Hackney Downs Vegan Market is more than a place to buy food. For many of our traders, it has become an extended family.
Every single week I receive messages from market visitors who want to tell me that they loved the friendly, community feel of the event.
We work hard to make sure our traders feel happy, comfortable and cherished, which in turn helps create a positive atmosphere that flows onto the punters.
So, it is one big happy family but sadly sometimes people leave home.
Saturday May 5, 2018 is going to mark the final appearance of Clarisse and her superstar vegan patisserie The Sunny Spoon.
Clarisse has decided to follow up with a career opportunity which means she will no longer be able to trade at Hackney Downs Vegan Market.
Of course the food from The Sunny Spoon is spectacular, but it is the human behind the brand which is making us really feel the loss.
Clarisse has been more than just a friendly trader. She has worked tirelessly to make Hackney Downs Vegan Market a destination to which people want to return. The Sunny Spoon was one of the businesses to show up through the brutal winter months and Clarisse never stopped smiling.
Clarisse is not a person to rest on past glories. Her patisserie was already exquisite when I first met her but it is proof of Clarisse’s dedication to her profession that she never stopped working to take it all to the next level.
And as sad as I am to be saying goodbye, I know it is exactly these wonderful qualities that will take Clarisse onto even more rewarding and amazing adventures.
Thank you, Clarisse. You have been an important part of our market and you will be missed dearly.
Visit Hackney Downs Vegan Marketthis Saturday May 5, 2018 to say thank you and goodbye (for now) to Clarisse. Please follow The Sunny Spoon on Instagram to keep updated with her adventures.
The Healthy Wicked Cookbook looks just like the type of recipe collection you would actually use.
Sure it has more of a lean towards health-focussed food than you are be used to seeing on my blog, but you can’t argue with food that is simply great to look at and amazing to taste.
Some of the recipes that sound more than impressive include:
Sloppy BBQ Jackfruit Sliders with Slaw
King Oyster Scallops with Shaved Asparagus and Corona Butter
Summer Vegetable Carpaccio
Corn Dumplings in Coconut Corn Broth
Grilled Sweet Potato, Sriracha Caramel, and Kale Toasts
Porcini Ravioli with Garlic Butter and Sorrel
Chocoholic Fudge Brownies with Sea Salt and Dried Strawberries
Chad and Derek Sarno caused an absolute storm recently with their Wicked Kitchen grab-and-go range for Tesco, so it’s understandable that this cookbook is being touted as a must-have for serious food lovers.
I’ve seen Chad and Derek in action over the years and I know that they are two of the most talented proponents of plant-based food around. They know about delicious, vegan food.
The Wicked Healthy Cookbook is published May 31, 2018 but I am thrilled to be able to bring you this sneak preview.
I’d love to know your thoughts in the comments below once you’ve tried the recipe and don’t forget you can pre-order The Wicked Healthy Cookbook via Waterstonesand Amazon.
ALMOND MERINGUE COOKIES
Photo by Eva Kosmas Flores
In the fall of 2015, we featured these cookies on several catering menus. We usually made them with dried fruit powder like raspberry, then dried the meringue in sheets and broke it up into shards, as in Brûléed Pineapple with Spiced Panko, Berries, and Meringue (page 231). Flavour the cookies however you like (see the Options), but try to stick with freeze-dried fruit powders. Liquid extracts and flavourings tend to make the meringues fall. —Chad
MAKES ABOUT 50 SMALL COOKIES
INGREDIENTS
Plant-Based Meringue (see below)
1 teaspoon almond extract
Seeds scraped from ½ vanilla bean
¼ cup finely ground unsalted roasted almonds, optional
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the meringue until it is fully whipped. Whip the almond extract and vanilla seeds into the meringue.
Spoon the meringue into a pastry bag fitted with a round tip. Or use a zipper-lock bag and cut off a corner. If your parchment is curling up from the baking sheets, dollop a little meringue under each corner to secure it. Pipe cookies into pointy mounds about 1½ inches in diameter. They should look like big Hershey’s kisses. You need only about ½ inch space between cookies because they won’t expand much during baking. Sprinkle the ground almonds, if using, evenly over the cookies.
Bake until the cookies look dry and off-white in color, 2 hours. Rotate the pans halfway through the baking for even heating. Cool completely on the baking sheets. Store in well-sealed containers. Humidity and moisture will make the cookies sticky, so store them in a cool, dry cupboard.
OPTIONS
RASPBERRY MERINGUE COOKIES: When making the meringue, add 1/3 cup powdered freeze-dried raspberries (buzzed in a clean spice grinder) along with the sugar. Omit the vanilla and almonds, and substitute raspberry extract for the almond extract.
LEMON MERINGUE COOKIES: When making the meringue, add 2 tablespoons lemon peel powder (buzz the dried lemon peel in a clean spice grinder) along with the sugar. Omit the vanilla and almonds, and substitute lemon extract for the almond extract.
CANDY CANE MERINGUE COOKIES: When making the meringue, reduce the sugar by 2 tablespoons and add 3 to 4 tablespoons crushed candy canes along with the sugar while whipping. Omit the vanilla and almonds, and substitute 1 teaspoon peppermint extract or a few drops of food-grade peppermint essential oil for the almond extract.
PLANT-BASED MERINGUE
This recipe still blows our minds. You mean the leftover liquid from a can of beans (called aquafaba) can be used to make desserts?! Most people pour their bean liquid down the drain. But surprise—it has enough protein to whip up just like egg whites. Voilà—plant based meringue! You can use this meringue as a base for everything from pancakes and pastries to meringue-topped pies and Almond Meringue Cookies (page 236). All without a hint of beany-ness. You can even use aquafaba to make Plant-Based Mayo (page 264).
MAKES 6 to 7 CUPS MERINGUE
INGREDIENTS
1 can (14 ounces) no-salt-added chickpeas
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
½ cup semifine (see Pro Tip) organic cane sugar
METHOD
Strain the chickpea liquid into the bowl of an electric mixer. You should have about ½ cup. (Use the chickpeas for something else such as the Four-Bean and Sweet Potato Slow-Cooker Chili on page 166).
Add the cream of tartar to the bowl and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until the mixture increases in volume and stiffens a bit, 4 to 6 minutes.
Reduce the speed to medium high and gradually add the sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. Blend about 4 minutes more, stopping and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. The meringue is done when it holds its shape as the whip attachment is lifted. You should also be able to hold the bowl upside down without the meringue falling out. Continue whipping until you can do that. Otherwise, the meringue will not hold its shape when cooked.
PRO TIP
To make semifine sugar, grind it in a food processor or Vitamix for 10 to 15 seconds.
One of the best and most successful vegan brands on the planet now has a huge new factory.
World-leading manufacturers of vegan chocolate, Moo Free Chocolates, has opened its second
factory in Holsworthy, Devon.
This new factory is situated opposite their existing factory and increases their production space by more than 130m2. That’s a lot of vegan chocolate being made!
This new space not only allows the company to speed up production and meet ever-increasing demand, but to also explore the development of new products.
I’m so thrilled to see such an incredible vegan brand enjoying success on this scale. Moo Free is now sold in more than 30 countries and is recognised by many people as the best alternative to milk chocolate on the planet.
So Sweet Couture Chocolate is a manufacturer of gorgeous vegan chocolate and they need help to take the next step in their growth by opening a chocolate factory.
The company already has premises in Pembrokeshire, Wales and now needs the help of the vegan community to get everything ready to roll.
So Sweet Couture Chocolate isn’t just asking for your money, they also have a great line up of chocolate rewards for those willing and able to help fund their factory expansion.
Check out these rewards:
£15 gets you 3 of their best selling chocolate bars
£25 gets you 3 of the TOP SECRET new flavour chocolate bar
£35 gets you a chocolate tool kit (because they are building!)
£50 gets you a chocolate lover’s hamper
£100 gets your name on the factory wall PLUS a special chocolate delivery
£250 gets you a chocolate making experience in the factory for two people
The family owned company needs your support with the following:
New Doors (the old ones leak)
Stainless steel tables
New commercial equipment (they even need the kitchen sink)
New materials to furnish their on site shop
New packaging and chocolate moulds
Buying some of their delicious treats by way of donation is going to help So Sweet Couture Chocolate realise their dreams while staying away from a pesky bank loan.
The crew at Ms Cupcake never stop working to bring you new seasonal treats and this delight they have launched today looks exquisite.
Say hello to the Jam Doughnut Muffin!
I think they should call it a duffin.
So, it’s like a muffin and a jam filled doughnut?!
That’s my kind of hybrid!
In case you don’t know, Ms Cupcake is an absolutely old school legendary vegan business in London ad was the first all-vegan bakery.
The store has been going from strength to strength over the years and the business has even expanded to include sales of packaged cupcakes in Whole Foods Market stores and a home delivery service for online orders.
Check out the Ms Cupcake website for more info and follow them on Instagram.
The super talented Lizzie of Heart of Cake is famous in London for her glamorous and irresisitible cake creations.
Her layered cakes and macarons are exquisite and she is now offering the best of everything she does in a run of exclusive mini cakes especially for Valentine’s Day.
These Valentine’s Day mini 4″ sharing cakes are perfect for your partner(s)/best friend/yourself!
Each cake is individually crafted and includes macarons, chocolate ganache, flowers and fruit. There are even gluten free options, too.
Priced at £27 and available for collection on February 14 in Stoke Newington, these cakes are limited so contact Lizzie via heartofcake@hotmail.com to lock in your order.
Support independent vegan business. Share cake with loved ones. Everyone can win!
London, your very first 100% vegan donut and coffee shop opens on January 17, 2018.
Lauren of Dough Society asked me to share a few quick glimpses of what the interior of the shop looks like ahead of their grand opening.
Check it out. So gorgeous!
The Dough Society donut and coffee shop is located on Mare Street in Hackney. It’s almost exactly half way between Temple of Hackney and Black Cat Hackney. That part of town really is exceptionally vegan friendly.
Click here to see the exact location thanks to Google Maps.
To celebrate their opening, Dough Society will be giving away one donut to the first 100 customers through the door on Saturday January 20, 2018. (Grand opening is a few days before this giveaway, so get in for one of the early preview days to avoid the rush)
Be sure to follow them on Instagram to stay updated on all their delicious shop news and donut flavours.
Here is a super quick post to say thank you to south London cafe, Cupcakes & Shhht.
The Elephant and Castle cafe hosted an intimate get-together today to celebrate the launch of my book. It was a lot of fun chatting and getting a chance to say hello to a few friends and news faces, but the crowning glory of the evening was the cupcake selection.
The gorgeous vanilla and coconut cupcakes had mini edible front covers of my book on top of the frosting.
The Hummingbird Bakery is introducing a vegan cupcake option to the counters of its seven bakeries.
In response to high customer demand, The Hummingbird Bakery will be selling vegan versions of its most popular products, launching the range with its bestselling Red Velvet. It will be available as a vegan cupcake in-store as well as a cupcake and whole Red Velvet Layer Cake online from 8th January 2018.
The Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake will be available at their seven bakeries located across London and Surrey, including their newest branch opened in summer 2017 on the Guildford High Street.
Tarek Malouf, founder and Managing Director of The Hummingbird Bakery, said:
Customers told us they wanted a vegan option of our cakes and we listened. We wanted to offer an amazing vegan cupcake that is every bit as delicious and authentically American tasting as the Red Velvet cupcake we introduced to the UK in 2004. The Hummingbird Bakery’s new Vegan Red Velvet Cupcake compromises nothing from the original recipe, we are really proud of this vegan version of our bestseller. With our new website launching in January 2018, we are delighted we will be able to showcase a new whole vegan Red Velvet Layer Cake on here as well for those wishing to celebrate a special occasion with the highest quality vegan baking.
Established on Portobello Road in 2004, The Hummingbird Bakery is best known for its Red Velvet Cupcakes with a deep red sponge flavoured with a hint of cocoa.
London. You are on a roll and your city is getting more vegan-friendly by the day.
Take this fabulous news as the latest example of your vegan excellence.
Superstars of the vegan donut scene, Dough Society, are set to open London’s first-ever vegan donut café in early 2018.
Dough Society has become famous in the capital for the decadent glazed donuts they serve up at events around the city, including Hackney Downs Vegan Marketmost Saturdays. They are so adored it has become a rare occurrence when the donut stall doesn’t completely sell out of stock within a few hours of trading.
The days of disappointed donut fans who turn up to markets late in the day are soon to be over as the business readies the grand opening of London’s first donut and coffee shop in Hackney Central.
I spoke with Lauren of Dough Society to get a little insight into what is coming up:
When can we expect to see the shop open?
We plan on opening in January. We’ll announce the exact date nearer to the time but we have some fit out work to do in the space to get it up to scratch and are hoping for around the middle of January 2018.
Why are you setting up in Hackney?
East London is the only place we have ever traded on a regular basis so it feels like the natural place to settle. It’s easily accessible for a lot of Londoners and in being close to the station it’s super easy for tourists too!
Will the shop only sell donuts?
We’re primarily a coffee & donut shop. We’ll have around 20 different donut flavours so the spotlight will definitely be on that and quality coffee. We will be offering gooey cheez toasties as a savoury option as well. We have big plans for brunch on weekends shortly after we open (think Donut French Toast 😱!).
What will the inside of the shop look like?
The shop has a kind of semi-industrial look to it with a concrete ceiling and flooring, minimalist lighting but we’ll have lots of plants and wood to keep things light and airy and we’ll have seating for up to forty people. We want to create a space people can go that’s relaxed, chilled, and inclusive where you can meet with friends or enjoy a couple of coffees while you work. We’ll also have a large outdoor area for seating that we hope to use when the weather starts getting warmer!
Congratulations on your first 100% vegan donut shop, London.
While you wait for the doors to be flung open, you can follow Dough Society on Instagram.
