TEATIME HEAVEN

Enjoy an indulgent afternoon tea with friends!

WE LOVE… MACADAMIA NOUGAT pg59 // FLUFFY MADELEINES pg61// RASPBERRY ÉCLAIRS pg63

Lacedwith chocolate!

For the salted hazelnut babka, see page 62

Blackberry brownies

By Berry People (www.berrypeople.co.uk)

MAKES 8

100g (3½oz) dark chocolate

70g (2¾oz) almond butter

80g (2¾fl oz) maple syrup

2 free-range ggs

30g (1oz) cocoa powder

60g (2oz) oat flour

100g (3½oz) Driscoll Sweet Blackberries (plus extra for topping)

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment. 2 Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie. Once melted, add the almond butter to a bowl and stir in the chocolate. Add the maple syrup and slowly whisk in the eggs to prevent curdling.

3 Next, whisk in the cocoa powder and oat flour. Once the mix is well combined, stir in the blackberries and pour the brownie mix into the tray. Top with some extra blackberries. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Allow to cool before slicing and serving.

Ricotta baked doughnuts

By Sarah J Thomas (www.sarahjthomas.com)

MAKES 6

For the donuts

75g (2¾oz) ricotta

60ml (2fl oz) milk

1 free-range egg

35g (1¼oz) butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g (4½oz) self-raising flour

½ tsp cocoa powder

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tbsp cornflour

70g (2¾oz) light brown sugar red food colouring

To decorate

100g (3½oz) melted white chocolate sprinkles of your choice

1 Line a 6-hole doughnut silicon mould and preheat the oven to 175°C/Gas Mark 4.

2 In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter, ricotta, milk and sugar until smooth. Add the egg,vanilla and food colouring and beat again to thoroughly combine.

3 In a separate bowl, mix together the cornflour, bicarbonate of soda, flour and cocoa powder. Add the flour mixture to the bowl containing the wet ingredients and mix until fully combined.

4 Spoon equal amounts into each donut hole and bake for 11-13 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean).

5 Remove from the oven, leave in the mould for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

6 Once cool, spoon over the melted chocolate and cover in sprinkles.

Raw caramel slice

MAKES 30

365g (13oz) coconut oil, plus extra for greasing

750g (1lb 9oz) raw cashews

500g (1lb 1oz) date paste (or simply deseed and mash Medjool dates)

100g (3½oz) tahini

400ml (14fl oz) brown rice syrup

100ml (3½fl oz) coconut milk

150g (5½fl oz) raw cacao powder chia seeds, to serve a pinch of salt

1 Grease a 26x36cm (10½x14¼in) baking sheet and line with baking paper.

2 To make base, melt 65g (2¼oz) coconut oil over a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water).Pulse the cashews in a food processor until coarsely chopped (be careful, too much and it can become a paste).

3 Place 250g (9oz) date paste in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and pour 100ml (3½fl oz) water over the top, stirring to combine. Add the melted coconut oil, chopped cashews and a generous pinch of salt, then beat gently to combine. Transfer to the baking sheet tin, pressing the layer flat with the back of a spoon. Place in the freezer to set.