Poor Veggie num num I’ve been neglecting you a little!! Simply finding the time lately has been a huge factor and I apoligise to all my lovely veggie followers that the recipes have not been as frequent as I would love. But, cookies always make everything better right?

Even when life is busy you need to find time to bake cookies and especially time to eat cookies… the simple process of whipping up a batch to share always makes me happy. Not to mention enjoying one of life’s greatest pleasure – the cookie itself :)

This quick and simple vegan cookie recipe is a variation on the peanut butter oatmeal cookie recipe I shared some time ago. Mixing it up with quinoa flakes and almonds for something a little different.

I hope you’ll enjoy this little cookie recipe and I promise to have more delicious veggie meals coming your way soon xo

Preparation time: 20mins
Makes approx. 20 cookies

• ½ cup unbleached self-raising flour
• ½ cup unbleached plain flour
• 1 ¼ cup quinoa flakes
• ¼ cup flaked almonds
• ¾ cup dark brown sugar
• ¼ cup hot water
• ½ tsp bi-carbonate soda
• 120g (4oz) smooth peanut butter
• 3 tbs maple syrup
• 2 tbs warm water (extra)
• whole raw almonds (approx. 20)

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F and line two baking trays with grease proof baking paper and set aside.

Sift the flours into a large bowl and combine with the quinoa flakes, flaked almonds and brown sugar. Stirring well with a wooden spoon until well combined and any lumps of brown sugar are broken up.

Dissolve the bi-carbonate soda in the ¼ cup of hot water.

In a small bowl whisk the peanut butter with the bi-carb mixture and maple syrup adding the two tablespoons of hot water continue to whisk until the mixture becomes smooth.

Pour the peanut butter mixture in with your dry ingredients and using a wooden spoon bring the mixture together, combining well until you have a moist cookie dough (add more maple syrup or a little vegetable oil if the mixture is too dry).

Using a tablespoon roll out small balls of the cookie dough and place onto the prepared baking trays.

Squash each ball of dough gently with the back of a fork and then gently press a whole almond into each cookie.

Place in the pre-heated oven and bake for 10-12 minutes until the cookies are just golden.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking trays for just a few minutes before transferring to a cake rack to cool completely.

A super easy little cookie recipe – perfect for baking with little ones, enjoy!!

It’s been a while since I’ve posted a cake recipe here on Veggie num num so I’m very happy to be sharing this super tasty vegan recipe with you today.

As a kid I would bake cakes all the time; they are probably the very first things I felt truly comfortable cooking. So I’ve had a little fun lately playing around with a few of my favourite cake ingredients to come up with a simple and tasty vegan cake recipe.

The recipe is both egg and dairy free and makes a really delicious and moist cake perfect for an afternoon or morning tea or even as a dessert cake for an after dinner treat.

The cashew nut cream is so good!! I could eat it all on it’s own and a great alternative to the usual cream cheese frosting. Make sure you use raw un-slated cashews and you’ll need a good high-powered food processor to get the best result.

I love the subtle spicy flavours of the orange, cinnamon and cardamom they play so perfectly with the sweetness of the cake and the creamy cashew nut frosting. Enjoy cut into thick slices with a nice hot cup of tea!!

Preparation time: 60mins
Makes 1 loaf cake

• 2 tsp white chia seeds
• ½ cup water
• 1 cup unbleached self raising flour
• ½ tsp freshly ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground cardamom
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1½ cups grated carrot (approx. 1 carrot)
• ½ cup sultanas (raisins)
• ½ cup pecans, roughly chopped
• 1 large orange, zest
• 125ml (4 fl oz) rice bran (or vegetable) oil

Cashew Nut Frosting

• 150g (5 oz) raw un-salted cashew nuts
• 1 orange, juice only
• 1/3 cup icing (powdered) sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla essence

In a small bowl combine the cashew nuts with just enough water to cover and set aside to soak while you prepare the cake.

Combine the chia seeds with the water, stir well and set aside for about 10 minutes while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F and grease a 23cm x 13cm (9inch x 5inch) loaf tin, lining the bottom with grease proof paper, set aside.

Sift the flour and spices into a large bowl, add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Add the grated carrot, sultanas, chopped pecans and orange zest. Stir again making sure all the ingredients are well combined.

By now the chia seeds and water should be jelly like, stir again and add to the cake mixture with the oil.

Fold the oil and chia mixture through for a few minutes combining well with all the ingredients. Transfer the cake mixture into your prepared loaf tin and place on the middle shelf of the pre-heated oven to bake for 45 minutes.

Check the cake frequently towards the end to ensure it doesn’t burn.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling prepare your cashew nut frosting. Drain off the water from the soaking cashew nuts and transfer them to a food processor.

Adding half the orange juice process the nuts on high for about 3-5 minutes, stopping to scrap down the sides often, until the nuts form a smooth paste. Add more orange juice as you go if needed.

Once the nuts are smooth and creamy add any remaining orange juice the icing sugar and vanilla, process quickly for 1 minute to combine.

One the cake is completely cool spread over the frosting thickly and top with a little extra orange zest if you desire.

A really simple a tasty vegan recipe that makes a super yummy carrot cake. Be sure to store the cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it should keep well for a few days, enjoy!

{ This recipe was adapted from a Carrot Cake & Geranium Cheese recipe found in The Complete Encyclopedia of Vegetables and Vegetarian Cooking by Roz Denny & Christine Ingram }

I’m so happy to be taking part in this little blogger project, firstly because I love getting together with other food bloggers to create & share recipes and secondly, I simply love a kitchen challenge… and a challenge this surely was.

I am a complete novice when it comes to gluten free baking and have to admit am still not anywhere near an accomplished vegan baker to boot. Still with only a little trepidation and a determined commitment to having some baking fun I embarked on creating a vegan gluten free version of Panera’s Pumpkin Muffin.

I love pumpkin in both sweet and savory dishes and knew with a little experimentation I should be able to come up with a tasty little muffin recipe. And the result is just that; with the addition of maple syrup, orange, chai and vanilla these gluten free muffins are fragrant and full of sweet subtle flavor. The dusting of icing sugar and cinnamon add an extra hint of sweetness and yumminess too.

The muffins are relatively quick and simple to prepare and you could even use tinned pumpkin (something we don’t seem to have here in Australia) if you need to save time. However for the very best results use a nice sweet full flavoured pumpkin like a Kent or Jap.

I hope you’ll enjoy this gluten free vegan muffin recipe as much as I enjoyed preparing it for you all. Be sure to visit all the Gluten Free Dream Day bloggers to discover more tasty, beautiful and delicious recipes!!

Preparation time: 40 mins
Makes 12 muffins

• 1 tsp chai seeds
• 9 tsp lukewarm water
• 600g piece of raw pumpkin (to make 1 cup cooked)
• 3-4 tbs maple syrup (to taste)
• 60g dairy-free butter
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tbs freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• ½ cup chickpea flour
• ½ cup quiona flakes
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1½ tsp bi-carbonate (baking) soda

for the topping

• 12 raw pecans
• 2 tbs icing (powdered) sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon

To make the chai gel combine the teaspoon of chia seeds with 9 teaspoons of lukewarm water, stir to combine and set aside for 15 minutes. The chai seeds and water will thicken and form a gel/egg like consistency.

Peel and de-seed the pumpkin and dice into pieces. Steam the pumpkin pieces for 5-10 minutes until soft. Mash the cooked pumpkin and stir through maple syrup to taste, set aside.

Pre heat the oven to 180°C and arrange patty cake cups in a 12 hole muffin tray.

Cream the dairy free butter and the brown sugar together in a bowl, adding the vanilla and then the chai gel continue to beat until well combined.

Fold through the cooked pumpkin and orange juice.

Sift the flours and baking soda into the same bowl and gently fold though with the quiona flakes and ground cinnamon. Be careful not over work the mixture and continue to fold only until well combined.

Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the muffin mixture into each patty cake cup, top with a pecan and then place in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until muffins are cooked through (check by inserting a skewer, it should come out clean).

Combine the icing sugar and cinnamon together and set aside.

Arrange the cooked muffins on a cake rack to cool completely before dusting with the mixture of icing sugar and ground cinnamon. Yum!!

Join us on our Gluten-Free Dream Day

by visiting these friends who have created gluten-free versions of Panera Bread Bar goodies. Maybe one day, bakeries around the planet will offer more gluten-free goodies for this growing demographic!

Bagels

Allyson Kramer ~~ Jalapeno Cheddar Bagel

Muffins

Family Fresh Cooking ~~ Wild Blueberry Muffins
Oh She Glows ~~ Apple Crunch Muffins
Multiply Delicious ~~ Chocolate Chip Muffins

Scones

Heather Strang ~~ Orange Scones

Breakfast Sweets

Namely Marly ~~ Caramel Pecan Rolls
Diet Dessert Dogs ~~ Cinnamon Crumb Cake

Souffles

Clean Green Simple ~~ Spinach & Artichoke Souffle

Also, check out some other great Gluten-Free bloggers offering delicious recipes for café-type bread bar items:

Gluten Free Cinnamon Rolls at The Sensitive Pantry
Chocolate Chippers at Elana’s Pantry
Dark Chocolate Brownies at The Gluten Free Goddess
Pumpkin Muffins at Better Batter
Carrot Muffins at My Real Food Life
Crusty Rosemary and Kalmata Olive Bread at Gluten Free Girl
Blueberry Scones at Shortbread Bakery
Strawberry Cupcakes at Simply Gluten Free

Right now the only way to try all these gluten-free goodies is to make them yourself. But who knows, maybe someday you’ll be able to pop into a place like Panera and enjoy one right from their menu.

Homemade bread, is there anything more rewarding or delicious to bake in your very own oven? The process is exciting and fun, activating the yeast, waiting for the dough to rise and finally pulling your golden bread from the oven to devour fresh and warm, it’s bliss.

For those of you out there a little intimidated by bread baking, never fear, this is a really simple no knead recipe that delivers a beautiful tasty bread. Perfect for snacking, as an appetizer when entertaining or to serve with soups, stews, pasta or a crispy salad, focaccia is truly versatile.

Add your favourite herbs and spices to this focaccia recipe and experiment with different toppings; try adding sliced olives or leeks, grated vegetarian or vegan cheese, sliced chilli or a sprinkle of different fresh herbs. With a little preparation time you will be rewarded with beautiful and tasty home-baked bread to enjoy fresh from the oven!!

My brother and I baked these on a cold day here on the mountain and they where the perfect thing to enjoy sliced into warm pieces. Huge props to Tim for taking most of the beautiful pics on todays post. It was fun having someone else capture the cooking process, thanks Tim!!

Oh and if you look closely there is a little Poet cat photo bomb in the last pic, I couldn’t resist :)

Preparation time: 40mins (+ 1 hour proofing)
Makes 2 Focaccia

• 2 tsp dried yeast
• 1 tsp raw sugar
• 1¾ cup warm water
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ¼ cup gluten flour (wheat gluten)
• 440g (15 oz) plain flour (preferable 00/bakers flour)
• 1 tsp salt flakes
• 2 tsp fennel seeds
• ½ tsp celery seeds

toppings

• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ ripe tomato, sliced
• ½ red onion, sliced
• 1 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp cumin seeds or fennel seeds
• fresh thyme, chopped

Combine the yeast and sugar with approximately ½ cup of the warm water, add the remaining warm water and the tablespoon of olive oil, set aside.

Sift the flours into a large bowl, add the salt flakes, fennel and celery seeds; stir gently to combine and make a well in the centre.

Check the yeast mixture is activated, you’ll notice the yeast very gently bubbling or rising to the surface, this may take a few minutes to happen.

Add the yeast mixture to the flour mixture and using a wooden spoon stir for 1-2 minutes until well combined and formed into a soft, sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and place in a warm corner to allow the dough to rise for about 1 hour or until approximately doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 220°C/428°F

Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and using floured hands, halve the dough into two rounds. Arrange the rounds onto lightly oiled baking trays and gently shape and flatten.

Top with sliced tomato, onion, garlic, cumin or fennel seeds and thyme. Brush with the olive oil and allow to rest for a further 15 minutes before placing in the hot oven for 10 -15 minutes until bread is golden brown.

Remove when evenly cooked and firm, slide onto a baking rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before slicing and devouring. Enjoy!!

{ this recipe was adapted from an Olive Focaccia recipe found in Charmaine Solomon’s Family Recipes Cook Book }

This simple recipe is reminiscent of the kind of food Mum would bake for us to have as after school snacks. She would quite often have some tasty little baked goods ready for us when we all piled off the bus and it’s one of the things I remember fondly of those early school years.

These oaty nut bars are simple to make and are full to the brim with healthy and tasty ingredients. The best thing is you can switch up the recipe quite easily to include what you have on had in the pantry.

Here I added sunflower seeds a great source of vitamin E and magnesium, pepitas or pumpkin seeds which are a source of zinc and iron, walnuts and linseeds (flax seeds) which are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and molasses a source of iron. So these little oaty nut bars not only taste super good but they’re good for you too!!

A great recipe to prepare with kids they make a tasty & nutritious addition to your lunch box or as a mid-morning snack with a cup of tea. You could omit the icing for a healthier option and use a dairy butter if you enjoy dairy.

Preparation time: 25mins
Makes approximately 20 bars

• ½ cup unbleached self raising flour
• ½ cup unbleached plain flour
• ½ cup rolled oats
• ½ cup shredded coconut
• ¼ cup sunflower seeds
• ¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 tbs linseeds (flax seeds)
• 100g dairy-free or dairy butter
• 2½ tbs molasses (or treacle or golden syrup)
• ½ tsp bi-carbonate soda
• ¼ cup hot water

for the lemony icing

• 1 cup icing sugar
• ½-1 lemon, juice & zest
• 1 tsp dairy-free or dairy butter
• ¼ cup shredded coconut

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F

Sift the flours into a large bowl, add the oats, coconut, seeds and nuts and stir to combine well.

Combine the bi-carbonate soda with the warm water and stir to dissolve.

Heat the butter and molasses over a low heat in a small saucepan stirring until the butter is melted and combined with the molasses. Remove from the heat and add the bi-carbonate mixture, stir through allowing it to foam.

Combine the molasses and butter mixture with the dry ingredients, stirring well until combined.

Transfer the mixture into a lightly greased 25cm square non-stick baking tray, smoothing it out to cover the base evenly.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the baking tray for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack to cool completely.

Meanwhile prepare the icing by combing the sugar, butter and enough lemon juice to bring the sugar together into a runny icing, over a very low heat in a small saucepan. Add enough zest to taste and add the lemon juice a little at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Drizzle the prepared icing evenly over the cooled bars and sprinkle with coconut before the icing sets.

Once the icing is set cut evenly into bars.

These oaty nut bars should keep well in an air-tight container for 5 days or so. If the weather is overly hot keep them in the fridge to be sure the icing doesn’t melt.

Ok, so this cookie recipe didn’t really turn out as I had planned but, who cares, these honey oat cookies topped with melted chocolate and peanut butter taste pretty awesome!! I had a vague idea of recreating a Kingston biscuit after drooling over these amazing magic mini bars from Namely Marly and ended up creating these little tasty cookies.

First attempt, using a basic ANZAC biscuit recipe, created these scrumptious little cookies coated in a thick layer of melted chocolate and crunchy peanut butter; they’re pure evil cookie deliciousness.

I used honey for this recipe which could easily be replaced with golden syrup or maple syrup for a vegan version. The cookies are soft and crumbly with the lovely texture of oats and are a little decadent with the thick choc peanut butter topping.

A great little snack with a nice hot cup of tea, serve them to guests or keep them all to yourself, they are indeed delicious :)

Preparation time: 30mins
Makes 24 cookies

• ½ cup unbleached self-raising flour
• ½ cup unbleached plain flour
• 1 cup traditional oats
• ¾ cup desiccated coconut
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 100g (3½ oz) dairy-free (or dairy) butter
• 2 tbs raw honey (or golden or maple syrup)
• ½ tsp bi-carbonate soda
• 2 tsp hot water
• 1 cup dairy-free (or dairy) choc drops
• 2 good tbs crunchy peanut butter

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F and line 1-2 cookie trays with baking paper.

Sift the flours into a bowl and combine with the oats, coconut and sugar.

In a small saucepan melt the butter and honey (or syrup) over a low heat until completely melted. Remove from the heat.

Combine the bi-carbonate soda with the hot water and then add to the melted butter mixture.

Combine the melted butter & honey with the dry ingredients, mixing well to form a soft cookie dough.

Roll approximately 1 teaspoon of cookie dough into a ball and arrange on the prepared cookie tray, continue with the remaining dough leaving adequate space between cookies.

Using a fork gently press each ball of cookie dough down. Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 20 minutes until the cookies are just golden.

Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool for a few minutes on the tray before moving them to a cake rack to cool.

Meanwhile melt the chocolate and peanut butter in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water. Gently melt the choc while stirring until the chocolate and peanut butter is smooth and well combined.

While the chocolate and peanut butter mixture is still warm spread a generous amount over the top of each cookie and yep, now you can eat one cause you know you want too :)

The cookies will keep for up to a week in an airtight container.

Preparation time: 20mins
Makes 12 Jumbo cookies {or about 18 small cookies}

• ½ cup plain unbleached flour
• ¼ tsp baking powder
• ½ cup quiona flakes [or oats if you prefer]
• ½ cup non-dairymilk choc drops and/or sultanas (raisins) [I used a combination of both here]
• 3 tbs smooth peanut butter
• 4 tbs raw clear honey [or for vegans use maple syrup]
• 2½ tbs almond or rice milk
• 1 tbs vegetable oil
• 1 tsp pure vanilla
• extra choc drops

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/392°F and prepare a large baking tray by lining with baking paper.

Sift the flour and baking soda into a large bowl, add a pinch of salt, the quiona flakes, choc drops and/or sultanas and stir to combine well.

In a small bowl whisk the peanut butter with the honey or maple syrup, oil, milk and vanilla until smooth.

Add the peanut butter mixture to your dry cookie ingredients and combine well to form a soft cookie dough.

Roll a small portion of the cookie dough into a ball, drop onto your prepared cookie tray and squish an extra choc drop into the middle. Repeat with the remainder of the cookie dough.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 8-10 minutes until ever so slightly golden. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for a minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Enjoy these delicious peanut butter cookies with a good cup of tea and sweet company.

Preparation time: 20mins
Makes approx 18 cookies

• 50g (1¾ oz) (approx. ½ cup) dark chocolate (I used a fair-trade dark chocolate bar with almonds)
• 50g (1¾ oz) (approx. ½ cup) walnuts (or pecans, or almonds or hazelnuts or…)
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup traditional oats
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ cup brown sugar
• ½ cup smooth peanut butter
• 2 tbs sunflower oil
• 2½ tbs rice milk (or any non-dairy milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/392°F and prepare two large baking trays by lining with baking paper.

Chop the chocolate and walnuts into chunks with a sharp knife, set aside.

Shift the flour and baking soda into a large bowl, add the oats, sugar, chocolate and walnut chunks and stir to combine well.

In a jug whisk/stir the peanut butter with the oil, rice milk and vanilla extra until smooth.

Mix the peanut butter mixture with the dry ingredients until well combined.

Using a tablespoon, spoon out each cookie portion onto the prepared baking trays and flatten slightly.

Place in the pre-heated oven for 10-13 minutes, remove from the oven just as the cookies start to golden.

Allow to cool on the baking trays for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack to cool completely.

This recipe was adapted from have cake, will travel’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie recipe.

Preparation time: 60mins
Makes 1 cake

• ½ cup mashed ripe banana (approx. 1 banana)
• ½ cup grated carrot (approx. 1 carrot)
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• ¼ cup chopped vegan/non-dairy milk dark chocolate
• ¼ cup raw sugar
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 1/3 cup rice milk
• 1/3 cup rice-bran oil
• 2 free range eggs or equivalent in egg replacer
• 1½ cups self raising flour

Lemon Glaze

• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1-1½ lemons, juice only
• 1 tbs peptias

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/356°F

Grease a cake pan with a little rice-bran oil and line with baking paper, set aside.

Combine the mashed banana, grated carrot, walnuts, chocolate, sugar, ginger, milk, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Stir to combine all ingredients well.

Sift over self-raising flour and stir to combine well.

Pour cake mixture into prepared cake pan and place in pre-heated oven.

Bake for 45-55 minutes until cooked, test by inserting a skewer, if it comes out clean the cake is cooked all the way through.

{ note: I had to cover the cake half way through the cooking process with foil to stop the top from burning. Be sure to keep an eye on the cake and do the same if the top is nicely golden after 25-30 minutes. }

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes in the cake pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the lemon glaze combine the icing sugar with the lemon juice, a little at a time, until you have a smooth, runny glaze. Pour over the cooled cake and sprinkle with pepitas before serving.

This cake was adapted from the Banana, Carrot & Walnut Cake recipe found in The Eat Well Cookbook by Jan Purser & Kathy Snowball.

Sweet Coconut & Date Granola

Preparation time: 50mins
Makes 425g (15 oz) (approx)

• 250g (9 oz) traditional rolled oats
• 100g (3½ oz) shredded coconut
• ¼ cup vegetable oil
• ½ cup golden syrup
• 100g (3½ oz) dates, chopped

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F

Combine the oats, coconut and a pinch of salt in a large bowl, measure out the oil and pour over the mixture, using the same measuring cup measure out the syrup (this will allow the syrup to cleanly pour out of the measuring cup) pour the syrup over the mixture.

Toss and stir well to combine all ingredients, making sure the oats and coconut are well coated with the oil and syrup.

Line a large baking tray, or two smaller ones, with baking paper. Spread the oat mixture over the tray evenly. Place in the pre-heated oven and cook for 30-45mins.

Check the granola every 5-10 minutes, toss gently with a wooden spoon, moving the oats around so they cook evenly. Remove the granola once it is golden; remember it will become crunchier as it cools.

Once the granola is cooked, toss through chopped dates and allow to cool before transferring to an air-tight container. Enjoy for a healthy breakfast or snack with non-dairy or dairy yoghurt and chopped fresh fruit like plums, kiwifruit, mango, banana or try the recipe below for something truly delcious.

Sweet Coconut & Date Granola w/ Banana Whip

Preparation time: 3 minutes
Serves 1

• ¾ cup sweet coconut & date granola
• 1-2 frozen ripe bananas
• 1 kiwifruit, peeled and sliced
• shredded coconut to serve

Either blend the frozen banana in a blender or food processor or allow it to defrost slightly before mashing until you have a smooth, creamy consistency.

Mix the banana whip through the granola top with slices of kiwifruit and a sprinkle of coconut. Enjoy for a great vegan breakfast with fresh fruit or toast or simply on its own. So good :)