french inspired

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eggs (separated)

caster sugar

cocoa powder

vanilla extract

icing sugar (to decorate)

dark chocolate (chopped)

icing sugar

soft butter

Eggless crêpes with cinnamon apples and caramel are easy to make and delicious. They are vegan and gluten-free and can be refined sugar free too.

Eggless crêpes with cinnamon apples and caramel

tbsp rice flour

cornstarch

chickpeas

approx. 600 ml / 2½ cups plant milk (I used almond milk)

tbsp melted refined coconut oil

maple syrup (optional)

tbsp coconut oil oil

sour apples (I used Granny Smith)

cinnamon

sugar

120-180 ml / ½ cup full fat (tinned) coconut milk + ¼ cup (see instructions)

salt

maple syrup

tbsp smooth (100% natural – almonds only) almond butter

Place the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and very gradually start adding in plant milk (60 ml / ¼ cup at a time) whisking the whole time. Whisk well after each addition to ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. Initially the batter will look thick and gloopy, but it will start looking like a crêpe batter with every milk addition.

In a separate bowl, whisk aquafaba with a hand whisk until frothy and light and add it into the crêpe batter.

Finally whisk in maple syrup (if using), melted oil and adjust the amount of plant milk to ensure the batter is the right consistency - it should be runny, but should coat the back of the spoon.

Heat up a medium (I used 24 cm / 9.5 " pan) non-stick pan on a medium heat. Brush the pan with a small amount of oil to make sure that the pancakes do not stick. Take the pan into your hand (off the stove) and pour a thin layer of batter (I found that 60 ml / ¼ cup of batter is optimal) into the pan and swivel it well to form a thin, round crêpe. Put the pan back on the stove and cook until the crepe no longer sticks to the pan and can be flipped to the other side. Once flipped, cook the crêpe on the other side for another minute or so.

Put cooked crêpes in a stack so that they do not dry out and become brittle.

Once ready to serve, fill each crêpe with cinnamon apples, drizzle with your caramel of choice and sprinkle with toasted almond flakes.

Wash the apples, peel them and cut them into a uniform dice.

Heat up a medium pan. Add a tablespoon of coconut (or olive oil) and once it heats up, throw in diced apple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Stir well to coat.

Add a splash of water (or brandy if you like) to the apples and let them cook gently, on a low-medium heat, until they become soft and cooked through. Once ready, they will become less opaque.

Spread an even layer of sugar at the bottom of a dry pan or pot. Heat up the sugar on a medium heat (I used setting 3 out of 6). Refrain from stirring it, although if your pan has hot spots, you may need to gently manoeuvre the unmelted sugar into a hot spot. Meanwhile, warm up ½ cup of coconut milk in a separate pot.

Once all the sugar has melted, let the sugar caramelise and darken slightly (it will happen quite quickly so be careful not to burn it). The darker the caramel, the less sweet it will be. Once the sugar achieves the colour you are after, take the pan off the heat and slowly stir in the warmed up coconut milk and then add salt. Be very careful as even though warming milk up minimises this, caramel may be splattering at this point and it will be very hot.

There is a chance that once you add the coconut milk, some of the caramel will harden into big lumps. What you need to do is to return the pan to the stove and set on a very low setting (I used 2 out of 6) to allow these lumps to melt away. Make sure you keep on stirring the mixture. Now, because the longer you cook your caramel sauce the more sticky and less sauce-like it will become, if you do need to bring it back to the stove to melt any stubborn lumps, add another ¼ cup / 60 ml of coconut milk to the pan to ensure that once your lumps have dissolved the caramel will retain sauce consistency. Do not panic if it appears to be too runny at first, caramel thickens as it cools down. If it does end up being too runny, place the pan back on the stove and reduce the caramel gently to thicken the sauce.

Slowly heat up maple syrup in a pan. When it starts to boil gently, take it off the heat. Stir in almond butter and salt with a hand whisk. Return the pan to the stove and simmer very gently, stirring the caramel for another minute to thicken the sauce a little bit – remember that it will thicken a bit more as it cools anyway. If it’s too thick once cool, stir in a few drops of plant milk to bring the desired consistency back. Set aside.

Vegan chocolate crêpes with hazelnut filling and strawberries make a great dessert. They're easy to make and go down well with both adults and kids alike.

Vegan chocolate crêpes with hazelnut filling and strawberries

flour

tbsp raw cacao powder

tsp melted coconut oil,

dark chocolate, chopped

coconut cream

approx. ¼ cup hazelnut milk

adjust

tbsp hazelnut-flavoured liqueur (optional)

fresh strawberries, de-stemmed

If you only have unroasted hazelnuts, you can roast them in 180° C / 350° F for 6-8 minutes and once they cool off, rub them between your hands to loosen up their skins.

Grind hazelnuts in a coffee grinder or a food processor.

Warm up the coconut cream for the filling. Once it is fairly hot (not boiling hot), take it off the heat and dump chopped chocolate into it and leave to stand for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir the chocolate into the it. Mix in hazelnut milk to thin. Now add in ground nuts, salt and sweeten with maple syrup. You can also add a touch of hazelnut liquor if you have some to hand.

Sift flour and cacao into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and very gradually start adding in milk (¼ cup at a time) whisking the whole time. Whisk well after each addition to ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. Initially the batter will look like a thick hummus, but it will start looking like a crêpe batter with every milk addition.

Heat up a small non-stick pan on a medium heat. Brush the pan with a tiny bit of oil to make sure that the pancakes do not stick. Take the pan into your hand (off the stove) and pour a thin layer of batter into the pan and swivel it well to form a thin, round crêpe. Put the pan back on the stove and cook until the crepe no longer sticks to the pan and can be flipped to the other side. Once flipped, cook the crepe on the other side for another minute or so.

Once ready to serve, fill each pancake with hazelnut filling and loads of fresh strawberries.

Our vegan bakewell tarts require fewer than 10 ingredients. Mini shortcrust pastry cases encase a frangipane filling and fresh cherries.

Vegan bakewell tarts

180 g / about 1½ cups white, all-purpose flour, sifted

tbsp icing sugar

olive oil oil

g / 6 tbsp caster sugar

tbsp + 2 tsp plain flour

almond extract

g almonds / almond meal

cherry halves

Combine sifted flour and icing sugar in a large bowl. Add olive oil and rub it into the dry ingredients with your hands. Finally, add water - be careful, do it gradually - how much water you'll need depends on how absorbent your flour is. Combine all the ingredients into a dough gently, but do not knead. Wrap it in a piece of cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 mins.

Remove the dough from the fridge and divide into 6 portions. Roll each portion out between two sheets of baking paper until you get a rough circle, about 2 mm in thickness. Place the rolled-out dough over a muffin hole (I used a 12 hole regular muffin tin for my tarts) and gently line the inside of the hole with the pastry. Trim the excess pastry with a sharp knife. Repeat with the remaining holes.

Chill pastry-lined tin in the fridge for about 60 mins.

45 min into pastry chilling time, preheat the oven to 175° C / 350° F. Line the pastry cases with pieces of baking paper or muffin liners and fill with baking beads or rice.

Blind bake the pastry for 10 mins. Remove the paper and beads and bake for another 5 mins.

While the pastry cases are baking, prepare the filling. Cream oil and sugar with an electric whisk. Next, whisk in flour. Finally add almond extract and aquafaba, one tablespoon at a time. Whisk well after each portion of aquafaba.

Now fold in ground almonds with a spoon. You should end up with a thick almond batter.

Divide almond batter between pastry cases and place half a cherry on top of each filling - do not press it into the filling much as the filling will rise during baking and you want the cherries to remain visible.

Bake the tarts for about 30-35 minutes, until the filling is nicely browned. Remove from the oven and allow the tarts to cool down before removing them from the mould.

To make our vegan crêpes all you need is two everyday ingredients. We enjoy them most jam-packed with succulent fruit and drizzled with salty maple caramel.

Vegan crêpes with fruit and maple caramel

maple syrup (optional - if milk isn't sweet already)

tbsp smooth (100% natural - almonds only) almond butter

cherries,

peaches, de-stoned and sliced

almond flakes

Heat up a dry pan and dry-roast your almond flakes until golden. Remove from the pan and side aside.

MAPLE CARAMEL: Slowly heat up maple syrup in a pan. When it starts to boil gently, take it off the heat. Stir in almond butter and salt with a hand whisk. Return the pan to the stove and simmer very gently, stirring the caramel for another minute to thicken the sauce a little bit - remember that it will thicken a bit more as it cools anyway. If it's too thick once cool, stir in a few drops of plant milk to bring the desired consistency back. Set aside.

Put sifted flour in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and very gradually start adding in milk (¼ cup at a time) whisking the whole time. Whisk well after each addition to ensure that there are no lumps in the batter. Initially the batter will look like a thick hummus, but it will start looking like a crêpe batter with every milk addition.

Heat up a pan on a medium heat. Brush the pan with a tiny bit of oil to make sure that the pancakes do not stick. Take the pan into your hand (off the stove) and pour about 100 ml of batter (depends how big is your pan, mine is 21 cm dia) into the pan and swivel it well to form a round crêpe. Put the pan back on the stove and cook until the crepe no longer sticks to the pan and can be flipped to the other side (you may need to peel the edges off gently before flipping as they sometimes stick). Once flipped, cook the crepe on the other side for another minute or so.

Once ready to serve, fill each pancake with sliced fruit and top with maple caramel and toasted almond flakes.

This vegan tarte tatin marries up apples, maple syrup, autumn spices, brandy and presents them on a delicious flaky pastry crust.

Vegan tarte tatin

apples

star anise

cardamom pods

cinnamon sticks (I used 2 Ceylon cinnamon sticks)

vanilla pod

brandy

puff pastry*

Peel the apples, cut them into quarters and cut out the core using a pairing knife.

Put the caster sugar or maple syrup, olive oil, star anise, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick into a 24 cm / 9.5" ovenproof frying pan / skillet.

Scrape the seeds from the half a vanilla pod and put them and the pod itself into the pan.

Place on a medium heat and give it a good stir. If using sugar, the mixture will look like an olive oil granita until the sugar melts into the oil. After a few minutes of gentle bubbling, the mixture will separate, turn an amber colour and start to bubble more vigorously. Watch the mixture carefully and the minute the sugar turns dark amber (don't push it too far as it will burn), take the pan off the heat.

Add the cut apple pieces into the pan gradually, coat them in the caramel mixture and start to simmer on a low heat. As the apple starts to shrink you should then be able to fit all of the apple pieces in the pan. Caramelise the apples for another 15 minutes until they turn golden. Move the pieces around the pan so that they caramelise at the same pace. The sides touching the pan will cook quicker so if some pieces look more done than others, remove them from the pan and set aside on a small plate so that the other pieces have a chance to catch up.

Add brandy and simmer for another 10 minutes (until the apple pieces are the same colour as the 2nd and 3rd photo). By the end, the apples should be pre-cooked enough that you should be able to insert a skewer into the flesh with a considerable amount of resistance.

Leave the apple mixture to cool for 15 minutes so that you can handle the apples with your hands. At this point arrange the apple pieces on a side, in a spiral shape. Make sure the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods, vanilla pod and star anise are on the pan itself so they can be removed easily once the tart is cooked.

Roll out the puff pastry to 3 mm / 0.1" and, using a plate that is slightly larger than the pan, cut out a circle of pastry.

Drape the pastry over the pan and make sure you tuck in all the edges down the side of the pan. This will give you that rustic tarte tatin crust.

Pierce the pastry 3-5 times with a skewer to allow the steam to escape and bake in the oven for 15 minutes.

Turn the oven temperature down to 180° C / 355° F and cook for a further 15-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Be careful not to burn yourself when removing the pan out of the oven as the pan's handle will be piping hot.

Leave the tart to cool for at least 15 minutes (making sure the pan handle has cooled from the oven!). Place a plate on top of the pan and, holding the plate against the pan, flip the pan upside down

Serve on its own or with some vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche.

Vegan bean stew is a perfect way to infuse beans with bags of flavour. Topped with spring veggies, these beans are easy to make, healthy and naturally gluten-free.

Vegan bean stew with spring veggies

tbsp extra virgin olive oil,

banana shallots, finely diced

garlic,

bay leaves

thyme

rosemary

white wine (sub with stock if desired)

stock

salt and pepper

tahini, thinned

asparagus

zucchinis,

vegan feta, homemade

chopped and toasted almonds

mint leaves, torn

chilli flakes (optional)

Heat up olive oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Sauté diced shallots until translucent. Add garlic halves, cut side down and allow them to brown lightly.

Add rinsed (soaked) beans, bay leaves, herbs, wine and 500 ml / 2 cups of the stock. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for about 1 hour until the beans are soft but not falling apart. Skim the foam of the top at the beginning of the cooking process and top up with more stock when the beans are getting too dry. Cook covered and when the beans are almost done, take the lid off and allow the juices to reduce.

Season with salt, pepper, lemon zest and lemon juice to your taste. You may want to stir in a touch of tahini thinned with a little water to make the beans creamier at this point.

Snap off and discard the wooden ends of your asparagus spears, place the spears on a large, flat plate and drizzle with a teaspoon of oil. Roll asparagus in the oil to coat.

Place it on a pan and allow it to char on one side before rolling over to a fresh side. Allow it to char on the other side, take off the pan, chop into bite-size pieces, season with salt and set aside.

Brush the cut side of the zucchini with a little olive oil and place on the hot griddle pan, cut side down. Weigh it down with something heavy and allow it to grill slowly for about 5-7 minutes - until nice char marks develop. Flip onto the other side and grill for another 7-10 minutes, until charred and roughly cooked through. Cut into bite size pieces, season and set aside.

Divide cooked beans between 4 bowls. Drizzle with extra olive oil if you wish.

Top with charred asparagus and zucchini pieces, vegan feta, toasted almonds, mint leaves and chilli flakes.

Roasted cherry and fennel salad is quick and easy to make, full of flavour and makes for a perfect side or a starter. Naturally vegan and gluten-free too.

Fennel and roasted cherry salad

almond flakes*

200 g / 7 oz sweet cherries, pitted

ml / 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided

sea salt and black pepper,

raw apple vinegar or lemon juice

tsp wholegrain mustard

½ small shallot, finely grated (optional)

Toast almond flakes on a hot pan until golden and fragrant, stirring often as they tend to burn very easily. Set aside to cool.

Coat pitted cherries in one teaspoon of olive oil and one teaspoon of maple syrup. Add a few thyme leaves and season with salt and pepper.

Place the cherries on a baking tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, giving them a stir, halfway through.

Remove tough core of the fennel and slice it lengthwise on a vegetable mandolin, on the lowest setting (i.e. you want the slices to be as thin as possible).

Mix the remaining 1.5 tbsp of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, minced shallot, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Add fennel shavings and coat them in the dressing.

Place dressed fennel on a large platter and dot with roasted cherries and their juices. Scatter with chopped fennel fronds, thyme leaves and toasted almond flakes.

This vegan bourguignon is a perfect cold weather comfort food. It has bags of flavour, it's naturally gluten-free and it's quite easy to make too. All round winner!

Vegan bourguignon with celeriac mash

g / 0.5 oz dried porcini (or other dried) mushrooms

tbsp / 30 ml olive oil

onion, finely diced

garlic cloves, finely diced

tomato paste

celery stalks,

carrots,

vegan stock cube

/ 240 ml vegan red wine

rosemary spring

thyme springs

tsp liquid smoke (optional)

approx. ½ tsp coarse salt, adjust

g / 27 oz mushrooms

black pepper,

tsp balsamic vinegar,

chopped parsley, to decorate (optional)

700 g / 24 oz celeriac, peeled and cubed

tbsp shiro / white miso paste

roasted garlic*

almond milk

tbsp olive oil

Place rinsed porcini mushrooms (they often have grit in them) in a small bowl and cover with (about 300 ml / 1½ cups) of boiling water to create a potent porcini stock. Set aside to let it infuse.

Chop fresh mushrooms into thick slices or quarters. I did half and half.

Heat up olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add diced onion and sauté on a low heat until slightly caramelised. Add chopped garlic and sauté for another 1-2 minutes.

Add chopped mushrooms, carrots and celery sticks and sauté on a low heat until slightly caramelised. If the pan gets too dry, add a couple of tablespoons of porcini stock you prepared earlier.

Add tomato paste, a crumbled stock cube, wine, the rest of porcini stock (about 300 ml / 1½ cups in total), fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary and bay leaves), liquid smoke (if using) and salt. I save rehydrated porcini mushrooms for another use (like this bolognese), but you can also just chop them finely and add to the stew if you wish.

Cover the pot with a lid and allow the stew to cook on low heat for about 30 minutes or so until all the veggies are cooked through and the flavours have had a change to mingle.

In a small bowl, mix 4 tsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water to create a slurry to thicken up the stew.

Add cornstarch slurry to the stew and allow the stew to bubble gently for 5 more minutes for the stew to thicken. If the stew is too thick add a splash more water.

Add chopped kale leaves in the final minutes of cooking, put the lid back on for a few more (2-3) minutes for the kale to cook in the stew's steam.

Adjust the seasoning to your taste. I added some freshly ground pepper and two teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.

Steam, boil or roast cubed celeriac until soft. Roasting requires 200° C / 390° F (or 180° C / 355° F fan forced) hot oven for about 30 minutes.

Place cooked celeriac in a blender (a hand blender works well too) with some almond milk. Blend until smooth adding more milk as / if needed.

Season with roasted garlic and miso paste. You may also want to add some olive oil or vegan butter if you wish, for extra creaminess.

Vegan peach and almond galette is a perfect summer dessert. It's bursting with sweet, succulent peaches and crunchy almonds. It's a real crowd pleaser.

Vegan peach and almond galette

200 g white flour, sifted

sugar sugar

60 ml / ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

ripe peaches, sliced evenly

peach

almond meal

75 g sugar (I used raw cane brown sugar)

tbsp / 45 ml of Amaretto or almond milk

almonds,

In a bowl, combine sifted flour, salt, cinnamon and icing sugar.

Add olive oil and incorporate it into the flour mixture with your hands. Add the water tablespoon by tablespoon (I used 3 tbsp /45 ml - you may need a little less or more than I did depending on the absorbency of your flour). Combine into a dough, but do not knead. Roll a ½ cm thick circle of dough on a large piece of baking parchment. Place it on a tray and chill in the fridge for about 45-60 mins.

Set the oven to 180º C. In a mixing bowl, combine almond meal, sugar and cinnamon to create the almond filling.

Top 10 french inspired recipes from across the web

The most viewed french inspired recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Yule Log | Nigella's Recipes | Nige...

Eggless crêpes with cinnamon apples...

Vegan chocolate crêpes with hazelnu...

Vegan bakewell tarts

Vegan crêpes with fruit and maple c...

Vegan tarte tatin

Vegan bean stew with spring veggies

Fennel and roasted cherry salad

Vegan bourguignon with celeriac mas...

Vegan peach and almond galette

Top 10 french inspired recipes from across the web

The most viewed french inspired recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Yule Log | Nigella's Recipes | Nige...

Eggless crêpes with cinnamon apples...

Vegan chocolate crêpes with hazelnu...

Vegan bakewell tarts

Vegan crêpes with fruit and maple c...

Vegan tarte tatin

Vegan bean stew with spring veggies

Fennel and roasted cherry salad

Vegan bourguignon with celeriac mas...

Vegan peach and almond galette

The most viewed french inspired recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine