Recipe of the week: blueberry wagon wheels
I cannot remember a time without wagon wheels, the soft biscuit covered with a sticky jam layer and fluffy marshmallow all enrobed in a thick layer of chocolate... so I simply had to include a homemade plant-based version in the book. This wagon wheel has had a bit of a health boost – featuring an oaty biscuit, homemade berry-chia jam, and whipped coconut fluff – and they are even better than I remember. They also soften over time, so they only get more delicious.
For the cookies
- 3tbs maple syrup
- 3tbs smooth cashew or
- almond butter
- 2tbs coconut sugar
- ½tsp vanilla extract
- 50g oat flour
- 70g all-purpose or gluten-free flour
- ½tsp baking powder
- A pinch of salt
For the blueberry chia jam
- 125g fresh blueberries
- 1tbs chia seeds
For the coconut fluff
- 120g thick coconut yogurt or cream
- 60g dried coconut
- 1tbs coconut oil, softened
For the chocolate
- 200g dark chocolate, broken up
- 1tbs coconut oil
- 30g white chocolate
- 1tbs dried coconut
To make the cookies: In a large bowl, stir together the maple syrup, nut butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flours, baking powder and salt.
Stir to a smooth and thick cookie dough; it may be crumbly so bring it together with your hands and shape into a ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Between two pieces of parchment paper, carefully roll out the cookie dough to 1cm thickness; it may crack at the edges; push it back together with your fingers. Use a 5cm circle cookie cutter to cut out the cookies; reroll the dough as needed. You will have 24 cookies. Place the cookies onto the baking sheets; they do not spread a lot. Place back in the fridge for five minutes; this helps the cookies retain their shape.
Bake the cookies for 10 minutes, until golden and crisp, turning the baking sheets halfway through. Allow to cool fully; this should take 30 to 60 minutes.
To make the blueberry chia jam: Blitz the blueberries in a blender until smooth. Stir in the chia seeds. Set it aside for 30 minutes to form a gel.
To make the coconut fluff: To a clean blender, add all the ingredients and blend until thick and combined.
To assemble the wagon wheels: Place half of the cookies upside down and spread these with a thick layer of coconut fluff. Top with a small spoonful of jam. Sandwich the filling together by placing on a second cookie and pressing down.
I like to fill in the edges and gaps with extra coconut fluff so that no jam pokes out the sides. Repeat to make 12 sandwiches.
Place the cookie sandwiches in the fridge. Cover a plate with parchment paper. Melt together the chocolate and coconut oil in the microwave or on the stove, until smooth and glossy.
Place the chocolate in a shallow bowl. Dip each sandwich cookie in the chocolate to cover the base and sides. Then, place the cookie on a fork over the bowl and spoon over the chocolate to cover the top. Fill in any gaps and allow excess chocolate to drip off.
Transfer to parchment-covered plate. Repeat to cover all 12 sandwiches. Chill in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the chocolate.
Melt the white chocolate, decorate the blueberry wagon wheels with patterns, and top with dried coconut.
Keep the wagon wheels in a sealed container in the fridge for 5-7 days; they will soften over time but retain their bite!
Taken from Nourishing Vegan Every Day by Amy Lanza (Fair Winds Press, £19.99)
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