Conscious snacking: A question of balance

In the run-up to Christmas, many people tend to drift from one festive treat to the next. But conscious snacking means experiencing indulgence to the full without losing sight of the right balance. In addition to delicious baked goods, you should also opt for a varied selection of fresh fruit and nuts to ensure you are supplied with important nutrients during the festive season.

Snack alternatives that have a touch of Christmas in them:

• Pomegranate, clementine and orange
• Walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds

Tip: Place the orange peel with a few cloves on the radiator and the room will be filled with a fresh Christmas scent.

Baking magic during Advent: baking without remorse

For those of us with a sweet tooth who want to watch their sugar intake, we recommend having a look at our tips on sugar alternatives. Here you can find out how to turn your favourite recipes into healthy treats without giving up the sweet taste.

Vegan Christmas - Recipe ideas

Vegan punch variations

Enjoy the pre-Christmas season with homemade vegan punch. Here is a simple recipe:

Vegan apple and cinnamon punch:

• 1 litre apple juice
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 orange, cut into slices

Instructions:

Heat all the ingredients in a pan, but do not allow to boil.

Leave to infuse for approx. 15-20 minutes.

Remove the spices before serving.

Vegan Cinnamon stars:

For the dough:

• 1 1/2 cups ground almonds
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

For the icing:

• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 160 °C (fan oven).

In a bowl, mix together the ground almonds, icing sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Then add the lemon juice and maple syrup and knead everything into a smooth dough.

Roll out the dough: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of about 1 cm and cut out stars.

Bake the cinnamon stars in the preheated oven for approx. 10-12 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.

In a separate bowl, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice until you have a smooth icing. Coat the cooled stars with the icing.

Tip: Leave the cinnamon stars to harden completely before carefully removing them from the baking paper.

Vegan gingerbread:

For the dough:

• 2 cups wholemeal flour (e.g. spelt or oat flour)
• 1/2 cup ground almonds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp gingerbread spice (mixed spice of cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 4 tbsp maple syrup or agave syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce
• Vegan dark chocolate for the icing

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 180 °C.

In a large bowl, mix together the wholemeal flour, ground almonds, baking powder, gingerbread spice, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and a pinch of salt.

In a separate bowl, mix together the maple syrup (or agave syrup), vanilla extract and apple sauce.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix well until a uniform dough forms.

Shape the dough into a ball, wrap it in cling film and place it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm up.

Shape into balls and place on a baking tray (optionally on a wafer). You can use the bottom of a moistened cup to press the balls down a little and shape them. Bake the gingerbread for about 10-12 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Leave the gingerbread to cool on the tray before placing them on a wire rack and brushing with the melted dark chocolate.

This might also interest you:

• Hangry – When Hunger Affects Our Mood
• Healthy Dinner – What's Best for You and Your Body
• Vegan Eating – Everything You Need to Know
• Refreshing Hacks – Make Drinking Water Fun

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