Vegan And Gluten-Free Chocolate Mousse

 

Whilst we are still in lockdown, here is another amazing vegan dessert for you to try when bored! It is quick, healthy and so good!

What you will need:

150g of chocolate. You can choose whether you want to use dark, milk (make sure it is made with plant-based milk) or maybe even white chocolate, but our favourite is dark as it doesn't turn the mousse too sweet.

½ tbsp of caster sugar.

300g of silken tofu.

150g of raspberries. You can use any berries you want but we think that raspberries give the mousse some nice acidity!

Cinnamon.

Shredded coconut.

Steps:

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of boiling water.

Blend the tofu with the sugar in a blender.

Mix in the melted chocolate and blend again until smooth.

Pour the mousse into four small cups, add in some raspberries.

Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

10 minutes before serving, remove from the fridge to soften.

If you want - add on toppings like cinnamon or shredded coconut.

Bon appetit!

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Easter - Bunny Rolls

 

Image from: https://www.fleischmannsyeast.com/recipe/sugar-and-spice-bunnies/

Easter is right around the corner and we at Madia & Matilda found the perfect Easter themed dessert for you and your family to enjoy. Have your kids join in and try making these cute bunny rolls together so that you have something delicious to snack on after a big egg hunt!

What you'll need for the dough:

2-1/2 to 2-3/4 cups all purpose flour 

3 tablespoons sugar 

1 (2-1/4 tsp.) yeast

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

2 teaspoons freshly grated orange peel 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup milk 

1/4 cup water 

3 tablespoons of butter 

1 egg 

1/3 cup currants/raisins 

What you'll need for the sugar glaze:

1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar 

1 tablespoon milk 

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange peel 

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 

Directions:

Combine 1 or 1/2 cups of flour, sugar, undissolved yeast, spices, orange peel and salt in a large mixer bowl.

Heat milk, water and butter until very warm. Gradually add to the flour mixture.

Beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer, scraping bowl occasionally.

Add egg and 1/2 cup flour. Beat 2 minutes at high speed.

Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough.

Knead on a lightly floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Set aside 10 currants or raisins for the bunny’s eyes. Knead remaining into the dough.

Divide the dough into 5 equal pieces. Roll each to a 24-inch rope.

Divide each rope into 1 (13-inch), 1 (6-inch), 2 (2-inch), and 1 (1-inch) strips.

Coil 13-inch strip to make body; coil 6-inch strip to make head.

 Attach head to the body; pinch to seal.

Shape 2 (2-inch) strips into ears and remaining 1-inch strip into tail.

 Attach to the body and head. 

 Place on 2 greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place for about 1 hour.

Bake at 190 degrees for 13 to 16 minutes or until done. Let cool.

For the sugar glaze: stir all ingredients until smooth.

 Drizzle the bunnies with the sugar glaze.

Lightly press reserved currants into heads for eyes.

Tip! The bunny parts will "cling together" as the dough rises and bakes. Do not place more than 4 bunnies on a baking sheet.

This one might be a bit longer that our usual recipes but trust us - it is so worth it!

Happy Easter!

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

Foodie - Vegan Chicken Noodles Soup

 Vegan Chicken Noodle Soup, perfect for winter

(via @cleaneatswithcleo)

Ingredients⁣

1 tbsp olive oil ⁣

1 large yellow or white onion, chopped ⁣

4-5 large carrots, peeled and cut into coins ⁣

4-5 celery stalks, sliced ⁣

2 garlic cloves, minced ⁣

1 tsp fresh thyme (dried works too)⁣

1 tsp salt ⁣

1/2 tsp black pepper ⁣

1 15-oz can of chickpeas 

10 cups vegetable broth ⁣- you can add more to achieve desired consistency! 

8 - 8.8 oz of noodles, I used @barillauschickpea rotini ⁣

Fresh dill for serving (or parsley!) ⁣

⁣

Heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and cook until softened.

 Add the garlic and thyme, salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes.⁣

Add vegetable broth and bring mixture to a boil. Add the chickpeas or chicken and pasta, reduce to a simmer and cover for 15 minutes. ⁣

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

Doing Things A Little Differently This Halloween

We all love a treat and even though this years Halloween shall be a little different, we thought we'd compile a few things to do and make this Halloween. 

We may not be able to go trick or treating, but we can hold a safe socially distanced bonfire night, or cookout with the rule of 6 family members. 

Charlie - Dungaree

Or you could have a picnic with all those cookies, spice pumpkin lattes you made with our favouite recipe here: 

Homemade Halloween sugar cookies, topped with royal icing and perfectly decorated with Halloween sprinkles!

You will need:

16 ingredients

Refrigerated

• 1 Egg, large

Baking & spices

• 2 3/4 cups All-purpose flour
• 2 tsp Almond extract, pure
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 1 Food coloring
• 1 1/4 cup Granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp Meringue
• 3 cups Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp Sea salt, fine
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract, pure

Dairy

• 1 cup Butter, unsalted
• 3 tbsp Half and half

Desserts

• 1 Candy eye decals, Small
• 1 Nonpareils, Small or jumbo

Liquids

• 3 oz Water

Instructions

In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside until ready to use.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed once again until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix briefly once again. 

Add the egg and mix on medium speed until well-incorporated. Add the half and half, along with both the vanilla and almond extract and mix once more.

Add the flour in 3 separate additions, mixing on low after each addition. Do not over-mix. Divide the dough into two rounds and lay each atop a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten into a disk shape, wrap and refrigerate until chilled, no less than 1 hour. The dough can be made a day in advance.

Preheat the oven to 350° and have ready cookie sheets lined with either parchment paper

One at a time, lay the disks atop a large floured work surface. Lightly flour each side of the dough round. Begin rolling, from the middle outward in each direction, shifting the dough slightly after each roll to avoid sticking. Do this until the dough is a 1/4” in thickness. Cut out dough into desired shapes.

Transfer the cookies to the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them at least 1 inch apart. Bake until the outer edges are just tinged with golden-brown, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before icing.

For the Royal Icing:

Have ready a piping bag fitted with a round tip.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine powdered sugar, meringue powder, water and extract. Begin mixing on low until powdered sugar has absorbed the liquid ingredients, then increase speed to high. Alternatively, use a large mixing bowl and a handheld mixer. Mix for 2-3 minutes or until the icing is the consistency similar to toothpaste.

To ensure the icing is the right consistency, test it by allowing icing to drip from the paddle attachment or beaters. It should take about 30 seconds before the fallen icing loses its shape and melds into the rest of the icing.

If colouring the icing, add the food colouring now. 

To apply the icing to the cookie, pipe a line of icing about an eighth of an inch from the edge of the cookie. This is also called outlining. Do not pipe directly on the edge. Then, pipe in a tight and compact zig-zag pattern to fill the inside of the cookie. This is also called flooding.

Decorate with sprinkles and decals while the icing is still wet. Set aside and allow to set for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight.

 

Credits: https://www.theanthonykitchen.com/halloween-sugar-cookies-made-to-party/

Tips for using royal icing - select your icing. Make up a batch of royal icing in a bowl and just dip the face of the cookie in it. This is great fun for getting the kids involved.

 If you like sprinkles and candy, it to create add more colour and detail to your cookies

 

Cookie cutters can be so useful, for interesting shapes makes  your cookies look well put together. (for the bake off pro)

If you want to go a step further, you could also buy candy eye decals for that perfect finish or pipe them from a non-plastic tube - for tips on how to use a piping tube, see here https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-use-a-piping-bag-224064

If  cooking is not your thing,why not take a trip to the pumpkin fields and decorate with the kids when you get home 

 

Sincerely Madia & Matilda 

Christmas Cookies - Bakes To Love

Cookies make the perfect treat and of course no Christmas is complete with out milk & cookies. Therefore we have compiled a list of easy to bake cookies.. From, gooey American chocolate chip cookies to melty shortbread, we've got a biscuit selection to please everyone.






Ginger nut - Vegan Option


Super crunchy vegan gingersnap cookies. These brown sugar sweetened vegan cookies are packed with ginger and cinnamon flavor and perfectly balanced between sweetness and spice

Ingredients
1/4 cup (56g) Vegan Butter
1 cup (200g) Brown Sugar
1/4 cup (75g) Unsulphured Molasses
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 cups (250g) All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tsp Ground Ginger
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Ground Cloves
2–3 Tbsp Non-Dairy Milk
1/4 cup (50g) White Sugar (for rolling)

To cook:
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

Cream the vegan butter and brown sugar together and then add the molasses and vanilla extract.

Sift the flour into a bowl and add the baking soda, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, allspice and cloves and mix together.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir in by hand until crumbly.
Add the 2 Tbsp non-dairy milk and mix. You should get a very thick cookie dough. However, if you still have crumbles and it’s not yet ‘sticking together’ then add another Tbsp non-dairy milk. Only do this if you really need it though.

Break off roughly tablespoon sized pieces and roll into balls and then roll the balls in white sugar. If you tend to make larger cookies, then you’ll need to bake them for a few minutes longer (around 15 minutes) to get them nice and crunchy.
Place the balls onto a parchment lined baking tray and press down with a fork.
You might want to do these in two batches so that your cookies are nicely spaced out on the baking tray.

Bake in the oven for 12 minutes. If you want more soft and chewy then bake for 10 minutes, if you want more snap/crunch then bake for 12 minutes. If your cookies are larger in size then bake for up to 15 minutes.

The cookies will be soft when they come out the oven. Allow to cool completely as that is when they will firm up and become crunchy




https://lovingitvegan.com/vegan-gingersnap-cookies/











Chocolate chip (that taste like Millies)

Ingredients
 
2 baking trays
125g Butter
125g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract 
225g Self-Raising Flour 
½ tsp Salt
200g Chocolate chips
1 Egg
Airtight container.


To cook:
Preheat the oven to 200°C, (fan 180°C, gas mark 4) and line 2 baking trays with baking parchment.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugars until pale and fluffy then add the egg and vanilla extract and mix together well.

Sift the flour and salt and then add to the egg mixture. Mixing thoroughly until a soft dough forms. Finally stir in the chocolate chips.

Break off walnut sized pieces of the dough, and roll into balls. Place these on the baking sheets leaving space between them as they will spread out during baking.

Place in the oven and bake for 7 minutes for the ultimate Millie's experience, or 10 minutes if you prefer a crunch. Leave to cool on the trays for about 10 minutes then transfer onto a cooling wire to cool completely.
These store for about 4 days in an airtight container.


If you love this recipe, https://www.bakingmad.com/recipe/copycat-millie-s-cookies










Shortbread


The key to making easy shortbread also taste like the best shortbread is to use real butter.

Some recipes do suggest that you can use margarine in place of butter but personally for me, the rich buttery taste of the real thing is what gives this shortbread a more traditional 

Ingredients:
300 g Flour
220 g Butter (Vegan Optional)
55g/2oz Caster Sugar

Flavour tip:
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp. Salt

Only 3 ingredients are needed to turn this into shortbread, in 10 minutes to oven to cook! but you can also add a few extras if you want to add to the taste

It’s important to make sure that the shortbread doesn’t cook for too long and turn brown. If it does, it’s cooked for too long, and will be a little hard to munch on; rather than soft and melt in your mouth loveliness.

Make sure the butter is at room temperature and soft to touch. If it is too hard it will too hard to cream in with the sugar. You can use an electric mixer if you want to, but if the butter is soft enough you’ll have no problem creaming it up with a wooden spoon.

Sift the flour into the creamed butter and sugar. (At this point you can add the vanilla extract and salt to add flavour) Gently mix it all together with your hands.

A soft dough should form. If it is too crumbly add a little more butter, conversely, if it is too sticky, add a little flour.
Press the dough into a greased baking tin and press it down with your hands. I like to gently score the slices of the shortbread, as well as use a fork to make some decorative holes on the surface before putting it in the oven.
Once the shortbread has been in for about 10 minutes, take it out – make sure it doesn’t go brown or it will be too hard. Slice up the shortbread while it is still warm and soft, leaving it in the baking tin until it is completely cool. I also sprinkle a little extra caster sugar over the top.



Or if your not a cookie fan and have hardly ever seen the rolling pin. We have discovered an independent, made to order Brownie Baker - Founded by Lydia Morison 

Check them out on instagram @browniebabes

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

#Foodie - Summer Salad

Nothing says summer like a fresh salad

shake up your greens with seasonal veggies like cucumber, chickpeas, avocado and tomato with rice and so much more!

For the recipe above you will need:
couscous
vegetable stock, boiling
can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sliced on the slant radish

Spinach
pinnuts

1 Pomegranate

Add the couscous into a bowl, pour the boiling stock over and mix well with a fork. Cover with a plate and leave for 4 minutes. Meanwhile, tip all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Fluff up the couscous with a fork, stir in pomegranate with balsamic vinegar or a dressing of your choice, add some radishes and pinenuts. Mix well and pile on to a large serving dish.

To find similar recipe's check out this link to find out more, if you like us and looking to go plastic free why not check out the veggies from the organic delivery company

If your not one for sauces, we've got another dish you 

You will need:

Long grain Rice
Chickpeas
Cucumber
Tomato
Avocado

juice 1 lemon

With this dish all you will need to do is prepare the dish cook the rice and chop up the ingredients. Add in a some lemon Juice or dressing of your choice and its ready to go. A great quick meal for when you are busy. 

Anya - Jersey Blouse

Or if you are a connoisseur of salads, why not try this dish above

You will need:

Spinach 

Cabbage

Pomegranate

Butternut Squash

Walnuts

Halloumi cheese

Artichoke 

This dish will take a bit more preparation time and cooking skill.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan and fry the courgette slices over a high heat for 2-3 minutes until dark golden brown. Lift out on to kitchen paper. Now chop the artichoke  and put the cut-side down into the pan, and cook for another couple of minutes until tinged brown on the underside . Then add the butternut squash to the pan.


If the pan is dry, pour in a little more oil and heat it up, then add the halloumi strips and fry for 2-3 minutes, turning them over from time to time, until crisp and sizzled brown. Pile on top of the cabbage and pomegranate, and drizzle with the remaining dressing. Serve as soon as possible.



Find out more on BBC good food

Or for a light bite

An avocado filled bite with feta cheese, tomato, courgette 

• Just before serving, cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit and discard then fill with your filling. Just add feta, red pepper, green onion, olives, oregano, olive oil and vinegar, stir well, and set aside. A tasty light bite.

For more information select this link 

Sincerely Madia

& Matilda

National Pie Day - Our Recommendations

Happy National Pie Day!

We've made a list of our favourite pie places in Gloucestershire.

1. The Weighbridge Inn, Minchinhampton

Famous for their '2in1 Pie', The Weighbridge Inn is situated in the beautiful Cotswolds. If you're looking for a meal to remember, look no further than their '2in1 pie'. This dish has remained on the menu for over forty years and combines all the elements of your dish into one bowl.
Visit their website here.

2. The Stable, Cheltenham

If you're looking for a more modern take on the traditional pie, why not visit The Stable? Positioned in the centre of the spa town, and set over two stories of listed Cheltenham, this dining experience adds grandeur to your pie.
Visit their website here. 

3. Royal Oak, Burford

The Royal Oak is a harming country pub in Burford, Oxfordshire. Serving up delicious food as well as plentiful pies, this establishment is sure to hit the spot.
Visit their website here.

4. The Crown & Tuns, Deddington

Known locally as the 'pie pub', The Crown & Tuns is tucked away in the Cotswolds town of Deddington. Every dish on their menu is homemade, freshly baked to order and cooked with locally sourced ingredients.
Visit their website here.

5. The Kings Arms, Stow-on-the-Wold

Nestled away in the Cotswolds town of Stow-on-the-Wold, The Kings Arms is the epitome of charm and character. For a traditional pie and pub experience make sure to seek out this quirky eatery.
Visit their website here.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda

Plant Based Christmas - #Foodie

Vegan/Vegetarian Christmas Foodie

Whether you are a vegan/vegetarian yourself or are hosting the Christmas dinner this year we’ve got 3 dishes to help make your Christmas dinner perfect for everyone.

Below we’ve chosen two savoury dishes – a main and a side dish – as well as a sweet chocolate mousse to impress your guests this Christmas.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Salad with Roasted Brussels sprouts, Pecans, and Cranberries.

We love this recipe from Julia’s Album – click here to read her original post.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups/300g Brussel Sprouts
• 600-700g Butternut Squash
• 2 cups/250g Pecan Halves
• 1 cup/120g Dried Cranberries
• Olive Oil
• Maple Syrup
• Ground Cinnamon
• Salt

To Roast the Sprouts:

Preheat the oven to 200°C & grease your roasting tray with some olive oil.

Cut all the sprouts in half, trim the ends and peel the outer leaves off.

In a bowl, combine the sprouts with 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt.

Spread evenly on the roasting tray (flat/cut side down) and roast for 20 – 25 minutes.

For the final 10 minutes turn the sprouts over so that they brown evenly.

To Roast the Butternut Squash:

Preheat the oven to200°C & grease your roasting tray with some olive oil.

Cut all the squash into small cubes –peeled and seeded.

In a bowl, combine the squash with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and flavour with maple syrup and ground cinnamon to taste.

Spread evenly on the roasting tray and roast for 20 – 25 minutes, turn them half way through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.

To toast the Pecans:

Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a tray with parchment paper.

Place them flat on the tray in the oven for about 5 minutes or until they darken in colour.

To Assemble:

In a large serving bowl, combine the roasted sprouts and roasted butternut squash.

Add in the toasted pecans and dried cranberries and mix together.

For extra sweetness you can add 2 or 4 tablespoons of maple syrup or add any other seasonings you wish.

Giant Vegan Wellington.

We love this vegan recipe from Olive Magazine – To read the original article and recipe click here.

This show stopping main course is sure to impress all of your guests.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 250g kale, tough stalks removed
• 250g cooked beetroot , thinly sliced
• 3 roasted red peppers from a jar, drained and halved

For the stuffing:

• 2 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 150g swede, coarsely grated
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• a few sprigs of thyme , leaves stripped
• nutmeg
• 200g ready-cooked Puy lentils
• 1 apple, coarsely grated
• 30g hazelnuts, toasted and finely chopped
• 50g breadcrumbs
• 1 lemon, zested

For this you can either make your own pastry or use a vegan shop-bought pastry – it’s completely up to you!

To make the stuffing:

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion and swede for 5-10 minutes or until soft. 

Add the herbs and spices (garlic, thyme and nutmeg), and cook for another minute.

Add in the cooked lentils, apple and hazelnuts, and cook for 1 minute before stirring through the breadcrumbs and lemon zest.

Leave it to one side to cool.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan and cook the chopped garlic for 2 minutes.

Add the kale and a splash of boiling water, and cook until it has wilted and the water has evaporated.

Season with salt and pepper.

To assemble:

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll out one third of the pastry to a 25cm x 15cm rectangle.

Leaving a 1cm gap around the edges, spoon on half of the stuffing mixture, half of the kale and half of the beetroot slices.

Repeat the layers until you have used all of the mixture.

Roll out the remaining pastry to a 35cm x 30cm rectangle.

Carefully place it on top of the wellington and use your hands to mould the pastry round so it is tight to the filling.

Use your finger and thumb to crimp the edges of the pastry so it’s completely encased, then trim any excess.

Chill for 30 minutes.

To Cook:

Place in the oven at 180-200°C for 25-30 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crispy.

Vegan Chocolate Mousse.

We found this mouth-watering dessert recipe on mindbodygreen.com – click here to see the original post.

Ingredients:

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut milk or almond milk
• 2 teaspoon stevia (or other natural sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

Purée the avocado until smooth.

Mix together the cocoa powder and milk until combined and add to the avocado.

Stir in the stevia, vanilla extract, and any extra ingredients you want and mix well.

Transfer the mousse to individual glasses and store in the fridge until ready to eat.

Sincerely Madia & Matilda