Sophie’s Bakes: Nutty Chocolate Crispies
15th February 2018
Before I dive into this week’s recipe, I’ll quickly introduce myself…my name’s Sophie, I work at our Cotes Mill showroom, in the showroom! I’ve been working at deVOL for two and a half years and it’s no secret to anyone who works here that I’m a passionate foodie and particularly love baking. I’ve dabbled in making a few things in our Air Kitchen before now and our Creative Director, Helen, suggested I started baking things regularly for our customers to enjoy during their design appointments here at Cotes Mill. Not only does this mean the showroom is filled with deliciously inviting aromas (if I do say so myself) but sometimes the staff are lucky enough to have a treat with their afternoon tea too!
I’ve always been interested in nutrition and wellbeing so for me, baking in the last few years has transitioned to being largely plant-based and creating healthier alternatives to the classics. My recipe this week is a twist on the simple chocolate crispy cake – Nutty Chocolate Crispies. They are super quick and easy to make, a satisfying snack any time of the day and are a healthier version of the norm, with an added bonus of being vegan and gluten-free! They’re really easy to keep as they can be stored in the freezer and ready to whip out for hungry children, passing visitors or for yourself, whenever you fancy!
Nutty Chocolate Crispies (vegan and gluten-free)
Ingredients:
– 100g puffed rice
– 4 tablespoons maple syrup
– 5 tablespoons peanut butter (no added sugar)
– 4 tablespoons coconut oil
– 2 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder/raw cacao powder
– 75g mixed seeds (e.g. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaxseed etc)
– Few pinches sea salt
Method:
– Preheat the oven to 160C/gas mark 3. Grease and line a 30cm x 20cm baking tin.
– Place the maple syrup, peanut butter, coconut oil and cocoa powder in a saucepan over a low heat. Stir until melted and well-combined then remove from the heat.
– Sprinkle the mixed seeds onto a baking tray along with a couple of good pinches of sea salt. Pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes, keeping a close eye on them – you want them only just starting to toast a little and smelling lovely!
– While the seeds are toasting, add the puffed rice to the saucepan and gently mix until all the rice is coated in the nutty chocolate sauce. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and spread out evenly.
– Once the seeds are ready, bring them out of the oven and sprinkle over the chocolate crispies.
– Finally, sprinkle over a few pinches of sea salt and pop into the fridge for an hour to set well (or 20-30 minutes in the freezer!)
– Once set, slice into squares and transfer to an airtight container and store in the freezer, ready to dip into at your heart’s content!
