White Pumpkin Rolls

I love baking my own bread, but I rarely get the chance to now that I'm usually rushing around after a cheeky little monkey! But I decided to bake some bread rolls for my October Crafternoon a few weeks ago, and as everything was Autumn themed I made them into the shape of little pumpkins! They turned out so well, and were really easy to make.

These would be a perfect accompaniment to your Thanksgiving meal, and I know I will be making some for mine.

White Pumpkin Rolls

Makes 12

1 lot white bread dough (I use this recipe)

6 whole pecans, cut in half lengthways

Preheat the oven to 125. 

Separate your dough into 12 equal pieces and roll into balls. Use a pair of scissors to make five cuts in each ball. Place on a lined baking tray and stick half a pecan nut into the center of each roll. Bake for 12-14mins until risen and nicely browned on top.

Serve hot from the oven with vegan butter spread.

Peanut Butter Cup Tart (UPDATED)

As you may have gathered from my blog, I love Peanut Butter! And in my pre-vegan days I scoffed many a Peanut Butter Cup, they're one of the few things that I miss as a vegan (I know in the US you guys have Justin's PB Cups, lucky devils! But in the UK we just have to make our own!) The other day I was really craving a peanut butter cup and suddenly this tart popped into my head! 

It's basically a giant peanut butter cup. Yep. You're welcome!

Peanut Butter Cup Tart

Serves 8

15 bourbon biscuits

1Tbsp vegan butter spread

2Tbsp, heaped smooth peanut butter

1C smooth peanut butter

1C powdered sugar, sifted

1tsp vanilla extract

200g vegan dark chocolate

2Tbsp vegan butter spread

1/4C salted peanuts
1tsp flaked salt or fleur de sel

Pulse the biscuits in a food processor until finely ground. Add the butter and peanut butter and pulse until everything is combined and starting to stick together slightly.

Press into a greased tart tin or a spring form cake tin. Set aside.

Using a wooden spoon mix the icing sugar into the peanut butter, once most of the sugar is mixed in use your hands to knead it into a smooth dough and pat down into a thick disk. Place in the tart tin and use your fingers to press the mixture out to the edges and smooth down the top. Set aside.

In a small saucepan over a medium heat melt the chocolate and butter together until just melted. Remove from the heat and pour into the tart tin. Hold the tart tin and tilt it in a circular motion to spread the chocolate evenly over the top of the tart. Sprinkle the salt over the pie and use the peanuts to create a border around the edge of the crust. Place in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight.

Before serving remove the tart from the tin and cut into slices. Serve with squirty soy cream or a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream.

Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal//Rebel Kitchen Review

I was recently send a box of goodies from the kind folks over at Rebel Kitchen and was very excited to try their mylks! I had previously tried their Orange Choc Mylk but none of the others so was very much looking forward to tasting all the other flavors.

Rebel Kitchen are fighting refined sugar by producing delicious coconut mylks in various flavors made with natural and nutritious ingredients such as date nectar, fruit and cacao. They make drinks for kids and adults alike and can be found in supermarkets throughout the UK and online.

I opted to try the adult mylks first, I am an adult after all! These come in bigger cartons and have screw-top lids so you can transport them easily without spillage.

The Matcha Green Tea Mylk is delicious! I was slightly disappointed that it isn't actually green (I do love the bright color matcha powder tends to give things) but the mylk is sweet and tasty and a great source for a breakfast drink for on-the-go.

The Chocolate Mylk is seductively rich and dark, with a nice strong cacao flavor. The date nectar really brings out the sweetness in the chocolate, this would be great blended into smoothies with banana and peanut butter!

The Chai Mylk is beautifully sweet and spicy. I found this mylk to be a bit of a strong flavor so preferred it mixed into almond milk for a subtler chai taste. I loved it in my Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal, perfect for chilly autumn mornings!

Next I tried the kids mylks! These come in little cartons with straws and would be just perfect for school lunchboxes! I will definitely be buying some when Hal starts school.

The Choco Mylk is deliciously sweet, a lovely chocolate milkshake.

The Orange Choc Mylk is amazing - I love Chocolate Orange flavored anything, and although the flavor is subtler than the others, it's really satisfying!

The Banana Mylk is lovely, you can really taste the fresh crushed banana! I would love to blend this up with some frozen bananas to make some yummy soft serve in the summer!

My favorite flavors were definitely the Matcha Green Tea Mylk and the Orange Choc Mylk! I could drink these all day long!

As a side note, I particularly like Rebel Kitchen's packaging! It's hilarious!

This Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal is perfect for a cold autumn morning, especially if you were up at 5am like I was! (Oh the joys of parenting!) Sweet and spicy, topped with caramelized pear slices and chopped pecan nuts this breakfast will warm up any cold day.

Chai Pumpkin Oatmeal 

Serves 1

1/2C whole rolled oats

1/2C Rebel Kitchen Chai Mylk

1/2C almond milk

1/2tsp cinnamon

1/4tsp nutmeg

1/2 a pear, cut into thick slices

1Tbsp maple syrup

2tsp chopped pecans

Put the oats, milks and spices into a small saucepan and mix until well combined. Simmer over a medium heat, stirring often until the oatmeal has thickened and some of the liquid has been absorbed (about 10mins)

Place a frying pan over a high heat and add the maple syrup. Place the pear slices in an even layer and cook until slightly browned on that side, around 3mins. Turn over and cook for a further minute to brown the other side. 

Serve your oatmeal topped with the caramelized pear slices and sprinkled with the chopped pecans.

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf with Toasted Almonds

Don't you love recipes that are really easy but make something that looks really impressively complicated? I do! This Cinnamon Swirl Loaf is deliciously sweet and spiced, and is the perfect thing to bake on a cold Autumn day like today.

Don't be fooled by how complicated it looks, this loaf is so simple to make! And you can impress your friends and family with a deliciously fancy loaf!

Cinnamon Swirl Loaf with Toasted Almonds

Makes 1 loaf

2 1/2C plain flour

1 7g sachet instant yeast

1C hot tap water

1Tbsp sugar

1/2tsp salt

5tsp dairy free butter spread

1/2C soft brown sugar

2Tbsp cinnamon

4Tbsp powdered sugar

1 1/2tsp water

4Tbsp toasted slivered almonds

In a small jug combine the sugar, yeast and water and mix with a fork. Set aside for a minute to go frothy.

Dump the flour and salt into a large bowl or the bowl of an electric stand mixer and make a well in the center. Pour in the yeast mixture and mix thoroughly until the dough is smooth and all the flour is incorporated into the mixture. Knead until the dough is soft and elastic, about 5mins in a mixer or 10mins by hand. Form into a smooth ball and place in the bowl. Cover with a plastic bag and leave in a warm place to double in size, this should take about an hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size tip it out onto a floured surface and knead for a minute or so. Roll it out into a large rectangle, as big as you can and spread the butter spread on with a spoon, making sure you cover all of the dough well. Sprinkle over the sugar and cinnamon as evenly as you can and carefully roll into a large sausage shape. Try to roll it as tightly as you can.

Cut the dough sausage in half length ways and squidge the top ends together to secure. Turn the dough pieces so that the cinnamon sugar mixture is facing upwards. Braid the loaf by twisting one piece over the other, over and over until you reach the other ends. Make sure that as you are twisting the dough you keep the cinnamon sugar side up. Secure the ends together and then make into a circle shape, securing the ends together again. Place on a baking tray cover with a plastic bag. Leave to rise again for 20mins.

Bake in an oven preheated to 350/180 for 20mins, until nicely golden and risen. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the icing by mixing together the powdered sugar and water and once the loaf is cooled drizzle with the icing and sprinkle with the toasted almonds.

Serve warm with a cup of tea.

Store in an airtight container for 3 days.