Category: Coeliac

Gluten Free Canapés: Mini Baked Potatoes and Enchilada Bites

Leave a comment

If you’re in need of idea for gluten free party food, then look no further than these incredibly simple homemade Canapés – Mini Baked Potatoes and Enchilada Bites.

1 When it comes party food, I think the prep needs to be as simple as possible – both of these recipes can be prepared in advance and finished off just before serving, giving you plenty of opportunity to mingle amongst your guests.

Both recipes can also be made suitable for vegetarians; simply replace the chicken in the enchilada cups with sweetcorn and swap the Chorizo topping on the baked potatoes for some chopped chives.

4

These Canapés would make a lovely addition to any New Years Eve party, or a buffet style celebration on New Years Day – I also think they would appeal to both gluten eaters and gluten free guests equally…  in fact, I will be surprised if anyone cottons onto the fact that they are gluten free!

Enchilada Bites – GF/DF options
Recipe Makes 20

3

Ingredients:

10 Old El Paso Mexicana Street Market White Corn Tortillas or similar gluten free wraps

200g cooked chicken breast (Vegetarian option: substitute chicken for sweetcorn)

150g mild salsa

100g black beans

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

100g mature cheddar, grated (or dairy free equivalent)

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 C/180 fan/or gas mark 6, then lightly grease two muffin tins with sunflower oil.
  2. Slice each tortilla into quarters, then press two pieces of tortilla into each hole of the muffin tin so that they cross over.
  3. Place the tortilla cases into the oven and bake for 5 to 10 minutes until crispy and golden.
  4. Mix together the chicken, beans, paprika, cayenne pepper and salsa, then place a heaped teaspoon of the mixture into each case.
  5. Top each tortilla cup with cheddar cheese and bake until the cheese turns golden – you can do this just before serving.

Mini Baked Potatoes (GF/EF/DF options)

2

Ingredients:

20 mini potatoes

20 slices of chorizo

150g mature cheddar, grated (or dairy free alternative)

Oil, salt and pepper

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees C/gas mark 6
  2. Cut a cross in the centre of each potato, then place them on a baking tray.
  3. Drizzle the potatoes with oil, then season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bake the potatoes for 25 – 30 minutes.
  5. Leave the potatoes to cool slightly, then use a knife to open up each one.
  6. Place grated cheese into the centre of each potato and top each one with a slice of Chorizo.
  7. Place the potatoes into the oven until the cheese melts and turns golden – you can do this just before serving.

To make a vegetarian version substitute the chorizo for chopped chives.

I love seeing your take on my recipes, so remember to share a snap of your Canapés over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

I hope all my lovely readers have a fantastic New Years Eve and a very Happy New Year – Here’s to 2018!

 

 

 

Gluten Free Party Rings Recipe

Leave a comment

If you’ve run out of Summer holiday activities to do with the kids, why not give my Gluten Free Party Rings recipe a go?

IMG_5921

This is the perfect bake for the weekend or the holidays, as it’s super easy and a really good one to get the kids involved in –  I’m sure they’ll love helping icing the biscuits… and eating them!

It’s a great recipe for us big kids too – because when are you too old for Party Rings?

Party Rings – GF/DF

Ingredients:

For the biscuits:
150g sugar
150g butter (or dairy free alternative like Stork Margarine Block)
320g gluten free all purpose flour (I used Schär All Purpose Baking Mix)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Icing:
400g icing sugar
Food colouring

Method:

1) In a large bowl, stir together the gluten free flour and sugar until combined.

2) Rub in the butter until you have a bread crumb like texture.

3) Add the egg and vanilla essence, then start bringing the ingredients together using a wooden spoon.

4) Use your hands to work the ingredients into a soft dough. Don’t worry if the dough seems a little sticky as it will be chilled for a while to help it firm up – don’t be tempted to add more flour!

5) Wrap the dough in cling film and place in the fridge for at least and hour.

6) Preheat the oven to 170 C/150 C fan/gas mark 4 and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

7) Dust a clean surface with gluten free flour and roll out the dough using a floured rolling pin.

8) Cut out circle shapes using a 6cm pastry cutter, then transfer them to the prepared tray using a palate knife. When the biscuits are on the trays, use a pipping nozzle to stamp a hole through the middle of each one.

9) Bake for 10 minutes or until they are a light golden brown – be sure to keep an eye on this biscuits as they could quickly over-bake.

10) Leave the biscuits to cool on the tray for a few minutes to help them firm up,  then transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

11) To make the icing: place icing sugar in a large bowl with a few teaspoons of cold water, then mix the ingredients until they form a spreadable paste. You may need to add a little more water if the icing is too thick.

12) Divide the mixture into different bowls . Leave the icing in one bowl white, then add a little food colouring to each of the other bowls – the colours are up to you! Transfer the white icing to a piping bag fitted with a small writing nozzle.

13) To decorate, spread a little icing over the biscuit using a palate knife. Pipe three lines of the white icing across the biscuit, then run a cocktail stick through the lines to feather the icing – repeat until all the biscuits have been iced.

IMG_6171

I love seeing your take on my bakes, so remember to share your a picture of your Party Rings over on Facebook, twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

Gluten Free Double Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe (for Coeliac Awareness Week)

Leave a comment

Today I’m going to share with you my Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffin recipe in honour of Coeliac Awareness Week, which is being held this week between the 8th – 14th May 2017.

IMG_5136

Coeliac UK have estimated that approximately 1 in 100 people in the UK suffer with Coeliac Disease and just 24% have been properly diagnosed – which  means there are people living with undiagnosed Coeliacs Disease all across the UK, something Coeliac Awareness week is aiming to change.

You can find out more about Coeliac Awareness Week over at Coeliac UK, including ideas about how to get involved.

If you think you have have Coeliac Disease you can find out more information about the symptoms and how to go about getting a diagnosis here.

If you’ve recently been diagnosed and are new to Gluten Free baking, there is a tonne of advice over on my Ton’s Tips and Tricks page.

My Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins recipe is perfect for Gluten Free baking beginners as there are no difficult techniques involved – you don’t even need to worry about the batter being lumpy!

IMG_5138

This recipe was inspired by my Gluten Free White Chocolate and Raspberry Muffins recipe which I posted last year,  in that post I listed a few extra tips and tricks to achieve perfect muffins -you can find that post here.

IMG_5139

Double Chocolate Muffins – GF/DF options

Ingredients:

275g gluten free self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
175g soft brown sugar
2 large eggs
100 ml sunflower oil
200ml milk (or dairy free alternative)
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g milk chocolate chips, refrigerated (or dairy free alternative)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 C/160 C fan/gas mark 4 and line a muffin tin with 8 muffin cases.

2. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

3. In separate bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, oil, milk and vanilla extract until combined then add this to the dry ingredients.

4. Gently mix the ingredients together until they form a batter which is only just combined (don’t worry too much if there are any lumps), then stir through the chocolate chips.

5. Spoon approximately 3 tablespoons of batter into each case – the cases should be about 3 quarters full.

6. Bake the muffins for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

7. Leave to cool on a wire rack before serving.

IMG_5133

Gluten Free Easter Chocolate Log

Leave a comment

My final Easter recipe this is year is my Gluten Free Easter Chocolate Log recipe – the perfect bake for chocoholics and a beautiful centrepiece for any Easter Sunday gathering.

IMG_4661   I know chocolate logs are more traditionally eaten at Christmas, but I think this fun update on a classic works for Easter too!

IMG_4704

I promise you that this recipe is much easier to make than it looks – the trick is to make sure whip up your eggs and sugar until they are super voluminous!

Easter Chocolate Log – GF

For the Swiss Roll:

80g golden caster sugar
3 large eggs
60g gluten free self raising flour
20g cocoa powder
20g butter, melted and cooled.

For the Icing:

350g butter, softened
350g icing sugar
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
White chocolate, for decorating.

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 C/180 C fan/gas mark 6, then grease and line a Swiss roll tin or a baking tray with slightly raised sides with baking parchment.

2. Sift together the gluten free flour and cocoa powder in a large bowl then set aside.

3. Place the eggs and sugar into large bowl and beat the ingredients using an electric hand mixer for about 5 minutes, until the ingredients are pale, fluffy and have tripled in volume. Make sure the mixture has reached ‘ribbon stage’, which means that when you remove the whisk the mixture falling from the whisk leaves a ribbon like trail.

4. Fold in the flour mixture bit by bit, being careful not to knock out the air from the mixture.

5. Carefully fold through the cooled melted butter.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared tray or tin, tilting the tray to level out he mixture.

7. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the sponge starts to shrink away from the sides of the tin and the top is firm to touch.

8. Place a large sheet of baking paper onto a work surface. While the cake is still hot, place it upside down onto the paper, then carefully remove the tray and the baking paper.

9. Roll up the cake so that the paper is inside in the Swiss roll, then leave to cool completely.

10. To make the icing, beat the softened butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy. Split the mixture between two separate bowls – into one mix the vanilla extract and into the other mix the cocoa powder.

11. Carefully unroll your Swiss Roll and spread the vanilla icing over the sponge, then gently roll it back up.

12. Place the Swiss Roll onto a serving plate, then cover it with the chocolate icing using a palate knife. Use a fork to make a ‘bark like’ affect, then decorate with chocolate eggs of your choice and grated chocolate.

IMG_4657

I love seeing your take on my bakes, so remember to share your a picture of your bakes over on Facebook, twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

I hope everyone has a fantastic Easter!

 

Gluten Free Easter: Marmalade Simnel Cake

Leave a comment

Today I am going to share with you my Gluten Free Marmalade Simnel Cake recipe.

IMG_4506For me, it simply wouldn’t be Easter without Simnel Cake – a traditional cake made up of a lightly spiced fruit sponge with a hidden marzipan layer. It is topped with 11 marzipan balls which are said to represent the 11 apostles, minus Judas.

My recipe is a slight twist on the traditional Simnel Cake. I have added a little more liquid in order to create a moist sponge, as Gluten Free Flour requires more moisture than normal flour – Simnel cakes are usually slowly baked on a low temperature for a long time, so the extra moisture is necessary to prevent a dry cake.

I also used Orange Zest instead of Lemon zest and instead of apricot jam I brushed the cake in a generous layer of marmalade.

IMG_4516

Simnel Cake would make a beautiful centrepiece for a special Easter Sunday meal, it is also easily prepared in advance and will comfortably feed a large family.

Orange and Marmalade Simnel Cake – GF/DF options

Ingredients

For the cake:

200g butter, softened (or dairy free butter/spread)
200g light brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
200g gluten free self raising flour, sifted
3 large eggs, whisked
500g sultanas, raisins, mixed peel
Zest 1 orange, plus 2 tbsp of juice
2 tbsp marmalade, gently warmed
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
300g Marzipan, for the centre

To decorate:
2 tbsp Marmalade
500g Marzipan, to decorate

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 140 C/120 C fan/gas mark 1 and grease and line a loose-bottomed cake tin.

2) In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer or a wooden spoon.

3) In a separate bowl mix together the dry ingredients: sift together the flour, baking powder and spices, then fold through the fruit and the orange zest.

4) Add the eggs one at a time to the wet ingredients along with a tablespoon of dry ingredients to stop the mixture from splitting. Ensure each egg is fully combined before adding the next one.

5) Fold in all the remaining dry ingredients, then add the marmalade and orange juice and mix until fully combined.

6) Spoon half the mixture into the prepared cake tin and smooth out with a spatula.

7) Roll out 300g of marzipan into a circle large enough to fit the tin and place it on top of the cake mixture

8) Spoon the remaining mixture on top of the marzipan and smooth out with spatula.

9) Bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour 40 – 50 minutes, until the cake is deep golden brown and firm to touch.

10) Leave the cake to cool in the tin slightly before turning it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

11) Once cake is cool, brush the top with a generous amount of marmalade which which will help the cake to stay moist.

12) Roll out 400g of Marzipan into a circle large enough to cover the top of the cake.

13) Place the marzipan on top of the cake and divide the remaining marzipan into 11 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into 11 balls and arrange them around the edge of the cake in a circle.

14) Place the cake under a grill high heat for a minute or so until the marzipan is golden brown – watch it like a hawk or the marzipan could burn!

15) Place the cake onto a serving plate and wrap it in a pretty ribbon.

You are now ready to proudly display your beautiful and entirely gluten free Easter centre piece for all the family to admire!

IMG_4512

I love seeing your take on my bakes, so remember to share your a picture of your bakes over on Facebook, twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

Gluten Free Mini Egg Rocky Road

1 Comment

Mini Egg season is upon on us, and I couldn’t resist the urge to use one of my favourite Easter confectionaries in one of my all time favourite sweet treats.

IMG_4198This Mini Egg Rocky Road recipe is a seasonal take on my Gluten Free Rocky Road recipe which I posted last year. The recipe substitutes biscuits for puffed rice,  but you can use Gluten Free Biscuits if you prefer (I just quite like the texture the puffed rice provides).

IMG_4195

Whilst mini eggs are gluten free, they do contain maltodextrin which can  prove troublesome for some Coeliacs. But don’t fret, there are a couple of supermarket alternatives out there which don’t contain maltodextrin including  Sainbury’s ‘Micro Easter Eggs‘ and ‘Chicky Choccy Eggs’ from M&S. ‘Galaxy Golden Eggs‘ are also gluten free and would create and interesting finish, albeit not as colourful!

IMG_4212

It’s also worth mentioning that whilst Minio Eggs are definitely gluten free here the U.K, in the U.S they come with a ‘may contain gluten’ warning due to potential cross contamination risks during the manufacturing process – this could have changed since last year though, so it’s definitely worth double checking.

Gluten Free Mini Egg Rocky Road

Ingredients

300g gluten free milk or dark chocolate
125g butter
100g pink and white mini Marshmallows (plus an extra handful for the top)
75g glacé cherries cut in half
25g Rude Health Brown puffed rice
270 mini eggs (x3 90g bags)
3 tbsp golden syrup

Method

1) Grease and line a square tin with greaseproof paper.

2) Melt the chocolate in large heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water.

3) In a separate pan melt together the butter and golden syrup, then add this to the melted chocolate and stir continuously until all the ingredients are combined. Leave to cool slightly.

4) Transfer most of the mini eggs to a plastic food bag (save back a few whole ones to scatter across the top), then carefully bash the mini eggs with a rolling pin to break them up.

5) Stir the marshmallows, puffed rice, cherries and most of the crushed mini eggs through the cooled chocolate mixture until all the ingredients are coated.

6) Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and use a greased palate knife to flatten down the mixture down and smooth it right to the corners of the tin.

7) Place a sheet of greaseproof paper on top of the mixture and press down firmly to help tightly pack the mixture into into the tin. Peel off the greaseproof paper and dot across the extra marshmallows, the remaining crushed mini eggs and the remaining whole mini eggs.

8) Cover with cling film and chill the Rocky Road in the fridge for at least two hours.

10) Use the greaseproof paper to help remove the slab of Rocky Road from the tin, then carefully cut it into equal pieces.

Rocky Road should keep for up to a week stored in an airtight container, or you can keep it in the fridge if your home is a little warm.

IMG_4206

I love seeing your take on my bakes, so remember to share your a picture of your bakes over on Facebook, twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

Gluten Free Chouquettes

2 Comments

Out of all the cuisines the world has to offer, I have to admit (albeit with some trepidation) that French food is an area that I have left largely unexplored.

Maybe I am unsophisticated, or perhaps I’ve just been misled by the notion that French food is a little tricky – at this point I am thinking about my miserable attempts at Petit Four or Macarons…

After watching Rachel Khoo’s ‘Little Paris Kitchen’ (which is currently being re-aired on BBC 2) I’ve been feeling a little more enthusiastic about revisiting French cuisine – thanks to the show I’ve achieved the gooiest of Chocolate Fondants and have fine tuned my gluten free Choux pastry recipe.

Speaking of Choux, I have made it in the past – and quite successfully (see my Profiteroles recipe) – but this time I definitely feel like I have perfected it.

One of the recipes on the show was Chouquettes – a petit viennoiserie, consisting of  Choux pastry which are most often topped with pearl sugar or chocolate chips, although sometimes you might come across Chouquettes which have been dipped in chocolate or filled with mousse.

image

I decided to go for the traditional Chouquettes sprinkled with Pearl Sugar (or nib sugar) which I found in my local Waitrose and I also used Rachel Khoo’s recipe from the show, but with some vital tweaks to make the recipe work gluten free.

image

Chouquettes are definitely best eaten on the day they are baked, and I will be very surprised if they don’t gobbled up immediately!

Gluten Free Chouquettes

Recipe adapted from Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Kitchen (recipe found on Almost Always Hungry).

Ingredients: 

170ml water

170ml semi skimmed milk

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

100g butter

170g gluten free self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

Icing sugar for sprinkling

Pearl sugar to decorate (I found this in my local Waitrose).

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200c/ 180c fan/gas mark 6 and line two trays with greaseproof paper.

2. In a heavy bottomed pan, stir together the water, milk, salt and sugar. Place the pan over a medium heat, then add the butter and bring the ingredients to the boil. Once the butter has melted bring the pan off the heat.

3. In a separately bowl, stir together the gluten free flour and the baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and beat vigorously until no flour remains and you are left with a smooth dough.

4. Transfer the dough to a bowl and leave it to cool for a few minutes. Stir the dough to help release the steam – once  the mixture has cooled down add the eggs, one at a time, beating until dough is smooth, glossy and elastic.

5. Place dough into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle and pipe bite-sized dollops onto a lined baking tray.

6. Sprinkle each dollop with icing sugar and pearl sugar, then give them another sprinkling of icing sugar.

7. Bake the Chouquettes in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until evenly browned. In the last few minutes, pierce the bottom of the Chouquettes with cocktail stick to help the insides to dry out – this will stop them from going soggy and help them to stay crisp.

8. Transfer the Chouquettes to a wire rack to finish cooling.

image

I love seeing your take on my bakes, so remember to share your a picture of your Chouquettes over on Facebook, twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

 

Gluten Free American Style Pancakes with Chocolate Sauce

Leave a comment

Today I’m going to share with you my recipe for Gluten Free American Style Pancakes and Chocolate Sauce – the perfect pancake recipe for the perfect Pancake Day!

image

I recently purchased a crêpe pan, so every day in February has been pancake day and this recipe has been more than triple tested!

When I put together this recipe my   scales had run out of battery, so I had to rely on measuring cups which I don’t often do with gluten free flour – but I think with batter recipes there is a little give and take with the ingredients and the recipe be easily adjusted if you accidentally add too much flour or milk.

Every time I made this batter it was spot on, but if you think your batter is a little thick and doesn’t spread out in the pan, add a little bit more milk, or, if it’s a little runny add a tablespoon of flour.

For a totally foolproof Pancake Day I highly recommend purchasing a crêpe pan or a good quality non stick frying pan – I speak from experience, as of my pancake day plans have been thwarted by a lack of a good frying pan!

image

American Pancakes with Homemade Chocolate Sauce – GF/DF options

Ingredients

For the Pancakes:

1 cup of gluten free self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp melted butter, plus extra for frying (or dairy free alternative)
2  eggs
1 cup of semi skimmed milk

For the Chocolate Sauce:

100g good quality milk or dark chocolate (or dairy free alternative)
100ml double cream

You’ll also need a good quality non stick crêpe or frying pan. 

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the gluten free flour, sugar and baking powder.

2. Add the egg and vanilla extract, then using a whisk start to bring the ingredients together.

3. Add the milk and butter and continue to whisk until you’re left with a smooth lump free batter.

4. Heat the oven to 100 degrees C/gas mark 1.

5. Leave the batter to stand while you heat up a non stick crêpe or frying pan. Brush the crêpe pan with butter using a pastry brush and wipe away any excess butter with kitchen towel. Place the pan over a medium to high heat until hot.

6. Spoon half a laddle of batter into the pan. Fry the pancake until bubbles form on top (this should take between 1 and 2 minutes) then flip your pancake over and cook the other side for a further minute or until golden brown. Place the pancake onto a non stick tray in the  preheated oven so that it stays warm.

7. Repeat with the remaining batter, brushing your pan with butter in between each pancake.

8. To make the chocolate sauce, gentle melt together the chocolate and the cream in heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir until the ingredients are combined and then bring the bowl off the heat.

9. Serve the pancakes with the toppings of your choice – I highly reccomend strawberrries and chopped hazelnuts as they compliment the chocolate sauce beautifully.

image

I love seeing your take on my bakes, so remember to share your a picture of your perfect pancakes over on Facebook, twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #titchytonbakes.

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Jammy Dodger Recipe

1 Comment

Today I’m going to share with you my Gluten Free & Dairy Free Jammy Dodger Recipe – this recipe is also free from eggs and so is suitable for vegans.

image

I found gluten free biscuits a little tricky at first, but I’ve discovered over the course of many biscuit based experiments that success comes down to two things:

1. What type of flour(s) you use.

2. How you bind your ingredients.

I’ve found that good gluten free biscuits require a mix of different flours. I usually start with gluten free self raising flour as my base, then add other types of flour depending what kind of texture I want the finished bake to have. For biscuits, I wouldn’t recommend using self raising flour alone, as the biscuits will rise too much and be more cake like. Gluten free self raising flour is a useful base though, as it usually has added raising and binding agents, like Xanthan gum which helps to bind the ingredients together. To the self raising flour I like to add cornflour, which also helps bind the ingredients together, and ground almonds to add some bulk  – although I don’t like to add too much, as this could cause the biscuits to crumble.

In most of my cookie recipes I usually add an egg yolk to help bind the ingredients together – without an egg, I usually find that the dough is too crumbly and too difficult to handle. This time I decided to experiment with golden syrup, which in my opinion did the job just as well as an egg yolk – great news for vegans!

image

Jammy Dodgers – Gluten Free/Dairy Free/Egg Free/Vegan

Makes approximately 18 cookies

Ingredients

For the biscuits:

250g gluten free self raising flour

60g cornflour

40g ground almonds

100g caster sugar

150g dairy free spread

2 tbsp golden syrup

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the filling:

200g strawberry or seedless raspberry jam

1 tbsp cold water

Icing sugar for dusting

Method

1. In a large bowl, stir together the gluten free self raising flour, cornflour, ground almonds and sugar.

2. Rub the dairy free spread into the flour mixture until it starts to form a bread crumb like texture. Add the vanilla extract and golden syrup then start to bring the mixture together with your hands until it forms a dough – don’t worry if the dough seems quite soft at this point.

3. Wrap the dough in cling film then leave it to chill in a refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.

4. Whilst the dough chills, preheat the oven to 170 degrees C/gas mark 3 and line two large baking trays with baking parchment.

5. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface. Using a 6cm crimped scone or pastry cutter, stamp out 36 cookies – transfer the cookies to the baking trays using a palate knife or splatula.

6. Once the cookies are on the tray, cut holes in the centre of half the biscuits using small cookie cutters in any shape you fancy – I used a tiny flower cutters and a piping nozzle to cut out circles.

7. Bake the cookies for approximately 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown – don’t worry if the cookies are a little soft, they will firm up when they cool down.

8. Leave the cookies to cool and firm up on the baking tray for a few minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

9. In a small bowl mix together strawberry jam (or the jam of you choice) with some cold water to make it more spreadable.

10. Lightly dust the cookies with the hole in the centre with icing sugar.

11. Spread the jam over the base of  the cookies without the holes, then sandwich them together the remaining cookies, so that the jam peeks through!

image

 

 

Gluten Free Cocoa Pops Recipe

Leave a comment

Every year I make it my New Years Resolution to eat breakfast every single day – but, every year I fail miserably and just end up  feeling pretty bad about myself and my lack of willpower. So this year, instead of coming up with resolutions I know I won’t keep, I decided to challenge myself to come up with fun breakfast ideas and to just enjoy food more.

My breakfast of choice used to be cereal and wouldn’t just eat it for breakfast, I’d have it as an after school snack or for a late night feast – now, I can’t eat most cereals as a lot of popular brands aren’t gluten free, and haven’t found many gluten free cereals which I really like or that don’t contain copious amount of sugar and additives.

This morning I had a huge craving for Coco Pops, so I decided to try to make my own homemade version and I’m very pleased with how they turned out.imageThese homemade Cocoa Pops are super easy to make – you only need four very basic ingredients and they can whipped up in less than 20 minutes. The recipe uses a natural alternative to refined sugar and is both dairy and gluten free, but I promise they are delicious and taste just as good, if not better than the shop variety!

image

Cocoa Pops – GF/DF/EG

Ingredients

3 cups puffed rice
60 ml maple syrup
30 ml sunflower oil
1 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 C/140 C/gas mark 3 and line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper.

2. Place the maple syrup, oil and cocoa powder into a sauce pan and place it over a low heat. Stir the ingredients with a wooden spoon until no lumps remain, then fold through the puffed rice until it is fully coated in the cocoa mixture.

3. Spread the mixture into a thin layer across the two baking trays. Bake for 6 – 8 minutes, until the puffed rice becomes crisp – make sure to give the cereal a stir half way through the bake time.

4. Leave the cereal to cool on the baking trays for a few minutes, then it’s ready to enjoy!

image