Happy weekend everyone! I hope the sun is shining beautifully for you? I’m feeling a little bit knackered as we went for a longish hike around Ebbor Gorge yesterday and it was a bit tough going at times. It was lovely and we lucked out when it comes to the weather as it did not rain on us. We feasted our computer-tired eyes on gorgeously green ferns, moss, wild flowers and it was nice to be out in nature and get a much needed day of feeling unplugged.
Today’s recipe is a trip down memory lane for me, veganised of course. Due to my therapy sessions, I am spending a lot of time lately reflecting on my childhood so I thought it would be very fitting to make something that I used to enjoy eating as a child. Like many Northern European countries, Poland is big on yeasted buns (like these I veganised recently) and we have many varieties that change depending on what is in season. They used to by a staple of my childhood, something you would spend your pocket money on in the school cafeteria or in the store on the way back from school. In summer, when mountainous regions of southern Poland abound in wild blueberries (known in the UK as bilberries, I think) ‘jagodzianka’ – a bun filled with them is the bun of choice. I used to love those. My maternal grandma introduced me to them, I am pretty sure. When we stayed in her summer house in the mountains, we used to go bilberry picking together and I remember that time very fondly although I am pretty sure that, especially early on, I ate more bilberries than what I ended up contributing to the overall family haul. I used to have a soft spot for bilberries and I still do, I always gorge on them whenever I end up visiting home during summer. Too bad that eating a lot of them can cause some serious constipation 😉 (ingesting them is an old home remedy used to help with the opposite problem). Unfortunately, it is impossible to get hold of fresh (or frozen near where I live) bilberries here so I’ve had to use their close botanical cousins, blueberries, to make my vegan take on my childhood jagodzianka (which translates simply as ‘berry bun’) but they are still very delicious (PS: I also tried raspberries with great success). Fluffy, subtly sweet with a juicy blueberry centre and an optional lemon icing. They are perfect to take with you on a hike – like everything, they taste even better in nature – or to have with your afternoon coffee or tea. Alternatively, they also make a fantastic (if quite naughty) breakfast. Enjoy. x
1 tbsp cornflour / cornstarch or potato starch 200 g / 7 oz fresh blueberries** (wild blueberries if you can get them)
ICING (OPTIONAL)
90 g / ½ cup icing sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice, any plant milk or water 1 tsp vanilla extract (or more lemon juice / plant milk / water)
ICING (OPTIONAL)
