Orange and date pikelets (mini pancakes)

It is a long weekend in the UK, and contrary to stereotypes of rainy bank holiday Mondays, the weather is set to be glorious. I hope to do our first bike ride of 2018 and fit in a picnic.

These pikelets would work well for a sunny spring outing, but equally, they could cheer you up if the weather is cool and rainy. They are easy to make and easy to eat. Whilst sweet from the dates, they are also free of added / refined sugars.

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Whole dried fruit cake

While I dislike Christmas-style fruit cakes, I very much enjoy cakes and breads that are studded with dried fruit. There are many traditional baking recipes of this type, from the Welsh bara brith to the Irish barmbrack and plenty in between. This cake doesn't follow any of the traditional recipes exactly, but does employ the tried and true method approach of soaking dried fruit in tea ahead of time. It includes some sugar, so is more cake than bread, but doesn't add any fat. There is plenty of flavour and plenty of dried fruit.

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Sweet potato and date muffins

It is a sign of how long I've been blogging that I am no longer sure of what is on my own site. Case in point: last weekend I went to find my sweet potato and date muffin recipe, only to discover I didn't have a sweet potato and date muffin recipe. Or at least I didn't - I am pleased to rectify the situation now.

These muffins were exactly what I wanted last weekend. They are sweetened only by dates and sweet potato, so they are semi rather than very sweet. They are dense and have a crumb-like texture, but also sit gently on the stomach and are moist from the natural ingredients. They aren't gluten free, but by using spelt flour and oats they also pack more nutrition than standard wheat flour muffins.

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Chocolate chip caramel muffins {vegan}

With a bank holiday weekend, it was inevitable that somewhere in the 3 days I'd find time for baking. I was less certain, though, of what I would be baking. In the end, inspiration came where it so often does: on a run. I was taken with the idea of using pureed cashews and dates to provide a caramel base to muffins, whilst also reducing the need for processed fat and sugar. Once that idea was established, it was an easy leap to chocolate chips (admittedly bringing back some processed fat and sugar!) and the foundations for these muffins were laid.

 

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