This granola fudge was my Easter weekend treat. It took all of 5 minutes to throw together 1 hour to set and about 45 seconds to devour. It is sweet, rich, creamy and totally delicious - not  to mention versatile. I used 2 different granolas from Lucy Rocks to fill and top each bar of fudge. Both granolas are not only paleo perfect but also utterly scrummy. I have listed below recipes for Paleo, AIP and low FODMAP variations of the fudge.

All recipes make 1 block of fudge as pictured but you could divide your mixture between different moulds.

You will need:
A food processor
Baking paper
A small dish or mould - I used a baking dish measuring 3 x 6.5 inches

Ingredients for blush crunch granola fudge:
3/4 cup tiger nut powder
1/2 tablespoon of almond butter (my favourite is meridian)
2 tablespoons of coconut oil (my favourite is lucy bee) plus half a cup of melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 cup of Lucy Rocks Blush Crunch Granola (plus extra for decoration)


Method:
Line your dish or mould with baking paper and set to one side.

Add the tiger nut powder, almond butter and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to a food processor and blend until a smooth paste forms. This will look like a thick nut butter. Add to this the salt, maple syrup and melted coconut oil. Blend again thoroughly until you have a smooth consistency. Transfer the liquid to a bowl and stir in 1/2 a cup of granola - combine thoroughly so that the granola pieces are evenly distributed throughout the fudge. Pour the fudge mixture evenly into your mould/dish. You can then decorate the top of the fudge by sprinkling more granola over the surface. Place in the fridge for an hour to set. Remove, admire, demolish.

Ingredients for golden granola fudge:
3/4 cup of tiger nut powder
1 tablespoon of carob powder (can sub for chocolate)
2 tablespoons of coconut oil plus half a cup of melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon of maple syrup
A pinch of sea salt
1/2 a cup of Lucy Rocks Golden Granola (plus extra for decoration)

Method:
Add the tiger nut powder, carob powder and 2 tablespoons of coconut oil to the food processor. Blend thoroughly to create a smooth paste the consistency of nut butter. Add the salt, maple syrup and melted coconut oil to the paste and blend again until smooth. Transfer this mixture into a bowl and stir through 1/2 a cup of golden granola, ensuring it is spread evenly throughout the fudge. Pour this mixture evenly into your lined mould/dish. Sprinkle additional granola over the surface to decorate and refrigerate for an hour until set.

Ingredients for AIP, low FODMAP fudge:
1 cup of tiger nut powder
2 tablespoons of coconut oil plus half a cup of melted coconut oil
A pinch of sea salt
A teaspoon of maple syrup
1/2 cup of freeze dried strawberries (plus extra for decoration)
* If you can tolerate it adding a tablespoon of almond butter makes the fudge even more creamy!

Method:
Add the tiger nut powder (almond butter if you can tolerate) and coconut oil to the food processor and blend until it forms a smooth paste. Add the salt, maple syrup and melted coconut oil and blend again to form a smooth consistency. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the freeze dried strawberries, ensuring that they are evenly spread throughout the fudge. Evenly pour the fudge mixture into your lined mould and place in the fridge for an hour until completely set.

Each bar of fudge will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days....if it lasts the long.

When I set about making these, I had absolutely no idea what I intended to create. As the story goes, I was lying in bed one Saturday morning and decided I fancied a cookie. Better still, multiple cookies. It then occurred to me that these cookies should probably be sandwiched together with some kind of creamy filling. This was all the motivation I needed to leave the bed and hit the kitchen. With a few adaptations to one of my previous biscuit recipes, these delicious tiger nut whoopie pies were born.

'Whoopie what?' I hear you cry. A whoopie pie is a kind of cakey cookie. Not crunchy, but soft and chewy and sandwiched with a scrumptious filling. If you haven't tried one, your world is about to change.

Makes 15 whoopie pies

Ingredients:

For the cookies
2 level cups of tiger nut powder
2/3 of a cup of arrowroot powder
1 level teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
A pinch of salt
Just shy of 1 cup of melted coconut oil
4 dessert spoons of maple syrup
2 level tablespoons of gelatin powder.
3 dessert spoons of ground ginger
1 heaped teaspoon of cinnamon

For the filling
1 cup of sifted tiger nut powder
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1/4 cup of tiger nut milk

Method:

To make the cookies
Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees or 180  for fan assisted.

Line a baking tray with a sheet of baking parchment.

Start by adding all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and thoroughly combine.

In a separate bowl add the maple syrup to the melted coconut oil and stir to combine. Sprinkle the gelatin powder over the surface of the liquid and whisk immediately to ensure thoroughly combined with the liquids, you do not want clumps of gelatin!

Pour the liquids into your dry mix and fold together. Fold slowly in a figure of eight whilst turning the bowl to ensure everything is completely combined until a dough forms. Use your hands to form small balls of dough, slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place these onto the baking sheet and use your hands to press them into biscuit shapes. They will spread slightly when cooking so leave some space between each biscuit.

Put these in the middle of your oven and bake for 15-17 minutes. After this time they will be starting to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and firm up.

While the cookies are cooling you can make the filling.

Add the powder and coconut oil to a blender and blitz until it forms a silky smooth nut butter. Add the milk and blend again until combined. Transfer this mixture to a bowl and leave to one side to firm up a little.

Once the cookies are completely cool, spoon a little (or a lot) of the filling into the centre of one cookie and spread to the edges in an even layer. Sandwich with another cookie and voila! The perfect AIP whoopie pie.

These will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

With the official month of indulgence being well and truly underway, I have been on the prowl for festive treats. Unfortunately for myself and many others these days, dairy is strictly off the menu. But as one never to shy away from a culinary challenge, I have been working on ways to recreate some of my milky based favourites.

Enter my (no) Eggnog. Yes, in itself eggnog is a pretty bizarre concept. Often made using raw eggs and thick cream, this is a beverage for those whose digestion is made of stronger stuff than mine. Almost like a cross between a milkshake and a drinkable custard, eggnog is rich in Christmas spices and so creamy you are left feeling like you've just drunk your dessert.

This alternative is so rich and creamy and puts eggnog firmly back on the festive table for anyone following an AIP or low FODMAP diet.

Serves 2

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of sifted tiger nut powder
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
3/4 cup of tiger nut milk plus a separate 1.5 cups
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla powder (see below for an AIP compliant version)
1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of ground mace
Pinch of Himalayan sea salt
1 tablespoon of maple syrup
1/4 teaspoons of great lakes gelatin (see link below)

You will need:
A food processor with blender attachment
A fine sieve

Method:
To make your tiger nut 'cream', add the sieved tiger nut powder and coconut oil to the food processor and blend on a high speed to form a very smooth nut butter. Transfer this nut butter to your blender and add the 3/4 cup of milk a little at a time. Blend until a rich cream forms and reserve to one side.

To a medium saucepan add the remaining milk, vanilla powder, cinnamon, mace, salt and maple syrup. Whisk the ingredients together over a low heat before adding in the cream. Continue to whisk until all ingredients are combined and the liquid is beginning to simmer. You will know it is ready when the mixture begins to thicken slightly. Do not allow this to boil!

Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve into a large glass or serving jug. Sieving the mixture just ensures it is silky smooth.

At this point add the gelatin and whisk immediately into the mixture - this thickens it further.

Leave to cool or briefly refrigerate and serve with a pinch of mace or cinnamon.

The perfect treat to enjoy whilst wrapping the presents!

(After making a batch of carrot cake muffins I decided they were so delicious the mixture was deserved of being made into a whole cake. Admittedly I was a little over zealous with the frosting, but lets say I was going for a rustic look. Either way this cake is moist, mildly spiced and full of carrot-y goodness. Working with such limited ingredients to create allergen free recipes is always challenging but the texture and flavourings of this cake came out perfectly. Although a healing diet should keep the sweet treats to a minimum, I believe we all need to indulge once in a while and this cake is the perfect afternoon tea treat.

To make the sponge

Ingredients:

1/2 a cup of arrowroot plus 1 tablespoon
1 and 1/2 cups of tiger nut powder
1 teaspoon of vanilla powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of ground ginger
1 dessert spoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground mace
1 quarter teaspoon of ground cloves
​1 packed cup of finely grated carrot
1/4 cup of carrot pulp
Zest of half an orange
1/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon on maple syrup
1/2 cup of tiger nut milk
1 dessert spoon of lemon juice
1/4 cup plus a tablespoon of melted coconut oil (Please see link below for my favourite brand)
2 tablespoons of gelatin (Please see link below for my recommended brand)
2 tablespoons of warm water

To make the frosting:

1/2 a cup of tiger nut powder
1/2 cup of tiger nut milk
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of maple syrup

Equipment:

You will need a food processor to make your frosting
2 x 15 inch circular cake tin, or use one and bake your cake mixture in two separate batches.

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, 180 for fan assisted.

Peel and dice two carrots and add to a roasting tin with a little coconut oil. Roast until caramelised and soft. Remove from the oven then mash these with the back of a fork to create a pulp. You need 1/4 cup of this.

Sift your tiger nut powder and arrowroot together into a large mixing bowl. Add the vanilla powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, orange zest and dry spices. Mix thoroughly to distribute the spices throughout the flour evenly.

In a separate mixing bowl add the maple syrup, melted coconut oil, orange zest, milk, lemon juice and warm water. Sprinkle the gelatin across the surface of the liquid and whisk immediately so the gelatine does not clump together.

Slowly pour this mixture into your dry ingredients, stirring and incorporating as you go. Add the grated carrot and carrot pulp and mix everything together thoroughly.

Divide your mixture between the two cake tins and place in the centre of the oven to cook for 35 minutes. The cakes should be golden brown, slightly firm and a tooth pick should come out clean. If they feel a bit wobbly, let them cook a little longer. When ready remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. They need to be totally cool for the buttercream icing.

To make your buttercream, add the tiger nut powder and coconut oil to your food processor. Blend on a high speed until you have a thick, smooth paste. Add the maple syrup and blend again. Start adding the milk and continue to blend until you have a smooth creamy liquid. Transfer this to a bowl and refrigerate for 15 minutes. After this time remove the frosting and whip it to a fluffy consistency. return to the fridge until ready to use.

Once your cakes are cool you can use a spatula to spread your buttercream over the surface of one of your cakes. Place the second cake on top and coat the top of this layer with buttercream. Enjoy!

My lord this is so scrummy. As I am unable to tolerate nuts, seeds and legumes, any kind of nut butter is out for me. But my faithful tiger nut has rescued me once again. I really don't know how I'd function without these little guys.

Tiger nuts are naturally sweet so you also have the added benefit of not needing  to add any additional sweetener. You can also play about with how much salt you add depending on how savoury you want it. I personally like to leave it quite sweet, even when use it as a veggie dip.

The tiger nut powder from The Tiger Nut company is absolutely the best to use when making this. I prefer not to use the flour for this as the texture can be too brittle.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of  sifted tiger nut powder ( I pass mine through a sieve to make sure it is silky smooth)
4 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 pinches of Himalayan sea salt (add more  to taste)

Method:
Add all ingredients to a food processor and blend until you have a smooth thick paste. It really is as simple as that. I guarantee after the first mouthful you wont be able to resist scoffing the whole lot.