Potato Scones

6 medium left-over boiled potatoes Pinch of salt Plain flour Vegetable oil 1. Mash the potatoes with a little salt, then work in as much flour as possible. Form into very thin (about 1/2 cm/1/4 inch thick) burger-like shapes. 2. Shallow fry over a high heat in the vegetable oil until crisp and golden on both sides. Serves 4.

Your Basic Chocolate Cupcake

8floz (230ml) soya milk 1 tsp vinegar 5oz (140g) caster sugar 3floz (90ml) vegetable oil 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 4oz (125g) plain flour 1 1/2 oz (45g) cocoa powder 3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1. Preheat oven to 350F/175C/gas mark 4 and line muffin pan with paper or foil liners. 2. Whisk together soya milk and vinegar in a large bowl and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. Add sugar, oil and vanilla extract and beat until foamy. 3. In a separate bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt. Add in two batches to wet ingredients and beat until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay). 4. Pour into liners, filling three quarters of the way. Bake 18 to 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Transfer to cooling rack. Eat while still warm or allow to cool completely and ice with chocolate 'buttercream' . From Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World by I C Moskowitz & T H Romero (www.theppk.com) with thanks. Makes 12.

Chocolate 'Buttercream' Icing

3 oz (115g) vegan margarine 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 6 oz (170g) sieved icing sugar 2 oz (55g) sieved cocoa powder 1. Place all ingredients into a bowl and mash with a fork until smooth and creamy.

Vegan melting mozzarella e.g. Redwoods 3-4 mushrooms 13oz (375g) ready rolled vegan-puff pastry 2 tbsp tomato purree 1 tbsp tomato salsa

Freshly ground pepper Dairy-free pesto 1. Preheat oven to 425F/220C/gas mark 7. Slice mozzarella and mushrooms thinly. Cut puff pastry sheet into 8-cm squares and place on a baking tray. Mix tomato purree with salsa and 5-6 tablespoons of water to a smooth sauce. 2. Spread each pastry square with a little tomato sauce, leaving a narrow edge all around. Top with a slice of 'cheese' and a slice of mushroom. Season with pepper to taste. Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until pastry is well risen and golden brown. Remove from oven and top with a little pesto sauce. They are delicious hot or cold. Makes 12. 3. Homemade pesto is a real delight and very easy to make if you have a blender. Place 3/4 oz (20g) basil leaves, 1 tsp pine nuts, 1/2 clove of garlic and a pinch of salt in a blender. Add enough olive oil to whiz to a smooth paste. Any left over will keep in fridge for a few days.

Cake
8 oz (225g) grated carrot 6 oz (170g) sultanas or raisins 5 oz (140g) SR white flour 5 oz (140g) SR wholemeal flour 6 oz (170g) sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp ginger 7 fl oz (200 ml) vegetable oil 7 fl oz (200 ml) water pinch of salt dash of vinegar 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Icing
6 oz (170g) icing sugar 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 3 oz (115g) vegan margarine cashews or sunflower seeds 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. 2. To make the cake, stir all the dry ingredients together and then mix the wet ones in. 3. Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3 and cook for another 30 minutes. Cool in tin. 4. To make the icing mash the sugar and vanilla essence into the margarine with a fork. 5. Ice the cake once it is cold. Optional: top with very roughly chopped cashew nuts or sunflower seeds. Based on a recipe in The Cake Scoffer by Ronny Worsey

Ann's Blooming Lovely Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

3-4 oz (75-100g) vegan margarine 9 oz (250g) vegan digestive biscuits 1 lb (450g) firm tofu, mashed juice of one and a half oranges

1 banana or rind of 1 orange 2 oz (55g) cocoa powder 3 tbsp oil 2 oz (55g) sugar 2-4 tbsp soya milk 1. Base: Melt the margarine gently in a saucepan. Crush the digestive biscuits until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Remove margarine from heat and mix in biscuit crumbs. Press into 11 inch flan tin. 2. Topping: Mix the tofu, orange juice, banana or orange rind, cocoa, oil and sugar to a smooth consistency: preferably in a food processor. If it doesn't mix well, add a few tablespoons soya milk. Place over the base and smooth the top. Cook for 30-40 minutes at 175C/350F/gas mark 4. Remove from oven, cool and chill overnight in fridge. Add topping of your choice e.g. slices of orange or grated chocolate.

Spiced Apple Cake

1 lb (450g) cooking apples, peeled and sliced 4 oz (115g) vegan margarine 4 oz (115g) raw cane sugar 6 oz (170g) sultanas 2 level tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tbsp boiling water 8 oz (225g) wholemeal flour 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp ground allspice 1. Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. 2. Cook the apples in the minimum of water. When they are soft, mash to a puree and drain very well. 3. Cream together the margarine and sugar, then add the apple puree to make a thick mixture. Stir in the dried fruit. Mix the bicarbonate of soda with the water and add this also. 4. Sift together the flour and spices and blend with apple mixture. Pour into a very well greased cake tin, smooth the top and bake at in the pre-heated oven 45 minutes-1 hour.

Mango Cake
Cake
12 oz (340g) self raising flour 1 heaped dssp soya flour 1 heaped dssp corn flour 2 1/2 tsp baking powder 6 oz (170g) margarine 1 cupful of caster sugar 6 dssp of mango puree 12 fl oz (340ml) soya milk

Mango Icing
2 oz (55g) margarine 4 dssp mango puree 1 tsp vanilla essence

6 oz (170g) icing/caster sugar 1 oz (30g) cornflour, sieved 1. First make the cake: preheat the oven to 175C/350F/gas mark 4. Sift the flour, soya flour, corn flour and baking powder and mix together. 2. Blend the margarine, caster sugar and mango puree together and add the dry mix. Pour in the soya milk and blend together thoroughly. The mixture should quite thick. 3. Grease two cake tins and pour in the cake mixture. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Leave until completely cold. 4. To make the mango icing put all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring frequently. Boil rapidly for 1 minute exactly. Beat until cold (place saucepan in some cold water). 5. Finally sandwich the cakes together with the mango icing and dust the top with icing sugar.

Oaty Banana Cake

1 lb (450g) very ripe bananas, mashed 2 oz (50g) brazil nuts, roughly chopped 3 fl oz (90 ml) sunflower oil 2 fl oz (60 ml) water 4 oz (115g) raisins 4 oz (115g) rolled oats 4 oz (115g) wholemeal flour 1/2 tsp vanilla essence 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. 2. Mix all the ingredients together. The consistency should be soft and moist. 3. Spoon into a greased and lined 900g/2lb loaf tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before turning out. Free from processed sugar.

Chocolate Cake
Cake
6 oz (175g) self raising wholemeal/white flour 3 level tsp baking powder 1 oz (25g) cocoa 3 1/2 oz (100g) Barbados sugar 4 1/2 fl oz (125 ml) vegetable oil 11 1/2 fl oz (325 ml) cold water

Topping
1 recipe of 'butter' icing - see note 3 at the end of this web page Chocolate beans e.g. Allergycare - optional 1. 2. 3. 4. Preheat oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5. Place all the cake ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Place mixture in greased loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven. Cool on a wire rack. Spread the icing over the top of the cake and arrange the chocolate beans on top.

Sponge cake
10oz (275g) white self-raising flour 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 8oz (225g) caster sugar 8floz (230 ml) vegetable oil 5floz (150 ml) orange juice 5floz (150 ml) water 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Custard
Vegan custard powder 1-2 tbsp sugar to taste 1 pint (570 ml) soya milk 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Chocolate sauce
3 4 3 1 1/2 oz (100g) plain chocolate slightly rounded dssp vegan margarine heaped tbsp icing sugar tbsp soya dream (or banana OY shake)

2-3 bananas 1. First make the sponge cake. i. Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas mark 3. Grease 2 x 8-8 1/2 inch tins. ii. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl. Add the sugar. iii. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, orange juice, water and vanilla extract. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and mix well to a smooth, fairly wet batter. iv. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tins and bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, until the cakes start to shrink away from the sides of the tins and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre. v. Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out to cool on a wire rack. 2. Next make 1 pint of custard as per instructions on the packet. Stir in vanilla essence at the end and leave to cool. 3. To make the chocolate sauce melt the chocolate with the margarine, icing sugar and soya dream. 4. Once the sponge has cooled crumble it into a flat form, in a dish approximately 12 x 8 inch. Then add the cooled down custard, cut a thick layer of banana on top and finally pour over the still liquid chocolate sauce. Chill for 2-3 hours then serve. Makes 8 servings

Brazil Nut and Banana Brownie

2 6 2 4 5 5 1 2 very ripe bananas (8oz/225g flesh) oz (170g) gluten-free flour tbsp cocoa oz (115g) sugar fl oz (140 ml) vegetable oil fl oz (140 ml) water tsp bicarbonate of soda oz (55g) brazil nuts

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. 2. Mash the bananas in a mixing bowl, then sieve in the flour and cocoa. Add the sugar, vegetable oil and water, reserving 1 tbsp of the water. 3. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the tbsp of water then add to the bowl. Mix well then stir in the brazil

nuts. 4. Put the mixture in a greased brownie tin and place in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out clean. Eat within a day or two. Gluten-free.

Mocha Chocolate Cake

Cake
8 6 1 1 2 7 9 oz (225g) self raising wholemeal flour level dssp cocoa powder level tsp bicarbonate of soda level tsp cream of tartar tbsp soya flour oz (200g) caster sugar fl oz (250 ml) water

Filling
2 oz (55g) vegan margarine 4 oz (55g) icing sugar 1 tsp coffee essence or v. strong coffee few drops of vanilla essence

Topping
1 bar vegan chocolate 1-2 tbsp boiling water chocolate covered coffee beans - optional 1. Preheat oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. 2. Sift flour into a basin with the cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Add soya flour and sugar, and then mix together. Stir in the water. 3. Turn evenly into two greased 7 inch sandwich tins. Bake in the pre-heated oven for about 25 minutes. Leave in the tins until cool before turning out. 4. Make the filling: cream the margarine with half the sugar, then add remainder and cream again. Stir in coffee essence or strong coffee gradually to required consistency. When smooth add a few drops of vanilla essence. 5. Make the topping: melt the chocolate in a double saucepan and add boiling water. The more water added the softer the topping. 6. Spread on top of cake and leave to set. If desired decorate with chocolate covered coffee beans.

Chocolate Fridge Cake

1 oz (30g) margarine 1 rounded dssp golden syrup

2 3 3 1 1

floz (60 ml) soya milk 1/2 oz (100g) plain chocolate oz (85g) digestive biscuits, broken up oz (30g) raisins oz (30g) dates, chopped

1. Heat the margarine, golden syrup, soya milk and chocolate in a double saucepan. Continue until the chocolate and margarine have melted. 2. Add the biscuits, raisins and dates, and mix well. 3. Place in a small greased tray and place in the fridge to set for three hours.

Variations
Chocolate Pecan Fridge Cake Replace 1 oz (30g) of the biscuits with pecans. Use another 1 oz (30g) of pecans to decorate the top of the cake. Chocolate Orange Fridge Cake
Take 1/2 tsp of finely grated orange peel (use an organic or unwaxed orange) and add it at the same time as the biscuits, raisins and dates.