So it’s December – HOW DID THAT HAPPEN?! And we all know what that means – the season of celebration, festivities and getting into the spirit of Christmas, woohoo! I don’t know about you but even with a baby, my diary is jam-packed with events, parties, family get-togethers and plenty of work to crack on with – yes, it’s going to be non-stop.
This time of year means more indulgence… So I was excited to create my latest recipe for Percol Coffee, something a little special for Christmas. With an oat, date and almond base topped with a chocolate torte brought to life by Percol’s intense Black & Beyond Espresso, this combination works incredibly well with chunky, sweet chestnuts inside. Gold glitter is the finishing touch for this pretty, rich dessert.
Ingredients:
For the base –
- 100g whole almonds
- 100g rolled oats (I used Flahavan’s – can be gluten-free)
- 100g dates, soaked in boiling water for 10 minutes then drained (I used Whitworths)
- 50g desiccated coconut
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar (I used Indigo Herbs)
For the torte topping –
- 150g plain gluten-free flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 75g stevia or coconut sugar (I used Natvia)
- 3 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder (I used LucyBee)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Percol Black & Beyond Espresso dissolved in 1 teaspoon boiling water
- 240ml almond milk
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted (I used LucyBee)
- 75g cooked chestnuts, chopped (I used Merchant Gourmet)
To decorate –
- Sieved cacao or cocoa powder
- Edible glitter spray
- Festive decorations!
Get making!
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
- First make the base: Place the ingredients in a food processor or high powder blender and blend well for at least 1 minute until the mixture is broken down and comes together like a flapjack consistency.
- Tip this into the tin and press the mixture down with your fingers to cover and pack in tight.
- Next mix together the flour, ground almonds, stevia/coconut sugar, cacao/cacao, baking powder, bicarb and cinnamon in a bowl.
- Whisk together the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside for 10 minutes – it creates a vegan buttermilk.
- Whisk in the melted coconut oil and vanilla into the milk mixture then pour into the dry ingredients and mix until a smooth batter. Fold in the chestnuts.
- Pour over the base and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes until springy to touch and a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin then remove and place on a serving board.
- Dust with extra cacao/cocoa, edible glitter and decorations – then slice and serve!
Check out my other recipes working with Percol Coffee over here 🙂