Snowbet

Just an idea really rather than a recipe to use fresh snow to make a healthy sorbet-style treat. I have often tried mixing fruit juice with snow or drizzling syrup on top, with mixed results. But last summer I started making fruit sorbets and slushes with mango puree and crushed ice so this time I decided to try it with snow in place of ice.

Servings: 2-3 

Ingredients
About 1/2 cup mango or other fruit puree, chilled for best results
Freshly fallen snow (if you don't have time to make it immediately, gather the snow in a large bowl while it is still falling and place in the freezer until you are ready to make it)

Method
Place the fruit puree in a large bowl and add handfuls or cupfuls of snow, mixing well after each addition, until the mixture reaches the consistency of fruit slush or sorbet. You can use more or less fruit puree just add enough snow to reach the appropriate consistency. Eat immediately or it will melt.

Sticky toffee cake

Inspired by a classic British recipe, sticky toffee pudding but not quite as rich or sweet. The sweetness in this cake comes in bursts from bits of dates scattered throughout. It is flavoured with sweet spices and has a dark, dense, moist crumb. I have used gluten-free flours in the cake as these give a softer texture in low-fat recipes.

Makes: 1 small cake

Ingredients
1/2 cup sorghum/jowar flour
1/2  cup rolled oats/oatmeal (ensure it is certified gluten-free if making it for a  special diet)
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon ginger powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
4-6 tablespoons yoghurt (I used soya yoghurt)
1-1/2 tablespoons black treacle, molasses or golden syrup
2 tablespoons brown sugar
5 tablespoons finely chopped dates
1-1/2 tablespoons nut butter (any except for peanut butter) or 1-1/2 tablespoons chopped almonds or cashew nuts

Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease a cake tin, 14 cm/5.5 inches wide. Place the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a mixing bowl. Grind the oats (and the chopped nuts, if using) to a powder in a blender/food processor/ coffee grinder. Add to the mixing bowl. If using nut butter, add it to bowl and rub it between your fingers with the other ingredients to incorporate it, until the mixture resemble a coarse powder, like bread crumbs. If you are not using nut butter, simply blend all the dry ingredients with a spoon or whisk until well combined.

In a pan, place the sugar, chopped dates and treacle, molasses or golden syrup, along with 1/2 cup/125ml water. Heat over a medium until the treacle has melted and the sugar is dissolved. Allow the mixture to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add it other dry ingredients along with 4 tablespoons of the yoghurt and mix well. The batter should be fairly thick but easy to spoon into a cake tin. If is too stiff, mix in an additional 1-2 tablespoons of yoghurt. Tip the mixture into the greased cake tin with the help of a spoon. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a knife or skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out dry and clean. As it is quite sticky there may be crumbs on the skew but there should be no wet batter. 

Leave the cake in the tin to cool to room temperature, then turn out the cake onto a plate by sliding a knife around the sides and tapping the base of the tin, taking care not to break the cake as it is quite crumbly. To serve, carefully cut the cake into chunks or slices, using a serrated knife if possible reduce crumbling.

Carrot cake muffins

Carrots add moisture and sweetness to these lightly-spiced muffins which have a soft, fluffy crumb with hints of chewy coconut and juicy chunks of pineapple.

 Makes: 9 muffins

Ingredients

1/4 cup sorghum/jowar flour

1/4 cup rice flour

1/4 cup rolled oats or oatmeal (use certified gluten-free oats if making it for a special diet)

1/4 cup brown sugar (I used demarara sugar; if using unsweetened milk add an extra teaspoon of sugar)

3 tablespoons fine dessicated coconut

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda/ baking soda

1 cup coarsely grated carrot (grate just prior to ensure it is crisp)

1/3 cup finely chopped fresh or canned pineapple

3/4 cup milk (I used non-dairy hazelnut milk)

 Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Grease 9 holes of a cupcake tin (for making small cupcakes not giant muffins; about 5 cm/ 2 inches diameter at the top) or line with greased paper cases. Grind the rolled oats or oatmeal with the cloves to a powder. Place the sorghum and rice flours in a bowl and add the ground oats, coconut, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder. Mix with a spoon or whisk until the ingredients are well-combined. 

Add the pineapple, carrot (freshly grated) and the milk and mix until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Divide the muffin batter evenly between the holes of the tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes until risen and golden and a skewer or knife inserted in the muffin comes out clean (it might be slightly sticky from the pineapple but there should be no wet batter). Allow to cool for 3-5 minutes until you can handle them comfortably. Cool the muffins further or serve hot.

Mango ice-cream with blueberries

This is a very easy recipe with only two ingredients for the ice-cream. There is no added sweetening as the mango and cashews are sufficiently sweet. The cashew nuts also provide a rich creamy texture. Blueberries complement mangoes well but substitute with other berries or chunks of mango if you wish.

Servings: 1-3
    

Ingredients
1 large ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks

½ cup cashews, soaked for at least 2 hours

Blueberries or other fruit to serve

Method

Coarsely grind the cashews in a food processor/blender. Add the mango and blend till very smooth. Spread the mixture thinly on a foil lined baking tray and freeze for about 1 hour. The mixture should be solid and peel off the foil but not rock hard. Break the mixture into pieces and blend again till smooth and creamy. You may have to scrape down the sides and stir the mixture a few times in between blending to obtain a smooth texture. Serve topped with blueberries (or other fruit).