Pecan Date Bars

Hello dear TCB readers! Long time no see, right? I was literally shocked when I saw that there was no entry in September. Not even a Pinteresting post. Wow! A lot has happened since I last posted a recipe. As you know I tend not to reveal much of my personal outside-the-blog life, but I sure can tell now that life happens when you're busy making other plans. 

I am delighted to share a great recipe with you today. It is another vegan, no bake recipe which I love so much these days. Pecans are my number one snack - they are so nutritious and rich in taste you should definitely buy some. I carry a small zip-lock of pecans in my bag as an emergency when I get hungry or need a snack right away. 

These bars are totally addictive. I love them as an afternoon snack or pre run fuel. You can even enjoy them for breakfast if you wish.

You need:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates, pitted

1 cup shredded coconut

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate (I used 80% cocoa)

Gather your ingredients and put them in your food processor. Mix until everything holds together and it is a sticky mess. 

Put the mixture in a brownie pan or any other pan you have on hand (just make sure it is not too big). Press down with your hands firmly. Put the pan in the fridge for one hour to set. Meanwhile melt the chocolate - my trick is to put it in the microwave for one minute and there you have it. 

After one hour, remove the pan from the fridge and drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Let cool in the fridge for another hour. Slice into bars and dig in.

Mini Vegan Cheesecakes

Hello dear readers! It feels so good to be back again. This past month was crazy - with some health issues, and mentally I wasn't quite prepared to blog. I am glad that it's all behind me and I can focus on much more positive and fun things. 

Sometimes when life gets difficult, I crave something sweet but don't want to bake and go through the whole process of it. Ahh, the cosiness of no-bake desserts!

So, I came over this blog and found the perfect little treat to do. It takes some time to make it because you have to soak the cashews, but it is worth the try! I prefer making such treats late at night, and then finishing it the next morning before work. Then I know a little something will wait for me in the fridge when I come home.

You need:

4 table spoons cashews

1 table spoon agave

4 table spoons coconut, shredded

2 table spoons oats

fruit of choice for the topping

Put the cashews in a bowl, pour enough water over it and leave to soak over night. The next day, put the cashews, agave and coconut in a blender (I use my Magic Bullet) and blend until smooth.

Put the oats in a small saucepan, add two tablespoons water and cook for two minutes or until the oats soak up the water. 

Prepare a mini pie dish by covering it with foil. Spread the oats thinly on the bottom and put in the fridge for a few minutes. Then put the cashew batter over the oats, slightly pressing it down with the backside of a spoon or a spatula. Put your fruit on top and let sit in the fridge for a few hours to cool completely.

Pudding Tiramisu

My best friend came for a visit last weekend and my cookie/candy drawer was empty so I had to quickly make a yummy dessert for her. When people randomly pay me a visit and expect something good I always make my famous pudding tiramisu. It is a great treat for coffee lovers and it is made within minutes.

You need:

2 packages instant Vanilla OR Chocolate OR both Pudding

Lady fingers

2 cups of brewed coffe, sweetened

Prepare a baking dish, the size you want the tiramisu to be (I use a bigger sized dish, maybe 25x20 cm or so) and start layering the tiramisu. First layer are the lady fingers, which you arrange in the dish, side by side and pour a small amount of coffe over them, I use 1 table spoon for each lady finger. Be careful because you don't want those lady fingers to fall apart when cooled. The next layer is a pudding layer - just cook the pudding according the instructions on the package and smear a good amount of it on the lady fingers. Continue to do so, finishing with a pudding layer. Chill for an hour or over night if you have time. You can top the tiramisu with whipped cream or fresh fruit.

Peach Charlotte

You already know I have a thing for fruity desserts, but this one is the easiest ever. Really. Charlotte is one of the desserts I have loved when I was a kid, and today I still like it even though the real reason we eat a lot of Charlotte lately is my sister, who is obsessed with it.

Charlotte is the ultimate summer dessert; light, fruity, packed with flavor and doesn't require baking. I have to warn you however, this recipe is not the original Charlotte recipe. This one is my version of it. I know how a Charlotte looks and tastes like, but believe me – this one is much easier to do and tastes just like any other.

You need:

12 ladyfingers

2 cans peach halves in juice

2 cups heavy cream

8 table spoons sugar

1 tea spoon vanilla

First, drain the peach halves and cut them into chunks. Then put the peach chunks in a blender and mix them until smooth (or if you wish, a bit chunky). Beat the heavy cream together with the sugar and vanilla until soft peaks start to form and set five table spoons aside. Combine the rest of the cream with the peach mixture. Mix well and set aside. Prepare small glass bowls and start making your Charlotte; put three table spoons of the peach mixture in the bowl. Then stand four ladyfingers upright around side of the bowl. Put the remaining heavy cream on top. Let cool.

Berry Trifle

I like to make no bake desserts because they are so quick and easy to do, yet they look amazing and taste good. Trifle is one of those desserts I was so excited to make. 

If you google 'Trifle' or search it on Pinterest, you get tons of amazing looking pictures. And I wanted to try a lighter version of it. Something fresh, fruity and tasty of course. That is why I chose to do a berry trifle  One can never go wrong with berries, right?

You need:

1 package Savoiardi (Ladyfinger) biscuits

3 cups mixed berries (Strawberries, Blueberries, Blackberries)

Whipped cream

Some rum to soften the biscuits

A few Oreos or any kind of chocolate (I used chocolate covered Oreos)

Prepare a bigger bowl and create layers. The first layer should be Savoiardi biscuits, that you previously soaked into rum. Then put a layer of whipped cream, next the berries, and repeat until you finish with the whipped cream. Put some strawberries on top and sprinkle with Oreos. Let sit for an hour or two in the fridge. Enjoy!

Swiss Roll Bomb

Yesterday morning I woke up and it was snowing! Everything was covered with the white, cold, wet thing….argh. I hate snow. I just don't like the cold, crisp winter mornings. So basically I wanted to crawl under my blanket and fall back asleep. But I'm a responsible adult and chose to go into the kitchen and prepare some dessert.

This dessert is perfect for those of you who like frozen treats and chocolate. It's a perfect combo with chocolate ice cream and swiss rolls. In the form of a giant bomb.

2 Swiss Rolls (I used chocolate flavored)

1 Chocolate ice cream

3 table spoons rum

First prepare a medium sized bowl – wrap the inside of the bowl in plastic and set aside. Cut the swiss roll in 1 centimeter thick pieces and place them all over the bowl, one next to another. When you're done and the bowl is covered in swiss rolls, brush them with rum. Put the ice cream in the middle of the bomb and press it gently with a spoon so you don't have any lumps (it's good to let the ice cream sit at room temperature for a few minutes before that). Now cover the bomb with remaining swiss rolls so you have a 'lid' and the bomb is closed. Cover with plastic wrap on top and put in the freezer for 2 hours. Let the bomb sit for a minute or two at room temperature or simply warm it with your hands a bit. Now carefully put it on a plate; remove the foil from the top and place a plate upside down on it. Turn around and try to get it out gently, it should pop out. Don't force the bomb out, or you'll get a messy thing! That's it. Just cut it in pieces and enjoy.

No Bake Chocolate Orange Kisses

I was in a hurry this past week. Running errands, working, planning a birthday party and squeezing my daily runs in this schedule was exhausting and so my blog wasn't updated in ages. However, I still managed to cook every day and even some dessert baking happened.

Thinking about an easy peasy no bake dessert this fantastic little kisses came to my mind. They're soft and rich in orange flavor, just perfect for summer. I wanted to make something quick, but yet good looking and tasty of course! Needles to say, everyone loved it.

300g crushed digestive biscuits

150ml orange juice

1 tea spoon vanilla

2 table spoons orange jam (I used apricot)

2 table spoons cocoa powder

1 table spoon Nutella

1 table spoon honey

Mix everything together and put in the fridge for 30 minutes so the flavors can blend together. Make little balls and decorate them if you wish. I put a bit melted chocolate on them and sprinkled them with colored sugar sprinkles. You can also roll them in shreded coconut or in sprinkles. The sky's the limit.