Ginger and pecan biscuits (Gf)

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These are not very sweet just sufficient to soften the dryness of the ginger…perfect with a cup of coffee or with cheese.

Preheat oven to 190c /Gas mark 5  Line a tray with lightly greased baking parchment

Ingredients:

100 g ground almonds                         3 tbsps coconut oil

50 g pecans                                             1 tbsp honey

180 g brown rice flour                          100 ml water

2 tbsps ground ginger

Method:

Crush the pecans into a coarse texture. Put all the ingredients in to a bowl and mix. The mixture should create a firm dough (if needed, add  a little more water).

Roll out until thin – less than 1/2 cm. Cut out and place on baking tray. Cook for about 10-15 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

 

Coconut and chocolate brownies

An afternoon of recipe testing resulted in these – passed the husband taste bud test!

20160522_200922Preheat the oven to 190c / Gas 5. Line a 20cm square brownie tin with baking paper

Ingredients:

115 g coconut oil                                                          1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs                                                                   1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150 g light muscovado sugar                                    60 g coconut flour

40 g buckwheat flour

100 g dark chocolate 85% chopped in to small pieces

Method:

If the coconut oil is not melted, place over a pan of simmering water to melt it.Put all ingredients (except chocolate) in to a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the chocolate and gently stir in. Pour the mixture in to the tin. Bake for 20-25 mins, until risen and firm around the edges. cut when cold – if stored in the fridge the coconut oil will set into a truffle type consistency.

Blackcurrant cake (gluten free)/redcurrant

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Delicious on its own – hot or cold, or served with custard, Greek yoghurt, creme fraiche or vanilla ice-cream.

I don’t add additional sugar to the blackcurrants (only what is in the cake) as we like it quite ‘sharp’. You may want to add natural sweetener to the currants.

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 180c  / gas mark 4

Ingredients:

170 g gluten-free self-raising flour

150 g light muscovado sugar

170 g softened butter

4 eggs (3 if using non gf fl)

1 cup of blackcurrants – topped if desired – I don’t!

Method:

Mix all ingredients (except blackcurrants) together until smooth.

Fold in blackcurrants.

Put in 20cm square tin. Bake in centre of oven for about 30 mins

 

Alternatively…use the same quantity of redcurrants instead and make a cake or muffins.

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Rhubarb gluten free sponge

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Preheat oven to 180c  / gas mark 4

Ingredients:

170 g gluten free self raising flour

150 g light muscovado sugar

170 g softened butter 

4 eggs (3 if using non gf fl)

2/3 stems of rhubarb chopped and softened by roasting in oven

Method:

Mix all ingredients (except rhubarb) together until smooth.

Fold in rhubarb.

Put in 20cm square tin. Bake in centre of oven for about 30 mins

 

Perfect as a pudding served with cream, yoghurt or custard.

Cauliflower, quinoa and chick pea bake

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Preheat oven to 180c / Gas 4

Ingredients:

1 cup of rinsed and cooked quinoa

1 cauliflower cut in to small florets

1 tin of chick peas – drained

Coconut oil

1 tsp turmeric

2 tsps cumin

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

(or any combination of your favourite spices)

Method:

Arrange the cauliflower, chickpeas and quinoa on a baking tray and sprinkle with the spices. Dot the mixture with coconut oil. Place in oven. After 10 mins remove and gently turn the ingredients to ensure all coated with coconut oil. Return to oven and bake until cooked and  – about 30 mins.

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Perfect eaten on its own or served with a poached egg on top. Also a great alternative accompaniment for a curry. Delicious cold as well.

 

Date and walnut cake

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Preheat oven to 180c / Gas 4

30 x 23 cm cake tin (12 x 9 inch) greased and lined

Ingredients:

250 g stoned and chopped dates

40 g butter

300 ml boiling water

3 large eggs (2 if using non gluten-free s r flour)

350 g gluten-free self-raising flour

150 g dark muscovado sugar

150 g chopped walnuts

125 g ground almonds

Method:

Soak the dates in the boiling water – allow to cool

Mix all other ingredients together and add the soaked dates (I don’t drain the liquid off)

Bake in the centre of the oven for 50 mins – 60 minutes or until cake is firm to touch

Turn out and cool.

I don’t add icing to my cakes but a lemon icing would taste good with this cake – topped with walnuts.

Roasted vegetable and cauliflower cheese tart

Preheat oven to 200c / gas 6. Prepare a 20cm loose bottom tin.

Ingredients:

Shortcrust pastry:

80 g rice flour, 140 g buckwheat or chestnut flour, 70 g ground almonds, 2 pinches of salt, 2 tsps ground linseed, 1/4 tsp xanthum gum, 100 g salted butter – chilled and diced, 2 eggs 3-4 tbsps cold water.

Method:

Mix all dry ingredients, rub in the butter with your fingertips until  it resembles  coarse breadcrumbs.

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Stir in the beaten egg with a fork. Add small amounts of water as you toss the crumbs together. Continue until dough is formed. I find that a gluten free dough takes up more water than a wheat dough and is quite a sticky dough.Knead briefly to bring to a ball. Wrap

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in parchment and chill for at least an hour.

Roll out and place in the flan tin. Prick the base with a fork ( I trim of the excess pastry after cooking to allow for shrinkage).Line pastry with parchment and baking beans.  Bake blind for 10 – 15 mins.

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Filling

Ingredients:

Carrots, peppers, parsnips and sweet potatoes prepared and roasted in olive oil

Halved mushrooms  – sauteed

1 onion sliced in to rings – sauteed

Tomato sauce: chopped tomatoes, 1tsp of chilli, handful of chopped basil leaves and small carton of passata – simmered to reduce the water content

Cauliflower -cooked

Cheese sauce

Basil leaves

Assembly:

Finally put back in oven to heat through – 15-20 minutes (moderate temperature).

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Fruit cake

Prepare a 2lb / 900 g loaf tin

Preheat the oven to 150c / Gas 2

Ingredients:

225 g gluten free self-raising flour

175 g butter

160 g muscavado sugar

4 eggs ( 3 if non gf flour)

275 g mixed fruit

rind of lemon

1 tbsp milk if needed

Method:

Place all ingredients together in a bowl and mix thoroughly until well blended.

Turn in to the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake in the oven for about 2 hours or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool before turning out.

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Lemon drizzle cake

Preheat oven to 180c / gas 4

Prepare a 20cm square tin

Ingredients:

175 g gluten free self-raising flour

175 g butter

160 g demerara sugar

4 eggs (3 if not using gf flour)

Rind of 1 lemon

1 1/2 tsps gf baking powder

Topping – juice of the lemon and 150g sugar

Method:

Put all the ingredients for the cake in to a bowl and mix well until smooth.

Turn mixture in to prepared tin.

Bake for about 35 mins – until skewer is clean.

Whilst the cake is still hot spoon the lemon/sugar mixture all over the top of the cake. Once cool remove the cake from the tin.

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Apple and cinnamon cake

Ingredients:

170g gluten free self raising flour

150g dark muscovado sugar

170g butter

4 eggs

1tsp baking powder

2tsps ground cinnamon

2 cooking apples peeled, cored and chopped in to slices

Method:

Put all ingredients ( except apple) in to a bowl and mix. Once all blended stir in the apple slices.

Line a 20cm square tin and tip mix in.

Bake in the centre of the oven 180c / gas 4 for about 30 minutes 120416