Miss 3's birthday cakes

 Miss 3 loves yellow.  So for her third birthday we had to have not one, but two yellow birthday cakes.  One for her 'party' with her family, the other for her 'party' with her three little friends. We had yellow balloons, yellow food, and played 'parcel parcel' as she calls it [pass the parcel].

Almost each day since her birthday, I have been told that now she is a 'big girl'.  

Gluten free orange cupcakes - thermomix

These are SO yummy, and despite using the skin and pith are not bitter at all.  I am really enjoying making these cakes at the moment.  If you don't have a thermomix you could try it with a food processor, but it may take a little longer to blitz/process.

Whole Orange cupcakes

1 whole orange cut into quarters (skin and all)
225g butter
3 eggs
1 cup [200g] sugar
2 cups [300g] gluten free flour blended with 2 tsp xanthan gum
2 teaspoons GF baking powder

Put the orange and butter into thermomix bowl. Blitz for 7 seconds [speed 8]. Scrape bowl and repeat.

Add eggs, sugar and flour. Mix for 20-30 seconds [speed 4].

Spoon into cupcake papers, bake at 170 C for 15-20 mins or until cooked. 


Dust with icing sugar or [my favourite] top with chocolate ganache.

Playing with my thermomix

I've finally had a chance to 'play' with some of the basic things the thermomix can do.  It has been great fun.  These are things that they recommend trying in the first month or two that you own a thermomix.  I've had mine for 6 months and haven't stopped using it, but just skipped over the basics [I'm not so good at following instructions... oops].  I have to say that I wish I'd tried these things earlier as we could have been eating them for 6 months!!

I've made my own butter:

 Made yoghurt [from scratch - SO easy]:

 And boiled eggs in this amazing little machine.

I have to say I am extremely excited. It will be fun to make flavoured butters and yoghurts from this point.

HEALTHY "ICE CREAM"

My sister told me about an amazing health ice cream that is not ice cream.  You take a couple of frozen bananas and whip them in a food processor or blender with a tablespoon of cocoa until it's soft and creamy.  That's it.

I tried it and she was right - it works and it is amazing.  I added some chocolate chips after I took this photo. 

This is well worth a try if you have a couple of gross overripe bananas lying around.  Stick them in the freezer overnight and then make yourself this yummy dessert!!

apple tea cake - gluten free

This is not a pretty cake, but it is very moist and delicious.  I used my thermomix to mix this cake, but you could use a food processor.

GLUTEN FREE APPLE TEA CAKE
60g butter
200g milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
190g gluten free flour [110g rice, 50g cornflour, 30g tapioca]
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder [I make my own from baking soda and cream of tartar]
100g raw sugar
4 medium apples, cored and cut into 8 pieces
cinnamon & caster sugar

Preheat oven to moderate and grease & line a round cake tin.

Place apple [skin & all] in thermomix or food processor and chop into small pieces.  Add some cinnamon & caster sugar to taste.

Melt butter in thermomix [or microwave] for 2 mins 90C [speed 1].

Add milk, vanilla and egg and process until well-combined [speed 7].

Add flour, baking powder, and sugar.  Mix for 10-20 seconds [speed 5-7].

Tip half the batter into a tin and sprinkle the apple mixture across the cake.  Pour the remaining batter over the top.  Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 30 minutes.

Dust with extra cinnamon sugar just prior to serving.  Serve with a dollop of cream.

Gluten free lemon syrup cake

I recently tasted a delicious lemon syrup cake my aunt made, it was so delicious I had to ask her for the recipe.  I tried to convert it to a gluten free version, and it resulted in a hard-based, eggy cake/slice, so I am not going to give you the recipe, but instead try again, and post a recipe that works.  We all have failures in the kitchen sometimes!!

Gluten free lemon meringue pie

Every year I make a lemon meringue pie for my mother instead of a birthday cake [it's her favourite].  Because two of my girls are coeliac it has to be gluten free, or course, so over the past six years I've been perfecting the GF lemon meringue pie.  It really isn't as time-consuming or difficult as you may think.  Well-worth giving it a try. 

Here is the recipe I use.  It is based on a Women's Weekly recipe from an old WW cookbook.

GLUTEN FREE LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Pastry:

1 1/2 cups GF flour

3 tsp icing sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

140g butter

1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

approx. 2 tbsp water

Mix pastry ingredients in a food processor until it forms a dough ball.  Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 mins while preparing lemon filling.

Lemon Filling:

1 cup corn flour

2 cups caster sugar

1 cup lemon juice

2 1/2 cups water

3-4 teaspoons grated lemon rind

6 egg yolks

120g butter

Combine cornflour, sugar, juice and water in saucepan [or thermomix] until smooth.  Stir over heat until mixture boils and thickens [it will be very thick].  Turn off heat.  Add rind, yolks, and butter and stir until butter is melted.  Cool while blind baking pastry shell.

Roll pastry out between two sheets of baking paper or cling wrap.  Use the paper/wrap to help you to lift the pastry into a pie dish.  Blind bake pastry shell at 180C for approx. 20 mins.

Pour lemon filling into pastry case and cool to room temperature.

Meringue:

6 egg whites

1 cup caster sugar

Beat egg whites in bowl with electric mixer until soft peaks form.  Gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved. Gently spread meringue over the top of the lemon filling.  Bake in moderate oven for 5 minutes or until lightly browned.  Stand 5 minutes before serving.

The pastry and filling can be made up to 24 hours ahead, but don't make the meringue until just before serving, or you may find it will sweat and go soggy.



Gluten free lemon curd cake

I stumbled upon this cake recipe on a thermomix recipe forum when looking for an easy cake my girls could make for my birthday in the thermomix.  It is so delicious, and so easy, I have made it three times in the last fortnight.  If you don't have a thermomix, you can still make this yummy cake, I discovered it was originally posted on this blog. 

Lemon curd cake

Cake mixture
150 grams gluten free SR Flour
60 grams butter
110 grams sugar
1 egg
Lemon curd
60 grams lemon juice
60 grams butter
110 grams sugar
1 egg
  

To make cake mixture, place all ingredients into TM bowl and beat for 30 seconds on speed 5. Remove from bowl and set aside.

To make lemon curd, place all ingredients into TM bowl and cook at 100 degrees for 5 minutes on speed 4.

Grease and line a round cake tin.
Spread half the cake mixture into the base of the tin [the cake mixture will be quite thick].
Pour lemon curd over cake mixture [the lemon curd mixture will be quite runny].
Dollop 1/2 teaspoonfuls of remaining cake mixture over the top of the lemon curd [sometimes I roll it into balls to make it 'neater'].
Bake at 180C for half an hour.
Eat warm or cold.

My favourite savoury muffin recipe

This recipe is so easy I keep it in my head [it's the only one I can confidently say is in there].  SO easy and SO yummy.

QUICK 2 CUP CHEESE MUFFINS

Place in a bowl:
2 cups SR flour [can be gluten free or regular]
2 cups grated cheese
2 tablespoons chopped ham/cooked bacon

In a jug:
2 eggs
make up to 2 cups with milk
whisk in 2 tablespoons oil

Gently add the wet ingredients to the dry, DO NOT OVERMIX.  
Bake in a moderate oven 180C for 10-12 minutes for mini muffins, 18-20 minutes for regular muffins, 25 or so minutes for Texas maxi muffins.

GLUTEN FREE COOKIES

My standard cookie/biscuit recipe is super-easy.  They always work, and this recipe makes 60-90 biscuits depending on the size, so I can bake once and freeze some and have home made gluten free goodies for ages.

Gluten free cookies

500g butter

1 x 395g tin condensed milk

1 cup sugar

5 cups gluten free flour mix

5 teaspoons baking powder [sometimes I forget this and they still work ok]

Preheat oven to 180.  Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.  Beat in condensed milk.  Add the flour & baking powder and mix on low speed until smooth.   

Roll about 2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on baking paper-lined trays.  Press a couple of chocolate chunks into the top. 

Bake for 12-15 mins or until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool on the trays.  Store in airtight containers.

Gluten free baking - a collection of recipes

Recently a friend asked me for a collection of my gluten free recipes, so she could learn to bake gluten free.  I directed her to my blog, but then realised it is very difficult to find all the recipes here.  This is a list of the gluten free recipes I've featured here on my blog so far:

beautiful quick and easy nut slice
mud cake
choc chip cookies
peanut butter biscuits
super-easy healthy chocolate muffins
marbled chocolate cheesecake slice
chocolate fudge cake
My world famous brownies
raspberry white choc muffins
melting moments
quick microwave fruit cake
wacky cake - basic gluten & dairy free cake
pecan pie

Enjoy!!

Gluten free carrot cake

I was given this recipe many years ago when my eldest was first diagnosed with coeliac disease.  It is a really lovely cake, and it always seems to work perfectly.  Noone believes me that it's gluten free when I serve it.  I happen to love carrot cake because of the frosting: cream cheese frosting is something wonderful.  I always make a double-batch of cream cheese frosting, because you need a really thick layer on a carrot cake, and because there has to be enough for me to lick the bowl!!

BEST GLUTEN FREE CARROT CAKE

Recipe can be made a day ahead.  Suitable to freeze.

 1 cup [125g] soy flour or chickpea [besan] flour

¾ cup [110g] maize cornflour [100% corn]
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons mixed spice
1 cup [200g] firmly packed brown sugar
1½ cups [360g] grated carrot
1 cup [120g] chopped walnuts
½ cup [125ml] extra light olive oil
½ cup [125ml] sour cream
3 eggs, beaten lightly

ORANGE FROSTING:

125g cream cheese, chopped
1 teaspoon finely grated orange rind
1½ cups [240g] pure icing sugar

Preheat the oven to moderately slow [160 C].  Grease a deep 20cm round cake tin and line base and sides with baking paper. 

Sift flours, baking powder, soda, and spice into a large bowl; stir in the sugar, carrots and walnuts. 
Stir in the combined oil, cream and eggs until smooth.  Pour the mixture into prepared pan and bake in a moderately slow oven for about one hour.
Stand the cake for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.  Top cake with Orange Frosting.

Orange Frosting: Beat the cheese and rind in a small bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar until smooth.

lemon myrtle custard

This is SOOOOOOO yummy, and more so because I grew the lemon myrtle myself.  It really is exciting to be starting to use things from my garden in my cooking.

LEMON MYRTLE CUSTARD
100g sugar
40g cornflour
2 eggs
500ml milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
6-8 lemon myrtle leaves fresh from the tree

I made this in my thermomix [7 1/2 min speed 4], but you can also make it on the stove, stirring constantly over a medium heat until it thickens.  The most important thing to remember is to bruise the lemon myrtle leaves and add them towards the end of cooking time to maximise the flavour.

gluten free Yorkshire puddings

These Yorkshire puddings are just delicious.  In fact they were so yummy we ate all 12 of them in one meal, and wished we had more.  I now understand why Yorkshire pudding is served with a roast.

115 g gluten-free self-raising flour

142 ml milk

142 ml water (half milk and half water)

1 pinch salt (optional)

1 medium egg

Preheat oven to 220C.  Pour 5mm of oil into each hole of a 12 hole muffin pan and put it in the oven to heat up.  Mix all ingredients with an electric mixer/food processor/stick blender/hand whisk until a smooth batter is formed.  When the oil is smoking pour a little batter in each muffin hole and bake for 20mins.  Serve immediately with your roast dinner.

Rosella Jam

ROSELLA JAM
Separate the red outer calyx from the inner green seed pods.  Do not discard the green seed pods, they are full of pectin which will make your jam set.  Pop them into a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 10-15 mins to release the pectin.  Strain the pods from the liquid, reserving the liquid.

Weigh your red calyces - put into a saucepan with an equal weight of sugar [I had 650g of fruit, so I added about 650g of sugar].  Add the pectin liquid and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.  After about 20-30mins test your jam on a cold saucer.  Keep checking until it wrinkles.  The jam darkened and became a little thicker when it reached setting point.

Bottle in sterilised jars.  Enjoy!!

Beautiful, quick and easy nut slice

This is another of my 'go-to' slices, for when I need a quick, yummy morning tea or supper.  It is delicious.  Some of you may remember a slice called "no-bowl slice".  This is a variation on that old favourite.

QUICK AND EASY BEAUTIFUL SLICE

·        125g butter, melted
·        125g crushed biscuits
·        1 cup coconut
·        ½ - 1 packet choc chips (dark)
·        1 can condensed milk
·        1 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped [or a mixture of macadamias and pecans]

Preheat oven to 180^oC. Line a slice pan with baking paper.

Combine biscuits, coconut and melted butter. Press mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the chocolate bits over evenly; top with nuts; pour condensed milk over the whole lot.

Cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool. Set in the fridge before slicing.

rosella harvest

This is my largest mixing bowl.  It measures 40cm across.  So yes, that is a LOT of rosellas that the girls and I harvested this afternoon.

I am going to make rosella jam.  I had a trial run last week and it turned out I made rosella dessert syrup instead of jam.  I have never been very successful in any of my jam-making attempts.  I do have enough fruit here that I will be able to have a fair bit of practice!!

My Favourite Mud Cake - gluten free

MUD CAKE

250g cold unsalted butter, chopped

150g dark chocolate, chopped

2 cups [440g] castor sugar

1 cup [250ml] water

1/3 cup [80ml] whisky

1 tablespoon dry instant coffee

1 ½ cups [225g] plain flour & ¼ cup [35g] SR flour [to make gluten free, use 1 ¾ cups gluten free flour and ¼ tsp gluten free baking powder]

¼ cup [25g] cocoa powder

2 eggs, beaten lightly

Grease 23cm swuare slab cake pan, line base with baking paper [DO NOT USE A SPRINGFORM PAN OR YOUR CAKE WILL LEAK ALL OVER YOUR OVEN – I KNOW THIS FROM EXPERIENCE].

Combine butter, chocolate, sugar, water, whisky and coffee in medium saucepan, stir over heat until butter and chocolate melt.  Transfer mixture to large bowl; cool. 

Stir in sifted flours and cocoa, then eggs; pour mixture into prepared pan. 

Bake in moderately slow oven [160 C] for 1 ¼ - 1 ½ hours.  Stand cake in pan 30 minutes; turn onto wire rack to cool. 

Serve dusted with sifted icing sugar, or ice with chocolate ganache for an even richer cake experience!

__________________________________________________________

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:           combine 200g melted dark chocolate and ½ cup cream.  Refrigerate 30 minutes till thick and spread over cake.  Decorate with chocolate curls and strawberries.

 

GLUTEN FREE CHOC-CHIP COOKIES

This recipe makes dozens of cookies.  I mean dozens.  The best part is, you can freeze them.  So I can always have cookies on hand for those busy weeks when I can't bake.  They're so yummy.  I have also substituted the chocolate for nuts or pressed gluten-free smarties in the top of the plain dough [the kid's favourite].  It's a brilliant basic recipe.

500g butter

1 x 395g tin condensed milk
1 cup sugar
5 cups SR flour [I use my own blend, from Betty Hagman, with added baking powder]

2-3 blocks of chocolate [white, milk or dark] roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 180 C.  Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.  Beat in condensed milk.  Add the flour and mix until smooth.  Stir in the chocolate until well combined. 

Roll about 2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into balls and place on baking paper-lined trays.  Bake for 12-15 mins or until lightly golden.  Remove from oven and cool on the trays.  Store in airtight containers.

Gluten free pancakes and waffles

This has become my favourite pancake/pikelet/waffle mix.  I have tried countless recipes and experimented with all of them a lot over the past 5 1/2 years.  I no longer experiment.  It is my go-to recipe every time.  Mr E likes them, and he doesn't like gluten free food much.  I have even had people tell me they prefer these waffles to ones made out of wheat flour.

·        1 cup rice flour [brown or white]
·        1/2 cup potato starch

·        1/4 cup tapioca flour
·        2 teaspoons baking powder
·        2 tablespoons sugar
·        1 teaspoon salt
·        1/4 cup oil or melted butter
·        2 eggs
·        1 1/2 cups sour milk or buttermilk (I sour mine with a couple of teaspoons of vinegar)

Mix all dry ingredients together.  Add oil, eggs and milk.  Blend with a stab mixer, electric mixer, food processor, or balloon whisk.  Cook as pikelets/waffles/pancakes as desired.