Vegan Easter

V E G A N EASTER

RECIPES VICKI RAVLICH-HORAN | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

Good news—it turns out most dark chocolates are vegan. With that in mind, here are some tempting chocolate treats in time for Easter but equally enjoyable any time of the year.

CHOCOLATE TART

For the pastry: 1¼ cups flour ½ cup icing sugar ½ cup cocoa ¼ cup oil (sunflower or coconut) ¼ cup chilled water

For the filling: 1½ cups coconut cream 350g dark chocolate, chopped ¼ cup coconut oil 1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the pastry by mixing the dry ingredients together. You can do this in a food processor if you like but a bowl works just fine too. Mix in the oil and then slowly add the water a little at a time until the pastry comes together. Press the pastry evenly into and up the sides of a 20cm loose bottomed tart tin. Cover with baking paper and the dry beans or baking weights. Blind bake at 180°C for 15 minutes. Remove the beans and baking paper and place in the oven for a further 5 minutes. To make the filling place the coconut cream in a pot along with the chocolate, coconut oil and vanilla. Heat gently until the chocolate has melted. Place filling in a blender and process until it is completely smooth. Tap the jug a few times and allow it to sit for a few minutes for the air bubbles to dissipate before pouring it into the tart case. Chill the tart until set (about 2 hours).

Before serving, top with fresh fruit. Autumn berries and fresh figs are perfect. NOURISH | RECIPES

VEGAN CARAMEL

Your secret weapon sauce! Double it and keep a jar in the fridge to drizzle over anything from cakes, pancakes, yoghurt or fruit. ¾ cup brown sugar 1 cup coconut cream pinch of salt Heat a pan over medium high heat. Add the sugar and stir around the pot for about 1 minute to heat through. Add the coconut milk and stir to combine.

Bring to a boil then reduce the heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, until caramel has thickened, remembering to stir occasionally. Finally, stir in a good pinch of salt.

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V E G A N BROWNIE

These brownies are amazing! The tahini adds a subtle nuttiness while the combination of dates and olive oil keep them deliciously moist. Keep them plain or top with your favourite nuts or even a drizzle of vegan caramel. 1 tbsp chia seeds* 3 tbsp water ½ cup dates ¼ cup hot water ½ cup dark chocolate chips ½ cup tahini (at room temperature) 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup non-dairy ‘milk’ (oat, almond or coconut) ½ cup flour ½ cup cocoa powder ½ cup sugar (I prefer coconut or raw) 1 tsp baking powder

Mix the chia seeds with the 3 tbsp of water and allow them to swell. Place the dates in a food processor along with the chocolate and hot water and whizz until you have a puree. Mix the tahini well before measuring out as it tends to separate in the jar. Add the tahini, olive oil, vanilla and milk to the date puree along with the chia gel and whizz to combine well. Fold in the remaining ingredients and pour into a greased 20 x 20cm tin.

Bake at 180°C for 35–45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. *Ground chia seeds work best if you can find them, but whole ones will still work.

V E G A N MUFFINS

The secret to these beautifully light and fluffy muffins is apple sauce which acts as an egg replacement. I simply used a tin found in the sauce aisle at any supermarket, although you could make your own. 3 cups self-raising flour ½ cup sugar ½ cup cocoa 1 cup dark (vegan) chocolate chips 1 cup of apple sauce 1 cup non-dairy ‘milk’ ½ cup neutral oil (I used sunflower) 1 tsp vanilla extract ¼ cup espresso or strong coffee

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients including the chocolate chips. In a separate bowl whisk together the remaining ingredients then combine this with the dry mix.

Divide the mixture into a greased 12 pan muffin tin and bake at 180°C for 15–20 minutes.

To make berry muffins, omit the espresso and replace the cocoa and chocolate with fresh berries and a dash of cinnamon. Or for a healthy lunchbox treat, omit the espresso and replace the cocoa and chocolate with raisins and add a grated apple, carrot and zucchini.