Recipe: Cosset's Summer Sweet Treats

Seasonal sweet treat: Cosset Cafe's Spiced Cupcakes with Strawberry Icing. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Cosset Cafe, in Auckland's Mt Albert, has developed quite the following for its vegan fare.

These three sweet treats, from owner Kellie Gray, make the most of the season's strawberries and left over Christmas cake ingredients and chocolate.

For more ideas, pay a visit to the cafe itself or href="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/element-recipes/news/headlines.cfm?c_id=1503715" target="_blank">check out Element's archives for previous recipes.

Spiced Cupcakes with Strawberry Icing

Makes 18 - 20

Note: You can use any alternative base oil and milk for this recipe.

Instructions

1. Sift together:

• 2 1/8 cup white flour
• 1 1/8 cup organic sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp cardamon
• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

2. Combine:

• 1/2 cup soy oil
• 1 1/2 cup soy milk
• 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

3. Add wet mix to dry mix and fold together gently being careful not to over mix.

4. Fill cupcake cases 3/4 full and bake in a slow oven 140 deg C for about 25 minutes until bouncing back and slightly golden.

5. Once cool you can top with icing and garnish with fresh strawberry and edible flowers (we've used calendula petals for a festive looking presentation).

The Icing

1. Mash together a couple of fresh strawberries with the back of a fork.
2. Add two tablespoons of Olivani or a similar alternative. Use electric beaters to whip together, adding icing sugar until you reach a firm yet spreadable consistency.

Pfeffernussen (pepper nuts)

Sweet and rich, these biscuits are best served with a cup of gumboot tea, a short black or a glass of milk.

You'll need:
• 75g cocoa butter
• 50g vegan margarine/Olivani
• 3/4 cup fairtrade organic muscovado sugar
• 1/3 cup golden syrup
• 1.5 Tablespoons warm almond milk
• 350g white organic spelt flour
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 50g icing sugar

Instructions

1.

Preheat oven to 160 deg. C

2.

Melt together Cocobutter, margarine, muscovado and golden syrup until combined.

3.

Cool for ten minutes.

4.

Stir in warm almond milk.

5.

Transfer to large bowl.

6.

Add and stir in sifted flour, spices and soda.

7.

Roll into 20-25g balls and place 3cm apart on a lined baking tray.

8.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until evenly golden.

9.

Rest for 10 minutes and then toss warm pfeffernusse in sifted icing sugar.

Pfeffernussen are best served with a cup of gumboot tea, a short black or a glass of milk. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Cosseted Sienna Style Cake

You'll need:
• 125g raw Almonds
• 125g pistachios
• 60g dried cranberries
• 60g dried pineapple
• 60g dried chopped apricots
• 60g raisins
• 60g mixed peel
• 3/4 cup organic wholemeal spelt flour
• 1/4 cup fairtrade organic drinking chocolate
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup organic fairtrade sugar
• 1/2 cup golden syrup
• 50g dark fair-trade chocolate

Instructions

1. Add to a mixing bowl: Roughly chopped nuts, the fruit, drinking chocolate and cinnamon.
2. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler.
3. Boil the golden syrup and sugar together with a small amount of water until it starts to caramelise.
4. Add syrup mixture and chocolate to the fruit and flour mixture, mix, pat into a 20cm lined round tin. Bake at 160 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Cosseted Sienna Style Cake: A delicious mix of nuts, dried fruit, and dark chocolate. Photo / Ted Baghurst

Get more details on Cosset's page on Facebook and drop by their cafe at 1087 New North Road, Mt Albert. To make sure you're on the list for more recipes, sign up to our newsletter. We're also on Facebook and Twitter.