I love everything about this time of year. The preparing, the celebrating, the socialising, the woolly jumpers, the cosy nights in watching ‘I’m a celebrity’ religiously for 3 whole weeks! What’s not to love?! Talking of preparing, this the week I’ve been thinking of wholesome, family foods to share with you all to enjoy throughout the festive season. Instead of a main meal, I’m thinking more about a warm, hearty dessert filled with sweet fruits with a crunchy, crumbly texture which is perfect to share with friends and family during the festive season. Introducing the Blueberry Dump Cake. Not the most enticing name for a dessert, I know, but it’s an original American recipe which comes from the concept of this cake – dump and bake! Quite literally you ‘dump’ the ingredients into a baking dish and bake. It’s as simple as that! I use the term ‘cake’ loosely, it’s more of a crumble or cobbler to me but let’s roll with it! It’s pretty simple and take around 40mins to make and bake so you’ll be done in the kitchen in no time.

Here’s the recipe, give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!

BLUEBERRY DUMP CAKE – Serves 8

You will need:

• A medium sized oven proof dish
• A mixing bowl

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of frozen blueberries – you can use fresh, just reduce the cooking time by 5-10mins
• 1/2 cup of sugar free sweetener
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup melted butter/coconut oil
• Handful pecan nuts – crushed (optional)

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees C or 375 degrees F
• Place the blueberries, sweetener, lemon juice, xanthan gum in a bowl and mix well, coating all the blueberries
• Once mixed, empty the blueberries into the ovenproof dish
• In a clean mixing bowl, add the coconut flour, almond flour, baking powder, egg, cinnamon and salt and mix together
• Layer the mixture over the blueberries
• Drizzle the melted butter/coconut oil evenly over the top of the mixture
• Sprinkle the crushed pecan nuts over the top if using
• Place in the oven for approximately 30 mins or until the top is golden brown
• Enjoy with piping hot custard or a scoop of your favourite ice cream.

Something else we all enjoy during December is raising a glass with friends and family, below you will find my ‘fizzy fruit cocktail cubes’ recipe which are perfect for both the adults and the children to enjoy!

FIZZY FESTIVE FRUIT COCKTAIL CUBES

You will need:

• Ice cube trays – one regular square shaped tray and one star shaped tray if possible
• Clear tumbler glasses – to get the full effect of the colourful fruit

Ingredients:

• Fizzy water/lemonade/champagne
• Blueberries
• Raspberries
• Cranberry juice

Method:

• Prepare the fruit ice the night before you plan on making these drinks – start by filling the star tray with the blueberries and raspberries and fill each mould with regular water and place in the freezer
• Do the same with the cranberry juice in the square shaped ice tray and place in the freezer
• Once frozen, place the cranberry cube(s) in the glasses first, then a fruit star, then the sparkling water/champagne to get the nice colour gradient in the glass
• Be careful not to get the fizzy water drinks mixed up with the champagne drinks!
• Raise your glass and enjoy!

And as usual, don’t forget to share your creations with us @broodmagazine and @thedevinelife and feel free to drop us a DM with anything you might want help with or any nutrition related questions you might have. I’m more than happy to help!

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