Get the Glow (23 page)

Do it by numbers! This is the perfect dinner party dessert, as you can make it for plenty with satisfaction guaranteed. Some people worry about avocado being in a dessert, but trust me on this one – it creates a rich velvety texture unrivalled by any unhealthy alternatives.

serves 2

1 ripe avocado, stoned and flesh scooped out

1 ripe banana, peeled

3 tbsp coconut oil

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

pinch sea salt

100ml almond milk, coconut milk or rice milk, plus extra if needed

1 handful frozen raspberries

Put the avocado, banana, coconut oil, cacao powder and salt in the blender, and blend. Slowly add the milk until the mixture becomes creamy and easily moves around the blender; add a little extra milk if the mixture isn’t creamy enough.

Pour the mousse into two ramekins or cocktail glasses, then put them in the freezer for 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge.

Crumble the raspberries in your hands over the top of each dessert, and enjoy. Top with a little honey for some added sweetness.

the super-healthy flapjack

This is a perfect pre-workout snack, or to sustain you at the 4pm slump. It’s totally grain free, and is packed full of protein-rich nuts.

makes 16 squares

200g pecan nuts

300g hazelnuts

150g dates, stoned

1 ripe banana, peeled

4 tbsp honey

150g sunflower seeds

30g coconut oil or butter

1½ tbsp cinnamon

1½ tbsp ground ginger

coconut oil or butter, for greasing

pinch sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

In a food processor, blitz the nuts for 30 seconds to 1 minute – until lightly ground. Put the ground nuts in a bowl. Put the rest of the flapjack ingredients into the food processor and whizz for a few minutes, then pour this over the nuts and stir with a wooden spoon until fully combined.

Put the mixture into a small (approximately 24 x 35cm) baking tray greased with coconut oil or butter and lined with baking paper, and bake for 20–25 minutes. (You’re aiming for crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside!)

Take the flapjacks out of the oven, remove them from the tin and let them cool before you cut into them.

date and pistachio cookies

These are my Middle Eastern-inspired cookies. I use coconut sugar to sweeten them; this delectable treat comes from the sap of the coconut, and is a very sustainable sweetener. I can’t tell you how much I love these!

serves 6

200g coconut sugar

125g butter or coconut oil

1 egg, beaten

250g buckwheat flour (or other gluten-free flour)

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

50g raw unsalted pistachios, roughly chopped

50g dates, stoned and chopped

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas mark 3.

In a food processor cream the coconut sugar and butter or coconut oil, then put the mixture in a bowl. Add the beaten egg to the creamed butter and sugar, mixing gently. Slowly add the flour, a little at a time, and fold in with a spoon.

Finally, add the salt, baking powder, pistachios and dates, and mix everything together well.

Roll the dough into 12 walnut-size balls, and put them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Slightly flatten each ball into a cookie shape.

Bake for 8 minutes, then let them cool for 10 minutes . . . and enjoy.

ginger cookie cups

Cookies and milk . . . so reminiscent of my childhood. This recipe merges them together, by creating a cookie cup that gets filled with milk. It looks awesome and is a fun spin on your typical cookie. Spiced with ginger, these cookies have a nice earthy feel from the oats and sweetness from the coconut sugar.

serves 6

200g coconut sugar

150g butter or coconut oil, plus extra for greasing

1 egg

275g oats

½ tsp salt

1 tbsp ground ginger

250ml almond milk and berries of your choice, to serve

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

In a food processor cream the coconut sugar and butter or coconut oil, then put the mixture in a bowl. Add the egg to the creamed butter and sugar, processing gently. Throw in the oats, salt and ginger, and pulse for a few minutes more until the mixture forms a dough.

Grab a couple of cupcake tins, grease them with butter or coconut oil and divide the dough evenly into 16. Press the dough to the bottom of the moulds, allowing for it to move up the sides to form a cup-like shape. Keep the cookie layer around ½cm thick.

Bake for 10–12 minutes, then let the cups cool.

Pour in the almond milk, then scatter with berries and enjoy.

cherry crumble with cashew nut cream

Cherries remind me of long summer nights, and this nutty crumble takes them to another level. I have added some extra nutty goodness to the crumble to up your vitamin E intake and make sure that glow is happening all night long.

serves 6

600g cherries (or other berries), stalks removed and stoned

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp grated nutmeg

zest and juice of 1 orange

100g almonds

200g oats

small pinch sea salt

75g coconut oil or butter

100g walnuts

cashew nut cream

150g cashew nuts

150ml water or coconut water

½ tsp vanilla extract or powder

½ tsp cinnamon

tiny pinch salt

1 Medjool date, stoned (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.

Put the cherries, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and orange zest and juice in a saucepan. Heat over a medium heat for 5–8 minutes, or until the cherries soften.

Put the almonds, oats, pinch of salt, coconut oil or butter, and walnuts in a food processor and grind them for 30 seconds until they are slightly ground but still crunchy.

Place the cherry mixture into a 900g loaf tin with tall sides, then scatter the nut crumble on top. Bake for 25–30 minutes, until the top is slightly golden.

To make the cashew nut cream, put all the ingredients in a blender, and blend for 3–5 minutes until totally creamy. Serve together while the crumble is still hot.

When cherries aren’t available, switch to 200g cooking apples and 200g mixed berries
.

pecan pie bites

I always find that mini bites are great for bigger groups and marvellous for sharing. Texture from the pecan nuts gives the soft base a wonderful balance, with the perfect blend of date and cinnamon.

serves 8

300g Medjool dates, stoned

50ml just-boiled water

350g pecan nuts

50g almonds

50g desiccated coconut

5 tbsp coconut oil, plus extra for greasing

pinch salt

1 tsp cinnamon

50ml almond milk, rice milk or oat milk

2 tbsp honey

Chop up 150g dates into small pieces. Soak the chopped dates in the just-boiled water and set aside.

To make the crust, put 100g pecan nuts in the food processor with the almonds, desiccated coconut, 1 tablespoon coconut oil, salt and 150g non-soaked dates. Whizz for a few minutes. Grease a small baking tray or cake tin (approximately 23 x 35cm) with coconut oil and pour the crust mix into it; spread it over the bottom to create a 2.5cm-thick crust.

Once cooled, pour the soaked dates into the blender along with with the soaking water, 200g pecan nuts, 4 tablespoons coconut oil, cinnamon, milk and honey. Blend for a few minutes until smooth, then pour over the crust.