Of course eating a balanced, healthy diet is important. No one is arguing with that. Eating well is necessary to keep the fat off and the arteries unblocked… but there’s always a special occasion where you can make room for dessert!
We’re just saying that a wee reward for all that hard work won’t hurt anyone, and that’s why we’ve lined up three of the sweetest treats in our recipe book for you to make now and again, when you need to spoil yourself. Enjoy!
Chocolate Coconut Mug Cake
Chocolate is our friend, don’t let anyone tell you different! This chocolate coconut recipe is simple, delicious and served the way chocolate should be – warm with ice-cream on top!
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp flour
- 3 Tbsp Olivado liquid coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 3 Tbsp dark chocolate chips
- 2 Tbsp cocoa
- 2-3 drops vanilla extract
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp milk (coconut or dairy)
To serve: coconut yoghurt or ice cream
Method
Start by adding the dry ingredients to a coffee mug and mix well with a fork. Next, add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk, Olivado’s liquid coconut oil, and vanilla and mix well, being sure to scrape the edges of the cup to incorporate all the dry ingredients. Now the fun part; add the chocolate chips and mix again!
Place the mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes on high. The cake will rise over the top of the mug and then sink down when the microwave is turned off. Allow to cool a little, then tip out onto a plate. Run a knife around the edge if it doesn’t slide out easily. Serve with coconut yoghurt or ice cream.
We do have a video for this recipe if you’d prefer that, check it out here.
Coconut Cake with Fluffy Coconut Icing
Ok, let’s take the decadence down a notch and move onto something lighter with this delicious coconut cake. This recipe is perfect for afternoon tea or when you have guests over. And by the way, the coconut goes great with a nice, dark coffee!
Ingredients
- For the Cake
- 6 eggs
- 1+1/2 cups coconut milk
- 7 Tbsp coconut
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/8 tsp. salt
- 1 cup almond coconut oil
- 2 cups flour
- 4 tsp baking powder
For the Fluffy Coconut Icing
- 3 egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- pinch salt
- 2 tsp vanilla or pandam extract or a dash of rum!
- 1/3 cup shredded coconut
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees, and while that’s warming up, grease two 20cm-22cm cake tins. Stir the shredded coconut into the coconut milk and set aside to let soak.
Separate the egg whites from yolks. Place the egg whites in a small to medium mixing bowl. Set yolks in a large mixing bowl. Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff (like whipped cream), and then set aside.
To the yolks, add the sugar, salt, and our amazing almond oil. Beat to a smooth consistency (1 minute).
Stir the baking powder into the flour, then add this to the yolk mixture. Also add the coconut milk with the shredded coconut. Beat 1-2 minutes, or until well combined.
Fold the beaten egg whites into the mix OR use your electric mixer on low-speed beat – just enough to combine (20 seconds). Pour mixture into prepared tins and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until an inserted fork comes out clean. Cool before icing.
To make the Fluffy Coconut Icing, toast the coconut by placing it in a dry frying pan over medium-high heat. Stir continuously until most of the coconut is lightly browned. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool.
Have ready two pots that can serve as a double-boiler (or use a stainless-steel bowl set over a pot). In the top pot, combine egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt. Stir well and set aside.
Add 3cm water to the lower pot and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to low (water should be steaming but not boiling). Now set the pot with the egg mixture tightly over it. Using an electric mixer, beat the mixture starting at low speed. Gradually increase speed over 5 minutes, ending at high speed. Add the flavouring (if using) when you switch to high speed. Beat until icing is stiff and easily holds its shape. Remove from heat.
To put the cake together, place the first layer on your serving plate and cover the top with a generous amount of icing. Sprinkle over some of the toasted coconut. Now add the second layer and again cover the top with icing. Finish by icing the sides of the cake. Sprinkle toasted coconut all over the top, then gently press some onto the sides.
Ondeh ondeh
This traditional Indonesian dessert is filled with Gula Melaka, a sweet, delicious palm sugar which literally bursts in your mouth when you take a bite!
Gula melaka (dark palm sugar) is commonly used in Malaysian and Indonesian cooking. Sold in Asian grocers, it usually comes in a log shape; don’t get it mixed up with the light palm sugar, which is usually sold as small discs.
Please be mindful to try and buy sustainably produced gula melaka, and stop the unethical practice of forest logging that has destroyed many of the orangutan’s habitat in Malaysia and Indonesia.
Ingredients
- 10 pandan leaves (or 1 teaspoon pandan essence)
- 150 ml water
- 100 g gula melaka*, grated
- 150 g glutinous rice flour
- 1 Tbs tapioca starch
- 2 Tbs icing sugar
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- pinch of salt
Method
Blend pandan leaves and water in a blender into juice. Strain the pandan juice through a fine sieve into a jug, discarding the solids. Take a pinch of grated gula melaka and roll it into a ball the size of a 5-cent coin. Repeat with the remaining sugar. Set aside ready to be used.
In a large bowl, combine glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour, icing sugar and pandan juice. Using your hands, knead the mixture into a wet dough.
After bringing a pot of water to the boil, pinch a small piece of the dough (about 20 g) and drop it into the boiling water. Let it cook until it floats to the surface then scoop it out. Knead the cooked dough back into the main dough until it forms a smooth and sticky dough. Add more flour if the dough is too sticky. Wrap in cling film to prevent it from drying out and set aside for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the desiccated coconut with a pinch of salt. Steam the coconut for 5 minutes then spread on a tray to cool completely.
Bring the same pot of water to the boil again and have the tray of desiccated coconut ready, as you will have to do a few things at once at this point. Take a small piece of the pandan dough (about 15 g) and roll it into a ball, then flatten slightly in your palm.
Place a gula melaka ball in the centre, fold the dough over, seal the edges and roll it back into a ball. Working in batches of 5-10, quickly drop the balls into the boiling water and let them cook while you make more balls with the rest of the dough.
Once the balls are cooked, they will float to the surface. Scoop them out with a slotted spoon, shake off the excess water and drop them in the desiccated coconut. Roll them around until they are nicely coated. Let them cool down before transferring to a serving plate and tucking in!
We hope you try out these three delicious desserts.
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