Who doesn't enjoy a delicious cookie for a wee treat? But there are healthy cookies and extremely unhealthy ones! 

So as you can imagine mine are extremely healthy cookies but also delicious and a wee treat for my gut microbe buddies as well as my taste buds!!

So these have a mix of white and rye flour, chia seeds, raw cacao powder, dark chocolate, hazelnuts and tahini, along with coconut sugar so plenty of fibre and polyphenols for my gut microbes!

My new game is trying to add as many prebiotics to my food as I can, so even my baking gets a gut makeover!

It's all about healthy swaps, not denying yourself a well deserved treat!

 I had just thought of another addition which would have worked well, some orange zest, which is high in pectin and also polyphenols, so I will add some to my next batch!

Also some people prefer crisp cookies and some prefer a more cakey texture so you can do either option!
For crisp cookies, use the smoosh method, which is bake them for 10 minutes, then take them out and smoosh them with a fork, then bake for a further 5 minutes.

For thicker cakey cookies just lightly flatten the dough before you bake them.

These are really delicious and healthy too so I hope you try them! Your gut and your taste buds will thank you!

So here is my recipe

Ingredients for 20 cookies

• 125g plain flour or spelt flour
• 125g wholemeal rye flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tablespoon raw cacao powder
• 200g coconut sugar or brown sugar
• 100g vegan spread or coconut oil
• 70g tahini
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 2 chia  or flax eggs (2 tablespoons chia or flaxseeds mixed with 6 tablespoons warm water) 
• 125g dark chocolate chopped into small pieces or use dark chocolate chips
• 75g lightly toasted hazelnuts, walnuts or pecan nuts, roughly chopped
• zest of an orange (optional)

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C/gas 5/375F and lightly oil 2 baking trays or line them with greaseproof paper.
2. Make the chia or flaxseed eggs and leave aside for 10 minutes to thicken.
   
3. Put the flours, cacao powder and baking powder in a bowl and stir to combine.
4. Melt the vegan spread, tahini, sugar and salt in a pan or in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.
5. Leave to cool for 10 minutes then add the chia or flax eggs and stir well to combine.
6. Add to the flour mix with the chocolate chips and chopped nuts, mix with a wooden spoon then just use your hands to incorporate all the chocolate and nuts. The mix is fairly dry so persevere until you have a nice ball of dough with evenly distributed chocolate and nuts.
7. Take spoonfuls of the dough (roughly 50g) roll into balls and put them on the trays, leaving at least 2 inches between them. You should have enough for around 20 cookies.
8. Lightly flatten the balls, sprinkle a pinch of sea salt on each one and bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes.
9. If you prefer flatter crispier cookies then bake them for 10 minutes, take them out and smoosh them with a fork, then return to the oven for a further 5 minutes.
10. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
11. Will keep in an airtight container for up to a week but they will become softer the longer you keep them.

So these have to be the best chocolate cupcakes I have ever tasted, vegan or not!!

Laura has made them a few times since lockdown, and I have to admit, the last time she made them, I told her not to, I was trying not to eat so much!

But who am I kidding, I have the willpower of a flea, especially when deliciously moist and chocolately cakes are on offer, with a smooth and creamy orange ganache frosting!!

The other wonderful thing about these cupcakes is they stay moist and delicious for days, that's if you have willpower and don't eat the lot in one sitting!

So Laura very kindly gave me her recipe and if you only ever make chocolate cupcakes once, you have to try this recipe, these are just insanely delicious, and a perfect wee treat for the weekend, or any day!

Delicious food is our main focus at the moment and there is no shame to turning to food for comfort during these trying times! We all need something to look forward to!

So if you love chocolate, I hope you give these cupcakes a go, I can guarantee they will put a smile on your face!!!

Here is the recipe

Ingredients makes 8 to 10 cupcakes​

• 3/4 cup plant milk
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup coconut oil melted
• 1 cup plain flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoons espresso coffee or 2 tsp of instant espresso
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 5 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients in a jug.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until smooth.
The batter will be a bit liquidy.
Fill cupcake liners 3/4 of the way full.
Bake at 350 F/ 180 C  for 17 to 19 minutes.

Chocolate Frosting

• 100g vegan butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 300g icing sugar
• zest of a large orange (optional)  
• ​2 or 3 tablespoons plant milk 

Mix together icing sugar with vegan butter and cocoa powder, add the zest of a large orange. You really need to use an electric mixer for the best results, mix for a few minutes, starting on a low setting gradually moving to a higher setting until smooth and creamy. Add plant milk if needed to desired consistency.

Once your cupcakes are cool, top them with chocolate frosting and enjoy!
​

I love coconut and I love macaroons! My mum used to make them and coat them in chocolate. She added egg whites and sugar but this version is vegan and gluten free!

I came across this recipe by Jordan Bourke, in the Guardian magazine, but adapted it to make it gluten free!

The sweetness comes from maple syrup and the mixture is held together by one of my favourite ingredients, tahini!!

These macaroons are absolutely delicious, chewy, coconutty, sweet with the flavour of Halva, and a crisp topping!

Other stellar ingredients are ground flaxseeds, lemon zest and cranberries, all favourites of our gut microbes !
I like to eat to satisfy my taste buds and also feed my wee gut buddies, when they are fed and happy they are working on my behalf, so we all win!

So back to these delicious macaroons, these are a perfect wee treat for a summers day with a nice cup of tea! 

I was feeling a bit fed up this week, so headed out to our old Vw Camper Van Bruce with a plateful of these delicious macaroons, a pot of camomile tea served in my best tea set and I felt quite decadent. Sometimes you just need to use your best tea set and treat yourself to a few delicious cookies to make the world seem a brighter place!

A wee tip, if you have any of these left then put them back into the oven for 5 or 10 minutes or so to crisp them up again, they lose their lovely crispy topping by the next day!

So here is the recipe, 

Ingredients - makes around 16 

• 110g tahini
• 45g dried cranberries
• zest of a lemon and juice of half a lemon
• 100ml maple syrup
• 25g ground flaxseeds or ground almonds
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 220g desiccated coconut

Method

Heat the oven to 180C/160 Fan /Gas Mark 4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
Put all the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until thoroughly mixed together. 
The mixture is a bit dry but just keep mixing it until it holds together. If its really dry then add a bit more tahini, lemon juice or maple syrup.
Take a spoonful of the mixture and squeeze it into a ball, lightly flatten it and put on the baking tray.
Bake for around 10 to 12 minutes until lightly golden.
​Leave to cool and firm up.
Enjoy!