RAW FUDGE

Drain cashews and put in blender or processor with dates, raisins, carob, juice and water. Blend to form a thick paste. Stir in flaxseed meal and water before adding walnuts.

Press onto cookie sheet and freeze for two hours. Cut into squares or triangles and store in the freezer.

OATMEAL COOKIES

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Blend flax seeds to a fine powder. Add the water, oil and milk. Blend together and then add to dry ingredients. Fold together to resemble a dough.

2 Tbsp flax seed
6 Tbsp water
1/2 C oil
1/4 C soy milk

DELICIOUS APPLE CAKE

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk soy milk with the apple cider vinegar and set aside for five to ten minutes so it lightly curdles.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl sift the all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together, and add the soymilk/apple cider mixture.

BANANA RICE PUDDING

Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius. Mix all ingredients together well and pour into a large casserole. Bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender.

SHORTBREAD

Combine margarine, sugar and icing sugar in a large bowl and beat using a mixer until creamy. Add the sifted flour and salt and mix until mixture forms a dough. Knead dough together gently and form into a ball. Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and use a rolling pin to roll it out to about 6mm thick. Place dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.

BANANA CAKE

Mix soy milk and balsamic vinegar together and leave for five minutes to curdle. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl.

Beat oil and sugar with a handheld mixer for two minutes. Add the soy milk mixture and beat until just mixed. Add the mashed bananas and beat until smooth. Gradually add flour mix, beating in after each addition until mixture is smooth. Do not over beat.

Line a 23 cm square pan with parchment paper and brush with oil. Pour in the batter and bake for 25 to 30 minutes in a 180 degree Celsius oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Place cake on a wire rack for 15 minutes then remove from tin using the parchment paper and return to rack to cool thoroughly. Dust with icing sugar. Cut into squares. Devour immediately!

LITTLE ORANGE EASTER EGGS

Paper cake cases (this makes about 25 small cakes).

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Combine the dry ingredients then stir in the oil, soy milk, juice, rind and vanilla essence. Put a couple of teaspoons of mixture into each cake case (if using small cases) and bake for about 15 minutes or until done. Allow to cool. Gently melt the chocolate (use a double saucepan over medium heat) and spread over top of the cakes. Decorate each cake with one mini egg or other sweets of your choice!

SNICKERDOODLES

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a baking tray with baking paper or spray with non-stick spray. Beat margarine and sugar together until pale in colour (2-3 minutes). Add soy milk and mix, then add flour, baking powder and salt. The mixture should be sticky enough to roll into balls but without sticking to your fingers. If the mixture is too wet add a little more flour.

Roll into small balls (slightly larger than a walnut) and then roll in the cinnamon sugar to coat completely. Place on a baking tray about 5cm apart and bake for 8-10 minutes until slightly cracked but not brown. Remove from the oven and leave to sit to cool before removing from tray.

Cinnamon sugar coating
Mix together in a small bowl and set aside:
2 tbsp sugar
2 tsp cinnamon (or to taste)

JAQUIE BROWN'S GREAT VEGAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius. Heat coffee in a saucepan. Remove from heat and when it's at room temperature whisk in the cocoa until dissolved. In a mixing bowl whisk together sugar, oil, apple and custard powder for about two minutes. Then add extracts and coffee-cocoa liquid. Sift in rest of dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Pour into a tin lined with baking paper and bake for about 45 minutes. It tastes even better the next day after it's been in the fridge overnight.

THE BEST CHEESECAKE

To make base, melt margarine and add to crushed biscuit. Combine and press into a pie dish. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the filling, combine all the filling ingredients together and beat until smooth and creamy. Pour into dish and bake for 30-45 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. Chill in fridge.

To make the topping, mix the cornflour and water to make a smooth paste. Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and heat. Continue to stir until thick. Pour mix evenly over cheesecake to cover surface and allow to cool in fridge. Serve with your favourite vegan ice cream or soya cream.

Base
1 packet Nice biscuits, crushed
100g margarine

Filling
300g firm tofu
2 ripe bananas, mashed
1⁄4 C maple syrup
1 tin (440g) crushed pineapple, drained
1 3/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp salt

Topping
1 Tbsp cornflour
2 Tbsp water
1 C berries, fresh or frozen
1⁄4 C maple syrup or 3 Tbsp sugar

MORAVIAN GINGER COOKIES

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.

Beat together the molasses, margarine and sugar. In another bowl, stir together the flour, soda, salt and spices. Beat half of the flour mixture into the molasses mixture. Work the remaining flour mixture in with your hands until well blended. Cover and chill.

Roll out small amounts of dough very thinly. Cut into desired shapes and put on a greased baking sheet. Bake for 5-6 minutes until lightly browned. Leave to cool then dust with icing sugar.

Makes 3 dozen cookies, depending on size.

1/3 C molasses (or golden syrup)
1/4 C margarine
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
dash ground cloves
dash nutmeg
dash allspice

Moravian ginger cookies are cut into shapes and baked.

EASY PEASY CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Place all the ingredients in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Process until smooth, creamy and thick. Transfer into a serving container and chill in the fridge until ready to serve. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

FUDGE IN 15 MINUTES!

Lightly grease a 12cm x 20cm pan using a little of the margarine. Place the remaining margarine, sugar, cocoa, vanilla and soy milk in a heatproof mixing bowl or the upper part of a double boiler (small pot in a large pot with water). Place the bowl or boiler over simmering water and stir until smooth. Add nuts if desired. Pour the mixture quickly into the prepared pan. Chill thoroughly and cut into squares. Makes 2-3 dozen squares.

LEMON COCONUT AND WHITE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

In a bowl combine dry ingredients. The add wet ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spoon the mixture evenly into paper cups, set into muffin trays.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius but watch them. When they are cooling place a white choc button on the top. This will form a little icing circle to decorate and will harden.

3 C flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C coconut
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Zest of 2-3 lemons (finely grated rind)
1 C oil
2 tsp vanilla essence
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 C water
1 C lemon juice (add water to make up balance)
1/2 C vegan white choc chips* (optional)

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIE ICE CREAM CAKE

To prepare the crust: Lightly oil a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan and set aside. In a food processor, process the cookies until fine. Add melted margarine and process again until well combined.

Press firmly into the bottom of the pan and refrigerate for one hour. With an electric mixer or food processor, blend together the ice cream, peanut butter, and maple syrup until well mixed. Spoon filling evenly into pan and sprinkle the top with peanuts. Place in freezer for at least one hour. Remove from freezer five minutes before serving, pop open the pan, and cut into slices.

Crust
20 Oreo cookies
1/4 C margarine, melted

Filling
4 C vanilla SoGood ice cream, softened
1/2 C peanut butter
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1/4 c salted peanuts, finely chopped

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix in the chocolate chips and make a well in the centre. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, mix the sugar and oil. Add vanilla, water and peanut butter if desired. Mix well with a fork. Add to dry ingredients and mix together. Spoon cookie dough onto an oven tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Flatten slightly with a fork and bake for approximately 5-7 minutes or until slightly golden. Never serves enough!

DELICIOUS CHEESECAKE

Mix biscuits and melted margarine together and then press firmly into the well-greased base of a springform tin.

Gently heat berries and sugar in a covered pot. Whip the cream cheese before adding to berry-sugar mix. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder before adding fruit juice. Stir until smooth. Once berries start to boil add to flour mix, stirring constantly. On medium heat, return ingredients to pot and stir until mixture bubbles and thickens (careful - mixture very hot!). Pour onto base. Put into the fridge until chilled. Remove from tin and serve. Yum!

BERRY DONUT CUPCAKES

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a cupcake tin with paper cases. In a large mixing bowl sift together plain flour, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Combine the soymilk, vinegar and cornflour and stir until smooth, then add to the flour mixture. Add the oil, sugar and vanilla and mix well.

Fill the cases three-quarters full with batter. Place a heaped spoonful of jam into the centre of each cupcake, being careful not to overfill. The jam will sink into the bottom of the cupcake during baking. Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, and then allow to set uncovered overnight in a cool and dry place. This will make the tops slightly crispy, like a donut crust. Using a sifter, sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with coffee. Presto!

GINGER CRUNCH

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a 23cm tin with greaseproof paper. Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and ground ginger into a bowl. With tips of fingers, rub in the margarine until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Lightly mix in the ginger chunks.Press mixture evenly into the tin. Bake for 25-30 minutes until puffed up and golden brown.

Just a few minutes before the base is ready to be removed from the oven make the icing. Over a medium heat, melt the margarine and add the golden syrup. Add the icing sugar and ginger and mix thoroughly. Remove the base from the oven and immediately pour over the icing. Leave to set and make sure you don't move the tin until it is completely cool and set. Remove from tin and slice. Enjoy!

Base
200g plain flour
100g caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
125g margarine
40g crystallised ginger chunks, roughly chopped

Icing
150g margarine
4 Tbsp golden syrup
270g icing sugar
1 Tbsp ground ginger

Gubana Festival Cake

The Easter festivities may be over but if you are still in a festive mood this loaf is a delicious excuse to indulge. Thanks to Jenny Graham, mother of SAFE Education officer Nichola Kriek, for this sumptuous recipe!

Method

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Line a round cake tin with baking paper.

Melt margarine. Add the soy milk and heat until the mixture is tepid. Sprinkle over yeast and sugar then stir until yeast is absorbed - rest for 10 minutes.

Mix flour and salt in large bowl. Add the margarine/soy milk mixture and stir until combined.

On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until soft and smooth (approximately 100 kneads). Lightly oil bowl and replace the dough. Cover with a tea towel and rise in a warm place until dough has doubled (approx 1-1.5 hours). When risen, roll dough into large rectangle - 1cm thick and 30cm x 60cm diameter.

Spread fruit mince over rectangle, leaving a 2cm border. Sprinkle over chocolate chips.

Tightly roll the rectangle along long edge. Gently squeeze the cylinder to even out. Coil cylinder and place in cake tin.

Cover loaf again and leave in warm place for approx 45 minutes to rise until nearly double.

Bake in oven 30 minutes until golden and cooked through. Dust with icing sugar.

The brioche can keep several days if left over after main serving.

Brioche dough

75g vegan margarine
1 C soy milk
11/tsp yeast
2/3 C of sugar
3 C high grade flour
1/2 tsp salt

Filling

1 1/2 C sweet fruit mince
(I minced dried apricots, raisins, crystallised ginger and glacé cherries.)
1/2 C dark chocolate chips