“AM I EVEN BUYING WHAT I’M SELLING?”
While I am not vegan myself, there are some wonderful recipes out there which showcase some fabulous qualities that dried fruits and nuts offer the world of vegan baking, recipes which I DO buy into...Here, the humble date becomes the backbone of both the flavour and texture to this sponge.
RECIPE:
FOR THE DATE AND CHOCOLATE SPONGE
DATE PUREE:
170g DATES (Without stones if you want a nice day, already chopped break down faster so there’s another shortcut for free)
170ml WATER (still or sparkling? Nah just from the tap is fine…)
1 Tsp VANILLA EXTRACT
170ml MILK (You can use dairy-free milk to make this entirely vegan. I like cow’s milk but hey, that’s just me. Boring and old fashioned- or classic?)
85g OIL (A flavourless oil here, it doesn’t have to do any heavy lifting when it comes to flavour, just texture- softening the sponge)
170g PLAIN FLOUR
5g BAKING POWDER
5g BICARB SODA
22g COCOA POWDER
10g CUSTARD POWDER
30g LIGHT BROWN SUGAR (darker sugars would also be FUN and APPROPRIATE here. Ha. Fun and appropriate.)
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
100g 70% DARK CHOCOLATE (I like fruitier dark chocolates for this recipe, marrying well with the date notes but also offsetting the sour notes from the yoghurt. My advice, which we all know by now doesn’t need to be followed…would be nice though right? You could tell me if I’m talking nonsense or not?)
50g GREEK YOGHURT (I usually use around 5% fat, just for the mouthfeel. But any would work well, just as long as it’s nice and thick)
120g EGG WHITE
50g LIGHT BROWN SUGAR
BEFORE YOU START:
Preheat your oven to 175c (Fan Oven 180c- 190c for other, less powerful ovens)
Grease and line 1 Baking tray
METHODS:
FOR THE DATE AND CHOCOLATE SPONGE…
Combine the water, vanilla extract and dates in a pan and bring the water to the boil. Cook until softened and blitz together in a blender until smooth and thickened.
Combine the oil and milk together then add to the thickened date mixture, blitz once more until nice and thick. Decant into a large mixing bowl. IT’S A MIX BY HAND JOB, SO THE BIGGER THE BOWL, THE HAPPIER THE MIXING EXPERIENCE WILL BE FOR YA
Sieve together the dry ingredients then gradually fold into the wet ingredients until combined (making sure not to overmix, hence mixing by hand. Much easier to get things spot on as we’re LOOKING DIRECTLY AT THEM.)
Once the mixture is nice and smooth, spread it evenly across your baking tray and bake for 12-15 minutes until risen and bounces back to the touch.
FOR THE DARK CHOCOLATE MOUSSE…
Melt the chocolate over a Bain Marie, whisk in the yoghurt gradually and set aside.
Swiftly whisk the egg whites until thick and holds its shape. Gradually add the sugar and whisk until you have a meringue texture.
Take a spoonful of the meringue mixture and whisk into the chocolate mixture to loosen. Fold in the remaining mix until combined (being careful to preserve as much air as possible).
TO FINISH: Once your sponge has cooked and cooled and you’ve made your mousse filling, lay the sponge onto a fresh sheet of parchment, face down. Spread the mousse evenly across your sponge, leaving a border across the edge you will start rolling from. Roll from one of the shorter sides, carefully roll up your roulade. Set in the fridge for a few hours before dusting with cocoa powder and serving some berries of your choice – I think some blackberries or cherries work especially well.
