Of late, Carrot Cake is taking top podium; it’s just perfect on all notes. It isn’t too sweet, possibly because the addition of carrot seems to mellow all flavours by its natural earthiness.
My version of Carrot Cake is free from refined sugars and processed oils; intended to nourish. The recipe also uses a less refined flour, spelt, an ancient grain that’s easier to digest. See recipe video here. Ingredients Wet 3 large eggs (room temperature) 1 ½ cups coconut sugar 190ml extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp vanilla extract 4 medium carrots, peeled & grated Dry 2 cups spelt flour 2 tsp baking powder 2 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp fine sea salt ¼ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground cardamom ¼ tsp ground nutmeg 1 cup almond meal 1 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped Cream Cheese Icing 250g cream cheese (room temperature) 4 tbsp raw honey ⅓ natural unsweetened yoghurt Zest of 1 medium sized lemon ⅛ tsp ground cardamom A handful raw walnuts, roughly chopped Method Preheat the oven to 160°c fan (320F) and line a 24cm spring-from cake tin with baking paper. Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl and add the coconut sugar. Using a whisk or electric beater, whisk the mixture until fluffy - this will take about 5 minutes. Pour the olive oil and vanilla extract into the bowl, and whisk until combined. Lastly fold in the grated carrot. Sieve the spelt flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, fine sea salt, cardamom and nutmeg into another large bowl. Add the almond meal straight into the bowl - stir until combined. Add the dry ingredients into the wet - mix using a folding motion. When no dry patches of flour remain (be careful not to over mix the mixture), stir through the chopped walnuts. Pour the batter into your lined cake tin and bake in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted. Once baked, allow the cake to cool completely, before icing. Meanwhile add all the cream cheese icing ingredients into a large bowl. Whisk until fluffy, and set aside until needed. Once the cake is cool, ice the cake to your liking. Lastly scatter over a handful of roughly chopped walnuts, then slice cake into pieces. The cake is best eaten the day of bake. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Yields 9 pieces
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Peaches in a balsamic reduction with yoghurt, pine nuts, thyme & honey. This is the sort of food I’m in awe of - where simple ingredients, flavours and processes seemingly create a dish that’s out of this world! Honestly give this recipe a go. I know it’s not a plate of brownies or cookies, but I think this way of cooking lets us see the value of food - where it comes from, how it affects our health both physically and mentally. Just food for thought. Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful recreations. Ingredients
2 ripe yellow flesh peaches ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar Full fat yoghurt Pine nuts Honey Fresh thyme leaves Method Slice the peaches in half, then gently twist to free one half from the stone. Slice the half with the stone into quarters, then twist again. Carefully remove the stone (discard), then slice the peaches into wedges. Pour the vinegar into a fry pan, and set heat to medium. Lay the peaches over the pan and allow to bubble away until the vinegar thickens - halfway through cooking, flip the peaches over. To assemble, generously dollop a few spoonfuls of yoghurt into your bowl. Top with the peaches, a sprinkling of pine nuts and a drizzle with honey (drizzle any remaining reduced vinegar over the peaches too!) Lastly garnish with the thyme leaves, then enjoy. Serves 2 I’m back into the habit of whipping up a batch of hummus each week. It's fabulous to have on hand when I need a quick carrot stick snack number, or to add flavour to various meals. My 'Quick Hummus' is slightly different to my other hummus recipe, here on the blog - as I use canned cooked chickpeas, instead of cooking them from scratch myself. Each hummus recipe has a time and place, but when I'm lacking time, this recipe is my go-to. Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram, so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients
2x 400g chickpea cans ¼ cup hulled tahini ¼ cup olive oil ¼ - ½ cup water 1 heaping tsp ground cumin Juice of 1 - 2 lemon/s, depending on how tangy you like it. Generous pinch of salt & pepper Method Drain and rinse your chickpeas, before patting dry with paper towel. (Optional: To ensure a smoother hummus, remove the outer skins of the chickpeas.) Add the chickpeas, tahini, olive oil, ground cumin, lemon juice and salt & pepper to taste into your food processor- begin to blend. While the motor is running, trickle in the water - how much water you use depends on how thick, or thin you like it. Taste the hummus, and adjust seasoning to taste. Store any leftovers in an airtight container, or jar for up to 5 days. Does anyone have those moments when you’re craving something- don’t have the full ingredient list - but end up creating an incredible meal or bake with what you have on hand?
My Ferrero Rocher Brownies is just that, and was baked without key ingredients - sugar, cocoa powder and butter. (Sorry pause, what recipe developer doesn’t have these basic ingredients always in the pantry? I need to ask myself some questions, haha.) Anywho, these brownies are made with just six ingredients - hazelnuts, chocolate, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder, baking soda and salt. The hazelnuts are blended into a paste, which replaces the flour & butter (it’s rather magic!), and the sugars in the chocolate provide the sweetness. The ingredients are simply blended in a food processor, then baked into a divine brownie - with a fudgy interior and cookie-like crust. The hazelnut flavour that lightly scents the brownies is rather iconic too, hence the name Ferrero Rocher. See recipe video here. Enjoy! Love, Alex. Xx Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful recreations. Ingredients 2 cups (260g) roasted hazelnuts, without skins 1 ½ cups (300g) chopped milk or dark chocolate of choice - I like a semisweet dark chocolate around 40-50% 2 large eggs, room temperature 1 tbsp vanilla extract ½ tsp baking powder ½ tsp baking soda ¼ tsp fine sea salt Method Preheat the oven 180°c and line a 20cm square brownie tin with baking paper. Add the roasted hazelnuts and chocolate into a food processor - blend until a smooth butter. (The mix will come together in a ball, before loosening into a butter - this can take up to 15 minutes depending on your food processor. The chocolate will naturally melt during this process also.) Once a smooth chocolatey nut butter, allow the mix to slightly cool, before adding the remaining ingredients. Blend for a further 30 seconds until the batter forms a dough. Evenly press the dough into your lined brownie tin, then bake for 15- 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely, before slicing into 9 - 16 squares. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Makes 9- 16 Brownies We have been so spoiled in London with consistent hot sunny weather for the past few weeks - Summer is finally here! When it comes to food, I’m craving lots of freshness, and my Taco Salad definitely showcases this. The salad is light yet fulfilling, and not to mention very delicious. This recipe is predominantly raw vegan, with the exception of olives and corn. Walnuts, olives and various Mexican inspired spices make up the meat alternative, and a sour cream made with cashews substitutes the creamy element. The base salad ingredients can be altered to your liking, so make the salad your own. Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful recreations! Base Lettuce Cucumber Cherry or roma tomatoes Avocado Capsicum Coriander 260g can of sweet corn in water, drained Walnut & Olive Taco Mince 200g raw walnuts 85g canned hojiblanca black olives in brine, drained Juice of ¼ lime 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp dried oregano 2 tsp ground cumin ½ tsp garlic granules/ powder ¼ tsp ground coriander ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper Cashew Sour Cream 150g raw cashews, soaked in cold filtered water overnight, or boiling water for 10 mins. 1 tbsp nutritional yeast Juice of ½ a large lemon ½ cup water, plus extra if needed Salt & pepper to taste Serving ingredients Chilli flakes or fresh sliced chilli Fresh coriander, roughly chopped Wedges of lime Salt & pepper to taste Method
Drain the cashews (soaked overnight, or submerged in boiling water for 10 mins), then rinse with fresh water. Add the cashews to a Nutribullet or food processor, plus the remaining ‘cashew sour cream’ ingredients - blend until smooth. Once smooth, pour into a clean jar and refrigerate until needed. For the mince, add all the 'walnut & olive taco mince' ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until the mix resembles mince meat - you don’t want to blend too much, otherwise it will turn into a paste. Spoon into an airtight container and refrigerate also. Prep your base ingredients as you wish - feel free to adjust the selection of ingredients to your liking. Divide the salad ingredients into four bowls, then top with the ‘walnut & olive taco mince,’ plus a generous drizzle of the 'cashew sour cream.' Before serving, season with salt & pepper, before garnishing with chilli flakes/ fresh sliced chilli, coriander and a spritz of lime juice. Store any leftovers in airtight containers/jars and refrigerate - enjoy within 5 days. Serves 4 My Choc-Drop Peanut Butter Cookies would have to be one of the easiest cookies recipes you’ll ever make - the recipe combines only six ingredients and has a bake time of just an hour. Despite this recipe only combining a few ingredients, they are absolutely incredible! The cookie itself has a crisp outer edge, with a soft, almost cookie dough interior. It's then followed by a dip in bitter dark chocolate- offsetting the sweetness. Sea salt flakes finish the cookies to complement the sweet & bitter, and creates the perfect marriage of elements. Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram, so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients 1 egg 1 cup coconut sugar 2 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup runny unsweetened 100% peanut butter 100g 70%- 100% dark chocolate of choice Sea Salt Flakes Method
Preheat your oven to 180°c and line a tray with baking paper. In a medium sized bowl, whisk your egg for 20 seconds. Add the coconut sugar and vanilla extract - whisk until combined. Now stir in the peanut butter and mix well - I like to use a spatula for this. Allow the dough to rest in the fridge for 15 -30mins, or until the dough can hold it's shape when scooped. Scoop the dough into 9 evenly sized balls. Gently mould with your hands and place over the lined tray. Bake for 12- 15mins, or until golden. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for 5mins, before cooling on a wire rack. Once the cookies are cooled completely, break up the chocolate into pieces and add to a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30sec intervals - stirring each interval until melted. Dip your cookies into the chocolate. You can dunk the entire cookie into the chocolate, or just the tops like I’ve done. Once the chocolate has almost set, sprinkle a small amount of the sea salt flakes over the cookie - allow the chocolate to set completely before enjoying. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Yields 9 Cookies Mexican Cauliflower, Corn & Peanut Butter Soup - roasted veggies blended with peanut butter and Mexican inspired spices, creating a buttery golden bowl of comforting deliciousness. I identify this recipe as soup, but possibly it’s a little thick to be considered one. In saying this, I absolutely love the chunky quality of the dish - as it becomes the perfect carrier for fried eggs, bbq tofu/ chicken and even fish. The soup itself is packed full of flavour with notes of sweet from the corn, bitter from the spices, and sour from the lime juice. Peanut butter is also a star ingredient here, however not too noticeable, and instead provides a savoury richness. Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx PS: Don’t forget to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients 1 large cauliflower, chopped into florets 1 red onion, peeled & chopped into quarters 4 garlic cloves, skin left on 2 tbsp olive oil 2 cups frozen corn kernels, defrosted 600ml vegetable stock ⅓ cup peanut butter ¼ cup nutritional yeast Juice of ½ lime 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp ground coriander ½ tsp ground cayenne pepper Salt & pepper to taste Serve With Fresh coriander, roughly chopped Sour cream or tangy unsweetened yoghurt Spring onion, thinly sliced Dried chilli flakes or fresh chilli, thinly sliced Wedges of lime Corn chips Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C and line a large tray with baking paper. Spread cauliflower florets, onion wedges (separate the layers), and unpeeled garlic cloves over the tray. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Bake for 40mins, before scattering over the defrosted corn to bake for a further 15- 20mins - until golden Find the garlic and discard the skin. Transfer the veggies into a food processor or vitamix - alternately you can add into a large pot and use a stick blender to blend. Add the peanut butter, nutritional yeast, lime juice, spices, vegetable stock, and blend (the soup will be a little chunky if not using a Vitamix). Pour soup into a large saucepan and bring up to heat. If you feel the soup is too thick, add some more vegetable stock. Once hot, serve and garnish with fresh coriander, fresh or dried chilli, sour cream (or tangy yoghurt), lime juice and corn chips. Serves 4 - 6 I've tried many bowls of chia pudding, and to be honest I've found most of them quite unappetising. I don't know why, but they either taste too much like coconut, or just plain bland. Thankfully I've created my own version. My Chia Pudding has a sweet base of maple, banana, vanilla & cinnamon - creating fool proof delicious flavour. The pudding can also be topped with nut butter, dried fruit and granola for even more yum. Enjoy! Love Alex, Ballerina Bites. xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites so I can see your wonderful recreations! Ingredients
½ small ripe banana ½ cup water ¼ cup milk ½ tbsp maple syrup ½ tsp ground cinnamon ⅛ tsp vanilla extract Pinch of salt ¼ cup chia seeds Toppings Nut Butter Granola Fresh or dried fruit Method In a bowl mash the banana using a fork. Add water, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and chia seeds - stir until combined. Cover and refrigerate chia pudding overnight. The next morning top with your favourite toppings. Serves 1 Like a hug from within, beginning your day with a bowl of porridge, is a definite nod to a fantastic day ahead. Many of us have our own rituals and techniques on how to make the perfect bowl, but my ideal bowl has to be deliciously creamy, with mellow sweetness, slightly bitter and maybe a little bit salty. My Banana Porridge with Tahini, Honey & Sea Salt is my picture of this. The base of the porridge combines milk, banana and honey, that’s not too sugar heavy, but enough to add a skip into your step. Tahini is then stirred through to again add creaminess, but also a sharp bitterness, which avoids the porridge being overly sweet. If you’re not familiar with tahini, it’s like peanut butter but made from sesame seeds. You’re probably already enjoying it without realising - hummus anyone? I wouldn’t recommend eating tahini straight from the jar like our beloved pb, as I mentioned it’s very bitter and will have you reaching for the milk carton. The oats are lastly spiked with a little sea salt to enhance all the favours. If you’re not already adding salt to your porridge, then definitely try it, it's my top tip for today! Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram, so I can see your recreations! Ingredients
1 cup rolled oats 1 cup boiling water 1 cup + 2 tbsps milk 1 ripe banana, mashed 2 tsp honey A generous pinch of ground cinnamon A pinch of sea salt 2 tbsp hulled tahini To decorate Banana slices Honey drizzle Method Add the oats to a medium sized saucepan and soak in 1 cup of boiling water - off heat. After 5 minutes stir in 1 cup of milk, mashed banana, honey, cinnamon and salt. Allow to cook on low heat, stirring throughout, until thicken to your liking. Stir in the tahini and 2 tbsp milk, then serve between two bowls. Decorate with sliced banana and an extra drizzle of honey. Serves 2 Fun fact this is an OG Ballerina Bites recipe, and was created back in 2013! It’s been published, then of recent unpublished, as I wanted to give the recipe an update and photoshoot. Surprisingly the recipe hasn’t altered that much from the original, with minor changes to ingredients and ratios. There was a name change too, from Chocolate Tart to Chocolate Cream Pie - keeping it in line with its true self. If you prefer Chocolate Tart, try doubling the filling ingredients and finishing with flaky salt salt once set. Enjoy! Love Alex. Xx PS: Be sure to tag me @ballerina_bites on Instagram, so I can see you wonderful recreations! Crust 1 cup (115g) rolled oats 1 cup (100g) almond meal 1/4 cup (25g) cacao powder 1/3 cup (45g) coconut sugar 1/4 cup (65g) coconut oil, melted 5 tbsp boiling water Ganache 200g 70% dark chocolate 1 cup (150g without the stone) soft dried dates ½ cup boiling water 1 tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 tsp granulated coffee ¼ tsp salt 400g cream of your choice (mascarpone or Nush’s cream cheese work great!) Method
Preheat your oven to 160°c and grease a 23cm loose base tart tin with coconut oil. Grind the rolled oats into fine flour - I did this in my food processor. Add the milled oats to a medium sized bowl, along with the other ‘base’ ingredients. Stir until it forms a dough, then spread into your tart tin. Make sure the dough is pressed firmly in the tin by using your hands, or the base of a measuring cup. Make several pricks over the base, using a fork, to ensure evening baking. Bake for 20-25 mins, then allow to cool completely. Meanwhile melt the chocolate in the microwave for short 20 sec bursts, or over a double boiler on the stovetop - make sure you keep a close eye on this, we don’t want the chocolate to burn! Add the pitted dates, boiling water, maple syrup, vanilla extract, coffee and salt into your food processor. Blend until smooth - scraping down the side throughout. (You may need to cover your food processor with a kitchen towel as the initial blend can be a little messy.) Once the chocolate is melted, pour into your food process and blend until glossy - scrape down the sides throughout. Pour and evenly spread the chocolate ganache into your cooled tart base. Allow to set in the fridge for at least 1hr. Lastly cover with your cream of choice - don’t forget to give the cream a little fluff up with a spoon if need be. Store any leftovers tightly covered in the fridge and consume between 3-4 days. Tart also freezes well. Serve 12 |