Bolo de Natal (Brazil)
Every week I post a sweet or savoury, healthy recipe.
This Recipe
Vegetarian | Gluten-Free | Grain-Free | Refined Sugar-free
Bolo de Natal is a classic Christmas dish in Brazil which is similar to a fruit cake or to an Italian Panettone. The main differences are that it's much sweeter (usually covered with glaze) and much easier to make (none of this peel and liquor business although you can certainly add some rum if you like!)
In this recipe, I make it MUCH healthier by cutting out the sugar and butter. Almond flour makes it grain and gluten free - opening it up to more diets. Finally, for convenience plus to avoid waste, I've made these into cupcakes instead of one entire cake. That means it's portable (can go with you) and easier to store or share. Excluding cooking time (30 min approx) the entire recipe should only take you about 15 minutes to prepare and you can get as fancy or basic as you want with it.
Ingredients
"Wet" ingredients
- 2 big spoonfuls* of almond milk
- 3 big spoonfuls* of coconut oil unmelted
- 8 regular (not medjool) dates pitted
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup (60g) coconut yogurt
(A spoonful is the size of a big soup spoon - these don't have to be exact)
"Dry" ingredients
- 1.5 cups (140g) almond flour
- 1 dash salt
- 1 tsp (4g) baking soda
- 1 cup (125g) mixed nuts chopped finely (walnuts & almonds suggested)
- 1 cup (160g) dried fruit chopped finely (apricots, mangos and cranberries suggested)
Optional for extra flavor
- zest from 1 lime
- 1 handful of raspberries
- 1 cup (240mL) coconut cream (for topping)
Steps
First, pre-heat oven to 160C (with fan) or 320F. Next, grease your mufin tins if needed. (You can also use non-stick or use baking paper.) If you take a look at the ingredients, there's a lot but this will go much easier if you buy stuff already chopped (e.g. fruits and nuts.)
Start by blending your wet ingredients with a blender or food processor. We're using dates instead of refined sugar or honey and they needed to be pulverized. Set aside.
Move on to your dry ingredients. Combine these in a large bowl with a fork or hand whisk. It's best to add the chopped nuts and fruit last to this mixture. Now, slowly pour wet mix into this dry mix, blending as you go with a fork or hand whisk. If you're going to use the lime zest, add that here as well. Once well combined, pour mixture into muffin tins. You should be able to fill 6, possibly even 8.
If you're using the raspberries, pop one or two into each "muffin." Then put tray into oven for at least 30 minutes. Check at 20. They're done when a fork or toothpick comes out clean if you poke the center of one of the muffins.
Remove from oven, let cool for at least 10 minutes. Pour on your coconut cream if you have it and load up these babies with any extra dried fruit/raspberries. Enjoy!
