LUXE / HEALTH raw date caramel slice…

May 14, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

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Caramel slice has got to be one of my absolute favourite treats but the generic stuff you find at your local cafe is often laden with refined sugars. Although there are endless recipes online for healthier versions of this tasty treat, I’m forever experimenting with new combos and think I’ve stumbled onto a winner. While dates are high in fructose (so I wouldn’t suggest noshing on them every day), they are the perfect addition to this sticky slice…just try not to devour the whole slab at once!

x A

LUXE / HEALTH Raw Date Caramel Slice

Ingredients:

For the base:
4 dates, pitted and diced
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup raw pecans
1/4 cup melted coconut oil

For the date caramel:
4 dates, pitted and diced
4 tbsp. tahini
2 tbsp. rice malt syrup
1/4 cup melted coconut oil

For the chocolate:
1/4 cup cacao
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp. rice malt syrup
Crack of sea salt

Method:

To make the base, pop all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse until mixture resembles chunky breadcrumbs.
Line a baking tin or small square tupperware container with baking paper. Pour the shredded base mixture into the prepped tin and press down firmly. Pop in the freezer while you make the caramel.
Place dates, tahini, rice malt syrup and coconut oil in the food processor and blend until the mixture comes together like it does when you’re making dough. Tip out into a fine sieve and drain off any excess milky oil that has been released by the tahini.
Press the caramel firmly into the base with your fingers or a spatula and place back into the freezer.
Whisk together the cacao, coconut oil and rice malt syrup, add a crack or two of sea salt and pour over the caramel layer. Place back in the freezer once more and leave to set for 30-60 minutes.
Slice into thick chunks and enjoy! The slice will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

LUXE / HEALTH carrot cake…

March 20, 2017.Reading time 2 minutes.

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This was my first (and only) attempt at creating a healthy version of carrot cake and I have to admit – it was a winner all round! If you’ve got a surplus of carrots lingering in the bottom of your fridge, I suggest you whip up this wee treat, grab a cup of tea and enjoy every single mouthful…

x A

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LUXE / HEALTH Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

3 large carrots, grated
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla bean powder
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash ground ginger
2 cups almond meal
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup rice malt syrup
1/2 cup roughly chopped walnuts (or raisins if you prefer) + extra to serve
2 tsp. baking powder

For the icing:

Cream cheese
Pinch vanilla bean powder
Lemon zest and juice, to taste

Method:

Preheat your oven to 160C on bake. Then, in a large bowl mix together the grated carrot, eggs, spices, almond meal, walnuts, baking powder and coconut oil.
Mix well then pop into a lightly greased loaf tin. If you haven’t got one already, I can highly recommend the silicon loaf tins you can buy nowadays!
Bake for around 90 minutes or until cooked through, the cake should be moist but hold together. This is another recipe where you need to trust your instincts and after 60 minutes, check the cake every 10 minutes or so as every oven differs slightly.
Cool in the loaf tin completely before popping onto a rack.
Meanwhile, whip up some cream cheese icing by popping a few tablespoons of cream cheese in a hand mixer with a pinch of vanilla bean powder and the zest of one lemon. Slowly add lemon juice, to taste and a little honey or rice malt syrup to sweeten (optional).
Once the cake has cooled, use a spatula to ice the loaf and sprinkle with extra chopped walnuts. Simple.

LUXE / HEALTH choc-dipped strawberries…

September 26, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

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I don’t know about you, but choc-dipped strawberries are one of my favourite treats at Christmas time, but after two or three (read: half a dozen), I find the sugar in the chocolate leaves my teeth tingling. Here’s a version which is sugar free, dairy free and unbelievably delicious. Trust me, you won’t even notice the difference…

x A

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LUXE / HEALTH Choc-Dipped Strawberries

Ingredients:

1/2 cup cacao
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbsp. rice malt syrup
2 tbsp. almond milk
Generous crack sea salt
Punnet of strawberries, rinsed
Chopped almonds
Shredded coconut

Method:

In a small saucepan, whisk together cacao, coconut oil, rice malt syrup, almond milk and sea salt until well combined. Take off the heat.
Rinse and prep strawberries – either leave them whole or slice lengthways in half.
Dip each strawberry in the melted chocolate, shaking off any excess before dipping into roughly chopped almonds or coconut (optional) and leave on a tray to set for 10 minutes.
OR, you can ignore all that and simply dip and devour immediately!

LUXE / HEALTH lemon and coconut bliss balls…

May 5, 2016.Reading time 1 minute.

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These little morsels are oh so delicious you’ll struggle to stop at one. But if you’re anything like me and are always searching for a healthy mid-afternoon snack, then these lemon and coconut bliss balls are the perfect addition to your lunchbox. If you’ve got little ones, I promise they’ll love them too!

x A

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LUXE / HEALTH Lemon and Coconut Bliss Balls

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shredded coconut + an extra 1/4 cup for rolling
1/2 cup raw unsalted almonds
4 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. rice malt syrup
Grated zest and juice of half a lemon

Method:

In a food processor, blitz the coconut, almonds, coconut oil, rice malt syrup and lemon zest and juice till it comes together in a sticky dough. Scoop the mixture into a small bowl and set aside.
Blitz the remaining 1/4 cup of coconut so it forms a fine coconut dust then tip into a shallow bowl ready to roll.
Using your hands, roll the lemon mixture into small balls, then toss in the extra coconut and place on a small plate and pop in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to firm up.
Enjoy! Any extras can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

LUXE / HEALTH tahini caramel slice…

April 11, 2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

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One of my main motivations for launching my website earlier this year was to spread the word that healthy eating doesn’t need to be difficult and it certainly doesn’t need to mean deprivation! I for one am a huge sweet tooth and one of my favourite things to do is recreate my favourite recipes with healthy ingredients.

This tahini caramel slice is an amalgamation of several raw recipes I’ve tried in the past and I hope you’ll agree that it’s a winner! Just try not to eat it all at once…this last batch literally lasted two days in my house. TWO DAYS!

x A

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LUXE / HEALTH Tahini Caramel Slice

Ingredients:

For the base:
2 heaped tbsp. raw almonds
1 heaped tsp. shredded coconut
1 tbsp. melted coconut oil
2 tsp. rice malt syrup

For the caramel:
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup rice malt
2 tbsp. melted coconut oil
A few cracks of sea salt

For the chocolate:
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 heaped tsp. rice malt syrup
2 heaped tbsp. cacao
1 tsp. tahini

Method:

In a food processor, pulse the base ingredients together until they are well combined and sticky. Then, press into a baking paper lined tin (I use a fairly small deep one – but it just depends how thick you like each layer as you can literally set this in anything!) Then pop the tin in the freezer to set.
Combine the ingredients for the caramel, just be careful not to mix too vigorously as over-mixing will cause the caramel to become a little grainy and you definitely want it smooth. Then, spoon the caramel onto your base and place back in the freezer while you prep the chocolate.
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the chocolate layer, making sure there are no lumps. Pour the liquid chocolate over the caramel layer and pop the slice back into the freezer one final time.
Leave it for at least 2 hours to set properly, then use a large knife to cut into slices or squares and just try not to eat it all at once!! If there are any leftovers, keep it in a sealed container in the fridge to prevent melting.