Gem's Wholesome Kitchen shares her recipe for dreamy brownies

In December Gemma released ‘The Self-care Cookbook’.

“Initially I had an idea to do a parenting cookbook and put that in my first proposal,” she explained.

“But then it changed to a self-care cookbook. There is a narrative, recipes and things that can help you with your mental health and looking after yourself.”

Key for Gemma when compiling the book was that the recipes were quick, easy but also that the ingredients were accessible.

“I have included things that can be bought from anywhere be it Aldi or a wholefood shop and won’t cost a fortune.”

The book took three months to put together and Gemma says it really got her thinking about her recipes.

“When I cook I just do it, so I throw in a bit of this and that. But I had to measure out a pinch of salt.”

The publishers got in touch with Gemma after they found the Instagram page for her Brighton based business Gem’s Wholesome Kitchen.

Through the business she offers ‘nourish’ packages of plant-based food that gets delivered.

She says: “I lived in Spain and used Instagram as a way of showing what I was cooking. Then when we came back to the UK and moved to Brighton it became a great visual, platform to showcase my food.”

Gemma cooks plant-based meals but uses eggs and honey in some of her recipes.

“I tend to go for wholefoods and non-processed foods as a lot of vegan items, like the cheese, can be really processed and contain loads of additives.

“I cook a lot of wholegrain pasta and rice, but Carmen would say she is flexitarian as she eats eggs but not dairy. Both my kids are part Spanish so when we go to Spain they tend to eat a lot of fish.”

“I just want to educate people to choose the right food for their health and mind.”

Here she shares a recipe for her dreamy brownies...

MAKES 8

Prep time: 10 minutes, plus 1 hour to chill

When you’re feeling a bit low, something sweet can be a real cure-all. These brownies are so delicious, you will not believe they are such a healthy snack. They will give you all the TLC you need, as cacao is full of minerals and vitamins to boost your mood and energy levels, dates are a wonderful natural sweetener and the nuts add protein. These also make a great gift for a friend who might be feeling under the weather.

Ingredients

150g pecans or walnuts

150g dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes

6 tbsp cacao powder

5 tbsp desiccated coconut

3 tbsp honey or maple syrup

a pinch of sea salt

For the icing

150g dates, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes (save the water after soaking)

4 tbsp raw cacao powder

2 tbsp coconut oil

Optional toppings

chopped walnuts and slivered almonds

freeze-dried raspberries

edible rose petals

Method

Blitz the nuts in a food processor until crumbly. Add the dates and blitz again until the mixture sticks together. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the mixture turns a lovely dark brown. (If you don’t have a food processor, chop the nuts and dates finely and combine with the rest of the ingredients to make a fairly firm brownie mixture.)

Line a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper and spoon the mixture into it, pressing down firmly.

Now make the icing. Put all the ingredients in a food processor or blender with 50ml of the reserved date-soaking liquid, and blitz for a few minutes until smooth and velvety. Add a little more water if needed.

Using a spatula, spread the icing on top of the brownie mix. Top with any decorations you are using, then chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

I usually slice the brownies before putting in the fridge to chill as they are easier to cut before they have been chilled.

Extracted from The Self-Care Cookbook by Gemma Ogston (Vermilion, £14.99)

Photography by: Gemma Ogston

For more information about Gemma her book and workshops www.gemswholesomekitchen.com

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