To me nothing is more enjoyable than having a relaxed breakfast on the weekend. Unfortunately, we often don’t get a chance to sit down as families for breakfast as on weekdays everyone is always in a rush and on different schedules. And even though breakfast is always eaten in our household – I am an advocate of a proper breakfast being the most important meal to set you off for the day – it is rarely a relaxed sit down meal when you can just sit back and take your time over breakfast. So, in itself, a lazy weekend breakfast is already a treat. But to make it even more special, I love to have a little cheat meal – both as a reward for a healthy week as well as a treat to start the weekend on a high note. One of the most satisfying cheat breakfasts is a slice of sourdough toast (I have a soft spot for Poilane sourdough) with jam or Nutella. And while not quite the gooey spread that can be bought in a jar, this homemade version still hits the spot (while making this a healthier treat that its supermarket variety).

As I mentioned earlier, I am not an exact measurements person and prefer to taste as I go along. I start with roughly 1.5-2 cups of hazelnuts, which I lightly toast in the over (make sure to keep a close eye on these as they burn easily, adding bitter taste to the end product). Once toasted, let the nuts cool, rub off the skins and blend them into nut butter consistency. Now add around 4 tablespoons of raw cacao powder, 4 tablespoons of coconut sugar (you can adjust up or down depending on how sweet you want the end product to be), a few grindings of pink Himalayan salt (I find that a touch of salt, especially roughly ground, beautifully highlights the sweetness of the sugar and the depth of the cacao) and a few tablespoons of almond milk (you may want to add these gradually until you achieve the consistency you are after). While the end product does not quiet have the silky smoothness of supermarket Nutella, it is never the less satisfyingly nutty with the earthiness of cacao and slight sweetness coming from the coconut sugar. And this guilty pleasure comes with a little less guilt as it is not loaded with sugar or other additives you find in the stuff that comes out of the jar you pick up on the shop shelves.

Toast a slice of your favourite bread, spread it with coconut butter (for that extra richness, as well as some good fats) and savor every bite of this chocolaty treat.