Ok, divine.
Baking is all the rage these days. And with good reason too.
As many of life's little delights have been taken from us, we turn to the tasty treats that are still available.
We're talking banana bread, we're talking regular bread, and more recently, we're talking lemon bars.
Succulent, tasty, and entirely delicious, the dessert is quick becoming a quarantine favourite among the bored, the motivated, and of course, the hungry.
But what if you've already consumed your intake of sugar for the week? What if you're a vegan who doesn't eat classic baked goods? What if you just want something different?
In that case, no bother. We got you, fam. Or rather, Christine Bailey has got you.
The chef and functional nutritionist has created an entirely vegan and entirely healthy version of the lemon bar that is sure to make you question why you ever needed milk and sugar in the first place.
They're also gluten free too. Class.
Here's what you'll need:
Filling
- 125g cashew nuts soaked in warm water for four hours then drained
- 225g coconut cream – the top of a can of full fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 125ml lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- Zest of 2 lemons
- Pinch sea salt
- 60g xylitol sugar alternative
- 1tbsp maple syrup
Base
- 125g gluten-free oats
- 125g ground almonds
- Pinch of sea salt
- 3tbsp xylitol
- 100g coconut oil, melted
- 1tsp vanilla extract
Method (serves 16):
1. Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 190oC, gas mark 5.
2. Add the oats, almonds, sea salt, xylitol to a food processor and blitz until fine. Add the remaining ingredients and blend briefly to form a soft dough. If too crumbly add a dash of water.
3. Spoon the mixture into the baking tin and press down firmly.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, then decrease the heat to 180C and bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven.
5. For the filling blend all the ingredients together in a high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling over the crust and spread into an even layer.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until just firm. Allow the bar to cool completely then place in the fridge for 3-4 hours to firm up. Cut into squares to serve.
