold in the almond mixture, followed by the grated carrots and lemon zest.
Pour into the pan. Bake the cake for about 40 minutes, until golden, risen and firm. You want it to be well cooked (any dates on the base of the pan will caramelize beautifully), so cover the top with a loose square of foil if it appears to be turning too dark too quickly.
Meanwhile, mix the lemon juice with the powdered sugar. Pierce the surface of the just-cooked cake repeatedly with a skewer and pour the icing over. Leave to cool in the pan, then turn out, icing side up, to serve.

Date, Cocoa and Pecan Cookies

These wheat-free (but not gluten-free) rye flour cookies are reminiscent of the muscovado and pecan freezer cookies my grandmother used to make . . . crossed with a shortbread of sorts. They’re a little of this and a little of that, and not too sweet. Swap in solid coconut oil and use dark vegan chocolate to make them vegan-friendly. The well-wrapped cylinder of dough freezes well for up to three months.

Makes 24

• 2¼ cups (225 g) pecans

• 1½ cups (190 g) rye flour, plus more to dust

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• 1 scant teaspoon baking powder

• ¼ teaspoon fine salt

• 1½ sticks (190 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• ¼ cup (60 g) raw cane sugar

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• ⅔ cup (100 g) pitted and chopped dates

• 3.5 ounces (100 g) milk or dark chocolate, finely chopped

Roughly chop ½ cup (50 g) of the pecans and set aside. Put the remaining pecans in a food processor and blend until finely ground (keep an eye; you don’t want them to turn to an oily paste).
Beat together the ground pecans, rye flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, butter, sugar and maple syrup in a bowl. Fold in the dates and the chopped pecans. Form into a fat (2-inch/5 to 6 cm diameter) log with rye-floured hands. Roll up in parchment paper, twist the ends and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
Slice ⅜-inch (1 cm) thick cookies from the cylinder and space out on the baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes, until slightly risen and dry looking. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then carefully transfer to a wire rack with a spatula or palette knife to cool completely.
Lay a sheet of parchment paper underneath the wire rack. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water), then transfer to a plastic bag. Snip a small corner off and drizzle the chocolate back and forth over the cookies in a fine stream. Let cool for at least 20 minutes in a cool place to set the chocolate, then keep in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chocolate-Muscovado Layer Cake

A vegan chocolate cake fit for a celebration. I’ve found vegan cakes tricky and liable to sink when baked in large pans, so have opted for a triple layer extravaganza, made in smaller pans. Admittedly, some companies specializing in vegan products make expensive cake fillings, but a vegan filling is easy to make, practical and a perfect foil for the rich sponge. If dairy is an option and you’d rather spend less, go for whipped cream, slightly sweetened and spiked with vanilla.

Serves 12 to 16

• ¾ cup (200 ml) sunflower oil, plus more for the pans

• 28 ounces (800 g) vegan vanilla yogurt

• 2¼ cups (455 g) dark muscovado sugar

• 3 tablespoons chia seeds

• 2 tablespoons strong espresso coffee

• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 3½ cups (450 g) white spelt flour

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons (35 g) cocoa powder

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• ½ teaspoon fine salt

• 7 ounces (about ½ a dry pint/200 g) halved cherries or sliced strawberries, plus more to decorate, optional

• 1 tablespoon unrefined powdered sugar, to dust

• Edible flowers or foliage, to decorate, optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly oil three 6-inch (15 cm) cake pans with removable bases or springform pans. Line the bases with parchment paper.

Start with the filling. Empty the yogurt into a sieve lined with a layer of muslin or cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Set aside in a cool place to strain, stirring now and then. It should take 1 to 2 hours to thicken enough to hold its shape when stirred. Remember the cakes are heavy and it will need to stand up to their weight! Stir in 1 teaspoon of the muscovado and chill.

Combine the oil, chia seeds, coffee, vinegar, vanilla and 2 cups (450 ml) water in a large bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the chia seeds to swell. Spoon the mixture into a blender and blend on a high speed until smooth.

Combine the flour, remaining muscovado sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Beat in the oil mixture to make a smooth batter, then divide between the prepared pans.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen. Do not overbake. They should be firm, and a skewer inserted in the middles should come out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Choose the prettiest and most evenly domed sponge to be the top. Place one of the other cakes upside down on a cake stand, serving plate or platter. Spread with half the filling, leaving a ⅜-inch (1 cm) border at the edges to allow for spreading. Scatter with half the cherries or strawberries, if using. Top with a second upside-down cake and repeat the yogurt layer and optional fruit. Sit the favorite cake on top, the right way up. Press down a little so the filling layers bulge out slightly. Take a palette knife and, holding it as close to vertical as possible, swoosh around the outside, flush with the cake, spreading the filling to fill any gaps. Finish with a dusting of powdered sugar and leave plain, or decorate with fresh, edible flowers, such as honeysuckle, or extra cherries or strawberries, if you like.

Kumquat, Cardamom and Pistachio Syrup Cake

A gluten-, flour- and dairy-free gateau with a fallen mousse texture and a mere whisper of cardamom. Expect some slumping as it cools; this is entirely normal and you won’t see it anyway, as a layer of jeweled kumquat slices hides any wrinkles. If they aren’t in season, or are ridiculously priced, douse the cake with honey and lemon juice instead and pile it high with sweet, ripe berries. Serve it as is, or with cream or coconut yogurt.

Serves 8

• ½ cup (175 g) blossom honey

• 9 ounces (250 g) kumquats

• 2 pinches of fine salt

• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon

• ⅔ cup (100 g) almonds (skins on)

• 5 green cardamom pods

• Flavorless oil, for the pan

• ¾ cup (100 g) unsalted and shelled pistachios

• ⅔ cup (125 g) raw cane sugar

• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract

• 1 tablespoon rice flour

• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

• 4 eggs, separated

Put the honey in a saucepan with the kumquats, a pinch of salt and ⅓ cup (75 ml) water. Heat gently and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until the liquid reduces to a syrup and the kumquats turn translucent. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat. Let cool.
Put the almonds in a bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Set aside for 20 minutes, then drain thoroughly and dry gently in a kitchen towel.
Bruise the cardamom pods hard enough to split them and shake their black seeds into a mortar and crush to a rough powder with the pestle.
Preheat the oven to 340°F (170°C). Oil an 8-inch (20 cm) square or 9-inch (23 cm) round cake pan. Line the base and sides with parchment paper.
Put the drained almonds in a food processor and blend until they resemble fine bread crumbs. Add the lemon zest, crushed cardamom, pistachios, sugar, vanilla and second pinch of salt. Blend until the mixture looks like sand. Transfer into a mixing bowl and stir in the rice flour, baking powder and egg yolks, mixing well with a spatula to make a stiff paste.
Whisk the egg whites in a separate, clean mixing bowl until they form stiff peaks. Fold a spoonful of egg whites into the cake batter to loosen it, then fold in the remaining whites in 2 batches, retaining as much air in them as possible. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the cake is golden and risen. A skewer inserted into the center should come out clean. Check after 25 minutes and loosely cover the top with foil if it appears to be browning too quickly.
Spoon the kumquats and syrup over the hot cake in the pan and let cool. Cut into pieces and serve.

Chocolate-Beet Spelt Loaf

This intensely chocolaty, slightly slumped cake is loosely based on Nigella Lawson’s Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake. My version is rich with beet—and you can really taste it, so this isn’t a cake for beet naysayers—and a little more frugal in sugar, and enjoys a hit of coffee to set the flavors off. It is best, I think, a day or two after baking, served with raspberries and cream or yogurt.

Serves 10

• 2 sticks (225 g) unsalted butter, very soft, plus more for the pan

• 3.5 ounces (100 g) dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped

• 1⅔ cups (190 g) whole-grain spelt flour

• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• ½ teaspoon fine salt

• 1¼ cups (250 g) raw cane sugar

• 2 eggs

• 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract

• 1 cup (160 g) raw grated beet

• ⅔ cup (150 ml) hot black coffee or hot water

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line the base and sides of a 9 × 5-inch (23 × 12 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper, using a little butter to keep it in place, as needed.
Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over simmering water (do not allow the bowl to touch the water), stir and set aside to cool (but not reset).
Whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a bowl to aerate.
In a second bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together for several minutes, until very light and fluffy. It will be hard work at first. Beat in the eggs individually, followed by the cooled chocolate and the vanilla. Fold in the grated beet.
Fold in one third of the flour mixture, followed by a good pour of coffee. Keep adding the flour and coffee alternately, folding them in to make a loose batter.
Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 25 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 340°F (170°C) and bake for 20 minutes more. Leave to cool completely in the pan, whereupon it will sink slightly, before serving. It will keep well in an airtight container for a few days.

Coconut-Raspberry Cakes

I found this buttery gluten-free sponge for coconut lovers easier to make as individual cakes. They often bake with craggy, flat tops, so turning them upside down, then coating the domed sponge with a quick coconut frosting and a hat of toasted coconut flakes solves any aesthetic failings. Substitute firm coconut oil for the dairy butter, if you wish.

Makes 8

• One 13.5-ounce (400 ml) can coconut milk

• ½ cup (60 g) coconut flour

• 1½ sticks (190 g) unsalted butter, soft, plus more for the pan

• ⅔ cup (125 g) coconut sugar or raw cane sugar

• 4 eggs

• 3 tablespoons desiccated coconut

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon

• Large pinch of fine salt

• 1⅔ cups (175 g) almond meal

• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder

• 5.5 ounces (about ½ a dry pint/150 g) raspberries

• 3 tablespoons unrefined powdered sugar

• ⅓ cup (25 g) toasted coconut flakes

At least 2 hours before you want to make the cakes, chill the coconut milk can thoroughly, being careful not to disturb it too much. Open carefully and spoon out the set, thick coconut cream on top, leaving the thin milk behind. Chill the cream and measure out ⅔ cup (150 ml) of the milk (you won’t need the rest here; pour it into a bowl and save it to add to a curry). Combine the ⅔ cup (150 ml) coconut milk with the coconut flour and set aside for 5 minutes; the flour will swell right up to form a spongy paste.
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter 8 holes of a large, 12-hole muffin pan. (If your muffin pan has slightly smaller holes, this recipe will make 10 or even 12 cakes.)
Beat the butter and sugar together until soft and fluffy. Add the eggs individually, as you continue to beat. Beat in the desiccated coconut, vanilla, lemon zest and salt. Stir in the coconut-milk-and-flour mixture, almond meal and baking powder to make a thick batter. Fold in the raspberries and divide between the muffin holes. Bake for 25 minutes or so, until risen, firm and golden brown. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning out and cooling on a wire rack.
Whisk the solidified coconut cream in a mixing bowl with the powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Put the toasted coconut flakes in a shallow bowl. Smoosh a generous dab of the coconut cream over the curved base of each cake (which will now become the top) and dip straight into the coconut flakes to coat.

Pear and Rosemary Tarts

Honeyed baked pears combine so well with both rosemary and almonds in these quick tarts. If speed is a priority, use store-bought all-butter puff pastry, rolled out thinly. Or, to make the tarts gluten-free, use Gluten-Free Pastry. The frangipane, which can be made up to 3 days ahead of time if covered and chilled, keeps its shape pretty well when baking so won’t spread, even without the slight puff from the outer edges of the flaky pastry to hold it in place.

Makes 8

• 1 batch Whole-Grain Flaky Puff

• A little flour of your choice, to dust

• 5 tablespoons salted butter, very soft

• ⅓ cup (75 g) raw sugar

• 1 egg

• ¾ cup (75 g) almond meal

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary, plus 8 small sprigs of rosemary

• 4 small, ripe pears

• 8 teaspoons honey

Roll the pastry out between 2 sheets of parchment paper, until it is about ⅛ inch (3 to 4 mm) thick. Peel off the top paper layer. Stamp or cut eight 3 × 5-inch (8 × 12 cm) rounds out (dipping the knife or cutter into a little flour will stop it sticking) and space out on a large baking sheet, lined with the top sheet of paper from the pastry rolling. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours, until needed.
To make the frangipane, beat the soft butter with the sugar in a mixing bowl until very light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, followed by the almond meal and chopped rosemary. This can also be done ahead of time: Cover and chill the frangipane for up to 3 days, until needed.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Halve the pears, scooping out their cores with a teaspoon or melon baller. Holding each pear by the stalk end, make 4 or 5 cuts from near the stalk right down through the base, so that you can fan it out into slices from the base, but keep the slices together at the top.
Spread one eighth of the frangipane out over each tart with a palette knife, keeping a ¾-inch (2 cm) border clear. Fan a pear half out on each tart and brush lightly with a teaspoon of the honey. Bake for 20 minutes, then top each pear half with a rosemary sprig and return to the oven for 5 minutes more, until the pears are tender and the pastry and frangipane are burnished and golden.

Pears in Black Mulberry and Red Wine Sauce

I include this not because it contains any vegan pyrotechnics or mastery, but because a perfectly poached pear, cloaked in red wine and mulberry juice, is a marvelous thing and really needs no other accompaniment, though you can offer cream or ice cream if you like.

Serves 4 generously

• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out

• 1 bottle of good, fruity red wine

• ⅔ cup (120 g) light muscovado sugar

• 14 ounces (about 1¼ dry pints/400 g) black mulberries or blackberries, fresh or frozen

• 6 firm pears, peeled but kept whole

Put the vanilla pod and seeds in a large saucepan with the wine, sugar and mulberries.
Cut a sliver from the base of each pear so that they sit upright. Poach the pears by gently simmering, covered, for 20 to 30 minutes, turning every now and then to make sure they are covered in the wine. They should be tender to the point of a knife, but not on the point of collapse.
Take the pears from the pan with a slotted spoon, setting them aside in a shallow bowl. Simmer the liquid in the pan to reduce it by half, rendering it syrupy and rich. Pass the sauce through a fine sieve, pressing to release all the juice from the berries. Serve each pear cloaked in the sauce.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse with Walnut-Sesame Brittle

This is based on Hervé This’ ingenious method of making a chocolate mousse with little more than chocolate and water. When you take dairy and eggs out of a mousse, you are left with an incredible, uncluttered flavor. I have added maple syrup to sweeten it slightly and vanilla because it pairs so well, but you could use date or rice syrup and a little espresso, chile or cardamom instead.

Serves 4

• 7 ounces (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped

• Pinch of sea salt

• 2 tablespoons maple or date syrup

• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out, or 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

• ½ batch Walnut-Sesame Crunch

Put the chocolate, salt and maple syrup in a saucepan with ¾ cup (175 ml) water. Set over low heat and warm the mixture through, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has just melted.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla seeds. Pour into a bowl, using a spatula to scrape every last drop out of the pan, and start to whip with a balloon whisk. Keep whisking and whisking until the chocolate just thickens and looks shiny, like a ganache. Stop before you think it looks like a mousse, as it will continue to set, but if you take it too far it isn’t a disaster: A dry and thick mousse is rather delicious and, in any case, you can remelt it over gentle heat with 1 teaspoon of water and start all over again with the whisking. Divide between 4 smallish serving glasses or cups.
Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, smash the Walnut-Sesame Crunch down to make a rough mixture. Scatter a little over each mousse to add texture.

Cashew, Date and Vanilla Freezer Cakes

Similar creations are often called “cheesecakes” but, given their vegan status, these rich gluten-free creations are better thought of as chilled nut-butter cups. Add a good puddle of blueberry compote as I have suggested, or pitted cherries with melted dark chocolate, if you prefer.

Makes 10

• 1⅔ cups (225 g) cashews

• 1¼ cups (150 g) whole almonds

• ½ cup (60 g) pitted Medjool dates

• 2 pinches of sea salt

• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise

• ½ cup (100 ml) coconut milk

• ½ cup (100 ml) maple syrup

• ⅓ cup (75 ml) melted coconut oil

• Juice of 1 large lemon

• ¼ cup (75 g) almond butter

• 1 pound (about 1½ dry pints/450 g) blueberries

Cover the cashews with plenty of cool water and leave for 4 to 6 hours, or, if you are short of time, cover with just-boiled water and leave for 1 hour.
To make the bases, blend the whole almonds and dates in a food processor with a pinch of salt. Cut 10 strips of nonstick parchment paper and sit them across 10 holes of a large muffin pan, or similar-size cups or molds if a muffin pan won’t fit in your freezer. They will act as tabs, enabling you to pick the set cakes up. Divide the date mixture between the muffin pan cups or molds, pressing it down firmly to form the bases.
Drain the cashews thoroughly and put in a blender. Scrape in the seeds from the vanilla pod (keep the pod) and add the coconut milk, ⅓ cup (70 ml) of the maple syrup, the melted coconut oil, lemon juice, almond butter and the remaining pinch of salt. Blend on a high speed until completely and utterly smooth, stopping now and then to scrape the mixture down the sides as needed. Divide between the lined muffin pan holes and smooth the tops with a spatula. Make sure the paper tabs are standing up. Freeze for a minimum of 3 hours to set completely.
Put the blueberries in a saucepan with the empty vanilla pod, remaining maple syrup and a splash of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently, stirring often, until the berries burst and begin to turn jammy. Set aside to cool, then remove the vanilla pod.
Pull the set cakes out of their molds using the paper tabs and let sit in the fridge for 10 minutes or so. Serve with the blueberry compote spooned over generously.

Salted Chocolate and Almond Truffles

This (incidentally) vegan mixture makes a rich and intense truffle, balanced with a good kick of salt.

Makes about 36

For the truffles

• ¼ cup (50 g) coconut oil

• 1 tablespoon coconut sugar or maple sugar

• ¾ cup (200 g) white almond butter

• 7 ounces (200 g) dark chocolate with 70 percent cocoa solids, chopped into small pieces

• 2 large pinches of sea salt flakes, scrunched up in your fingers

• 1 vanilla pod, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out, or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the coating

• Cocoa powder

• Unsweetened desiccated coconut

• Shelled and unsalted almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios and so on, finely chopped

Heat the coconut oil and sugar together in a saucepan set over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the oil has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Add the almond butter, chocolate, a pinch of scrunched sea salt and all the vanilla seeds. Continue to stir gently until the chocolate is two-thirds melted. Remove from the heat and continue to stir intermittently until smooth and shiny.
To make square truffles, pour the mixture into an 8-inch (20 cm) square brownie pan lined with parchment paper. To make scoopable truffles, you can use a pan as above or a shallow bowl, about 8 inches (20 cm) in diameter. Either way, set the truffle mix aside to cool, then scatter with the remaining scrunched sea salt. Chill for 2 hours, until set solid.
Transfer the coating ingredients you want to use into shallow bowls; the amount you’ll need will depend on how many different coatings you use in a batch, but make sure the bases of the bowls are covered generously to get an even covering.
To make square truffles, turn the mixture out onto a cool work surface and slice into small squares (the mixture is rich) then roll each gently in a coating. To scoop out curls, leave the mixture at room temperature for 15 minutes or so (this is a bit trial and error as weather and kitchen temperature vary so much), then scrape the surface with a teaspoon to scoop into curls and rough spirals. Roll each gently in a coating and keep cool or, if they feel soft, return them to the fridge to set the mixture up.
The coated truffles will last for 2 weeks or so if they are kept chilled in a sealed container. Or freeze them for a good month, defrosting in the fridge overnight when you need them.