Gluten-Free · Main Meals · Rice Dishes · Vegan

Red Lentil Curry with Pilau Rice

Red lentil curry is a quick and cheap homemade vegan meal. Packed with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, this curry makes a filling lunch or dinner served with fragrant, golden pilau rice.

 

I’m serving you up not just one recipe, but two with my Red Lentil Curry and Pilau Rice recipes.

I absolutely love Indian food. My friend, Niketa, is from India and, as you’d guess, she makes the most incredible, traditional Indian food. On my visits to her house, she’s cooked me homemade samosas and fried pea kachori, lots of amazing curries and also vegan biryani.

Her food has a beautiful blend of spices and tastes out of this world!

When Niketa isn’t making me her tasty Indian recipes, we love to get into the kitchen and create some of our Indian favourites at home.

We make this Chickpea Tikka Masala recipe very often. Now I’ve turned my attention to perfecting a red lentil curry/dahl. You can’t beat a good curry, whether it be for a quick weekday dinner or a homemade takeaway-style meal at the weekend.

Lentils are a fantastic source of protein for anyone following a vegan lifestyle. I always have a big pack of lentils in my kitchen cupboard and there’s numerous ways to incorporate them into recipes. I make many vegan dishes using red lentils, including pastistio (an amazing Greek pasta bake), vegan bolognese and curries.

Vegan food certainly isn’t boring or repetitive, it’s every bit as tasty and exciting! Lots of vegan recipes are also super affordable and make filling and satisfying meals you’ll want to make again and again.

This lentil curry goes with many different sides. Bombay potatoes, onion bhaji, samosas and rice. We often eat this curry with basmati rice, but make it extra special and serve with pilau rice.

Pilau rice is rice that’s flavoured with bay leaves, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, cumin and turmeric. The last ingredient gives the rice its glorious golden colour. I braise my rice in the oven. This is the method I was taught at culinary school and I’ve stuck to preparing it that way ever since.

Serve the curry with Bombay potatoes, poppadoms or naan bread. I make my homemade naan bread using this recipe

This curry tastes amazing on the day you make it, but if you do happen to have any leftovers, taste the curry the next day – it’s even better!

The amount of times, I’ve made a bigger batch and we’ve had leftovers, all I need is a bit of bread to tear and scoop this curry up with! We’ve even been known to eat this straight from the fridge and spread it in a sandwich!

Serve the curry hot or cold, sprinkle with extra nigella seeds or some chilli or coriander.

Print

Red Lentil Curry with Pilau Rice

Red lentil curry is a quick and cheap homemade vegan meal. Packed with the perfect balance of spice and sweetness, this curry makes a filling lunch or dinner served with fragrant, golden pilau rice.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Red Lentil Curry:

  • 200 g (1 cup) dried red lentils washed and drained
  • 1 vegetable stock cube or pot
  • 2 tablespoons coconut or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium brown or red onion diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon chopped ginger I use frozen ginger for ease
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 teaspoons curry powder I use medium curry powder
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons garam masala
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin (ground or seeds)
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper optional
  • 3 tablespoons tomato purée
  • 400ml can coconut milk I use full-fat
  • 1 tablespoon mango chutney
  • 2 very generous pinches of nigella seeds (roughly one teaspoon) optional

Pilau Rice:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 5 whole cloves
  • 2-3 bay leaves tear to release even more flavour
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 300 g long grain rice
  • 600 ml boiling water
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon baking block or dairy-free spread optional

Instructions

To Make The Red Lentil Curry:

  • Take the rinsed lentils and add them to a medium saucepan. Add the vegetable stock cube/pot and cover the lentils with boiling water - add enough to just cover and go above the lentils by about 1 cm. Bring up to the boil, cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to low and gently simmer the lentils for 10 minutes. When the water is absorbed, take the lentils off the heat. 
  • Meanwhile, as the lentils cook, heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat. Sauté the onion, garlic and ginger along with salt and pepper for 5 minutes until softened and starting to brown.
  • Add the spices to the pan and toast for a minute until fragrant. Now add the tomato purée and cook for a further minute. Add the coconut milk, mango chutney and nigella seeds (if using), stir to combine, then cover the pan with a lid and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes. 
  • Now add the lentils to the pan and stir the lentils into the curry sauce. Simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes. Serve hot with the pilau rice or your choice of sides.

To Make The Pilau Rice:

  • Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Heat the oil in a large (oven safe) saucepan on a medium heat. Add the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, turmeric and cumin seeds. Gently cook, just toast lightly stirring constantly for a minute until fragrant - be really careful not to overheat the spices.
  • Now add the rice and toast for another minute and coat thoroughly in the spices. Season with salt and pepper, then cover with the boiling water. Stir the rice, with a fork, turn the heat up to high and leave on the heat until the rice comes up to the boil. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid and braise in the oven for 20 minutes.
  • Once the rice is ready, remove from the oven and if desired, discard the cardamom, cloves, bay leaves and the cinnamon stick. Using a fork, finish the rice by mixing in the tablespoon of dairy-free spread or baking block. Leave the rice on the side with the lid on for 5 minutes to allow the spices to infuse, then serve alongside the curry.
  • The curry and rice will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Chickpea Tikka Masala

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Light Lunches · Vegan

Vegan Sausage Rolls (Easy Puff Pastry Sausage Rolls)

Homemade sausage rolls made with vegan sausages, herbs and black pepper incased in flaky puff pastry. This easy sausage roll recipe is perfect to pack up for lunch, picnics and all kinds of gatherings.

Sausage rolls are something I’ve loved since childhood. They’re available in most bakeries and supermarkets, I used to make a lot of sausage rolls when I worked as tea room baker and nowadays in my current job role these feature on the menu rotation.

Making your own couldn’t be easier or quicker. I cheat and use ready rolled puff pastry, which saves a job rolling out a block of puff pastry.

Most supermarket puff pastry is vegan, but always check the label.

Lots of vegan sausage roll recipes use a mix of beans, vegetables or nuts to make the filling. I like to keep the recipe as easy and traditional as possible by using vegan sausages. I take a pack (8 in total) of my favourite vegan sausages, remove the outer skin layer and mash the sausage ‘meat’ with a heaped teaspoon of dried sage and lots of black pepper.

You can add whatever flavourings/spices you desire. Swap the dried sage for rosemary, oregano or leave it out entirely. I sometimes use fresh herbs from our garden. Also, if you want, then why not add a spoonful or two of caramelised onion or tomato chutney? I’ve linked my favourite onion chutney further down in this blog post…

Making these sausage rolls is pretty straight forward. Take your pastry and divide it up into 3 long slices. Evenly spread the sausage mixture down the centre of each piece of pastry and press together to form an even roll of sausage meat. Lightly brush a little water down either side of the pastry and roll the pastry up and seal the edges together.

Wrap the pastry rolls up and chill for about half an hour – this is optional but it makes slicing the sausage rolls neatly a lot easier. You can slice and bake the sausage rolls straight away if you’re pushed for time.

Trim the edges and then slice each roll in half, then each half in half again – you’ll have 4 sausage rolls and once you’ve sliced up the other two, you’ll have 12 sausage rolls in total. You can make mini sausage rolls too, if you prefer – just slice each roll in half, then each half into 3 and you’ll have 18 mini sausage rolls.

A plate of these sausage rolls goes down brilliantly at parties. My grandad was the biggest fan of sausage rolls and also homemade bacon and cheese pastry turnovers. I know he would’ve loved these and happily eaten his way through a plate of these!

Food evokes memories and this recipe certainly reminds me of good times spent enjoying food with my family.

I’ve baked these sausage rolls countless times, we serve them with lots of different condiments: recently I served these with salad and some chutney, my Caramelised Onion Chutney is a reader favourite and definitely worth making to go alongside these.

These never last long in our house, we took them to an afternoon tea recently and we came home with an empty container. That’s proof of just how good these sausage rolls taste as they impressed the non-vegans too!

Print

Vegan Sausage Rolls

Homemade sausage rolls made with vegan sausages, herbs and black pepper incased in flaky puff pastry. This easy sausage roll recipe is perfect to pack up for lunch, summer picnics and all kinds of gatherings.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 320-375 g pack ready rolled puff pastry check the label to see if it's vegan
  • 8 vegan sausages (I use a 336g pack of Richmond Meat Free)
  • 1 teaspoon dried sage use your favourite herbs
  • Black pepper add a generous amount
  • 1-2 tablespoons plant milk for brushing
  • A couple of drops of soy sauce (this helps give the sausage rolls a golden colour when baked) optional
  • Nigella seeds, sesame seeds or poppyseed's optional

Instructions

  • Take your puff pastry from the fridge and unroll on a chopping board. Leave the pastry a few minutes to warm up, whilst you prepare the sausage filling.
  • Remove the skins from each sausage and place the sausage meat in a small mixing bowl. Add your herbs and seasoning (I use dried sage and black pepper) and mash together to combine.
  • Split the puff pastry into thirds lengthways and equally distribute the sausage filling down the centre of each piece of pastry.
  • Brush each pastry edge with water and then roll the pastry up to cover the sausage meat filling completely and seal the edges. Cover the sausage rolls with cling film and chill in the fridge or place in the freezer for 30 minutes - this is optional, but it makes cutting them up easier.
  • Using a sharp knife (I find a serrated knife best for this), trim the edges and then slice each roll into four equal pieces (if you want to make 12 sausage rolls in total) or slice each roll into 6 pieces for mini sausage rolls (you'll have 18 mini sausage rolls in total).
  • Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Evenly spread the sausage rolls out on the baking tray. Mix the plant milk with a couple of drops of soy sauce and generously brush each sausage roll.
  • At this point, sprinkle the tops of each sausage roll with either nigella, sesame or poppyseed's (optional but it looks and tastes great). We love ours with nigella seeds because it works really well paired with the sage.
  • Bake the sausage rolls for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden. Leave to cool for a few minutes then serve. The sausage rolls taste amazing when served warm or cold.

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Cakes · Loaf Cakes · Vegan

Pistachio Lemon Drizzle Cake

Take the classic lemon drizzle cake to the next level by adding pistachio. This vegan cake is soft, fluffy and a taste of spring.

Spring has arrived, well maybe not in the UK at the moment as we’ve been experiencing a mixed bag of weather after having beautiful weather last month.

The dismal weather tends to make me crave all things spring and summer even more.

A few weeks ago, I fancied baking a lemon cake. I thought about sharing a vegan lemon drizzle cake, but I wanted something slightly different. I’ve always loved adding nuts to cake, before going vegan, this Greek-style Honey Walnut Cake was one of our favourites.

This Pistachio Lemon Drizzle Cake is a fabulous recipe from So Vegan. The recipe was straight forward to follow and the finished bake was everything I’d hoped it would be.

Fluffy, packed with gorgeous lemon flavour and with a nuttiness coming through from the pistachio.

We devoured this cake in record time. It barely lasted two days and there were only four of us in the house! We kept going back for slice after slice…

With Easter this week, this cake will be a delicious addition to your Easter menu served with fresh berries of your choice.

Print

Pistachio Lemon Drizzle Cake

Take the classic lemon drizzle cake to the next level by adding pistachio. This vegan cake is soft, fluffy and a taste of spring.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 8
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Pistachio Lemon Cake:

  • 80 g shelled pistachios plus extra for decoration
  • 200 g plain flour
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 1 lemon zested and juiced
  • 80 ml melted baking block/dairy-free spread or vegetable oil
  • 200 ml plant milk I use oat

Lemon Syrup:

  • 1 lemon juiced
  • 70 g caster sugar

Lemon Icing:

  • 100 g icing sugar
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (add more or less depending on your preferred consistency)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Grease and line a 900g / 2lb loaf tin with parchment paper and set aside.
  • In a food processor, process the shelled pistachios until they're a crumb like consistency. Set this mixture aside for later on.
  • Place a sieve over a large mixing bowl and sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and sugar. Give these ingredients a quick stir together to combine. Add the pistachio crumbs and lemon zest (zest of one lemon) to the bowl and mix.
  • In a small jug, whisk together the juice of the lemon you zested earlier, along with the melted baking block/dairy-free spread or vegetable oil and the plant milk. Add these wet ingredients to the dry and gently fold together until no lumps of flour remain - be careful not to over mix the cake batter.
  • Pour the cake batter into the loaf tin and bake for 45-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean without any uncooked batter remaining. Test directly in the centre of the cake to ensure it's baked all the way through. Mine took about 55 minutes to bake fully, but all ovens are different so keep checking.
  • Once the cake has baked, prepare the lemon syrup. In a small bowl or jug, stir the lemon juice with the sugar until all the sugar has dissolved. Take a tooth pick and prick holes all over the top of the cake. Pour the syrup over the warm cake and leave it cool in the tin for at least 30 minutes, then carefully remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
  • Now the cake is cool, prepare the lemon glacé icing. In a small bowl, stir together the icing sugar with enough lemon juice until you have a thick but slightly runny icing.
  • Drizzle the icing over the cake as you desire and decorate with an sprinkle of extra chopped pistachios. Allow the icing to set before slicing. Store the cake in an airtight container or a cake plate with a cover for up to 3 days.

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Cheesecake · Chocolate · No-Bake · Vegan

Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

No-bake vegan chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. This stunning dessert has a crumbly digestive biscuit base, an ultra creamy chocolate hazelnut filling and is decorated with drizzles of melted chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts and dairy-free whipped cream.

I’m thoroughly enjoying creating vegan cheesecake recipes and recently, I trialled out a new cheesecake flavour. I have four vegan cheesecake recipes on the WJBN blog now, with many more planned for future posts.

Before being vegan, I ate cheesecake on a regular basis. Cheesecake was a dessert I made frequently for social gatherings. I love the ease and fun involved in making cheesecake.

I thought going vegan would mean I wouldn’t get to enjoy cheesecake anymore, but I’ve said it before, I couldn’t have been more wrong! These vegan cheesecake recipes I’m creating are just as creamy and indulgent as the cheesecakes I was making containing dairy.

I’m always disappointed going out for meals. Some restaurants cater exceptionally well to vegans, but others there’s very little choice. Don’t get me wrong, there are several amazing vegan options when eating out, but I’m rarely excited or blown away, especially with the dessert choices.

I’ve tried one or two vegan cheesecakes, but unfortunately they left me unimpressed. That’s why I decided to no longer buy, but instead make my own!

I base all my vegan cheesecakes around the same recipe I devised when sharing this Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake. The only change I made was using crushed digestive biscuits instead of Biscoff and swapping the Biscoff cookie butter spread for a vegan chocolate hazelnut spread.

The vegan chocolate hazelnut spread is every bit as addictive as Nutella. I’m guilty of devouring it by the spoonful straight out of the jar…

This cheesecake is a slice of heaven!

We polished this cheesecake off in a matter of days. It’s smooth and gorgeously mousse-like, the chocolate hazelnut flavour is light but just enough with the additional drizzle of melted chocolate hazelnut spread and sprinkling of chopped hazelnuts.

The cheesecake needs at least 6 hours to set, but I recommend you leave it overnight for the best results. The longer you leave it to chill, the more set and it’ll be easier to slice neatly.

Print

Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

No-bake vegan chocolate hazelnut cheesecake. This stunning dessert has a crumbly digestive biscuit base, an ultra creamy chocolate hazelnut filling and is decorated with drizzles of melted chocolate hazelnut spread, chopped hazelnuts and dairy-free whipped cream.
Prep Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Digestive Biscuit Base:

  • 360 g digestive biscuits finely crushed
  • 1 tablespoon sugar (I use light brown sugar) optional
  • 150 g baking block or dairy-free spread (salted or unsalted)  melted

Nutella Cheesecake Filling:

  • 200 g vegan cream cheese
  • 200 g vegan chocolate hazelnut spread
  • 50 g icing sugar
  • 250 ml dairy-free cream

Instructions

  • To make the biscuit base: Mix the crushed biscuits and a tablespoon of sugar (if using) with the melted dairy-free spread until moistened. Press the biscuit crumbs into a 23cm springform tin until compact. Put to one side while you make the cheesecake filling.
  • To make the cheesecake filling: In a large mixing bowl whisk the vegan cream cheese, chocolate hazelnut spread and icing sugar until smooth. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the dairy-free cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the Biscoff cream cheese mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated - be careful not to over mix.
  • Spread the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base you prepared earlier and smooth the top with either the back of a spoon, a spatula or a palette knife. Cover the cheesecake and leave it to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
  • When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform tin and decorate as desired. I piped extra dairy-free cream around the edge of the cheesecake, then melted some more chocolate hazelnut spread drizzling that over each slice of cheesecake and scattered over some chopped hazelnuts.
  • The cheesecake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

More of my vegan cheesecake recipes!

Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake

Vegan Oreo Cheesecake

No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Breakfast · Gluten-Free · Granola · Vegan

Basic Homemade Granola

Easy and healthy homemade granola. This recipe will soon be a staple for your weekday breakfast and it can be topped anyway you like!

Originally posted in January 2015, recipe and photographs updated March 2022.

Looking for an affordable, healthy and delicious breakfast recipe? If so, I have a great granola to share with you – a recipe my Mum created. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day as it’s what sets you up for the day ahead.

Granola just like cake and cookies is another one of my favourite things to make. Most granola recipes I make usually tend to be crunchier, clustered-style granola, which is typically higher in fat and sugar. But since I like to keep as healthy as I can I wanted to share a healthier and lighter granola that can be eaten for breakfast or that could also even be enjoyed as a nourishing snack.

To make my granola, oats are combined with maple syrup, oil and vanilla, the last ingredient of which is an optional addition, but I love the flavour it adds.

Granola is one of my go-to breakfasts to enjoy before heading to work and my favourite way to eat this granola nowadays is with vegan milk or yoghurt and fresh berries or some sliced banana. If you wanted to try something different you can even layer the granola with yoghurt and fruit compotè in a jar and make yourself a granola parfait.

With this basic recipe you can add anything extra you’d like such as different nuts or even dried fruit like apricots, cranberries or raisins. If you’re a chocoholic just like me you can add chocolate chips once the granola is baked and cooled.

This is a speedy breakfast recipe idea, it takes around 15 minutes to prep ready for the oven and then only needs 10 minutes in the oven to bake!

You can adjust the recipe to your taste, add less or more maple syrup depending on how sweet you like it and add a different mix of nuts/seeds you enjoy – this recipe is super customisable.

The recipe makes one large and one small jar of granola, so plenty to keep you going for breakfast throughout the week and beyond!

Print

Basic Homemade Granola

Healthy homemade granola. This recipe will soon be a staple for your weekday breakfast and it can be topped anyway you like!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 350 g jumbo rolled oats
  • 150 g mixed chopped nuts I use 50g of each almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts
  • 2 tablespoons milled or whole flaxseeds optional - you can also use other seeds you like
  • 5-6 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 5-6 tablespoons vegetable oil I use rapeseed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
  • Mix the oats, chopped nuts and flaxseed (or seeds of choice if using) in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the maple syrup, oil and vanilla to the oats. Stir the ingredients together until the oats are moistened. Spread the granola out on a large baking tray and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly golden and toasted.
  • Allow the granola to cool before transferring to a jar or airtight container to store it. The granola will keep for up to a month.

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Personal

A Tribute To Our Grandma ❤️

Life has its ups and downs and sadly at the start of December our grandma passed away. Writing this tribute has taken me longer than I planned, it’s been difficult to write.

We’ve put some favourite photos of grandma together. We’re celebrating Mother’s Day today here in the UK and today felt like a special day to share this tribute.

Grandma’s funeral took place at the end of January, it was an incredibly hard day, but we spent the day all together celebrating her life and I find peace in knowing grandma is reunited with grandad now.

Her spirit and kind nature lives on in us all, both my maternal grandparents have passed away now, but the special memories we created all together are forever cherished.

The anniversary of our grandad’s passing was approaching and as we prepared for Christmas, grandma passed away peacefully at home. Grandad’s passing was sudden too and grandma was so strong dealing with losing her beloved husband and life partner.

All of our lives changed suddenly in 2021, my parents became carers and dedicated time and love to look after grandma. She was appreciative of this, living at home was her wish.

One blessing that came of this difficult time, was how much time we all spent with grandma in her final year. We’d go down and see her at lunchtime on days off and we’d always have a good chat and several laughs. It was lovely to see her smile through the tough time she was facing. It was rewarding seeing grandma’s face light up when we popped round to see her, I know it meant the world to her.

Grandma was so bowled over with the tribute we wrote for grandad and I was really touched by the kind words and love received from everyone.

Grandma as a child with her mum, older brother and sister

Our grandma lived an amazing life. She was the fifth child of nine children and named after her mother. She spent a lot of her younger years travelling and living in different countries around the world. She was born in the same town as me, but as her father was a major in the army, the whole family travelled around. At 6 months old, Grandma lived in India until she was 9, then after that she lived in West Germany, before settling back in the UK in her late teens.

Grandma’s dad was Scottish, I’ve been to Scotland only once before and can’t wait to explore more of a place where my family comes from and somewhere I loved on my first trip. My great great-grandfather is listed in the fallen soldiers of Gallipoli, in the war museum in Edinburgh Castle.

My grandma and grandad met at the local Hippodrome, my grandad asked grandma to dance and that’s how came to meet. It’s funny, because grandad had gone to another dance earlier in the evening and there had not been any girls there! So him and his friend then moved onto the Hippodrome. It’s lucky they did!

They always said they both saved each other, as my grandad lost his dad to lukekemia when my grandad was 21 and my grandma lost her mum suddenly aged just 19. I couldn’t imagine losing either of my parents, at that young age it was extremely hard for them.

Grandma would always talk to me about the food she ate whilst in India. She’d love hearing me talk about the Indian food one of my friends made me. Grandma is one of my kitchen inspirations as she was a great baker. I used to make jam with my grandparents and grandma would bake delicious pies, one year we were welcomed home from holiday to a freshly baked apple pie.

In my grandad’s tribute, I mentioned as a young child I would go to my grandparents and they’d cook me tasty lunches. We received a card from one my mum’s cousins and she even remembered eating the same meal as a child too! Rachel wrote a whole long list of lovely memories of her auntie and uncle, which touched us all.

Like Rachel, we have fond memories of family picnics at the seaside and meals all together. They loved to take us down to the coast and spend a carefree afternoon by the sea. For me, the seaside is where I go for some escapism, relaxation and a way of remembering those happy times.

My grandparents with my sister Becca and myself

On this Mother’s Day, I’m celebrating all the wonderful women in my life and remembering those who have passed.

We all love you so much and miss you. You were the best mum, and grandma anyone could wish for, you’ll be forever in our hearts. ❤️

Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Vegan

Easter Bunny Shortbreads

Easter bunny-shaped shortbread biscuits, a simple and easy bake for your Easter table.

 

I made these cute bunny shortbread biscuits a couple of weeks ago in preparation for Easter. I’ve been cracking on with my Easter recipes, having recently updated my favourite Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns.

For my latest recipe idea, because that hot cross bun recipe that takes a fair amount of time to make, I wanted my next Easter bake to be easier and something kids and adults alike will enjoy baking!

I took this Vegan Shortbread recipe and used a bunny biscuit/cookie cutter I’ve had for years and only really ever used occasionally. I used the cutter to stamp out adorable bunny-shaped shortbreads. They might even be too cute to eat?!

Then once the shortbreads were baked and then cooled down, I made a very small amount of white glacé icing – I made sure the icing was quite thick and then I popped it in a piping bag, snipped the end and piped small ‘blobs’ of icing on the tail end of each bunny shortbread. If you don’t use homemade glacé icing, you can also use those tubes of readymade icing or melted chocolate of your choice instead.

The final decoration was a mini chocolate egg on the end of each biscuit to resemble a bunny tail. I used a 75g bag of vegan mini chocolate eggs. Some of the biscuits I didn’t decorate, so I made do with one bag of chocolate eggs, so if you want to decorate every biscuit, you might want to grab another bag of mini chocolate eggs.

You might also need more chocolate if you’re like me and find yourself snacking your way through the bag as you decorate…

This shortbread recipe was one of my late grandma’s favourite biscuits. My grandma was half Scottish and she always loved her shortbread. When I first made them, she enjoyed them so much, she asked me to bake them again. I unfortunately never got the chance to, but this recipe will hold a special place in my heart, because I know just how much she loved it.

I’ll be baking these shortbread biscuits again over Easter. They’re fun, cheap to make and are a great Easter baking project!

Further decoration of these biscuits is optional, you can leave them as they are with an extra sprinkle of sugar, or drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkles.

Print

Easter Bunny Shortbreads

Easter bunny-shaped shortbread biscuits, a simple and easy bake for your Easter table.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 20 biscuits
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 200 g vegan baking block softened
  • 100 g sugar I use vanilla sugar
  • 150 g plain flour
  • 150 g self-raising flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Glacé icing or melted chocolate of your choice
  • 75 g mini chocolate eggs (I use vegan)

Instructions

  • Line two large baking trays with parchment paper or silicone baking mats and set aside. Preheat oven to 160°C / 140°C Fan / 325°F / Gas Mark 3. Cream the softened vegan baking block and the sugar until light and pale in colour (about 1-2 minutes).
  • Now sift the flours and add to the creamed baking block and sugar mixture along with the vanilla extract. Continue to mix until a crumbly and soft ball of dough comes together. Don’t overwork the dough, try to touch it as little as possible. At this point you can wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill it for 15 minutes, however this is an optional step - it does make rolling the dough out easier.
  • On a lightly floured surface roll the dough out to about 1/2 cm thickness. Using your favourite biscuit/cookie cutters (I use a bunny-shaped cutter), cut out shapes from the dough and transfer to the lined baking trays. Sprinkle the top of each biscuit with a little extra sugar or you can dust each baked biscuit with icing sugar after baking if you prefer.
  • Bake the biscuits for 15-20 minutes until they’re crisp and slightly golden around the edges - all ovens are different so they may need baking for longer. I like adding a little extra sugar to the tops at this point.
  • Once baked, leave to cool on the baking trays for 5-10 minutes, then carefully transport to a wire rack and allow the biscuits to cool completely to room temperature. 
  • Now decorate with a dab of glacé icing on the end of each bunny shortbread to attach the mini chocolate egg, which will look like the bunny tail. Allow the icing to set before serving.
  • Shortbread will keep in an airtight container for up to one week.

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Appetisers · Dips and Sides · Greek Cuisine · Vegan

Vegan Tzatziki

Authentic Greek tzatziki made dairy-free with vegan ingredients. Serve this light, fresh and creamy dip with pita bread/chips and your favourite mezze foods.

My traditional Greek tzatziki is a blog recipe I shared nearly 6 years ago in April 2016. Tzatziki reminds me of my travels to the Greek islands and Cyprus many years ago and one taste of this amazing dip just transports me back to those beautiful sunny destinations.

A taste of pure sunshine is exactly what we need on a wintery February day. I’m sure you agree?

I grew up in an English household, but as a child I travelled to some great places around Europe. Through travelling, I’ve been eating different cuisines and gaining new experiences from a young age. Throughout my childhood and even to this day, we eat traditional British food (delicious roast dinners, stews and pies), but also a mix of Italian, Spanish and Greek/Cypriot food.

Tzatziki originates in Greece. It’s very similar to the Turkish dip, cacik and raita, an Indian creamy cucumber dip.

I used my original tzatziki recipe and veganised it by swapping the Greek yoghurt for an oat-based alternative – I highly recommend Oatly Greek Style Oatgurt for the creamiest dairy-free Greek-style yoghurt.

Start by slicing the cucumber in half, then in half again, then scrap the seeds from the centre of each piece. Grate or finely chop the cucumber and then squeeze as much water from the cucumber as you can.

We don’t want the cucumber to add any extra water to our dip, this is not a runny sauce, it’s meant to be thick and super creamy – how it’s served in Greece! As it sits in the fridge it will thicken slightly and the flavour will intensify. I leave mine overnight, but 2-4 hours in the fridge is absolutely fine before serving.

I use freshly chopped dill in my tzatziki. You can use mint instead.

It’s great to use pita bread to scoop up the tzatziki. This time I bought my pita bread. I know I’ve said it before, that homemade pita bread is far superior, so I’d recommend making your own with my Greek Pita Bread recipe if you’re going to attempt this tzatziki.

This tzatziki is a tasty dip served just with pieces of pita bread, but it’s also incredible with either lemon herb rice or roasted vegetable couscous (both recipes I’ve featured below for you) and falafel or, if you’re vegetarian, some grilled/fried halloumi.

Print

Vegan Tzatziki

Authentic Greek tzatziki but made with vegan ingredients. Serve this light, fresh and creamy dip with fluffy pita bread/chips and your favourite mezze foods.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Servings 8
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 400 g dairy-free yoghurt I use oat-based Greek-style yoghurt
  • 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon dill or mint finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil I use extra virgin for best flavour
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Slice the cucumber lengthways and using a small spoon scoop out the watery centre and discard the seeds. Coarsely grate the cucumber or dice it. Place the cucumber in a sieve over a bowl and squeeze as much of the water out as you can. I always leave the peel on because it contains lots of flavour and texture, but this is just my personal preference.
  • In a medium mixing bowl combine the cucumber, yoghurt, garlic, dill, lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning. The dip can be served straight away but it is best left to chill in the fridge for at least 2-4 hours in order for the flavours to develop and marry together.
  • When ready to serve, place the tzatziki in a serving bowl or dish and drizzle with extra olive oil. It will keep fresh covered or stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Give the tzatziki a good mix prior to serving.

Recipes that go well with this Vegan Tzatziki!

Greek Pita Bread

Lemon Herb Rice

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Biscuits and Cookies · Cheesecake · No-Bake · Vegan

Vegan Oreo Cheesecake

No-bake vegan white chocolate Oreo cheesecake. Ultra creamy and mousse-like cheesecake made without any dairy.

This is officially my first new recipe in 2022, it’s been two months since I last posted on here. As you might have read from my Facebook post here, the end of 2021 and start of this year have been a difficult time for me and I needed to take a break. I have my mojo back and I’m ready to crack on with blog content and sharing new recipes.

I finally picked up my camera again, after last working on my blog properly in November. It’s been nice to get back to blogging, taking the time off made me realise how much I missed it!

After sharing my Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake last year, this recipe has become one of the most viewed vegan dessert recipes on the blog.

So far, I’ve made a Biscoff version and a classic No-Bake Vegan Cheesecake. There’re three vegan cheesecake recipes on this website, if you have any cheesecake flavours you want to see, then just comment below and let me know your ideas!

Recently, I incorporated one of the best accidentally vegan biscuit/cookies into my classic vegan cheesecake recipe.

Oreos are my guilty pleasure. They’re sweet, chocolatey and an opened pack never seems to last long when I’m around!

To make this cheesecake, start by picking your favourite biscuit for the cheesecake base. I went for Oreos, but digestives or another chocolate cream filled biscuit would work (such as bourbon creams).

Because I used Oreos, I use slightly less butter – you don’t want the base too wet, with these measurements it’s just perfectly crumbly but still holds together when sliced. If you choose to use digestives instead of Oreos, increase the butter in the biscuit base part of the recipe to 140g instead of 75g (if using Oreos).

The cheesecake filling is made by combining vegan cream cheese with icing sugar, vanilla extract and melted dairy-free white chocolate, then folding through whipped dairy-free cream and crushed Oreos.

I said before, I didn’t think cheesecake would be on the menu anymore for me following a vegan lifestyle. But how wrong I was!

This Vegan Oreo Cheesecake is not only dairy-free, it’s nut-free and easy to make gluten-free. It’s a great make-ahead dessert and perfect for feeding a hungry crowd!

Print

Vegan Oreo Cheesecake

No-bake vegan white chocolate Oreo cheesecake. Ultra creamy and mousse-like cheesecake made without any dairy.
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 30 minutes
Servings 12
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Oreo Biscuit Base:

  • 300 g Oreo cookies
  • 75 g baking block or dairy-free spread (salted or unsalted) melted

Oreo Cheesecake Filling:

  • 200 g vegan cream cheese
  • 3 tablespoons icing sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 100 g vegan white chocolate melted and cooled slightly
  • 250 ml vegan cream
  • 154 g Oreo cookies roughly crushed

Instructions

  • To make the biscuit base: Mix the crushed Oreos with the melted dairy-free spread until moistened. Press the Oreo crumbs into a 23cm springform tin until compact. Put to one side while you make the cheesecake filling.
  • To make the cheesecake filling: In a large mixing bowl whisk the vegan cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold through the melted vegan white chocolate until combined. In another large mixing bowl, whisk the dairy-free cream until soft peaks form. Fold the cream into the white chocolate cream cheese mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated, then finally fold through the crushed Oreos - be careful not to over mix. 
  • Spread the cheesecake filling on top of the biscuit base you prepared earlier and smooth the top with either the back of a spoon, a spatula or a palette knife. Cover the cheesecake and leave it to set in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. 
  • When ready to serve, remove the cheesecake from the springform tin and decorate as desired. I love serving it with extra whipped cream and some crushed Oreos. The cheesecake will keep stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. 

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Brownies · Buttercream and Frosting · Chocolate · Vegan

Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies

Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies: rich and fudgy chocolate orange flavoured brownie with a chocolate orange buttercream.

In case you missed them, the festive recipes I’ve blogged so far: 3 Ingredient Oreo Truffles (perfect Xmas gift idea), Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vegan ShortbreadVegan Gingerbread Loaf Cake and Vegan Cinnamon Rolls. My first year baking entirely vegan Christmas recipes!

Since sharing this Vegan Brownies recipe last year, I’ve been desperate to put a twist on the recipe. These vegan brownies are perfect for fans of fudgy brownies. I know I am, I’ll take a fudgy brownie over a cakey brownie any day.

The orange flavour in these brownies comes with a real punch, the way I’ve incorporated so much orange flavour is by adding orange extract instead of vanilla and adding the zest from one large orange.

I make my own vegan chocolate orange – they’re delicious and so easy to do! I have a 9-segment mould and melt 75g of vegan chocolate and once the chocolate has melted I stir through 1/4 teaspoon of orange extract.

The buttercream is optional, these brownies taste divine without it just served warm with vegan whipped cream or ice cream. The chocolate orange buttercream is made by creaming softened vegan butter and sifted icing sugar until lightened. Then adding orange extract and gently mixing in melted chocolate plus enough vegan cream or milk until the buttercream is a spreadable consistency.

I also decorate with extra orange zest and homemade chocolate orange segments. This brownie will make an impressive Christmas Day dessert, it’s pretty rich so only a small piece is needed – though I went overboard with these pictures as three of us ended up sharing one piece!

The recipe serves 16 depending on how big or small you slice the brownie up.

Print

Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies

Vegan Chocolate Orange Brownies: rich and fudgy chocolate orange flavoured brownie with a chocolate orange buttercream.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Servings 16
Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

Brownie Batter:

  • 100 g dark chocolate
  • 200 g caster sugar
  • Zest from 1 large orange
  • 140 g plain flour
  • 20 g cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 80 ml vegetable oil
  • 240 ml plant milk
  • 1 teaspoon orange extract
  • 100 g vegan chocolate chips/chunks (optional)

Chocolate Orange Buttercream:

  • 75 g vegan butter softened
  • 150 g icing sugar sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon orange extract
  • 75 g vegan chocolate
  • 2 tablespoons vegan cream or plant milk

Instructions

Make The Brownie Batter:

  • Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C Fan / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Line a 20cm square cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.
  • Break the dark chocolate up and add to a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie) - make sure the base of the bowl is not directly touching the water. Gently melt the dark chocolate until it’s smooth.
  • In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest together. Now sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Give these ingredients a quick whisk together to combine then whisk in the oil, plant milk and orange extract until you have a smooth batter. Whisk in the melted chocolate until incorporated. Finally, if using fold through the extra chocolate chips/chunks.
  • Transfer the brownie batter to the lined tin.
  • Bake the brownies for 25-30 minutes - I always bake mine for 25 minutes because I like the brownies extra fudgy. Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting in to 16 squares. We left ours overnight before cutting.

Make The Buttercream:

  • Cream the butter and icing sugar for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the orange extract, melted chocolate and vegan cream and mix until combined. Spread the buttercream over the top of the brownie or slice the brownie up and pipe the buttercream on top.
  • The brownies will keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

My other Christmas recipes you’ve been enjoying!

Scottish Shortbread

Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake

Terry’s Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext