Chocolate Chip Layer Cake with Cookie Dough Buttercream

Layers of chocolate chip filled sponge cake with  a cookie dough buttercream - if you love all things cookies this cake is for you!

Golden Oreo Funfetti Cookies

Gooey vanilla cookies filled with sprinkles and golden oreos!

I am still slowly learning the science of cookies - how to make them chewy, crispy on the outside, gooey middle, you get my drift. So when I took these pictures these cookies were great but they could have been better. So since then I have vastly improved the recipe and made some adjustments, all for your benefit! 
I love cookies when they are stuffed with things, I know the simplicities are also a nice touch, but a biscuit inside a cookie? You can't beat it! Plus the sprinkle are really just there because they look cute and colourful :) 

Check out my other cookie recipes for more inspiration!
Double Chocolate Cookies
Carrot Cake Cookies
Biscoff Cookies

Recipe

Prep: 15 minutes + 30 minutes chilling time
Cook: 10-12 minutes
Serves: 16 

Ingredients

12 Golden oreos chopped
180g Plain flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
3tbsp sprinkles
100g Caster sugar
50g Light brown sugar
80g stork 
1 chia egg - 1tbsp chia seeds + 3tbsp water
1tsp vanilla

Method

✿Combine the chia seeds and water in a small bowl and set aside for at least five minutes.
✿In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, caster sugar and brown sugar and beat on a medium speed just until combined, about 30 seconds. 
✿Add the chia egg mixture and vanilla and beat just to combine. Add the flour, soda, cream of tartar, and salt and stir just to combine. Fold in the sprinkles and chopped up oreos evenly and bring the mixture into a dough. Save some of the biscuits to press onto the cookies later. 
✿Place in the fridge for 30 minutes to chill and firm up. 
✿Preheat the oven to 170℃and line two baking trays with baking paper. 
✿Take about 1-2 tbsp of the dough and roll into balls then place on the baking tray. Repeat for the rest of the mixture, you may have to go back and alter some of the sizes to make them all even.
✿Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes until the edges are starting to brown. As soon as they are out of the oven press some of the chopped up oreos onto the dough gently. Leave them to cool on the tray and firm up - don't remove from the tray till cool as they may break apart or get stuck to the tray. Store any uneaten cookies in an airtight container to keep them soft. Enjoy!

Christina

xx

Beet Pink Velvet Pancakes

Getting your veggies in at breakfast with these delicious beetroot pancakes!

wagon wheels

A classic chocolate biscuit that you won't want to share!

I can't say I ever had too many wagon wheels as a child so now I feel like I missed out massively. And seeing as wagon wheels aren't vegan - still waiting on that Burton's! - I've gone and created my own version and they are SO tasty and chocolatey and oh so British that you just have to have a go at making them. These biscuits are a good activity to get children involved, you're bound to get as messy as I did which is all the fun of it! 

This recipe does have a few more steps (see below) than my usual including making the jam from scratch which you can swap for store-bought jam but you can't skip the marshmallow step unless you've managed to find store-bought vegan marshmallow! :)

Check out my other chocolate recipes for more inspiration!

No-bake Bounty Bars
Double Chocolate Cookies
Ultimate Chocolate Cake

Make Ahead

Recipe

Prep: 1 hour

Cook: No bake + 2 hours chilling time

Serves: 9 

Ingredients

18 digestive biscuits or biscuit of choice
Filling
150g Raspberries
120ml Water
2tsp sugar
1tbsp cornflour + 1tbsp water
Marshmallow
125ml Aquafaba from x1 can chickpeas
1tsp Vanilla extract
150g Caster sugar
¼tsp Cream of tartar
100g Icing sugar
300g dark chocolate melted

Method

✿First make the jam - In a small saucepan add the raspberries, sugar and water and stir together till the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer stirring often. 
✿Combine the cornflour with the water and mix well then add this to the jam mixture and stir in. Keep the mixture on a low-medium heat until it has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely where it will thicken more. Leave to the side till ready to use.
✿Line a baking tray with baking paper. Melt the chocolate over a bain-marie or in the microwave. Dip 9 of the digestive biscuits into the chocolate so that the bottom part of the biscuit is covered but not the top. Place on the baking tray and place in the fridge to set.
✿Make the marshmallow filling. In a stand mixer, whip the aquafaba with the cream of tartar until white and foamy about 1-2 minutes. Gradually add a spoonful at a time of the caster sugar with the mixer on. 
✿Keep whipping for about 10 minutes until stiff peaks have formed and it looks glossy. You should be able to turn the bowl upside down and the mixture stays still. 
✿Take the biscuits out from the fridge and spread about a teaspoon or a bit more of the marshmallow fluff on top of the biscuit side NOT the chocolate side. With the other 9 biscuits spread about a teaspoon of jam on one side and place this on top of the marshmallow biscuit so they are sandwiched together. 
✿This next part can get messy! Place all of the biscuit sandwiches on a cooling rack and place this on top of a baking tray. Spoon or pour the melted chocolate over all of the biscuits till they are completely covered. You may have to melt the chocolate a little more in the microwave.
I had to keep spooning more chocolate in certain places which is why mine weren't completely covered, or you could melt some extra chocolate. 
✿Place all of the wagon wheels in the fridge to set completely before serving. I had mine dunked in a cuppa! Enjoy!

Christina

xx

Millionaires Cheesecake - No Bake!

A delicious no-bake cheesecake with layers of biscuit, caramel and chocolate!

Taking inspiration from the beloved Millionaire's shortbread, this is still just as decadent and indulgent as those beautiful bars of goodness! That creamy cheesecake layer filled with a golden homemade caramel and topped with a simple chocolate ganache. If I had had more time I would have tried my hand at vegan shortbread, plus trying to buy shortbread biscuits without butter was rather hard so digestives took the place and they add to the flavours perfectly. You could always top it with mini millionaire's as I've seen others do which looks yummy! My cheesecake filling isn't as firm as I would have liked so I am still experimenting but it's still really tasty!

Check out my other cheesecakes for more inspiration!

Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Cookies and Cream Cheesecake
Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes

Make ahead

Recipe

Prep: 30 minutes + chilling time overnight 

Cook: no bake 

Serves: 8-10 people

Ingredients

Base
250g Digestive biscuits - make sure they are vegan
80g Vegan butter
Cheesecake layer

400g Vegan cream cheese - I use Violife

600g Oatly Creme fraiche

250g Icing sugar

4tbsp of Caramel - I use this recipe

Chocolate layer

250ml Coconut cream from a can of full fat coconut milk

300g Vegan dark chocolate chopped up roughly

1tsp Vanilla extract

Method

✿Mash the digestive biscuits into crumbs in a food processor or in a ziplock bag with a rolling pin. Melt the butter then mix this with the biscuits till combined. It should stick together if you press it and not be very crumbly. 

✿Press this mixture into a 9 inch springform cake tin and place in the fridge to set.

✿Make the filling. Using an electric mixer, whip the vegan cream cheese until smooth then mix with the icing sugar and caramel. Fold in the creme fraiche until combined then spoon on top of the biscuit layer. Place back in the fridge to set about an hour.

✿Place a medium saucepan on a medium-high heat and add the coconut cream. Heat it up until bubbles just start to appear around the edges and steam rises from the surface. 

✿Place the chocolate in a bowl and pour over the hot coconut milk and leave for about 5 minutes without stirring. 

After 5 minutes, whisk the chocolate gently until glossy and smooth about 2 minutes. Then add the vanilla extract and stir again. 

✿Pour over the cheesecake layer and place in the fridge overnight to set completely.

✿Once ready to serve, boil some water and add some to cup and place a knife in to warm it up. Use this knife to cut the cheesecake into slices as it will make it easier when hot. Keep the rest in the fridge when not serving. Enjoy!

Christina

xx

Cherry Bakewell Blondies

Every delicious element of the classic cherry bakewell in the form of a gooey blondie!