VEGAN SHORTBREAD TEA COOKIES

This type of cookie is what I would deem the best for tea. Five ingredients and minimal effort. Perfectly buttery, melts on every bite, and keeps for a very long time at room temperature.

It is also very easy to prepare, requiring a sturdy spatula or a fork and a bowl. That's it. The sheer beauty of simplicity.

I flavoured it generously with vanilla, but if you want, you can also add a drop of walnut or almond flavouring. Feel free to add some fresh lemon or orange zest. You can even dip them in some dark chocolate for a beautifully striking effect.

However you decide to decorate them, I truly hope you enjoy every bite with your favourite tea, because they are equally delicious right off the baking sheet and the next day.

Ingredients
120 grams vegan block butter, cold
50 grams icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
150 grams plain flour
40 grams cornflour

Preparation

Because these are so quick to prepare, let the oven preheat to 180°C and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment.

Place the butter into a medium bowl and mash it well using a wooden spoon, a spatula, or a fork. Add in the vanilla and blend it well in the same fashion. The key is not to incorporate too much air into these, so using a fork or a spatula works best.

Add in the dry ingredients and keep mashing and mixing until a dough starts to come together. Lightly knead it to form a smooth ball, and immediately roll it out between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll them out to 6 millimetres in thickness and use a 5-centimetre round cookie cutter, cut as many rounds as you can. Arrange them on the baking sheet, briefly knead the dough and roll it out again, repeating the process until all of it is used up.

Bake the cookies in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 10 minutes. They should remain light in colour and very soft. Let them stand on the baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes, and they're ready to serve. Yields 32 cookies.

MINI VEGAN CHOCOLATE MUD CAKE

Another Friday, another mini vegan cake. It is very obvious how in love I am with them and just how much I enjoy making tiny little sweet treats.

And the humble sweet potato is one of the best additions to desserts out there. I have used it in no-bake cakes, in truffles, snack bars, and as you can see, it is simply perfect in cakes, as well. It gives wonderfully earthy, almost caramelized and rich undertones to any treat it enriches, and I love it for that reason alone.

In frostings, it is truly unmatched. It achieves that perfect truffle-like texture so effortlessly, even just combined with cocoa powder and a touch of maple syrup, but that is a story for another recipe and another day.

On a final note, you can absolutely use boiled, steamed, and roasted sweet potato, it truly does not matter for this cake. The only thing that matters is that it is cooked through, soft, not watery, and mashed well before being added to the cake batter or frosting.

As with all my cakes, serve it in thin slices, with strong coffee, and enjoy.

Ingredients

For the vegan mud cake

90 grams plain flour, sifted
25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
130 grams sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
120 grams granulated sugar
30 millilitres neutral oil
1 heaping teaspoon vanilla bean paste
150 millilitres carbonated water

For the vegan fudge frosting

250 grams sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed
60 grams vegan block butter, melted and cooled
100 grams dark chocolate, melted and cooled (70%)
50 grams toasted almonds, ground
1 teaspoon fresh orange zest
1/2 teaspoon apricot extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Start by making the chocolate fudge cake. Let the oven preheat to 180°C and line a small round cake tin (13 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides. Sift together the flour with the cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Add in the sugar and salt, and whisk everything together. In a separate bowl, whisk or blend together the mashed sweet potatoes, oil, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, along with the carbonated water, and fold everything gently, making sure not to overmix. Pour it into the prepared cake tin, level the top, and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 60-65 minutes. Just like any cake, check it with a toothpick to make sure it does not dry out. Take it out of the oven and let it cool down completely in the tin.

Once the cake is cool, proceed to make the filling. Place the mashed sweet potatoes in a medium bowl, add in melted dark chocolate and melted vegan butter, and mix well. Add in the orange zest, apricot extract, and the vanilla, along with the ground almonds, and mix vigorously until smooth. If you wish, you can use a mixer on the lowest setting for this.

Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and place the whole tin in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Once ready to serve, remove from the cake tin, top with chocolate shavings, chocolate shards, flaked almonds, or some unsweetened cocoa powder, and serve with freshly brewed coffee. Yields 8-10 servings.

MINI VEGAN IRISH COFFEE LAYER CAKE

Mini vegan cakes are one of those sweet treats that are perfect as an everyday dessert, for smaller gatherings, as well as for gifting; which is why I love them so much. There is something so precious in a tiny layer cake, and fortunately, many agree with me.

My love for coffee is very well known, so it is not a surprise that I find this cake irresistible. Three layers of perfectly soft espresso cake, additionally soaked in whiskey syrup and plenty of vegan white chocolate fudge frosting truly make this a wonderful little coffee time delight.

This filling is actually one of my personal favourites, because its texture is incredibly similar to homemade chocolate fudge, but without the sweetness it typically has. Especially combined with strong espresso; that marvellous contrast makes it truly, truly shine.

And if you love mini vegan cakes as much as I do, I am happy to share that you can find many more of them in my cookbook.

Ingredients

For the coffee cake layers

180 grams plain flour
200 grams granulated sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
240 millilitres boiling water
40 millilitres oil
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

For the vegan white chocolate fudge filling

200 grams vegan white chocolate
100 millilitres vegan double cream
50 grams vegan block butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
100 grams vegan double cream, cold
50 grams soy milk powder

For the whiskey syrup

100 millilitres boiling water
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
20 millilitres whiskey

Preparation

Start by making the base for the fudge filling. Chop the chocolate very finely and place it in a saucepan. Add in the vegan double cream, vanilla, and the vegan butter, and place everything over low heat. Melt it together slowly, stirring from time to time, and once melted, remove from the heat, and let it cool down to room temperature. Cover with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and place into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or overnight.

To make the cake layers, start by preheating the oven to 180°C and lining a small rectangular cake pan or a loaf pan (10x20 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides. Sift together the flour with the baking soda and baking powder, add in the sugar, espresso powder, and salt, and whisk well. Pour in the wet ingredients in no particular order and gently stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for 30-35 minutes. Make sure you check it early on, so it stays moist. Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool down in the pan completely.

To make the whiskey syrup, simply combine the boiling water with the espresso powder and whiskey, mix very well so the coffee dissolves, and let it cool down completely.

When everything is cool to the touch, level the cake if necessary, and slice it into three thin layers. Take the chilled ganache out of the refrigerator and briefly whip it on low speed. Whip the cold vegan double cream separately until soft peaks form, then add it to the ganache, along with the sifted soy milk powder, and whip on the highest setting until stiff peaks form. Divide it into three equal parts by weight.

Place the first cake layer onto the serving platter and generously brush it with the whiskey syrup. Add a third of the fudge filling, and place the second cake layer on top. Repeat the process once more, and decorate the cake as desired with the remaining filling. As almost all of my cakes, this one is pretty sturdy and stable, so it can be decorated immediately.

Place the platter into the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight and serve with strong coffee. Yields 8 rich servings.

MINI VEGAN CHERRY CHOCOLATE COFFEE CAKE

When it comes to coffee-time treats, my first choice will always be a crumb cake. There is something so special in its texture that is beyond appealing to me, hence why I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone who wants to upgrade their coffee time.

And this particular one? She is a work of art. Soft chocolate coffee cake, tangy sour cherry jam, and that glorious crumb topping make for one amazing treat. I do love coffee cakes, so this is a very biased take, but I give you my word, this cake is perfect to be slowly enjoyed, especially on a cold winter's day.

One piece of advice I have when it comes to my coffee cakes in general is to use a piping bag to add the jam topping. Even a regular freezer bag with a corner cut off will work. I truly find it is the best way to do it because that way, the jam will not sink into the cake, but rather stay on top, just below the crumb topping.

Of course, you can add it onto the cake in teaspoons, and that will work just as well. The main goal is not to put everything in one spot and try to spread it, because the cake will not be baked through and the jam will sink. Spoken from experience.

Ingredients

For the chocolate coffee cake batter

150 grams plain flour
50 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
120 grams granulated sugar
15 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
200 millilitres carbonated water
45 millilitres neutral oil
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

For the sour cherry jam

250 grams sour cherries, fresh or defrosted
50 grams light brown sugar
2 teaspoons cold water
1 teaspoon cornflour

For the crumb topping

20 grams vegan block butter, melted
20 grams granulated sugar
40 grams plain flour

Preparation

Start by making the sour cherry jam. Roughly chop the cherries, add them to a heavy pot, add in the sugar, and place over medium heat. Let it slowly come to a boil, stirring from time to time, and cook for about 15 minutes, until thickened.

Separately whisk together the cornflour and cold water, add them to the jam, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 3 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely. You can stir it from time to time, as it cools, but this is purely optional.

To make the crumb topping, mix the melted vegan block butter with the sugar and flour until big pieces of crumble form. Place it in the refrigerator until needed.

Turn the oven on to preheat to 180°C and line a medium round cake pan (15 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides. It would be good to use a somewhat deeper cake pan, so the cake can rise nicely and that there is enough room for everything.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda, add in the ground almonds, instant espresso, and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine. Separately whisk together all the wet ingredients, add them to the prepared dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and place it immediately in the preheated oven, for just 10 minutes, so the surface firms up slightly. After about 10 minutes or so, take the cake out of the oven, add the cherry jam and the crumb topping, and continue to bake for another 45-50 minutes, for a total of 1 hour. Make sure you check the cake early on, so it stays soft.

Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool down completely in the pan. Serve with coffee. Yields 10 servings.

VEGAN WHITE CHOCOLATE WALNUT WAFERS

My vast love for two-bite treats spans over almost four decades and the more I make them, the more I love them. Especially this combination; the crunch from the wafer sheets and the smoothness of the walnut filling.

Honestly, wafer desserts are the best of the best as far as I am concerned, and their only competition might come in the form of teeny tiny two-bite Biscoff bars. That is really it.

In general, this type of small confectionery is and always will be my first choice when it comes to gatherings of any kind. Or when it comes to that second cup of coffee around noon, for that matter.

They are loved by all, they come in a wide range of flavours and textures, they're tiny, and they're cute. What more could one want from confectionery in general?

As always, if you are new to wafer desserts or it's more comfortable that way, you can use a cake frame and close it tightly around the wafer sheet, to make sure the filling stays in place. Simply make sure that the side with the coarser pattern is facing up so all of those indentations get nicely filled up, and that is all.

The final piece of advice I can offer is not to fill the wafer sheets when the filling is hot, as they will turn very soggy and very chewy and even stringy when they cool down. And also, if you believe your filling is a bit too runny for your liking, add a tablespoon or two more of ground biscuits.

Ingredients

120 millilitres almond milk
100 grams granulated sugar
150 grams vegan block butter
100 grams vegan white chocolate
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
150 grams toasted walnuts, ground
150 grams vegan vanilla biscuits, finely ground
15 grams soy milk powder (2 levelled tablespoons)
3 small wafer sheets (18x36 cm)

Preparation

Pour the almond milk into a heavy pot, add in the sugar, diced vegan butter, vanilla, and chopped vegan white chocolate, and place it over medium heat. Let everything melt together slowly, making sure it does not come to a boil.

Once melted, remove from the heat and add in the ground walnuts. Mix them through well, and then add in the ground biscuits and sifted soy milk powder. Mix very well, either with a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula, and leave it for about 15 minutes, so it can cool down. Stir it from time to time as it cools, so it cools down evenly.

Once lukewarm, place the first wafer sheet on the serving platter, coarse side up. If using a cake frame, close it around it. Add half of the filling and spread it evenly. Add another wafer sheet in the same fashion, and continue stacking until everything is used up. Top with the third wafer sheet, press gently with both palms so everything sets, and then place something heavy on top, like a 1-litre carton of milk or a full 1-kg bag of sugar on top, so it sets firmly.

Place the platter somewhere cool, but not in the refrigerator, so they don’t get soggy. They are best after at least 8 hours, but you can slice them even after 4 hours if you are in a hurry. Yields 32 medium wafer bars or around 70 bite-sized ones.