VEGAN HONEY SESAME CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

This is a type of dessert that I loved the most as a child, and I still love them to this day, to be completely honest. They are miniature desserts that are typically served during holidays and celebrations, and they are quite literally the very first thing that gets eaten at any gathering.

Understandably so, too, as they are an absolutely delicious, one-bite sweet little treat that is often either made out of chocolate or glazed in chocolate. They are often made with traditional ingredients like walnuts or hazelnuts, honey, jam, and various types of ground biscuits.

My tips for success

I actually like to weigh each truffle so they are all the same, but you can most definitely just use a teaspoon and take out batter like that, especially if you will be enjoying them at home. This will definitely save time.

Use whichever vegan honey you prefer, and if you wish, you can add a few drops of honey flavouring, if it is available to you. That way the flavour will shine through more intensely and blend really well with sesame. Using maple syrup is also an option, although it will alter the flavour slightly. Do keep in mind that some vegan honeys and maple syrup are a bit runny, so you might need a bit more biscuit crumbs to make them hold their shape. Always have more than the recipe calls for, in case they absorb more liquid, or you decide to roll them in those same crumbs after shaping.

I used a mix of white and black sesame seeds, but you can use all white sesame seeds, the truffles will still be absolutely delicious. You can, if you wish, additionally dip them in chocolate instead of rolling them in sesame seeds, but do use a thin layer of chocolate, so it does not end up overpowering.

Ingredients
75 grams vegan block butter
25 grams soy milk
50 grams vegan honey
50 grams dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa solids)
1 teaspoon vanilla
150 grams sesame seeds, white and black, divided
125 grams vegan vanilla biscuits, finely ground

Preparation

Start by toasting the sesame seeds over medium heat. Place a large pan over medium heat and add the sesame seeds in an even layer. Toast them, while stirring, for about 2-3 minutes, or until fragrant, but make sure they do not burn, as they will taste quite bitter. Once done, take out 50 grams of the mixed sesame seeds to use as topping, and put the rest into a separate bowl.

Take a medium saucepan and add in the soy milk, vegan honey, vegan block butter, and vanilla, and place it over medium heat. Let it heat up slowly and meld together without coming to a boiling point. Once everything is melted, add in the chocolate, remove from the heat, and stir until combined.

Pour this mixture over the larger portion of the toasted sesame seeds, and mix well. Finally, start adding in the biscuit crumbs. Depending on your specific biscuit, you may not use the whole quantity, or you might need a bit more. It is always handy to have a bit more biscuits when making this type of truffles.

Once everything is nicely mixed, let it cool down slightly, so you can shape it into truffles. This can be done by letting it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes, or if your kitchen is really warm, by placing the bowl in the refrigerator for not longer than 10 minutes.

Take out small portions of the batter, around 15 grams per truffle, shape them into a nice little sphere, and immediately roll in the reserved sesame seeds. That way, the topping will stick to them nicely. Keep rolling until you use up all of the batter, arrange them in a single layer on a large serving platter, and let them firm up in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. Yields 25 small truffles.

MINI VEGAN SLIDER BUNS

When it comes to baking during summer, especially in the warmest part of it, I like to bake early in the morning, bake in batches, and freeze everything I can for later use. That is why I find bread rolls so handy, as they freeze very well, and are perfect for hot days. Especially this tiny, slider buns and other bread rolls bake incredibly quickly, and a lot of them can fit on one baking tray, which is good for saving time and energy.

Depending on how warm your kitchen is, they can be ready in less than 2 hours, including baking, but if they take longer to rise, that is fine, too. I like to split them open and serve with homemade jam and coffee, for a sweet breakfast, but they are also quite lovely for picnics, once the weather allows it, or lunchboxes. Pillowy soft, with a beautiful chewy crust, they are gorgeous on their own, as well as with any filling of your choice, including sweet ones.

My tips for success

The quantity of sugar and salt is balanced to keep them neutral and flavourful, but if you like your slider buns on the saltier side, rather than increasing the salt in the dough, feel free to sprinkle some salt, coarse or regular, on them before baking. You can also use salted pumpkin seeds, for the same effect, and an added crunch.

They are truly best served very warm, but they do not slice very well at that point, so keep that in mind. If you want clean slices, it is best to wait until they have cooled down a bit.

Other than granulated sugar, you can use maple syrup or vegan honey as the sweetener, only use a bit less water in the dough, as liquid sweeteners have around 20% of water or more. The alternative is to add a bit more flour if the dough feels sticky once formed.

Ingredients
For the slider buns
350 grams plain flour
200 millilitres warm water
40 millilitres vegetable oil
20 grams fresh yeast
25 grams granulated sugar
7 grams salt
For the glaze and topping
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 teaspoons icing sugar
30 millilitres cold water
black and white sesame seeds, salted pumpkin seeds, etc.

Preparation

Take a large bowl, crumble in the fresh yeast, add in the sugar and warm water, mix well, and set it aside for about 10-15 minutes so the yeast can activate. Once ready, pour in the oil, mix well, and then sift in the flour and the salt. Mix with a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula until a very soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a nicely floured surface and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes, until it becomes supple and smooth. It should not stick too much, but if it does, feel free to add a bit more flour. Shape the kneaded dough into a ball, place it into that same large bowl you formed it in, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise for about an hour, in a warm spot. Depending on how warm or cold your kitchen is, it may take a bit longer, but that is fine.

Line a medium baking tin (18x18 cm) with baking parchment and very lightly mist it with cold water. Take the risen dough out of the bowl and knead it gently by hand, and divide into 16 equal parts, by weight. Shape each of them into a smooth bun, and arrange them snugly in the baking tin. Generously mist them with cold water, cover with a kitchen towel, and let them rise until doubled. Meanwhile, turn the oven on to preheat to 200˚C.

Mix all the ingredients for the glaze, apart from the seeds, and brush each slider bun generously. Top them equally abundantly with the seeds of your choice, and bake them in a preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 12-15 minutes, or until evenly browned. Serve immediately. Yields 16 buns.

Author's note: If freezing these buns, let them cool completely after baking, wrap tightly in cling film, and then place inside a storage bag, tightly sealing it, as well. To reheat, let them thaw completely in the refrigerator, and then reheat for about 20 minutes in a 180°C oven, until heated through and hot. Use within one month, for the best taste and quality.

HOMEMADE MANGO APRICOT JAM

Jams are among my favourite things to make and enjoy for many reasons, mainly because they use the whole fruit, wasting nearly nothing, and they are simply perfect on a piece of toast, as a cake filling or frosting, as well as pancake and waffle topping. There is no wrong way of enjoying homemade jam.

This is a lovely and bright flavour combination, especially with just a touch of white rum, just to brighten it up a bit further. It does not use a lot of sugar, as the fruit is in its prime now, ripe and delightfully sweet, and the tiny addition of vanilla makes it taste like candy.

My tips for success

This is a small batch of jam, one of the smallest I make. Because of that, it cooks down very quickly, so it is best to keep it on medium to medium-low heat, depending on how hot your stove runs, and stir it constantly. That way, it cooks evenly and does not burn on the bottom.

Now, I chose to purée the jam so it spreads nicely onto toast, but you can most definitely leave it as is, leaving some of the fruit pieces intact. That is also a wonderful jam texture, without a doubt, and equally useful for cakes and pastries.

On a final note, you can remove the skins off the peaches if you wish, but I did not. If you remove it, the jam will be somewhat lighter in colour than mine, but the flavour will not be affected in any way.

Ingredients
200 grams ripe mango pieces
100 grams ripe peaches
200 grams ripe apricots
200 grams granulated sugar
1 small lemon, juice only
¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
½ teaspoon white rum

Preparation

Remove all the stones from the fruit, dice and weigh it, and place it into a large non-reactive pot. Add the sugar and the lemon juice. Stir very well, so the sugar is evenly distributed, and let the fruit macerate for about an hour or so.

Once it has released its liquid, the pot over medium heat, and let it very slowly come to a boil. As soon as it starts to bubble, start the timer, and cook for about 35-40 minutes, stirring almost constantly, removing any foam that appears on the surface.

As this is a tiny batch of jam, the cooking process is quick. After about 30 minutes or so, purée the jam completely with an immersion blender, and check if it has reached its setting point, either by dropping a teaspoon of it onto a chilled plate, and seeing if it sets after about a minute, or by inserting a candy thermometer and making sure it has reached 105°C. If not, continue cooking and checking in 5-minute intervals until set. The longer you cook it, the deeper the colour and flavour will get.

Once the jam reaches its setting point, remove it from the heat, add in the vanilla and rum, and stir very well. Let it cool down for about 10 and pour it into a sterilised jar, closing the lid tightly. Keep it in a dark and cool place, or in the refrigerator, for the best possible taste. Yields 350 grams of jam.

VEGAN CARAMEL CAPPUCCINO CAKE

I take my coffee black, without any sweeteners or cream, and that is how I've loved it for years, but when it comes to desserts, any combination with caramel is an instant winner for me. The perfect blend of rich coffee and sweet caramel delight. A wonderful, robust espresso cookie base, gorgeous caramel layers, and plenty of velvety caramel frosting make for the perfect after-dinner or brunch treat.

I love serving it with a cup of coffee, as I find it pairs amazingly well with this type of cake, but a tall glass of cold milk of your choice is a good option, as well. It is also a marvellous however you choose to serve it - straight out of the refrigerator, with a texture of an ice cream bar, or slightly softened, after being at room temperature for about 15 minutes. There really is no wrong way of serving it.

My tips for success

If you have a tiny sheet pan that fits into your oven alongside the cake pan with the batter, you can bake the cookie and the cake layers simultaneously, only taking the cookie out earlier. This saves time and energy, of course. But if you do not have a tiny sheet pan, simply invert a cake pan and bake the cookie that way.

If you enjoy a stronger coffee flavour, add up to ½ teaspoon of instant espresso more to the cookie, but not more than that, because it will turn out bitter and almost overpowering.

And finally, if you add caramel sauce to the filling and frosting, like I did, be prepared that there will be pieces of chewy and thick caramel throughout the frosting. If you are fine with that, perfect; if not, and you want it completely smooth, add the caramel sauce to the butter and cream them together before blending in the custard.

Ingredients
For the vegan caramel cake layers
85 grams plain flour
70 grams coconut sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
90 millilitres tepid water
For the vegan cappuccino cookie
20 grams coconut sugar
20 grams vegan block butter, slightly softened
25 millilitres soy milk
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
45 grams plain flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
For the caramel cream filling
300 millilitres soy milk, cold
100 grams granulated sugar
50 grams cornflour
100 grams vegan block butter, softened
50 grams vegan caramel sauce, optional

Preparation

Start by making the caramel custard, as it takes time to cool down. Take away about 100 millilitres of soy milk, and whisk it very well with sifted cornflour. Set it aside, and whisk it gently from time to time. Add the sugar into a heavy-bottomed saucepan, place it over medium heat, and let the sugar melt slowly. Once it starts to brown around the edges, slowly move the melted parts towards the centre.

Keep cooking on medium heat until it starts to turn dark in colour and become very fragrant. As soon as it becomes a deep amber colour, very carefully pour in the larger portion of the soy milk, 200 millilitres, and let it come to a boil. The cooked caramel will harden, and that is fine, as it will completely melt into the milk by the time it starts boiling.

Once all the caramel is melted, whisk in the cornflour mixture, and cook for about 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Remove it from the heat and immediately strain it through a mesh strainer, in case there are still pieces of hardened caramel. Cover the top cling film or a piece of baking parchment, and let it cool down to room temperature.

To make the caramel cake layers, take a large bowl and sift in the plain flour and the baking powder. Whisk them together, and then add in the coconut sugar. Set it aside for just a minute, and prepare the pan by lining the bottom and sides of a small round baking pan (12 cm) with baking parchment.

Pour the water and vanilla over the dry ingredients and quickly whisk until blended. As soon as the batter is ready, pour it into the prepared pan, tap it once or twice on the counter, and bake immediately in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for 15-20 minutes, checking for doneness early on. As soon as a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, it is done. Remove it from the oven and let the cake cool down in the pan for about 10 minutes, and then invert it on a wire rack, and let it cool down completely.

To make the vegan espresso cookie base, place the vegan block butter into a small bowl and mash it with a fork until somewhat smooth. Add in the coconut sugar and the espresso powder, and blend and mash them together. Sift in the flour and baking powder, mix as much as you can, and add in the soy milk. Blend everything together using a fork or a tiny whisk, and scrape all the batter onto a tiny baking sheet, forming a single cookie that is roughly 12-13 cm in diameter. Bake it in a preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 8-10 minutes. Let the baked cookie cool down completely.

Once everything is cool to the touch, proceed to assemble the cake.

Take a large bowl, add in the softened vegan block butter, and mix it with an electric mixer on high, until very light and creamy, almost resembling a buttercream, about 3-4 minutes. Do the same with the cooled custard, to make it easier to blend. Without stopping the mixer, start adding the cooled custard, a spoonful at a time, to the vegan butter, until completely combined. Add in the vegan caramel sauce, if using, and briefly blend again.

Level the cake, if needed, and slice it into two layers horizontally. Place the cookie onto the serving platter and top it with a portion of the filling. It does not have to be precise, just make sure you have enough filling to use as frosting. Add one cake layer and top it with another portion of the filling.

Finally, add the second cake layer and frost the entire cake with the remaining custard filling. There is plenty of custard, so the decoration can be as intricate as you like. Place the cake into the refrigerator for at least 8 hours, and serve with freshly brewed espresso. Yields 6 servings. © Tina Vesić 2024

VEGAN CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT FUDGE CAKE

Summer is officially here in the Northern hemisphere, and late evening gatherings simply call for indulging in delightful cakes such as this one. The toasted hazelnuts embellish the cake with a delightful, warm, earthy flavour that complements perfectly the deep, intense flavours of dark chocolate. Truffle-like chocolate cake, rich and smooth hazelnut fudge frosting, and a shiny chocolate glaze make this wonderful little cake a true velvety treat.

My tips for success

It truly is best to use toasted hazelnuts for this type of cakes, because they have the most flavour, but even blanched will work well, even though the cake will be milder in flavour and somewhat lighter in colour.

When it comes to baking, always use the written instructions as a guideline, honouring your baking equipment first and foremost. You know your oven best, and if it runs a bit hotter, the cake will be done sooner. Always check with a toothpick to make sure it is done, but not dry.

This cake is really meant to be served straight out of the pan, but if you want to transfer it to a nice cake platter and decorate it further, it is absolutely possible. After chilling overnight, simply remove it with the parchment, gently and carefully remove the parchment, and place it on the platter. Alternatively, if you are certain that that is how you want to serve it, you can remove the parchment once the cake is cool, and simply place it on the cake platter, closing a square cake form around it, and then proceeding with the recipe.

Ingredients
For the vegan chocolate cake
200 grams plain flour
50 grams toasted hazelnuts, ground
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
120 grams light brown sugar
65 millilitres vegetable oil
200 millilitres boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the rich vegan hazelnut frosting
350 millilitres soy milk, cold
40 grams cornflour
30 grams plain flour
50 grams dark brown sugar
100 grams vegan block butter, cubed
60 grams hazelnut butter
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the dark chocolate glaze
100 grams dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
40 grams vegan block butter
30 millilitres soy milk

Preparation

Start by making the hazelnut fudge filling, as it needs a bit of time to cool down and set. Sift together the flour and cornflour into a heavy saucepan, add in the sugar, and mix very well. Pour in the cold soy milk and the vanilla, whisk well, and place the pan over medium heat. Let it heat up slowly, and as soon as it starts to simmer, start stirring. Cook, stirring constantly for about 2-3 minutes, or until thickened and glossy.

Remove from heat, add in the vegan block butter, vanilla, and the hazelnut butter, and whisk until incorporated. At this point, you can use a hand mixer or an immersion blender if you find it easier. Once blended, cover the top with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and set it aside to cool down to room temperature.

Next, make the fudge cake. Set the oven to preheat to 180°C. Sift the cocoa powder into a small bowl, add in the espresso powder, and pour in about 50 millilitres of boiling water over it. Mix briefly, and let it bloom. Take a large bowl, add in the sugar and the rest of the hot water, mix well, and set it aside so the sugar starts to melt.

Add in the oil, vanilla, and the cocoa powder, and mix very well. Tip in the plain flour, ground hazelnuts, and the baking powder, and whisk until just blended.

Take a medium rectangle baking pan (18x18 cm), and line it with baking parchment. Pour in the batter and tap it very lightly on the counter to remove any large bubbles. Bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 15 minutes or so. Once a toothpick inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean, it is done. Remove it from the oven, and let it cool down to room temperature in the pan.

Once the cake and the filling are cool to the touch, mix the filling with an electric mixer on high for a minute or so, until smooth and creamy. Spread it all over the top of the cake, levelling it as much as possible. Place the whole pan in the refrigerator for at least an hour, preferably two.

When the filling is somewhat firm to the touch, make the chocolate glaze by melting together the dark chocolate, vegan block butter, and soy milk over low heat. Once melted, let it cool down for a few moments, glaze the top of the cake, and return it to the refrigerator for at least 6 more hours, preferably overnight. Yields 9 rich servings.