Chilly outside? Time to turn on the oven and get your bake on! These winter bakes are perfect for slow mornings, lazy afternoons, and cosy evenings in. 

Choc-chip chickpea brownies 

Serves 9  

Ingredients 

2 x 400g each tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 cup (250ml) peanut butter
1 cup (250ml) honey
½ cup (125ml) coconut sugar
2 Tbsp (30ml) almond milk
4 tsp (20ml) vanilla essence
1 tsp (5ml) salt
1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 cup (250ml) chocolate chips, plus extra to decorate
Sea salt, to decorate
Melted ark chocolate, to decorate 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease a 20 cm baking tin.
2. Place all ingredients, except the sea salt and chocolate chips, in a food processor. Blend until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips with a wooden spoon.
3. Pour the batter into the tin and spread evenly. Sprinkle with chocolate chips and sea salt.
4. Bake for 30–40 minutes, until the edges just pull away from the tin, and the top is set and slightly golden brown.
5. Allow to cool for at least 15 minutes, then drizzle with melted dark chocolate. Slice into 9 brownies.

Recipes & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen 

Pumpkin muffins with cinnamon-caramel filling 

Ingredients  

For the muffins  

1½ (375ml) cups flour
1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon
½ tsp (3 ml) ground ginger
¼ tsp (2ml) nutmeg
¼ tsp (2ml) cloves
1 tsp (5ml) baking powder
½ tsp (3ml) bicarbonate of soda
½ cup (125ml) coconut oil, melted
½ cup (125ml) white sugar
½ cup (125ml) brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla essence
1 cup (250ml) pumpkin puree  

For the filling  

1 tin (360g) Caramel Treat
1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon  

Method 

For the muffins 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease and line a muffin tray with muffin liners.
2. Sift together flour, spices, baking powder and bicarb and mix well to ensure all the spices are evenly dispersed.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, until smooth and fully incorporated.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared liners and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
6. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes, before starting with the filling.

For the filling 

1. Combine the Caramel Treat with the cinnamon and transfer to a piping bag with a fine nozzle attached.
2. Plunge the nozzle into the top of each muffin and pipe full with cinnamon-caramel.

Recipe & styling: Amerae Vercueil
Photography: Andreas Eiselen 

Fool’s pain au chocolat    

Makes 10 

Ingredients  

1 roll (400g) puff pastry, defrosted 
4 bar one chocolates (52g each), sliced into 3 lengthways 
2 eggs, whisked 
3 Tbsp (45ml) milk
Icing sugar, for serving 

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 
2. Roll out pastry to 2mm thick and trim the edges to create a clean rectangle. 
3. Halve the pastry lengthways, then divide into 10 smaller rectangles. 
4. Place a piece of chocolate along the end width of one rectangle, roll over to enclose and add another, taking care to seal the edges as you roll (this keeps the chocolate secured inside). In total, add 2-3 pieces of the chocolate to each pastry sheet. 
5. Brush the end fold with the egg and seal. Repeat with the remaining pastry and chocolate.
6. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. 
7. Place the pastries on a lined baking tray a few centimetres apart from each other. 
8. Mix the egg and milk in a bowl. Brush pastry surfaces evenly with mixture. 
9. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn heat down to 180°C and bake for another 10 minutes until golden and puffed. 
10. To serve, dust with icing sugar and enjoy.

Cook’s note: You can alter the size of these pastries by placing the chocolate along the length of the pastry instead of the width. This will help create a wider, thicker pain au chocolat. 

One-bowl spiced banana Bundt cake recipe 

Serves 6-8 

Ingredients  

5 (about 450g) ripe or overripe bananas 
4 large eggs 
1 can (385g) condensed milk 
½ cup (125ml) melted butter 
1 tsp (5ml) vanilla 
2½ cups (350g) self-raising flour, sifted 
½ tsp (3ml) each mixed spice and ground ginger 
1 tsp (5ml) cinnamon 
Melted chocolate or caramel treat, for serving   

Method  

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.  
2. Spray a 23cm Bundt tin with non-stick spray and dust with a little flour (this will help with unmoulding).  
3. Mash bananas well and mix in eggs.  
4. Add condensed milk, melted butter and vanilla, then mix thoroughly.  
5. Combine flour and spices in a separate bowl.  
6. Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a batter.  
7. Pour into prepared Bundt tin and bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  
8. Serve drizzled with melted chocolate or caramel.  

Cook’s note: Whip together 1 tub (250g) mascarpone, ¼ cup (60ml) icing sugar and a dash of vanilla essence and serve with the Bundt cake for added flair.  

Recipes & styling: Liezl Vermeulen
Photographs: Zhann Solomons, Fresh Living Magazine   

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