Tiffin might be the simplest and most foolproof of cakes, and this vegan fruit and nut tiffin is perfect for dull Januarys and Veganuarys when you are craving something sweet that doesn’t involve much effort or any dairy products. It’s based on the classic almond and raisin combo of Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut, and as long as you use a chocolate that isn’t very high in cocoa solids, it’s remarkably similar in flavour to the famous chocolate bar. (It’s almost the centenary of Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut, incidentally, which was launched in 1926.)
Lots of tiffin recipes use cocoa powder. The advantage of using chocolate is that it gives the finished cake a firm texture that slices beautifully, as long as you give it time to set and use a sharp knife.
The digestive biscuits, which are thoroughly crushed in this recipe, disappear into the melted chocolate, taking on its flavour but also working with the vanilla extract to create a milder, fudgy quality.
You can use almonds with the skins on, which would add nutritional value, but I’ve opted for blanched almonds for an authentic Fruit and Nut vibe. I’ve also specified jumbo raisins in the recipe, but any raisins or sultanas will, of course, do.
Tiffin freezes well, if you want to ration how much can be eaten at one sitting.
vegan fruit and nut tiffin…
Ingredients
- 300 g dark non-dairy chocolate (preferably a milder variety with less than 50% cocoa solids)
- 40 g coconut oil, plus 1 tsp
- 3 tsp (1 tbsp) vanilla extract
- 50 g golden syrup
- 200 g digestive biscuits
- 100 g blanched whole almonds
- 100 g jumbo raisins
Method
- Line the base of an 8” square baking tin with baking paper.
- Finely crush the digestive biscuits with a rolling pin (or use a food processor if you prefer).
- Place the crushed biscuits in a bowl with the almonds and raisins.
- Gently melt 200g of the chocolate, the 40g of coconut oil and the syrup together in the microwave or over hot water on the stove, stirring intermittently. If microwaving, be careful not to overheat – it only needs to be melted.
- Stir the vanilla extract into the melted chocolate mixture then tip the whole lot onto the crushed biscuits and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Press the mixture into the tin, creating as even a surface as possible.
- While it is still warm, melt the remaining 100g chocolate with a teaspoon of coconut oil and spread this over the top.
- Chill thoroughly in the fridge until it is completely set, then cut using a sharp, flat-bladed knife.
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