Here are a selection of recipes I am or have recently enjoyed from the sublimely healthy to the dangerously decadent! I’ve probably been loving the smoothies so much just to overcome the birthday cake I had two weeks ago. Whatever the reason, they’re my favourite of the three and seem to be giving me loads of energy these days.

Delicious Organix pumpkin muffins recipe

Rustle up some of these yummy muffins to keep your little monster’s tummies full ready for trick or treating!

Makes approx 12 muffins

Ingredients:

300g cooked, pureed and cooled organic pumpkin flesh

2 tbsp organic sunflower oil

3 tbsp organic maple syrup

2large organic eggs

175g organic plain flour

50g organic wholemeal flour

1 1/2 tsp organic baking powder

1 tsp ground organic cinnamon

1 tsp organic vanilla extract (optional)

Small handful of organic raisins or organic sultanas

Small handful of organic pumpkin seeds (optional)

Method:
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees C

1. Sift the flour (add the wholemeal pieces to the bowl after sifting), baking powder and cinnamon into a small bowl

2. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, sunflower oil, maple syrup and vanilla and beat with a whisk until combined

3. Add the pumpkin to the large bowl with the eggs and sunflower oil and beat until combined

4. Add the flour mixture, the raisins or sultanas (and pumpkin seeds) slowly to the large bowl, stirring gently to combine.

5. Spoon into the muffin cases and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden on the top.

Supercharged Breakfast Smoothie

Serves: 2 adults and 2 children

1 cup of raw cashews
750ml of your favourite cold water

Blend in a blender until smooth to make cashew milk

Add around 9 stoned dates and blend until smooth (add more if you need it sweeter, or add agave syrup to taste)

Add vanilla powder or good quality extract (I use around 1tsp of extract), 3 ripe bananas, 1Tbsp raw chocolate powder and 1tsp spirulina powder

Blend until smooth and serve

Ultra Decadent Devil’s Food Cake
with Dark Chocolate Ganache

This is the cake my husband made me for my birthday. He left out the baking soda by accident but whipped the mixture very well so that the air and the eggs made it a deep rich and surprisingly not very heavy cake. In any case it couldn’t have been more fudgy and exactly as I wanted it if he’d tried! He also put cherries in the ganache sandwiched between the two layers. The ganache didn’t whip very light and fluffy for the filling layer like in the video on Martha Stewart’s website, but he added icing sugar and made it a bit more like icing and it was delicious.
Ingredients

Makes one 9-inch layer cake

* 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pans
* 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted, plus more for pans
* 3/4 cup hot water
* 3/4 cup sour cream
* 3 cups cake flour (not self-raising), sifted
* 1 teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 2 1/4 cups sugar
* 4 large eggs
* 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
* Chocolate Ganache

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-by-2-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter parchment; dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, whisk cocoa with hot water until smooth. Whisk in sour cream; let cool. Into a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each; scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in two parts, alternating with cocoa mixture and beginning and ending with flour; beat until combined.
3. Divide batter between prepared pans; smooth with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto rack; peel off parchment. Turn cakes over; let cool completely, topside up. Transfer half of Chocolate Ganache (3 1/2 cups) to clean bowl of an electric mixer; set aside remaining. Let cool completely, stirring frequently, about 40 minutes. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until ganache holds soft peaks, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Using a serrated knife, trim tops of cake layers to make level. Transfer one of the layers to a cake turntable or platter, and spread top with 1 1/2 cups whipped ganache. Top with remaining layer, cut side down, and spread remaining whipped ganache in a thin layer over entire cake, covering completely. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes.
5. Transfer cake to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. Pour reserved ganache over top, letting it run down the sides. If necessary, use a large offset spatula to spread from the center toward the edges, so that the cake is evenly and completely covered. Refrigerate until ganache has just begun to set, about 30 minutes. Transfer cake to a serving plate. Serve immediately, or refrigerate, covered with a cake dome, for up to 2 days.

Dark Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

Makes about 7 cups

* 4 cups heavy cream
* 2 pounds best-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
* 1/4 cup light corn syrup (we used golden syrup)
* 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring cream to a full boil; turn off heat. Add chocolate, and swirl pan to completely cover with cream. Slowly whisk mixture until smooth. Add corn syrup and salt; stir until combined. Transfer to a clean bowl.

and I got to spend it with my husband, my children and my friends … and the most decadent chocolate cake imaginable, baked by my husband.  I’ll post the recipe soon!

My children devised a treasure hunt for me, with cryptic clues thought up by my husband, that led me around the house till I found their presents hidden away.  What fun to start my day

I feel blessed, chocolated out and very, very happy.  Here’s to a beautiful and abundant year begun on a springboard of joy and connection.