The holidays never tasted so good

Give the gift of homemade deliciousness with these recipes from Gaz Oakley’s Vegan Christmas

Making treats for loved ones over the holidays is one of life’s pleasures. Setting aside some time to create the perfect edible gift can be an act of self-care and generosity all in one. True to the spirit of the season, the more inclusive the recipe the better; sharing food that everyone can enjoy, regardless of dietary differences. In this way, Gaz Oakley’s trio of vegan sweets fits the bill nicely.

In his second cookbook, Vegan Christmas (Quadrille, 2018), the Welsh chef and cookbook author shares more than 70 plant-based recipes, including party foods (Welsh rarebit, mini sausage rolls), centrepieces (“noturkey” wrapped in “streaky bacon,” stuffed squash roast), trimmings (fluffy Yorkshire puddings, sweet potato and chestnut stuffing) and a selection of cookies, confections and mulled wine intended for gift giving.

Oakley’s boozy mince pies, Jaffa cakes and coconut bounties (recipes follow) are as much fun to make as they are to receive. With the exception of the classic British pies, they’re gluten-free as well as being dairy-free.

“There’s something extraChristmassy and special about making your own mince pies from scratch,” says Oakley of his brandyscented version. “I could literally make a jar of (the filling) and eat it with a spoon.

COCONUT BOUNTIES

Cooks In 30 minutes + setting time Gluten-free For the coating 1. Line a 23 cm (9 in) square, loose-bottom cake tin with parchment paper.

2. Put all the filling ingredients in your blender and whizz until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Tip the mixture into the lined cake tin and push it into the corners. Press the mixture down with the back of a wooden spoon until it’s level, then pop the cake tin into your freezer to set while you melt the chocolate.

3. Melt the chopped chocolate in a heatproof mixing bowl set over a small saucepan of simmering water. When all I’d probably be kind of tipsy after it though.”

His Jaffa cakes are a take on the extraordinarily popular U.K. product, which was named after the Jaffa orange. “It’s of much debate whether it’s a biscuit or a cake. But it’s a (sponge) cake base, very small, with orange jelly on top. I set the jelly with agar agar, which is a seaweed that replaces gelatin. And then it’s coated in chocolate,” says Oakley. “The most lovely little edible gift ever.”

Calling for just six ingredients, his coconut bounties are light and supremely straightforward to make. They’re completely no-bake and come together in just half an hour (plus setting time). Package up an assortment in a box and tie with ribbon or stack in a tiered tiffin carrier with a handwritten note, and you’re all set.

“The way people react to food is really exciting,” says Oakley. “If you put the time and effort in making an edible gift that someone can enjoy, and it looks beautiful and you can package it up nicely, that’s just wonderful. If someone gave that to me, I’d be over the moon.” the chocolate has melted, lift the bowl off the pan and set aside to cool slightly.

4. Take the chilled filling out of the freezer and slice the coconut into eight bars. Warm your knife under hot water before slicing each time to make this easier.

5. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a fork to dip the coconut pieces individually in the chocolate, shake off any excess chocolate and place them on the lined tray. Once you’ve coated all the pieces, pop them in the fridge to set for 2 hours.

JAFFA CAKES

Cooks In 60 minutes Gluten-free (if gluten-free flour is used) For the orange jelly For the chocolate topping 1. Make the jelly first as it needs 2 hours to set. Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap. Heat the agar agar and water in a saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, whisk until the flakes disappear, remove from the heat and add the orange juice and sugar. Whisk until combined, pour onto your lined baking sheet and place in the fridge until set. Preheat the oven to 180°C (360°F). Grease two non-stick muffin tins with coconut oil.

2. Put the soy milk, vegan spread and orange essence into a saucepan and set over a low heat until the spread has melted and everything has mixed together. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour in the orange-milk mixture. Stir well until you have a thick batter. Spoon a couple tablespoons of the batter into each hole in your greased tins. Smooth the mixture level, then bake for 8 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool slightly in the tins before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 3. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. When melted, lift the bowl off the pan, allow the chocolate to cool slightly, then stir in the salt. Remove the set jelly from the fridge and use a round cutter

( just smaller than the cake bases) to cut the jelly. Lift the rounds onto the top of each cake base, then spoon over the chocolate. Spread the coated Jaffa cakes out on a plate and allow to set completely in the fridge. It should take about 1 hour. They will keep for 2–3 days in the fridge.

Note: Agar agar – a vegan gelatin substitute made from red algae – is sold in flakes or powdered form. Buy it online, at Japanese food stores, Asian supermarkets and some health food stores.

BOOZY MINCE PIES

Cooks In 35 minutes For the filling For the pastry 1. Thoroughly combine all the filling ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Cover the bowl and leave the mixture overnight, or for at least 12 hours, stirring every now and then, if possible. Spoon the mince pie filling into sterilized jars – it will keep for 2 months in the fridge.

2. When you’re ready to make the mince pies, grease a non-stick muffin tin and preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Sprinkle a little flour onto your work surface and roll out the pastry to around 3 mm (1/8 in) thick. 3. Cut 12 circles to fit your muffin tin, line the holes and pop a teaspoonful of pie filling mixture into each one. Cut out the tops for each one – in shapes if you wish – and place over the filling, pressing the edges gently to seal. Sprinkle over some superfine sugar and bake for 12–15

2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour 1 cup (125 g) icing sugar Pinch of salt Pinch of ground cinnamon 1/2 cup (125 g) vegan spread About 2 tbsp (30 mL) almond milk

1. Combine the flour, sugar, salt and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl. Add the vegan spread and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until the mix is a breadcrumb-like consistency. 2. Pour in enough milk to bring the mixture together to form a ball of dough and pick up all the bits from the bowl. Give it a slight knead for 2 minutes, then wrap the dough in plastic wrap and pop it into the freezer to chill for 25 minutes.