This is one stella-dessert Honeybunches! Chocolate at it's finest. The textures are a delight, the mint's not too minty. While it looks a bit intimidating to make, it's actually very do-oable. A heavenly chocolate short crust biscuit base sandwiches together a layer of choc-mint mousse with crunchy surprises of choc-mint biscuits dotted throughout. The top is layered with lusciously light minty cream and the whole thing is finished with flakes of shaved chocolate. Sublime. I'm getting quietly confident at the vegan/gf layer cake concept. I think a black forest variety will be next. Agh I’m salivating, time for the recipe!

Make a day in advance, or leave at least 3 hours chilling time

Makes 1 x 20cm square cake
Serves 8-12

Ingredients

Chocolate Short crust Biscuit Base

• 1 1/4 cups (125g) almond meal/flour
• 1 cup (135g) plain GF flour (or regular plain flour)
• 3/4 cup (100g) icing sugar
• 2 tbsp (30g) cocoa powder
• pinch salt
• 150g cold vegan butter
  Chocolate Mint Mousse
• 1/2 cup plant milk (I used soy)
• 1 tps agar agar powder
• 80g dark mint vegan chocolate (or use regular dark chocolate with 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract), chopped
• 300g silken tofu, drained
• 2 tbsp (30g) cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp nut butter
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 145g packet (or similar) vegan/GF mint slice biscuits (I used these), roughly chopped
  Peppermint Cream
• 1/4 cup (or 1/4 tub) tofutti cream cheese (or similar vegan cream cheese)
• 1 cup natural COYO yoghurt
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract
• dribble vanilla essence
  To Top
• dark vegan chocolate shaved with a peeler/grater, enough to top

Method

1. Start with the short crust layers, by pre-heating your oven to 180C. Sift the almond meal, flour, icing sugar, cocoa powder and salt into a large bowl, and whisk to combine. Add the butter to the bowl, and using a fork or your hands, pinch the butter into the flour to combine. Switch to a wooden spoon when it becomes really buttery, and bring together into a very buttery mixture. Line and grease two 20cm square (or similar, alternatively you can bake them in the same tin one after another). Divide the mixture between the tins and with an oiled spoon spread out to the edges. It will appear that there is not enough, but there is the perfect amount to form a thin layer. Chill in the freezer for 10 minutes, before baking in the pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Remove the bases from their tins to a wire rack once cool enough to handle to speed up the process.
2. Meanwhile, make the mousse filling by pouring the plant milk and agar into a small saucepan. Stirring constantly, heat over medium heat until the agar has dissolved and the milk is just below boiling point (aka a few bubbles appear). Immediately take off the heat and tumble in the chopped dark mint chocolate. Whisk until the chocolate chunks melt completely into a glossy ganache.
3. Pop the remaining Chocolate Mint Mousse ingredients (bar the biscuits) into a blender or food processor, along with the ganache you just made. Blend until ultra smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
4. By this point your biscuit bases should have cooled considerably (if still slightly warm that's okay). Start assembling by first relining one of the tins with ample baking paper (so that you have two sturdy handles for removing the cake with). Pop one crust into the bottom of the tin and sprinkle over half the chopped mint slice biscuits (or similar). Pour over the mousse mixture and then sprinkle over the remaining mint slice biscuits before topping with the other short crust biscuits base. Gently press down so that the layers are sandwiching together. Pop in the fridge.
5. Make your Peppermint Cream by adding the cream cheese and natural COYO to a bowl and whisking with electric beaters until thickened and fluffy looking. Add the maple syrup, peppermint extract and vanilla essence. Whisk to combine, then spread over the top of the short crust biscuit biscuit base. Cover the top with cling wrap and transfer back to the fridge for 3 hours or overnight.
6. Before serving, sprinkle over the shaved/grated chocolate. Remove with those sturdy baking paper handles, cut with a knife dipped in hot water (if you can be bothered) and tuck in.

The rest of my immediate family are mostly vegan, but they do enjoy the odd fish & chip night. On such occasions, which are usually Friday nights when everyone's tired and can't be arsed to cook, I'm often left with 20 minutes to whip something up for myself that can be my "main" to have with some chips on the side. There's been many a I don't have the brain power to think of/make aNyThInG! moments, so I really wish, I'd thought of this recipe sooner as it's the PERFECT thing for such occasions. One pan, crispy tofu with lots of dill, capers and lemon which gives this (if not a fish flavour) a very 'seaside' flair. Tis' really really good.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• olive oil
• 300g extra firm tofu
• 2 spring onions, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, diced/crushed/finely chopped
• handful beans
• handful asparagus spears (optional)
• zest and juice from 1/2 lemon
• small handful dill, chopped
• a heaped tbsp capers, drained
• celery salt (or sea salt) & pepper

Method

1. Prep the tofu first by slicing it into 1/2cm strips, then press these between paper towel or a clean tea-towel to remove some of the excess water. Chop the tofu into bite sized pieces.
2. Heat a glug of olive oil in a fry pan, then topple in the tofu pieces. Let them crispy up on both sides for 5+ minutes. Once a few minutes away from golden perfection, add the spring onion and garlic. Stir around with the tofu for a couple of minutes to sauté a bit.
3. Meanwhile, top and tail the beans and slice the asparagus in half, lengthways as well as width-ways. Topple these into the pan and cool for a few minutes with everything, so they soften, but still have a bit of bite.
4. Add the zest, juice, dill, capers, celery salt and pepper to the pan and stir to combine. Serve with some chips for the full experience should you wish.

These came about like all good recipes do, using up bits and bobs in the fridge and pantry. I get they're a little random, but my goodness are they good! The different textures and flavours somehow marry perfectly, you'll be congratulating yourself (or the cook) at making $8 a pop tacos at home. Woo!

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

• 1 pack corn tortillas
• cashew nut cheese
• vegan basil pesto
• large handful lettuce leaves, roughly torn
• 1 cucumber, sliced into thin sticks
• 1 avocado, sliced into wedges
• micro-greens (optional)
• vegan garlic aioli
  Crunchy Cauliflower
• 1/2 med-large cauliflower, broken into bite sized florets
• 1/4 cup rice flour (brown or regular)
• 1/4 cup chickpea flour (besan)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened plant-based milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 tsp each garlic powder, onion powder & sweet paprika
• 1/2 cup GF breadcrumbs (or regular bread-crumbs for non GF)
• light flavoured vegetable oil (e.g. sunflower, grapeseed etc.)
  Crispy Onions
• 1 brown onion, sliced into 1/2 cm half-moons
• 2 tbsp GF flour (e.g. plain, rice or for non-GF use regular wheat flour)

Method

1. Pre-heat your oven to 220C (430F). Mix the rice flour, chickpea flour, milk, water and spices together with a whisk until smooth to form a batter. Pop the breadcrumbs into a seperate bowl. Dip the florets into the batter, tap off any excess, then coat in the breadcrumbs. Lay on a lined baking tray and repeat with all the cauliflower florets. Drizzle oil over all of the florets and bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 mins. Turn over, drizzle with a little more oil and bake for another 10 minutes.
2. Make the crispy onions by tossing the slices in the flour to coat. Heat 1/2 cm (very generous glug) of light-flavoured vegetable oil in a fry pan. Once hot add a handful of the onions. Let crisp up (with minimal fussing), toss once to crisp up on the other side. Transfer the onions to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with all the onions.
3. Place the corn tortillas in the oven for a couple of minutes to warm up.
4. To assemble, spread a little cashew cheese and pesto onto the tortilla, then add some lettuce leaves, cucumber, avocado, crispy cauliflower, crispy onion and micro-greens (if using). Then finish with a squirt of aioli. Eat up! So good.

Far out! Shut the back door and hold the phone, because this is SUCH A GOOD RECIPE!! Not saying it's the best vegan and gluten dumpling recipe on the internet, but it sure must be close. The wrapper is gluten free yet definitely not to it's detriment. You can't really tell when you're devouring them and plus for the chef - it's far from a traumatic experience handling the dough. Quite the contrary, it's almost therapeutic! Enjoy this one HB's x

Makes 28 dumplings + a chef's snack worth of filling left over
Serves 4

Ingredients

Filling

• 1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed
• 1 small knob of ginger, peeled
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 bunch spring onions, top and tailed
• 8 button mushrooms, halved
• 1 very large handful wombok cabbage (or any cabbage)
• 150g firm tofu, drained & patted dry with paper towel
• glug of grapeseed oil
• small handful coriander/cilantro finely chopped
• 2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)
• 1 tsp coconut aminos (also called liquid aminos)
• handful dried mushrooms (any variety is fine)
• 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
• pepper
  Dough
• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 3/4 cup tapioca starch/flour
• 3/4 cup glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp xanthum gum
• pinch salt
• 1 cup warm water

Method

1. Make your filling, by first blitzing ingredients in stages in the food processor. Do the garlic, ginger, carrot and spring onions together until quite finely chopped but still with a little texture. Then add to a large fry-pan or pot. Blitz the mushrooms and cabbage together. These will cook/shrink down so don't blitz these as finely. Add to the pot and also crumble in the tofu. Add the oil and pop on medium heat. Sauté until everything is relatively soft & reduced in volume.
2. Boil your kettle and pop your dried mushrooms into a small boil. Pour over about 2 tbsp of hot water, then bop the mushrooms below the surface and leave to steep for a few minutes.
3. Once the veg mixture is looking hella tasty, add the coriander, tamari, coconut aminos and a grind of pepper. Fish out the dried mushrooms from their broth, then add the cornflour to the fragrant liquid. Whisk to combine. Pour this mixture into the veggie tofu pot and stir to combine. Let cook for a minute or so more to slightly thicken and come together, then take off the heat and set aside.
4. Make the dough by pouring the flours, xanthum gum and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the center and add about half the warm water. Use a fork to bring the mixture together. Add the remaining hot water and mix again. Switch to using your hands once the fork isn't much help no longer and bring into a smooth dough. Knead for a few minutes, adding a smidge more flour or hot water if required.
5. Grab a damp tea towel (or two), a rolling pin, your filling, a tray to put the finished dumplings on, something round to cut out the dough with and a small bowl with some water in it which you'll use to seal the little buggers. Roll out the dough and mold the dumplings like I did in the video linked below. Or in a similar fashion, you do you. Just remember to cover up any dough or dumplings that you're not working with or that are complete, with a damp tea towel so nothing dries out and cracks. There will be some filling left over which you can use as a chefs-snack after all your hard assembling work.
6. Cook your dumplings either in a steamer for about 8 minutes, or turn them into pot stickers (recommended, but you do you) by grabbing a good nonstick pot or pan and adding a generous glug of grapeseed (or vegetable) oil to it. Once hot, add in some pot stickers (you'll likely have to do a couple of batches) and cook until the under side is nice and golden. With the pot/pan's lid ready (or a tray if the vessel you're using doesn't have one) add 1/4 cup of hot water to the pan and then immediately cover with the lid. It will splatter so be careful and work quickly. Cook for about 8 minutes on medium heat, then remove the lid and let the last bit of water evaporate. Set the dumplings aside on a plate and repeat the cooking process to cook all the dumplings. Serve with tamari or coconut aminos or what ever you like. Deeelish!!!

Finally it's possible to make steamed buns gluten-free, and the best part is it's not really that hard!! This recipe is meant to be gluten-free, so make the dough in my other steamed bun recipe if you're not after a GF result. They're not as light as the traditional gluten containing ones, but my goodness do they hold up. Bloomin' delicious, they are!

Makes 8 large steamed buns
Serves 3-4

This recipe includes 1 hr + 15 minutes resting/rising time

Ingredients

Dough

• 2 3/4 cup GF self-raising flour
• 1 heaped tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp castor sugar
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
  Filling
• 1 garlic clove, peeled & crushed
• 1 small knob of ginger, peeled
• 1 carrot
• 1/2 bunch spring onions, top and tailed
• 8 button mushrooms, halved
• 1 very large handful wombok cabbage (or any cabbage)
• 150g firm tofu, drained & patted dry with paper towel
• glug of grapeseed oil
• small handful coriander/cilantro finely chopped
• 2 tsp tamari (or soy sauce if not GF)
• 1 tsp coconut aminos (also called liquid aminos)
• handful dried mushrooms (any variety is fine)
• 1 tsp cornflour/cornstarch
• pepper

Method

1. Start by making your dough as it needs time to rise. Place the flour, yeast, castor sugar and salt in the bowl of a mix master with a dough hook attached (alternatively do this by hand) and whisk to combined. Pour the oil into the mixture, then pop the plant milk in a pot on the stove and heat until quite warm, but not boiling. Pour half into the bowl and mix with the dough hook until everything starts coming together. Add the remaining hot milk and let the mixture come together to form a smooth dough. Add a smidge more flour or a splash of water if needed to form a smooth dough. Turn out onto a floured surface and kneed with your hand for a minute or two, then shape into a smooth ball. Oil the bowl the dough was mixed in, pop the dough back in the bowl, oil the top of the dough, cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place for 45 minutes to rise.
2. Meanwhile make your filling by blitzing ingredients together in the food processor. Do the garlic, ginger, carrot and spring onions together until quite finely chopped by still with a little texture. Then add to a large fry-pan or pot. Then blitz the mushrooms and cabbage together. These will cook/shrink down so don't blitz these as finely. Add to the pot and also crumble in the tofu. Add the oil and pop on medium heat. Sauté until everything is relatively soft & reduced in volume.
3. Boil your kettle and pop your dried mushrooms into a small boil. Pour over about 2 tbsp of hot water, then bop the mushrooms below the surface and leave to steep for a few minutes.
4. Once the veg mixture is looking hella tasty, add the coriander, tamari, coconut aminos and a grind of pepper. Fish out the dried mushrooms from their broth, then add the cornflour to the fragrant liquid. Whisk to combine. Pour this mixture into the veggie tofu pot and stir to combine. Let cook for a minute or so more to slightly thicken and come together, then take off the heat and set aside.
5. Revisit your dough after it's 45 minutes, and pop out onto a flour surface again. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough to a cm in thickness (it will be slightly tougher than before but still workable), then assemble into buns as I do in the video linked below. Cover all dough and buns with a damp tea-towel so not to dry out. Once all assembled, leave to rise for another 30 minutes.
6. Pop your buns in little patty liners and steam in a bamboo steamer for 8 minutes until risen and fluffy. Best eaten fresh. Eat with more tamari/coconut aminos/sweet chilli sauce. Woo!