Strawberry cupcakes

Hey Guys

As we're heading in to summer I thought that I would share with you the recipe for these strawberry cupcakes.  They are perfect as we are just into British strawberry season and they are completely vegan, gluten free and delicious.

Strawberries are an excellent source of antioxidants, promoting vitamin C and manganese.  They are also a very good source of dietary fibre, Iodine and folate.  Plus, strawberries are a good source of copper, potassium, biotin, phosphorus, magnesium, vitamin B6 and omega 3 fatty acids.

You will notice that I have added apple cider vinegar to the mixture.  This will add some lift to the baking and make the consistency of the finished bake fluffy.

To make 12 cupcakes you will need:

1 3/4 cups of all purpose Gluten free Self Raising flour ( you could substitute this for SR flour if you aren't gluten free)

3/4 cup coconut sugar

1 tsp gluten free baking powder

pinch salt

1 cup strawberries, chopped into quarter and crushed (or pureed)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar ( ACV)

around 50 ml plant based milk

For the icing ( optional)

6-10 strawberries plus extra for decoration

icing sugar

Method

Set the oven to 180 C.  Put cupcake cases in to tin.

Mix the dry ingredients and combine them well.  Add the vanilla extract, oil and ACV.  Mix well and then add the strawberries.  Stir in the milk a little at a time until a good cake consistency has formed (thick batter).  If you are not using GF flour you will need to use less milk.

Spoon the mixture equally between the 12 cake cases and cook in the centre of the oven for between 12 -15 minutes or until golden brown.

Whilst the cakes are baking you can make up the icing.  Chop the strawberries into tiny pieces and use a fork to squash them into a pulp (or you can puree them).  Add 1 tbsp of icing sugar at a time until you have a thickish water icing.  There is no need to add any extra water to this as the juice from the strawberries is enough. 

Once the cakes are cooled, ice them.  Use the extra strawberries to decorate.

I hope that you enjoy this recipe.  If you make any of my recipes dont forget to tag me on my instagram account @moosfood or hashtag moosfood

love Moo x

Vegan, Gluten Free, Refined Sugar Free SUGAR COOKIES!

Hi everyone

Today I'm going to be sharing with you my recipe for American style sugar cookies! Only these are a whole lot healthier and gluten free, yay!

As you can see from the picture, even my dogs loved them haha!!

You will need:

• 75g vegan butter or coconut oil
• 75g coconut sugar or agave/maple syrup
• 1tbsp almond milk
• 1-2tsp vanilla (depending how vanilla-y you like them!)
• 35g brown rice flour 
• 65g plain gluten free flour (i use doves farm)
• 1tsp baking powder
• 4 tbsp cold water

Preheat your oven to 180C. Cream butter/oil and sugar together until combined. Add in milk and vanilla and stir. Then add your flours, baking powder and water, and mix to form a dough. Use your hands to shape it and then roll it out to about 1cm thick. Cut out shapes - or form into cookies with your hands - and put on a lined baking tray. Bake them for 15-20 minutes until lightly golden.

I then ice mine using an icing made from icing sugar and water with food colouring. You could also make a chocolate glaze using cacao, coconut oil and maple syrup.

Love Moo x

@moosfood 

Vegan Honeycomb!

Hi guys!

I hope you've all had a lovely Easter and eaten faaar too much chocolate! I had my grandparents over for Easter Sunday and wanted to make something that they wouldn't know was vegan! I made these honeycomb chunks dipped in chocolate and they went down a treat.

They're super easy to make, however they are NOT sugar free in the slightest - but its easter who cares! Hope you enjoy making them! I think they would be great as a present for someone, wrapped in cellophane with a bow on top.

You will need:

• 365g sugar 
• 140g glucose syrup
• 110ml water
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1 bar dark chocolate, melted

Get all of your ingredients weighed out, and your equipment ready first. Equipment wise you'll need  a pastry brush in a cup of water, a bowl lined with non stick paper, and an oven mitt. Put your sugar, glucose syrup and water into a pan and put it on high heat. Stir until it begins to boil, then wash down the sides of the pan using your pastry brush. This dissolves any sugar crystals, so when your honeycomb boils up it doesn't stick to them. 

Leave the mixture on high heat without stirring, until it begins to brown in one spot. This will take about 5 minutes but keep your eye on it. If you add your bicarb too early it won't set, and if its too late it will taste burnt. 

As soon as you see a light golden brown patch, remove it from the heat, whisk two times and add in baking powder and bicarb. Then whisk 3 times until combined. It should now start to bubble up and look like honeycomb. Make sure you don't over stir, and pour it immediately into the lined bowl. Leave it for 3 hours-ish until its completely cool. It will sink in the middle - this is normal! 

Once its cool, peel off the baking paper and smash it. Then dip into your melted chocolate, and leave to set! 

Hope you've enjoyed this recipe, as always if you make it please tag me @moosfood and use the hashtag #moosfood!

Love Moo x 

TEEN DO!

Hello guys

Today I'm going to be talking to you about a really exciting event that I'm involved in organising! For the past 8  years, my Dad and his friends have been organising and running a 3 day event called The Do Lectures. Once a year, speakers and attendees gather in Wales to create ideas together. Phones are left at home, the internet is switched off, and people talk. It is a place for optimism, wonder and inspiration to bubble up. 

It's a small event, with only 80 attendees and 24 speakers. Chickens run around. People swim in rivers. Music plays long into the night. Great local food. Coffee made by top baristas. Tea like you have never tasted before. Local beers brewed just down the road. 

It is not a conference. It is not a festival. No one really knows how to describe it. But people leave 3 days later, and things are different for them after that. 

So now on to my really exciting news... This summer we are launching TEEN DO! We planted the seed of Teen Do last year, and this August it's blossoming.

"AT LAST YEAR’S DO LECTURES, WE GOT ON STAGE TO ANNOUNCE THAT TEEN DO WOULD BE HAPPENING IN AUGUST 2016. NOW ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS FIND SPONSORS, FIND SPEAKERS, FIND CATERERS, FIND MUSICIANS, FIND TENTS, FETCH, CARRY, SWEEP, CLEAN AND DO LOTS OF WASHING UP."

So what is Teen Do? 

60 teens (age 14-17)

Live music

Healthy food

Hands-on workshops

12-14th August, The Do Farm, West Wales.

Today's teenagers are digital pioneers. We are the first generation to grow up in this new social media world. No other generation has grown up with such amazing tools that allow access to information, entertainment and endless connectivity.

At a time where we are trying to define who we are and what we want to become, we are bombarded with hundreds of images telling us who we could and should be.

Teen Do's purpose is to help teenagers just like us. To put us on the right track by teaching us things that we don't learn in school. Even better, the talks will be filmed and put on the Do Lectures website to benefit teens all around the world.

Some of the things we’ll learn:

• How to look after yourself
• How to follow your dreams
• How to fight for what you believe in
• How to get off the internet
• How to listen to your instinct
• How to 'be' as well as 'do'
• How to find your purpose
• How to fail
• How to embrace the outdoors

I'm so excited to be part of such an amazing, inspiring event that will change the lives of today's teenagers. Not only is it for teenagers, but Teen Do has been imagined, organised and brought to life BY teenagers too! 

You can find out more by going to www.thedolectures.com/events/teen. Applications open soon, so please register your interest online so we can keep you updated!

And make sure you're following us on Twitter & Instagram @theteendo.

I hope you've enjoyed learning about this part of my life, and hopefully I will see some of you there! 

Lots of love

Moo x 

My Favourite Things From Cookies And Scream (Camden) REVIEW

Hi guys!

Sorry I haven't posted in ages. I have been really busy with school work. However I am back now! I'm spending half term in London at the moment, which obviously has included a trip to Cookies and Scream in Camden. For those of you that don't know, Cookies and Scream is an all vegan and gluten free bakery stall in Camden market. I go there every time I am in London with my sister - so I am now a bit of an expert! I thought I would share with you some of my favourite things from there.

6) This is a chocolate coffee victoria sponge. My sister really liked this one - I didn't like it as much because I don't like coffee. But the coffee flavour was strong and Daisy said it went well with the chocolate. The chocolate sponge was really nice and fluffy which is unusual for a gluten free cake! We had it with a brownie ice cream milkshake. 

5) This is a chocolate brownie ice cream milkshake. It is a whole brownie blended with ice cream and soya milk! It's really nice, because it still has whole chunks of brownie in. But it is really filling - I had a whole cake followed by this and felt very full! I would definitely recommend getting one to share though if you go with someone else! They are by far the best milk shakes i've ever had!!!

4) This is an AMAZING chocolate orange blondie, salted caramel cookie dough ice cream and a double chocolate cookie sandwich!!! If you are going to Cookies and Scream you definitely need to try their cookie sandwiches atleast once. They sandwich a scoop of creamy ice cream (or their vanilla frosting) in between two of their famous gooey cookies. Needless to say it is fantastic. However the chocolate orange blondie is my all time favourite. I had mine served warm so all the chocolate chips melted inside, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the top. DELICIOUS! My sister Tilly had the salted caramel ice cream, which is vanilla ice cream with salted caramel sauce on the top. She had this topped with chunks of cookie dough!!

3) This is a Lunachick (on the right) - a jammy coconutty cake. We had this warm again with the hot jam in the middle ooooozing out. Y U M! It reminded me of something similar (but better) to a jam roly poly pudding that you used to get at school dinners. I think this would be amazing with custard (which you can get from them), or with the vanilla ice cream. Other than the fact it is absolutely delicious, I have nothing more to say about the Lunachick!

2) This is another milk shake - from my most recent trip. This is a hot fudge milk shake with cookie dough balls. Just looking at it makes me drool! I would say this is definitely the best milk shake combination I've had, it was perfect!! I found it by looking on their instagram and getting inspired by what other people had ordered! You can alter any of their milkshakes or add whatever you like - you could even have a donut milkshake (a donut blended with ice cream and soya milk)!!!

1) CHICOPIE!!!!! This is my all time favourite thing to get!!! It is a slice of peanut butter chocolate chip pie with vanilla ice cream. The ice cream melts into a sauce that covers the pie!! I always ask for mine warm so that the chocolate chips melt too. If they have this in the stall when you go - GET IT!! I tried to make something like this before but it was nowhere near as good - I don't know how they do it!!

I hope you enjoyed this blog post - let me know if you want me to do more 'review' type posts. I also have looooads of recipes to post so keep checking back for them! 

If you are in London DEFINITELY go to Cookies and Scream - and tag me (and them) in your picture so I can see what you've got!

Follow @cookiesandscreambakery on instagram and follow @moosfood #moosfood

Love Moo x 

Festive apple and cinnamon hot drink!

Merry Christmas guys!

I hope you've all had an amazing festive season and day yesterday! Today I've made up an apple and cinnamon hot drink recipe, this is perfect if you are a child or don't drink to have when everyone else is sipping on mulled wine! It has loads of vitamin C which is great for boosting your immunity, perfect for the cold winter months. 

You will need:

• One litre of apple juice
• Half a lemon
• 1 tbsp local honey or date syrup
• 2 tbsp cinnamon powder

First add your cloves to your lemon half. Secondly, add all ingredients to a pan and mix together. Squeeze the juice of your lemon into the pan and add the empty skin too. Which everything together to encorporate the cinnamon and heat on low for 20 minutes, or until it's as hot as you want it! 

Then enjoy! I love drinking mine in a jam jar with a straw. 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe. Sorry I haven't posted in a while but hopefully I will be back on it in 2016! Remember to tag me @moosfood on Instagram if you make any of my recipes. 

Love moo x

Festive Gingerbread people

Hey Guys

It's my favourite time of the year... Christmas!!!! (and also my birthday).  I have been making these gingerbread people non stop.  They are really good for lunch boxes or snacks ( every time me & my mum go past the plate we pick one up!) & they are the best dipped in hot chocolate.

The gingerbread is gluten free and refined sugar free.  I used traditional icing powder and water to pipe on to my gingerbread people, but you could easily replace that with adding raisins or small nuts to make the features.  Just be sure to press them firmly into the gingerbread people before they are baked.

Did you know that black strap Molasses is traditional in making gingerbread, it's high in iron, calcium, magnesium, B6 and selenium, as well as being delicious

For the gingerbread you will need:

3/4 cup oats ( check they are labelled gluten free if you have a gluten allergy)
1/2 cup rice flour
1 tsp GF baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
3/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 vegan margarine or coconut oil
1 tbsp blackstrap molasses
3 tbsp date syrup or your favourite unrefined sweetener
1 flax 'egg' ( 1 tbsp flax add 3 tbsp water)
Gingerbread people cutters
icing sugar if you are using this to pipe or 
small nuts or raisins

Method

Mix up the flax egg and leave to stand for a few minutes.  Place the oats into a food processor and pulse until you have a smooth flour.  Add in to the food processor ( or bowl) the rest of the dry ingredients , mix well.  Add the butter, molasses, date syrup and finally the flax egg.  I pulse the food processor until I have a fairly sticky dough. Now have a taste, you may want to add more sweetener, or if the dough is really 'wet' add a small amount of rice flour. 

Tip out the dough on to a piece of clingfilm, wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.

Heat the oven to 180C.  

Roll out the gingerbread between 2 pieces of baking parchment.  You may need to sprinkle them with a little rice flour if the dough is too sticky.  Use cutters to make your people and carefully lift ( I use a pallet knife) on to a lined baking tray. If you are using raisins or nuts for the features, press them firmly into place now.

Bake for around 18 minutes until golden brown.  The gingerbread may still feel soft as you get it out of the oven but don't worry as it hardens up as it cools.  You can experiment with the cooking time to get them exactly how you like them ( I like them crisp on the out side but still soft in the middle!)

I hope you enjoyed this recipe.  If you make any thing off my blog don't forget to tag me @moosfood on instagram.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas.

Love from Moo x