Dairy-free AUTUMN APPLE JOY

The finished thing

Ingredients

pastry

200g flour (I have tried this recipe with plain flour and spelt flour. Both worked equally well)

100g Pure dairy free spread (or dairy equivalent)

4 tablespoons of water

½ teaspoon of vanilla essence

A bit of lemon zest

Filling

apple butter See recipe here (It would be interesting to try it with damson or blackberry jam)

3 grated apples (or finely chopped)

Recipe

1. Put the flour, lemon zest and dairy-free spread (or dairy equivalent) and rub together with your hands

2. Mix the vanilla essence with the water.

3. Add water until flour fat mix holds together and looks like pastry.

4. Put the pastry in the fridge until you need it.

5. Peel, core and grate the apples.

6. Roll out the pastry into a rectangle

7. Spread a layer of apple butter over the pastry rectangle

8. Spread the grated apple over top

9. Cut the pastry down the middle into two long thin rectangles

10. Roll the pastry up into two Swiss roll type sausagey things.

11. Line a cake tin with baking parchment

12. Pre heat your oven to gas mark 3.5 /155°C.

13. Carefully cut the rolled pastry into segments and arrange in the cake tin.

14. Bake your pastry thing in the oven for an hour or until the pastry is a nice golden brown.

15. Eat it. Enjoy.

I love this stuff. If you’ve got loads of apples then this is the thing to make. It’s great on toast or in tarts or pies.

Ingredients

1.5 kg of apples or crab apples
500ml water
500ml dry cider
Sugar (I usually use demerara or raw cane sugar)
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 heaped teaspoon ground cloves
1 heaped teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
2 star anise pods (optional)
Zest of 2 or 3 or 4 lemons (I like it zesty)

Method

1. Peel the apples and cut into pieces.
2. Place in a stainless steel or enameled pan with the water and cider.
3. Bring to the boil then simmer until the apples are very soft.
4. Use a sieve to strain off excess liquid and then purée the mush with a hand blender.
5. Allow ¾ lb (340 g)of sugar to each l lb (450 g) of pulp.
6. Return the pulp to the pan and simmer.
7. Add the sugar, cinnamon, cloves, allspice and lemon zest.
8. Simmer, stirring frequently, until no liquid remains.
9. Spoon into clean, dry, warm, sterilized jars.

This is a sticky, fruity cake that’s dairy and gluten free.

Ingredients

100g ground almonds.
100g sugar (I use demerara)
25g mixed peel.
50g sunflower seeds
50g golden linseed
50g sesame seeds (optional)
50g raisins
25g hemp seed (optional)
Zest and juice of half a lemon.
2  medium sized eggs.

Recipe
1. Put all the dry ingredients in a bowl then add the eggs and lemon juice.
2. Mix them up.
3. spoon the mixture into a  lined or greased cake tin. I use a shallow 20cm cake tin.
4. Put in an oven for 30 minutes on a low heat. Gas mark 3 on my oven. Until nicely browned.
5. Leave it to rest, The cake will be very crumbly when it has just come out of the oven. Leave it covered overnight. It will then be less crumbly.

A further low point in the history of cake photography

This is a rich and sticky cake that’s dairy and gluten free.

Ingredients

200g ground almonds.
100g sugar (I used demerara) A coarser grain will give more crunch. I use vanilla sugar.
100g of chopped walnuts.
200g chopped dates.
Zest of half a lemon.
½ teaspoon of allspice.
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
1 teaspoon of ground cardamom. . Roughly 10 pods
2  medium sized eggs.
Flaked almonds (Optional for decoration).

Recipe
1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix them up.
3. spoon the mixture into a cake tin. I use a shallow 20cm cake tin.
4. Decorate the top with flaked almonds if you want it to look nice.
5. Put in an oven for 30 minutes on a low heat. Gas mark 3.5 on my oven.
6. Leave it to rest, covered.

I recommend leaving the cake covered overnight before eating to allow the flavours to meld.

A low point in the history of cake photography

This is a rich and sticky cake that’s dairy and gluten free. It’s based on a macaroon recipe from my dad.

Ingredients
25g of candied peel. I have used shop bought stuff and peel I have candied myself. Both work. Alternatively I have used chopped dried apricots.
200g ground almonds.
100g sugar (I used demerara) A coarser grain will give more crunch.
100g of chopped walnuts.
½ teaspoon of allspice.
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.
½ teaspoon of ground cardamon.
2 eggs.
Flaked almonds (Optional for decoration).

Recipe
1. Put all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Mix them.
3. spoon the mixture into a cake tin. I use a shallow 20cm cake tin.
4. Decorate the top with flaked almonds if you want it to look nice.
5. Put in an oven for 30 minutes on a low heat. Gas mark 3.5 on my oven.
6. Leave it to rest, covered.

I usually leave the cake covered overnight before eating to allow the flavours to meld.