Puffed Pastry Tarts: Tomato, Ricotta, and Olive

These perfectly puffed pastry tarts are simple to make, and tastes just as good the next day as it does fresh from the oven.

Serves 6

You’ll need:

  • 320g puffed pastry (shop bought saves the hassle of making your own, and many of them are vegan!)
  • 150g cashew ricotta cheese
  • 50g pitted black olives, sliced
  • 15g oregano leaves, chopped
  • 4 tbsp black olive tapenade (make your own if you like)
  • 300g tomatoes, sliced
  • Quinoa & Cracked Pepper Indie Bay Pretzel Bites
  1. Whack your oven up to 200C so it’s ready when you are.
  2. Roll out your pastry and cut into 6 rectangles. Using a sharp knife, score a 1cm border around the edge of each rectangle. This marks your “crust” which will puff up in the oven.
  3. Mix the vegan ricotta, 25g of the olives and the oregano (save some for sprinkling on afterwards if you’re feeling fancy)
  4. Spread the tapenade across the middle of your pastry bases, taking care to avoid that border!
  5. Top with ricotta mixture, sliced tomatoes and an elegant scattering of the remaining black olives.
  6. Bake for 25-30 mins, until the borders are puffy and golden.
  7. Sprinkle over crushed Indie Bay Bites for a bit of extra crunch, then get stuck in!

Pumpkin Spiced Vegan Muffin Recipe

These tasty, autumnal bakes are inspired by the ever-growing phenomenon of pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING. Even if you don’t buy into the world of PSLs (Pumpkin Spiced Lattes) etc., this tasty vegan muffin recipe is worth a punt, and might put you a little out of your comfort zone with some interesting ingredients that can stay in your repertoire forever. We’ve even linked them up for you so you know where to find them or how to make them!

showing product of pumpkin spiced vegan muffin recipe including crunchy pretzel topping

INGREDIENTS
METHOD
  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Neatly arrange muffin cases in a muffin tray and get annoyed that they won’t stay put. Don’t worry, the batter will hold them in place.
  2. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and add the baking soda, baking powder, salt and pumpkin pie spice.
  3. Prepare your flax egg by adding 1 Tbsp of ground flaxseed meal to a bowl and then pouring in 3 Tbsp of hot water and allowing to sit for a minute to become gloopy. (or prepare your alternative egg as appropriate)
  4. Then add the brown and white sugar, pumpkin purée, vanilla, melted coconut oil and apple cider vinegar (if using) to the mixing bowl.
  5. Add your not-an-egg.
  6. Mix together with a spoon until well combined. The batter will be thick.
  7. Lastly, add the pecan nuts and stir in.
  8. Divide the batter evenly amongst the cases in your prepared muffin tray. Add some lightly crushed bits of Indie Bay for a tasty crunchy, crumble style topping!
  9. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean.
  10. Whip them out of the oven, leave to cool for 10 mins in the tray, then move to a wire rack to cool fully.
  11. (If you’re feeling naughty, you can whizz up a cream cheese glaze with 50g of cream cheese, 1 tbsp milk and 2 tbsp icing sugar.)

Although we’re pitching these as healthy-ish vegan muffin recipe (the pumpkin totally counts as 1 of our 5-a-day right?) the glaze is totally worth it. Trust us.

 

Pretzel Snickers Bar Recipe

Yasmin Wakefield, AKA Nourishing Yas created this months indie recipe. She describes it as “a chewy peanut butter caramel bar that’s jam packed with peanuts and pretzel bites, all encased in a layer of delicious dark chocolate. The Rock Salt pretzels pair fantastically with the sweet caramel and provides a satisfying crunch which makes these bars so addictive.”

Yas is a 20-year-old plant-based recipe developer, certified Health & Wellness Influencer and active member of our Indie Community. She initially started blogging to document her recovery from Anorexia, at a time when she had transitioned to a plant-based diet. As a result, she fell in love with plant-based cooking and her excitement towards food was reignited.

Since then, Yas has created a plethora of delicious recipes including this month’s delight. If you’d like to see more of her creations you can take a look on her Instagram and blog. We’d love to see you have a go at this recipe too. Tag your creations on social @indiebaysnacks #HappySnacking

Yasmin WakefieldPretzel snickers bar recipe

INGREDIENTS FOR THE RECIPE

For the peanut nougat layer

  • 2 tbsps coconut flour
  • 2 tbsps chocolate protein powder (or sub extra oats)
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 2 tbsps coconut oil, melted
  • 70g oat flour
  • 2 tbsps maple syrup
  • 2 tbsps nut milk

For the pretzel peanut caramel

For the chocolate coating

  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 2 tsps coconut oil

METHOD

  1. Start by making the nougat bar. Add all of the bar ingredients to the blender and blitz until the mix comes together. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and using your hands, divide in to 6 equal balls. Shape each of the balls in to a bar. Place the bars on to a sheet of grease proof paper and in to the freezer to set.
  2. Make the date caramel by adding the dates, peanut butter and vanilla extract to the blender along with 3 tbsps water and blend until smooth and creamy. Once smooth, stir the peanuts and pretzel bites in to the caramel until fully coated.
  3. Remove the bars from the freezer and top each with a layer of the date caramel. Return to the freezer to set for 2 hours. When the caramel is almost set, start to prepare the chocolate coating.
  4. Add the chocolate and coconut oil to a small pan and set over a low heat until melted. Remove the bars from the freezer and coat each in a layer of chocolate. Repeat until the bars are coated 2-3 times, depending on your preferred thickness of chocolate.
  5. Return to the freezer to set for 30 minutes. Thaw slightly at room temperature before eating, enjoy.

If you’d like to try more of our featured recipes you can also check out our
Pumpkin Spiced Vegan Muffins
Bite Size Pretzel Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

Bite Size Pretzel Peanut Butter Cup Cakes

This month’s Indie Bay Recipe features delicious Bite Size Peanut Butter Cup Cakes made by none other than Great British Bake-Off winner Frances Quinn.

We tasked Frances to create an Indie recipe Mary Berry herself would be proud of… let’s just say, there is a reason she won the GBBO!

We’d love to see you give this recipe a try. Do have a go and share it with us on social @indiebaysnacks

Happy Snacking,
Team Indie Bay

BITE SIZE PRETZEL PEANUT BUTTER CUP CAKES

INGREDIENTS
METHOD
  1. Line a 12 hole mini muffin tin with mini muffin cases.
  2. Break up and place the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Melt over a small pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Or by microwaving in short increments on a low setting, stirring after 30 seconds, for about 2 minutes.
  3. Once melted add in the peanut oil from the top of your peanut butter jar (you can also use groundnut or coconut oil) and barley malt extract (maple syrup, golden or argave syrup also works) Sir together until silky and smooth.
  4. Spoon half of the chocolate mixture between each paper case, tapping the base of the tin to coat each case evenly.
  5. Next place a pretzel bite at the centre of each chocolate covered case before placing in the freezer to set.
  6. While setting pick another 12 pretzel bites and set to one side. Bash and break up any remaining bites in the bag with a rolling pin. Add these to your peanut butter in a small bowl and mix to fully combine.
  7. Once the chocolate bases have set, remove the tin from the freezer and spoon and divide the extra crunchy peanut butter between the cases, ensuring the peanut butter reaches the edge of each case. Again tapping the base of the tin can help with this stage.
  8. Spoon over the rest of the melted chocolate to fully coat each peanut butter filled case-once again tapping the base of the tin! Sprinkle over a scattering of sugar nibs before topping with your 12 reserved pretzel bites.
  9. Return the tin to the freezer and leave the cups to fully set before serving.
Hopefully your bites will look as good as Frances’

If you want to see more of Frances’ CrEATions be sure to take a look at her cook book.

To see more recipes featuring Indie Bay recipes you will not want to miss our Pretzel Snickers Bars or our
Pumpkin Spiced Vegan Muffins