Indulgent Brownies

Indulgent Brownies

Brownies are supposed to be indulgent…but it does not have to be too unhealthy. The inclusion of alot of dark chocolate compensates for the lesser amount of sugar and fat. I do not add nuts to brownies as I think the chocolate should do the talking!

Indulgent Brownies

Ingredients:

400g dark chocolate

225g dairy free margarine

3 eggs beaten

175g golden caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

75g gluten-free self-raising flour

200g plain chocolate in pieces

Preheat the oven to 190C. Melt 400g chocolate with the margarine and leave to cool.

Chocolate goodness

In a large mixing bowl combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla together. Add the cooled chocolate mixture and mix until just combined. Add the flour and chocolate pieces and mix until just combined.

Brownies mix

Pour into a greased and lined 30x20cm baking tray. Pop into the oven for about 30 minutes.

Straight out of the oven!

Gluten Free Gingerbread

Gluten Free Gingerbread

Gingerbread is a warming cake that is in danger of being forgotten amongst macarons and whoopie pies but it merits its classic status. It is a cake that works so well with all those lovely spices!

Gingerbread!

Ingredients:

435g golden syrup
200g dairy free margarine
110g light brown sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp mixed spices
450g gluten free self-raising flour
4 eggs beaten
4 tbsp rice milk

Indulgent Muscovado

Preheat the oven to 170C. Add the syrup, margarine and sugar into a saucepan over a low heat, mixing until the margarine and sugar have melted into the golden syrup. 

Melting Magic

Add the spices and flour and mix to combine. Don’t worry if bubbles start to appear as this means that it is working! 

Bubbles are good!

Add the eggs and milk and stir to blend.

Ready for the oven

Pour into a greased and lined 30x20cm baking tray and pop into the oven for about 50 minutes until golden brown and slightly shrunk from the sides. Leave in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. 

Lovely warm gingerbread

Peanut butter and white chocolate blondies

Peanut Butter and White Chocolate Blondies

These blondies are very quick and easy as well as less expensive than its brother, the chocolate brownie, due to the avoidance of too much chocolate. It is so yummy though although this recipe uses much less sugar than other recipes out there. 

Irresistible peanut butter!

Ingredients:

335g crunchy peanut butter

150g dairy free margarine

150g light brown sugar

2 eggs beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

240g plain gluten free flour

2 tsp gluten free baking powder

100g white chocolate cut into pieces

Lovely white chocolate

Preheat the oven to 170C. In a large bowl mix the peanut butter and margarine together until smooth. Next add the sugar, eggs and vanilla and combine together. Add the flour, baking powder and chocolate and mix to combine.

Yummy dough!

If you manage to resist the temptation to eat the lovely smelling dough mixture, place into a greased and lined 20x30cm baking tray and pop into the oven for 40 minutes!

Resist trying before cooking!

Leave to cool before enjoying their delightful taste!

Enjoy!

Cally Festival Crispy Chocolate Flapjacks

Cally Festival Crispy Chocolate Flapjacks

The Cally Festival was so much fun but after a sleepless night getting everything ready for the big day, myself and Mrs NMFS are exhausted! We were so pleased to meet so many nice people and the comments we received on the day were such a lift. It was nice also to show that gluten-free cakes are as tasty as anything else and also that you do not need too much sugar!

We were buoyed by the reaction and would consider showcasing our produce again and we might even consider offering cakes to order. Compared to other gluten-free cakes on the market, people were surprised at how we undercut the prices of non-gluten-free cakes so we will continue to be competitive with our prices. Please feel free to contact us if you have any requests!

Ingredients:

175g dairy free margarine

200g golden syrup

150g light muscovado sugar

350g gluten free porridge oats

1 lemon, finely grated zest

1 tsp ground ginger

100g milk chocolate chips

50g gluten-free corn ball cereal

Preheat the oven to 160C. In a large saucepan, melt the margarine, syrup and sugar together. Then add the oats, lemon zest and ground ginger and leave to cool for a few minutes.

When cool add the chocolate and corn balls and pour into a lined and greased 30x20cm baking tray.

Pop into the oven for 35 minutes until pale golden brown.

Golden Pagoda, Chinatown, London

Golden Pagoda, Chinatown, London

Chinatown draws tourists visiting London with its colour and the offer of a taste of the Orient. It ought to be a showcase for the best that oriental cuisine has to offer. It is very unfortunate therefore that we are yet to find a stand-out restaurant there. In fact, the Golden Pagoda is the worst restaurant we have had the misfortune to have been to.

The only redeeming feature is the not offensive decor, the rest that it has to offer is bordering on offensive. The decor is standard fare in Chinese restaurants so nothing to shout about but it does not hurt the senses.

The food, service and menu though definitely hurts the senses. From the ‘in your face’ and inattentive, rude, patronising waiter who we had the misfortune to serve us and who we tried to go to great lengths to catch the eye of someone else to serve us to the food that tasted worse than a supermarket ready meal. We were actually wishing that we had bought a ready meal. Something we never usually buy!

We started off with vegetarian spring rolls as a starter. They were oily and over cooked. The dipping sauce was insipid and far from fresh.

I really enjoy sweet and sour prawn balls. This dish put me off it. The batter was oily and the sauce was tasteless.

Mrs NMFS liked the sound of the fried stuffed aubergine green pepper and bean curd with prawn paste. It sounds nice but when served up tasted very bad. The ingredients did not taste fresh and the sauce tasted unhealthy.

I did not want to give prices for these dishes as I in no way want to advertise this place. It is overpriced though. We paid relatively alot for food that was very poor. Somehow a service charge is mandatory which is probably the only way anyone would want to pay it. I did question it but was directed to the front of the menu which states as much.

A place to avoid even though for some reason it seemed to be busy. Our search for a good restaurant in China Town continues…