Guest chef: Simon Bajada

The flavours of this easy, delicious ice cream are based on my favourite chocolate bar, the Cherry Ripe.

The flavours of this easy, delicious ice cream are based on my favourite chocolate bar, the Cherry Ripe. The cheesecake is for those who don’t believe a vegan version can work.

CHOCOLATE, CHERRY & COCONUT ICE CREAM

35g desiccated coconut

50g (1/3 cup) chopped pistachios

200ml coconut cream

2 bananas, frozen (unpeeled or peeled and stored in sealed bag)

500g pitted cherries, frozen

3 tablespoons honey or maple syrup

50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), broken or chopped

55g (1 cup) toasted coconut flakes, to serve

Preheat oven to 170°C. Spread coconut and pistachios on separate baking trays; bake for 8 minutes, or until lightly golden. Set aside to cool. Pour coconut cream into shallow container and freeze for 2-3 hours, or until solid. Remove bananas and coconut cream from freezer; leave to thaw slightly for 10 minutes. Remove cherries from freezer. Break frozen coconut cream into small pieces with a rolling pin. Peel and quarter bananas. Place toasted coconut and coconut cream in food processor. Pulse until coconut cream pieces are half the size; add cherries and bananas, honey or maple syrup; whiz again, stopping to scrape sides occasionally. Add chocolate; pulse briefly. Spoon into bowls; top with toasted pistachios and coconut flakes. Serves 4

BLACKBERRY & GINGER CHEESECAKE

310g (2 cups) cashew nuts

120g (1¼ cups) desiccated coconut

290g honey

Zest and juice 2 lemons

150ml coconut oil, melted

2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes*

1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract

100g blackberries, fresh or frozen

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

Base

100g (1 cup) walnut halves

12 dates, pitted

2 teaspoons cacao powder

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

For base, process ingredients to a chunky, crumb-like consistency. Press into 22x30cm cake tin. Add cashews, coconut, honey, zest and juice to food processor; whiz for 1 minute until smooth and creamy. Add coconut oil, yeast and vanilla; whiz for 30 seconds. Spoon half of mixture evenly over base. Add blackberries and ginger to remaining mixture, blend, spread evenly over cake. Smooth with spoon and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To serve, remove from tin, transfer to a serving plate and slice into portions. Serves 8

*Available in good health food stores.

Guest Chef Simon Bajada.

Simon Bajada is a South Australian chef, food stylist and photographer who now lives in Stockholm. Recipes and photograph from Nordic Light by Simon Bajada (Hardie Grant, $49.99).