This is the perfect pudding for those nights at home after dinner when you feel like a little something sweet but need it to be quick and easy! Whip them up in no time at all and indulge in some delicious fruity goodness.

INGREDIENTS:

2 apples, peeled
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut flour
3 eggs
4 tablespoons natural maple syrup
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Drizzle natural maple syrup, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees celsius and prepare 4 ramekins by greasing the dishes with olive oil. Peel and slice the apples and put aside.  Place all the other ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until combined. Add the apples to the batter, leaving four apple rings for the topping. Mix the apples through the batter. Pour batter into the ramekins, place an apple ring on top and place in the oven for 10 minutes.

Serve the pudding hot with a drizzle of natural maple syrup.

Preparation time 7 minutes
Cooking time 10 minutes
Serves 4

For more great recipes by Gold Coast local Caralee Caldwell, check out her page here.

Takeaway could well be the greatest thing ever invented and if wasn’t so bad for you, you’d probably get it every day right? WELL GUESS WHAT! According to this very article, takeaway food doesn’t have to be bad for you and that could be the greatest news ever not invented.

Here’s a list of the top 9 restaurants offering healthy takeaway options. Happy days.

Raw Energy, Coolangatta and Burleigh Heads
Located on the corner of Marine Parade in Coolangatta is Raw Energy, a healthy food and lifestyle café that started on the Sunshine Coast. Their focus is on fresh food, served fast in a funky environment. Raw Energy’s got you covered, offering anything from healthy smoothies or juices to macadamia and lentil burgers, YUMM!
Where: 110 Marine Pde, Coolangatta 

The Pocket
If you haven’t been there yet, put this one on your ‘to do’ list! The Pocket in Burleigh’s Connor Street is an absolute favourite amongst locals and offers a great range of healthy take away options (with an extensive vegetarian/gluten free menu). The Pocket aims to be a conscientious restaurant serving locally sourced, wholesome food, often using produce grown by owners David and Michelle.
Where: 13 Connor St, Burleigh Heads

Marie Anita’s Gluten Free Health Cafe
Marie Anita’s offers a solely gluten free and sugar free menu designed to provide dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, and raw alternatives. With the aim to source from local suppliers and to use as much organic produce as possible, Marie Anita’s challenges the image of healthy eating.
Where: 2364 Gold Coast Hwy, Mermaid Beach

Greenhouse Canteen & Bar
A personal favorite is Greenhouse Canteen & Bar, the holy grail of all healthy food. With the motto ‘anything you can do, we can do vegan’ they’re onto something, because they are busy every day of the week. But not to worry, they do take away, too! All produce are sourced from trusted suppliers and farmer’s markets – food is medicine and it should nourish the mind, body and soul. Amen!
Where: 1916 Gold Coast Hwy, Miami and 1/140 Griffith Street, Coolangatta

BSKT Cafe
BSKT Cafe (Biscuit) was founded with the belief that people care about their health. They just needed the right place to deliver these health options in an indulgent and accessible manner.
All products are designed to inspire through nutritional quality, taste and a global conscious. Made from high quality plants and free from refined sugar and anything artificial. All products are hand crafted with love using traditional methods busting the myth Vegan and Paleo products can’t be delicious as well as nutritious.
Where: 4 Lavarack Rd, Mermaid Beach

The Shack Superfood Cafe
The name says it all, the Shack Superfood Café in Nobby’s is a health freaks paradise with real and fresh food that tastes great and is nutritious! On offer is quinoa, acai, smoothies and juices, breakfast, takeaway lunch and dinner boxes, plus tea and coffee. If you are looking for a hassle free, convenient and easy takeaway option look no further and go give the team at the Shack a visit.
Where: 2221 Gold Coast Highway, Nobby Beach 

Cardamom Pod
Cardamom Pod in Broadbeach is a vegetarian and plant-based restaurant inspired by the art of creative and tasty cuisine. With an extensive salad bar and delicious hot meal options such as curries or lasagne, Cardamom Pod is the perfect place to get some tasty and healthy takeaway, and word on the street is there are opening one in Brickworks! But be warned, their desserts are out of this world, especially the raw peanut butter cups.
Where: 2685 Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach 

Govindas
Govindas is without a doubt one of the most popular vegetarian, eco-friendly take-away restaurants on the Gold Coast. They offer a variety of pure vegetarian foods (vegan and gluten free options available) including vegetable dishes, basmati rice, dhal, potato bake, samosas and a variety of salads, desserts and drinks. Veggies are sourced locally and all dishes are prepared daily using the freshest produce. The buffet style approach lets customer create their own meal at reasonable prices. YUM.
Where: James St, Burleigh Heads

Giri Kana Cafe
The Giri Kana Cafe is a fresh take on vegan and vegetarian food, with a wide selection of freshly made vegan / vegetarian items (many organic and gluten free options also), including an extensive dessert menu. Their emphasis is on fresh and wholesome foods, which are good for the body, as well as the mind and spirit – and to this end, food is cooked with love and devotion. Try one of their signature tofu or vegie burgers served on turkish bread or as a gluten free option the Open Burger on rice. All so good!
Where: Cnr of Nind St and Gold Coast Highway, Southport 

Words by Kirra Smith

What do you get when you combine an English teahouse with a Parisian patisserie? Passiontree Velvet of course, home of the Gold Coast’s best macaroon and more pretty, sugar-filled treats than you can poke a fork at.

In what could well be the most delightful combination of all time, Passiontree Velvet, found at Robina Town Centre, The Strand and now Pac Fair (with a brand new brunch menu), is inspired by the aforementioned teahouses and patisseries, bringing edible luxury and high end shopping centre brunch to the people (you).

As you might expect the new addition offer a decadent High Tea which, excitingly, is a first for the hungry hordes prone to roam around Pac Fair in need of post-shopping sustenance.

It’s the perfect place to take your Mum after a day of of mother-daughter bonding (read: spending).

There are two adult options and one for the kiddies (because babes are fancy these days guys) and all will do very nicely thank you very much.

The Devonshire Cream Tea comes with two English scones, strawberry jam and cream and a choice of tea or coffee.

The second (obvious) choice is the Duchess High Tea made up of assorted finger sandwiches, English scones with all the good stuff, a selection of treats from the patisserie and of course, tea or coffee.

There are 12 varieties of tea to choose from and, since it’s a teahouse, you should probably bust out that pinky finger and get sipping.

Now, let’s talk macaroons.

If you’ve never experienced an up-to-scratch macaroon, today is the day for that dream to come true. In flavours such as Earl Grey Milk Chocolate, Salted Peanut Butter and Coconut, Passiontree Velvet’s perfectly-crispy-on-the-outside and softly-delicate-on-the-inside macaroons are the real deal.

Said macaroons can also be incorporated into a custom-made cake for special occasions or, you know, a Tuesday afternoon. If there’s anything better in the world than custom macaroon cakes we’re yet to hear about it.

So grab your favourite lady, hit the shops and then settle in for a sophisticated afternoon at Passiontree Velvet, your inner Duchess will thank you.

LOCATION: Outside Myer (ground floor), 1 Hooker Blvd, Broadbeach
HOURS: 9am to 6pm daily.

Words and photos by Kirra Smith.