HEALTHY CHOC CHIP COOKIES

Juno, mixing

I have been dreaming about flapjacks but then got diverted by this simple recipe, which I have adapted. I added Stevia (hoping for some sweetness). Hmmm. I'm not sure that Stevia does what it's supposed to do. Anyway,the coconut and choc chips provide a little sweetness. 157 kcals per cookie.

Grating the apple

Before baking

Finished cookies

Ingredients:

·         1 cup porridge oats

·         1/3 cup dessicated coconut

·         1/3 cup dark choc chips

·         1 peeled eating apple grated

·         1/2 mashed banana OR 1 beaten egg

·         1 teaspoon natural vanilla essence

·         1 teaspoon Stevia

Method:

1.      Preheat oven to 200C, grease and line a baking tray with greaseproof

2.      Beat egg OR mash banana, in a bowl, add grated apple and vanilla essence and combine.

3.      Add  remaining ingredients: porridge oats, coconut, choc chips.

4.      Thoroughly mix together using a wooden spoon and then form into rounds with your hands and flatten onto the greaseproof.

5.      Bake for 12 to15 minutes until golden brown

6.      Cool on wire rack and enjoy!

EMILY DICKINSON'S COCONUT CAKE

Emily Dickinson by Nicole DeClerck

I have a poem coming out in the spring in the American journal Prairie Schooner. It's called 'Miss Emily Dickinson's Coconut Cake' and is based on Dickinson's recipe and a little on her life. I've been a fan since I was very young. When I workshopped the poem at my writing group, I made the cake for our tea break. I've made it again today, so here is the recipe.

Emily Dickinson's Coconut Cake

This makes a lovely, simple, light cake. The recipe was adapted by some ED fans to suit modern weights/measures etc. I decided to use the American measurements as I own a set of measuring cups and am leaving them that way here. If you don't have measuring cups, be careful with the weights/volume. There's a conversion chart here.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dessicated coconut

2 cups flour (I used half self-raising, half wholemeal spelt)

1 cup sugar (I used light brown muscovado)

½ cup butter (I used Pure marg)

½ cup milk

2 eggs

½ tsp bread soda

1 tsp cream of tartar

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180C

Line an 8" square cake tin on the bottom, grease the sides

Mix butter and sugar

Add beaten eggs and milk

Sieve the flour, bread soda and cream of tartar and mix

Add the coconut and mix

Bake for 30 minutes

Cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out

OPTIONAL

I have also made this cake with raspberries. If you want to do this add in 150g of frozen raspberries with the coconut.

Coconut Cake with Raspberries

Vegan Coconut & Almond Bars

I love coconut. I made a coconut cake recently that I will share anon but first these coconut and almond bars - they are lovely and sweet and chewy and full of good things. I overbaked mine so they turned out a little too golden-brown, so I have reduced the cooking time here. They were still delicious though!

INGREDIENTS:

75g ground almonds

75g porridge oats

50g muesli

150g dessicated coconut

75g brown sugar

half teaspoon salt

185ml soya milk

1 teaspoon almond essence

METHOD

• Preheat oven to 180C
• Grease a baking tray
• Combine the almonds, oats, coconut, muesli, salt and sugar in a large bowl
• Combine the soya milk and almond essence and add to the dry ingredients
• Mix thoroughly, and firmly press (with your hands) onto a greased baking tray
• Cook at 180C for 25 mins, then raise temp to 230C for another 5 mins, or until golden-brown
• Mark into 20 squares while still warm (I used a fish-slice)
• Cool and eat!