Almond And Raspberry Muffins

These little muffins are a delight, no one can guess that they are gluten free and they are definitely very moreish!

This recipe makes 48 muffins and I can guarantee they will all be eaten but if you have a few leftover they freeze well, I pop them into the school lunch boxes frozen and they are ready to eat by lunch.

Ingredients

150g ground almonds/almond meal

30g coconut flour

50g cornflour

40g buckwheat flour

1 tablespoon gluten free baking powder

100g butter, melted

140g Greek yogurt

1 egg, beaten

125mls milk

120g raspberry jam

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees centigrade. Line two 24 mini muffin trays with cases.

In a large bowl, combine the ground almonds, coconut flour, corn flour, buckwheat flour and baking powder. Give these dry ingredients a whisk to get some air into the mix.

In a seperate bowl, whisk the melted butter and yogurt, add the egg and milk and whisk again.

Now, pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold in gently, as it begins to combine, spoon in the jam and fold again to just incorporate the jam.

Using a dessert spoon, spoon the batter into the cases, around two thirds full, no more or they will come over.

Once you have filled all the cases, slide the trays into the oven and bake for 20 minutes until golden.

Allow to cool a little on a wire rack, they are delicious still warm from the oven.

Vanilla Crepes

As my youngest has recently been diagnosed with coeliacs/celiacs I am back to experimenting with gluten free baking again.

We had these crepes, spread with a little softened salted butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. Brilliant for breakfast, dessert or as we had them for an afternoon tea treat.

Makes 24. If freezing, seperate each crepe with a piece of baking parchment so you can just peal off what you need.

Ingredients

225g buckwheat flour

50g caster sugar

4 eggs

400mls milk

150mls water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

30g butter, melted

softened salted butter and maple syrup to serve

Method

Put your crepe pan on to heat over a medium to low heat.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and sugar. Make a well in the centre.

In a jug, whisk the egg, milk, water and vanilla. Slowly whisk in the melted butter.

Take your whisk and as you pour the liquid into the dry ingredients slowly draw the flour in from the sides to avoid lumps.

Pour just enough batter into the hot pan to allow you to swirl it round and cover the base of your pan.

Cook until the top looks dry and the edges are beginning to colour.

Flip over and cook the other side for a few seconds, just to colour it up a little.

Tip the crepe onto a plate, cover with a clean, dry tea towel and continue making the rest of the crepes.

Amazing Gluten Free Sticky Toffee Cake

I don’t use the word amazing lightly with this cake!

Gluten free baking can sometimes be a bit of a challenge but I can guarantee the success of this cake every time and did I mention versatile…….make double topping, save half  and serve this cake warm with the extra sauce to pour over and a little vanilla icecream if you are going all out!

Makes 16 squares.

Ingredients

200g dates, stoned and  chopped lightly

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

50ml shot of espresso

200mls boiling water

110g butter

175g brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

70g buckwheat flour

80g rice flour

40g coconut flour

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

125g walnuts, chopped

75g caster sugar

50g butter

50ml cream

Method

Preheat the oven to180 degrees Centigrade.

Grease an 18cm square tin and line the base with baking parchment.

In a heat proof bowl, measure out the chopped dates, bicarbonate of soda, coffee and boiling water, set aside.

Cream the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy, add the eggs slowly, beating all of the time.

Drain the dates soaking liquid into the egg batter, stir well.

Fold in the flours, baking powder and walnuts.

Spread into the prepared tin and top with the soaked dates.

Bake for 35mins.

While baking prepare the sauce, bring the sugar, butter and cream up to the boil, simmer until the sugar has dissolved.

Once the cake is baked, remove from the oven and stab it all over with a skewer. Pour the hot sauce over the top, ensuring that it is totally covered, and then set aside to cool completely.

Plum and Hazelnut Cake

The plums, hazelnuts and vanilla go so well together in this cake.

I like to serve it as a pudding with some cream or ice cream.

The cake does not last long as it is very moist so best eaten within 24 hours I think.

Ingredients

4-5 plums, sliced

100g butter, at room temperature

100g caster sugar

2 eggs, beaten

70g ground hazelnuts or hazelnut meal

30g buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder

Method

Preheat the oven to 180degrees Centigrade.

Line the base of a 20cm spring form cake tin.

Place the plum slices on the base of the tin.

Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in the eggs and then fold in the remaining ingredients.

Spoon into the cake tin, cover the plums completely.

Bake for 25 mins. Allow to sit for 5 mins and then remove from the tin.

Banana and Coconut Muffins

The boys are all back at school now after the long summer holidays so I am back to baking for the lunch boxes.

These are gluten and dairy free and I  just top them off with a little brown sugar and cinnamon.

Makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

3 large bananas

1 egg

100g buckwheat flour

50g desiccated coconut

60g tapioca/arrowroot flour

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

75g icing sugar

100mls sunflower oil

50g brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 180degrees Centigrade. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, set aside.

In a food processor, process the bananas and eggs.

Add the buckwheat, tapioca, coconut, baking powder, bicarb, icing sugar and oil, process again.

Pour the batter into the prepared paper cases, around 2/3 full.

Top with the brown sugar mix.

Bake for 18-20 mins, allow to cool on a wire rack.

Quiche Lorraine

I love quiche and just because I have Coeliacs I don’t see why I should miss out!

So, gluten free pastry. Basically forget everything you know about regular pastry, I don’t roll this out, it’s too sticky, think more along the lines of a rustic tart, that way any wonky edges can be explained away! As sticky as this can get it does make lovely “short” pastry, I have given it to friends and nobody picked up on it being gluten free.

If you would rather regular pastry use, 175g flour, 100g butter and 1 egg yolk.

I always double this recipe as these quiches freeze really really well, ideal for lunch boxes and picnics at a later date, I even tend to make the spare quiche in a long rectangular tin, the slices fit more easily in the lunch boxes.

Makes one quiche, I use a 23x 3cm fluted edge tin. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

Pastry

75g glutinous, sticky, rice flour, plus extra

75g buckwheat flour

75g fine corn polenta

150g butter, salted, cubed

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons water

Filling

3 eggs, beaten

150mls cream

200mls sour cream

150g Gruyere cheese, 125g cubed, 1cm,  25g finely grated

200g speck or bacon, cubed, 0.5cm

a little freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

Method

Process the flours and polenta.

Add the cubed butter and pulse until forming breadcrumbs.

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water.

With the motor running, add the egg to the flour.

Give it a minute to come together, if it isn’t, add the remaining water.

Allow the processor to bring the dough together a little.

Take a large piece of plastic wrap, lay it on your work surface, sprinkle with a little more rice flour.

Scoop the pastry onto the prepared plastic wrap, sprinkle with a little more rice flour and top with another large piece of plastic wrap, forming the dough into a large disc.

Pop in the fridge for 30mins.

Cook the cubed meat in a frying pan with no added fat, set aside to cool on some kitchen towel.

Remove the pastry from the fridge, break off small pieces and start pressing them into the tin, I tend to do the base first and then work up the sides.

Return to the fridge for 30mins.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade.

You need to blind  bake the pastry first so, line the inside of the pastry, where your filling will go, with a piece of baking parchment and pour on a layer of baking beans or dry rice.

Bake for 15 mins.

Remove from the oven and gently lift out the paper and beans/rice.

Cover the base of the quiche with the cubed cheese followed by the cooked bacon.

In a jug, whisk the eggs, cream and sour cream, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Place the quiche tin on a baking sheet. Move it onto your stove top, so it is nice and close to the oven, less spills!

Fill gently with the egg mixture and top with the grated cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 25mins.

Remove once golden and puffy, it will sink back down.

Allow to cool a little before serving.

Banana Traybake – Gluten Free

This is a super easy recipe that makes a yummy moist gluten free cake.

Lovely as a cake it also goes really really well with custard as a pudding and to be honest, most folk don’t even realise its gluten free!

I use a roasting tin to make this as you need the deeper sides, even as a gluten free cake it rises really well, much to my delight because I’ve made some shockers over the years!

Makes 16-20 pieces.

Ingredients

6 large bananas

300g caster sugar

4 eggs

200g butter, melted

150g rice flour

100g tapioca/arrowroot flour

150g coconut flour

50g buckwheat flour

3 tablespoons gluten free baking powder

90mls milk

100g Demerara/ raw sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Centigrade.

Grease and line a 30x23cm roasting tin with baking parchment.

Process the bananas and sugar, add the eggs and process again.

Add the remaining ingredients, except the Demerara and cinnamon,  and process to blend.

Pour into the prepared tin.

Combine the Demerara/raw sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the cake batter.

Bake in the preheated oven for 35-40mins.

Sit in the tin for 5-10mins before removing and then allow to cool on a wire rack.