Bakewell Tart

Ingredients:

250g puff pastry (shop bought or have a go at making your own HERE)

1 heaped tbsp raspberry, strawberry or cherry jam

125g butter

125g caster sugar

100g ground almonds

25g plain flour

1 egg, beaten

half a dozen glace cherries or almond slices for decorating

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Roll the pastry into a round to line your baking tin or flan dish (15-20cm in diameter is perfect). You will want to line the bottom & sides.
3. Place the pastry into the tin, pressing into & up the sides of the tin.
4. Place a piece of greaseproof paper onto the pastry & place your baking beans/weights on top (also know as baking blind).
5. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a pan.
7. Mix together the ground almonds, plain flour & caster sugar in a bowl. 
8. Add the butter & beaten egg & mix well.
9. Once your pastry base is removed from the oven, remove the greaseproof paper & baking beans, allow to cool for 5 minutes. 
10. Reduce the oven heat to 160C.
11. Add the filling & decorate the top with excess pastry, glace cherries & sliced almonds.
12. Bake in the oven until firm & golden brown, approx 45 minutes to an hour.

Homemade Baked Beans

Ingredients:

4x 400g tins of haricot beans (can also be made with any other types of tinned beans)
4 bay leaves
2 onions, finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 carrots, grated
300ml vegetable stock (made mine with 1 veg OXO cube)
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp paprika
pinch of ground cloves
black pepper
1 tsp black treacle

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients into the slow cooker.
2. Mix together well & cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.

NB If you make a huge batch you can freeze in portions.

This recipe is soooo simple but yet as delicious if not more delicious than tinned baked beans.

Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownie

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

350g demerara sugar

65g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

250ml water

250ml vegetable oil

12 drops of orange essential oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder & salt.
3. Pour in water, vegetable oil & orange essential oil & mix well.
4. Spread into a baking tin.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Vegan Mint Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

350g demerara sugar

65g cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

250ml water

250ml vegetable oil

6 drops of peppermint essential oil

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder & salt.
3. Pour in water, vegetable oil & peppermint essential oil & mix well.
4. Spread into a baking tin.
5. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
6. Allow to cool before cutting into squares.