Guest recipes with LIDL Food Academy

Dessert with healthy twist

Red Velvet cupcakes with beetroot and chocolate avocado mousse

For the chocolate coating

1 large ripe avocado weighing 350g

1 tablespoon cocoa

1 tablespoon peanut butter

65g melted chocolate

1/2 tablespoon honey

1 pinch of salt

For the cupcakes

75g cup self-rising flour

pinch of salt

50g grated and drained apple

60g fresh beetroot puree

35g vegetable oil

90g milk

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1.5 teaspoons baking powder

For the chocolate coating, cut the avocados in half and remove their core. Remove the flesh from the avocado with a spoon and place it in a food processor or bowl.

Add all the ingredients for the mousse into the processor bowl and mix all the ingredients together. Beat well until you have a smooth cream.

Place in a pastry bag with a pastry bag and refrigerate for about an hour until the cupcakes are ready.

For the cupcakes, bake the beets with the vinegar until tender. Then peel them and place in a food processor.

In a large bowl sift the flour. Whisk all the ingredients well in the same bowl.

Grease 6 individual silicone moulds and divide the mixture between them, filling up to 3/4 of them. Place on metal sheet and bake in a preheated oven in air, at 175C for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven and leave them for another 30 minutes until they cool before decorating. Then unmold and decorate with the chocolate mousse.

Cheesecake with mascarpone, yogurt, honey and muesli

For the base

120g organic whole wheat muesli with oats, raisins and nuts

50g salt-free cashew nuts (puffed in water)

1 ripe banana (130g)

For the filling

200g strained yogurt

500g mascarpone

80g honey

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

zest of 1/2 lime or lemon

For decoration

200g frozen strawberries or berries

1 tablespoon honey

zest of 1/2 lime and juice of a lime (or a small lemon)

Soak cashew nuts without salt in warm water for at least 2 hours. Drain well.

Line the base of a 16cm round cake pan with a removable base with parchment paper. Wrap the outer base of the form with silver paper. The cake will be baked in a bain-marie, so this will prevent water from getting into the pan.

Preheat oven to 160C.

For the base, in a food processor, grind the muesli along with the puffed cashew nuts. Then add the banana and grind again until a paste forms. Transfer the mixture into the round pan and press with a spoon so that a crust is formed.

For the filling, in a bowl, whisk the creamy cheese, yogurt, flour, egg, honey and lime juice. Spread the cheese mixture over the base.

Place the baking pan in a larger baking pan and pour hot water that covers the pan with the mixture (bain-marie) half way down.

Bake in the preheated oven at 160C for an hour.

Once cooked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least an hour to rest.

For the sauce, in a saucepan boil the strawberries along with the juice, honey and lime zest. Mash the mixture with a hand blender and let cool. Alternatively, pass the sauce through a sieve to remove the spores.

Remove the cake from the pan and place it on a plate. Decorate with the sauce.

Recipes provided by the Lidl food academy. Stasikratous 34, Nicosia 1010. https://www.lidlfoodacademy.com.cy/