NO-BAKE MINI VEGAN CHOCOLATE BISCOFF BROWNIES

Although autumn just started, we are already in single-digit temperatures, and that really calls for cosy treats and favourite tea served in fancy teacups. And what better treat to have than a miniature vegan brownie with a delicious layer of frosting?

Biscoff has been my firm favourite ever since I first sampled it, and I am very proud to say that I always have a jar or two in my pantry, year-round. I find it perfect for all sorts of desserts, from tiny petit fours to cake fillings.

And these no-bake brownies are simply phenomenal for a little tea-time treat. Rich chocolate and almond brownies, gorgeous Biscoff frosting, and a mighty layer of double chocolate ganache. Perfection in a tiny bite.

And if you are a fan of mini vegan treats, I am happy to tell you that you can find many more of them in my cookbooks.

Ingredients
For the no-bake vegan brownies
100 millilitres espresso or brewed coffee
50 grams light brown sugar
100 grams vegan block butter
50 grams dark chocolate (70%)
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
100 grams toasted almonds, ground
100 grams vegan vanilla biscuits, ground
10 grams unsweetened cocoa powder
For the Biscoff frosting
180 grams Biscoff (Lotus, Speculoos) creamy spread
50 grams vegan block butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the ganache topping
50 grams dark chocolate (75%)
30 grams vegan milk chocolate
60 millilitres vegan double cream
15 grams vegan block butter

Preparation

Start by lining a small rectangle cake pan or a cake form (15x15 cm) with baking parchment. Set aside. Pour the freshly pulled espresso or brewed coffee into a heavy pot, add in the sugar, diced vegan butter, vanilla, and chopped dark chocolate, and place it over medium heat. Let everything melt together slowly, without coming to a boil.

Once melted, remove it from the heat and add in the ground almonds. Mix them through well, and then add in the ground biscuits and sifted cocoa powder. Mix very well, either with a wooden spoon or a sturdy spatula, and immediately transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Level it nicely and place it into the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes, so it can firm up.

Once the brownies have firmed up, move onto making the Biscoff frosting. Place the spread into a heavy saucepan, add in the diced vegan butter, and place it over low heat. Once it starts to soften, add in the vanilla, and start to mix and fold, until combined. It should not take long, just for the frosting to be combined well. Once pourable and ready, remove the base from the refrigerator, pour on the frosting, tap the pan to level it nicely, and return it to the refrigerator for at least an hour.

To make the ganache topping, chop up both types of chocolate finely, and add them to a small saucepan. Pour in the vegan double cream, add in the vegan butter, and place over medium heat. Allow for it to melt slowly and fully combine, and quickly pour it over the Biscoff frosting. Return to the refrigerator for at least 4-6 hours, to set. Serve with some melted vegan white chocolate and freshly pulled espresso. Yields 16 modest servings.

MINI VEGAN ALMOND WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Mini vegan cakes are one of my greatest loves. Without a doubt, I absolutely enjoy making them as much as sampling them. There is something so perfect about them.

This one is no different. Layer upon layer of vegan vanilla almond cake and vegan white chocolate ganache, enriched with toasted almonds. Marvellous for tea or coffee, on any given day.

It is incredibly easy to prepare, although it does require a bit of planning, because of the ganache, but it is all quite straightforward as far as the process goes. A bit of mixing, a bit of layering, and she is ready to be proudly displayed and enjoyed.

As for the whipped cream stabiliser - it is called differently in different countries - Kremfix, Sahnesteif, pannafix, Whip It, etc; but any cream stabiliser made for 200-250 millilitres of cream will work perfectly. It gives the cake stability and makes the slices so much neater.

And if you are a fan of my mini vegan cakes, I am happy to tell you that you can find many more of them in my cookbook.

Ingredients
For the soft almond cake layers
125 grams plain flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
125 grams granulated sugar
40 grams toasted almonds, finely ground
180 millilitres carbonated water
1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
25 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
For the white chocolate almond filling
200 grams vegan white chocolate, finely chopped
200 millilitres vegan double cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
50 grams toasted flaked almonds, finely crushed
2 tablespoons soy milk powder
2 teaspoons whipped cream stabiliser
For serving
75 grams toasted flaked almonds

Preparation

Start by making the vegan white chocolate filling. Chop the chocolate very finely and place it in a saucepan. Add in the vegan double cream and vanilla, and place everything over low to medium heat.

Melt it together slowly, stirring gently until combined. Remove from the heat, and let it cool down to room temperature. Cover the surface with a piece of cling film or baking parchment, and place into the refrigerator for at least 6 hours.

To make the vanilla cake layers, start by preheating the oven to 180°C and lining a square medium cake pan (18x18 cm) with baking parchment. Set aside. Sift together the plain flour and baking soda into a medium bowl, and add in the sugar and almonds. Whisk well and pour in the water, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Gently whisk together until just combined. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake immediately in a nicely preheated oven, at 180°C, for about 15-20 minutes. Typically, this particular cake is done by the 18-minute mark in my oven. Do check it with a toothpick, making sure it stays soft and fudgy. Let it cool in the pan completely.

When everything is cool and ready, proceed to assemble the cake. Whip the white chocolate ganache until soft peaks form, add in the crushed almonds, soy milk powder, and whipping cream stabiliser, and continue mixing until stiff peaks form. Divide it into parts, one slightly larger than the other, and then divide the smaller part in three, by weight.

Level the cooled cake if needed, slice it in half lengthwise, to create two thin and long strips of cake, and then cut each of them in half to create four very thin layers. Place the first cake layer on the serving platter, and add a portion of the prepared filling. Continue stacking the cake layers until all of them are used up.

As the cake is firm, use the reserved filling to frost and decorate to your liking. Place it into the refrigerator for 8 hours, and serve with strong coffee and additional flaked almonds. Yields 8 rich servings or 12 modest ones.

MINI VEGAN FIG COFFEE CAKE

We are mere days away from autumn and there are almost no figs to be found on the farmer's market. They've had a good season this year, but I cannot help but be a little sad that they will not be available until next summer. Still, I have plenty stashed in my freezer, for sweet little treats like this one.

A lovely and soft cake, a rich fig jam swirl, and a wonderful crumb topping, like a little crown. What more could one want from a cake?

With all cakes of this type, I always say they are even better the next day. The flavours meld together, the crumb topping softens just a little, and the texture of the filling becomes even more prominent.

Kept in a sealed container, it will keep for days on the counter. That is also what makes it great for meal prepping, if you like to do that. And it is also great for lunch boxes, sans any icing sugar, to make it tidier.

Ingredients
For the coffee cake
130 grams plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
100 grams granulated sugar
50 grams toasted walnuts, ground
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
25 millilitres neutral oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
180 millilitres carbonated water
For the fig swirl
300 grams fresh, ripe figs
100 grams brown sugar
2 teaspoon 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 fig filling. Purée the figs until completely smooth, pour into a heavy-bottomed 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.

While it will resemble jam, it should not reach the jam setting point.

Separately whisk together the cornflour and cold water, add them to the jam, and cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes or so. Remove from the heat and let it cool down completely.

To make the cake batter, start by preheating the oven to 180°C. Line a small round, preferably deep, cake pan (13 cm) with baking parchment, bottom and sides.

A deeper cake pan works the best, because that way the cake can rise well, and there is plenty of room for the filling and crumb topping.

Next, sift the flour and baking soda together, add in the sugar and walnuts, and whisk to blend well. Separately whisk together all the wet ingredients, add them to the prepared dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

There is no need to stir too much, as the batter comes together easily.

To make the crumb topping, melt the vegan block butter, add in the sugar and flour, and mix until big pieces of crumble form. Set briefly in the refrigerator.

Pour half of the cake batter into the prepared pan, add half of the fig filling, pour the remaining cake batter on top, 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 rest of the filling, followed by the crumb topping, and continue to bake for another 55-60 minutes, checking early on, so the cake stays soft. It does bake for a fairly long time, but do check it earlier.

Once baked, remove from the oven, and let it cool down completely in the pan. Serve with coffee. Yields 8 servings.

VEGAN FIG & APPLE STRUDEL

By now, it is very well known just how much I love figs. For the longest time, I could not find them around here, then they started being sporadically available in shops, and now finally, they are fully available throughout their whole season. It was worth the wait.

So when they are in season, I enjoy them daily; mostly fresh, as that is how I love them, but also in jams, preserves, as well as strudels and other pastries. They are simply that delicious in everything.

And this sweet little treat is just how I like it. Full of figs and apples, abundant this season, as well as dark rum, vanilla, and almonds. The sheer beauty of simplicity.

One thing I want to add, though, is to plan ahead when making it, as this type of strudel truly tastes the best on the day it's made. Yes, it will keep a few days at room temperature, in a sealed container, but the pastry sheets tend to get stale after day three.

So serve it right off the baking sheet, preferably with freshly brewed coffee, and enjoy the crunch on every bite.

Ingredients
For the strudels
18 filo sheets, 500 grams
150 millilitres tepid water
120 millilitres neutral oil, sunflower or vegetable
100 grams coconut sugar
2 teaspoons dark rum
For the fig and apple filling
350 grams fresh, ripe figs, stems removed
200 grams apples, peeled and cored
70 grams semolina
75 grams light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon dark rum
30 grams toasted almonds, ground

Preparation

Start by making the fruit filling, as it needs to cool down before rolling up the filo rolls. Add the figs and apples to a blender and let it run until a smooth and thick fruit purée is formed. Pour it into a heavy saucepan, and add in semolina, sugar, vanilla, and rum.

Place the pan over medium-high heat and let it come to a boil slowly. Mix gently until it starts to boil, and once it comes to a boil, cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat, add in the almonds, and stir them through well. Let the filling cool down to room temperature, stirring from time to time as it cools.

Once the filling is ready, count the filo sheets and divide them into three stacks, six sheets in each. Mix together the wet ingredients for the strudel rolls and have them ready. Let the oven preheat to 200˚C.

Take one sheet, lay it flat on your work surface, brush it generously with the water and oil mixture, and sprinkle on the sugar. Take another sheet, lay it on top, and repeat until you use up five sheets. Place the filling along the edge of the final, sixth sheet, and roll it up into a tight roll. Place the roll on the edge of the sheet stack made earlier, and roll it up into a roll. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients, forming three rolls.

Arrange them on a large baking sheet lined with baking parchment, brush them with any remaining water and oil mixture, and bake immediately, in a nicely preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 20-25 minutes. Once baked, take them out of the oven, let them cool down to your preference, and serve. Yields 12 generous servings.

VEGAN BISCOFF GINGERBREAD CINNAMON ROLLS

As a child, I didn't spend a lot of time in the countryside, which is odd, considering both my parents were raised there, but what little time I got to spend there was always filled with freshly baked bread and pastries. Partially because there really weren't any shops around, so everything had to be homemade, but partially because it was simply a part of pride and tradition - to welcome each day with a freshly baked loaf.

And I believe that is where my love for breads, pastries, and sweet dough desserts originated. In those chilly early summer mornings, with piping hot bread rolls and icy cold plum jam. It still holds quite a bit of nostalgia for me, despite everything.

Sweet dough, as I've written many times before, is simply irresistible to me. It doesn't really have to be enriched, either. As long as there is a bit of sweetness in the dough and plenty of filling, I will love it.

And these rolls are just like that. The dough is absolutely perfectly soft and spiced to perfection, the filling is gorgeously creamy, with just a hint of cinnamon, and they are marvellous served right out of the baking pan. Preferably with a glass of cold milk, to balance it all out.

On a final note, if you want, you can absolutely divide the dough into smaller rolls and bake accordingly, but there is something beyond special in a massive cinnamon roll that almost takes up the whole plate. Naturally, it is not an everyday treat given its size, but it is something special.

Ingredients
For the softest gingerbread dough
350 grams plain flour
200 millilitres tepid water
30 millilitres neutral oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
30 grams brown sugar
25 grams fresh yeast
10 grams salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
For the filling
120 grams nocciolata, vegan
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1 teaspoon cornflour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 Biscoff biscuits, finely brushed, 32 grams
For the optional frosting
50 grams vegan cream cheese
1 tablespoon icing sugar, to taste
1 tablespoon soy milk

Preparation

Start by making the gingerbread dough. Take a medium bowl, crumble in the fresh yeast, add in the sugar and water, and mix well. Set the bowl aside for about 10-15 minutes so the yeast can dissolve and activate.

Meanwhile, sift the flour into a large bowl, add in the salt and spices, and blend well. Once the yeast is ready, make a well in the centre of the flour, pour it in, and add in the vanilla and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon or a very sturdy spatula until a very soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it by hand for about 5 minutes or so, until it becomes supple and smooth. If it is sticking too much to your hands, feel free to add a bit more flour, so it is manageable. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover it with a kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour, or until doubled.

While the dough is resting, make the filling. Take the softened nocciolata spread and mix it well with the vanilla, cinnamon, and cornflour. Set aside, but do not refrigerate.

Once the dough is ready, take it out of the bowl and knead it gently. Roll it out into a long rectangle. Spread the nocciolata all over the dough, sprinkle on the crushed Biscoff biscuits and roll it up starting from the shorter side, so the rolls are nice and tall. Slice the roll into four large pieces and arrange them in a rectangular baking pan (20x20 cm), lined with baking parchment.

Cover them with a clean cloth, and let them rest and rise for about 20-30 minutes, while the oven preheats. Bake them in a nicely preheated oven, at 200˚C, for about 15-18 minutes, or until evenly browned. If desired, mix all the frosting ingredients, put them in a small piping bag, decorate the freshly baked rolls and serve immediately. Yields 4 extra large rolls.

Author's note: These can be sliced into smaller rolls, and baked for a shorter period of time, around 12 minutes.