Dark Chocolate and Date Bakes

These are seriously dangerous to have in the house!

A great gluten free bake that is very forgiving.

Makes 12.

Ingredients

100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

125g pitted dates

130g ground almonds

3 egg whites

60g caster sugar

40g melted dark chocolate to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees centigrade.

Line a 12 hole muffin tray with baking parchment.

In a food processor, blitz the chocolate until you have a light crumb. Tip into a large bowl.

Next, check each and every date for a stone and then blitz them in the food processor until finely chopped too. Tip the dates into the chocolate crumb.

Weigh the ground almonds into the same bowl and then, using your finger tips, break up any big chunks of dates so you have an even mix.

In another large bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks, add the sugar, a table spoon at a time until all of the sugar is incorporated.

Fold the chocolate mix into the egg white mix and spoon into the prepared tins.

Bake for 20 minutes. Once golden, turn the heat off but leave the bakes in the oven, with the door a jar, to cool completely.

Melt the remaining chocolate and then drizzle over the cool bakes.

White Chocolate and Ginger Tart

If you aren’t into sweet treats, stop reading now!

My youngest came up with this recipe and has grudgingly shared small slices with the rest of us.

You could use a pastry shell but, as we are gluten free, the biscuit base is a nice quick alternative.

This tart fits a 25cm round tin or we use a rectangular tin and make two individual tarts for another night.

Ingredients

475g gluten free ginger nuts

150g butter

400g white chocolate

100g butter

400mls creme fraiche

Dark chocolate to grate over

Method

Melt the butter in the microwave or in a pan, add the crushed biscuits and mix well.

Press the biscuit mix into a loose bottomed tin or individual tins, packing tightly into the base and sides.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Gently heat the chocolate and butter in the microwave, stirring frequently until melted.

Whisk in the creme fraiche until lump free.

Pour into the prepared tins and smooth the top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours.

Brownie Cakes

We have an ongoing argument in the family as to what to call these, bruffins is the boys choice but they really are just a brownie.

As they are a brownie, they come out of the oven puffed in the middle and rapidly fall as they cool, the icing then fills the gap but be warned, these are rich!

Makes 16.

Ingredients

120g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

120g butter

70g smooth peanut butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

300g caster sugar

120g ground almonds, almond meal

3/4 tablespoon baking powder

3 eggs

ICING

130g butter, at room temperature

225g icing sugar

25g cocoa powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade.

Take two muffin tins and line 16 holes with muffin cases.

Either over hot water or carefully in the microwave, melt the butter and chocolate gently, stir in the peanut butter and vanilla.

In another bowl, measure out the sugar, ground almonds and baking powder.

In a third bowl, whisk the eggs until light and fluffy.

Pour the chocolate into the dry ingredients and then fold in the eggs gently.

Spoon into the prepared cases and bake for 25 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin.

Once the cakes are cool, make the icing.

In a food processor, blitz the icing sugar to get any lumps out or sieve it.

Add the cocoa powder and then beat in the butter.

Spread a little icing into the middle of each cake and then grate over some white chocolate.

Gluten Free Sweet Waffles

Bit of a lazy Sunday morning breakfast that the boys love making.

If you don’t have nutmeg, cinnamon works beautifully too.

Makes 6-8 waffles depending on the size of your waffle iron.

Ingredients

150g gluten free plain flour

40g caster sugar

2 and 1/2 tablespoons gluten free baking powder

1 egg

300mls milk

Freshly grated nutmeg

Method

Heat your waffle iron.

Using a stick blender, whizz all of the ingredients until lump free.

Cook according to your waffle iron instructions.

Brazilian Chocolate Orange Balls

These are a rather dangerous treat to have in the house!

I get the boys involved in rolling the balls out as they are often for their social events or cricket club morning teas.

Makes 28 balls.

Ingredients

30g butter

395g tin condensed milk

100g dark chocolate, 70% cocoa

Zest of one orange

150g desiccated coconut

Method

In a large heavy based pan, heat the butter and condensed milk over a low heat, slowly bring it up to the simmer and simmer, stirring all the time, until it thickens, around ten minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and beat in the chocolate.

Once the chocolate has melted add the orange zest and 100g of coconut. Stir well and set aside to cool.

Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, pour the remaining coconut onto a plate and roll walnut sized balls of the chocolate mixture in the coconut. Repeat until all of the chocolate mixture has been used up.

Keep in a cool place.

Salted Chocolate Caramels

The start of the school hols here in Western Australia calls for a sweet treat in our house.

Ingredients

130g salted butter

395mls condensed milk

200g brown sugar

2 tablespoons golden syrup

2 tablespoons glucose syrup

100g 70% cocoa solids dark chocolate

Salt flakes

Method

Line a small tin, 15x25cm, with baking parchment.

In a heavy based pan, heat the butter, condensed milk, sugar and syrups very gently over a low heat.

Once the sugar has dissolved, slowly bring up to the boil and simmer very gently for five minutes until thickened.

Take off the heat, stir in the chocolate and stir until combined and lump free.

As soon as the chocolate has dissolved, pour the caramel mix into the prepared tin and smooth out.

Sprinkle over a few salt flakes and pop into the fridge until cold. Once completely set, using a sharp knife, cut into squares.

Mocha Roulade

A sweet treat today, one for the coffee lovers!

The boys devoured this so it isn’t too strongly flavoured with coffee and it is gluten and nut free.

Cuts into 8 very generous slices.

Ingredients

6 eggs 

150g caster sugar

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

50g cocoa powder

ICING

250g icing sugar

125g salted butter

2 teaspoons instant espresso powder

15mls boiling water

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade. Line a baking tray, 38x25cm, with baking parchment, folding it right into the corners as the cake batter is too light to weigh it down.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites with an electric whisk to stiff peaks, add 50g of the caster sugar and whisk in until the whites are shiny.

In another large bowl, using the whisk that you used for the whites, whisk the egg yolks, remaining sugar and coffee powder until really thick, creamy and the powder has dissolved. Sieve the cocoa over the bowl and fold in.

Now, fold a third of the whites into the yolk very gently. Once combined repeat with another third and then with the remaining third.

Spoon the batter, spreading it evenly up to the edges, onto the baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.

While the cake is baking boil the kettle.

In a food processor, whizz the icing sugar to remove any lumps, add the butter and whizz until creamy in the processor.

Measure out the coffee powder into a small cup, add the boiled water and stir to combine.

Slowly pour this coffee into the processor with it on to combine. Scrape down the sides and process again. You may neeed to do this a few times to get all of the coffee incorporated.

Once the cake is ready, remove from the oven and let it sit for five minutes.

Cover the cake with a clean tea towel and invert so you have the parchment up. Peel the parchment off.

Now, roll the cake, including the tea towel, skinny end to skinny end. Allow to sit and cool with the tea towel still in situ.

Once the cake has cooled, unroll gently, remove the tea towel, spread the inside of the roll with the icing and roll back up.

Sift a little icing sugar over and serve.

Gluten Free Donuts

Unfortunately, these don’t last long in our house!

Quick to make, baked not fried and leftovers, if you have any, freeze well.

Makes 18 donuts.

Ingredients

75g Greek yogurt

3 eggs, beaten

125mls oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

110g gluten free plain flour

80g ground almonds/ almond meal

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

200g caster sugar

Icing sugar to dust

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Centigrade.

Butter the donut tins very well.

Combine the yogurt, eggs, oil and vanilla

In a large bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, baking powder and sugar.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold in.

Pour the batter into an icing bag or a large plastic bag. If using a bag, cut the corner off to create a piping bag.

Squeeze the batter out into each individual ring, no more than a third filled.

Bake in the oven for 13-15 minutes.

Allow to cool a little in the tin before tipping out onto a baking rack.

Dust with a little icing sugar and serve.

Chocolate And Peanut Butter Brownies

Gluten free decadence here! 

If you don’t do peanut butter chips you can happily swap them for chocolate chips of omit them completely, this recipe will still work.

Makes 16 pieces.

Ingredients

125g butter

125g 70% coco solids chocolate

330g caster sugar

115g ground almonds/almond meal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g peanut butter or chic chips plus extra for topping

Method

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Centigrade. Grease and line the base and sides of an 18cm square cake tin.

Melt the butter and chocolate, using a bowl over a pan of water or I just do it carefully in the microwave.

Weigh out the sugar, almonds and baking powder in a large bowl.

Whisk the eggs in another bowl and whisk in the vanilla extract.

Now, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold them in.

Spoon the batter into the lined tin, sprinkle over a few more chips and bake for 35 minutes.

Allow to cool a little in the tin before removing.

Homemade Honeycomb

Sometimes a treat is in order and this is certainly a treat!

We happily eat this as is but if you want to be really decadent, drizzle a little melted dark chocolate over the honeycomb, then it really is “to die for”! I like to crumble it a little and sprinkle it over vanilla ice cream too, yum!

You need to move briskly when making this so have the bicarbonate already measured out and the baking sheet lined, use a medium to large pan as the honeycomb rises rapidly as soon as you add the bicarbonate and whisk it in.

Makes a slab, 25 x 15cm.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon honey

175g caster sugar

70g liquid glucose

2 tablespoons water

2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda

Method

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Measure the honey, sugar, glucose and water into a pan.

Heat the pan over a high heat, do not stir! Just swirl it around a bit if you must move it.

Using a sugar thermometer, watch the temp rising, as soon as it hits 150 degrees Centigrade, take it off the heat and whisk in the bicarbonate of soda.

Immediately, tip onto the prepared tin and leave to cool and set.

Break into shards to serve.

The honeycomb will keep in an airtight box for a few days if you have any left!