I’ve been experimenting with a summer dessert for you and it’s going to be amazing! The only problem is that it’s not amazing yet.

So far, I’m on version 456 and I just cannot get the consistency right. I almost threw the blender at the wall this afternoon. So, to preserve my sanity (and electrical devices), I’ve decided to hand this one over to Chloe. She’s taken on gluten-free and vegan dessert-making as a speciality for her Silver Duke of Edinburgh Award. I didn’t bribe her into it, although I probably would have if it had occurred to me as an option!

We’re not actually vegan in this house (just gluten- and dairy-free for me), but our Irishman has an egg allergy. You would have thought gluten-, dairy- and egg-free baking was impossible because, what do you actually put in a cake without eggs, butter and flour? I suppose you could serve up a tasty bowl of granulated sugar – which is in fact what most restaurants have done over the last 20 years.

The allergy solution is always sorbet, sorbet or sorbet …. And it’s tasty, but tired (not to sound ungrateful … because it is always nice to have something)!

But then step in the big vegan movement of the last few years. Avoiding all animal products became incredibly popular in rebellious response to consumer knowledge about factory farming practices and the environmental impact of the meat industry.

While noting that plant-based alternatives are not always environmentally friendly (for example, the almond milk industry is reported to be contributing to a worrying decline in bee populations), the idea of eating a plant-based diet (which doesn’t have to be plant-exclusive) is hard to fault. Generally speaking, vegetarians have better health than meat eaters and we know that the more plants someone eats (just regular fruit, veg, wholegrains and beans, lentils), the lower their incidence of bowel and colon cancers especially.

But back to Chloe. The challenge I’m handing over to her is to make an amazingly delicious, very tangy, slightly sweet, vegan lemon posset. A posset is a velvety smooth, decadently rich, but lightly creamy dessert. I’ve been squeezing, blending and straining lemons til the grass-fed cows come home, but haven’t hit it right just yet. But the lemonade portion of this, the “when life gives you lemons” scenario, is having an ambitious, experimental teen who just began summer break and will willingly take the challenge off your hands! Hopefully we will be back next week with a recipe good enough to knock you off your feet.

Where does that leave us now? Not with a new recipe to give you today. (Yikes!) But with lemons on the brain I thought I would give you these lemony coconut caramel energy bites. You’ve had them before but a long time ago, so let’s break this one out of the archives. Equipment-wise, all you need is a food processor. No baking required!

In terms of ingredients, if you don’t like coconut you could try replacing the grated coconut with almond meal … but don’t skip the Medjool dates. California dates are just so much more dry and Medjool dates have a caramel flavour that is to die for. Give them a whirl this weekend. And enjoy!

Lemony Coconut Caramel Energy Bites

Ingredients (makes 24):

12 large Medjool dates (pitted and chopped)

¼ cup shredded coconut (try the Let’s Do Organic brand from Miles!)

2 dessert spoons almond butter or cashew butter

Juice of half lemon and zest of half to full lemon (depending on how lemony you like it)

Pinch of salt (optional)

Method:

1, Whiz it all up in a processor until the ingredients form a dough-like ball around the blade.

2, Roll the mixture into small balls and then roll in extra coconut.

3, These are best served chilled so set in the fridge or the freezer if you are in a hurry!

Catherine Burns is a fully qualified clinical nutritionist. She can be contacted at 291-4725, clinicalnutrition@gmail.com, Facebook or Instagram