Coconut Macaroons - gorgeously gooey and yet gluten-free

When you find yourself with egg whites left over from other kitchen exploits, making these easy-peasy (just three ingredients) Coconut Macaroons will save throwing them out and give you something delicious to have for afternoon tea.
That is, if you can manage to  keep them long enough to cool down and brew a cuppa!

Ingredients: 

2 cups of dessicated coconut
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 egg whites ( make sure there is absolutely NO yolk)

Method: 

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees C (350 degrees F)
Line a couple of oven baking sheets with baking parchment paper.

Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Roll 2 teaspoonfuls of the mixture into sort of balls and evenly space them on the trays.

Cook for about 10 minutes until a light golden colour.

Cool on wire racks and store in an airtight container.

Mmmmmm, enjoy!

Candied Walnuts or Pecans

With Christmas fast approaching I am trying to get organised early by pre-preparing elements I know I want to include in the festive menu.

Candied nuts are great in salads ( like pear and rocket ) and they make a lovely addition to cheese boards. With cinnamon in the recipe the kitchen smells divine while they cook and they are a perfect accompaniment for a Christmas treat of Mulled wine. .

This very quick and easy recipe for candied nuts is a favourite of mine. I have been known to treble the recipe as they are so more-ish !





Ingredients:

1 cup of walnut halves or pecans
4 teaspoons of water
2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of salt

What to do:

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees C and line a baking tray with parchment paper. Coat paper lightly with cooking spray .
Mix gently the walnuts or pecans in a bowl with the water and then add the cinnamon, brown sugar and salt. Toss to coat and then tip on the oven tray, making sure you just have one layer.

Bake until the sugar has melted and the nuts start to brown - about 6-8 minutes.

Cool on the tray until the sugar hardens - about 10 minutes .

These candied nuts will keep in an airtight container for at least a week or more if you can manage to keep their location a secret from the family!


My very Best Wishes for a Merry Christmas to you and yours,

Ruthie 

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Raw Chocolate Cake

A dear friend is about to celebrate his birthday and for health reasons has been following a strict vegan diet this year. He seldom gets sweet treats so my present to him is to take this delicious and easy-to-make raw vegan Chocolate cake as his present. This cake has no wheat, gluten, grains, refined sugars or dairy in it, so it definitely fits the bill while still feeling like a treat when you taste the rich creaminess of its texture.  

Ingredients: 

Crust: 
1&1/2 cup walnuts
2 cups dates (medjool if you can but if that are on the dry side soak in warm water for about 30 minutes)

Cake: 
250 grms of craw cashew nuts
2 heaped tablespoons of cacao powder
1 cup water
Juice of 1& 1/2 lemons
1 cup of dates
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons of Agave nectar
1 &1/2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

Method: 

To make the crust : pulse the walnuts to a fine consistency in the food processor then add the dates and keep processing until it all sticks together . Line a spring-form pan ( 9 cm diameter) with clingfilm ( so you can get it off the base later) . Press crust mix into the pan and even out with your fingers or the bottom of a jam jar.
Place in the fridge to set while you make the cake filling.

To make the cake: Blend all ingredients until smooth, thick and creamy. ( like yoghurt) If the mix is too sloppy add more dates or nuts. If too dry, add more lemon juice or water.
Pour mixture over  your crust.
Cover pan with clingfilm and put in fridge to set over night or for at least 12 hours to set and thicken.

To serve:you can decorate with seeds, or dry toasted almonds flakes as I have done and serve with berries on the side.

Yum.

Grandma's Boiled Fruit Cake - Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Sugar-free

My adored grandmother passed away over 23 years ago and I still miss her very much.
She was a wonderfully kind,warm and loving lady with many culinary skills. Not all molecular and "out there" in your Heston Blumenthall kind of way, but more in the style of good honest home cooking.

Pauline Haines was a wonderful hostess and loved looking after others and keeping them "fed and watered" (her words). In fact she was the Manageress and Head of Staff for many years at Bellamy's - the Dining Room that served the Members of the NZ parliament in Wellington, NZ.

Whenever I visited her we usually enjoyed a slice of her home made fruit cake and often teamed it with (weirdly) a gin and tonic, once I was in my twenties. Sounds odd, I know, but it was a strangely wonderful combination.

This cake reminds me of my youth and the wonderful, close bond I had with my grandmother.
Her original recipe used to include quite a bit of sugar and wheat flour but as I have kept a gluten free kitchen for over 12 years now and am cutting back on sugars in my cooking I have adapted it to suit my more modern diet.

So this deliciously moist fruit cake recipe will suit those with gluten intolerance, as well as diabetics and those who also wish to cut their sugar consumption. It is so easy and it can be made in the saucepan in which you boil the fruit.

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees C 

Grease and line a 20 cm round cake tin. 

Ingredients: 

500 grms of mixed dried fruit

200 grms butter 

2 cups of buckwheat flour  (and maybe a little bit more) 

1 tspn of gluten free baking powder

3 eggs - lightly beaten 

Dash of rice/coconut milk
1 tablespoon of Agave nectar
2 tspns Coconut crystals ( if you like)

What to do: 

Boil the fruit with water to cover for 5 minutes - this will plump up the fruit nicely.
Drain well and then add the chopped up butter pieces into the fruit mix and allow to melt.
Add the already beaten eggs and then add the buckwheat flour, baking powder, agave nectar and the dash of rice or coconut milk.
Mix gently and thoroughly with a wooden spoon and pour into the prepared baking tin.

Bake at 350 degrees C for about 40 minutes.

Sprinkle with coconut crystals to give a bit of  crunchy "sugary type" of topping and return to oven and continue cooking at 300 degrees C for a further 30 minutes or so.

Check occasionally to see if the cake is done by inserting a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean then its pretty well cooked.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes in the tin and then cool further on a wire rack. Try not to be tempted to cut into the cake until it has cooled a bit as it could crack.

This cake will keep for a few days (if not devoured before) or you can slice and wrap in cling film and store in individual portions in the freezer for those moments you fancy a slice of fruit cake with a cuppa (or a gin and tonic!)


Mmmmmm....

Rhubarb and Raisin Muffins - Gluten free and Sugar-free

Our thatched cottage in Wiltshire has a sweet garden and we have embraced the English love of gardens whilst living here. My husband has delightfully proven to be a dab hand at growing vegetables and fruit. 

This year he has presented me with a glut of rhubarb (which I love) and rather than make another large batch of rhubarb chutney, as I did last year, I devised this new recipe for rhubarb muffins. 

These muffins are deliciously moist and yummy and with no gluten and no added sugar are a great, guilt-free treat with a cuppa. Also good for the children's lunch boxes or for picnics. 

They taste of sunshine and summer days. 

Firstly Pre heat your oven to 200 degree C

Ingredients:

50 grms butter ( melted)

2 eggs whisked

1 cup coconut milk

1 ½  tablespoons of Agave nectar

400 grms lightly stewed rhubarb – still firm ( in 3/4 inch size pieces)

60 grms raisins

1 tspn Mixed Spice - Magic Ingredient 

2 cups gluten free self-raising flour

Cinnamon 

How to make your Muffins: 

Firstly prepare the rhubarb:

Cut your rhubarb into 3/4 inch to 1 inch pieces, wash and stew gently in the water that remains on the rhubarb after washing. 

Do not overcook. Your rhubarb needs to retain its shape and be firm to the touch so it wont fall apart when you stir it into the mix.

The rhubarb cooking process is completed in the oven. 

Allow to cool .

Melt butter 

and add lightly whisked eggs, 

coconut milk,

Agave nectar,

and rhubarb pieces. 

Add to this wet mix the gluten - free flour and the Mixed Spice – magic ingredient

then add the raisins and gently stir to combine thoroughly . 

Fill muffin tins with the mix and top with a sprinkle of cinnamon. 

 Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. 

Makes 12-14 Muffins 

As you can see the muffins look colourful and moist and the rhubarb has retained its shape on the inside. 

Put the kettle on and settle down for a little treat! 

Ruthie 

Wild Garlic Soup - "Foragers Delight"

Foraging in the UK is wonderful - so much of Mother Natures bounty is on offer for one to gather from the hedgerows, woods and groves. In spring wild garlic is abundant and the smell from these plants fill the air when you brush past them on a walk in the woods.

It is the beautiful green leaves we require for this dish - a good 4 large handfuls at least - to make up the quantity of 200 grams. I think you'll either need deep pockets or a bag or basket to pop them in.

Once you get your wild garlic leaves home they will need a really good wash. I put them in the deep sink and give them a bath - THREE times. It is surprising what gets washed out. Quite often you will find a couple of baby green caterpillars in the mix so you can understand why it's important to wash your leaves thoroughly.

For urban dwellers and those who are deprived of woodland areas, you can substitute this recipe with spinach leaves or watercress from your greengrocer.


Here are all the ingredients you will need for this delicious Spring soup:

25 grams butter

2 medium potatoes (about 275 grams)  - peeled, washed and cut into 1cm cubes.

1 medium onion (about 150 grams)- chopped

1 litre of vegetable stock

4 big handfuls ( 200 grams or thereabouts) of wild garlic leaves (no stems please) wash thoroughly at least three times in a water bath

 


100 mls double cream

Garnish 
4 teaspoons of Crème Fraîche
Sprinkle of Chilli Flakes (Magic Ingredient) 



Here's How: 

Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat.

When foaming, add the potatoes and onion and toss until well coated.

Season

Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft. Every so often during the 10 mins cooking time,stir the vegetables so they don't stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the stock and bring to the boil.

Toss in the chopped garlic leaves and cook for about 2 minutes until wilted.

Use a hand-held stick blender to liquidise the soup

 


Then stir in the double cream, taste and then season.

 

Serve in warmed bowls and garnish each bowl of soup with a teaspoon of Crème Fraîche and sprinkle on top a small pinch of the Magic ingredient - Chilli Flakes - which gives this soup a tiny zing. 

You can also add crusty bread or crackers to accompany the soup. 
Serves 4. 

~The taste of spring in every mouthful ~

Banana Cake - Sugar-Free and Gluten-Free

More and more people these days are decreasing their sugar intake or cutting it out entirely. I have found  that my own palette has changed over the years and I prefer more savoury foods but every now and then I do crave a sweet little something with a cup of tea in the afternoon.

This banana cake fits the bill as it is not too sweet to the taste and is sugar-free while it also ticks the wheat-free and gluten-free boxes too.

Also great for the children's lunch boxes !

Ingredients: 

125 grams of Buckwheat flour (Buckwheat is not wheat flour is comes from rhubarb) 

2 tsp of gluten free baking powder

2 tsp ground cinnamon

75 grams sultanas

50 grams butter ( melted) 

2 tsp vanilla essence

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

3 ripe bananas

Magic Ingredient: 1/2 tsp Agave Nectar or Syrup 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 180 C or fan 160 degrees. 

Grease and line a medium sized loaf tin with baking paper. 

Weigh the buckwheat flour

add the Baking powder,

the cinnamon,

and sultanas into a bowl and mix.

Then weigh the butter and melt. Put into another bowl.

Mash the bananas in a separate bowl.

 

Into the melted butter add the mashed bananas, 

 add the Magic Ingredient Agave Nectar 

the Vanilla Essence

the Egg

and the milk.

Mix with a balloon whisk or fork.

Pour the "wet" banana mixture into the "dry" mixture

and combine thoroughly with a wooden spoon.

Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin 

and bake for 30-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.

 Then turn out.


Serve sliced.

This is a lovely moist cake that also freezes well so if you don't think you will finish it all then slice and place greaseproof paper between the slices and freeze in a zip lock bag .