British Roast Potatoes

November 30, 2024December 1, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

Perfectly crisp and fluffy roast potatoes. Our classic British Roast Potatoes are a family favourite side dish.

Roast potatoes are a tasty side dish us Brits serve with our roast dinner on a Sunday. They’re my favourite part of a roast dinner, along with Yorkshire Puddings, some sage and onion stuffing, and not to forget, lashings of warm gravy.

Just now, thinking of a bowl of warm roast potatoes and gravy is making me hungry!

If you’re a Brit like myself, then you have most likely eaten roast potatoes since a very young age, almost every Sunday or for a mid-week roast. With Christmas less than a month away, I figured an easy roast potato recipe would be helpful to share!

Our family loves these. The recipe is my Mum’s. Every time we have one of Mum’s roasts, everyone is drooling as soon as the roasties make their way to the table!

Homemade roast potatoes are easy to make. You want to start by selecting a good roasting potato. As this is my Mum’s recipe, I’ve used her expertise to help share all the best tips. Maris Piper, King Edward or any floury potato is best of all to use.

To start, we need to peel and cut the potatoes. You want big roast potatoes here, so we’re halving each potato and then cutting each half in half once again. About 6cm in diameter. To parboil, fill a large saucepan/pot with the potatoes, then cover the potatoes in cold water – taking the water about an inch above the potatoes. Generously salt the water and bring the potatoes up to the boil.

Once boiling, turn the heat down and continue to gently boil for around 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Drain the potatoes for a few minutes, then return them to the saucepan. Cover with a couple of pieces of kitchen paper and leave to stand for 5 minutes – this helps dry the potato out further, increasing the crispiness later on!

Now, add the seasoning along with the oil. Put the lid back on the saucepan and give the pan a good shake and toss the potatoes around. This creates rough edges, which again will make your roasties super crispy – just how we want them!

Transfer your potatoes to a large baking tray, pop a few cloves of garlic and some rosemary in the pan if you desire, then roast for about 30 minutes.

If you like your roast potatoes really crispy, cook longer until they are your desired texture.

These golden and fluffy potatoes are naturally gluten-free and completely vegan too.

Now you have a fantastic potato recipe to make for Christmas Day!

British Roast Potatoes

Our family favourite British Roast Potatoes. Classic roasties are ultra crisp on the outside, with a deliciously fluffy inside. A roast dinner must!

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings 10

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

2 kg roasting potatoes
Salt and black pepper to taste
4 tablespoons oil I used olive oil, but sunflower/vegetable oil works too

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7.
Take your potatoes, peel them and then half each potato, half again. Transfer the chopped potatoes to a large saucepan and cover the potatoes with the water - fill to about a couple of inches above the potatoes. Generously salt the water.
Bring the pan up to the boil. Once boiling, turn the heat down and leave the potatoes to gently boil for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
Drain the potatoes, then once drained, place a couple of pieces of kitchen paper on top of the potatoes and leave for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove the kitchen paper and add in the seasoning and the oil. Place the lid back on the saucepan and give the potatoes a good shake and toss around - this makes them really fluffy!
Transfer the potatoes to a large baking tray, bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden and crispy on the outside.
Serve the roast potatoes straight away with an additional sprinkle of salt.

Best Yorkshire Puddings

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Dips and Sides · Gluten-Free · No-Bake · Vegan

Guacamole

May 25, 2024September 14, 2024 What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Homemade guacamole recipe. This Mexican dip is an essential side served with a plate of nachos, alongside a burrito, tacos, quesadillas, or a bowl of homemade chilli con or sin carne.

Mexican food is up there on my list of favourite cuisines. The use of fresh ingredients, wholesome food are exactly two reasons why I love this kind of food as much as I do.

I’ve been preparing homemade guacamole for years, the recipe I use is incredibly easy and quick to make. I hadn’t thought until now about sharing the recipe with you. But since the weather has been warming up, and summer is (hopefully) on the way, I thought now would be a great time to finally share it!

I believe everyone needs a good guacamole recipe in their repertoire.

As I mentioned near the top of this blog post, I love Mexican food.

A fun fact for you: Mexican Red Rice (Arroz Rojo) was the first recipe I ever shared! As much as I have quite the sweet tooth, I am truly a savoury person!

This simple and easy Guacamole recipe starts with some mis en place. You’ll need all your ingredients together ready. Start by chopping the add-in ingredients: finely diced onion (I always go for red onion), deseed and dice tomato, chop up some garlic and a green chilli (leave the seeds in if you like it spicy), along with some coriander, and a small pinch of ground cumin.

Mash the avocado with the lime juice until there’s just a few chunks left, then mix in the ingredients you chopped earlier. Finally, season well with salt and pepper, to taste.

I used homegrown coriander from my parents garden, we have an abundance of parsley in ours (hopefully to feature in lots more summer cooking), but for today’s recipe I needed some beautiful coriander to flavour the guacamole.

Guacamole is just thing I really cannot ever buy. The readymade guacamole is not fresh, this is one of the dips that just has to be made fresh and eaten on the day of making. The guacamole you get in those dip selections are lacking all the texture that’s traditional, and they often don’t have the best flavour.

This recipes like this one, homemade is most definitely the way to go! It’s my take on guacamole, everyone makes theirs differently, but we love it and hope you do too!

Guacamole

Homemade guacamole recipe. This Mexican dip is an essential side served with a plate of nachos, alongside a burrito, tacos, quesadillas, or a bowl of homemade chilli con or sin carne.

Prep Time 20

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

3 ripe avocados
juice from 1/2 a lime add more if you desire
125 g tomato (deseeded and finely chopped) I use vine-ripened tomatoes for the best flavour
1 small red onion finely diced
1 garlic clove finely minced
1 green chilli (deseeded and finely chopped)
small bunch of fresh coriander finely chopped
pinch of ground cumin optional
salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Start by prepping all your add-in ingredients. Deseed and chop the tomato, red onion, garlic clove, green chilli and coriander. Have these ready to mix in.
Halve and stone the avocados - leave one stone for storage later on. Scoop the flesh out from the skin and add to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Squeeze the lime juice in the bowl.
Smash slightly, leaving a few chunks of avocado. Add all the remaining ingredients to the bowl (the chopped tomato, red onion, garlic, green chilli, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper).
Stir to combine fully, then place the guacamole mixture in a serving bowl/dish of your choice. If not serving straight away, place the avocado stone you reserved earlier in the centre and cover tightly, before storing in the fridge.
The guacamole will keep for up to 2 days. It's best eaten on the day of making.

Want another dip recipe to try? Make our favourite Creamy Homemade Hummus next!

You haven’t eaten the BEST chilli until you’ve made my Chilli Con Carne

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Dips and Sides · Gluten-Free · Vegan

Spanish Roasted Almonds (Almendras Fritas)

January 20, 2023January 19, 2023 What Jessica Baked Next5 Comments

Spanish-style almonds flavoured with olive oil, smoked paprika and garlic. A quick recipe to prepare ready for snacking on.

Almendras Fritas is a traditional Spanish tapa. The almonds are usually fried, but instead I’ve roasted mine and once lightly toasted and still hot from the oven, I’ve mixed the almonds with olive oil, garlic and paprika seasoning, and flaky sea salt.

In Spain, you’ll typically find fried almonds (only seasoned with salt) on the side in bars, ready to devour with a beer or glass of wine.

They also make a fabulous, healthy snack to munch on. They’re perfect for all occasions, whether it be for a mid-morning/midday snack to re-engerise yourself with, or served up at a party alongside other tasty nibbles.

Last summer, I went on a holiday to beautiful Nerja in Andalusia. It was on that trip that I discovered the Spaniards’ love of savoury and sweet nuts.

Walking around most cities or towns, there are many stalls selling warm almonds. We also found a shop that sold caramelised nuts. They took anything from almonds, to cashew nuts, to sunflower seeds and coated these nuts and seeds in caramel – some with salt added too.

I brought back a few packs to eat at home, but this is something I’ve wanted to recreate for the blog since my holiday.

But first, I chose to make a savoury version of roasted nuts.

I intended to share this recipe before Christmas/New Year and wanted to post it alongside these Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels. In the end, time got the better of me, but I made sure this recipe went straight to the top of my 2023 recipe planner.

Spanish Roasted Almonds (Almendras Fritas)

Spanish-style roasted almonds, flavoured with smoked paprika and garlic.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Total Time 15

Servings 6

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

300 g raw almonds
1 teaspoon garlic granules
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt I use sea salt, but table salt is fine too
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan / 400°F / Gas Mark 6.
Evenly spread the almonds out on a large baking tray. Toast the almonds for 5-8 minutes until slightly darkened in colour - watch them carefully as the nuts toast very quickly.
While the almonds are toasting, prepare the spice mix. In a small bowl, mix together the garlic granules, smoked paprika and the salt.
When the almonds are ready, transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil and the spice mix and toss to combine.
Serve the almonds warm or at room temperature. The almonds will keep stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

The recipe makes enough almonds to generously fill a medium sized serving dish and will roughly serve about 6 people.

Deliciously crunchy and each almond has a tasty coating of smoky paprika and garlic.

You’ll find these addictive and will be eating them constantly by the handful…

Similar recipes to try next!

Patatas Bravas – my most popular savoury recipe

Paprika Roasted Potatoes

Roasted Vegetable Couscous

Cheese and Mustard Puff Pastry Pinwheels (3 Ingredients)

Keep up to date with me on:

Like my Facebook page here

Instagram: @whatjessicabakednext

Twitter: @jessbakednext

Pinterest: @jessbakednext

Baking · Dips and Sides · Light Lunches · Vegan · Vegetarian Recipes

Sriracha Glazed Roasted Potatoes

August 22, 2022August 22, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next3 Comments

Roasted potatoes in a sriracha glaze – the potatoes are soft on the inside, crisp on the outside with a spicy sticky glaze.

This recipe is inspired by So Vegan, I saw a blog post/recipe video of these potatoes being made and instantly saved the recipe to try myself.

Asian food is always super flavourful and this sriracha glaze is sweet, sticky and adds a delicious spicy kick of heat to each mouthful.

Slice your potatoes and place in a large baking tray. Drizzle over a tablespoon of oil and season with a smallish pinch of salt before roasting for 30-35 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and have turned golden in colour.

When the potatoes are a few minutes away from being ready, start preparing your glaze.

Take all the glaze ingredients, whisk together in a bowl, then pop in a saucepan and then heat for a few minutes until thickened. Toss the potatoes in the glaze and mix together in the pan until the sauce is coating the potatoes.

Serve right away with a sesame seed and chive or spring onion garnish.

Sriracha Glazed Roasted Potatoes

Roasted potatoes in a sriracha glaze - the potatoes are soft on the inside, crisp on the outside with a spicy sticky glaze.

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 35

Total Time 45

Servings 4 people

Author What Jessica Baked Next

Ingredients

800 g baby potatoes quartered
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt

Sriracha Glaze:

3 tablespoons agave nectar, honey or maple syrup
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce I use dark soy sauce
1 and 1/2 tablespoons sriracha adjust to taste
3 cloves of garlic finely chopped

Instructions

Preheat oven to 220°C / 200°C Fan / 425°F / Gas Mark 7. Place the potatoes on a large baking tray. Drizzle with the oil and season with a generous sprinkle of salt. Roast the potatoes for 30-35 minutes until soft and they're lightly golden in colour.
When the potatoes are nearly ready, make the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the agave nectar/honey or maple syrup with soy sauce, sesame oil, sriracha and the chopped garlic.
Heat the glaze in a large saucepan (I recommend a deep frying pan/wok to do this) and allow the glaze to gently bubble for 2-3 minutes, or until it's thickened slightly. Add the roasted potatoes to the pan and mix to coat the potatoes in the glaze. Serve garnished with sesame seeds and chives/spring onion.

Gluten-Free · Main Meals · Rice Dishes · Vegan

Red Lentil Curry with Pilau Rice

May 30, 2022October 5, 2022 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

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.

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

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

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)

May 16, 2022May 22, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next8 Comments

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!

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

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

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

April 12, 2022April 11, 2022 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

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.

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

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 20

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

April 4, 2022April 4, 2022 What Jessica Baked NextLeave a comment

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.

Vegan Chocolate Hazelnut Cheesecake

Prep Time 6 30

Total Time 6 30

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

March 30, 2022December 16, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next40 Comments

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!

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

Cook Time 10

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

Baking · Biscuits and Cookies · Vegan

Easter Bunny Shortbreads

March 16, 2022April 7, 2022 What Jessica Baked Next1 Comment

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.

Easter Bunny Shortbreads

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

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

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