Enjoying Jean's Walnuts

I was going to call this 'Enjoying Nick's Nuts' but thought better of it!

Yes we are still using some of the walnuts Jean and Nick gave us from their tree which, sadly, had to go in the name of progress.

Today we made Chocolate Walnut Biscotti, but using gluten free flour.

The first job was to reach the magic 100g of shelled walnuts because with Colin shelling them, that task seemed more remote by the minute..

Who would have thought it would take so many walnuts to reach 100g anyway?

The recipe uses 200g of plain dark chocolate which is melted with 25g butter.
Mix together 200g self raising flour, one and a half teaspoonfuls of baking powder, 100g light muscavado sugar, 50g polenta and the finely grated rind of half an orange. (We used lemon instead).

Stir into this, one beaten egg, one teaspoon of vanilla extract and 100g walnut pieces.

Then add the melted chocolate and butter and mix well. If the mixture seems a little dry, add one tablespoon of water.

This then has to be brought together into a dough which you divide into two and shape, on a floured surface into two rectangles, approximately 28cm long and 1.5cm thick. At this stage they don't look much, but have faith....

Bake these in a pre-heated oven at 160C for 25 mins or until firm.

Leave to cool and then cut into 1.5cm thick biscuits and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes until crisp.

When cool, serve sprinkled with icing sugar.

Now to those unfamiliar with gluten free baking, this may look perfect - and indeed this piece is...

Here are the rest...

Such is the nature of gluten free baking! Gluten exists for a purpose!

Next time we will try using two eggs in an attempt to bind the mix together and avoid the above.

They taste delicious!

Galette des Rois

Tonight we're invited to our neighbours, Jean Noel and Natalie Bourreau, for galettes. Galettes des Rois (King Cakes) are traditionally served to celebrate the feast of the Epiphany on January 6th but as we were away this is a belated celebration.

Because of the gluten problem, I've baked one to take along, although I've not done the traditional Galette des Rois which has a pastry topping because if I end up the only one eating it, I'll burst!

Taking liberties with tradition is a tricky thing in France as it’s not always a good idea to mess with a good thing, but it is tradition to bake a fève(bean) into the tart and whoever gets the bean (preferably a child – and crafty parents have learned to cut around the pieces to make sure a kid gets the trinket!) gets to be the roi (king) for the day and wear a gilded paper crown that bakeries often give with the galettes.

Well, I just hope I'm not going to offend too many traditionalists but mine doesn't contain a fève either! But there again, every website you read has a different version!

Cake

The fruit loaf I started yesterday was from a French cookbook entitled "Le Pain et La Patisserie Sans Gluten" which we bought from Lidl last week.

It has the interesting name of "Cake"

We made a substitution to the ingredients, primarily because of cost, Pine kernels cost €5.40 for 125gms and we had a tin full of our own hazelnuts. We also used all farine de mais and farine de pomme de terre (flour) rather than 'fecule'. Apple juice was used as the liquid.

The fruit chopped, mixed and ready to soak overnight.

The eggs and sugar beaten and the flour etc. ready to be sieved in.

With the fruit carefully mixed in

.....there was toooo much for one tin. Donc...

Fan oven 180C for about 35 minutes. Result...

I think it looks better than the cookbook picture.

It certainly tastes very good and other than the fruit it has no fat content...

My only problem now is to eat it before Elizabeth does!!!
 

Apple Cake - Sans Gluten..

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about some recent successes with gluten-free baking, inspired by my friend and fellow-blogger, Jean .

Here is one of the recipes I promised in that post. It's an adaptation of the Somerset Apple Cake Jean baked for us once. The adaptation came about because I hadn't read the recipe properly and I didn't separate the eggs as I should have done.... so it was guess work from then on. Fortunately the result was very good, so here it is:

Gluten-free Apple Cake

You will need:

• 125g butter
• 125g sugar
• 125g Gluten-free SR flour (or ordinary SR flour if gluten's not a problem!)
• half tsp baking powder
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 75g ground almonds
• 1tsp almond essence
• 2 eating apples - 1thinly sliced and one chunked
• Sugar and lemon juice to sprinkle over the apples
• A little milk

What to do:

• Set the oven to 180C, Gas 4
• Line an 8" tin with baking parchment.
• Thinly slice one of the apples and cut the other into chunks. (You can leave the skin on if you wish).
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy
• Gradually add the flour, baking powder and ground almonds alternately with the beaten eggs and almond extract. 
• Mix thoroughly, adding enough milk to give a soft dropping consistency.
• Drain any lemon juice off the apple chunks and fold them into the mixture.
• Carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon.
• Drain the apple slices and arrange these on top of the cake mixture, sprinkling them lightly with a little sugar.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until the cake is golden and beginning to come away from the sides of the tin.
• Allow to cool and it's ready to serve!

Variation:

If preferred you can divide the mixture into bun cases and top each with a slice of apple.

These will only need about 25 - 30 mins in the oven.

Hope you enjoy them... we certainly did!

By Special Request!

Following on from yesterday's post, we've received some lovely comments from those who know Jean. I hope she has read them all and sees how much her skills and friendship are valued and admired.

Jean asked me to post a recipe for the chocolate cake I once made from a recipe books she gave me. The actual recipe is dairy free (as well as gluten and wheat free). I'm OK with dairy foods, so here's my version of "Chocolate and Almond Sponge", taken originally from Julia Thomas' Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Cake Angel book.

Ingredients:
250g butter
250g sugar
250g beaten eggs (about 4 eggs)
2tbsp milk
1tsp vanilla extract
170g wheat and gluten free self-raising flour
50g cocoa powder
1tsp xanthan gum
11/2tsp gluten-free baking powder
30g ground almonds
little cocoa for dusting

What to do:
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5
Grease and line the base of two 8"/20cm sandwich tins with baking parchment.
Using an electric mixer on a high speed setting, cream the butter and sugar for about 3 mins until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla extract together and gradually add these to the butter and sugar mixture. (Don't worry if it curdles - the addition of flour will sort this out or alternatively turn the mixer to a higher setting)
Fold in the sifted flour, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder and ground almonds using a large metal spoon so you don't knock the air out.
Spoon the mixture into the two sandwich tins, smoothing to the edge with the back of a dessert spoon.
Bake for 20mins or until the cakes start to come away from the sides of the tins and are firm to touch..
Leave the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 mins before turning out

Filling:
I used a basic butter cream filling to sandwich the cakes, but if you want something a bit more chocolatey, Julia Thomas suggests:

A chocolate filling:
Blend 55g butter and 2tbsp milk until smooth
Add this to 55g of good quality (60%) cocoa) dark chocolate which has been carefully melted.
Add to this half a teaspoon of vanilla extract
Beat in 185g icing sugar, until thick and creamy (adding a little more milk if required). The icing will firm up as the chocolate cools so it is better for it to be slightly soft initially.

Sandwich the cakes with your chosen filling and dust with cocoa powder.

Sorry but at the time I didn't take a photo of the finished cake but that's a favourite one of Lulu to compensate!

Coffee and Pecan Nut Cake - (Gluten and wheat free)

Yesterday I baked another cake from the book, "Cake Angels" by Julia Thomas, which Jean gave me for my birthday. It's a collection of gluten, wheat and dairy free cakes.

The actual recipe was for "Coffee and Walnut Cake" but as I made one or two substitutions and it turned out well, I'll give you my version. You'll notice it's minus the coffee icing on top. I ran out of icing sugar and in any case it was good enough without it!

Ingredients for the cake:

75g pecan halves
175g butter
175g soft brown sugar
3 large eggs
175g wheat and gluten free self-raising flour
1tsp xanthan gum
11/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
11/2 tbsp instant coffee, mixed with 2tbsp boiling water

For the filling:

75g butter
150g icing sugar
1tsp instant coffee mixed with a couple of drops of boiling water

For the coffee syrup:

1 heaped tsp instant coffee
50g demerara sugar

• Pre-heat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3. Line two 8" sandwich tins with baking parchment.
• Toast the pecan nuts by placing in the oven on a baking tray for 7 mins. Once toasted, keep 12 for decoration and finely chop the rest.
• Cream the butter and light brown soft sugar until light and fluffy.
• Gradually add the beaten eggs and then sift the flour with the baking powder and xanthan gum and fold into the egg mixture using a  metal spoon to avoid knocking the air out.
• Add the coffee and pecan pieces and mix until smooth.
• Spoon into the cake tins and level with the back of a spoon.
• Bake for 30 minutes or until the cake begins to shrink away from the edge of the tin.
• Whilst the cakes are baking prepare the coffee syrup by placing the coffee and sugar in a heatproof jug and adding 55ml boiling water. Stir briskly until the sugar is dissolved.
• Remove the baked cakes from the oven and prick all over with a metal skewer. 

• Spoon the syrup all over as evenly as possible. Leave the cake in the tins to soak up the syrup.
• When the cakes are cold, sandwich with coffee butter icing and decorate the top with the pecan halves.

It is moist, flavoursome and delicious but be warned.... it disappears fast!

Apple Muffins - Gluten free of course!

I tried a new recipe today for Apple Muffins and it's one worth sharing:
 (Makes 12 Muffins)

Pre heat the oven to 180C (165C for fan ovens)

Ingredients:
Two and a half cups of Self-raising flour (I used gluten free flour)
Half a cup of brown sugar
One teaspoons cinnamon
One cup of milk
Half cup of vegetable oil
One egg, lightly beaten
 Three small eating apples,
Method:
Grate one apple. Chop the second into small chunks and slice the third.
Mix together flour, sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the oil, milk and egg. Combine thoroughly but without stirring too much (this would make the muffins heavy and chewy). With a wooden spoon fold in the grated apple and apple chunks.
Place spoonfuls of the mixture in muffin tin or cases.
Before baking, place a slice of apple on the top of each muffin and sprinkle with a little brown sugar .
Bake for 20 - 25 mins until golden. Leave in tin for a couple of minutes before taking out and placing on wire rack to cool.

The observant among you will notice that I forgot to add the sliced apple before baking..... Colin, don't say a thing!!

These are lovely served with a little crème fraîche....

Just the thing!

When you've been out in the snow doing this....
 

 

what you need is a slice of this...

And I've finally found a tea loaf recipe which contains 'normal' ingredients, tastes delicious and is gluten free:

N.B. Start the day before you intend to bake, as the fruit mixture needs to soak for at least 4 hours and preferably overnight

Ingredients: 

• 175g dried mixed fruit (I added dates, apricots and cranberries to a basic 'dried fruit' mix)
• 150ml hot, strong black tea
• 200g Gluten-free self-raising flour
• 50g ground almonds
• 100g light soft brown sugar
• 1tbsp golden syrup, melted
• 50g chopped mixed nuts
•  Finely grated zest of orange
• 1 level tsp ground mixed spice
• 2 medium eggs
• 2tbs sunflower oil
• 150ml milk
• 500g loaf tin, buttered or lined with baking parchment
• Butter to serve (optional)

 Method:

1. Place the fruit in a bowl and pour the hot tea over. Cover the bowl and leave overnight for the fruit to absorb some of the tea.
2. Set oven to gas 3 or 160C
3. Tip the flour into a bowl and stir in ground almonds, sugar, nuts, orange zest and mixed spice
4. Add the syrup, egg and sunflower oil to the fruit mixture and tip this into the dry ingredients. Stir well adding enough milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Place the tin in the centre of the oven.
6. Bake the cake for about 1 hour or until it has risen and feels firm to the touch in the centre.
7. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool in the tin for about 10 mins. Turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. If required the cake will freeze for 1 month (Ha! Colin will be lucky to see it let alone freeze it!)

Then sit back in front of the fire and enjoy!!

Gluten free Blueberry and Lemon Muffins - without the blueberries!

The recipe uses dried blueberries but as we didn't have any, I used cranberries instead and it seems to have worked out fine!

Here's the (original) recipe:

Gluten free Blueberry and Lemon Muffins

*Ingredients:

200gms gluten free all purpose white mix (e.g. Juvela or Glutafin)
Teaspoonful of gluten free baking powder
100g sugar
100 g soft margarine
50 g dried blueberries - *yes, I've shown cranberries not blueberries!
4 eggs
4 tablespoons lemon curd
1 tablespoon of blueberry or blackcurrant jam

Pre-heat oven to 190C; 180C fan oven; Gas 5

Method:
Place all the ingredients, except the blueberries and jam, in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy.

Blitz the jam and blueberries in a food processor to form a coarse paste and add this to the flour mixture. Mix well and divide the mixture between muffin cases. (Makes 12 large or 30 mini muffins.)

Bake in pre-heated oven for about 15-20 minutes (10-15 minutes for the mini muffins) until golden and firm to the touch. (thanks to Jean for my cake tester!)

*The number of muffins shown (below) may differ from that shown above....

Serving suggestion:
Delicious served whilst still warm, with a little crème fraîche or ice-cream. They also freeze particularly well (I'm told!)

We were lucky enough to serve them with a few raspberries picked fresh from the garden just this last week!

And finally, my special thanks to Juvela  for this recipe. 

Gluten free baking redeemed

After several disasters and disappointments experimenting on the gluten-free baking front - especially with bread - I decided to go back to basics and use my tried and tested recipe.

Success! I went from this:

gluten free bread disaster!

to this:

Encouraged by this success I went on to bake some almond cup cakes.  As these are the only ingredients, I didn't think much could go wrong:

And I was right! The result is some very tasty treats:

And a few extra inches on the waistline! (for those who know me, that last bit was a joke!!)
Thanks to my daughter, Jane, for the recipe!