Category: Easy Recipes

Gluten Free LadyFingers (Inspired by ‘The Great British Bake Off’)

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I am really enjoying the current series of Bake off. Does anyone else think the challenges are even more difficult this year? It’s been great to see gluten free baking featured on the show and I wasn’t surprised that the bakers found gluten free bread so tricky!

It’s been a few weeks since I’ve posted a GBBO related bake, so today I am going to share with you my recipe for gluten free LadyFingers as featured on Victorian Week, as part of the Charlotte Russe Showstopper.

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LadyFingers, or Sponge fingers as they are also known, are a vital component of number of bakes, including trifle and tiramisu. They are made from a fatless sponge batter, so a good electric whisk or stand mixer is required to whip up enough air into the batter. I am also pleased to say this recipe is Xanthan gum free, perfect for those of you who struggle with Xanthan gum and other binding agents.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to start planning your very own Charlotte Russe Showstoppers, complete with gluten free LadyFingers!

Gluten Free LadyFingers – GF/DF

Ingredients: 

4 eggs, separated into egg whites and egg yolks
100g caster sugar
125g gluten free plain flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
a few drops of lemon juice

Method:

1. Preheat 200 C/180 C fan/gas mark 5.

2. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

3. In a large bowl: whisk the egg yolks with a electric hand mixer for a few seconds then add the half of the caster sugar and the vanilla extract. Beat the eggs for a few minutes until the mixture is very thick.

4. In a separate large bowl: whisk the egg whites with a few drops of lemon juice until the egg whites start make soft peaks. Add the rest of the caster sugar and beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.

5. Sift the flour into the egg yolk mixture, then fold the egg whites a bit of a time through the egg yolk mixture until all the ingredients are fully incorporated and you are left with a stiff batter.

6. Transfer the mixture into a piping bag which is fitted with a 1/2 inch nozzle.

7. Pipe the batter into 7cm long fingers leaving a good gap between each one to allow them to expand slightly.

8. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until slightly golden brown.

9. Leave the fingers to cool on the tray for few minutes then use a palate knife to transfer them to a cooling rack.

Other recipes I’ve posted from this series of ‘Bake Off’ include my gluten free Madeira recipe and my gluten free Biscotti Recipe.

You can keep up to date with my kitchen adventures on Instagram or Facebook. I’m also pleased to announce I am going to be contributing the occasional recipe to the Daily Spectacle website and you can find both my gluten free Blueberry Muffin Recipe and my gluten free Maple and Pecan Granola Recipe there already!

Coeliac Awareness Week: Gluten Free Cheese Scones

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Here in the UK it is Coeliac Awareness Week and to help raise awareness of this important campaign I am posting very simple Gluten Free recipes to help any newly diagnosed Coeliacs get started.

My first post was my Victoria Sandwich Recipe and today I will be sharing my recipe for Gluten Free Cheese Scones.
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Scones are a true classic and a bake that should be in every baker’s repertoire. They are perfect for beginners (they were certainly the first thing I learnt to make) and possible to achieve Gluten Free – you just need to make sure the dough is moist enough!

Gluten Free Cheese Scones – GF/DF options

This recipe makes approximately 8 scones.

Ingredients:
250g gluten free self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
75g butter, unsalted
A pinch of salt
75g mature cheddar, plus extra for the top.
2 eggs (one for glazing)
75ml milk (or dairy free alternative)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 220 C/200 fan C/gas mark 6.

2) In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3) Rub together the butter and flour mixture until you have a breadcrumb like texture, then stir through the cheese.

4) Add an egg and start to bring the mixture together using a wooden spoon.

5) Add the milk bit by bit and use your hands to bring the mixture together in a smooth dough.

6) Lightly dust a work surface with flour then roll out the dough to 3/4cm thick – don’t roll out the dough too flat or you will have very flat scones!

7) Place the scones on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Lightly brush the top of each scone with beaten egg then sprinkle over a little bit more cheese.

8) Bake the scones in a preheated oven for 15 – 18 minutes until they are golden brown.

9) Leave the scones to cool on a wire rack or enjoy warm with lashings of butter! To refresh the scones, sprinkle them with a little cold water and gently warm them in the oven.

Please don’t forget to check out my Victoria Sandwich Recipe for Coeliac Awareness Week or if you are looking for more inspiration take a look at my Recipes Page.

You can also keep up to date with my kitchen adventures on:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/titchyton/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/titchyton

Coeliac Awareness Week: Gluten Free Victoria Sandwich Cake

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It’s Coeliac Awareness Week!

Here in the UK approximately 1 in 100 people suffer with Coeliac Disease, however, due to the fact it is commonly misdiagnosed it is believed that an estimated half a million people are living with undiagnosed Coeliacs Disease every day – something that this campaign is aiming to change.

To help raise awareness of this fantastic campaign, this week I will be posting very simple Gluten Free Recipes starting with my Victoria Sandwich Recipe.

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Victoria Sandwich is one of those really classic bakes. This week I will be all about those classic favourites that people don’t want to miss out on just because they are on a Gluten Free diet. I also hope these recipes will inspire any newly diagnosed Coeliacs to get baking!

Gluten Free Victoria Sandwich – GF/DF options

Ingredients:

Sponge:
150g caster sugar
150g unsalted butter (or dairy free margarine)
150g gluten free self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder (check it’s gluten free)
2 large eggs
3 – 4 tbsp milk (or dairy alternative)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling:
Strawberry jam
Icing sugar, to decorate.

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180 C/160 C fan/gas mark 4.

2) Grease and line two sandwich cake tins.

3) In large bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder.

4) In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a wooden spoon until light and fluffy.

5) Add the eggs one at a time along with a tablespoon of flour to stop the cake mixture from splitting – make sure each egg is fully combined before adding the next one.

6) Fold in the remaining flour, milk and vanilla extract until all the ingredients are fully combined.

7) Divide the cake mixture between the two sandwich tins and smooth it to the edges using a palate knife.

8) Gently tap the tins on the work surface to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 15 minutes or until the cake is golden on top – the cake is ready when it is firm to touch.

9) Turn out the cakes onto a wire rack to cool.

10) To assemble the cake: place one of the cakes onto a serving plate and cover it with a thick layer of jam. Place the second piece on top then dust with icing sugar for a lovely finishing touch!
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Please check out www.coeliac.org.uk to see how you can get involved with Coeliac Awareness week or share this recipe with your friends to help to spread the word.

You can also keep up to date with my Gluten Free adventures by following me on Instagram or on Facebook.

Gluten Free Easter: Vanilla Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

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Easter Sunday may only be one day away but there is still enough time to get baking some delicious Easter treats.

Today I am going to share with you a recipe which is so easy to whip up at the last minute and requires very few ingredients: Vanilla Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing.
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The recipe is so simple and easy to make – just be sure to chill the cookie dough for a few hours to make it easier to handle. You can make the cookies your own by choosing different shaped cookie cutters and by decorating them however you fancy!

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They would also make a beautiful Easter gift for anyone you know who isn’t keen on chocolate!

Vanilla Sugar Cookies – GF/DF options

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
150g sugar
150g butter
130g rice flour
150g self raising gluten free flour
1 egg
1 tbsp milk (or dairy free alternative)
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Royal Icing:
1 egg white
250g icing sugar

Method:

1) In a large bowl, mix the gluten free flour and suagr until combined.

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

3) Add the egg and vanilla essence and start to bring the ingredients together using a wooden spoon.

4) Tip the contents onto a lightly floured surface and use your hands to work the ingredients into a soft dough.

Tip. Don’t worry if the dough seems a little sticky as it will be refrigerated which help it to 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 fan/gas mark 4 and line a baking tray with greaseproof paper.

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

8) Cut out the cookie shapes with your chosen cutters and transfer them to the prepared tray using a palate knife.

9) Bake for 10 – 12 minutes or until the biscuits are firm and a light golden brown – be sure to keep an eye on them as they could quickly over-bake.

10) Transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool.

11)  To make the Royal icing, place 1 egg white in a bowl and slowly sift in the icing sugar in batches. In between the batches of icing sugar, stir with a wooden spoon or a balloon whisk until the icing thickens up, it is now ready to be used. Transfer the icing into a piping bag, if you are not using your icing straight away cover the bowl with cling film to prevent air getting to it which will cause it to harden. If you wish to decorate the cookies in different colours, simply add a few drops of food colouring to the icing.

12) Decorate the cookies however you fancy!

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You can see what else I’m getting up to over Easter  over on Instagram or on my Facebook Page.

I hope you all have a lovely Easter weekend and eat plenty of Chocolate!

Gluten Free ‘HP Sauce’

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Today I had a bacon Sandwich with HP Sauce for the first time in almost 3 years… it was glorious!

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If you asked me which foods I miss the most since giving up gluten, top of my list would be HP Sauce – a staple condiment on the British dinner table.

It has always been my favourite, and is a firm fixture on my family’s dinner table. In fact, we couldn’t live without it so much that we would take it on holiday to Italy with us – that, and Yorkshire Tea!

I was upset once I realised I could no longer eat HP Sauce as it contains malt vinegar… but, I am a firm believer that with creativity it’s possible to eat everything thing I used to before, and so, I decided it was finally time to attempt making my own HP Sauce. The aim? To make it as close to the real deal as possible.

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Gluten Free HP Sauce – GF/DF/EF

This recipe makes approximately 500ml.

You will need one 550ml Glass Preserve Bottle or a Twist Top Bottle which you will need to Sterilise as follows:

1. Remove the wax seal or lid. Wash the bottle in hot soapy water, rinse well then and leave to dry.
2. Place the bottle in an oven on a low temperature (140 degrees C/ Gas Mark 1) for 15 minutes, do this shortly before the sauce is ready so that the bottle remains warm.
3. Sterilise the wax seal or lid in a pan of boiling water for 10 minutes.
4. If you are using a clip top bottle, replace the wax seal once the bottle has been sterilised.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
65g dates, with the stones removed and chopped.
2 tbsp tomato puree
250 ml water
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ground pepper
50ml apple juice
150ml cider vinegar
50ml balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp molasses or black Treacle
1/2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 tbsp cornflour

Method:

1) Heat the olive oil in a large heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat.

2) Fry the shallots and garlic for 4 -5 minutes until soft, then add the dates and 150 ml of the water.

3) Using a hand blender, blend the ingredients into a thick paste.

4) Add the another 50 ml water (you should still have 50 ml left for later), tomato puree, ginger, cinnamon, ground pepper, and turmeric powder. Give it a good stir and then simmer the ingredients over a low heat for 10 minutes.

5) Remove the pan from the heat, then press the mixture through a sieve with a wooden spoon into a clean pan.

6) Add the remaining water, apple juice, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, molasses and sugar then return the pan to the heat and boil the sauce for 5 minutes.

7) Place the cornflour into a small bowl, then add a few tablespoon of liquid from the sauce to to make a paste.

8) Add the cornflour paste to the sauce and then whisk with a balloon whisk to ensure there are no lumps.

9) Boil the sauce for a further 4 minutes whilst whisking continuously.

Tip. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps after you’ve added the cornflour – just sieve the sauce again.

10) Remove the sauce from the heat and leave to cool slightly before carefully pouring the sauce into your sterilised bottle –  you may need to use a funnel to help you do this safely.

11) Leave the sauce to cool before storing -the sauce should keep up to 3 – 4 weeks in the fridge.

I hope you give my recipe a try this weekend. If you are looking for Gluten Free inspiration you can check out all the recipes I have posted to date on my Recipes page.

Remember that you can also keep up to date with all my kitchen adventures on:
Instagram or on my Facebook page.

Gluten Free Baked Beans

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Hooray, it’s the weekend! And what could be a more perfect weekend recipe than homemade Gluten Free Baked Beans?
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I know what you are thinking – ‘You can get baked beans out of a tin!’ – but nothing beats homemade baked beans, especially as part of a lovely English Breakfast at the weekend. Some tinned baked beans often include lots of additives and not all brands are gluten free.

The recipe is incredibly quick, so if you are looking for an easy and effort free way to make your weekends breakfasts more special, you’ve found it!

Gluten Free Baked Beans – GF/DF/EF

Ingredients:
1 tbsp sunflower Oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 400g tin of plum tomatoes
1 tbsp of tomato purée
200 ml of gluten free vegetable stock
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp English mustard
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
400g (x 2 tins drained) haricot beans
Salt & pepper to season.

Method:

1) Blend the tomatoes in a food processor and set aside for later.

2) Heat the oil in a large sauce pan over a medium heat then fry the onion and garlic until the onions are soft.

3) Add the tomato purée, tomatoes, stock, paprika, sugar, mustard and red wine vinegar then cook the sauce at a gentle simmer for 5 minutes to help the sauce thicken.

4) Drain the beans then add them to sauce. Continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.

5) Season with salt and pepper, then your baked beans are then ready to serve!

I served mine as part of a delicious English Breakfast, but you could serve them with chips, wedges, jacket potatoes or just plain old beans on toast!

This recipe makes quite a nice large batch, so leftovers can be frozen in individual portions, which are handy to have stashed in the freezer for when you are in a rush.

Gluten Free Gnocchi

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I have always been a keen baker, but I can’t say I have always been the most confident cook – until I gave up gluten!

When I started my Gluten Free diet over two years ago I decided to become a better cook, believing that if I had better cooking skills I would find a way to eat everything I used to before.  What I didn’t expect was how enthusiastic I would become about food and how much it’s taken over my life. I love experimenting to find away to eat ‘normal’ dishes and this newfound enthusiasm has prevented me from feeling down about the food I can’t eat.

Now, as well as baking all the sweet treats I love, I have started to develop savoury recipes and today I’m going to share with you one of the first savoury recipes on my blog, this very easy Gluten Free Gnocchi recipe.

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Making food from scratch is so rewarding but can often be very time consuming. I’m pleased to say this recipe is very quick as you only need 4 ingredients and you won’t require any specialist equipment. Gnocchi also cooks in a matter of minutes, making it a quicker option than pasta.

Gluten Free Gnocchi – GF/DF
Serves 3 – 4 people.

Ingredients:
800g potato (approximately 2 Large Potatoes)
200g all purpose gluten free flour
1 large egg
1/2 tsp Salt

Method:

1) Peel and cut the potatoes into similar sized chunks to ensure the potatoes cook evenly.

2) Place the potato into a steamer and cook for approximately 20 mins until it starts to become soft – but do not over cook.

You can boil the potatoes but I prefer to use a steamer as it prevents the potatoes from soaking up too much moisture. If you boil the potatoes you will need to ensure you drain the potatoes well and soak up any excess moisture with paper towels.

3) Drain the potatoes and leave them to cool on kitchen paper in order to help them dry out.

4) Finely grate the cooled potatoes – you can also use a potato ricer.

5) Place the flour and salt onto a clean work surface, make a well in the middle of the flour for the potatoes, then add the egg.
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6) Use your hands to work the ingredients together until it starts to form a smooth dough.
7) Work the dough into a rectangle and then cut the dough into slices using a dough cutter.
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8) Roll out each piece of dough into a ‘rope’.
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9) Cut each rope into inch long pieces.
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10) Roll each piece up into a ball then indent them with a fork to create the classic gnocchi indentation.
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11) Place the Gnocchi in boiling water and cook for 2 – 3 minutes – you will know the Gnocchi is cooked when they float to the surface. Remove the Gnocchi from the heat immediately and drain to prevent it from over cooking.

Gnocchi is so versatile, so you can experiment with a variety of toppings. I like to top mine with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese then gently bake it in the oven to create a Gnocchi Bake.  Delicious!