recipes / sweet+desserts / Uncategorized

I have been going through all my recipes. Out of 38 published recipes, only 4 are not vegan. That is why many people who don´t eat any animal products follow me. And I love being an inspiration for them. But if you have read the introduction, I am neither vegan, nor do I like to label myself as anything. I have chosen to label the recipes to make clear all the ingredients for all those who follow any diet or particular life philosophy. And I must recognize that publishing today´s recipe was somehow disturbing because it is the first one which contains egg and I know many people could be horrified and stop following me, as in this particular case is not possible to replace the egg with chia seeds or flax (besides the creamy cheese). But thinking about it again, I have decided to put aside the sorrow and continue with the purpose of this blog: provide healthier food options, using different lesser known ingredients and make sweets and desserts less harmful than those ones we are used to consume nowadays. Give ideas about how to organize ourselves in the kitchen and encourage the consumption of organic and seasonal products, for our wellbeing and for our environment. Reducing the consumption of animal protein and increasing the use of fruits and vegetables, how to use different whole grains, seaweeds, nuts and seeds, helping people get away from the industrial products and recovering the pleasure of cooking genuine food at home.

With this goal in mind, I would like to give you a recipe which makes me feel really proud of myself. It is not the shortest and more practical recipe because it involves many steps, but it is one of those recipes for special occasions when sharing a dessert or sweet becomes something unforgettable. Like when you occasionally make your grandmother´s or your mother´s old recipe and it tastes like heaven because it nourishes your soul.

Apart from the ice-creams, one of my favourite desserts is definitely the carrot cake. That damp cake along with the slightly salted creamy frosting drives me crazy. The only problem is that nowadays it has become a sugar bomb, something that makes me feel really angry. A few years ago I decided to make one of those ones and looking for recipes, I couldn´t believe how much icing sugar was in the cheese cream on the top. I felt totally embarrassed of making something with that mountain of white powder, in addition to the sugar of the cake. And that is how a challenge was born. A long time passed until I found the right formula, I had to throw away some of them and also tired out my relatives and friends with so many tests. But eventually I got it. Especially for the frosting, because when sweetened with dates and almond butter it doesn´t  lose so much colour (well, it is not the purest white of the traditional one either) and in the final mix has a little amount of raw honey,  so I can say that it doesn´t contain any refined sugar! As for the cake, I reduced the amount of sugar replacing a part with grated coconut and apple sauce, and the rest with coconut sugar. And letting it stand as much as needed to improve the result, I got something as good as the traditional one, keeping a very nice sweetness.

And here is where the purpose of this blog is made clear. I don´t know if many of you will make this recipe, but I needed to share it with all carrot cake´s fans (like myself) so you can have the alternative of a healthier option.

The apple on the top is an homage to the autumn and a way to reduce the amount of cream so it is not such a heavy dessert, although you can perfectly leave them out and do it to your liking. You can also use the frosting to cover any other cake or muffin.

A good advice I can give you is to read the whole recipe before starting to make it (although this should be compulsory for any recipe). As it has many different steps and it is also required to let it stand several times, it is very necessary to organize oneself beforehand. One day you make the cake, the next day you can make the frosting and get it covered, and the next day you can finally eat it (if you have patience). It is essential to let it stand for the flavours to be enhanced. If you read the recipe, you will realize that there are two different steps: the base and the creamy. Well, you will have some leftovers from the first one and will be able to spread them over some toasts or use them to accompany some portions of raw apple.

You can preserve it by freezing it  so, if you have some leftovers, or opt to make it using smaller muffin-like moulds, you can freeze portions and use them whenever you need.

Saturday afternoon, family, Carrot cake, rooibos (or tea) and fireplace: the perfect plan.