Modern Vegan Desserts 9788090734012

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CONTENTS VERRINES, ENTREMENTS AND PETITS GATEAUX Velvet Chocolate Cream 92 Spiced Rhubarb 94 Apricots and Caramel 96 Apples and Hazelnut Chocolate 98 Chocolate Mille-Feuille 102 Cherries and Chocolate 106 Strawberry and Lemon 110 Mandarin and Hazelnuts 114 Carrot Cake 118 Strawberry Fraisier 120 Coconut and Mango 124 Passion Fruit and Chocolate 128 PLATED DESSERTS Nectarines 134 Cherry Clafoutis 136 Apple Tarte Tatin 138 Pavlova with Vanilla Cream 140 Crème Caramel with Cacao Nibs 142 Peanut Brownies 144 Strawberries and Basil 148 Chocolate and Pears 150 Almonds and Apricots 154 Raspberries and Pistachios 158 FROZEN DESSERTS Blood Orange Granita 162 Cherry Sorbet 164 Pineapple Frozen Yoghurt 166 Chocolate Ice Cream Lollies 168 Hazelnut Ice Cream Lollies 170 Raspberry Ice Cream Dessert 172

Introduction 6 Animal Product Substitutes 8 Other Pastry Ingredients 12 Must-Have Pastry Equipment 16 How to work with the recipes in this cookbook 20 BAKERY AND VIENNOISERIE Lemon Drizzle Cake 24 Banana & Pecan Cake 26 Hot Cross Buns 28 Kouglof 30 Kouign-Amann 32 Croissant Dough 35 Croissants 36 Chocolate Rolls 38 Hazelnut Rolls 40 Puff Pastry Apple Turnovers 42 Brioche Dough 45 Strawberry & Rhubarb Brioche Buns 46 Almond Brioches 48 Chocolate Brioches 50 TARTS Shortcrust Pastry Recipe for Shortcrust Pastry Apples Almonds and Pears Tonka Bean and Dark Chocolate Caramel Peanuts with Chocolate Citrus Fruits Passion Fruit and Mango Apples and Hazelnuts Raspberry and Vanilla Earl Grey and Banana Coconut and Pineapple

54 56 58 60 62 64 68 72 74 78 82 86

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CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONERY Choosing the Right Chocolate 176 Tempering Chocolate 177 Frequently Asked Questions 178 Fruit Chocolate Bars 180 Chocolate Nut Bars 182 Fragrant Chocolate Bars 184 Chocolate Rocks 186 Raspberry Truffles 188 Pistachio Truffles 190 Rochers 192 Hand-Dipped Chocolates 194 Hand-Dipped Coffee Chocolates 196 Hand-Dipped Fruit Chocolates 198 Moulded Chocolates 200 Green Tea 202 Passion Fruit 204 Cherries 206 Orange and Cinnamon 208 Maple Syrup and Pecan Nuts 210 Pineapple and Star Anise 212 COOKIES AND SWEETS Chai Hot Chocolate 218 Chocolate-Dipped Cinnamon Cookies 220 Chocolate Cookies 222 Chocolate and Nut Spread 224 Florentines 226 Pâte de fruit 228 Panforte 230 Nougat 232 Macarons 234

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INTRODUCTION When I was at primary school, I already knew I would work in a kitchen or own a restaurant one day. I can’t remember where I got this desire from, as there had been no passionate chefs or chocolatiers in our family. We hardly went to restaurants, and it was many years until the Jamie Oliver era. Despite the fact that for no apparent reason I gravitated to the world of gastronomy, I knew very well that my personal need to contribute to running our family firm would always be more important than my ambitions. I was a bit of a daddy’s girl (okay, I still am) and I was expected to take over our business. Since it is not in my nature to talk back, I went to study economics and finance instead of gastronomy. I experienced a short period of rebellion during my university studies, when Jamie Oliver appeared on our TVs for the first time and my desire to cook came alive once more. Unfortunately, my parents expressed a lack of support of my idea to go abroad and study culinary art. To be honest, with hindsight, I am actually grateful for that. The fact is, I would have made a terrible chef. Had I changed my career focus at that time, I’d have most likely run screaming from the kitchen within six months, and would have forgotten all about the field of gastronomy.

you’d forgotten to think it through properly. A week before the application deadline, I had to admit to myself that the kitchen environment may not be the right place for someone who could barely stand a temperature over 20°C. I realised I would most likely fail the crab-killing test and that someone with such dead taste buds as mine could never become a good chef. Fortunately, I already had a back-up plan – I would become a baker. (Please ignore my previous comment about not enjoying the heat.)

After graduation, I worked in management with cooking and baking as a hobby. At least, that was the case until the moment when a decision was made by my family to close down the firm, and the path was laid for my dreams coming true. On that day, I went to bed full of many positive as well as negative emotions. Although I felt sad that the company that had been established and run by my parents for over twenty years was to be closed down, I couldn’t help but feel the joy of having the possibility to pursue something that I had always dreamt of doing. On that very evening, I browsed the websites of large foreign gastronomical schools eagerly, trying to choose the field that would be right for me. I was still convinced that I wanted to become a chef, but I hardly considered the option of being a pastry chef. I spent the whole year preparing to move to London, where I would start studying at the world-renowned Le Cordon Bleu. Well, that was until I realised that cooking was just not right for me. You know what it’s like. You dream about something for so long that when the dream comes true, only then do you realise

After a short internship in the UK, I returned home and opened a small pastry shop, which I very quickly, following customer interest, transformed into a pastry school. During the first few months, I gave lessons on the very classic French pastries and desserts, following all the practically sacred recipes I had learned in France. At that time, I believed that traditional recipes were not to be modified and that these provided no room for innovation. Then I went to study in Barcelona with a pastry chef who changed my view of this craft entirely – Jordi Bordas. It was then that I realised for the first time that pastry could be made in a completely different way; that traditional recipes and processes could be modified, making the final desserts even more interesting than their original versions. It was the knowledge I gained from Jordi which helped me with the formation of the various vegan desserts you can find in this cookbook. In the following months, I started replacing eggs with pectin in the courses, showing the participants how to make delicious creams of amazing consistencies without the need to add butter.

Bread baking was introduced to me by Richard Bertinet, an incredible baker who taught me on a course in Bath, England. When I was leaving the class, I had a clear idea of opening a lovely, small bakery and of baking the best sourdough bread ever. Looking back, I have to laugh about the creativity of my brain. However, I was so serious about the baking thing that I moved to France for six months and started studying at Alain Ducasse’s pastry school (ENSP), where I completed a combination programme of baking and French desserts. Well, I must say that my last loaf of bread was baked right there and then, as I almost immediately fell for the magic of pastry art and I moved from folding bread dough to folding croissant dough.

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What gave me the idea of making my desserts completely vegan was a speech by James Aspey, an Australian vegan activist. In fact, it was on a beautiful winter evening that I learned the dark truth about the current livestock industry. As an animal lover, I had avoided eating meat for the majority of my life, but I’d had no idea what suffering I’d been causing to cows through the demand for milk. Those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about, please watch a short documentary called Dairy is Scary. On that critical day, I made a clear decision that the only acceptable approach to pastry for me would be vegan, i.e. using 0% animal products. The following months involved continuous recipe testing; being driven crazy by how to make a gelatine-free mousse or how to bake egg-white-free macarons. Not only had I aimed to create a series of vegan desserts, but my main effort was also to create them in such a way that no one would recognise them as being vegan. The complete results of my research can be found in this book (what sense would it make to get so stressed if not to then share the results with you!) No stone was left unturned. Whether you enjoy baking brioche or prefer the creation of beautiful, glazed cakes – this cookbook contains purely plant-based recipes for nearly everything. Also, it doesn’t matter whether or not you call yourself a “vegan”. If you love great desserts, this is the right book for you. I can guarantee you that this new approach to the pastry craft will make your desserts more exciting and much tastier than you ever could have imagined.

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ANIMAL PRODUCT SUBSTITUTES It’s not as difficult as you may think to replace animal products in desserts. In fact, the difficult part is choosing from the massive variety of alternatives. Here’s how can you replace dairy products, eggs, and gelatine in desserts.

DAIRY PRODUCTS Yoghurt Even the selection of yoghurts is very wide these days. My favourite is a coconut yoghurt; soy yoghurt works well for baking, too. You will find it in this book in the recipe for lemon drizzle cake.

Milk Cow’s milk can be replaced with plant milk, which is offered in various forms these days. In particular, I work with oat milk, but other types of milk suitable for making confectionery are almond or cashew milk, for instance. When I need to add more fat to a recipe, I use coconut milk. It’s easy to prepare homemade milk, but you can also buy it in common retail chains. Before buying the products, read the ingredients carefully, as these may vary substantially between individual products and a more expensive brand is not always a better one.

Cream Despite the fact that you can buy both a half-and-half and a whipping cream, I hardly ever do as I don’t like the taste or composition much. We can only hope that as the demand for these products grows, so will the offering of plant creams in shops which will be better to work with in desserts.

Recipe for almond/cashew milk 200 g unpeeled almonds/cashews/combination of both 800 g filtered water 2 dried dates seeds of a vanilla bean

Butter Instead of the classic butter, you can use one of these options: A) Vegan butter Wherever there is “vegan butter” stated in the ingredients for a recipe, it always means block butter. Never use margarine for baking. My favourite brands are Alsan Bio or Naturli´. These brands of butter are very similar to classic butter in their texture and taste, and they also have similar fat content (75–80%).

First, soften the nuts by placing them in a bowl, pouring enough tap water over them to cover and leaving at room temperature for 10 hours (cashews will only need 3–6 hours). Drain, rinse thoroughly and place in a blender. Add the filtered water, dried dates, vanilla seeds and blend for 2 minutes on full power. Filter the nuts and squeeze all the liquid thoroughly through a fine kitchen towel or cheese bag.

B) Odourless coconut oil Always buy the odourless variant of this 100% fat; you don’t want your raspberry cream, for instance, to smell of coconut. I use it most frequently to make fruit and chocolate creams silkier.

You can adjust the amount of nuts according to the required thickness of the milk. It will last for 2–3 days in the refrigerator; always shake thoroughly before use.

C) Sunflower (or other plant) oil Sunflower oil is a fat suitable for baking; for instance, for carrot cake. I rarely use this type of oil for other pastry or dessert purposes, as it can leave a trace of taste.

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D) Aquafaba Aquafaba is a legume brine with properties similar to egg whites. In most cases, it’s made from chickpea brine and you can make it yourself by boiling the legume or by draining canned chickpeas. Before you buy any canned chickpeas, make sure you check the ingredients and avoid buying chickpeas in salted brine. Obviously, also avoid buying steam-cooked chickpeas – there would be no brine to use.

EGGS Eggs can be replaced in an almost infinite number of ways; however, you always need to find the right replacement for the specific recipe. A) Psyllium, chia seeds, ground flaxseeds All these ingredients will start to form a gel when combined with water. You will use them most for baking yeast dough, for instance. One egg may be replaced with a combination of: a) 3.5 g psyllium + 45 g water b) 7 g ground flaxseeds + 45 g water c) 6 g ground chia seeds or 7 g whole chia seeds + 45 g water

These days, aquafaba is a frequently-used ingredient in plant-based pastry and desserts, and it is added any time you would otherwise use egg whites. Aquafaba is very easy to whip; therefore, you can use it to make an excellent pavlova or to prepare fruit or chocolate mousse. Its slight disadvantage is a hint of chickpea taste in the final product, which persists even after whipping.

Weigh out the selected ingredients in a bowl, add water and stir thoroughly. Vegan eggs must always be prepared just before use; do not leave in a bowl for too long.

E) NH pectin + citrus fibre emulsifier When preparing fruit creams, you nearly always encounter the combination of two additives – NH pectin and citrus fibre emulsifier. Pectin has properties which can replace egg whites, whereas citrus emulsifier can replace egg yolks.

I use psyllium for most recipes in this cookbook, as it is colourless. Chia seeds and flaxseeds will always colour the dough a little; obviously, this doesn’t matter in non-commercial use. Both types of seeds contain health-promoting substances; therefore, don’t be afraid to use any of the aforementioned types of vegan eggs as alternatives.

Hen´s egg yolk contain a very important substance called lecithin, which enables the emulsion of water and fat. If you don’t replace egg yolk with any other emulsifier, the final cream will not be as creamy as you need. Soy lecithin is also a frequently used emulsifier; however, it may leave a trace of taste in the final product.

B) Banana In certain cases, you can replace eggs with squashed banana. However, this variant should only be used for recipes where the taste of banana will not disrupt the overall taste. I used this option in the recipe for banana and pecan cake. One egg can be replaced with one squashed banana.

Citrus fibre emulsifier can also be used in the preparation of chocolate creams, where cow’s milk or cream is used in classic recipes. Dairy products contain casein, which is an emulsifier and thus helps the perfect combining of chocolate and milk. Since there is no casein or other strong emulsifier in plant milk, it’s necessary to add it in the creams. You can use the aforementioned lecithin, but citrus emulsifier is a much better choice from the perspective of taste.

C) Silken tofu Not only can you make delicious creams out of silken tofu, but it also works as an egg replacement. You can use it for making a cherry clafoutis or crème caramel. It can be purchased in two basic levels of firmness – soft and firm. I always state the required firmness of the tofu in each recipe.

The citrus emulsifier I use contains citrus fibre and a bit of xanthan gum. You can buy it from a company called Sosa as Natur Emul.

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GELATINE Animal-made gelatine can be replaced with various alternatives; however, you always need to check the recipe and determine which replacement is the most suitable.

F) Potato protein In this book, you will not see the use of aquafaba much, because I replace egg whites primarily with potato protein. Not starch, but protein. The properties of potato protein are very similar to aquafaba, but the protein is completely flavourless. It is also more thermostable and thus easier to bake with. Forget about making macarons from aquafaba; use potato protein and the result will be much better.

A) Agar powder This gelatinisation agent made of red algae is frequently used by vegans. Its great disadvantage, however, is the fact that it loses its gelatinisation properties with freezing. Agar is thus only suitable for use if the dessert doesn’t require freezing and can be kept solely in the refrigerator.

How to prepare vegan whites from potato protein: The solution is usually of 3% to 20% concentration. Add 3–20 g of potato protein per 100 g of water – this is always marked in the recipe. Pour the cold water into a bowl and mix the powder well, using a spiral whisk. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to activate the protein properly. Whites prepared this way can last for 2–3 days in the refrigerator.

Agar always needs to be brought to a gentle boil (minimum 90°C) and then cooled to a temperature below 40°C. I use powdered agar in all the recipes in this cookbook. B) NH pectin The most frequently used gelling agent in my recipes is NH pectin. It makes great gel, especially from fruit components. That’s why it’s used for making fruit compotes, gels, marmalades, creams, and glazes. It works best in an acidic environment with a pH of 3.2–3.8; thus, it needs to be accompanied by a pinch of citric acid in some cases (coconut purée, for instance) to lower the pH to the required level.

If you need to whisk the whites, I recommend you add a bit of cream of tartar and xanthan gum – the final meringue will be firmer. Potato protein works best with water of a pH higher than 7. If you are not sure about the pH of your water, or if you know that it is lower than 7, add a pinch of baking soda to the whites before whisking. This will increase the pH. How to whisk the whites properly: The bowl and the balloon whisk must be cool and perfectly clean. Pour the cold whites into the bowl, add a pinch of baking soda, the required amount of xanthan gum and cream of tartar, and switch the kitchen mixer to the highest setting. After 3–5 minutes the whites should form medium-firm peaks and that’s when you start adding the sugar. Keep whisking until the whites are very firm, then use them in your recipe as soon as possible.

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OTHER PASTRY INGREDIENTS Besides the ingredients mentioned in the previous chapter, you will encounter some others in my recipes.

FLOUR The most common types of flour which I use in my recipes are plain wheat flour, bread or pizza flour (due to a higher gluten content), and rice flour. Rice flour can be used anywhere you don’t need gluten; for instance, when making crumble. You can choose whichever type you want – wholemeal, red-rice flour etc. Wherever there is rice flour written in the recipes, you can use any other type of flour instead.

SUGAR In most recipes, I use the types of sugar you are already familiar with – caster, icing, and cane sugar. In certain cases, you will encounter some types which might be new to you. Inverted sugar When you dissolve ordinary sugar, it starts crystallising again after a while. This may cause problems when making fillings for chocolate bonbons, where you need a shelf-life of several months. If you make the filling from ordinary caster sugar, the chocolate bonbons will end up being a little crunchy after a while. Inverted sugar is made by mixing sugar, water and acid, and takes a liquid form. Its great advantage is that it never crystallises and is thus suitable for making chocolate bonbons or macarons.

FRUIT PURÉE Fruit purée is usually made pasteurised or frozen. Most types of purée contain 90% fruit and 10% sugar. Upon opening, pasteurised purée only lasts about 5 days in the refrigerator. Therefore, it’s best if you transfer it to a bowl and freeze it. Fruit purée can be purchased in many wholesale stores and online.

Glucose syrup Glucose syrup looks like colourless honey and in this cookbook, you will primarily find it in recipes for glazing, as it will make the glaze shinier. It is also used for softening cake bases and is added to caramel sauce to prevent sugar from crystallising.

I’m sure you’re about to ask, “Can I make the purée myself?” Well, yes you can, but I can’t guarantee that my recipes will work then. Even though I’m sure your homemade purée is delicious, it might not have the same properties as the industrially-made equivalent. What’s more, industrially-made purée is actually really good quality, and has a beautiful colour, flavour, and an intense taste.

Inulin Inulin is not a classic type of sugar, as it is not sweet at all. It’s a fibre made from chicory root and may replace classic sugar in specific ways. It can help you whisk very firm and stable whites instead of sugar. It’s commonly used in fruit creams, which are made from already sweet fruit, and to which you don’t wish to add more sugar. If you need to add powdered pectin to a cream where the pectin should be mixed with the sugar to prevent any lumps from forming, inulin can help you. In this case, inulin will do the same task as sugar, but it will not add any undesirable sweetness to the cream.

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CHOCOLATE Chocolate is my most favourite ingredient, especially dark chocolate. But this is not only due to the fact that it contains no animal products. In fact, I have dedicated a whole chapter to chocolate, where you can find all kinds of information – from choosing the right kind to using it correctly.

NUTS In the majority of my recipes, I use nuts in various forms. Nut flour You will mainly use almond and hazelnut flour. Nut flour can be easily bought in common retail chains as well as online.

NATURAL STABILISERS The main stabilisers used in my recipes include:

Nut paste If my recipe says “nut paste”, it means finely-ground 100% nuts without any additives. You can either buy this or make it at home yourself, but you will need a very powerful kitchen machine, which will grind the nuts into a very fine paste.

Locust bean gum Locust bean can also be found under the name “carob bean”. Locust bean is used in all my recipes for fruit mousses. It helps to stabilise liquid, the mousse is firmer this way and no water leaks out upon thawing.

Nut praline paste Nut praline paste is a paste made from caramelised nuts. Caramel often forms 40–50% of the volume; therefore, the taste of praline is fantastically intense. The usual kind is hazelnut praline, but you can also buy praline from almonds, combined hazelnut and almonds, and many other nuts.

Xanthan gum This gum is primarily used for gluten-free baking. However, in this cookbook, I mainly use it for whipping whites as it helps to make firmer and more durable meringues. Cream of tartar Cream of tartar stabilises whites during whipping, similar to xanthan gum. In my recipes I usually use these two types of stabilisers together.

Praline can also be homemade, but you need to have a very powerful kitchen machine to make a fine paste from the caramelised nuts. Gianduja Gianduja is a type of chocolate, made by mixing nut paste and milk or dark chocolate. In the recipes in this cookbook, I used gianduja from dark chocolate, as it contains no cow’s milk. However, before you buy gianduja, double-check the ingredients, because even the dark versions may contain milk.

AND WHERE CAN I BUY ALL THIS? You can buy many of these ingredients in health-food shops or on the internet. Ingredients such as potato protein, NH pectin or emulsifier can be bought on my online shop or in many other e-shops. For commercial purposes, I would recommend buying these ingredients from a Spanish company called Sosa.

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MUST-HAVE PASTRY EQUIPMENT Don’t worry; there is no need to empty your bank account and purchase brand new equipment. Many recipes can be prepared with your current equipment, and you can add the rest to a wish list for Christmas or your birthday.

Kitchen mixer There is an extensive amount of choice when it comes to mixers these days, making it harder to choose the right one. But my main advice to you is: Don’t select the mixer by its looks, but by its functionality.

Rings Rings can be purchased in various widths, heights, and shapes. Tart rings are used for making tartlets. You can find out more about these at the beginning of the “Tarts” chapter. High rings can be used for assembling cakes, such as the strawberry fraisier on page 120.

With regards to the accessories, you need a balloon whisk, a flat whisk, and a kneading hook. When choosing a balloon whisk, you need to check whether the wires are strong enough – you don’t want them to snap after a while.

Kitchen scales When making pastry, you need to add the precise quantity of ingredients; therefore, you need to have high-quality kitchen scales. It is best to have two types of scales: one ordinary scale weighing in increments of 1 g and one micro-scale weighing in increments of 0.1 g. For the majority of the recipes in this book, you will need a micro-scale in particular. The alternative would be to purchase a combination scale.

Also, check whether the whisks match the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. Some brands allow you to align the height of your whisk with the bowl. If the gap between the whisk and the bowl is too big (i.e. more than a few millimetres), the ingredients will get stuck on the sides and won’t be mixed in properly.

Digital thermometer A digital thermometer is an essential tool. In many recipes in this cookbook, you will find a precise specification of the temperature that must be reached. Adhering to these instructions is crucial. If you estimate the temperature, the result can be very disappointing. When purchasing a thermometer, choose a digital one, not an analogue, and make sure it is resistant to steam and humidity.

If you bake for a large group of people from time to time, you should also focus on the bowl volume. Most of the commonly sold mixers have a capacity of 7 litres; the average size is 4–5 litres. If your budget allows it, choose the higher volume. There is nothing worse than finding out, during the course of whipping your aquafaba, that the bowl is too small.

Immersion blender Without doubt, one of the most useful kitchen tools is a high-quality immersion blender. I recommend you avoid buying the cheapest one. When blending ingredients, it is always very important not to let the air penetrate the mixture; otherwise, you will be left with unsightly bubbles. When purchasing a hand blender, focus on the chopping attachment – it should be as shallow as possible, so that you don’t bring any extra air into the mixture.

Another convenient accessory is a powerful food processor, able to chop nuts or stir creams quickly.

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Freezer Yes, a freezer. I know very well the negative view of frozen groceries. However, a freezer can be your best friend when making desserts. For instance, none of the glazed cakes in this cookbook could be prepared without a freezer. At first, you need to freeze the individual parts of the cake, then assemble all the components in a mould using a mousse, and finally freeze the whole dessert. The thing is, if you don’t freeze it, you will never manage to take it out of the mould. The dessert glazing itself requires the cake to be entirely frozen; otherwise, the glazing will neither hold correctly nor look good. Ideally, you will have a shelf freezer, wide enough for you to place a chopping board inside. The best thing is to freeze everything in a completely horizontal position and on a flat surface – a chopping board is the best tool for these purposes. If you only have a drawer freezer, remove one drawer or at least remove the front of a drawer, so that you can put the chopping board inside without tilting it.

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OTHER COMMON CONFECTIONERY EQUIPMENT Whisks Besides a classic whisk, you should also have a spiral whisk, which will stir dry ingredients in water much better. Spatulas It is convenient to have at least one heat-resistant version of each type – hard and soft – so that they don’t get destroyed when working with caramel, for instance. Glazing/cooling rack Choose a rack with a fine structure, allowing you to handle glazed cakes easier. Cutters Buy a whole set of round cutters from approx. 2 to 10 cm in diameter. They are commonly available in both metal or plastic versions. Microplane zester This is a very fine grater, the perfect tool for grating citrus zest. Common zesters are too coarse, which could ruin some of the recipes. Small and large offset spatula You will need an angled palette knife to smooth out the filling, or for lifting cakes. With large palette knives in particular, check whether they are strong enough not to bend under the weight of the cake. Measuring jugs Purchase two measuring jugs of 0.5 litre and 1 litre (or larger). You will often need to blend a small volume of ingredients with an immersion blender; a measuring jug of 0.5 L capacity will be perfect for this. Other accessories For some recipes, you will need icing bags (disposable or reusable), basic icing tips (most often, I use a 10-mm-diameter round one), pastry brushes, bowls of various sizes, small bowls for weighing ingredients, and a rolling pin.

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HOW TO WORK WITH THE RECIPES IN THIS COOKBOOK

First of all, read the whole recipe. Before you start with the preparation, make sure you understand each step. Some of the recipes are more complex, and even a slight omission can have a negative impact on the final result. Start by weighing all the ingredients you need. Don’t start with the preparation until everything is well-arranged and weighed out into individual bowls. When oven baking, the times provided in the recipes serve as indications only. Every oven is slightly different, and the temperature you set may not be the same as inside the oven itself (especially if the oven is not new). Trust your instincts; before taking your croissants or tartlets out of the oven, make sure they are baked through thoroughly. All the indicated temperatures are for fan ovens, which is the most suitable type for pastry. Sometimes you won’t use up everything you have prepared for your recipe. Some things just cannot be made in smaller volume, in which case, unfortunately, it is necessary to prepare a larger batch and solely use a part of it. In particular, this concerns vegan whites – these are whisked best in a larger volume; however, you often need a little bit less for the actual recipe. Therefore, yes, there will be some waste. This is not because I enjoy wasting food – but a small volume would be just too hard to prepare. Finally, work in a clean environment. Clear table, clear mind.

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BAKERY AND VIENNOISERIE

LEMON DRIZZLE CAKE Makes 1 cake Necessary equipment: loaf tin measuring 20 × 8 cm on the bottom Important: Prepare the candied lemon one day in advance.

Candied lemon 1 lemon 100 g water 100 g caster sugar

For the candied lemon Cut the lemon into thin slices. Place into a small pan and add just enough cold water to cover them. Bring to the boil. Drain the slices and then return them to the pan. Cover with cold water and bring to the boil again. Repeat the whole process a total of three times.

Lemon cake 180 g plain flour 45 g almond flour 9 g baking powder 1 g baking soda 2 g xanthan gum zest of 2 lemons, finely grated 234 g caster sugar 216 g soy yoghurt 72 g fresh lemon juice 90 g sunflower oil oil or vegan butter for greasing the tin

The candied lemon will later be used to decorate the drizzle cake.

Syrup 50 g fresh lemon juice 54 g caster sugar

Grease the loaf tin and line it with baking paper (this will make it much easier to remove the cake from the tin after baking). Pour the batter into the tin and bake in a fan oven at 180°C for about 40 minutes. Towards the end of the baking process, use a toothpick or wooden skewer to test the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake should be done. Allow the lemon cake to cool in the tin for about an hour.

Glaze 250 g icing sugar fresh lemon juice as required

Put 100 g water and 100 g sugar into a small pan and bring the mixture to the boil. Add the lemon slices and simmer gently for about 20 minutes, then leave to cool completely. Once the syrup has cooled, remove the lemon, placing each slice on a cooling rack and allow them to dry (ideally overnight).

For the lemon cake Sift both flours, the baking powder, baking soda and xanthan gum into a large bowl. Add the lemon zest. In a smaller bowl, whisk the sugar, yoghurt, lemon juice and oil until smooth. Slowly mix the wet ingredients into the dry; don´t overmix.

For the syrup In a small pan, mix the lemon juice and sugar and heat until the syrup is approximately 80°C. While the cake is still resting in the tin, pierce it about 20 times with a skewer. Spoon the syrup into the holes to moisten the cake. Let it rest in the tin for another 30 minutes, then remove the cake and place it on a cooling rack. For the glaze Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice to make a paste. Add just enough lemon juice to make it slightly runny. Warm the glaze in a microwave, or a small pan, until the sugar starts to melt and the glaze has the right consistency and can be easily poured. Once the cake is cold, drizzle it with the lemon glaze and then decorate with the candied lemon slices.

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BANANA AND PECAN CAKE Makes 1 cake Equipment needed: a loaf tin measuring 20 × 8 cm on the bottom

Crumble 20 g vegan butter, softened 20 g plain flour 20 g caster sugar 20 g pecan flour 20 g pecan nuts, coarsely chopped Banana and pecan cake 38 g vegan butter, softened 63 g cane sugar 2 g salt 125 g plain flour 3 g baking soda 1.5 vegan eggs (5 g psyllium + 63 g water) 30 g agave syrup 40 g pecan nuts, roughly chopped 250 g bananas oil or vegan butter for greasing the tin

For the crumble Mix all the ingredients in the bowl and make crumble with your fingers. Chill in the refrigerator. For the banana pecan cake Whisk the butter, sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Sift the plain flour together with the baking soda, then whisk one third of the mixture into the butter. Mix in the vegan egg and agave syrup. Squash the bananas roughly with a fork and then, by hand, stir them into the butter mixture along with the pecans and the rest of the flour (always squash the bananas just before combining them with the batter). Grease the tin with the oil or butter, and lay baking paper over the longer sides of the tin. The paper will enable you to remove the baked cake from the tin more easily. Pour the batter into the tin, generously sprinkle with the prepared crumble and bake for approximately 35 minutes in a fan oven at 165°C. At the end of the baking time, use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to make sure the cake is baked through. Leave it to cool down in the tin, then remove it carefully. You can make the pecan flour yourself – just chop the pecan nuts in a food processor.

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HOT CROSS BUNS Makes 15 buns Necessary equipment: 23 × 33 cm deep baking tray

Hot cross buns 60 g candied orange peel 150 g dried fruit (cranberries, raisins or cherries, etc.) 23 g mixed spice 250 g + 50 g plant milk 21 g fresh yeast 500 g strong white bread flour 60 g vegan butter 50 g cane sugar 2.8 g salt 2 vegan eggs (7 g psyllium + 90 g water) 25 g maple syrup oil or vegan butter for greasing the tray a little flour for dusting Decorative cross 50 g plain flour 1 tbsp sunflower oil approximately 4 tbsp water Cinnamon glaze 50 g water 50 g caster sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon

For the hot cross buns Chop the candied orange peel and dried fruit into small pieces. Sprinkle with the mixed spice, toss, and set aside. Heat 250 g milk to 40°C. Mix the fresh yeast into the flour using your fingers. Cut the butter into small pieces. Place the flour mixture into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a flat beater attachment. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Process until it becomes a sandy consistency. Add the warm milk and the vegan eggs. Remove the flat beater and attach a dough hook. Knead the dough for 2 minutes. Add the orange peel and the dried fruit. Continue mixing until the dough is well-kneaded. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface and shape it into a firm ball. Place back into the bowl and cover with a towel. Allow to prove at room temperature, for 1.5 to 2 hours. Once the dough has risen, divide it into 15 equal pieces that weigh approximately 80–85 g and shape each one into a small ball. Place the buns on a baking tray that has been greased with oil or butter. Lightly brush the surface of each ball with a mixture of 50 g milk and 25 g maple syrup. Cover the buns with a towel and allow them to prove for another 90 minutes. Just before baking, brush the buns once more. For the decorative cross Preheat your fan oven to 200°C. Drizzle the sunflower oil over the flour and mix well with a spoon. Gradually add 4 tablespoons of cold water and continue mixing until it forms a paste. If it is too thick, slowly add more water. Transfer the paste to a pastry bag and decorate each bun with a piped cross. Bake for 15–20 minutes. For the cinnamon glaze While the buns are baking, combine the water, sugar and cinnamon in a small pan and heat until the sugar melts. As soon as the buns are out of the oven, brush them with the cinnamon glaze.

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KOUGLOF Makes 10 kouglofs Necessary equipment: 10 small bundt pans, ideally non-stick surface Important: The dough must rest in the refrigerator for 24 hours before baking.

Kouglof 170 g plain flour 170 g strong white bread flour 15 g fresh yeast 34 g caster sugar 6.8 g salt 2 vegan eggs (7 g psyllium + 90 g water) 50 g + 160 g vegan butter, chilled and cut into small pieces 100 g plant milk 140 g candied orange peel, chopped a handful of flaked almonds vegan butter or oil for greasing the pan flour for dusting Orange syrup 150 g water 300 g caster sugar 100 g Cointreau To finish 250 g caster sugar

For the kouglof Place the flour in a kitchen mixer bowl and use your fingers to stir the yeast in. Add the sugar, salt, vegan eggs, 50 g of butter and the plant milk. Knead the dough using the dough hook. As soon as it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, gradually add the rest of the butter (160 g). Continue kneading until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. This may take up to 15 minutes. When the dough is ready, mix in the orange peel. Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured work surface and shape it into a ball. Place into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise for an hour at room temperature. Turn the dough out once more, gently deflate it and then form a firm ball again. Place it back into the bowl and cover with cling film, making sure there is no space between the surface of the dough and the cling film. Leave to rest in the refrigerator for 18–24 hours. The next day, begin by preparing the bundt pans. Grease the inner surfaces and sprinkle with flaked almonds (they will stick to the oil). Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces of the same weight, and shape them into perfect rounds (doughnut shape). Carefully place one in each bundt pan, taking care to leave the almonds intact. Allow the kouglofs to prove for 2 to 2.5 hrs at 25°C. Preheat the fan oven to 180°C. Then, place the pans in the oven and bake for around 20 minutes. Leave the kouglofs in the bundt pans until they are cool. Then remove them and transfer to a cooling rack. Let them cool down completely. For the orange syrup Place the water and the sugar in a small pan. Heat until the sugar melts, then add the Cointreau. Allow the orange syrup to cool down to 60°C. To finish Position a bowl under the cooling rack with the kouglofs to catch any excess syrup (this way, you can reuse it). Pour the syrup over each kouglof twice. Let them dry for a minute and then coat each kouglof in sugar.

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KOUIGN-AMANN Makes 10 kouign-amanns Equipment needed: 10 metal rings, 7–8 cm in diameter and 2–3 cm in height

Kouign-amann 130 g plain flour 135 g strong white bread flour 5 g fresh yeast 5 g salt 10 g + 250 g vegan block butter 165 g cold water a little flour for dusting approximately 200 g caster sugar for dusting and shaping oil or vegan butter for greasing the rings

Mix the fresh yeast into the flour using your fingers. Add salt (salt should not come into direct contact with the yeast), 10 g of butter chopped into pieces, and cold water. Knead the dough using the kneading hook until it’s elastic and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. When the dough is ready, wrap it in cling film and cool in the refrigerator for an hour. Roll out 250 g of butter into a rectangle shape measuring 20 × 14 cm. The easiest way to do this is to place the butter onto a large sheet of baking paper, fold it and re-shape into a pouch of the required size (i.e. 20 × 14 cm). Make sure the butter is rolled out evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes, so it cools but remains elastic. When the dough has rested, roll it out on a lightly-dusted surface into a rectangle shape measuring 20 × 28 cm. Lay the cooled rolled-out butter on one half of the dough and fold it into a pouch. Try to match the butter edges with the dough edges in order to prevent there being any thick layers of dough with no butter. If the dough is too soft, wrap it in cling film and put it in the freezer for 10 minutes, or refrigerate for longer. Lay the dough in front of you like a book (spine or fold to the left) and roll it out into a long strip measuring 50 × 20 cm. Fold it into overlapping thirds as if putting a letter in an envelope. Rotate by 90 degrees so you are looking at the dough like a book once again and re-shape it into a strip measuring 50 × 20 cm. Fold into thirds and repeat the whole process once more. Keep flour-dusting the bottom of the dough lightly during the whole process. After the third folding, wrap the dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Recipe continues on the following page

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During the next folding process, start adding sugar to the dough. Dust the worktop generously with sugar and roll out the dough into a strip measuring 50 × 20 cm. Fold into thirds. During the folding process, try to add as much sugar as possible to the dough. Roll out the folded dough for the fifth time, this time into a strip measuring 55 × 25 cm. Cut out squares measuring 10 × 10 cm (cut off the sides of the rectangle). Grease the metal rings with oil or butter and lay them on a baking tray, ideally overlaid with a silicone mat or baking paper. Assemble the leftover sugar – you will shape the dough in it, which adds more sugar to the dough so it caramelises nicely. Take one square, place it into the sugar and fold all four edges into the centre, applying a little pressure. Do the same with the newly-created edges, applying a little pressure. Place into a ring and continue with the remaining squares. Preheat your fan oven to 180°C. Set the baking tray in a warm place and allow the dough to prove for 15 minutes, then bake for 25–30 minutes or until the kouign-amanns are golden and nicely caramelised at the bottom. Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then remove from the rings very carefully. If you wait too long with this step, the caramel will harden and you will no longer be able to loosen the rings. Let the kouign-amanns cool down completely and ideally eat on the same day.

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CROISSANT DOUGH 150 g plain flour 150 g strong white bread flour 18 g fresh yeast 39 g caster sugar 6 g inverted sugar 6 g salt 68 g + 142 g vegan block butter 140 g cold plant milk oil or vegan butter for greasing the bowl a little flour for dusting

Mix the fresh yeast into the flour using your fingers. Add caster sugar and inverted sugar, salt, and 68 g of butter, chopped into pieces. Mix for a few minutes with a flat beater to combine the mixture well and to break the butter. Pour in the cold milk, change the flat beater for a hook and start kneading until the dough is nicely elastic. Make sure the dough temperature does not exceed 27°C. If it starts warming up, remove the dough from the bowl, place on the worktop and knead manually for a while – the dough will cool gently. Then you can continue kneading it in the mixer. Turn out the nicely kneaded dough onto the dusted worktop and shape it into a firm ball. Place into a bowl greased with oil or butter. Cover with cling film so that it is directly touching the dough and allow to prove for 45 minutes at room temperature. Transfer the bowl to the freezer for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 8 hours, ideally overnight. When the dough has rested, you can start laminating it with butter. Roll out 142 g of butter into a rectangle measuring 25 × 15 cm, having already removed it from the refrigerator 10 minutes in advance. The easiest way to do this is to place the butter onto a large sheet of baking paper, fold it and re-shape into a pouch of the required size (i.e. 25 × 15 cm). It will now be easy to roll out. Make sure the butter is rolled out evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Roll the cooled dough out on a lightly-dusted worktop, into a rectangle measuring 25 × 30 cm. Lay the cooled, rolled-out butter over one half of the dough and fold into a pouch. Try to match the butter edges with the dough edges in order to prevent there being any thick layers of dough with no butter. Wrap the prepared dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes. Lay the dough in front of you onto a lightly-dusted worktop like a book (with the spine or fold to the left) and roll it into a long strip, measuring approximately 20 × 50 cm. Focus on matching the butter edges with the dough edges. Fold the rolled-out strip into overlapping thirds as if putting a letter in an envelope. This is called a simple fold. Wrap the dough in cling film again and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Repeat the process once more. After this second fold, the dough is ready for use, but allow it to rest in the refrigerator for another hour. This is because a well-cooled dough will not change its shape when being rolled out and will therefore be processed easier. Inverted sugar can be added to the dough for a nicer colour. If it’s not available, you can add an extra 6 g of caster sugar.

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CROISSANTS Makes 9 croissants Important: Dough preparation must be started one day in advance.

1 batch of croissant dough

Roll out the folded and chilled dough into a rectangle measuring 45 × 27 cm. If the dough starts shrinking or heating up significantly when being rolled out, transfer it to a baking tray or a chopping board and allow it to cool in the refrigerator or freezer for a while. It is important for the dough to be as cool as possible while rolling it out. Before cutting out croissant triangles, the dough should be cooled once again; otherwise, it could change its shape when being cut.

50 g plant milk 25 g maple syrup 50 g water 50 g caster sugar a little flour for dusting

Following the adjacent diagram, cut the chilled dough into long triangles measuring 9 × 27 cm. Make a small incision in the base of each triangle and roll it into a croissant shape. Press down the triangle tip slightly so that it sticks to the croissant and does not unfold. Lay the croissants, with the pressed tips down, onto a baking tray, ideally overlaid with an Air Mat or baking paper. It is best to use two baking trays to provide the croissants with enough space. 27 cm

45 cm 9 cm

Allow the croissants to prove at 25°C (never warmer than 27°C) for about 2 hours. Lightly brush the tops with a mixture of plant milk and maple syrup. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until the croissants are nicely golden. Lightly brush the hot croissants with syrup made of water and sugar, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.

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CHOCOLATE ROLLS Makes 10 chocolate rolls Important: Dough preparation must be started one day in advance.

1 batch of croissant dough 20 chocolate sticks, suitable for baking 50 g plant milk 25 g maple syrup 50 g water 50 g caster sugar a little flour for dusting

Roll out the folded and chilled dough into a rectangle measuring 40 × 28 cm. If the dough starts shrinking or heating up significantly when being rolled out, transfer it to a baking tray or a chopping board and allow it to cool in the refrigerator or freezer for a while. It is important for the dough to be as cool as possible while rolling it out. Before cutting out the rectangular rolls, the dough should be cooled once again; otherwise, it could change its shape when being cut. Following the adjacent diagram, cut the chilled dough into rectangles measuring 8 × 14 cm. Lay two chocolate bars onto each rectangle and roll them up. Place the prepared rolls onto two baking trays, ideally overlaid with an Air Mat or baking paper and allow to prove at 25°C (never warmer than 27°C) for 1.5 to 2 hours. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C. Lightly brush the tops of the proved rolls with a mixture of plant milk and maple syrup and bake for 15–20 minutes, or until golden. Lightly brush the hot rolls with syrup made of water and caster sugar, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

28 cm

40 cm 14 cm

8 cm

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HAZELNUT ROLLS Makes 15 rolls Equipment needed: 15 aluminium baking cups, 6 cm in diameter, or a muffin tray Important: Dough preparation must be started one day in advance.

1 batch of croissant dough 50 g softened vegan butter 50 g hazelnut flour 80 g hazelnut praline paste a handful of finely chopped, blanched hazelnuts oil or vegan butter for greasing the cups a little flour for dusting

Roll out the folded and chilled dough into a rectangle measuring 47 × 24 cm. If the dough starts shrinking or heating up significantly when being rolled out, transfer it to a baking tray or a chopping board and allow it to cool in the refrigerator or freezer for a while. It is important for the dough to be as cool as possible while rolling it out. Prepare the filling by combining the softened butter with the hazelnut flour and praline paste. Spread the mixture evenly onto the rolled-out dough, leaving a 2cm strip along one of the long sides free of filling. Roll the dough into a well-tightened roulade from the longer side, moving from the filled side to the filling-free strip. Wrap in cling film and allow to cool thoroughly in the freezer or refrigerator – the dough will then be much easier to cut. Cut off a 1 cm slice from both sides of the roulade, then cut it into 15 × 3 cm slices. Lay the rolls with the cut at the top into greased cups or a muffin tray and allow to prove at 25°C (never warmer than 27°C) for 90 minutes. Preheat your fan oven to 180°C. Sprinkle the rolls with finely chopped hazelnuts and bake for about 20 minutes. Before finishing baking, remove one of the rolls from the cup to check if it is nicely golden all over. Allow the baked rolls to cool down a little, then remove them from the cups and transfer to a cooling rack.

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PUFF PASTRY APPLE TURNOVERS Makes 6 turnovers Equipment needed: corrugated oval cutter for apple turnovers (approximately 13 × 18 cm) Important: It takes a whole day to make puff pastry, so start a day in advance.

Puff pastry 300 g plain flour 6 g salt 48 g cold vegan block butter 150 g ice-cold water 188 g vegan block butter a little flour for dusting

For the puff pastry Place the flour in a bowl, add salt and 48 g of cold butter, chopped into pieces. Mix with a flat beater to combine the mixture well and to break the butter into smaller pieces. Pour in the ice-cold water and let the kitchen mixer stir the water in. Change the flat beater for a hook and knead the dough to a consistency which is not too elastic. Wrap the prepared dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Roll out 188 g of butter (you can remove it from the refrigerator 10 minutes in advance) into a layer measuring 25 × 15 cm. The easiest way to do this is to place the butter onto a large sheet of baking paper, which you then fold into a pouch of the required size (i.e. 25 × 15 cm). Make sure the butter is rolled out evenly. Refrigerate for 10 minutes. Roll the cooled dough out on a lightly-dusted worktop, into a rectangle measuring 25 × 30 cm. Lay the cooled, rolled-out butter on one half of the dough and fold it into a pouch. Try to match the butter edges with the dough edges in order to prevent there being any thick layers of dough with no butter. Wrap the prepared dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Lay the dough out in front of you on a lightly-dusted worktop like a book (with spine or fold to the left) and roll it out into a long strip, measuring approximately 20 × 55 cm. Focus on matching the butter edges with the dough edges. Fold both edges of the strip to the centre with a 2 cm gap between them, then fold one side over the other, following the adjacent picture. This is called a double fold. Wrap the dough in cling film again and let it rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Repeat the whole process three more times. In total, you will do the double fold with the puff pastry four times. Refrigerate the dough for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight. Recipe continues on the following page

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Apple compote 2 Granny Smith apples cane sugar – 10% of total apple weight 1 tsp ground cinnamon a little water Glaze 50 g plant milk 25 g maple syrup 50 g water 50 g caster sugar

For the apple compote Peel the apples, halve them, remove their cores, and cut into 1 cm cubes. Weigh and calculate the necessary amount of sugar – 10 g of cane sugar per 100 g of apples. Place the apples, sugar, and cinnamon in a pan, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until the apples soften. The apples should be al dente; make sure they are not overcooked. At the same time, you do not want too much liquid in your compote. When the apples are nearly done, remove the lid from the pan so that any excess liquid can evaporate. Allow to cool. To make the apple turnovers Roll out the dough, which has rested overnight, into a rectangle with a 3:2 ratio, about 3 mm thick. Before cutting out the turnovers, it is ideal to cool the rolled-out dough in the refrigerator or freezer for a while, as this decreases the risk that the ovals change their shape. With a cutter, cut the dough into oval shapes. Fill each turnover with one tablespoon of cooked compote, moisten the edges, fold one side over the other, and squeeze the edges slightly together. Do not apply too much compote, as this could cause it to leak out during the baking. Lay the turnovers on a chopping board overlaid with baking paper, with the bump facing upwards, and cool in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once chilled, remove the turnovers, turn them upside-down (bump side down, flat side up) and lightly brush the surfaces of the flat sides with a mixture of plant milk and maple syrup. Using a very sharp knife, decorate the dough as you wish. Press down on the dough to cut through to the middle, but no more than that (you don´t want to cut straight through). Cool in the freezer for 30 more minutes. Preheat your fan oven to 200°C. Then transfer the turnovers to a baking tray, ideally overlaid with an Air Mat or baking paper. Brush the surfaces again, and bake for approximately 10 minutes. Then, lower the temperature to 180°C and continue baking for 20–25 minutes. Lightly brush the hot turnovers with syrup made of water and sugar. When making puff pastry, you never want the gluten to be activated – the turnovers would re-shape too much when rolling out and baking. That is why you need to keep the dough cool at all times and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for long enough between individual folds.

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BRIOCHE DOUGH 340 g strong white bread flour 15 g fresh yeast 34 g caster sugar 6.8 g salt 30 g + 140 g cold vegan butter 2 vegan eggs (7 g psyllium + 90 g water) 116 g plant milk a little flour for dusting

Place the flour in the mixer bowl and mix in the yeast using your fingers. Add sugar, salt, 30 g of butter chopped into pieces, vegan eggs and plant milk, and knead the dough using the kneading hook until it’s nicely elastic. When it starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, start adding the rest (140 g) of the butter. Squeeze each piece of butter with your fingers to allow it to combine better with the dough (but make sure the butter stays cold). Keep kneading the dough until nicely elastic (this may take up to 15 minutes). Turn out the dough onto a lightly-dusted worktop, shape it into a ball and place back in the bowl. Cover with cling film that is in direct contact with the surface of the dough and allow to prove for 2 hours at room temperature. Then, turn out the dough, gently deflate it, re-shape it into a ball and return to the bowl. Cover with the cling film and refrigerate overnight. The following day, you can shape and bake the dough.

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STRAWBERRY AND RHUBARB BRIOCHE BUNS Makes 12 buns Equipment needed: 2 moulds no. SF046 (Silikomart) Important: Prepare the dough and the filling one day in advance.

Strawberry & rhubarb compote 300 g rhubarb 300 g strawberries 1 tbsp water 90 g caster sugar 16 g cornflour Brioche buns 1 batch of brioche dough 50 g plant milk 25 g maple syrup a little flour for dusting Decoration small strawberries pieces of baked rhubarb

For the strawberry and rhubarb compote You can use fresh or frozen fruit. Allow the frozen fruit to thaw to make the cutting easier, but make sure you do not defrost it completely. Cut the rhubarb into 1–2 cm pieces, do the same with the strawberries and transfer both types of fruit to a pan with one tablespoon of water. Cover with a lid and cook over a low heat until the fruit is nearly soft. Combine the sugar with the cornflour and add to the cooked fruit. Cook for a short time to dissolve the sugar and allow the liquid to thicken. Pour the cooked compote into all 12 cavities of the 2 moulds and allow to freeze thoroughly. For the brioche buns Grease two baking trays lightly with oil or vegan butter. If your baking trays don’t have a non-stick surface and you are worried that the buns could stick to them, line the trays with baking paper. Divide the dough, which has been rested overnight, into 12 pieces weighing 60 g each. It’s best to process the dough when cold, so store the pieces in the refrigerator and take them out individually. To begin, shape each piece of the dough into a ball on a very lightly-dusted worktop. Then roll out with a rolling pin into a flat circle 9 cm in diameter and transfer to the baking tray. Work quickly; once the dough warms up, it may shrink when being rolled out. Allow the buns to prove in a warm place for 60–90 minutes. Preheat your fan oven to 160°C . Mix the plant milk and maple syrup and slightly brush the edges of the proved buns. Press the frozen strawberry and rhubarb compote down into the middle. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden. To finish Decorate the cooled brioche buns with halved strawberries and pieces of baked rhubarb. To bake the rhubarb, you need thin slices of red rhubarb. Coat them in sugar, place in a ramekin, cover with aluminium foil, and bake at 170°C until the fruit is soft but not overcooked.

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ALMOND BRIOCHES Makes 18 brioches Equipment needed: 18 small metal brioche moulds, 7 cm in diameter Important: Prepare the brioche dough one day in advance.

Almond brioches 1 batch of brioche dough 50 g aquafaba 50 g almond flour 50 g icing sugar a handful of chopped almonds a little flour for dusting icing sugar for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the moulds

Divide the dough, which has been rested overnight, into 18 pieces weighing 40 g each. It’s best to process the dough when cold, so store the pieces in the refrigerator and take them out individually. Shape each piece into a firm ball and place in a greased mould. Transfer all the moulds to a baking tray and allow to prove for 60–90 minutes in a warm place (approx. 25°C). Combine the aquafaba, almond flour, and icing sugar. Lightly brush the brioches with the mixture, sprinkle with chopped almonds, and dust with icing sugar. Preheat your fan oven to 190°C and bake for about 15 minutes. Allow the baked brioches to cool for about 10 minutes, then remove from the moulds carefully, and transfer to a cooling rack. Serve the brioches with a good apricot marmalade. Try adding candied orange peel to the dough; it will go with the almonds perfectly.

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CHOCOLATE BRIOCHES Makes 18 brioches Equipment needed: metal baking tin, 22 cm in diameter Important: Prepare the brioche dough one day in advance.

Chocolate brioches 1 batch of brioche dough 100 g dark chocolate chips suitable for baking 50 g plant milk 25 g maple syrup a little cocoa powder for dusting a little flour for dusting the worktop oil or vegan butter for greasing the tin

Add the chocolate chips one minute before you finish kneading the dough, so that they are stirred in completely. If you forget this step, you can add them the next day when shaping the brioches; however, the chocolate may not be distributed evenly. Divide the dough, which has been rested overnight, into 18 pieces weighing 45 g each. It’s best to process the dough when cold, so store the pieces in the refrigerator and take them out individually. Shape each piece into a firm ball and place them all in the greased mould. Allow to prove for 60–90 minutes in a warm place (approx. 25°C). Pre-heat your fan oven to 190°C. Brush the proved brioches with a mixture of plant milk and maple syrup, lightly dust with the cocoa powder, and bake for about 30 minutes. Chocolate which is suitable for baking is thermostable, and can therefore be used at high temperatures. You can buy it in chips or sticks (which are added to chocolate rolls made of croissant dough, for example).

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TARTS

SHORTCRUST PASTRY Guide to working with shortcrust pastry

Ring and mat types used

I advise against working with shortcrust pastry if your kitchen is really hot. The pastry will get soft in your hands and will become difficult to work with.

Nowadays, modern types of tart rings come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. They are either metal or plastic, 2 cm high and usually bottomless. They can be perforated or smooth.

Non-dairy butter must be as cold as possible. Place it in the freezer for half an hour if necessary. I always use block butter as it’s firmer than butter in a plastic container.

Perforated rings are suitable for tart shells without fillings. The perforation helps keep the pastry in place in the initial, critical phase of baking, so it doesn´t collapse.

Don’t knead the pastry for too long. Over-kneading might activate the gluten and the pastry could change its shape during baking.

I recommend non-perforated rings for baking tarts with a filling as they keep the pastry in place. You can also use them for baking tarts without a filling but the result is usually not as good as when using perforated rings.

When rolling out and shaping the pastry, make sure that it has first been chilled for a period. When it starts softening, place it in the freezer immediately.

Each recipe includes a recommendation for the most suitable tart ring. Of course, you can also use the rings you already have at home to prepare the recipes in this cookbook.

After lining the tart rings, always cool the pastry in the refrigerator or freezer. Baking the tarts straight away might result in a damaged shape and if the pastry is warm, it may collapse, leaving you with less height as a result.

If you use the bottomless rings mentioned above, it’s very important to choose the right mat to bake your tarts on. An Air Mat is the most suitable. It’s a completely perforated silicon mat that helps air, which would otherwise accumulate under the pastry, to escape. If you bake your tarts on baking paper or another kind of silicon mat, the bottom of the pastry will rise, and you will need to push it back down during baking. In both cases, I recommend you prick the pastry with a fork before baking, but only an Air Mat guarantees a perfectly flat bottom in the shells.

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RECIPE FOR SHORTCRUST PASTRY This recipe makes one 18cm tart or four 8cm tartlets

120 g plain flour 60 g cold vegan block butter 47 g icing sugar 17 g almond flour pinch of salt 15 g water flour for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the rings

Preparing the pastry Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the very cold butter cut into small pieces and mix in a mixer using a flat beater, until you get crumble that looks like sand. Add the sifted icing sugar, almond flour and salt and mix for a bit. Finally, mix in the water and work it in very lightly. Take the mixture out of the bowl and place on a work surface. Finish the pastry by hand until you get a smooth texture. Rolling out and lining tart rings There are two ways of lining the tart rings. Method A: Cool and roll out This pastry preparation is particularly suitable for larger (18 cm or more) round rings. After finishing the shortcrust pastry, roll it into a ball, then flatten it, wrap it in cling film and allow it to rest for at least 4 hours in the refrigerator. Work the chilled pastry a little bit so that it softens and doesn’t crack when rolled out. Flour your work surface and roll out the pastry into a 3mm-thick regular circle. While rolling, keep on unsticking and turning the pastry, and flouring underneath it, but don’t lift the pastry completely from the surface and flip it upside-down, as it might crack. If the pastry starts to soften and working with it becomes increasingly difficult, put it on a board and immediately place it in the freezer for cooling. Place the tart ring in the centre of the rolled out pastry and cut the pastry with a sharp knife to get a circle approximately 4–5 cm bigger than the ring‘s diameter. Lightly grease the ring with butter or oil, place it onto a firm mat covered with baking paper, ideally a chopping board. Roll the pastry onto a rolling pin and carefully move it onto the ring. At this stage, it’s very important to press the pastry correctly into the tart ring, so that it has 90 degree angles in the bottom corners and is firmly pressed to the sides of the ring. If you don’t make it 90 degrees, the pastry might slip off during baking. Cut off the excess pastry with a sharp knife and check again that the pastry copies the ring shape. Prick the bottom with a fork. Place the board with the tart ring into the refrigerator or freezer and allow it to rest for at least an hour. Bake only after the pastry has been perfectly cooled; never bake the pastry you have just lined into the ring.

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Method B: Roll out and freeze This method is recommended for rings of smaller diameters or square/rectangular shapes. You can, of course, use it with round tart rings instead of the method described above, especially if you are baking tarts without a filling. Roll out the pastry between 2 sheets of baking paper until it is 2–3 mm thick and ideally oval-shaped. Place it onto a firm mat and put in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours (or into the freezer for a shorter period of time). During the next steps, never place the pastry directly on the work surface, as it will immediately start to soften. Leave it on the mat that you used for the freezer and ideally put an extra layer of insulation underneath; a cooling rack for example. If the pastry starts to soften, put it back in the refrigerator immediately and let it harden for 5–10 minutes. Cut out the bottoms of the tarts from the cooled pastry using greased rings. If you have tart rings with rounded edges, cut the pastry with a knife. Place both the ring and the bottom onto a firm mat (chopping board) lined with baking paper. Cut about 2 cm-high long strips from the rest of the pastry. If you are lining round rings, cut the strips about 0.5 cm longer than the perimeter of the ring. Line the rings with the strips, making sure there is no gap between the base and the strip, then lightly press the strip against the ring so it holds there. Press the ends of the strips so that the connection is not visible. If you are going to line a tart ring with a larger diameter, cut two or three strips and then connect them along the perimeter of the tart ring. If you are lining rectangular rings, cut the individual sides separately and then put them inside the rings, perpendicular to one another. Always make sure the strips join at the corners, but at the same time, the join shouldn’t be too thick. Cut off the excess pastry with a sharp knife. Prick the bottom with a fork. Put the chopping board with the lined tart rings into the refrigerator or freezer and allow them to rest for at least an hour.

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APPLES Makes 4–6 servings Equipment needed: 1 round tart ring 18 × 2 cm, non-perforated

1 batch of shortcrust pastry to fit ring 5 Granny Smith apples cane sugar – 10% of the weight of the cut apples 1 tsp of ground cinnamon a splash of water apricot jam for glazing

Prepare the pastry according to instructions on p. 56, using method A for lining the tart ring. Keep the lined ring in the freezer or refrigerator until you have the remaining ingredients for the apple tart ready. Peel, halve and core three apples, then cut into 1cm cubes. Weigh and calculate the amount of sugar needed – 10 g of cane sugar per 100 g of apples. Put the apples, sugar, cinnamon and a splash of water into a pan, then cover and gradually cook until al dente. Make sure there isn’t too much water in the compote – uncover it towards the end of the cooking so that the liquid can evaporate. Leave to cool. When the apple compote has cooled, you can start working on the apple decoration. Take the remaining two apples, peel, halve and core them and then very finely slice them, either by hand or using a mandoline. Remove the tart from the refrigerator or freezer, peel it away from the baking paper and place it on a baking tray, ideally covered with an Air Mat. Fill three quarters of the tart with the apple filling and then cover the whole top with apple slices. Start with the first line along the edge – lean one apple slice onto the edge of the pastry (never place directly onto the ring as the apple will stick). Now, place the second slice so that it covers the first one by two thirds. Continue around the entire tart. When you‘re done, start a second line a little below the first, then repeat the process until you get to the middle. Put the thinnest slices in the centre. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C and bake for 30 minutes. Don’t panic if you notice the apples getting a bit brown; it’s completely normal. Leave the baked tart on the baking tray to cool before you move it – it could break when it’s warm. Warm the apricot jam in a little saucepan and spread it over the tart using a pastry brush, to add a nice gloss. If you have leftover neutral glaze in the refrigerator (from the recipe on p. 76, for example), you can use it instead of apricot jam.

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ALMONDS AND PEARS Makes 4–6 servings Equipment needed: 1 round tart ring 18 × 2 cm, non-perforated

Shortcrust pastry 1 batch of shortcrust pastry to fit ring

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then press into the ring using method A. Keep the lined ring in the freezer until you have the frangipane ready.

Vegan whites 100 g water 12 g potato protein 0,5 g xanthan gum

For the vegan whites With an immersion blender, mix the water with the protein and xanthan gum in a small measuring jug for 2 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; ideally, for approximately 5 hours. Then, stir with a spoon (there will be a layer of foam on the top) and weigh out 45 g of the mixture.

Frangipane 50 g soft vegan butter (room temperature) 50 g icing sugar 50 g almond flour 5 g cornflour 45 g vegan whites (room temperature) Assembling the tart and decoration 2–3 preserved pears apricot jam for glazing toasted almond slices

For the frangipane Whisk the soft butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually add a tablespoon at a time of the almond flour, mixed with the starch and the vegan whites. At this point, it is important to make the right emulsion of the butter and liquid. If you add the liquid too quickly, it will separate and the mixture will look a bit shrunken. In this case, warm up the mixture, with a hairdryer, for example, and continue whisking until you get a consistent cream. Assembling the tart and decoration Cut the preserved pears into thin slices, leaving the slices standing next to one another. Remove the tart from the refrigerator or freezer, peel it away from the baking paper and place it on a baking tray, ideally covered with an Air Mat. Spread the cream evenly into the tart. Tap each sliced pear so that it lies down and the individual slices overlap each other. Place the pear flat on a narrow knife and transfer onto the tart, with the larger ends towards the outer edge and the thinner ends towards the middle. Press gently. Continue like this until you cover the whole area of the tart. If you are using bigger pears, you can remove some of the slices so they don’t overlap in the middle. Don’t try to overstuff the tart with pear slices; the frangipane might overflow during baking. You will need four halves of bigger pears or 5–6 halves of smaller ones. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C and bake for 25 minutes. The cream and the shortcrust pastry itself should be nicely golden. Leave the baked tart on the baking tray to cool before you move it – it could break when it’s warm. Warm up the apricot jam in a little saucepan and spread it over the tart using a pastry brush, for a nice gloss. If you have any leftover neutral glaze in the refrigerator, (from the recipe on p. 76, for example), you can use it instead of apricot jam. Sprinkle the toasted almond slices on top.

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TONKA BEAN AND DARK CHOCOLATE Makes 6 tartlets Equipment needed: 6 perforated tart rings, 8 cm in diameter

Shortcrust pastry 150 g plain flour 75 g cold vegan block butter 59 g icing sugar 21 g almond flour pinch of salt 19 g water flour for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the tart rings

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then line the tart rings using method B. Place the lined pastry into the freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour, then remove from the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 15–20 minutes.

Chocolate cream with tonka bean 252 g plant milk 1 tonka bean 164 g 70 % dark chocolate 30 g glucose syrup 3 g citrus fibre emulsifier 20 g odourless coconut oil

Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Heat the infused milk together with the glucose syrup, to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and mix in the heated milk mixture with an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Pour the cream into a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and leave to cool to approximately 30–35°C.

Crunchy decoration 27 g crushed almonds 27 g cacao nibs 5 g cocoa powder 35 g odourless coconut oil 18 g glucose syrup 15 g coconut milk 53 g cane sugar

For the chocolate cream with tonka bean Pour the plant milk into a saucepan and add the finely-grated tonka bean. Heat the mixture to 80–90°C, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain.

For the crunchy decoration Prepare two sheets of baking paper the size of a baking tray. Mix the almonds, nibs and cocoa powder in a bowl. Pour the oil, glucose syrup, milk and sugar into a saucepan and bring to 110°C. Take the saucepan off the heat, add the contents of the bowl and mix thoroughly. Move the hot mixture onto one sheet of baking paper and cover it with the other sheet. With a rolling pin, roll a 3mm-thin layer, as the nibs and almonds allow. Preheat your fan oven to 180°C. Transfer the layer onto a baking tray, carefully peel off the top paper and bake for approximately 12 minutes. In a few minutes you will notice bubbles forming on the top – they will be quite big at first but they will get smaller with time. When you start to see only small bubbles, take the tray out. Allow it to cool completely and then break it into pieces of different shapes and sizes. Assembling the tartlets Fill the baked tartlets with a cool, but still slightly liquid cream. Smooth the top with a spatula and, when firm, decorate with the crunchy decoration.

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CARAMEL PEANUTS WITH CHOCOLATE Makes 6 tartlets Equipment needed: 6 perforated tart rings, 8 cm in diameter

Shortcrust pastry 150 g plain flour 75 g cold vegan block butter 59 g icing sugar 21 g almond flour pinch of salt 19 g water flour for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the tart rings Chocolate and peanut cream 73 g 65 % dark chocolate 33 g white vegan chocolate 172 g plant milk 2.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 82 g crunchy peanut butter Caramelised peanuts 15 g water 43 g caster sugar 7 g inverted sugar a handful of peeled unsalted peanuts Salted caramel 10 g cornflour 35 g + 104 g coconut milk 8 g glucose syrup 1 g salt ½ vanilla bean 105 g caster sugar 34 g vegan butter Decoration chocolate peanuts

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then line the tart rings using method B. Place the lined pastry rings into the refrigerator or freezer for at least an hour, then remove from the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 15–20 minutes. For the chocolate and peanut cream Put both types of chocolate in a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (or alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour the chocolate into a jug). Heat the plant milk to 35–40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the heated milk with an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the peanut butter. Pour the cream into a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and leave to cool to approximately 30–35°C. For the caramelised peanuts Combine the water and both kinds of sugar in a small saucepan. While stirring, bring to a gentle boil. Put the peanuts into a bowl, pour in a spoon of the syrup and stir thoroughly. The peanuts should be covered by the syrup, but there shouldn’t be any excess syrup in the bowl. Preheat your fan oven to 150°C. Spread the peanuts onto a baking tray lined with baking paper or a silicone mat and allow to caramelise for 15 minutes. Stir the peanuts after 10 minutes. For the salted caramel In a bowl, combine the cornflour and 35 g of the milk. Pour 104 g of the plant milk into a saucepan, add the glucose syrup, salt, vanilla seeds and heat to 80°C. Keep the mixture warm during the next stage. In a small saucepan make the caramel from sugar (recipe on page 142). Once the caramel has colour and all the sugar has dissolved, pour the hot milk into the bowl with the cornflour and stir. Afterwards, pour the liquid into the caramel while stirring thoroughly. Keep boiling until all the caramel has completely dissolved. Pour into a smaller measuring jug, cover with cling film and cool to 45–50°C. Then blend in the butter with an immersion blender. Pour into a bowl, cover with cling film again and allow to cool and firm at room temperature. Recipe continues on the following page

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Assembling the tartlets Put the salted caramel into a small pastry bag and quarter-fill the tartlets. Sprinkle the caramelised peanuts on the caramel and seal the top with cold, but still slightly liquid, peanut chocolate cream. To decorate, you can make chocolate peanuts using polycarbonate moulds, the same way as you would make chocolate shells (for tempering chocolate and chocolate shells, see chapter on the chocolate confectionery). If you don’t have a suitable mould for this decoration, you can use caramelised peanuts, microgreens and edible flowers. You can also caramelise peanuts using the method described in the recipe for caramelised nuts on p. 142.

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CITRUS FRUITS Makes 4–6 servings Equipment needed: 1 rectangular perforated tart ring 25 × 8 cm

Shortcrust pastry 1 batch of shortcrust pastry to fit ring Lemon cake 46 g plain flour 1.1 g baking powder 57 g caster sugar pinch of salt 0.7 g finely grated lemon zest 25 g plant milk 1 vegan egg (3.5 g psyllium + 45 g water) 20 g sunflower oil 5 g Limoncello 11 g candied lemon peel Limoncello syrup 50 g water 15 g caster sugar finely grated zest of ¼ a lemon 15 g Limoncello Citrus cream 41 g caster sugar 4.5 g NH pectin 1.8 g citrus fibre emulsifier 34 g lemon juice 33 g lime juice 78 g water 31 g odourless coconut oil

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p.56, then line the tart ring using method B. When rolling the pastry, make sure you can cut it easily into a rectangular shape. Place the lined ring into a freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour, then peel off the baking paper and move it onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 9 minutes. The tart will then be blind-baked, allowing you to finish baking with the lemon cake layer. For the lemon cake Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Add the sugar, pinch of salt and lemon zest, and stir. In a different bowl, mix the plant milk, vegan egg, sunflower oil and Limoncello. Gradually mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir in the finely-cut candied lemon peel. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C. Spread the cake batter evenly onto the pre-baked tart and bake for about 10–15 minutes. For the Limoncello syrup In a saucepan, mix the water, sugar and lemon zest, and warm until the sugar melts. Cool to room temperature and stir in the Limoncello. Moisten the baked lemon cake with the syrup (you won’t need the whole amount). For the citrus cream Mix the sugar with the pectin and emulsifier. In a small saucepan, heat both the citrus juices and water to 40°C, then add the sugar mix. Whisking constantly, heat the mixture to 82°C. Pour into a smaller measuring jug, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and cool in the refrigerator to 40°C. Using an immersion blender, blend in the coconut oil. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour. Fill the tart with the chilled cream and smooth the top. Recipe continues on the following page

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Italian meringue 100 g + 67 g water 7 g potato protein 0.7 g cream of tartar 0.2 g xanthan gum pinch of baking soda 50 g + 200 g caster sugar Decoration lime zest microgreens

For the Italian meringue First, make the vegan whites. In a small bowl mix 100 g water with the protein, then refrigerate for at least half an hour. Pour the whites into a mixer bowl, add the cream of tartar, xanthan gum and pinch of soda, and whip on the highest possible speed. Once you have medium peaks, start adding 50 g of sugar. Meanwhile, heat 67 g of water and 200 g of sugar in a pan. Once it reaches 121°C, pour carefully into the stiff whites down the side of the bowl while whipping. Continue whipping until the meringue cools. Move the Italian meringue into a pastry bag with a decorative tip and decorate the top of the tart. Gently caramelise the meringue with a blowtorch. To decorate Finely grate the lime zest onto the tart or decorate with microgreens.

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PASSION FRUIT AND MANGO Makes 6 tartlets Equipment needed: 6 perforated tart rings, 8 cm in diameter

Shortcrust pastry 150 g plain flour 75 g cold vegan block butter 59 g icing sugar 21 g almond flour pinch of salt 19 g water flour for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the rings Passion fruit cream 100 g caster sugar 9.1 g NH pectin 3.7 g citrus fibre emulsifier 163 g passion fruit purée 188 g water 70 g odourless coconut oil Mango gel 25 g caster sugar 1.5 g agar 150 g mango purée Passion fruit glaze 180 g passion fruit purée seeds of one passion fruit 39 g caster sugar 2.9 g NH pectin Decoration small pieces of mango microgreens

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then line into the tart rings using method B. Place the lined pastry rings into the freezer or refrigerator for at least an hour, then remove from the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 15–20 minutes. For the passion fruit cream Combine the sugar with the pectin and emulsifier. In a saucepan, heat the passion fruit purée and water to 40°C, then gradually whisk in the sugar mix. Keep whisking and bring to 82°C. Pour into a small bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and leave to cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Using an immersion blender, blend in the coconut oil. Cover with cling film and refrigerate for at least an hour. For the mango gel Mix the sugar with agar and place into a small pan, with the mango purée. Bring to at least 90°C, then put into a smaller measuring jug, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and allow to set for several hours. Then, thoroughly blend with an immersion blender until the mixture has a gel-like consistency. For the passion fruit glaze Once you have filled the tartlets with cream, prepare the glaze. Put the passion fruit purée and seeds into a saucepan and heat to 40°C. Whisk in a mixture of sugar and pectin and heat to 82°C. To finish Fill the baked tartlets up three quarters of the way with the passion fruit cream and smooth the top as much as possible. Refrigerate for half an hour. Pour the glaze onto the tartlet when it’s not too hot but before it starts to set – around 50°C. If the glaze starts to jellify early, warm it up a bit. Pour two small spoons of glaze over each cooled tartlet and turn so the glaze spreads evenly and is level. Decorate the top with the mango gel, the rest of the passion fruit cream and pieces of fresh mango and microgreens.

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APPLES AND HAZELNUTS Makes 6–8 servings Equipment needed: 1 Kit Tarte Ring 190 (Silikomart), which includes a 19 cm diameter perforated tart ring and a 15.5 cm silicone mould Important: The apple compote will require a longer time to freeze, so take into account when planning work.

Shortcrust pastry 1 batch of shortcrust pastry to fit ring Caramelised apple compote 340 g Granny Smith apples 23 g vegan butter 24 g + 72 g caster sugar 3.2 g NH pectin 54 g coconut milk Chocolate and hazelnut cream 85 g 65% dark chocolate 80 g vegan milk chocolate 200 g plant milk 4 g citrus fibre emulsifier 80 g hazelnut praline paste

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then line the tart ring using method B. Place the lined tart ring into a refrigerator or freezer for at least an hour, then remove from the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 15–20 minutes. For the caramelised apples Halve, core and cut the apples into 1cm cubes. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add the apples, cover with a lid and cook slowly until they are almost soft, but still a bit crunchy. It’s important that the cubes keep their shape. Stir a mixture of 24 g of sugar and pectin into the almost cooked apples and cook briefly. For the pectin to be activated, the temperature of the mixture must be at least 80°C. While the apples are being cooked, start preparing caramel from the remaining 72 g of sugar. Heat a small saucepan and put in just enough sugar to cover the bottom. Wait for the sugar to dissolve, then add more. Start stirring the newly-formed caramel gently. Before you add another layer of sugar, wait for the existing sugar to dissolve completely and turn a caramel colour. Because the sugar is added gradually, the caramel is under control and will not burn. When the caramel is ready, whisk in the warm coconut milk. If the milk is cold, the caramel will cool quickly and create lumps so the warmer the milk is, the more easily it will mix in. Cook until all the pieces have dissolved, then add to the cooked apples and mix gently. Place the silicone mould on a chopping board, fill with the caramelised apples and smooth the surface. Put into the freezer and let it set overnight. For the chocolate and hazelnut cream Put both types of chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (or alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Then, heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add emulsifier to the melted chocolate and slowly blend the heated milk into the chocolate with an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the hazelnut praline. Pour the cream into a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and leave to cool to approximately 30–35°C. Recipe continues on the following page

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Neutral glaze 200 g water 30 g + 40 g caster sugar 80 g glucose syrup 6 g NH pectin 1.2 g citric acid solution   (solution of water and acid at a 1:1 ratio) Caramelised nuts 90 g hazelnuts 18 g water 45 g caster sugar 4 g cocoa butter or coconut oil Dried apples 1 Granny Smith apple 100 g water 100 g caster sugar

For the neutral glaze Put the water, 30 g of sugar and glucose syrup into a small pan and heat the mixture to 40°C. While whisking constantly, add 40 g of sugar mixed with pectin and bring to the boil. Stir in the citric acid and cook briefly. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. For the caramelized nuts Chop the hazelnuts in half. If any bits chip off the halves, put them aside for use with other recipes. Put the water and sugar into a small pan and heat to 115°C. While cooking, stir the mixture slowly with a confectionery thermometer. Add the nut halves and start stirring vigorously with a spatula. The sugar syrup will slowly turn into a white powder that will coat the nuts. Stir until the sugar becomes caramel. Work on a low heat, so that the caramel doesn’t burn. When the colour of the caramel turns golden brown, stir in the cocoa butter or oil and scatter the nuts onto a silicone mat or baking paper. Using a mug with a flat bottom (or by hand if you’re confident), start separating the individual nuts. The caramel will harden quickly, so the faster you are, the better the nuts will be for your decoration. For the dried apples Thinly slice the unpeeled apple crosswise. Put the water and sugar into a small pan and bring to the boil while stirring constantly. Take the pan off the heat, add the apple slices, cover with a lid and let the slices cool in the syrup. Line a baking tray with an Air Mat (or other silicon mat or baking paper) and place the drained apples on top. Preheat your fan oven to 90°C, cover the apples with another mat and bake in the oven for an hour. Take off the top mat and check how crispy the apples are. Take one apple slice out, put it onto the table and check the crispiness after half a minute. If the slice is still soft, return it to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes, but don’t cover the apples with the mat this time. Test again and bake, until the apple slices are crispy. Then, remove from the oven and immediately fold one by one into the desired shape. Allow to cool.

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To finish Fill the baked tart with the chocolate cream and smooth the top. Pour the neutral glaze into a small jug and melt in the microwave. Blend the glaze with an immersion blender, but make sure you don´t create too many air bubbles. Check that the temperature is 35°C. If needed, warm or cool the glaze. Before glazing, blend once more. Remove the caramelised apple disc from the mould and place with round side up on the glazing rack. Pour the glaze over it in a circular motion and tap the rack so that the excess glaze drips down and the layer is not too thick. Using a large offset spatula, move the glazed apple disc into the centre of the tart. Fill the gap between the apples and the edge of the pastry with caramelised nuts and decorate with dried apples.

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RASPBERRY AND VANILLA Makes 6–8 servings Equipment needed: 1 Kit Tarte Ring 190 (Silikomart), which includes a 19 cm diameter perforated tart ring and a 15.5 cm silicone mould Important: You will need to freeze the raspberry mousse overnight, so prepare it one day in advance.

Shortcrust pastry 1 batch of shortcrust pastry to fit ring Frangipane with raspberries 100 g water 12 g potato protein 0.5 g xanthan gum 50 g vegan butter, softened 50 g icing sugar 50 g almond flour 5 g cornflour 150 g fresh raspberries

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then line the tart ring using method B. Place the lined pastry ring into the refrigerator or freezer for at least an hour to cool, then peel off the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 9 minutes. The tart will then be blind-baked, allowing it to finish baking along with the frangipane. For the frangipane with raspberries Using an immersion blender, thoroughly mix the water with protein and xanthan gum in a small jug. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; ideally, for approximately 5 hours. Then stir with a spoon (there might be layer of foam on the top) and weigh out 45 g. Whisk the softened butter and icing sugar with a hand mixer. Gradually add a tablespoon at a time of the almond flour, mixed with the starch and vegan whites. At this point it is important to make the right emulsion of butter and liquid. If you add the liquid too quickly, it will separate and the mix will look a bit shrunken. In this case, warm up the mixture with a hairdryer, for example, and continue whisking until you get a consistent cream. Put the cream into a pastry bag and half-fill the cooled pre-baked tart. Place raspberries all over the top; leave the small ones whole and and halve the bigger fruit. Return the tart to the oven, which you have preheated to 165°C, and bake for another 10–15 minutes until the frangipane is golden on the surface. Recipe continues on the following page

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Raspberry mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 200 g raspberry purée 22 g caster sugar 4.6 g NH pectin 1 g locust bean gum 0.4 g citrus fibre emulsifier 18 g odourless coconut oil 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.6 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 42 g caster sugar

For the raspberry mousse Mix the water and potato protein in a small jug using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for half an hour. Put the raspberry purée into a small pan and heat to 40°C. Carefully whisk in the mixture of sugar, pectin, locust bean and emulsifier and continue heating to 82°C. Move the mixture to a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and allow to cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Afterwards, pour it into a small jug and blend in the room-temperature coconut oil with an immersion blender. Put back into a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to cool to 35°C.

Vanilla pastry cream 200 g coconut milk 1 vanilla bean 30 g caster sugar 15 g cornflour

Fold the weighed whites into the raspberry cream. Spread the mousse into the silicone mould, smooth the top and place in the freezer on a chopping board.

Pour the water with the potato protein into a completely clean bowl, add xanthan, cream of tartar and a pinch of baking soda and beat at the highest speed. Once you have medium peaks, start adding sugar. Continue beating the whites until completely stiff. Weigh out 46 g.

For the vanilla pastry cream Combine the coconut milk, seeds of 1 vanilla bean and the bean pod into a small pan and heat to about 70°C. Put the sugar and starch into a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Pour the heated milk into the bowl with the sugar and give it a good stir. Put the mixture back into a pan and cook on a medium heat until it thickens. Remove the vanilla pod from the cream. Transfer the cream to a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and refrigerate.

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Raspberry glaze 115 g raspberry purée 40 g water 10 g lemon juice 20 g + 15 g caster sugar 25 g glucose syrup 2 g NH pectin Decoration 350 g raspberries

For the raspberry glaze Put the raspberry purée, water, lemon juice, 20 g of sugar and glucose syrup into a small pan and heat to 40°C. While whisking, add a mixture of 15 g of sugar and NH pectin, and heat to 90°C. Pour it into a bowl, cover the surface with cling film and refrigerate at least for 6 hours. To finish Put the vanilla pastry cream into a bowl and thoroughly whisk to get a creamy consistency. Spread it over the baked tart and smooth the top. Put the raspberry glaze into a small jug and half-melt in a microwave. Then blend thoroughly with an immersion blender, making sure not to produce many air bubbles. Check the temperature – the glaze should be at 35°C. Depending on the temperature, either carefully warm or cool the glaze. Before using, blend once more. Take the frozen raspberry mousse from the mould and place it round side up on the glazing rack. Pour the glaze across the top in a circular motion and tap the rack so the excess glaze drips down and the layer is not too thick. Using an offset spatula, place the raspberry mousse into the centre of the tart. Fill the gap between the mousse and the edge of the tart with fresh raspberries.

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EARL GREY AND BANANA Makes 6 tarlets Equipment needed: 1 set Kit Tarte Ring 80 (Silikomart), which consists of 6 × 8 cm perforated tart rings and a silicon mould Important: The banana cream needs to be placed in the freezer overnight, so prepare one day in advance.

Shortcrust pastry 150 g plain flour 75 g cold vegan block butter 59 g icing sugar 21 g almond flour pinch of salt 19 g water flour for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the rings Banana cream 23 g inulin 4.5 g NH pectin 2.7 g citrus fibre emulsifier 276 g banana purée 117 g passion fruit purée 59 g odourless coconut oil Passion fruit & Earl Grey cream 153 g plant milk 9 g loose leaf Earl Grey tea 53 g 65 % dark chocolate 175 g vegan milk chocolate 3.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 45 g passion fruit purée 26 g odourless coconut oil Neutral glaze 200 g water 30 g + 40 g caster sugar 80 g glucose syrup 6 g NH pectin 1.2 g citric acid solution   (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1)

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p.56, then line the tart rings using method B. Place the lined pastry rings into the refrigerator or freezer for at least an hour, then remove from the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 15 minutes. For the banana cream Combine the inulin with the pectin and emulsifier. Heat both purées in a small pan to 40°C and gradually whisk in the inulin. Stir constantly and bring to 82°C. Pour the mixture into a small jug, cover with cling film and leave to cool in the refrigerator to 40°C. Then blend in the room-temperature coconut oil with an immersion blender. Place the silicon mould onto a firm chopping board and fill the six cavities with the cream. Make sure there are no air bubbles between the cream and the mould. Smooth the top and leave in the freezer overnight. For the passion fruit and Earl Grey cream Pour the plant milk into a smaller pan, add the loose tea and heat to 80–90°C. Cover with a lid to allow the milk to infuse. Then, strain and squeeze the tea leaves. Put both types of chocolate into a small measuring jug and carefully melt in the microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into the jug). Heat the infused milk to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the heated milk and passion fruit purée with an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Pour the cream into a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and and cool to 30–35°C. For the neutral glaze Put the water, 30 g of sugar and glucose syrup into a small pan and heat the mixture to 40°C. While whisking constantly, add 40 g of sugar mixed with pectin and bring to the boil. Stir in the citric acid and cook briefly. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to cool. Recipe continues on the following page

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Caramelised bananas 1 small banana 100 g caster sugar oil or vegan butter Macadamia nuts in sugar 40 g macadamia nuts 9 g water 23 g caster sugar Decoration microgreens

For the caramelised bananas Cut the banana into half-centimetre slices and coat in caster sugar. Heat a pan to a medium heat and grease lightly with oil or butter. Lay the banana slices all over the surface. Fry until the sugar starts caramelising. Place the finished bananas onto a lightly oil-greased plate. For the macadamia nuts coated in sugar Preheat your fan oven to 150°C. Cut the macadamia nuts in half and bake for 10 minutes. Pour the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and heat the mixture to 115°C. Add the roasted nuts and stir on a low heat until the sugar syrup turns into a white powder and the nuts are coated. Pour them out and allow to cool. To finish Fill the baked tartlets with the chocolate cream, smooth the top and let set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Put the neutral glaze into a smaller jug and half dissolve in the microwave. Blend the glaze thoroughly with an immersion blender and make sure not to create many air bubbles. Measure the temperature of the glaze; it should be 35°C. If needed, carefully warm or cool the glaze. Before glazing, blend once more. Take the frozen discs with the banana cream out of the mould and place them with the round side up on the glazing rack. In a circular motion, pour the glaze over, tapping the rack a few times so the extra glaze drips down and the layer is not too thick. You don’t have to glaze all the pieces at one time; you can take them out of the freezer one by one. With an offset spatula, transfer the glazed discs onto the middle of the tartlets. Decorate the top with bananas, nuts and microgreens.

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COCONUT AND PINEAPPLE Makes 6 tartlets Equipment needed: 6 perforated rings with 8 cm diameter, SF005 and SF003 silicon moulds (Silikomart) Important: The mango and passion fruit cream and the coconut mousse need to be placed in the freezer overnight, so prepare them a day in advance.

Shortcrust pastry 150 g plain flour 75 g cold vegan block butter 59 g icing sugar 21 g almond flour pinch of salt 19 g water flour for dusting oil or vegan butter for greasing the rings Frangipane 100 g water 12 g potato protein 0.5 g xanthan gum 50 g vegan butter, softened 50 g icing sugar 50 g almond flour 5 g cornflour Mango and passion fruit cream 11 g caster sugar 2.4 g NH pectin 1 g citrus fibre emulsifier 86 g mango purée 45 g passion fruit purée 19 g odourless coconut oil

For the shortcrust pastry Prepare the pastry according to the instructions on p. 56, then line the tart rings using method B. Place the lined pastry in the refrigerator or freezer for at least an hour, then remove from the baking paper and move onto a baking tray lined with an Air Mat. Preheat your fan oven to 165°C and bake for about 9 minutes. The tartlets will then be blind-baked, allowing them to finish baking along with the frangipane. For the frangipane First, make the vegan whites. Using an immersion blender, mix the water with the protein and xanthan gum in a small measuring jug for 2 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; ideally, for approximately 5 hours. Then, stir with a spoon (there might be a layer of foam on the top) and weigh out 45 g of the mixture. Whisk the soft butter and icing sugar with a hand mixer. Gradually add a tablespoon at a time of almond flour, mixed with the starch and the vegan whites. At this point it is important to make the right emulsion of the butter and liquid. If you add the liquid too quickly, it will separate and the mixture will look a bit shrunken. In this case warm up the mixture with a hairdryer, for example, and continue mixing until you get a consistent cream. Put the cream into a pastry bag and half-fill the pre-baked cooled tartlets. Put them back into your fan oven, which you have preheated to 165°C, and bake for another 10–15 minutes or until the frangipane is golden on top. For the mango and passion fruit cream Combine the sugar with the pectin and emulsifier. Heat both purées in a small pan to 40°C and gradually stir in the sugar. Whisk constantly and bring to 82°C. Pour the mixture into a small jug, cover the top with cling film and leave to cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Then blend in the room-temperature coconut oil with an immersion blender. Place the smaller silicon mould onto a chopping board and fill the six cavities with the cream. Smooth the top and place in the freezer for several hours. Recipe continues on the following page

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Coconut mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 150 g coconut purée 2.3 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1) 13 g inulin 3 g NH pectin 0.6 g locust bean gum 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.5 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 42 g caster sugar Tropical compote 260 g pineapple 27 g agave syrup 27 g vegan butter 1 vanilla bean 1.2 g star anise 50 g coconut purée 50 g mango purée 50 g passion fruit purée 2.6 g lime zest

For the coconut mousse Prepare the coconut mousse after the mango and passion fruit cream has completely frozen. In a bowl, mix the water and potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least half an hour. In a small pan, combine the coconut purée and the citric acid solution and slowly bring to 40°C. Carefully whisk in the inulin mixed with the pectin and locust bean gum, and continue heating the mixture to 82°C. Pour into a bowl, cover the top with cling film and leave to cool to 35°C in the refrigerator. Pour the water with protein into a completely clean bowl, add the xanthan, cream of tartar and a pinch of baking soda and whip on the highest speed. Once you have almost stiff peaks, start gradually adding sugar. Continue beating until the whites are completely stiff. Weigh out 41 grams. (You don’t need the rest, but it would be difficult to beat a smaller amount). Fold the weighed meringue into the cooled cream. Half-fill the six mould cavities with the coconut mousse, then add the frozen mango and passion fruit cream and close with the coconut mousse. Smooth the top with an offset spatula or knife. Place the mould into the freezer on a chopping board, ideally overnight. For the tropical compote Cut the pineapple into 1 cm cubes. In a saucepan, heat the agave syrup and butter, add the pineapple pieces, vanilla bean seeds and star anise, cover and cook for about two minutes. Stir in all the purées and cook uncovered until the pineapple softens and the juice lightly thickens. Mix in the grated lime zest, pour the compote into a bowl and let it cool down completely.

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Neutral glaze 100 g water 15 g + 20 g caster sugar 40 g glucose syrup 3 g NH pectin 0.8 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1) Decoration 100 g desiccated coconut

For the neutral glaze Put the water, 15 g of sugar and glucose syrup into a small pan and heat the mixture to 40°C. While whisking constantly, add 40 g of sugar mixed with pectin and bring to the boil. Stir in the citric acid and cook briefly. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cover with cling film and allow to cool. To finish Put the chilled compote into a fine sieve and let the extra juice drip out. Divide the pineapple into the baked tartlets and smooth the top as much as possible. Warm the neutral glaze in a microwave or carefully in a pan to a maximum of 40°C. Take the frozen coconut mousse from the freezer, brush the neutral glaze over the round part only, then stick handfuls of desiccated coconut onto the glaze. With an offset spatula, transfer the mousse into the centre of the tartlet on top of the compote.

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VERRINES, ENTREMENTS AND PETITS GATEAUX

VELVET CHOCOLATE CREAM Makes 4 dessert glasses

350 g soft silken tofu 100 g 70% dark chocolate 1 heaped tsp cocoa powder 60 g agave syrup vanilla paste/seeds to taste quality salt to taste 1 tbsp cacao nibs

Drain the tofu, melt the chocolate carefully in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie). Place both ingredients in a blender, add the cocoa powder, agave syrup, vanilla paste and salt, and blend thoroughly. Divide the cream among the four dessert glasses, sprinkle with cacao nibs and allow to refrigerate for an hour.

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SPICED RHUBARB Makes 6 dessert glasses

Rhubarb jelly 300 g rhubarb stalks 40 g cane sugar 100 g water 80 g pomegranate juice agar powder (the amount depends on the weight of the liquid)

For the rhubarb jelly Preheat your fan oven to 140°C. Cut the rhubarb into 3 cm pieces. Place the stalks in a small roasting pan and add the sugar, water and pomegranate juice. Allow the rhubarb to marinate for 30 minutes. Tightly cover the roasting pan with aluminium foil to prevent any steam from escaping and place in the oven. Roast the rhubarb for 20 to 30 minutes, until it is soft but not mushy.

Spiced cream 400 g coconut milk ¼ tsp ground ginger ¼ tsp ground cinnamon 60 g caster sugar 24 g cornflour

Take the roasting pan out of the oven, allow it to cool to room temperature and then refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Once the rhubarb is cold, strain it and weigh the remaining juice. Calculate how much agar you will need to create a jelly that has the perfect consistency: You will need 0.6 g of agar powder for every 100 g of rhubarb juice. Pour the liquid and the agar into a pan. Bring it to the boil, stirring constantly, and then pour the mixture into a bowl.

Decoration strawberries a few pieces of roasted rhubarb (from the jelly recipe)

Set a few nice pieces of the roasted rhubarb aside to decorate the dessert glasses. Cut the rest of the stalks into small pieces and toss them in a bowl with the juice. Stir to combine and spoon into dessert glasses. Allow the jelly to set in the refrigerator for 2 hours. For the spiced cream Combine the coconut milk, ginger and cinnamon in a small pan and heat the mixture to 70°C. Place the sugar and the cornflour into a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Pour the warm milk into the bowl and stir everything together. Return the mixture to the pan and continue cooking on a low heat until it thickens. Pour the cream into a bowl and allow it to cool to 50–60°C. Divide the cream evenly and spoon it on top of the rhubarb jelly. Refrigerate for 2 hours. To finish Decorate the glasses with pieces of roasted rhubarb and fresh strawberries.

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APRICOTS AND CARAMEL Makes 6 dessert glasses

Orange panna cotta 300 g coconut milk 2.5 tbsp agave syrup 1.4 g agar powder orange blossom water Salted caramel 10 g cornflour 35 g + 104 g coconut milk 8 g glucose syrup 1 g salt seeds of ½ a vanilla bean 105 g caster sugar 34 g vegan butter Apricot compote 120 g + 140 g apricots 20 g water 15 g lemon juice 30 g cane sugar 2.5 g NH pectin Decoration microgreens

For the orange panna cotta Pour the coconut milk into a small pan and add the agave syrup and agar. Bring to the boil while whisking constantly. Add a few drops of orange water, divide among the dessert glasses and allow to set for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. For the salted caramel Combine the cornflour and 35 g of milk in a bowl. Pour 104 g of milk into a small pan, add the glucose syrup, salt and vanilla seeds, and heat to 80°C. Keep the temperature at around 50°C. Prepare caramel from the sugar in a small pan (for instructions, see page 142). When the caramel has the right colour and all sugar has dissolved, pour the hot milk into the bowl with the cornflour and mix. Pour the liquid in the caramel while whisking quickly and constantly. Simmer until all the caramel has dissolved. Then pour into a smaller measuring jug, cover with cling film so that it is touching the top of the mixture and cool to 45–50 °C. Next, blend in the butter using an immersion blender. Pour the caramel into a bowl, lay a piece of cling film directly over the top again and allow to cool and set at room temperature. For the apricot compote Chop 120 g of apricots into small pieces, place them in a saucepan with 20 g of water and allow to simmer for a few minutes until they soften. Pour into a blender and blend to a smooth purée. Return the purée to the saucepan, chop the remaining 140 g of apricots into small cubes and add along with the lemon juice and sugar combined with pectin. Heat to 82°C while whisking constantly. Transfer the compote to a bowl, lay a piece of cling film directly over the top and refrigerate. To finish Pour a little caramel over the cooled panna cotta and spread the apricot compote on top. Decorate with microgreens. You can replace the orange blossom water with rose water (from rose petals) or with vanilla.

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APPLES AND HAZELNUT CHOCOLATE Makes 6 dessert glasses Equipment needed: polystyrene board for making caramelised nuts

Apple compote 285 g Granny Smith apples peeled and cored a splash of water 21 g calvados 29 g cane sugar 3.3 g NH pectin Gianduja chocolate cream 150 g dark gianduja chocolate 150 g plant milk 2.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier Gianduja chocolate mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 150 g dark gianduja chocolate 20 g cocoa butter 90 g plant milk 2.2 g citrus fibre emulsifier 0.5 g cream of tartar 0.2 g xanthan gum pinch of baking soda 42 g caster sugar Hazelnut crumble 20 g icing sugar 20 g hazelnut flour 20 g rice flour (or other type if preferred) 10 g hazelnuts, finely chopped pinch of salt 16 g odourless coconut oil 4 g water

For the apple compote Cut the apples into 1 cm cubes, place them in a small pan with a splash of water and simmer until they nearly soften, but still retain their texture. Add the calvados and sugar combined with pectin, and bring to at least 80°C. Divide the compote evenly among the dessert glasses and allow to set in the refrigerator. For the gianduja chocolate cream Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Pour the chocolate cream over the set apple compote and place the dessert glasses back in the refrigerator. For the gianduja chocolate mousse First, make the vegan whites. Combine the water and protein in a small bowl using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least a half an hour. Put the chocolate and cocoa butter into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Place the cream in the refrigerator and cool to 30°C. Transfer the water with the potato protein to a perfectly clean bowl. Add the cream of tartar, xanthan gum, and a pinch of soda and whip on the highest speed. When the whipped whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding the sugar. Keep whipping until the mixture is nicely firm. Weigh out 48 g. Gradually fold the meringue into the cooled chocolate cream. Divide the chocolate mousse among the dessert glasses and return to the refrigerator. For the hazelnut crumble Sift all the powdered ingredients together into a bowl. Add the hazelnuts and a pinch of salt. Add the coconut oil, which should be at room temperature, and water. Stir everything together until you get a crumble-like consistency. This is best done in the kitchen machine using a flat beater, but you can also make it manually. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C, transfer the crumble to a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat, and bake for 20 minutes. Recipe continues on following page

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Caramelised hazelnuts a handful of whole blanched hazelnuts 70 g water 200 g caster sugar 20 g glucose syrup Decoration 1 Granny Smith apple a splash of lemon juice microgreens

For the caramelised nuts Skewer the nuts onto toothpicks. It is very important that the nuts are on the toothpicks securely, or they could fall off into the caramel during dipping. Place the polystyrene board on the worktop so that it is partially overlapping the edge, and weigh it down with something heavy to prevent it from overturning. Place some newspapers or other material on the floor directly under the polystyrene board in order to protect the floor from being stained by the caramel. Place the water, sugar, and glucose syrup into a small pan and bring to the boil, stirring every now and then. Stop stirring and allow the mixture to bubble over a low to medium heat until all the water evaporates and you get a nice caramel. Take the pan off the heat and place it straight into iced water for a second, so that the caramel stops boiling. Take a toothpick with a nut on it and carefully dip it in the caramel. Remove the nut and stick the bottom part of the toothpick into the polystyrene board. The caramel that drips down from the nut will create a long, beautiful tip. If the caramel starts to harden before you manage to dip all the nuts in, carefully reheat it a little. If you don’t have a polystyrene board to work with, ask your family members or colleagues to hold the nuts until the caramel sets (it’s usually quite quick). Place the caramelised decorations in an airtight container until ready to serve; this prevents them from getting moist. To finish Cut the apples into wedges and drizzle with lemon juice to prevent them from browning. Sprinkle the top of the chocolate mousse with the crumble and decorate with the caramelised nuts, microgreens, and apple wedges. Do not store the decorated dessert glasses in the refrigerator for long, as the caramel on the nuts will melt.

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CHOCOLATE MILLE-FEUILLE Makes approximately 9 portions Important: Folding the dough takes a whole day, so prepare one day in advance.

Puff pastry for mille-feuille 228 g + 40 g plain flour 5.3 g salt 68 g cold vegan block butter 96 g ice cold water 213 g vegan block butter, room temperature a little flour for dusting Chocolate cream 400 g coconut milk 60 g caster sugar 24 g cornflour 2 g agar powder 120 g 70 % dark chocolate To finish 50 g vegan butter, melted caster sugar for dusting before baking icing sugar as decoration

For the mille-feuille puff pastry Making the dough Place the 228 g of plain flour into a kitchen mixer bowl, add the salt and 68 g of cold butter, chopped into pieces. Mix with a flat beater to combine the mixture well and to break the butter up further. Pour in the ice cold water and blend. Change the flat beater for a hook and knead it into a dough which is not too elastic. Wrap the prepared dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Combine the 213 g of room temperature butter with 40 g of plain flour, make a paste and roll it out to a layer measuring 32 × 16 cm. The easiest way to do it is to place the butter onto a large sheet of baking paper, fold it and re-shape into a pouch of the required size. This will make it easier to roll out the butter. Make sure the butter is rolled out evenly. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. The butter should be cool but still flexible. Roll the cooled dough out onto a lightly-dusted worktop into a square measuring 32 × 32 cm. Lay the cooled, rolled-out butter over one half of the dough and fold it in with the other half. Try to match the butter sides with the dough edges in order to prevent there being any thick layers of dough with no butter. Wrap the prepared dough in cling film and let it rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Lay the dough in front of you onto a lightly-dusted worktop like a book, with the spine or fold to the left. Roll out into a long strip measuring approximately 20 × 50 cm. Fold the rolled-out strip into overlapping thirds as if putting a letter in an envelope. This is called a single fold. Wrap the dough in cling film and allow to rest in the refrigerator for an hour. Roll it out into a slightly longer strip this time. Fold both edges of the strip towards the centre with a 2 cm gap between them, then fold one side over the other. This is called a double fold – see adjacent picture. Place the dough back in the refrigerator for an hour and then repeat the whole procedure once more, with another single and double fold. After the last fold, place the dough back in the refrigerator, this time for at least 4 hours; ideally overnight. Recipe continues on the following page

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Baking the dough Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle, 3 mm in height. If the dough starts shrinking when being rolled out, you need to cool it for a while, ideally in the freezer. Roll out the dough so that you can cut it in half afterwards, and place each of the halves on a baking tray. Before baking, the dough needs to be as cool as possible, so place it in the refrigerator or freezer for 30 minutes, either on the baking tray or on a large chopping board. The puff pastry for mille-feuille must be baked between two baking trays – the upper tray serves as a weight and prevents the pastry from rising during the baking. As the dough volume in this recipe requires baking on two baking trays, you need four in total. If you don’t have enough trays, bake one sheet of puff pastry first, allow the trays to cool, then bake the other. Place the cooled dough on a baking tray, ideally overlaid with an Air Mat, and pierce the whole surface thoroughly using a fork. Brush with melted butter, sprinkle the whole surface generously with sugar, cover with the other Air Mat and with the other baking tray. Preheat your fan oven to 200°C and bake for 20 minutes. Then, remove the upper tray and the upper Air Mat and bake until the whole surface of the puff pastry caramelises.

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For the chocolate cream Heat the coconut milk in a pan. Combine the sugar with the starch and agar in a bowl, then pour in the hot milk. Place everything back in the pan and simmer over a low heat while whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. In order to activate the agar, you need to reach 90°C, so make sure you check the temperature at the end. Stir the chocolate into the cream, then transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and refrigerate. To finish Cut the baked and cooled pastry into rectangles measuring 4 × 10 cm; you will need three of these for each mille-feuille. Using a whisk, stir the cream thoroughly in the bowl until you get a smooth consistency, then transfer it to a pastry bag fitted with a 10 mm tip. Pipe the cream over two out of the three rectangles, making two lines of five small tips. Lay one piece of pastry with the cream carefully on the other and cover everything with the third piece. Dust with icing sugar. To make mille-feuille, you need puff pastry with a higher butter content than ordinary puff pastry. If you use the standard purchased dough or dough from the recipe for apple turnovers, the pastry will never be as well-caramelised.

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CHERRIES AND CHOCOLATE Makes 8 cakes Equipment needed: Gem 100 and Globe moulds (Silikomart), cutter 5 cm in diameter (round) or 4.5 cm (square). Distribution of work: On the morning of the first day, prepare the cherry compote, crunchy layer and glaze. In the evening, assemble the cakes using the chocolate mousse. The next day, glaze the frozen cakes and allow to thaw for several hours at 6–8°C.

Chocolate and almond crumble 20 g caster sugar 20 g almond flour 17 g rice flour (or other type if preferred) 4 g cocoa powder pinch of salt 17 g odourless coconut oil 3 g water zest of ¼ an orange Crunchy layer 58 g baked crumble 12 g dried cherries 10 g 65% dark chocolate 29 g almond paste Cherry compote 125 g cherries (fresh or frozen) 95 g cherry purée 10 g + 10 g caster sugar 1.3 g NH pectin

For the chocolate and almond crumble Sift all the powder ingredients together in a bowl. Add the coconut oil, and the water. Stir everything together until you get a crumble-like consistency. This is best done in a kitchen mixer using a flat beater, but you can also do it manually. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C, transfer the crumble to a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat, spread evenly and bake for 20 minutes. When the crumble is still warm, add the zest of a quarter of an orange and mix it in carefully. Upon cooling, cut any large pieces of crumble with a knife to get small even pieces, no bigger than 3 mm. Weigh out 58 g. For the crunchy layer Cut the dried cherries into pieces similar to the size of the baked crumble. Melt the chocolate carefully (best done in the microwave) and blend in the almond paste. Combine this mixture with the crumble and cherries. Choose a chopping board that can fit in the freezer horizontally, and wrap it in cling film. Using a 5 cm diameter cutter, make an even round layer of the prepared mixture no higher than 5 mm. Don’t press on the mixture too much, so that the layer is not too compact. Repeat the process seven more times, so that you get 8 crunchy layers. Place the chopping board in the freezer for at least 2 hours. For the cherry compote Cut the cherries into quarters. If you are using frozen cherries, allow them to thaw a little to make the cutting easier. Place the cherry purée in a small pan along with 10 g of sugar and chopped cherries. Heat gradually to 40°C while stirring constantly. Then, whisk in the other 10 g of sugar combined with the pectin and continue heating to 82°C. Divide the cooked compote among the 8 cavities of the Globe mould and allow to freeze completely. Recipe continues on the following page

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Chocolate glaze 129 g water 150 g coconut milk 120 g + 30 g caster sugar 56 g glucose syrup 12 g NH pectin 45 g cocoa powder 6 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1)  Chocolate mousse with cherry liqueur 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 170 g 65% dark chocolate 104 g plant milk 26 g kirsch or cherry liqueur of your choice 2.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.6 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 41 g caster sugar Decoration chocolate decoration cherries microgreens

For the chocolate glaze Place the water, coconut milk, 120 g of sugar, and glucose syrup into a small pan. Combine the remaining 30 g of sugar with the pectin. Heat the contents of the pan to 40–50°C while whisking constantly, then carefully whisk in the sugar mixture. Bring to the boil gradually, whisk in the cocoa powder, bring to the boil again and cook for approximately one minute. At the end, stir in the citric acid and boil very briefly. Transfer the glaze to a measuring jug and blend thoroughly using an immersion blender. During the blending, make sure that no air bubbles are formed in the glaze. Transfer the glaze to a bowl and cover with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to set completely (at least 6 hours). For the chocolate mousse with cherry liqueur Start preparing the chocolate mousse when the crunchy layers and cherry compote have completely frozen. Mix the water with the potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour it into a jug). Heat the plant milk with the liqueur to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and blend in the warmed milk gradually using an immersion blender. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover with cling film and cool to 35°C. Transfer the water with the potato protein to a perfectly clean bowl. Add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar, and a pinch of soda and whip on the highest speed. When the whipped whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding the sugar. Keep whipping until the mixture is nicely firm. Weigh out 60 g of the meringue. Fold the meringue gradually into the chocolate cream.

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Fill the 8 cavities of the Gem100 mould two thirds of the way with the prepared mousse and drag the mixture up the sides of the mould using a spoon. Make sure that no air bubbles are formed between the mousse and the mould, as these could destroy the glaze. Fill the formed hole with the frozen compote, cover with a bit of mousse and close it with the crunchy layer. The crunchy layer should stay parallel to the upper rim of the mould; if it’s a bit higher, push it down and remove any leftover mousse. Freeze the cakes for at least 8 hours. To finish Once you are ready, heat the glaze in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) to approximately 40°C, then transfer it to a smaller measuring jug and blend thoroughly using an immersion blender. Allow the glaze to cool to 35°C and, before glazing, blend again. Remove the perfectly frozen cakes from the mould, transfer them to a glazing rack and glaze from a height of 10 cm. Transfer the cakes to dessert plates using a palette knife and toothpick and decorate.

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STRAWBERRY AND LEMON Makes 8 cakes Equipment needed: Globe and Stone moulds (Silikomart), cutter 5 cm in diameter Distribution of work: On the morning of the first day, prepare the crunchy layer, strawberry compote, strawberry cream and glaze. In the evening, assemble the cakes using the lemon mousse. The next day, glaze the frozen cakes and allow to thaw for several hours at 6–8°C.

Almond crumble 20 g icing sugar 20 g almond flour 20 g rice flour (or other type if preferred) pinch of salt 16 g odourless coconut oil 4 g water Crunchy layer 7 g cocoa butter 26 g almond paste 75 g baked crumble zest of ½ a lemon Strawberry compote 2 large fresh strawberries 80 g strawberry purée 20 g caster sugar 2 g NH pectin 4 g lemon juice Strawberry cream 105 g strawberry purée 13 g lemon juice 7 g caster sugar 2.1 g NH pectin 1.3 g citrus fibre emulsifier 17 g odourless coconut oil

For the almond crumble Sift all the powdered ingredients together in a bowl. Add the coconut oil, and the water. Combine all ingredients into a crumble-like consistency. This is best done in a kitchen mixer using a flat beater, but you can also make the crumble manually. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C, transfer the crumble to a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat, spread evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Upon cooling, cut any large pieces of the crumble with a knife to get small even pieces, no bigger than 3 mm. Weigh out 75 g. For the crunchy layer Melt the cocoa butter in the microwave and combine with the almond paste, baked crumble, and grated lemon zest. Choose a chopping board that can fit in the freezer in a horizontal position and wrap it in cling film. Using a 5 cm diameter cutter, make an even round layer of the prepared mixture, no higher than 5 mm. Don’t press on the mixture too much, so that the layer is not too compact. Repeat the process seven more times, so that you get 8 crunchy layers. Place the chopping board in the freezer for at least 2 hours. For the strawberry compote Cut the strawberries into 1 cm cubes, place in a small pan with the strawberry purée and heat to 40°C. Whisk in the sugar combined with the pectin and heat to 82°C. Finally, add the lemon juice. Divide the strawberry compote among the 8 cavities of the Globe mould, leaving some space for the strawberry cream, and allow to freeze completely. For the strawberry cream Place the strawberry purée and lemon juice in a small pan and heat gradually to 40°C. Whisk in the sugar combined with the pectin and emulsifier and heat to 82°C. Transfer to a bowl, cover with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Transfer the mixture to a small measuring jug and blend in the coconut oil, using an immersion blender. Pour the cream over the frozen strawberry compote and return to the freezer. Recipe continues on the following page

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Lemon mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 176 g lemon juice 96 g pear purée 48 g + 41 g caster sugar 9.6 g NH pectin 2.4 g locust bean gum 0.6 g citrus fibre emulsifier 32 g odourless coconut oil 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.6 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda

For the lemon mousse Start preparing the mousse when the filling and crunchy layers have completely frozen. In a small bowl, mix the water with the potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Place the pear purée and lemon juice in a small pan and heat gradually to 40°C. Whisk in the sugar combined with the pectin, locust bean and emulsifier and heat to 82°C. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Transfer the mixture to a small measuring jug and blend in the coconut oil, which should be at room temperature, using an immersion blender. Transfer the cream back to the bowl wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and cool to 35°C. Transfer the water with potato protein into a perfectly clean bowl, add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar, and a pinch of soda and whip on the highest speed. When the whipped whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding 41 g of sugar. Keep whipping until the mixture is nicely firm, then weigh out 96 g. Fold the weighed meringue gradually into the cooled cream. As the cream has a thicker consistency, make sure to mix the mousse with the cream thoroughly, especially at the start of the process. Fill the 8 cavities of the Stone mould two thirds of the way up with the prepared mousse, then drag the mousse all the way up the sides of the mould using a spoon. Make sure that no air bubbles are formed between the mousse and the mould, as these could destroy the glaze. Fill the formed hole with the frozen strawberry filling, cover with a bit of lemon mousse and close with the crunchy layer. The crunchy layer should stay parallel with the upper rim of the mould. If it´s a bit higher, push it down and remove any leftover mousse. Freeze the cakes for at least 8 hours.

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Glaze 230 g strawberry purée 80 g water 20 g lemon juice 40 g + 30 g caster sugar 50 g glucose syrup 4 g NH pectin Decoration strawberries microgreens meringues

For the glaze Place the strawberry purée, water, lemon juice, 40 g of sugar and glucose syrup into a small pan and heat gradually to 40°C. Whisk in 30 g of sugar combined with the pectin while whisking constantly and heat to 90°C. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and cool in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours. Assembling and finishing the cake Once the cakes are perfectly frozen, you can start glazing them. Heat the glaze ideally in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) to approximately 40°C, transfer to a smaller measuring jug and blend thoroughly using an immersion blender. The ideal glazing temperature is around 35°C. Remove the cooled cakes from the mould, transfer them to a glazing rack and glaze from a height of 10 cm. Transfer the cakes to dessert plates using a palette knife and toothpick, and decorate. Make the meringues, following the recipe on page 172.

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MANDARIN AND HAZELNUTS Makes 8 cakes Equipment needed: Globe and Multiflex 125 moulds (Silikomart), cutter 5.5 cm in diameter Distribution of work: On the morning of the first day, prepare the mandarin cream and crunchy layer. Then, in the evening, assemble the cakes using the chocolate mousse. The next day, glaze the frozen cakes and allow to thaw for several hours at 6–8°C. Crumble 20 g icing sugar 20 g hazelnut flour 20 g rice flour (or other type if preferred) pinch of salt 16 g odourless coconut oil 4 g water

For the crumble Sift all the powder ingredients together in a bowl. Add the coconut oil, and the water. Combine all ingredients into a crumble-like consistency. This is best done in a kitchen mixer using a flat beater, but you can also make the crumble manually. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C, transfer the crumble to a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat, spread evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Upon cooling, cut any large pieces of the crumble with a knife to get small even pieces, no bigger than 3 mm. Weigh out 60 g.

Caramelised nuts 70 g hazelnuts 12 g water 30 g caster sugar 3 g cocoa butter or coconut oil

Caramelised nuts Cut most of the hazelnuts into quarters, halve some of them and weigh out 60 g of the nicest pieces; avoid adding the small chips.

Crunchy layer 20 g dark gianduja chocolate 10 g hazelnut paste 60 g baked crumble 23 g caramelised nuts

Combine the water and sugar in a small pan and heat to 115°C. During the cooking, stir carefully using the thermometer only. Throw in the chopped hazelnuts and start stirring thoroughly using a spatula. The sugar syrup will gradually turn into a white powder which will cover all the nuts. Keep stirring over a low heat until the sugar caramelises. When you are happy with the caramel colour, stir in the cocoa butter or oil and lay onto a silicone mat or baking paper. Using a cup with a flat bottom or a couple of spoons, try to separate the individual nuts as much as possible. Once the nuts have cooled, set aside the halves for later decoration and cut 23 g of the remainder into similar sizes as the crumble. For the crunchy layer Melt the chocolate carefully (this is best done in the microwave) and blend into the hazelnut paste. Combine this mixture with the crumble and nuts. Choose a chopping board that can fit in the freezer in a horizontal position and wrap in cling film. Using a 5.5 cm diameter cutter, make an even round layer of the prepared mixture, no higher than 5 mm. Don’t press on the mixture too much, so that the layer is not too compact. Repeat the process seven more times, so that you get 8 crunchy layers. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Recipe continues on the following page

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Mandarin cream 170 g mandarin purée 25 g caster sugar 3.2 g NH pectin 2 g citrus fibre emulsifier 25 g odourless coconut oil Gianduja chocolate mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 250 g dark gianduja chocolate 33 g cocoa butter 150 g plant milk 4 g citrus fibre emulsifier 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.5 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 42 g caster sugar

For the mandarin cream Place the mandarin purée in a small pan and heat gradually to 40°C. Whisk in the sugar combined with the pectin and emulsifier and heat to 82°C. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Then transfer the mixture to a small measuring jug and blend in the coconut oil, using an immersion blender. Divide the cream among the 8 Globe mould cavities and allow to freeze thoroughly. For the chocolate mousse Start preparing the chocolate mousse when the crunchy layers and mandarin cream have completely frozen. Mix the water with the potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Put the chocolate and cocoa butter into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour it into a jug). Heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and blend in the warmed milk gradually using an immersion blender. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover with cling film and cool to 30°C. Transfer the water with the potato protein into a perfectly clean bowl, add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar, and a pinch of soda and whip on the highest speed. When the whipped whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding the sugar. Keep whipping until the mixture is nicely firm, then weigh out 80 g. Fold the meringue gradually into the cooled chocolate cream. Fill the 8 cavities of the Multiflex mould two thirds of the way up with the prepared mousse, then drag the mousse all the way up the sides of the mould using a spoon. Make sure that no air bubbles are trapped in the corners of the mould. Fill the formed hole with the frozen mandarin cream, cover with a bit of mousse and close with the crunchy layer. The crunchy layer should stay parallel with the upper rim of the mould. If it´s a bit higher, push it down and remove any leftover mousse. Freeze the cakes for at least 8 hours.

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Glaze 175 g dark gianduja chocolate 175 g 65% dark chocolate 100 g sunflower oil 110 g almonds or hazelnuts, finely chopped Decoration caramelised nuts microgreens

For the glaze Melt both types of chocolate in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) to 45°C and blend in the sunflower oil thoroughly using a spatula. Add the chopped nuts and cool to 35°C. To finish Remove the perfectly frozen cakes from the mould, transfer them to a glazing rack and glaze from a height of 10 cm. Once you have poured the chocolate over the cake, any remaining amount must be removed with a small offset spatula, so that no thick crusts form on top of the cake. Transfer the glazed cakes to dessert plates and decorate. Any unused amount of glaze can be stored in a cool, dry place for several weeks.

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CARROT CAKE Makes 1 cake Equipment needed: metal cake tin, 23 cm in diameter Important: Make the cake and cream one day in advance.

Carrot cake 140 g spelt flour 140 g plain flour 80 g pecan flour 8 g baking powder 6 g baking soda 6 g ground cinnamon 8 g mixed spice 140 g sunflower oil 240 g agave syrup 2 large vegan eggs (17 g ground flaxseed + 108 g water) 180 g plant milk 1 tbsp vinegar 340 g carrots, coarsely grated 100 g pecan nuts, chopped oil or vegan butter for greasing the tin “Cheesecake” cream 300 g cashew nuts 120 g coconut milk 350 g firm silken tofu 60 g coconut oil 60 g agave syrup (or to taste) zest of 3 lemons juice of 2 lemons seeds from 2 vanilla beans Glazed carrot strips 5 baby carrots 100 g caster sugar 100 g water Caramelised pecan nuts 15 g water 43 g caster sugar 7 g inverted sugar a handful of pecan nuts

For the carrot cake Sift all the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices into a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the oil, agave syrup, vegan eggs, plant milk, and vinegar and stir the mixture into the powdered ingredients. Then fold in the grated carrots and pecans. Preheat your fan oven to 180°C and pour the prepared dough into a greased tin. Bake for about 45–50 minutes. Allow to cool completely for several hours, ideally overnight. For the “cheesecake” cream Place the cashew nuts in a bowl with a lot of water and allow to soften for 6 hours. Drain the nuts, rinse properly and place in a blender together with the rest of the ingredients. Blend everything thoroughly into a creamy consistency. Pour the cream into a bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and refrigerate overnight. For the glazed carrot strips Cut the carrots into very thin strips. Place the sugar and water in a pan and warm until the sugar dissolves. Place the carrots in the hot syrup and simmer over a very low heat for 10 minutes. Leave the strips in the pan until the syrup cools down completely. Before using the carrots, drain them off briefly on a paper towel. For the caramelised pecan nuts Combine the water, sugar, and inverted sugar into a very small pan. Simmer while stirring constantly. Place the pecan nuts into a bowl, pour in a tablespoon of the cooked syrup and stir thoroughly. You need the nuts to be completely covered in the syrup; however, there can´t be any excess syrup in the bowl. Preheat your fan oven to 150°C, place the pecan nuts onto a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat and allow to caramelise for approximately 15 minutes. Stir the nuts after 10 minutes of baking. To finish Cut the carrot cake in half horizontally and, if the base did not rise evenly, cut off the top to make it flat. Spread half of the cream on the first layer of the cake and the other half on the upper part. Leave the sides uncovered, so that the cake is visible. Decorate with the glazed carrots, caramelised pecan nuts, and microgreens.

Decoration microgreens

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STRAWBERRY FRAISIER Makes 1 cake Equipment needed: one 18–20 cm diameter cake tin for baking the cake and one 16 × 4.5 cm cake ring for assembling Preparation: This cake can be completed in one day. Start by preparing the crème pâtissière (for the crème diplomat), then bake the sponge and make the vanilla syrup and the strawberry compote. As soon as you are ready to assemble the cake, finish preparing the crème diplomat. Do not make the glaze until the cake has cooled.

Sponge cake 80 g caster sugar 96 g plain flour 1 g baking powder 1 g baking soda 1.3 g salt seeds of ½ a vanilla bean zest of 1 lemon 60 g plant milk 0.5 vegan egg (1.7 g psyllium + 22 g water) 43 g sunflower oil oil or vegan butter for greasing the tin Vanilla syrup 50 g water 44 g caster sugar slices of lemon peel from ¼ a lemon seeds of ¼ a vanilla bean Crème diplomat 220 g coconut milk 1 vanilla bean 33 g caster sugar 17 g cornflour 1.1 g agar powder 154 g coconut whipping cream Strawberry compote 17 g caster sugar 4 g pectin NH 113 g fresh strawberries 113 g strawberry purée

For the sponge cake Sift the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, into a bowl. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients – the milk, egg and sunflower oil. Slowly incorporate the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until they form a smooth batter. Preheat your fan oven to 135°C. Grease the tin with oil or vegan butter and flour it lightly. Pour the batter into the tin, smooth the top and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Once the sponge has cooled, use your 16 cm ring to cut a base that is 1cm high and 16 cm wide. For the vanilla syrup Place all of the ingredients into a small pan and heat until the sugar melts at about 80°C. Allow the syrup to cool to 50°C and then, using a pastry brush, spread some of the syrup over the cooled sponge. For the crème diplomat Begin by preparing the crème pâtissière. In a small pan, combine the coconut milk, seeds from 1 vanilla bean and the empty vanilla pod. Heat until the milk reaches about 70°C. Place the sugar and the cornflour into a bowl and whisk thoroughly. Pour the heated milk over the sugar mixture and stir. Put the mixture back into the pan and cook over a low heat until it thickens. Remove the vanilla pod, transfer the crème to a bowl and place a piece of cling film directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until you are ready to complete the cake. The crème diplomat cannot be made in advance. Do not complete it until you are ready to assemble the cake. At that time, remove the crème from the refrigerator and whisk it to create a creamy consistency. Beat the coconut whipping cream at high speed for 2 minutes and then gently fold it in into the crème pâtissière. For the strawberry compote Mix the sugar and the pectin in a small bowl. Cut the strawberries into 1 cm cubes and place them in a small pan. Add the strawberry purée and heat the berry mixture to 40°C. Add the sugar and pectin, whisking constantly, and continue cooking until the temperature reaches 82°C. Transfer the compote to a bowl, cover it with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of compote, and cool in the refrigerator. Recipe continues on the following page

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Strawberry glaze 100 g strawberry purée (or raspberry for purée for a more striking colour) 13 g water 12 g + 5 g caster sugar 0.7 g agar powder To finish and decorate about 10 large strawberries for assembling the cake small fresh fruit (strawberries, currants, cherries) edible flowers

Assembling the cake Line a 16 cm cake ring with an acetate sheet or a strip of baking paper (this will make it easier to remove the cake). Place the sponge cake, moistened with the vanilla syrup, into the cake ring. Spread half of the strawberry compote over the cake. Halve the fresh strawberries lengthwise and place them around the edge of the cake with the pointed tips facing up and the cut half facing out against the ring. It’s important that the strawberries do not extend past the top edge of the ring. Spread about two-thirds of the crème diplomat onto the cake, high enough to fill the gaps between the strawberries. Make a small well in the centre of the crème and spoon the rest of the strawberry compote into it. Smooth the top of the cake with the remaining crème and refrigerate for 4–5 hours. For the strawberry glaze Once the cake has been assembled and cooled, it is time to make the strawberry glaze. Combine the strawberry (or raspberry) purée, water and 12 g sugar in a pan and heat to 40°C. Mix the remaining 5 g sugar and the agar together. Slowly whisk the sugar mixture into the glaze and bring it to the boil. Afterwards, cool the glaze to about 70°C. Using a spoon, cover the chilled cake with a hot glaze. Work quickly as the activated agar might make it difficult to create an even layer. Put the cake back into the refrigerator to rest. To finish Just before serving, remove the cake from the ring and decorate the top with fresh fruit and edible flowers.

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COCONUT AND MANGO Makes 1 cake Equipment needed: TOR 180 H50 / 1 and TOR 160 H50 / 1 moulds (Silikomart), metal ring, 16 cm in diameter Distribution of work: On the morning of the first day, prepare the crunchy layer, mango compote, and the mango and passion fruit mousse. Then, in the evening, assemble the cake using the coconut mousse, cook the neutral glaze and prepare the decorations. The next day, finish the cake and allow to thaw for several hours at 6–8°C. Coconut crumble 25 g caster sugar 20 g desiccated coconut 30 g rice flour (or other type if preferred) pinch of salt 21 g coconut oil 4 g water

For the coconut crumble Sift all the powdered ingredients together in a bowl. Add the coconut oil, which should be at room temperature, and the water. Combine all ingredients into a crumble-like consistency. This is best done in a kitchen mixer using a paddle, but you can also make the crumble manually. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C, transfer the crumble to a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat, spread evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Once the crumble cools, cut with a knife to get small even pieces, no bigger than 3 mm. Weigh out 85 g.

Crunchy layer 85 g baked crumble 44 g coconut paste

For the crunchy layer Combine the coconut crumble with the coconut paste. If the paste is too thick, allow it to thaw a little in the microwave.

Mango and passion fruit mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 95 g mango purée 55 g passion fruit purée 16 g caster sugar 3.5 g NH pectin 0.9 g locust bean gum 0.3 g citrus fibre emulsifier 14 g odourless coconut oil 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.6 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 42 g caster sugar

Choose a chopping board that can fit in the freezer in a horizontal position and wrap it in cling film. Using a 16 cm diameter ring, make an even layer of the prepared mixture on the chopping board. Don’t press on the mixture too much, so that the layer is not too compact. Place the chopping board in the freezer for at least 2 hours. For the mango and passion fruit mousse Mix the water with the potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Place both purées in a small pan and heat gradually to 40°C. Whisk in 16 g of sugar combined with the pectin, locust bean gum and emulsifier, and heat to 82°C. Transfer to a bowl and wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture and cool to 40°C in the refrigerator. Transfer the mixture to a small measuring jug and blend in the coconut oil, using an immersion blender. Transfer the mixture back to the bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the surface, and cool to 35°C. Pour the water with the potato protein to a perfectly clean bowl, add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar, and baking soda and whip on the highest speed. Once the whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding 42 g of sugar. Keep whipping until the mixture is nicely firm. Weigh out 35 g (you don’t need the rest of the mousse, but a smaller volume would be difficult to whisk). Fold the meringue gradually into the cooled cream. Spread the mousse into a 16 cm diameter silicone mould and place in the freezer. Recipe continues on the following page

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Mango compote 90 g mango (fresh or frozen) 77 g mango purée 16 g lemon juice 23 g caster sugar 2 g NH pectin Coconut mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 300 g coconut purée 4.5 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1)  26 g inulin 6.1 g NH pectin 1.2 g locust bean gum 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.6 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 42 g caster sugar

For the mango compote Chop the mango into 1 cm cubes and place into a small pan along with the mango purée and lemon juice, and heat to 40°C. Then, gradually whisk in the sugar combined with the pectin and heat to 82°C while whisking constantly. Spread the compote evenly on the frozen mango and passion fruit mousse and return to the freezer. Coconut mousse Start preparing the coconut mousse when the crunchy layer and mango insert are completely frozen. Mix the water with the potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Place the coconut purée and citric acid into a small pan and gradually bring the temperature to 40°C. Whisk in the inulin combined thoroughly with the pectin and locust bean gum, and keep heating to 82°C. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and refrigerate to 35°C. Pour the water with the potato protein into a perfectly clean bowl, add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar, and baking soda and whisk on the highest speed. When the whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding the sugar. Keep whisking until you get firm peaks. Weigh out 83 g. Fold the meringue into the cooled coconut cream. Place two thirds of the coconut mousse into am 18 cm diameter silicone mould, spread it over the surface using a spoon and drag it up the sides. Make sure that no air gaps are formed between the mousse and the mould. The mousse should mimic the shape of the mould with a 1cm-wide layer on the sides, and the bottom part must be smoothed into an even layer. Place the frozen mango insert inside and press down a little to remove any air gaps between the mousse and the filling. Spread the rest of the coconut mousse over the filling and finish with the frozen crunchy layer. The crunchy layer should remain parallel with the upper rim of the mould. If it´s a bit higher, push down and remove any leftover mousse. Freeze the cake for at least 8 hours.

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Neutral glaze 100 g water 15 g + 20 g caster sugar 65 g glucose syrup 4 g NH pectin 0.8 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1)  Mango gel 25 g caster sugar 1.5 g agar powder 150 g mango purée Decoration 200 g desiccated coconut mango gel mango pieces fresh passion fruit coconut slices green microgreens edible flowers

For the neutral glaze Place the water, 15 g of sugar and glucose syrup into a small pan and heat to 40°C. Add 20 g of sugar combined with the pectin while whisking constantly and bring the mixture to the boil. Add the citric acid and boil briefly. Transfer the glaze into a bowl, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and refrigerate. For the mango gel Combine the sugar with the agar powder and add to a small pan, along with the mango purée. Bring to the boil (at least 90°C) while whisking constantly. Transfer the mixture into a small measuring jug, wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the top of the mixture, and refrigerate for a few hours. Blend thoroughly using an immersion blender until you get a gel-like consistency. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip, 10 mm in diameter. To finish Melt the neutral glaze to a temperature of around 40°C. Cover the surface of the frozen cake with the glaze using a brush and press down handfuls of desiccated coconut onto the glaze immediately. It is easier to decorate the cake one half at a time. Place the cake onto a serving plate and decorate with pieces of mango, mango gel, passion fruit seeds, coconut slices, microgreens, and edible flowers.

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PASSION FRUIT AND CHOCOLATE Makes 1 cake Equipment needed: Eclipse mould (Silikomart), round ring, 14 cm in diameter Distribution of work: On the morning of the first day, prepare the crunchy layer, passion fruit jelly and chocolate cream. Then, in the evening, assemble the cake using the chocolate mousse, prepare the chocolate glaze and make the chocolate decorations. The next day, glaze the frozen cake and allow to thaw for several hours at 6–8°C.

Chocolate crumble 20 g caster sugar 20 g almond flour 17 g rice flour (or other type if preferred) 4 g cocoa powder pinch of salt 17 g odourless coconut oil 3 g water Crunchy layer 55 g baked crumble 12 g cacao nibs 16 g 70% dark chocolate 21 g almond paste Passion fruit jelly 135 g passion fruit purée 53 g mango purée 45 g caster sugar 4.5 g NH pectin Chocolate cream 67 g 70% dark chocolate 103 g plant milk 9 g caster sugar 1.4 g citrus fibre emulsifier

For the chocolate crumble Sift all the powdered ingredients together in a bowl. Add the coconut oil, which should be at room temperature, and the water. Combine all ingredients to get a crumble-like consistency. This is best done in a kitchen mixer using a flat beater, but you can also make the crumble manually. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C, transfer the crumble to a baking tray overlaid with baking paper or a silicone mat, spread evenly and bake for 20 minutes. Upon cooling, cut any large pieces of the crumble with a knife to get small even pieces, no bigger than 3 mm. Weigh out 55 g. For the crunchy layer Combine the baked crumble with the cacao nibs. Chop half of the chocolate into pieces of crumble size, then melt the other 8 g carefully, ideally in the microwave. Blend the almond paste into the melted chocolate and combine everything with the chopped chocolate, crumble, and cacao nibs. Choose a chopping board that can fit in the freezer in a horizontal position and wrap in cling film. Using a 14 cm diameter ring, make an even layer of the mixture on the chopping board. Don’t press on the mixture too much, so that the layer is not too compact. Place the chopping board in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Passion fruit jelly Place both types of purée into a small pan and heat to 40°C. Then, gradually whisk in the sugar combined with the pectin and heat to 82°C. Use cling film to wrap one side of the 14cm ring, which will create the bottom. Place the prepared ring onto a chopping board which can fit in the freezer in a horizontal position. Pour the jelly into the ring and allow to freeze thoroughly. For the chocolate cream Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Combine the plant milk and sugar and heat to 40°C until the sugar dissolves. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Pour the chocolate cream onto the frozen passion fruit jelly and place back in the freezer. Recipe continues on the following page

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Chocolate mousse 70 g water 2.8 g potato protein 271 g 70% dark chocolate 206 g plant milk 4 g citrus fibre emulsifier 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.6 g cream of tartar pinch of baking soda 41 g caster sugar Chocolate glaze 103 g water 120 g coconut milk 96 g + 24 g caster sugar 45 g glucose syrup 9.6 g NH pectin 36 g cocoa powder 4.8 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1) 

For the chocolate mousse Start preparing the mousse when the insert and crunchy layer have completely frozen. Mix the water with the potato protein using a spiral whisk and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Transfer the cream to a bowl, cover the top with cling film and cool to 35°C. Transfer the water with the potato protein into a perfectly clean bowl, add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar, and a pinch of soda and whip on the highest speed. When the whipped whites are nearly firm, start gradually adding the sugar. Keep whipping until you get firm peaks. Weigh out 95 g of the meringue. Fold the meringue gradually into the cooled chocolate cream. Place two thirds of the chocolate mousse into the Eclipse silicone mould, spread it over the surface using a spoon and drag it up by the sides. Make sure that no air bubbles are formed between the mousse and the mould, as these could destroy the glaze. The mousse should mimic the shape of the mould with a 2–3 cm wide layer on the sides; the bottom part must be smoothed into an even layer. Place the frozen filling inside and press down a little to remove any air gaps between the mousse and the filling. Spread the rest of the chocolate mousse over the filling and finish with the frozen crunchy layer. The crunchy layer should stay parallel to the upper rim of the mould. If it´s a bit higher, push it down and remove any leftover mousse. Freeze the cake for at least 8 hours. For the chocolate glaze Place the water, coconut milk, 96 g of sugar, and glucose syrup into a small pan. Combine the remaining 24 g of sugar with the pectin. Heat the contents of the pan to 40–50°C while stirring constantly, then carefully whisk in the sugar mixture. Gradually bring to the boil, stir in the cocoa powder, bring back to the boil and cook for approximately a minute. Then, stir in the citric acid and boil again very briefly. Transfer the glaze to a measuring jug and blend thoroughly using an immersion blender. During the blending, make sure that no air bubbles are formed in the glaze. Transfer the glaze to a bowl and wrap with cling film so it is directly touching the surface. Place the bowl in the refrigerator and allow to set completely (at least 6 hours).

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Chocolate decoration 200 g dark chocolate 100 g cocoa powder Other decorations edible flowers

For the chocolate decoration Temper 200 g of dark chocolate, following the instructions on page 177. Cover a sheet of baking paper with sieved cocoa powder and make little waves using a spoon. Pour the tempered chocolate into a pastry bag or a paper cornet, cut off a small tip and start drawing various designs in the cocoa powder. I usually draw little branches, but use your imagination as you see fit. Dust the decorations with the remaining cocoa powder and allow to crystallise for at least 30 minutes. Before decorating, brush off the decorations a little to prevent any falling cocoa powder from blemishing the glaze. To finish Once the cake has perfectly frozen, you can start glazing. Heat the glaze, ideally in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie), to approximately 40°C, transfer to a smaller measuring jug and blend thoroughly using an immersion blender. Allow the glaze to cool to 35°C and blend again before glazing. Remove the cake from the mould, place it on a measuring jug or cup and glaze from a height of 10–15 cm. Start from the centre and move to the sides in circular movements. Glaze as quickly as you can, so that the layer is not too thick. Clean the leftover glaze from the bottom part of the cake using a small knife. Transfer the glazed cake onto a serving plate using a large, firm palette knife and decorate with chocolate decorations and edible flowers.

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PLATED DESSERTS

NECTARINES Makes 4 servings

4 small nectarines or peaches 4 tbsp agave syrup 8 tbsp Cointreau (or dessert wine) a few sprigs of thyme 2 pots vanilla yoghurt Decoration edible flowers microgreens

Halve and stone the nectarines or peaches, and cut into thirds. Place the fruit in the middle of a large strip of baking paper, pour the agave syrup and alcohol over the top, sprinkle with thyme and cover by forming a papillotte (i.e. a packet). Seal the edges with a heat-resistant clip to prevent any juice from leaking out. If the baking paper is not large enough, divide the whole recipe by two and make two packets instead of one. Preheat your fan oven to 180°C and bake the fruit for about 15 minutes; if the nectarines or peaches were too soft before baking, lower the baking time by a few minutes. When opening the papillotte, be very careful not to burn yourself on the escaping steam. Put a few tablespoons of yoghurt on a dessert plate, lay the baked fruit over it and decorate with flowers and microgreens.

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CHERRY CLAFOUTIS Makes 4–8 servings Equipment needed: 4 ceramic ramekins, 13 cm in diameter, or one baking dish, 28 cm in diameter

520 g cherries 400 g soft silken tofu 200 g coconut milk 200 g plain flour 12 g tapioca starch or cornflour 100 g + 10 g caster sugar 20 g + 10 g vegan butter zest of ½ small lemon seeds of 2 vanilla beans pinch of salt oil or vegan butter for greasing the ramekins

The cherries can be stoned, but this isn’t necessary. Personally, I choose not to, as it prevents the juice from leaking out during the baking. Grease the baking dish or the ramekins with butter or oil and divide the cherries into them. Blend the drained tofu thoroughly with the coconut milk. Add the plain flour, starch, 100 g of sugar, 20 g of butter, lemon zest, seeds from the vanilla pods, and the salt and blend everything so that you get a creamy consistency. Pour the mixture onto the cherries in the baking dish or divide among the ramekins. The cream has a thick consistency, so you will need to push it to the bottom of the baking dish and between the cherries using a teaspoon. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C. Sprinkle the rest of the sugar lightly on the top of the cream and place in the oven for approximately 40 minutes. Halfway baking, cover the top of the clafoutis with the remaining butter – the upper layer will be softer then. This dessert may be served warm or cold.

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APPLE TARTE TATIN Makes 6 servings Equipment needed: frying pan, 20 cm in diameter at the bottom, suitable for oven use Important: If you wish to prepare home-made puff pastry, prepare one day in advance.

3–4 Granny Smith apples juice of ½ a lemon 120 g caster sugar 1 vanilla bean approx. 250 g puff pastry (bought or homemade – recipe on page 42)

Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and remove the cores. Put a few drops of lemon juice on the apples to prevent discolouration. Preheat your fan oven to 200°C. Prepare the caramel with 120 g of sugar in the frying pan (for directions on making caramel, see page 142). Remove the pan from the heat, stir the vanilla seeds into the caramel, and add the remaining vanilla pod. Arrange the apples very tightly in the pan, rounded sides down. Roll out the puff pastry to 2–3 mm thickness and cut out a circle just a little larger than the pan’s diameter. Lay the pastry onto the apples, tuck the edges down and press the whole pastry layer down to make the apples stick. Prick a few holes in the pastry and bake for about 20 minutes. Take the pan out very carefully and allow to cool for approximately 3 minutes. If the pastry rises a lot, press it down slightly onto the apples. Cover the pan with a plate and flip upside down with one quick movement. Tarte Tatin may be served warm or cold, with yoghurt, ice cream, or as it is. Tarte Tatin may also be prepared with pears or peaches.

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PAVLOVA WITH VANILLA CREAM Makes 12 servings

Pavlova 100 g chilled aquafaba 0.5 g cream of tartar 0.2 g xanthan gum 100 g caster sugar 3 g cornflour seeds of 1 vanilla bean Vanilla cream 25 g caster sugar 23 g cornflour 200 g coconut milk seeds of 1 vanilla pod 150 g firm silken tofu juice of 1 lime Raspberry sauce 500 g raspberries 50 g caster sugar 40 g water 0,1 g xanthan gum for 100 g juice Decoration seasonal fruits (forest fruits in the summer, tropical fruit in the winter) edible flowers

For the pavlova Put the aquafaba, cream of tartar and xanthan gum into a mixing bowl and whisk at the highest speed to soft peaks. Add sugar gradually and whisk to firm peaks. Mix in the cornflour and the vanilla seeds. Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a 16 mm star nozzle. Preheat your fan oven to 110°C. Line the baking tray with baking paper or with a silicon mat and pipe the meringue into small pavlova shapes. Place in the oven and let dry for 2.5–3 hours. Then turn the oven off and leave the pavlovas to cool down inside for around two hours. For the vanilla cream For the vanilla cream, mix sugar and starch in a bowl. Pour coconut milk into a small pan, add the vanilla seeds and the bean pod, warm the mixture and then slowly whisk into the bowl with the sugar. Put the cream back in the pan and cook on medium heat until it thickens. Remove the vanilla pod, move the cream to a bowl, wrap it in cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and put it in the refrigerator to cool. Once the mixture is cool, put the cream, drained silken tofu and lime juice into a blender and mix to a silken consistency. Then, move the cream back to the bowl and put it back in the refrigerator to set. For the raspberry sauce For the raspberry sauce, put raspberries, sugar and water in a small pan, cover and heat. Leave the fruit to soften until it turns to mush. Strain the liquid and weigh it. Calculate the amount of xanthan gum necessary (0.1 g of xanthan per 100 g of liquid), add to the raspberry sauce and blend well with a hand blender. To finish Fill the pavlovas with the vanilla cream, pour raspberry sauce over the top and decorate with fruits and flowers. If the pavlovas start to crack while baking, it is because of the high humidity level in the oven. In this case, open the oven a little and wedge the door open with a towel in order to let the humidity out. Protect the pavlovas from humidity until serving, otherwise they lose their crunchiness.

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CRÈME CARAMEL WITH CACAO NIBS Makes 4 servings Equipment needed: 4 ceramic ramekins (7 cm in diameter)

180 g coconut milk 40 g cacao nibs 145 g caster sugar (90 g for the caramel + 55 g for the crème) 350 g soft silken tofu, drained well 12 g tapioca starch seeds from ½ a vanilla bean pinch of salt

Pour the coconut milk into a pan. Add the cacao nibs and gently bring the mixture to 80°C. Cover the pan with a lid, turn off the heat, and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the coconut milk into a small bowl or measuring cup and set the cacao nibs aside. You should have 126 g of liquid. If the mixture has reduced to less than 126 g, add more milk. Instead of discarding the cacao nibs, rinse them under running water, dry well and use them again to make another batch of crème caramel. They can also be sprinkled on top of chocolate cookies or added to your morning porridge, etc. To prepare the caramel, place a small pan over a low heat and add just enough sugar to cover the bottom. Wait for the sugar to dissolve and turn a light golden caramel colour. Slowly start stirring the newly formed caramel with a whisk or heatproof spatula and then add another layer of sugar. Continue adding layers until you have incorporated 90 g of sugar. As soon as the caramel has a rich golden colour, pour it into each ramekin and gently swirl to coat the bottom evenly. It is important to work quickly, as caramel hardens fast. Preheat your fan oven to 120°C. Place the coconut milk, 55 g of sugar, silken tofu, tapioca starch, vanilla seeds and a pinch of salt in a blender. Process until the mixture becomes silky smooth. Pour the cream into the ramekins, covering the caramel. Tap each ramekin against the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles that may have formed and set them in a roasting pan. Create a water bath by pouring warm water into the pan, until it rises half-way up the ramekins. Carefully place the pan into the oven, making sure the water doesn’t splash into the ramekins. Bake for approximately 40 minutes, until the crème caramel is firm, but still jiggles in the middle. Remove the ramekins from the water bath and allow them to cool for approximately one hour, or until they are at room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, ideally overnight. Just before serving, loosen the sides of the crème caramel with the tip of a sharp knife. If you have a blowtorch, warm the bottom of each ramekin. Alternatively, place the ramekins in hot water for a few moments to soften the caramel. Unmold each crème caramel onto a dessert plate and serve. This is a versatile recipe that can easily be adapted. Crème caramel can be made with 2 vanilla beans (pods as well as the seeds), 40 g of freshly roasted coffee beans, or other ingredients. Just be sure that you have exactly 126 g of coconut milk after infusing it with your favourite flavour.

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PEANUT BROWNIES Makes 8 brownies Equipment needed: baking tin, 20 cm in diameter

Brownies 110 g vegan butter 70 g + 30 g 70% dark chocolate 85 g agave syrup 55 g plant milk 100 g peanut butter 150 g plain flour 3 g baking powder 35 g cocoa powder pinch of salt oil or vegan butter for greasing the tin Peanut ganache 65 g vegan milk chocolate 105 g plant milk 50 g crunchy peanut butter 1.3 g citrus fibre emulsifier pinch of salt Caramelised peanuts 15 g water 43 g caster sugar 7 g inverted sugar a handful of shelled, unsalted peanuts

For the brownies Place the butter and 70 g of chocolate in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) and allow to melt. Stir in the agave syrup, plant milk and peanut butter. Combine the plain flour with the baking powder, cocoa powder, 30 g chopped chocolate and a pinch of salt. Stir in with the chocolate mixture. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C. Pour the dough into a greased baking tin and bake for about 13–14 minutes. Make sure the brownies are not overdone; they must be gooey. For the peanut ganache Place the milk chocolate in a microwave in a small measuring jug, or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) and allow to melt to 45°C. Vegan milk chocolate may burn very quickly, so keep stirring during the melting process and monitor the temperature very carefully. Heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add the peanut butter and emulsifier to the measuring jug with the chocolate and blend in the warm milk using an immersion blender. Add a pinch of salt at the end of the blending process. Transfer the prepared ganache to a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. For the caramelised peanuts Combine the water, sugar, and inverted sugar in a very small pan. Heat the mixture and allow to simmer while stirring constantly. Place the peanuts into a bowl, pour in a tablespoon of the cooked syrup and stir thoroughly. Cover the peanuts with the syrup but don’t soak completely, so that there is no excess liquid. Preheat your fan oven to 150°C. Pour the peanuts onto a baking tray overlaid with baking paper, or a silicone mat, and allow to caramelise for approximately 15 minutes. Stir the peanuts after 10 minutes of baking. Recipe continues on the following page

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Salted caramel sauce 10 g cornstarch 35 g + 104 g coconut milk 8 g glucose syrup 1 g salt seeds of ½ a vanilla bean 105 g caster sugar 34 g vegan butter Decoration microgreens

For the salted caramel sauce Combine the cornflour and 35 g of milk in a bowl. Pour 104 g of milk into a small pan, add the glucose syrup, salt and vanilla seeds. Heat to 80°C. Cool slightly, keeping the temperature at around 50°C. Prepare caramel from the sugar in a small pan (for directions on making caramel, see page 142). When the caramel is the required colour and all the sugar has dissolved, pour the hot milk into the bowl with the cornflour and combine. Pour the liquid into the caramel while whisking quickly and continuously. Simmer until all the caramel is dissolved. Pour into a smaller measuring jug, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface of the mixture and cool to 45–50°C. Then, blend the butter in using an immersion blender. Pour the caramel sauce into a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and allow to cool and solidify at room temperature (or if you are in a hurry, let it set in the refrigerator). To finish Lay a scoop of the peanut cream over each brownie, sprinkle with the caramelised peanuts, pour over salted caramel sauce and decorate with the microgreens. There will be some syrup for the caramelised peanuts left. Unfortunately, it is not possible to prepare a smaller amount. However, if you like caramelised nuts, you can make a larger batch, using practically any type of nuts, including pecans which are hard to caramelise in any other way. I recommend using blanched almonds or hazelnuts. For shinier caramelised nuts, follow the recipe on page 76.

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STRAWBERRIES AND BASIL Makes 4 servings Equipment needed: mould no. SF046 (Silikomart)

Coconut panna cotta 200 g coconut milk 1.5 tbsp agave syrup 0.9 g agar powder seeds of ½ vanilla pod Strawberry sauce 600 g strawberries 30 g caster sugar 0.1 g xanthan gum per 100 g of juice (optional) Strawberry salad 20 strawberries small bunch of basil leaves a few tbsp strawberry sauce Basil and lime sorbet 450 g water 200 g caster sugar 120 g glucose syrup zest of 1 lime 25 g basil leaves 200 g lime juice Decoration edible flowers

For the coconut panna cotta Pour the coconut milk into a small pan. Add the agave syrup, agar, and vanilla seeds. Bring to at least 90°C while whisking constantly. Pour into the mould and allow the mixture to set in the refrigerator. For the strawberry sauce Cut the strawberries into quarters, place in a metal bowl, cover with sugar and lay on top of a pan with a small amount of simmering water. The water in the pan shouldn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a lid and allow the strawberries to release their juices for about 30 minutes. Then, drain the strawberry juice through a piece of linen or a tablecloth and squeeze lightly to get the extra liquid out. If you want your sauce to have a thicker consistency, weigh it and add xanthan gum at a volume of 0.1% of juice weight (i.e. 0.1 g xanthan gum per 100 g of juice). Blend the mixture using an immersion blender for at least a minute and refrigerate. For the strawberry salad Cut the strawberries into small pieces, add the chopped basil leaves and combine with a bit of the strawberry sauce. For the basil and lime sorbet Combine the water, sugar, glucose syrup, and lime zest in a small pan. Heat to approximately 80°C. Add the basil leaves to the blender, pour in the hot liquid and blend thoroughly. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool in the refrigerator to 4°C. Stir in the lime juice, transfer to the ice cream maker and make the sorbet. Place in the freezer. To finish Spoon a bit of strawberry sauce into the centre of a deep plate. Place the panna cotta in the middle, spread the strawberry salad around it and finish with a scoop of sorbet. Decorate with edible flowers. The sorbet should be removed from the freezer approximately 10 minutes before serving, in order to allow it to soften a little and make scooping easier.

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CHOCOLATE AND PEARS Makes 4 servings Equipment needed: mould no. SF022 (Silikomart)

Pears in syrup 300 g water 200 g caster sugar 2 shavings of orange peel 2 cinnamon sticks 1 cm thick slice of ginger, peeled 4 Conference pears

For the pears in syrup Place the water, sugar, orange peel, cinnamon, and ginger in a pan and allow to simmer. Peel the pears, leaving the stalks in and cut off and set aside approximately 4–5 cm of each pear tip for decoration. Halve the remaining pears and remove the cores – you will get 8 halves. Leave aside 4 halves (you will use them for the “caramelised pears” recipe) and place the remaining 4 halves and tips into the syrup. Simmer carefully until they soften.

Caramelised pears 80 g caster sugar 4 raw pear halves from the recipe “pears in syrup” a little water as needed

Leave the pear tips in the cooling syrup until ready to serve; you will use 2 pear halves in the “chocolate mini-muffins” recipe and you can eat the remaining 2 pear halves as a snack (you won´t need them in this recipe).

Chocolate mini-muffins 55 g vegan butter 35 g dark chocolate (65 % cocoa) 70 g cane sugar 1 vegan egg (3.5 g psyllium + 45 g water) 75 g plain flour 13 g almond flour 18 g cocoa powder 1.7 g baking powder 0.5 g baking soda 0.5 g ground ginger 0.5 g ground cinnamon pinch of salt 10 g boiling water 2 pear halves in syrup a few walnuts oil or vegan butter for greasing the mould

For the caramelised pears Prepare the caramel in a small pan using the recipe on page 142. Cut the pear halves into quarters. Once the caramel has the right consistency and all sugar has dissolved, place the quarters in the caramel and cover with a lid. Simmer at a very low temperature and stir from time to time so they don´t stick to the pan. They should gradually release enough liquid so that the caramel turns into a caramel sauce. If this isn’t happening, you can use a little bit of water. Transfer the pears and the sauce to a bowl and allow to cool. Then cut into small pieces of about 1 cm and mix thoroughly with the caramel sauce. For the chocolate mini-muffins Melt the butter and dark chocolate in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie). Add the sugar and vegan egg. In a separate bowl, combine both types of flour, the cocoa powder, baking powder, soda, spices, and salt, then add the bowl with the chocolate. Finally, pour in the boiling water and mix thoroughly. Cut the pears into small pieces of about 7 mm. Stir half of the cubes in with the batter. Grease the mould SF022 with oil or butter and divide the mixture among 8 cavities. Sprinkle the top of the muffins with the chopped walnuts and the remaining chopped pears. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C. Bake for approximately 13–14 minutes. Allow the muffins to cool in the mould for 15 minutes, then remove carefully. You will need only 1 muffin per serving, so you can eat the remaining 4 muffins with your afternoon tea . Recipe continues on the following page

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Ginger and walnut crumble 20 g ground walnuts 20 g rice flour (or other variety if preferred) 20 g icing sugar 17 g odourless coconut oil 10 g finely chopped walnuts 3 g water 1 g ground ginger pinch of salt Pear gel 200 g pear purée 30 g water 30 g caster sugar 2.6 g agar powder pinch of ground cinnamon Pear sorbet 500 g pear purée 270 g water 172 g caster sugar 30 g lemon juice

For the ginger and walnut crumble Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and create a crumble-like consistency (manually or in a mixer). Spread over a baking tray overlaid with a silicone mat or baking paper, adjust your fan oven to 140°C and bake for about 20 minutes. For the pear gel Mix all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to at least 90°C while whisking constantly. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Then transfer the mixture to a small measuring jug and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender until you get a gel-like consistency. For the pear sorbet Combine the pear purée, water, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan and allow to simmer. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, stir the mixture thoroughly using an immersion blender and freeze in the ice cream maker. To finish Arrange a chocolate mini-muffin nicely on a plate with a pear tip for decoration. Spread the crumble around and add a few tablespoons of caramelised pears. Using an icing bag, decorate with the pear gel and add a scoop of sorbet. Decorate with flowers and microgreens.

Decoration edible flowers microgreens

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ALMONDS AND APRICOTS Makes 4 servings Equipment needed: Mould no. SF022 (Silikomart)

Almond muffins 100 g water 12 g potato protein 0.5 g xanthan gum 75 g softened vegan butter 75 g icing sugar 75 g almond flour 7.5 g tapioca starch or cornflour oil or vegan butter for greasing the mould Apricot gel 125 g apricots 15 g agave syrup 50 g water a sprig of lavender 1.5 g agar powder Apricots in syrup 200 g water 200 g caster sugar 2 sprigs of lavender 1 lemon peel shaving 8 halved apricots

For the almond muffins Start with the vegan whites. Place the water, protein and xanthan gum into a small measuring jug and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender for 2 minutes. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, ideally for 5 hours. Then, weigh out 68 g of the mixture and warm to room temperature. Whisk the softened butter with the icing sugar using a hand mixer. Add the almond flour mixed with starch and the vegan whites, alternating between spoonfuls of each. During this step, it is very important to create the right emulsion between the butter and the liquid. If you add the liquid too quickly, it will get separated and the mixture will appear curdled. if this happens, heat a little with a hairdryer and continue whisking until you get a consistent cream. Grease the mould with oil or butter and divide the cream among the cavities, always in two thirds of each one of them. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C and bake for 15–18 minutes or until golden. You only need one muffin per serving, so place the remainder in a box, where they will last for a few days (if you don’t eat them right away). For the apricot gel Cut the apricots into small pieces and place in a saucepan with the agave syrup, water, and lavender. Cover with a lid and simmer until the apricots have completely softened. Remove the lavender, pour the contents of the pan into a measuring jug and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender. Transfer back to the saucepan, add the agar powder and bring to at least 90°C. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface, and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Then transfer the mixture to a small measuring jug and blend thoroughly with an immersion blender until you get a gel-like consistency. For the apricots in syrup Place the water, lavender, and peel into a pan and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the halved apricots and allow to soften in the hot syrup. It is very important that the apricots keep their shape and do not soften too much. Depending on the ripeness of the apricots, leave them in the syrup for 10–20 minutes. Cut half of the apricots into small cubes, add a few tablespoons of syrup and stir. Transfer the other half to a paper towel, pat dry and bake in a grilling pan, rounded sides up. You can do this just before serving, so that the apricots remain warm from the pan. Recipe continues on the following page

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Apricot sorbet 500 g apricot purée 270 g water 172 g caster sugar

For the apricot sorbet Combine the apricot purée, water, and sugar in a saucepan and allow to simmer. Transfer to a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it directly touches the surface, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, blend the mixture thoroughly with an immersion blender and freeze in the ice cream maker.

Crunchy almonds 45 g crushed almonds 9 g water 23 g caster sugar

For the crunchy almonds Preheat your oven to 150°C. Spread out the almonds on a baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Decoration roasted almond slices microgreens edible flowers

Pour the water into a saucepan, add the sugar and heat to 115°C. Throw in the hot almonds and stir at a low temperature until the sugar syrup changes to a white icing sugar and coats the almonds. Return to the baking tray and let it dry for 5 minutes at 150°C. To finish Arrange the dessert on a plate as you wish, or according to the photo. Decorate with the dry-roasted almond slices, microgreens, and flowers. With this recipe you must have the right apricots – perfectly ripe, not too hard or soft, and medium-sized.

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RASPBERRIES AND PISTACHIOS Makes 4 servings Equipment needed: mould No. SF005 (Silikomart), cutter, 9 cm in diameter

Pistachio biscuits 50 g almond flour 12 g pistachio flour 30 g rice flour 30 g + 20 g agave syrup 11 g odourless coconut oil 5 g water pinch of salt a small handful of finely chopped green pistachios

For the pistachio biscuits Combine all the ingredients (except for 20 g of agave syrup and the chopped pistachios) in a bowl and form a smooth dough. Roll out between two pieces of baking paper to 3 mm thickness and place in the freezer for 30 minutes. Once the dough has cooled enough, remove one of the papers and cut out four round-shaped pieces with a cutter. Preheat your fan oven to 160°C, transfer them to a baking tray lined with an Air Mat or baking paper and bake for 8–9 minutes.

Raspberry panna cotta 30 g rice milk or water 50 g raspberry purée 20 g agave syrup 0.8 g agar powder

For the raspberry panna cotta Blend all the ingredients in a small measuring jug and mix with an immersion blender. Transfer to a saucepan and allow to simmer while whisking constantly. Divide the mixture in the mould and place in the refrigerator with a chopping board underneath for approximately 5 hours, or until the panna cotta solidifies sufficiently to be removed from the mould. You can put it in the freezer for a short time, but don´t leave it there for too long, or the agar will lose its gelling power.

Raspberry cream 11 g caster sugar 2.1 NH pectin 1.2 g citrus fibre emulsifier 123 g raspberry purée 21 g odourless coconut oil Raspberry mousse 100 g raspberry purée 7 g potato protein 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.5 g cream of tartar 30 g caster sugar Crystallised pistachios 50 g green pistachios a few drops of water 10 g caster sugar Decoration fresh raspberries microgreens

Brush the baked and cooled biscuits on one side with the remaining agave syrup, and sprinkle with the finely chopped pistachios.

For the raspberry cream Combine the sugar with the pectin and emulsifier. Heat the purée to 40°C in a small pan, gradually whisk in the sugar mixture and bring to 82°C, while whisking constantly. Transfer to a small measuring jug, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface, and allow to cool in the refrigerator to 40°C. Then, blend in the coconut oil with an immersion blender. Wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the cream, and leave in the refrigerator until ready to serve. For the raspberry mousse In a small measuring jug, blend the raspberry purée with the potato protein, xanthan gum, and cream of tartar with an immersion blender. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and whip on the highest speed. Once you reach soft peaks, gradually start adding the sugar. Whip the meringue until firm peaks are formed. This mousse will not remain stable for long, so you need to whisk it when you are ready to serve. For the crystallised pistachios Preheat your fan oven to 200°C. Lightly wet the pistachios with water and cover with sugar. Bake for 3 minutes. To finish Lay the panna cotta over the pistachio biscuit, pipe around the raspberry cream and raspberry mousse around the outside using a pastry bag with a 10mm tip, and decorate with pistachios, raspberries, and microgreens.

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FROZEN DESSERTS

BLOOD ORANGE GRANITA 200 g water 81 g caster sugar 200 g blood orange juice

Pour the water and sugar into a small pan and bring to the boil. Stir in the blood orange juice. Transfer to a bowl, or a plastic container large enough to hold the liquid so that it stands no more than 3 cm deep. Place the container in the freezer. Use a whisk to thoroughly stir the mixture every hour until it has the consistency of granita. Granita can be prepared from other citrus juices, as well as from fruit purée.

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CHERRY SORBET Equipment needed: ice cream maker Important: The sorbet mixture must be prepared one day in advance.

500 g cherry purée 270 g water 172 g caster sugar a small handful of dark chocolate a small handful of fresh cherries

Combine the cherry purée, water and sugar in a pan and bring the mixture to the boil. Transfer to a bowl and wrap with cling film, so it is directly touching the surface of the mixture. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, use an immersion blender to blend the mixture thoroughly. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, finely chop the chocolate and cut the cherries into pieces. Place the finished sorbet in a bowl and carefully stir in the chocolate and cherries.

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PINEAPPLE FROZEN YOGHURT Equipment needed: ice cream maker Important: The yoghurt mixture must be prepared one day in advance.

500 g soy yoghurt 50 g pineapple juice 45 g lemon juice 55 g caster sugar 55 g cane sugar zest of 1 small lemon 0.2 g citric acid 50 g fresh pineapple coconut slices to decorate

Combine the soy yoghurt, pineapple juice, lemon juice, both types of sugar, lemon zest and citric acid in a large measuring cup. Using an immersion blender, process until the mixture is smooth. Transfer to a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, thoroughly blend the mixture again. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Meanwhile, finely chop the pineapple, place the frozen yoghurt in a bowl and stir in. Just before serving, decorate with coconut slices. This frozen yoghurt has quite a thick consistency when it first comes out of the freezer. Allow it to thaw for a while in the refrigerator, or at room temperature, before serving. It will be much easier to create beautiful scoops.

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CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM LOLLIES Makes 8 ice cream lollies Equipment needed: ice cream maker, ice cream lolly mould and sticks Important: The ice cream mixture must be prepared one day in advance.

Chocolate ice cream 500 g unsweetened oat milk 143 g coconut milk 157 g caster sugar 36 g inulin 43 g cocoa powder 200 g 65% dark chocolate Chocolate coating 400 g 65% dark chocolate 75 g sunflower oil 75 g cocoa butter Decoration cacao nibs

For the chocolate ice cream Place the oat milk, coconut milk, sugar, inulin and cocoa powder in a pan. Bring to the boil while stirring constantly. Transfer to a bowl, or a large measuring cup, and use an immersion blender to process until the mixture is smooth. Place the chocolate in a large measuring cup and blend in the hot cocoa milk using an immersion blender. Transfer to a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, thoroughly blend the mixture again. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon the freshly-churned chocolate ice cream into the lolly moulds and smooth down the tops, so they are nice and even. Freeze well. For the chocolate coating Heat the dark chocolate, sunflower oil and cacao butter together in a microwave, or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie), until it has melted. Allow the coating to cool to 30–35°C, then dip each of the frozen ice cream lollies into the mixture. Sprinkle the top with the cacao nibs while the chocolate is still liquid, so they stick to the lollies before the coating sets.

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HAZELNUT ICE CREAM LOLLIES Makes 8 ice cream lollies Equipment needed: ice cream maker, ice cream lolly mould and sticks Important: The ice cream mixture must be prepared one day in advance.

Hazelnut ice cream 450 g unsweetened oat milk 300 g coconut milk 120 g caster sugar 30 g cornflour 30 g inulin 150 g hazelnut praline paste Hazelnut chocolate coating 200 g dark gianduja chocolate 200 g 65% dark chocolate 75 g sunflower oil 75 g cacao butter 110 g almonds or hazelnuts, finely chopped

For the hazelnut ice cream Pour the oat milk and coconut milk into a pan and heat to 70°C. Combine the sugar, cornflour and inulin in a bowl and mix well using a whisk. Gradually pour the heated milk into the bowl and mix together until smooth. Return the mixture to the pan and continue cooking over a low heat until it thickens. Remove from the heat and stir in the praline paste. Transfer to a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it directly touches the surface. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, thoroughly blend the mixture using an immersion blender. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Spoon the freshly-churned hazelnut ice cream into the lolly moulds and smooth down the tops so they are nice and even. Freeze well. For the nut coating Melt the gianduja, dark chocolate, sunflower oil and cacao butter together in the microwave, or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie). Add the almonds or hazelnuts and let the mixture cool to 30–35°C. Then, dip each of the frozen ice cream lollies in the hazelnut chocolate coating.

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RASPBERRY ICE CREAM DESSERT Equipment needed: ice cream maker, small cake rings or one large round/square ring for a family dessert Important: The sorbet mixture must be prepared one day in advance.

Raspberry sorbet 500 g raspberry purée 270 g water 172 g caster sugar

For the raspberry sorbet Combine the raspberry purée, water and sugar in a pan and bring the mixture to the boil. Transfer to a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface. Refrigerate overnight.

Meringues 100 g well-cooled aquafaba 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.5 g cream of tartar 100 g + 20 g caster sugar red powdered food colouring

The next day, thoroughly blend the mixture using an immersion blender. Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Italian meringue 100 g + 67 g water 7 g potato protein 0.2 g xanthan gum 0.7 g cream of tartar 50 g + 200 g caster sugar Decoration 100 g raspberries a small handful of green pistachios

Line the small rings or the larger ring with cling film and then spoon in the sorbet. Freeze well. For the meringues Pour the cooled aquafaba into a kitchen mixer bowl. Add the xanthan gum and cream of tartar and whip at a medium speed until medium peaks have formed. Gradually add 100 g of sugar and continue beating until the mixture is firmly whipped. Transfer to a pastry bag with an 8 mm tip and pipe long lines onto a silicone baking mat, or a piece of baking paper, extending from one side to the other. Combine the remaining 20 g of sugar with a bit of the food colouring and sprinkle the top of the meringues with the mixture. Preheat your fan oven to 90°C, then allow the meringues to dry for 2 hours. Break the baked meringues into pieces. They should be different sizes – just make sure they are not smaller than the height of the rings you are using. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. For the Italian meringue Start with the vegan whites: pour 100 g of water into a small bowl. Add the protein and mix thoroughly with a spiral whisk, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a kitchen mixer, add the xanthan gum, cream of tartar and a pinch of baking soda and whip on the highest speed. When the whites are nearly firm, gradually add 50 g of sugar. At the same time, combine 67 g of water and 200 g of sugar in a small pan and heat. Once the sugar syrup has reached 121°C, pour it down the side of mixing bowl, into the firmly whipped whites, with the mixer running. Continue beating until the mixture has cooled. Transfer the Italian meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. To finish Remove the ring from the freezer and gently warm the outsides with a blowtorch or hairdryer. Carefully remove the sorbet and place it on a serving plate. Lay the meringues around the edge of the sorbet, side by side, until covered. Pipe the Italian meringue on top and sprinkle with raspberries and pistachios. Serve immediately.

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CHOCOLATE CONFECTIONERY

CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHOCOLATE

Chocolate fluidity Especially when making chocolate bonbons, it’s important to know whether the chocolate will be fluid upon melting, or whether it will have a thicker consistency. The majority of professional chocolate states clearly, through symbols on the packaging, information on how fluid the chocolate will be upon melting. This way, you will know at first sight if you should choose it for chocolate bonbons (because it’s more liquid and it will be easier to work with) or whether you should keep it for creams and mousses (because it’s less fluid upon melting and the shells of the bonbons would be too thick).

I have always loved chocolate, especially dark chocolate. However, it wasn’t until I had the opportunity to taste the complete range of my favourite brand, that my love became true passion. Until then, I had no idea how diverse the taste of chocolate could be and how interesting chocolate is! What’s more, dark chocolate is naturally vegan, so it is an ideal ingredient for many plant-based desserts. Ordinary milk and white chocolate is not vegan, as it contains cow’s milk. But these days, you can buy purely plant-based versions where cow’s milk is replaced by rice, coconut or soy milk.

Percentage information On the chocolate packaging, you will usually find two pieces of percentage information, from which you will be able to quickly find the fundamentals of the chocolate’s composition. For dark chocolate, larger text might say 70% and smaller text, 38%. 70% is a summary of the amount of cocoa mass and cocoa butter. As it is dark chocolate, we can tell for sure that 70% of every chocolate button is made with cocoa mass and cocoa butter, nearly 30% is sugar – and there will be a very small amount of lecithin.

Package size If you don’t do so yet, start buying professional chocolate in packs of at least 1 kg each. You will get a chocolate of higher quality than common retail chain chocolate, and for the same price or even lower. As chocolate is a non-perishable food, it usually lasts a year or two, so it’s better to invest in a bigger package for a better product. Chocolate composition When buying chocolate, always check the ingredients. Dark chocolate should only contain cocoa mass, cocoa butter, and sugar. Usually, a little lecithin for better emulsification is also added. With regards to vegan milk and white chocolate, these days the composition varies a lot depending on the manufacturer. Milk chocolate will, however, always contain cacao mass, cocoa butter, sugar and plant milk powder, whereas white chocolate will only contain cocoa butter, sugar and plant milk powder. Always make sure that the chocolate is really vegan and does not contain any cow’s milk. Also, avoid chocolate with contents from plant fats other than cocoa, such as palm oil.

The information written in the smaller writing – 38% – refers to the total content of cocoa butter. Information on cocoa butter content is important, as you then know immediately how fluid the chocolate will be upon melting. The higher the volume of cocoa butter, the more fluid the chocolate will be.

Information on chocolate packaging The packaging of professional chocolate will provide you with a lot of interesting information, which can help you choose the right type for your chocolates, truffles or cakes.

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TEMPERING CHOCOLATE

Tempering curve On the packaging of professional chocolate, you will always see a tempering curve, which is particularly important for making chocolate bonbons and chocolate decorations. This curve provides the temperatures through which the chocolate has to go from melting to crystallisation, so that you can make nicely crunchy, shiny bonbons. The tempering curve is different for white, milk, and dark chocolate. Before tempering each kind of chocolate, always check its packaging and find out about the tempering curve! If it’s not stated on the packaging, work in accordance with the curve of a similar chocolate or ask the manufacturer. Tempering chocolate If you wish to prepare chocolate bonbons or decorations from chocolate, you have to temper the chocolate correctly. During tempering, chocolate changes from liquid to solid, crunchy, and shiny. During the process of chocolate tempering, the crystals in the cocoa butter start to form. There are five basic types of crystals and what we need are beta crystals in particular. STEPS: A) Melting chocolate Firstly, melt the chocolate (microwave or a bain-marie) to 40–50°C (specific temperature is always stated on the packaging). B) Cooling/forming stable beta crystals Start cooling the chocolate to the temperature stated on the tempering curve, usually 25–29°C. During this cooling process, stable beta crystals are formed in the cocoa butter, ensuring the quality of the end product. C) Reaching working temperature Upon cooling, warm up the chocolate slightly by a few degrees to a so-called “working temperature”, which is usually 29–32°C (again, it depends on the given chocolate type). Keep the chocolate at this temperature for the entire duration of your work. D) Cooling the product In order to ensure correct crystallisation of chocolate bonbons/decorations, they must be placed in the suitable environment at a temperature of 18–20°C. If you keep

them at a higher temperature, the chocolate will crystallise much slower and there is a risk that the product may not look so good. If it’s quite hot in your kitchen, place the products in the refrigerator for a few minutes to enable the chocolate to crystallise as soon as possible. BASIC METHODS OF TEMPERING CHOCOLATE: A) Cooling on the worktop The best method for cooling chocolate is on the worktop. The ideal surface for tempering is stone, but you can use any other resistant surface. With this method, temper the chocolate precisely following the tempering curve – melt it, then pour it onto the table and cool while stirring constantly, then return to the bowl and warm a little to working temperature. The chocolate will now be ready to use. B) Seeding method (adding crystallised chocolate) If you have a large volume of chocolate and cooling on the table is too difficult, try this method. This time melt 80% of the target chocolate volume and then start adding the remaining un-melted chocolate while stirring constantly. It is always necessary that the 20% you are adding is crystallised perfectly (i.e. the original chocolate which has been stored at a temperature below 20°C). Keep adding the chocolate gradually and keep stirring. This way, you cool it while stirring in the necessary beta crystals, which are formed in the 20% of the un-melted chocolate. During this tempering method, you skip the second temperature on the tempering curve and cool it only to the “working temperature” (i.e. 29–32°C). The ratio of 80:20 is indicative only. Always add the chocolate gradually and keep measuring the temperature. The aim is that upon reaching the working temperature, all the chocolate is melted yet tempered correctly. Sometimes you will need to add more chocolate, sometimes less. Important: Before using the chocolate, make sure it is tempered correctly. Dip a corner of a spatula or the tip of a knife into the chocolate, tap it off so that only a small layer remains, and put it in a place with a temperature of around 20°C. If the chocolate doesn’t start to crystallise within 5 minutes, it means that it may not be properly tempered. Wait 5 more minutes; if nothing changes, I recommend you temper the chocolate again.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Do you really melt chocolate in the microwave? Yes, I consider it to be one of the best methods. Chocolate melts quickly and there is no risk of contamination by water. However, you need to monitor the melting carefully, i.e. your microwave needs to be set to a medium level only and the chocolate must be stirred regularly. If you leave it unattended for several minutes, it may burn. This applies especially to vegan white and milk chocolate which, unfortunately, burn very easily. The second-most frequently used method is melting on top of a double boiler (bain-marie). I do not use this method as it is more time-demanding, and, what’s more, there is a risk that the chocolate will be contaminated by water, which will destroy it. If you don’t have a microwave and you need to use this method, don’t let the water bubble too intensely underneath the bowl – the escaping steam could contaminate the chocolate.

It’s hot at my place; is it even a good idea to make truffles? Honestly, no it’s not. Especially in the summer, the temperature in the kitchen may be so high that the chocolate will temper really badly, and getting the correct crystallisation for fillings will be very hard. I try to work with chocolate at a maximum temperature of 22–23°C. If the temperature gets higher, I need to switch on the air conditioning. Personally, I avoid making truffles during the whole of summer, then I enjoy it more in autumn or winter. Do I really need to temper the chocolate? In magazines they never mention anything like that. Yes, if you want your chocolate to be shiny and crunchy, you really must temper it. If you don’t, the chocolate will thicken after a while, but it will be grey (see question No. 2), matte, and still slightly soft.

I have purchased some chocolate and when I took it out of its packaging, it‘s a grey colour. What can I do about it? Most likely, your chocolate has not been stored properly and was exposed to a higher temperature somewhere on the way. The cocoa butter started melting, reached the surface and crystallised there. There is nothing wrong with your chocolate, it’s just not tempered correctly. You can certainly use it. It’s hot at my place; where shall I store the finished truffles or chocolate bonbons? It’s best to store the finished truffles or chocolate bonbons at a temperature below 20°C. For instance, a good storage place is a wine refrigerator, as it is dry and the temperature is very favourable for chocolate. If you don’t have a wine refrigerator, store it in the refrigerator. However, make sure that the box is wrapped in cling film thoroughly, so that no humidity gets to the chocolate.

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FRUIT CHOCOLATE BARS Equipment needed: polycarbonate mould for making chocolate bars

Raspberry white vegan chocolate lyophilised raspberries, 10% of the chocolate weight Decoration lyophilised raspberries and blackcurrants almond wedges Mango and pineapple white vegan chocolate lyophilised mango and pineapple, 10% of the total chocolate weight Decoration coconut slices dried papaya and pineapple Strawberries and banana white vegan chocolate lyophilised strawberries and bananas, 10% of the total chocolate weight Decoration lyophilised strawberries and bananas

You will need about 100 g of chocolate to make 1 chocolate bar. However, there are many modern designs of polycarbonate moulds with small volumes, so double check the mould packaging before starting the preparation. Weigh out the necessary amount of white chocolate and melt to 40°C in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie). Weigh out 10 g of lyophilised fruit for every 100 g of chocolate, grind the fruit to a fine powder using a mortar, add to the melted chocolate and stir thoroughly, so that the chocolate is coloured as much as possible. Temper the chocolate – pour it onto the worktop and, alternately, spread it to the sides and scrape it back to the centre using a wide scraper. Keep measuring the temperature regularly; when the chocolate cools to 26°C, scrape it back into the bowl and carefully warm to 28°C. Pour the tempered chocolate into the mould and tap it on a table immediately to remove any bubbles that may have formed. The moulds are transparent, so check from the other side that no bubbles are left anywhere. Decorate the tops of the bars and refrigerate for 10 minutes, so that the chocolate crystallises as soon as possible. Allow the chocolate to fully crystallise for a few more hours at a temperature of 18–20°C. Note: Not all lyophilised fruit tastes intensely enough to be noticeable in white chocolate; certain types of lyophilised fruit turn to a gum consistency once you take them out of the sachet. Personally, I’ve had the best results with the fruit used in this recipe, but don’t be afraid to try other options too.

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CHOCOLATE NUT BARS Equipment needed: polycarbonate chocolate moulds

Pistachios vegan white chocolate pistachio paste, 38 g per 100 g chocolate Decoration lyophilised raspberries pistachios Peanuts vegan white chocolate crunchy peanut butter, 38 g per 100 g chocolate Decoration roasted peanuts dried bananas Hazelnuts vegan milk chocolate cacao butter, 6 g per 100 g chocolate hazelnut praline paste or hazelnut butter, 38 g per 100 g chocolate Decoration roasted hazelnuts

You will need about 100 g of chocolate to make each chocolate bar. However, polycarbonate moulds are available in many shapes and sizes, so change your recipe accordingly. For the white chocolate: weigh the white chocolate and melt it in the microwave, or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie), until it reaches 40°C. For the milk chocolate: combine the milk chocolate and the cacao butter in the microwave, or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie), until it reaches 45°C. You will need 38 g of nut paste or nut butter for every 100 g of chocolate. Using a spatula, carefully incorporate the nut paste or nut butter into the chocolate and mix until combined. Temper the chocolate – pour it onto a worktop and use a wide scraper to spread it from side to side. Continue checking the temperature until the chocolate has cooled to 23–24°C. Immediately put the tempered chocolate back into the bowl and pour it into the mould. Tap the mould firmly against the table to eliminate any air bubbles that may have formed. Polycarbonate moulds are transparent, so check the bottom and sides to ensure there are no air bubbles left in the chocolate. Decorate the surface of the chocolate bars and place them in the refrigerator for 10 minutes to help them crystallise as quickly as possible. Then, leave the bars to fully crystallise at a temperature between 18 and 20°C for a few hours.

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FRAGRANT CHOCOLATE BARS Makes one 100 g chocolate bar Equipment needed: polycarbonate moulds for making chocolate bars

Orange 25 g cocoa butter finely grated zest of 1 organic orange 100 g 65% dark chocolate Decoration candied orange peel almond wedges Thyme 25 g cocoa butter 4 g fresh thyme 100 g 65% dark chocolate Decoration thyme salt thyme leaves and florets Ginger 25 g cocoa butter 12 g fresh grated ginger 100 g 65% dark chocolate Decoration candied ginger dried chillies pink peppercorns

First, prepare the infused cocoa butter. Place 25 g of butter into a small pan, heat to 50°C, add orange zest/thyme/ginger, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for an hour. After an hour, your butter will be most likely partially crystallised. Warm it a little and then strain through a very fine sieve. Weigh out 10 g and stir the butter into the dark chocolate, which you have melted in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) to 45°C. Temper the chocolate – pour it onto the worktop and, alternately, spread it to the sides and scrape it back to the centre using a wide scraper. Keep measuring the temperature regularly; once it cools down to 28°C, scrape the chocolate back into the bowl and carefully warm to 31°C. Pour the tempered chocolate into the mould and tap it on a table immediately to remove any bubbles that may have formed. The moulds are transparent, so check from the other side that no bubbles are left anywhere. Decorate the tops of the bars and refrigerate for 10 minutes, so that the chocolate crystallises as soon as possible. Allow the chocolate to fully crystallise for a few more hours at a temperature of 18–20°C. For preparing a large number of bars, you always need 10 g of infused cocoa butter per 100 g of dark chocolate.

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CHOCOLATE ROCKS My favourite combinations:

Roast the nuts for 10–15 minutes in an oven at 140°C, then allow to cool.

Exotic rocks almond wedges dried coconut slices dried pineapple slices dried papaya dried mango pinch of salt 70 % dark chocolate

Place the cooled roasted nuts in a bowl and add the dried fruit – cut into 0.5 cm cubes – and any other ingredients. Stir well, then weigh out the mixture.

Cherries almond wedges chocolate puffed rice granola dried cherries pinch of salt 70 % dark chocolate Apricots puffed wheat with maple syrup almond wedges dried apricots pinch of salt 70 % dark chocolate

For 200 g of mixture you will need 130 g of chocolate. Melt the weighed-out chocolate in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) to 45°C, then cool to approximately 38°C while stirring constantly. As you will know from the introduction to this chapter, stable beta crystals must be formed in the chocolate by cooling it to approximately 27°C, so that it is shiny and solid. This time, you will do this using the fruit and nuts, which will cool the chocolate naturally. Combine the contents of both bowls. You will not need to warm the chocolate to working temperature (31–32°C); you can use the mixture immediately. Lay small lumps on a silicone mat or a sheet of baking paper and allow them to crystallise for at least 30 minutes at a temperature of 18–20°C. When making chocolate rocks, you can use a lot of small leftovers from your cupboard. Combine together the crunchy nuts, dried fruit, and chocolate and you will get delicious sweets that not only you but your little ones will appreciate too!

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RASPBERRY TRUFFLES Makes approximately 30 truffles

Raspberry ganache 152 g 65% dark chocolate 120 g raspberry purée 18 g inverted sugar 2,2 g citrus fibre emulsifier 23 g odourless coconut oil Coating 200 g tempered dark chocolate 100 g cocoa powder

For the raspberry ganache Coarsely chop the chocolate, or break it into pieces, and place in a small measuring jug. Carefully melt the chocolate in a microwave until it reaches 45°C. Alternatively, place the chocolate on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) and allow it to melt over a medium heat. Warm the raspberry purée and inverted sugar together until it reaches 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and blend in the warmed purée gradually, using an immersion blender. Add the coconut oil and continue blending until the ganache is smooth. Pour the ganache into a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface. Allow it to set for about 3 hours at a temperature close to 20°C. Give the mixture a gentle stir and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 14 mm tip. Pipe long lines of chocolate ganache onto a silicone mat or a piece of baking paper. Allow the ganache to crystallise for several hours. Once it has set, use a hot, dry knife to cut the ganache into 3 cm long pieces. For the coating Prepare the tempered dark chocolate (for directions, see the introduction to this chapter). Quickly dip each piece of ganache into the tempered chocolate and immediately transfer it to a bowl filled with 100 g of cocoa powder. Try to avoid touching the cocoa with your hands. Lightly shake the bowl instead to ensure that each truffle is completely coated in cocoa powder. Remove each truffle with a fork. Allow the chocolate truffles to crystallise for about an hour at a temperature close to 20°C.

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PISTACHIO TRUFFLES Makes 30 truffles

Pistachio ganache 160 g 65 % dark chocolate 90 g plant milk 27 g inverted sugar 2.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 40 g pistachio paste 20 g odourless coconut oil Coating 200 g tempered dark chocolate 150 g finely chopped green pistachios

For the pistachio ganache Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Heat the plant milk and inverted sugar to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and blend in the warmed milk gradually using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the pistachio paste and coconut oil, which should be at room temperature, pour the mixture into a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of the mixture. Leave the ganache to crystallise for about 3 hours at approximately 20°C, then stir gently with a spatula and transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a 14 mm tip. Pipe long lines of chocolate ganache onto a silicone mat or baking paper and allow to crystallise for several hours. Then use a hot, dry knife to cut the ganache into pieces that are 3 cm long. To finish Prepare the tempered dark chocolate (for directions, see the introduction to this chapter) and the bowl with very finely chopped pistachios. Spread the chocolate lightly over each piece of ganache using your fingers, place in the pistachios and cover completely. Try to avoid touching the pistachios with your hands; instead, shake the bowl and remove the pieces with a fork. Allow the pieces to crystallise for an hour at a temperature below 20°C.

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ROCHERS Makes 30 rochers

Hazelnut ganache 100 g vegan milk chocolate 60 g 65% dark chocolate 10 g cocoa butter 90 g plant milk 2.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 50 g hazelnut praline paste 20 g odourless coconut oil To finish a handful of roasted peeled hazelnuts 500 g 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid chocolate) 250 g crushed almonds or very finely chopped hazelnuts

For the hazelnut ganache Put both types of chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Heat the plant milk to 40°C. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and blend in the warmed milk gradually, using an immersion blender. Blend in the hazelnut praline and coconut oil, which should be at room temperature, then pour the ganache into a bowl and wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of the mixture. Allow to crystallise for about 3 hours at approximately 20°C, then stir gently with a spatula and transfer to a pastry bag with a 12 mm diameter nozzle. To finish Now, you will need to fill the ganache with a hazelnut; this forms the rochers. Using the ganache, make several small dots on a silicone mat or baking paper of about 1.5 cm in diameter and place a hazelnut on each of them. Place the pastry bag directly above the hazelnut, so that the tip nearly touches it, and do not move it at all during the process. Start pressing the pastry bag, so the ganache can flow naturally around the hazelnut. Make sure that the hazelnut is wrapped in the chocolate sufficiently and that you can’t see it from any angle. Continue until all the ganache is used, then allow to crystallise for 1–2 hours at a temperature below 20°C. Once the chocolate is more solid and does not stick to your fingers, shape the ganache into nice balls and allow to crystallise for a few more hours, ideally overnight. Temper the chocolate together with the crushed almonds or chopped nuts, following the instructions on page 177. Put the ball into the tempered chocolate, cover it completely using a dipping fork and remove carefully. Tap the fork a few times on the side of the bowl, so all leftover chocolate leaks down. Clean the bottom of the ball on the side of the bowl and let it sit on the silicone mat or baking paper. During this process, make sure that the rochers have a thin crust and that no thick base is formed from the leftover chocolate gathering underneath them on the mat. Allow the rochers to crystallise at a temperature below 20°C.

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HAND-DIPPED CHOCOLATES With this method, you prepare the filling first, allowing it to crystallise for 24 hours, then cut into squares and cover them in chocolate. Therefore, the preparation of hand-dipped chocolates is completely the opposite to the preparation of moulded chocolates. Filling preparation Prepare a bit of tempered chocolate, a silicone mat and a ring (all recipes in this section are designed for square rings measuring 18 × 18 cm). Using a brush or an offset spatula, lay a very thin layer of chocolate on the silicone mat; the layer should be just a little bigger than the ring dimensions. Then, place the ring onto the chocolate and press down a little. Allow the chocolate to crystallise. This thin layer of chocolate will make it easier for you to handle the filling later on.

Preparing the shells Prepare the tempered chocolate, the cut filling, a silicone mat or baking paper, a dipping fork, and the decorations. You can purchase the dipping forks in most baking and pastry equipment shops. I use the one with three prongs and bend it so that it’s not straight, but angled to 90°. Place the square filling onto the fork (with the thin chocolate layer facing down) and soak in the tempered chocolate. Tap the fork a few times on the side of the bowl, so all the leftover chocolate leaks down. Then, gently wipe the bottom of the chocolate bonbon on the side of the bowl to get rid of the excess chocolate and let it sit on the silicone mat or baking paper. During this process, make sure that the bonbon has a thin crust and that no thick base is formed from the leftover chocolate gathering underneath it on the mat. Use your imagination and decorate the top of the bonbon as soon as possible.

Make the filling according to the recipe and pour it into the prepared ring. Smooth down the surface as much as possible. If you choose the recipe in combination with pâte de fruit and chocolate ganache, the process is slightly different. Because you will first pour the very hot pâte de fruit into the ring, you cannot make the chocolate base under it – it would melt. In this case, pour the pâte de fruit into the ring directly onto the silicone mat and allow to crystallise. Then, pour the chocolate ganache over it and allow to crystallise for 24 hours, before putting a thin layer of tempered chocolate over the top. Cut the crystallised filling into cubes, either using a sharp, hot knife, or a guitar cutter. Separate the individual cubes and allow the sides to crystallise for a few more hours. Before cutting, make sure the filling is really solid, otherwise it will be very difficult to work with later on.

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HAND-DIPPED COFFEE CHOCOLATES Makes 49 2.5 × 2.5 cm chocolates Equipment needed: square metal ring with the side measuring 18 cm This recipe only contains the instructions for ganache preparation. Before you start work, read the previous page carefully, where you will find a detailed description of hand-dipped chocolate preparation.

Coffee ganache 30 g coffee beans 170 g plant milk 30 g inverted sugar 225 g 65% dark chocolate 3.2 g citrus fibre emulsifier 24 g odourless coconut oil Coating 1 kg 65% dark chocolate to dip the chocolates (choose a more liquid chocolate)

For the coffee ganache Place the coffee beans in a pan and roast them over a low heat. Once there is a little smoke escaping from the pan, transfer the coffee beans to a mortar immediately and lightly crush. Return to the pan, add the plant milk and heat to approximately 80°C. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for a half an hour. Strain the infused milk through a fine sieve and weigh out the acquired liquid; for the ganache, you will need 130 g. If you need a few more grammes to reach this amount, pour in the fresh plant milk. Add the inverted sugar and heat to 40°C. Place the chocolate into a small measuring jug and carefully melt in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) until it reaches 45°C, then transfer to a measuring jug. Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and blend in the warmed milk gradually, using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in coconut oil, which should be at room temperature. Transfer the ganache to a large bowl and keep stirring with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, pour the ganache into the prepared ring. Instructions on the following process can be found on the previous page. Decoration Transfer the crystallised finished chocolates to a cooling rack and prepare a little tempered chocolate in a small pastry bag. Use your imagination to draw decorations on the chocolates using the pastry bag, or you can copy my decorations in the photo. Tonka bean version Instead of 170 g of plant milk you will only need 135 g, and instead of coffee beans you will use one tonka bean. Heat the milk with the finely grated tonka to 80°C, allow to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain. The tonka bean will not absorb as much liquid as the coffee beans; therefore, there is no need to weigh out the infused milk. The following process is the same as for the coffee variant. To decorate these chocolates, you can use cacao nibs.

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HAND-DIPPED FRUIT CHOCOLATES Makes 49 2.5 × 2.5 cm chocolates Equipment needed: square metal ring with the side measuring 18 cm This recipe only contains the instructions for the preparation of pâte de fruit and ganache. Before you start work, read page 194 carefully, where you will find a detailed description of hand-dipped chocolate preparation.

Raspberries and red tea Raspberry pâte de fruit 170 g raspberry purée 18 g + 182 g caster sugar 3.9 g yellow pectin 36 g glucose syrup 4.3 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid with a ratio of 1:1)  Red tea ganache 95 g plant milk 6.5 g red fruit tea 20 g inverted sugar 120 g 65% dark chocolate 1.6 g citrus fibre emulsifier 13 g odourless coconut oil Coating 1 kg 65% dark chocolate to dip the chocolates (choose a more liquid chocolate), lyophilised raspberries for decoration

For the pâte de fruit Heat the fruit purée to 50°C and add 18 g of sugar combined with the pectin. Bring to the boil while whisking constantly, add the glucose syrup and bring to the boil again. Then, gradually (in three or four parts) add 182 g of sugar. Prior to each sugar addition, you need to bring the mixture to the boil again. Upon adding the last portion of sugar, start measuring the temperature and heat to 105°C while whisking constantly. Add the citric acid solution, stir well and pour it into the ring, laid out on a silicone mat, immediately. For the ganache As soon as the pâte de fruit solidifies sufficiently, i.e. in about 2 hours, start with the ganache preparation. If you wait too long with the second filling preparation, the two layers might not stick to each other. Heat the plant milk in a small pan to approximately 80°C and place the teabags into it. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for an hour. Strain the infused milk through a fine sieve and weigh out the acquired liquid; for the ganache, you will need 70 g. If you need a few more grammes to reach this amount, pour in the fresh plant milk. Add the inverted sugar and heat to 40°C. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk, using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Transfer the ganache into a large bowl and keep stirring using a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, pour the ganache onto the layer of pâte de fruit and smooth thoroughly. For instructions on further processes, see page 194. To decorate The chocolates can be decorated with a bit of lyophilised raspberry. Blackcurrant and brandy variation To make the pâte de fruit, use the same recipe as with the raspberry version, only change the raspberry purée for blackcurrant purée. To make the ganache, instead of infused milk, use a combination of 50 g of plant milk and 20 g of brandy. The rest of the recipe remains the same. The chocolates can be decorated with a bit of lyophilised blackcurrant or dried mint leaves.

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MOULDED CHOCOLATES Cocoa butter preparation Melt the coloured cocoa butter to 45°C (in the microwave), then cool to 29–30°C, while stirring constantly. You can use a bowl with some ice to cool it faster. The continuous stirring is of vital importance here – this is the only way to ensure that the crystals form correctly. Keep the cocoa butter at a working temperature during the preparation.

To make moulded chocolates, you need firm polycarbonate moulds, which can be found in various styles. Never use soft and flexible silicone moulds. Polycarbonate moulds must be cleaned thoroughly before every use using a cotton pad; a bit of alcohol may be of help here, too. A thoroughly-polished mould will help significantly in enhancing the shine of the chocolates. After use, clean the mould in hot water using a soft sponge and allow to dry naturally. It doesn’t matter that water stains will form on the mould – you will polish them out before use next time.

Once the butter reaches the required temperature and your moulds are clean, you can start forming the required design. During decoration, make sure that the cocoa butter layer is very thin.

Colouring moulded chocolates Polycarbonate moulds can be coloured, especially using cocoa butter. This makes the chocolates shinier and more attractive. During the colouring, remember that less is more.

If you work at a temperature of around 20°C, the butter should crystallise quite quickly in the mould. If you work in a warmer room, place the moulds in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes to shorten the crystallising time. While colouring the moulds, make sure that the upper part of the mould is kept clean – keep wiping the leftover cocoa butter using a napkin.

You can make the coloured butter yourself, or you can buy it ready-made in the shops, which is easier but more expensive. These days, there are many products on the market, so always read the list of ingredients! If you decide to make the coloured cocoa butter yourself, you need the cocoa butter as well as a fat-soluble colour (not a water-soluble colour). Fat-soluble colour is always in the form of a powder and contains only the colour (i.e. the stated “FD&C”). There shouldn’t be any other ingredients! Add 5g of this colour per 100 g of cocoa butter, melt the cocoa butter to 45°C and blend in the colour using an immersion blender.

Besides cocoa butter, you can also use edible glitter for decoration. Again, there is no need to buy anything special; you can do it with a good brush (I use a bronzer brush) and a pot of edible glitter, which you can buy in a wide range of shades. With each of the following recipes, I have written how I achieved the design.

If you buy cocoa butter that’s already coloured, only two ingredients will be listed on its packaging – cocoa butter and colour. Again, nothing else should be there. You might prefer these pre-coloured cocoa butters for shades which are hard to make. Make the basic colours yourself; it’s cheaper.

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Creating the chocolate shells Prepare a clean mould decorated with cocoa butter, the tempered chocolate, a pastry bag, a cooling rack, a sheet of baking paper, and a very wide stainless-steel scraper (you can buy them in most DIY stores).

Go through the same preparation steps for sealing the chocolates as in the first step. Top all the cavities with the tempered chocolate, tap the mould on the table a few times again (this time be more careful, as the chocolates could start popping out of the mould) and wipe off all the leftover chocolate using a stainless-steel spatula. When wiping off the chocolate, do not turn the mould upside down as in the first step; keep it horizontal the whole time.

Fill your pastry bag with the right amount of chocolate to fill the whole mould. Cut off the tip of the bag (avoid making a big hole) and quickly fill one cavity after another. Tap the filled-in mould gently on the table a few times to remove any air bubbles that may have formed, then turn the mould upside down and allow the chocolate to leak out onto the baking paper. Tap the mould with the stainlesssteel scraper a few times to help the chocolate leak out, so that only a thin layer remains in the mould. Wipe off all the leftover chocolate from the upper part of the mould with the scraper, as this part must stay completely clean. Lay the mould on a rack, so that any leftover chocolate can still leak out. After 2 minutes, clean the mould using the scraper again.

Once the chocolate crystallises on top of the bonbons, you can tap them out. If they don’t come out easily, place the mould in the refrigerator for a few minutes, then the chocolate should unstick from the mould.

Once the chocolate in the mould crystallises, the chocolate bonbons can be filled with a filling of your choice. Fill the pastry bag with the required filling, cut off a small tip and fill the individual mould cavities almost to the top. Try to keep the surface as smooth as possible. Leave a 2 mm space to seal the chocolates. Allow the filling to crystallise for 12–24 hours, ideally at a temperature of 18–20°C.

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GREEN TEA Equipment needed: 2 polycarbonate moulds (Chocolate World 1673), a dish sponge Before starting to make the chocolates, please read pages 177 and 200 on chocolate tempering and moulded chocolates.

Chocolate shell 1 kg 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid type of chocolate) dark green and light green cocoa butter Green tea ganache 90 g plant milk 6 g loose green tea 20 g inverted sugar 113 g 65% dark chocolate 1.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 17 g odourless coconut oil

Prepare the correctly-cleaned moulds and the tempered cocoa butter. Cut off a piece of the soft part of the dish sponge, dip it in the dark green cocoa butter and create a camouflage design by touching the individual cavities repeatedly with the sponge. Do not fill the cavities completely with the dark green; leave some small, loose points through which it will be possible to see the second colour, i.e. the light green. Once the first layer crystallises, take a new piece of sponge and do the same with the second colour. Pour the tempered dark chocolate into the moulds and before filling, allow the shells to crystallise completely. Green tea ganache Combine the plant milk with the loose green tea in a small pan and heat to approximately 80°C. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for an hour. Strain the infused milk through a fine sieve and weigh out the acquired liquid; for the ganache, you will need 73 g. If you need a few more grammes to reach this amount, pour in the fresh plant milk. Add the inverted sugar and heat to 40°C. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Transfer the ganache into a large bowl and keep stirring slowly with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Transfer the ganache into a pastry bag and fill the chocolate shells almost to the top. Allow to crystallise overnight at a temperature below 20°C, then seal the chocolate shells with the tempered chocolate.

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PASSION FRUIT Equipment needed: 2 polycarbonate moulds (Chocolate World 1673), a small paint brush or a toothbrush Before starting to make the chocolates, please read pages 177 and 200 on chocolate tempering and moulded chocolates.

Chocolate shell 1 kg 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid type of chocolate) black and orange cocoa butter Passion fruit ganache 60 g plant milk 20 g inverted sugar 100 g vegan milk chocolate 50 g 65% dark chocolate 2.3 g citrus fibre emulsifier 25 g passion fruit purée 15 g odourless coconut oil

Prepare the correctly-cleaned moulds and the tempered cocoa butter. Cover the worktop with an old sheet of paper, so it doesn’t get dirty from any splashes of cocoa butter. This time, you will create small spots in the mould. Dip the brush or a toothbrush in the black cocoa butter and run the bristles against the finger of your other hand. This makes small drops of colour fall onto the mould. I recommend you try this outside the mould at first, so you get used to how much pressure to apply and how much colour you should apply to the brush for the drops of the required size to be formed. When you have decorated the mould, clean the top thoroughly and allow the black cocoa butter to crystallise at a temperature below 20°C. Take the orange cocoa butter and decorate each of the cavities completely. You can do this with the small paint brush or with your finger, using a disposable glove (I use nitrile rubber gloves). Try to make the orange layer as thin as possible. For better and more even coverage, you can apply two orange layers, allowing the butter to crystallise after the first layer before adding the second. Pour the tempered dark chocolate into the moulds and, before filling, allow the chocolate to crystallise completely. For the passion fruit ganache Heat the plant milk and inverted sugar to 40°C. Put both types of chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the passion fruit purée and the coconut oil. Transfer the ganache to a large bowl and keep stirring slowly with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, transfer the ganache to a pastry bag and fill the chocolate shells almost to the top. Allow to crystallise overnight at a temperature below 20°C, then seal the chocolates with the tempered chocolate.

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CHERRIES Equipment needed: 2 polycarbonate moulds (Martellato MA5000), a small, thin paint brush Before starting to make the chocolates, please read pages 177 and 200 on chocolate tempering and moulded chocolates.

Chocolate shell 1 kg 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid type of chocolate) red and white cocoa butter Cherry gel 150 g cherry purée 17 g lemon juice 12 g + 140 g caster sugar 1.7 g yellow pectin 23 g glucose syrup 2 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid with a ratio of 1:1)  approximately 25 dried sour cherries Kirsch ganache 63 g plant milk 14 g kirsch or other cherry liqueur 21 g inverted sugar 119 g 65% dark chocolate 1.4 g citrus fibre emulsifier 21 g odourless coconut oil

Prepare the correctly-cleaned moulds and the tempered cocoa butter. The design, which you can see in the photo, is very easy to make. Dip the small brush into the tempered red cocoa butter and draw a line 0.5 cm in width tightly around the edge of a half of each cavity of the mould. Allow to crystallise completely at a temperature below 20°C. Meanwhile, temper the white cocoa butter. Dip a clean brush in the white cocoa butter and draw a 1cm line precisely on the same line as your red line. Each chocolate will now have a red “streak” with a white one peeking out from underneath. Pour the tempered dark chocolate into the moulds and allow to crystallise completely before filling. For the cherry gel Heat the cherry purée and lemon juice in a saucepan to 50°C and add 12 g of sugar combined with the pectin. Bring to the boil while whisking constantly, add glucose syrup, bring to the boil again and then gradually (in three or four parts) add 140 g of sugar. Prior to each sugar addition, bring the mixture back to the boil. As you add the last amount of sugar, start measuring the temperature and heat to 105°C while whisking constantly. Add the citric acid solution, stir well and pour into the bowl immediately. Wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of the mixture and allow to cool completely for several hours in the refrigerator. Blend the gel using an immersion blender and transfer to a pastry bag. Quarter-fill each chocolate shell with the cherry gel. There will be some gel left; unfortunately, a smaller volume would be difficult to make. Cut the dried cherries into small pieces and push them carefully into the gel. For the kirsch ganache Heat the plant milk, kirsch and inverted sugar to 40°C. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Transfer the ganache to a large bowl and keep stirring slowly with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag and fill the chocolate shells nearly to the top. Allow to crystallise overnight at a temperature below 20°C, then seal the chocolates with the tempered chocolate.

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ORANGE AND CINNAMON Equipment needed: 2 polycarbonate moulds (Chocolate World 1558), a small, thin paint brush Before starting to make the chocolates, please read pages 177 and 200 on chocolate tempering and moulded chocolates.

Chocolate shell 1 kg 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid type of chocolate) bronze and ruby cocoa butter Orange gel 10 g very finely grated orange zest 60 g glucose syrup 1 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1)  Cinnamon ganache 85 g plant milk 1 large cinnamon stick 20 g inverted sugar 113 g 65% dark chocolate 1.5 g citrus fibre emulsifier 17 g odourless coconut oil

Prepare the correctly-cleaned moulds and the tempered bronze and ruby cocoa butter. First, dip the brush in the ruby colour and make several random lines in each mould cavity. Allow to crystallise and repeat with the bronze butter. It’s not necessary for the cavities to be covered with the colour completely, as the chocolate will be visible through the small parts with no butter. Pour the tempered dark chocolate into the moulds and, before filling, allow the chocolate to crystallise completely. For the orange gel Combine all ingredients together and then transfer the gel into a small pastry bag. Fill each chocolate shell with a bit of orange gel. It’s not necessary to add too much; the gel would then be too dominant in the chocolates. For the cinnamon ganache Combine the plant milk with the cinnamon in a small pan and heat to approximately 80°C. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for an hour. Remove the cinnamon from the infused milk and weigh out the acquired liquid; for the ganache, you will need 73 g. If you need a few more grammes to reach this amount, pour in the fresh plant milk. Add the inverted sugar and heat to 40°C. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed infused milk using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Transfer the ganache into a large bowl and keep stirring slowly with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, transfer the cinnamon ganache into a pastry bag and fill the chocolate shells nearly to the top. Allow to crystallise overnight at a temperature below 20°C. Finally, seal the chocolates with the tempered chocolate.

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MAPLE SYRUP AND PECAN NUTS Equipment needed: 2 polycarbonate moulds (Chocolate Form 1558), a small, thin paint brush or a toothbrush, bronzer brush Before starting to make the chocolates, please read pages 177 and 200 on chocolate tempering and moulded chocolates. Chocolate shell 1 kg 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid type of chocolate) black cocoa butter bronze or gold powder Maple ganache with pecan nuts 38 g pecan nuts pinch of salt 34 g plant milk 50 g maple syrup 133 g vegan milk chocolate 1.6 g citrus fibre emulsifier 13 g odourless coconut oil

Prepare the correctly-cleaned moulds and the tempered cocoa butter. Cover the worktop with an old sheet of paper, so it doesn’t get dirty from any splashes of cocoa butter – this time you will create little spots in the mould. Dip the brush or a toothbrush into the black cocoa butter and run the bristles against the finger of your other hand. This makes small drops of colour fall onto the mould. I recommend you try this outside the mould at first, so you get used to how much pressure to apply and how much colour you should apply to the brush to form drops of the required size. After decorating the mould, clean the top thoroughly and allow the black cocoa butter to crystallise at a temperature below 20°C. Brush each cavity of the mould with a thin layer of bronze or gold powder using the bronzer brush; tap out the leftover powder. Pour the tempered dark chocolate into the moulds and allow to crystallise completely before filling. For the maple ganache with pecan nuts Preheat your fan oven to 140°C and place the pecan nuts in it for 10 minutes. When they cool, chop them into small pieces along with a pinch of salt. The pieces shouldn’t be larger than 2mm; otherwise, they will stick in the tip of the pastry bag when filling the chocolates. Heat the plant milk and maple syrup to 40°C. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed milk using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil, and stir in the chopped pecan nuts with a spatula. Transfer the ganache into a large bowl and keep stirring slowly with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag and fill the chocolate shells nearly to the top. Allow to crystallise overnight at a temperature below 20°C. Then seal the chocolates with the tempered chocolate.

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PINEAPPLE AND STAR ANISE Equipment needed: 2 polycarbonate moulds (Chocolate World 1433), a thin paint brush Before starting to make the chocolates, please read pages 177 and 200 on chocolate tempering and moulded chocolates.

Chocolate shell 1 kg 65% dark chocolate (choose a more liquid type of chocolate) yellow and light green cocoa butter Pineapple gel 150 g pineapple purée 17 g lime juice 12 g + 140 g caster sugar 1.7 g yellow pectin 23 g glucose syrup 2 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid with a ratio of 1:1) 

Prepare the correctly-cleaned moulds and the tempered yellow butter. Decorate each of the cavities completely with the small paint brush or with your finger, using a disposable glove (I use nitrile rubber gloves). Try to make the yellow layer as thin as possible. For better and more even coverage, you can apply two layers of colour by allowing the butter to crystallise after the first layer before adding the second. Pour the tempered dark chocolate into the moulds and allow to crystallise completely before filling. The shell decoration will need to be finished after removing the crystallised chocolates from the moulds. Prepare the tempered light green cocoa butter, a small paint brush or toothbrush, and a large sheet of baking paper or newspaper, on which you will place all the chocolates with a space of at least 5 cm between each one. Dip the brush or toothbrush into the green cocoa butter and run the bristles against the finger of your other hand. This makes small drops of colour fall onto the chocolates. Do this with the whole surface of all the chocolates. For the pineapple gel Heat the pineapple purée and lime juice in a saucepan to 50°C and add 12 g of sugar combined with the pectin. Bring to the boil while whisking constantly, add glucose syrup, bring to the boil again and gradually (in three or four parts) add 140 g of sugar. Prior to each sugar addition, you need to bring the mixture to the boil again. As you add the last portion of sugar, start measuring the temperature and heat to 105°C while whisking constantly. Add the citric acid solution, stir well and pour into the bowl immediately. Wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the top of the mixture and allow to cool completely for several hours in the refrigerator. Blend the gel using an immersion blender and transfer to a pastry bag. Fill each chocolate shell with the pineapple gel one third of the way up. There will be some gel left; unfortunately, a smaller volume would be difficult to make. Recipe continues on the following page

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Star anise ganache 160 g plant milk 2 pcs star anise 40 g inverted sugar 226 g 65% dark chocolate 3 g citrus fibre emulsifier 34 g odourless coconut oil

For the star anise ganache Combine the plant milk with the star anise in a small pan and heat to approximately 80°C. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and allow to infuse for an hour. Remove the star anise from the milk and weigh out the liquid; for the ganache you will need 146 g. If you need a few more grammes to reach this amount, pour in the fresh plant milk. Add the inverted sugar and heat to 40°C. Put the chocolate into a small jug and carefully melt in a microwave at 45°C (alternatively in a bain-marie, then pour into a jug). Add the emulsifier to the melted chocolate and gradually blend in the warmed infused milk using an immersion blender. Finally, blend in the coconut oil. Transfer the ganache to a large bowl and keep stirring slowly with a spatula until it cools to 29–30°C. Then, transfer the ganache into a pastry bag and fill the chocolate shells nearly to the top. Allow to crystallise overnight at a temperature below 20°C. Then seal the chocolates with the tempered chocolate. Instead of using star anise, you can infuse the plant milk with lime zest and fresh ginger. If you colour the chocolates with yellow cocoa butter, the result will be more of a yellow-greenish colour. If you wish to have really yellow chocolates, you need to apply a layer of white cocoa butter on top of the yellow one.

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COOKIES AND SWEETS

CHAI HOT CHOCOLATE Makes 2 large cups or 4 small cups

Chai spice 1.5 g ground black pepper 8 g ground cinnamon 8 g ground ginger 3 cardamom pods 5 cloves ½ grated nutmeg Hot chocolate 150 g coconut milk 100 g plant milk 3 g chai spice 20 g agave syrup 70 g 70% dark chocolate

For the chai spice Mix the ground spices together. Crush the cardamom and cloves with a pestle and mortar and add them to the ground spices, along with the finely-grated nutmeg. For the hot chocolate Put both types of milk and the chai spice into a small pan and bring to a near boil. Remove from the heat, cover and allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Then, strain the milk through a fine sieve, return to the pan, add the agave syrup and heat to about 60°C. Add the chocolate and give it a good stir with a whisk. Adjust the temperature of the chocolate to suit your preference. If you own a coffee machine with a steamer, you can froth the chocolate to make it airy. Serve with the cinnamon cookies from the next recipe (page 220). You can also buy a prepared chai spice mix in specialist shops. If you find chai spice too aromatic, you can flavour the hot chocolate with vanilla, cinnamon or a bit of chilli.

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CHOCOLATE-DIPPED CINNAMON COOKIES Makes approx. 25 cookies

62 g soft vegan butter 62 g icing sugar 15 g almond flour 54 g aquafaba 82 g plain flour 3 g ground cinnamon 200 g 70% dark chocolate

In a mixer, beat the softened butter and the icing sugar until light and fluffy, then mix in the almond flour. Then, gradually mix in the aquafaba, adding a tablespoon of plain flour after each addition of liquid. Once all the liquid has been mixed in, carefully stir in the rest of the flour and the cinnamon with a spatula. In a bowl, cover the batter with cling film so that it directly touches the surface, and leave to rest for half an hour at room temperature. Put the dough into a pastry bag with a 10mm diameter tip. Place either a silicon mat or some baking paper on the baking tray and pipe out 6cm long lines onto the sheet. Don’t squeeze the bag too hard; the width of the batter should correspond to the diameter of the tip, i.e. 10 mm. Leave a few centimetres between the cookies, as they will spread out during baking. Preheat your fan oven to 190°C and bake for about 7 minutes until the cookies are golden brown. Afterwards, leave the cookies on the baking tray for half a minute to firm up and then transfer them onto a cooling rack. Temper the chocolate following the instructions on page 177, then dip the cooled cookies and put them on either a silicon mat or baking paper to let the chocolate crystallise.

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CHOCOLATE COOKIES Makes 8 cookies

84 g vegan butter, softened 90 g cane sugar 10 g agave syrup 30 g vegan eggs (2.1 g psyllium + 28 g water) 30 g + 78 g 70% dark chocolate 95 g plain flour 24 g cocoa powder 1.2 g baking soda 1.5 g salt a handful of cocoa nibs for decoration

Using a mixer, beat the butter until it has the consistency of mayonnaise. Add the sugar and agave syrup and beat for another minute. Add the vegan eggs and 30 g of chocolate, melted to 45°C in a microwave or double boiler (bain-marie). Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into the butter mix, and stir with a spatula. Stir in 78 g of chocolate, cut into small pieces, then cover the batter with cling film so that it directly touches the surface and refrigerate for half an hour. Preheat your fan oven to 160°C. Divide the chilled batter into eight 50 g lumps and shape them into balls. Place them onto a baking tray covered with a silicone mat or baking paper and flatten slightly. Sprinkle with cocoa nibs and then bake for 10–11 minutes. After baking, the cookies will still be soft. Leave them on the tray for 5 minutes and then, using a an offset spatula, carefully move them onto a cooling rack where they will firm up.

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CHOCOLATE AND NUT SPREAD Makes 2 glasses Equipment needed: food processor Important: Your kitchen temperature shouldn’t exceed 23°C, otherwise the spread won’t set properly.

60 g vegan milk chocolate 60 g 65 % dark chocolate 30 g odourless coconut oil 150 g hazelnut praline paste 30 g hazelnut paste finely grated orange zest of ¼ of an orange pinch of salt

Carefully melt the chocolate and the coconut oil in a microwave at 40–45°C. Pour the mixture into a food processor and add the praline paste, hazelnut paste, orange zest and salt. Blend for one minute so that all the oils are completely mixed. In order for the spread to set properly, it must be cooled to 23°C or 24°C maximum. Pour the mixture onto a clean worktop (any surface except wood) and alternate between spreading the cream out with a wide metal scraper and bringing it back to the centre. Check the temperature regularly and as soon as it reaches 23–24°C, put the cream back into a bowl and pour into the glasses. Then, cover with a lid. Allow the spread to cool overnight at a maximum temperature of 20°C. If your house is warmer, refrigerate the glasses for a while (two hours should be enough). You can replace the orange zest with vanilla, for example. Instead of hazelnut praline paste, you can try a different kind; for example, hazelnut and almond mix or just almond.

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FLORENTINES Makes approx. 18 florentines Equipment needed: cookie cutter with 5.5 cm diameter

100 g candied orange peel 20 g hazelnuts 20 g green pistachios 40 g dried cranberries 100 g flaked almonds 50 g icing sugar 50 g agave syrup 60 g aquafaba a pinch of salt 200 g 70 % dark chocolate

Cut the orange peel, hazelnuts, pistachios and cranberries into small pieces. Add flaked almonds and icing sugar and stir. Pour the aquafaba and agave syrup into a pan and heat to 105°C. It is normal to see a lot of bubbling towards the end of this process. After reaching the required temperature, take the pan off the heat and mix in the dry ingredients with a spatula. Use a cookie cutter to form approximately 18 florentines on a tray lined with a silicon mat or baking paper. The maximum height of each florentine should be 1 cm. Try to make them as compact as possible in order to prevent them from spreading out while baking. Preheat your fan oven to 150°C and bake for 12–15 minutes, until the florentines caramelise. Leave to cool on the tray. Temper the chocolate following the instructions on the page 177, then dip the florentines. Allow to crystallise on a silicone mat or baking paper.

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PÂTE DE FRUIT Makes approx. 40–50 pieces Equipment needed: 18 × 18 cm square metal ring

292 g blackcurrant purée 6.7 g yellow pectin 31 g + 313 g caster sugar 63 g glucose syrup 75 g citric acid solution (solution of water and acid at a ratio of 1:1) 200 g caster sugar for coating (the finer the better)

Heat the fruit purée in a saucepan to 50°C and add the pectin mixed with 31 g of sugar. While stirring, bring to the boil, add glucose syrup, bring to the boil again and then gradually (in three or four portions) add the 313 g of sugar. You must bring the purée back to the boil before adding each separate amount of sugar. After adding the sugar, start measuring the temperature and heat to 105°C while whisking constantly. Add the citric acid solution, stir and immediately pour into the ring, placed on a silicon mat. Leave the pâte to firm for at least 12 hours, then cut with a sharp knife into little cubes of approx. 2.5 cm and coat each piece in sugar. You can store these sweets in an airtight container for several weeks. It is crucial that you measure the temperature accurately. A digital kitchen thermometer can come in handy, but a classic mercury thermometer is much more reliable. Since glucose is very sticky, it is better to weigh it straight into the bowl with the 313 g of sugar. This way, the sugar covers the glucose and it will be easier to move it from the bowl to the saucepan during the cooking process. You can experiment with other types of fruit purée. For instance, this recipe works very well with raspberry purée. Since every type of fruit is different, you might need to even out the amount of pectin in order to get the right consistency.

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PANFORTE Makes 8 pieces Equipment needed: 16 cm square metal cake ring

40 g blanched almonds 30 g pecan nuts 30 g blanched hazelnuts 75 g plain flour 3.5 g mixed spice 13 g cocoa powder 30 g candied orange peel 30 g dried fruit (figs, cranberries, apricots etc.) 75 g 65% dark chocolate 25 g odourless coconut oil 63 g caster sugar 63 g agave syrup oil or vegan butter for greasing the ring icing sugar

Preheat your fan oven to 140°C. Heat the nuts for about 10 minutes, then leave to cool. Add the flour with the mixed spice and cocoa powder, then add the candied orange peel and dried fruit (if using figs or apricots, cut them into small pieces first). Melt the dark chocolate, coconut oil, sugar and agave syrup together in a microwave or double boiler (bain-marie) at no more than 50°C. Mix in the dry ingredients and stir well. Grease the ring with oil or butter and then place it on baking paper or silicon mat. Wet your hands, then put the whole amount into the ring and even out the surface. Preheat your fan oven to 170°C and bake for 10–12 minutes. When baked, the panforte should be only slightly firm. It will firm up during the cooling process. Let it cool down in the ring, then take it out, sprinkle with icing sugar and cut into the necessary number of pieces. Panforte has  a long shelf life; when well-wrapped in tinfoil, it can be stored in an airtight container for several months.

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NOUGAT Equipment needed: metal ring (round or square to give the nougat the preferred final shape) Important: A hand mixer won´t work for this recipe; you need a kitchen mixer

68 g + 133 g water 5 g potato protein 500 g mix of mixed nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashew nuts, pistachios) 217 g agave syrup 483 g caster sugar 133 g glucose syrup a pinch of baking soda a little icing sugar for flouring

Start by preparing the vegan whites. Using a spiral whisk, mix 68 g of water and the potato protein in a bowl, then refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C. Put all the nuts except the pistachios in the oven for 10 minutes. Then turn the oven off and leave the nuts in, so that they are warm for later use. Pour the agave syrup into a small pan. Put the 133 g of water, sugar and glucose syrup into another pan. Pour the vegan whites into the mixing bowl and add a pinch of baking soda. Heat the second pan (with the water, sugar and glucose syrup). When you reach 80°C, start whipping the vegan whites in the mixer on the highest speed. When the mixture in the pan reaches 120°C, start heating the agave syrup in the first pan. When the agave reaches 80°C, the whites needs to be thoroughly whipped. Pour the hot agave syrup into the whites down the side of the bowl, while whipping at a medium speed. Right after the syrup has mixed with the whites, the temperature of the second pan should be 155°C. Start adding its contents into the whites (as you did with the agave syrup). During the first few seconds, the whites will be resilient to the hot mixture, but they will gradually mix in completely. Keep mixing at a medium speed until the whites cool a little. When the whites are no longer being whipped they will resemble more of a paste. Swap the wire whip for a flat beater and keep mixing until the mixture cools down completely. This might take up to 15 minutes. Mix in the heated nuts and pistachios and move the whole mixture to a work surface, floured with icing sugar. Knead the nougat a little with your hands in order to get a compact mass, then put it into a ring, completely lined with cling film. Carefully cover the surface of the nougat with cling film and let it rest (ideally overnight). Nougat will last for up to 10 weeks. You can keep it in one piece and cut it up gradually, or cut into small pieces and wrap each one in cling film. If you like, you can substitute some of the nuts with dried fruit. When adding both syrups, be careful to mix them well with the whites, or they might stick to the bottom or inner sides of the bowl.

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MACARONS Makes 35 macarons

Vegan whites 110 g water 18.5 g potato protein 0.6 g xanthan gum Macarons 50 g water 150 g + 15 g caster sugar 55 g + 55 g vegan whites 150 g almond flour 150 g icing sugar pinch of baking soda gel colouring

Vegan whites First, make the vegan whites by pouring the cold water in a small measuring jug, adding the potato protein and xanthan gum and blending thoroughly for 2 minutes using an immersion blender. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes; ideally, for approximately 5 hours. Macarons Pour 50 g of water into a saucepan, add 150 g sugar and start to heat slowly. Sift the almond flour with the icing sugar. Pour 55 g of vegan whites into a kitchen mixer bowl, add a pinch of baking soda and start whipping vigorously. Once the whites form medium-firm peaks, start adding the 15 g of sugar. At the same time, increase the heat under the saucepan with the sugar syrup. You need to heat the syrup to 118°C. The whites must be firmly whipped just as the syrup reaches the target temperature. Take the pan off the heat immediately and start pouring the syrup carefully down the side of the bowl while whipping. Keep beating until the mixture cools. Add the gel colouring of your choice. Add the other 55 g of whites into the bowl with the sifted icing sugar and almond flour and process thoroughly into a paste. Then, gradually add the whipped meringue. You need to stir the macaron mixture until it starts to flatten, so that no ugly peaks are formed later on. This is called macaronage. As you stir the mixture, it will become more liquid. However, you don’t want to go too far with this, so keep checking the consistency during stirring and wait for the moment when the top of the mixture starts to flatten out and the body of the mixture has a magma-like, runny consistency. Take an icing bag fitted with a 10 mm tip and fill it with part of the mixture. Macarons can either be baked on flat silicone mats (don’t buy ones with protruding circles) or on baking paper with pre-drawn circles of 3–4 cm in diameter. Recipe continues on the following page

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When piping the macarons, try to make them all the same size. Various sizes require various baking times, so if they are uneven, some will be underbaked and some overbaked. If the macarons don’t become naturally flat when piped onto the baking tray, tap the baking tray several times on the worktop. Preheat your fan oven to 140°C and place the baking trays inside. Immediately lower the temperature to 95°C and bake for 35 minutes. After baking, leave the macarons to cool on the baking tray.   Pair up the macarons according to size, fill with the prepared filling, place in a box and refrigerate for 24 hours. Choosing the right almond flour is very important. You need it to be very finely ground and well dried. Every oven bakes a little differently, so it is possible that you will have to bake the macarons for a little longer than me, or vice versa. Likewise, you might need to adjust the temperature a little if your oven isn’t set correctly and the temperature inside is different what is stated on the dial. You can store macarons in the refrigerator for about 5 days. You can also keep them in a freezer (filled) for a couple of weeks. If I have to supply larger quantities to weddings or parties, I always bake macarons whenever I have time – even weeks before the event - and store them in the freezer.

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Caramel and passion fruit ganache 90 g coconut milk 40 g passion fruit purée 80 g caster sugar 100 g vegan milk chocolate 15 g cocoa butter 2.4 g citrus fibre emulsifier 1 g quality salt 22 g odourless coconut oil

Caramel and passion fruit ganache Heat the coconut milk and passion fruit purée to 70–80°C and keep warm. Prepare caramel from the sugar in a small pan (see page 142 for how to do this). Once the caramel has the required colour and all the sugar has dissolved, carefully stir in the heated liquid while whisking constantly. A part of the caramel is likely to solidify on the whisk, so keep heating the liquid over a low heat until it dissolves. Cool to 40–50°C. Place the milk chocolate and the cocoa butter into a small measuring jug and carefully melt in the microwave or on top of a double boiler (bain-marie) to 40–45°C; during the course of this, keep stirring the chocolate every 30 seconds. Make sure that it doesn’t heat up any more, as it could start to burn. Add the emulsifier to the chocolate and start blending in the caramelised milk using an immersion blender. Add the salt and coconut oil at the end. Transfer the ganache into a bowl, wrap with cling film so that it is directly touching the surface and refrigerate for several hours. Once the filling is solid enough (in approximately 3 hours), you can start filling the macarons.

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“I hold that, the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.” Mahátma Gándhí

Modern vegan desserts Petra Stahlová Published in 2019 by Petra Stahlová, Žižkovo nám. 975, 271 01 Nové Strašecí, the Czech Republic Editors: Simon Richardson, Jacqueline Tobin Art direction: Jaroslav Králik Photography: Jana Králiková Designer: Kateřina Podoláková Illustrations: Adam Dvořák Printed in the Czech Republic by Europrint, a.s. ISBN: 978-80-907340-1-2 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. www.petrastahlova.com

ISBN978-80-907340-1-2 978-80-907340-1-2 ISBN