Dish

Vegan Banoffee Tarts

The ultimate dessert decadence gets a wholefood makeover with
nuts, dates and almond butter standing in for the traditional
ingredients. Each element can be made in advance so the tarts
can be assembled with ease on the day. A high-speed blender is
essential to having a silky smooth filling.

Tart cases

1 cup dried dates

2 cups almond meal

1 cup desiccated coconut

Date and almond

butter caramel

1 cup dried dates

3 heaped tablespoons

almond butter

½ cup almond milk

2 pinches sea salt

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Cashew and coconut cream

1¾ cups raw cashew nuts

¾ cup coconut cream

¼ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

To assemble

2–3 bananas, sliced thinly

cocoa powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 160°C.

Grease 9 holes of a 12-hole muffin tin.

Tart cases: Soak the dates for 10 minutes in boiling water to
soften. Drain well and place in a food processor along with
the remaining ingredients. Blitz until well mixed and relatively
even in consistency.

Use your hands to press into the muffin tin and create tart cases
that are even in thickness. Take a little time with this step, as it
will make a big difference to the end product. I like to leave the
top edges a little bit uneven and rustic but you can cut clean
edges with a knife if you prefer. Prick the bottom of each case
twice with a fork.

Bake for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden. Leave for 10 minutes,
before removing from the tin and placing on a rack to cool.

Date and almond butter caramel: Soak the dates in boiling water
for 10 minutes to soften. Drain well. Combine with the other
ingredients and use a high-speed blender or hand blender to blitz
until smooth.

Cashew and coconut cream: Place all ingredients in a high-speed
blender and blitz until silky smooth

To assemble: Place a heaped tablespoon of almond butter
caramel into the bottom of each tart case. Top with 3 slices of
banana that have been fanned out into a flower shape so that
they fill the space. Fill the case with cashew and coconut cream
and top with a 2–3 more pieces of banana. Sprinkle a little cocoa
powder over the top, if desired. Makes 9 tarts

Honey, Sesame and Citrus

Gluten-free Shortbread

I find shortbread hard to resist. It’s a favourite treat alongside

a strong cup of tea. Sesame seeds and citrus zest provide an

interesting mix of flavours in this version. I find they freeze really

well, which means I don’t need to eat the whole batch at once!

250 grams butter

⅓ cup honey

finely grated zest 1 lemon

finely grated zest 1 orange

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1¼ cup brown rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour

⅓ cup cornflour

Preheat oven to 150°C.

Place the butter and honey in a mixer. Beat until very pale. Add

the vanilla and citrus zest. Beat until well combined. Add the

remaining ingredients and beat until thoroughly mixed.

Roll heaped teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on a cookie

tray lined with baking paper. Use 2 fingers to flatten, then prick

the top with a fork. Place in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Bake for 20–25 minutes until crisp but still pale.

Leave on the tray for 15 minutes (they are delicate while hot)

before moving to cooling rack. Makes 16 cookies

HONEY, SESAME AND

CITRUS GLUTEN-FREE

SHORTBREAD

GF

100 DISH