Harts Kitchen
Learn by Harts
Just Desserts
Bring some sparkle to your Christmas
table with Gaz Oakley’s vegan version
of an Italian classic
V
egans aren’t
always
virtuous. The
old stereotype
of those eating
purely plant-
based food was that they
existed on a limited diet which
was worthy but depressingly
dull. This has been blown
away by a new wave of vegan
food and cooks that have made
it the hottest food trend on
the planet.
Chefs like Gaz Oakley, the
Avant-Garde Vegan, have
made vegan food mouth
wateringly desirable even for
committed carnivores and
shown that ditching meat and
dairy can be fun as well as
good for the planet and your
health. Gaz was already a
Cardiff-based chef when, in
2015, he decided to go vegan.
He now has 500,000 followers
on his Instagram and YouTube
channels who love his vegan
versions of everything from
fried ‘chicken’ to streaky
‘bacon’ or in his second book,
Vegan Christmas, “No Pigs
in Blankets”. You can see his
Ultimate Christmas Roast on
p19 of this issue.
Vegans used to miss out on
some of the more indulgent
Christmas treats but Gaz is
determined to bring festive
indulgence to all, without
using animal or dairy
products. This sparkling
tiramisu shows how keeping
your cooking purely planet
based can have exciting
results that will light up any
Christmas table.
Tiramisu
I was so pleased when I veganized
this Italian classic. It’s the perfect
festive dessert and even more
showstopping when you serve it
with a sparkler!
Serves 6
Ingredients
HARTS
TEAM TIP
For the sponge
Use a potato or vegetable
250ml (1 cup) almond milk
peeler to make decorative
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
chocolate peels for garnishing
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
anything from cakes to drinks
50g (1/4 cup) vegan spread
such as hot chocolate.
215g (13/4 cups) self-raising flour
Lucy
(or gluten-free flour)
230g (generous 1 cup) unrefined
caster (superfine) sugar
Pinch sea salt
For the cream
2 x 400g (14oz) tins coconut cream
170g (6oz) vegan cream cheese
1 tbsp cacao powder
3 tbsp icing sugar
120ml (1/2 cup) good-quality coffee,
brewed over ice
4 tbsp rum, or to taste
Toppings
Grated dark chocolate
Coffee beans
Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a 5cm (2in) deep 20 x
30cm (8 x 12in) baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2.First up, the sponge!
Put the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla paste and vegan
spread into a small saucepan over a low heat. Measure the flour,
sugar and salt into a large mixing bowl.
When the spread has melted, pour the milk mixture into the dry
ingredients and fold together. Scrape the batter into your lined baking
tray and level out.
3.Place the tray into the oven to bake for 12–15 minutes, or until
golden and springy to the touch, then turn out the sponge onto a wire
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