My Sunflower-Spelt Bread

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After some cold and grey days, the sun just came back and it seems to get warmer and warmer. Springtime calls for fresh and crispy bread like My Sunflower-Spelt Bread which can be topped with fresh ingredients directly from the garden. The bread is easy to make and just so delicious. The special thing about this bread is that it contains carrots and zucchini which provide the bread with extra moisture. With only clean and fresh ingredients, this bread is very healthy, vegan and provides your body with lots of nutrients. I love to top my bread slices with some fresh avocado, halved cherry tomatoes, fresh sprouts, a little sea salt and freshly grounded pepper. What I also love to do, is a classical "Avo on Toast" with basil pesto, freshly ground pepper, sea salt flakes, some chili flake, tiny splashes of olive oil and fresh basil. Try it yourself, I'll promise you it will be very satisfiying.

My Sunflower-Spelt Bread

Ingredients
300g spelt flour
200g whole spelt flour (or any other flour)
150g carrots, grated
100g zucchini, grated
150g rolled oats (glutenfree)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp maple syrup (or: yacon syrup)
2 1/2-2 tsp himalayan salt
21g fresh yeast
300ml warm water, filtered
sunflower seeds as a topping
coconut oil for greasing

Preheat the oven (200°C) and grease a baking pan with coconut oil.
Resolve fresh yeast in warm water and mix until everything is liquid. 
Add all ingredients into a mixing bowl and combine everything well. Spread some flour on a clean kitchen surface on which you knead your mixture to a dough using your hands.

Put dough into a baking pan and top with some sunflowers.
Bake dough for ca. 50 minutes in the oven (200°C).

Cool down a bit, top it with fresh ingredients and instantly enjoy!

(Makes: 1 bread; Preparation time: 1h 10min)

I wish you all a happy day and a lot of sunshine!

Lots of love, Fabienne.

Little Vegan Santas

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It's nearly end of November and December is on it's way. Christmas markets are already welcoming their guests with hot beverages such as mulled wine (called "Glühwein" in Switzerland), hot chestnuts and other delicacies. I really love the cosy atmosphere in December with magical lights, beautiful fragrances of mandarines and spices, warming teas and cosy hours with friends and family. Obviously, December as the last month of the year is also a time where overall a lot is going on, most of us are running from one place to the other to get everything done and organised before the new year. However, it's very important to take a break from all of that even if it's for a very short time. I usually take this breaks to do something good for me and my surrounding. I love walking outside in nature, reading a book, listening to some music, having coffee and tea with good friends and doing sports or yoga. Or how about baking a few handsome Little Vegan Santas?

On December 6 we celebrate "Santa's Day" in Switzerland. On this particular day, "Samichlaus" and his companion "Schmutzli" emerge from their cottage in the woods to visit children at their homes. In comparison to the American version, where Santa is flying on a reindeer-pulled sleight, our Santa walks through the snow with his dear donkey. When Santa visits the children, they are expected to make a promise to behave better in the upcoming year and recite a poem. In return, "Samichlaus" and "Schmutzli" will leave a bag full of peanuts, walnuts, mandarines, ginger breads, chocolates and of course Santas made out of bread called "Grittibänz". Based on this tradition, Swiss bakeries always sell "Santas" during this time of the year and especially on Santa's Day.

My Little Vegan Santas are made easily and the perfect match to your favourite cup of tea and juicy mandarines. On top of that, they are vegan and a bit healthier than the usual Santas bought somewhere. For these Santas I used spelt flour (Type 630) because I love spelt a lot and you should try it too. Of course you can also use any other flour. Sometimes I also mix different types of spelt flour to have a slightly darker, more whole-grain-dough, but it depends on whatever you like. Additionaly I use coconut oil in this recipe, because of its healthy properties. As an alternative you can always use plant-based margarine, but please watch out not to buy the ones with palm oil on the ingredient list (Thanks!). But honestly, there is no reason to change this lovely ingredient in my recipe.

These little beautiful Santas were coming right from the oven. Can you imagine this incredible smell?

Little Vegan Santas

Ingredients
500g spelt flour (Type 630)
300ml soy milk (or other plant-based milk)
60g coconut oil, melted (alternative: plant-based margarine)
2 tsp himalayan sea salt
2 tsp coconut blossom sugar
20g fresh yeast

Coating:
a pinch of turmeric
some extra soymilk
dried fruits (raisins, cranberries etc.)
sugar crystals

Put the flour into a big bowl, add the coconut blossom sugar, salt and mix. Melt the coconut oil. Meanwhile dissolve the fresh yeast in the soy milk. If everything is ready, pour the coconut oil and soy milk with the dissolved yeast into the prepared bowl. Then with your clean hands knead the dough until smooth for at least 5 minutes – with a lot of love. The longer you knead, the better it will be in the end. After this exercise, put the dough back into your bowl and cover with a damp (not wet!) and warm towel. Place the dough somewhere warm, maybe in your bathroom and let it rest for about 2 hours until dough doubles in its original size.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
Mix a pinch of turmeric with some soymilk. After that, separate the dough into four eqaul-sized parts. Then use your imagination and creativity and form little beautiful Santas, using scissors to form the arms and legs. As a next step, use a brush to cover the Santas with the prepared coating (turmeric & soymilk) and decorate with dried fruits and sugar crystals. Put Santas in the preheated oven for about 20-25 minutes until dough is golden brown.
Cool Santas on a rack for a bit and serve immediately while still a bit warm.
Enjoy with love!

(Makes: 4 Santas; Preparation time: 30min; Resting time: 2 hours; Baking time: 20-25min)

On Santa's Day these Little Vegan Santas are best with some mandarines and nuts, a cup of tea and a couple of good friends – what a combination. Enjoy with love!

And remember: it's very important to take a break from stressful moments in every day life – even if it's for a very short time. So happy baking and relax.

Lots of love, Fabienne.

Heart-Warming Banana Bread

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These days the weather is quite grey, wet and not very welcoming to going outside into the cold. Nevertheless fresh air is always a good idea, especially in the morning hours. On top of this, it's always a great feeling to return into a cosy and warm home, especially when there is something special waiting for you. Or can you imagine anything better than coming home to the overwhelming smell of freshly baked banana bread after a morning run in the forest? I can't, and that's exactly why I share this wonderful recipe with you in order to feel with me, smell it yourself and treat yourself to something special on a cosy Sunday.

This recipe is completely vegan, therefore doesn't contain any eggs. The chia seed mixture serves as an egg replacement and adds as a real superfood some fabulous health boosting properties.

As another great thing the banana bread is absolutely gluten-free, but could be adapted the other way round if you prefer to use an other particular flour which contains gluten (see Other options). I experimented a lot until I have found the right flour mixture which consists of buckwheat, almond and a little coconut flour. For the dates I used fresh Medjool dates, which provide together with the grated apple an extra touch of moisture and softness to the dough.

Heart-Warming Banana Bread

Ingredients
120g buckwheat flour & 30g coconut flour (*see Other options)
100g almond flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp bourbon vanilla powder (or content of one vanilla bean)
1-2 tbsp sesame seeds

2 tbsp chia seeds + 7 tbsp water
80g walnuts, roughly chopped (or a mixture of nuts to your taste, e.g. macadamia, almonds)

3-4 mashed ripe bananas (ca. 375g)
1 big apple, chopped or grated (for a special texture I like to cut them into small chunks)
65g chopped dates (fresh if possible)
6 tbsp coconut oil
A little more coconut oil: to grease cake pan

*Other options: if you don't have coconut flour handy, just add up the buckwheat flour to 150g. I just love the bread to have a hint of coconut flour in it, but feel free to experiment according to your personal preference. Moreover, if you prefer and don't mind the bread to contain gluten you can also use any other flour such as whole wheat or spelt flour. However, I would still recommend to stay with the 100g almond flour for sure and adapt the remaining 150g using another flour of your choice.
(Makes: 1 loaf; Preparation Time: 1.5 hours)

Preheat oven at 150 degree Celsius. 
Line a loaf pan with baking paper or grease it with some coconut oil.

Mix chia seeds with water, stir well and leave it aside until mixture is gooey.
In a  bowl mash the banana and grate/chop the apple.
In a separate big bowl combine dry ingredients without walnuts (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cardamom, bourbon vanilla, salt) and mix everything together. Add the chopped dates and stir well until the dates are separated evenly. I usually use a spatula to mix everything together. Now add the prepared chia seed-water mixture, mashed banana, chopped/grated apple and coconut oil. Finally add the roughly copped walnuts to the mixture. If all ingredients are combined together well, leave the dough-mixture as it is and don’t stir for too long. The dough should be smootly and not at all liquid, so don’t add any additional water.

Pour into the greased loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake until it’s well risen and golden on the outside. Baking time depends on your oven, mine takes about 45-50 minutes. Make sure to check bread regularly after 30 minutes. The bread is cooked when a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Cool down the bread or enjoy when it's slightly warm with a cup of your favourite tea!

You'll believe me how good this Heart-Warming Banana Bread is, the latest you have tried it yourself and your neighbours are start knocking on your door. Happy tea time!

With lots of love, Fabienne.