Lime shortbread

Lime Shortbread

Have you ever wondered why lemons are always in the limelight as far as baking is concerned (excuse the pun!)? Limes can be more tart and perhaps are better suited in savoury dishes but limes go so well in a curd. This recipe combines a baked curd on top of shortbread.

 

Ingredients:

175g gluten free plain flour

50g rice flour

80g golden caster sugar

140g unsalted butter/dairy free margarine

2 tablespoons rice/dairy free milk

4 limes, juice and zest

4 eggs

50g gluten free plain flour

150g golden caster sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C and grease and line a 10 inch loose bottomed tin. 

Place the flours, sugar and butter/dairy free margarine in a large mixing bowl. Rub the butter/dairy free margarine with the tips of your finger into the flours until you have fine breadcrumbs. Pour in the milk and use a knife to incorporate into the breadcrumb mixture. Pour into the prepared tin and press down so that it covers the base evenly. Push the dough around the sides slightly so that you have a subtle case. Pop into the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Reduce the oven to 160C/fan 140C. 

Zest the limes into a large mixing bowl and mix in the flour and sugar. Juice the limes in another bowl and mix in the eggs. Pour this mixture through a sieve into the large mixing bowl and whisk thoroughly for 3 minutes. Pour the mixture onto the cooled shortbread and pop back into the oven for 15 minutes or until just set in the middle. 

Salted caramel chocolate slice

Salted Caramel Chocolate Slice

This is a truly indulgent slice which is best enjoyed in small amounts. It is really lovely though and will cure cravings for unhealthy chocolate bars. 

Ingredients:

Shortbread 

225g plain gluten free flour

70g golden caster sugar

200g salted butter, chilled and cubed

Caramel

175g salted butter

160g golden caster sugar

100g golden syrup

395g condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Topping

300g dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C and grease and line a 10 inch loose bottomed tin with greaseproof paper. 

In a large mixing bowl add the flour, sugar and butter. Using the tip of your fingers, rub the butter with the flour and sugar until you have a breadcrumb consistency. Knead the mixture until it comes together and you have a dough. 

Press the dough into the base of the prepared tin and smooth evenly. Prick the base with a fork and pop into the fridge for 15 minutes. 

Pop into the oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Take out and leave to one side to cool. 

In the meantime prepare the caramel by putting the butter, sugar, golden syrup and condensed milk into a small saucepan. Heat over a medium heat, stirring to combine and allow to come to a gentle boil before simmering for at least 10 minutes stirring until the mixture turns a caramel colour. 

Take off the heat and add the vanilla essence. Pour the caramel over the cooled shortbread and leave to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. 

Melt the chocolate by breaking into pieces in a glass bowl and either popping in the microwave for 90 seconds or over a simmering pan of hot water making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. 

Pour the chocolate over the caramel. It should pour easily over the set caramel so no need to spread it. Pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours to allow it to set completely. 

It is best enjoyed in small slices since it is so indulgent and will keep for at least a week in an airtight container. 

Cafe style cookies

Cafe Style Cookies

How many times have you craved for a $4 cookie but without the hefty price tag and extra sugar? This recipe is not set in stone though so feel free to use different combinations of seeds and nuts depending on your taste buds and availability.

Ingredients:

250g unsalted butter at room temperature

120g golden caster sugar

100g ground almonds

2 tsp vanilla extract

125g gluten free plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 egg beaten

60g shredded coconut

80g roasted roughly chopped cashew nuts

40g pumpkin seeds

40g sunflower seeds

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the unsalted butter and sugar together until pale and soft. Measure in the rest of the ingredients and combine until mixed together. 

Roll heaped tablespoons of the mixture into balls and leave in the fridge for 30 minutes.  Place onto the trays leaving space for the mixture to expand during cooking and pop into the oven for 25 minutes or golden brown. If you prefer flatter biscuits you can press them down a bit before putting in the oven. 

Leave to cool on the trays before storing in an airtight container. These biscuits last for a week if stored in a cool and dark place. 

Gluten free hobnobs

Hobnobs are a childhood favourite of mine which I long lamented their absence after the realisation of my intolerance. Having seen though the emergence of gluten free oats, I have had the joy of revisiting this childhood favourite. I do though have to hold back from my prior indulgences of scoffing down half a packet in one sitting accompanied by a nice cup of tea. Age does have a habit of creeping up on you even if your mind can return to childhood!

This recipe is super quick and super easy so there are no excuses for not whipping it up in the kitchen. 

Gluten free hobnobs

160g unsalted butter/dairy free margarine

15g golden syrup

125g gluten free self-raising flour

125g gluten free oats

90g soft brown sugar

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

125g dark chocolate

Preheat an oven to 180C/fan 160C and place greaseproof paper on two baking trays. 

In a small pan over a low heat, melt the butter and golden syrup, stirring until melted and mixed. Leave to one side to cool slightly. 

Combine the flour, oats, sugar and bicarb in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre of the dry mixture and pour in the melted butter. Stir to combine so that all of the butter has been mixed with the flour. 

Using your hands take a tablespoon of mixture and roll into balls. Add the balls to another bowl and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to cool down. This is important because we do not have the benefit of gluten to bind the mixture.

Once cooled, divide the balls between the two trays and lightly press the balls onto the greaseproof paper allowing enough space between the balls. 

Pop into the oven for about 20 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Take out of the oven to cool. 

In the meantime, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl and spoon teaspoons of chocolate on the top of each biscuit and spread. Allow to cool before popping into a biscuit tin or other airtight container. The hobnobs keep for at least a week (unless consumed beforehand) if stored in a cool dry place. 

Directions for use: Enjoy the hobnobs dunked in a cup of tea. Dunk for a moment only in the hot liquid though to avoid 'dunking collapse' or other dunking related collateral damage. 

Orange chocolate biscuits

Australian gluten-free products are comparatively expensive so it is cost-effective to make your own especially if you have a sweet tooth like mine! These easy biscuits punch alot of flavour for an afternoon tea treat which is quick and quite easy to make. Orange and chocolate is a classic combination of flavours that work well in this crispy little biscuit.

Ingredients:
1 orange, finely grated rind and one half juiced
125g dairy free margarine
120g golden caster sugar
1 egg, lightly whisked
150g gluten-free flour
50g buckwheat flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
50g 70% dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees and line a baking tray with baking paper.
Grate the orange in a mixing bowl over the margarine in order to catch the invaluable orange oil. Add the sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until light and pale. Pour in the egg and mix to combine.
Sieve in the flours and bicarbonate and fold in to incorporate air.
Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking tray leaving about 1 to 2 centimetres space in between. Pop into the oven for about 25-30 minutes. Leave to cool on wire rack and repeat with the remaining mixture, It took me three turns to use up the mixture.
When the biscuits are cold, melt the dark chocolate in a bowl. I pop mine in a microwave for about 2 minutes but you can melt it over a bain marie. Mix the chocolate to ensure there are no lumps and use to sandwich the biscuits together. These biscuits keep for a couple of weeks and can be dunked, which is very important for an English biscuit eater!

Sugar-free rusks

Sugar-free rusks

Sugar-free rusks

It can be hard at times when you have a sweet tooth to have a low sugar diet, especially on a day-to-day basis. With the cold, dreary days coming ever closer, a nice sugar free biscuit to enjoy with a warming cup of tea or coffee is a welcome daily treat. 

Ingredients:

200g dairy free margarine
70g Sweet Freedom syrup or other sugar-free syrup
1 egg
150g ground almonds
160g gluten free plain flour
3 tbs custard powder
1tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp rice milk

Preheat the oven to 200C. In a large mixing bowl, mix the margarine and sweet freedom syrup until light and creamy. Add the egg and beat to slowly combine. Fold in the almonds, flour and custard powder, then add the vanilla essence and rice milk and mix.

Place a piece of baking paper on a baking sheet and add spoonfuls of the mixture. These biscuits do not spread too much so do not worry too much about the space that you leave in between. Pop into the oven for about 30 minutes or until the biscuits are golden brown. Enjoy hot or cold with a coffee or ice cream. 

Golden and guilt-free

So, how would you best enjoy these biscuits?

Gluten-free rusks

Gluten-free Rusks

Gluten-free rusks

This is a tentative post as I was trying to find a definitive answer as to whether the ground almonds that are used in the recipe are safe for toddlers. I am also aware that gluten intolerant parents may also not feel the need to give their children rusks which are gluten free. However, I like this recipe as for adults out there (Mrs NMFS and I included) who have fond memories of rusks, this is a quick and easy way to have a rusk which is tasty, low in sugar, dunkable and similar to a rusk. 

Rusks, as they are known in England, are great for babies who are teething due to their texture and size. This recipe has less sugar than some mainstream brands whilst retaining the texture and size that babies could explore.

Ground almonds

Ingredients:

180g dairy free margarine

70g caster sugar

1 egg

130g ground almonds

160g gluten free plain flour

3 tbs custard powder

1tsp vanilla essence

Adding the ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, mix the margarine and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the egg and mix together.

Smooth mix

Add the flours, custard powder and vanilla and mix to combine. Pop into the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Large dollops

Preheat the oven to 160C. Place a sheet of baking paper on a baking sheet. Dollop large spoonfuls onto the sheet and bake for 50 minutes. Take out of the oven and leave to cool.

Golden heaven

The rusks should be light whilst firm and tasty enough without too much sugar. Feel free to dunk in hot tea!

So, were you given rusks as a baby?

Almond custard creams

Almond custard creams

Ground almonds often comes to the rescue when plain flour is hard to find. On my travels around the world, I am not always fortunate to be able to find gluten-free flour. On my recent trip to Mauritius and Rodrigues for example, proved very difficult although I brought my own thanks to Emirates Airlines generous 30k luggage allowance. I did find in one supermarket though the first gluten-free flour so I will not need to bring my own in future.

This recipe incorporates almonds into my favourite childhood biscuit – custard creams. I was not sure whether it would work well so I will let you decide for yourself if you so wish! The results were very satisfying. I have made Nigella Lawson’s recipe for custard creams before but whilst enjoying them have never been absolutely satisfied since they are too crumbly to dunk. My own personal preference for custard cream consumption. I once almost made myself sick, working my way through 2 packets of custard creams!

These biscuits though are sturdy enough though to dunk which is such a joy! They can also be enjoyed on their own for those wanting to cut down on sugar intake. They reminded Mrs NMFS and myself of rusks although Mrs NMFS did not want to say anything to me initially for fear of upsetting me! Little did she know that I loved rusks as a baby so thought of it as a compliment! 

They are very light whilst not breaking up like other gluten-free biscuits can do. That is one of the challenges of a gluten-free diet – without the gluten things tend to crumble. Even Genius bread tends to break up in the middle which can be annoying when making poached eggs with hollandaise sauce on toast. The presentation suffers if the bread has broken off at the top.

Ingredients:

170g dairy-free margarine

60g caster sugar

1 egg

160g plain gluten-free flour

130g ground almonds

2 tsp vanilla essence

3 tbsp custard powder

Custard cream filling

1 tbsp custard powder

90g icing sugar

50g dairy-free margarine

1 tsp boiling water

In a large mixing bowl, mix the margarine and sugar together until creamy. Then add the egg and mix together.

Add the flour, almonds, vanilla essence and custard powder and mix together. Put the mix in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Put the oven on at 180C and place a sheet of baking paper on a baking sheet. Take the mix from the fridge and using two spoons, form quenelles and place on the baking sheet.

Place in the oven for 45 minutes. Remove and place the biscuits on a cooling rack.

Prepare the custard icing filing by mixing the custard powder and icing sugar in a processor. Add the margarine and mix together. Add the boiling water and mix again.

Sandwich the biscuits together and enjoy these light almond custard creams!

So, what is your favourite biscuit from childhood?

Choccy nutty biscuits

It was funny going to the supermarkets yesterday avoiding the frenzy around the aisles stacked up with pancake day ingredients. It is amazing how many special days have been taking over as marketing campaigns and cause so many of us to feel pressured into conforming. It seemed as though alot of people felt pressured into making pancakes yesterday, perhaps out of fear that they might not be seen as the perfect mother/wife if pancakes are not served up. Pancakes are not seasonal, they can be made all year round. I honoured the day by trying a new recipe but will still have pancakes at least once a week. Are we happy that so many days have become marketing campaigns, directing us what we should be buying in order to conform?

So I thought today to make a variation on a favourite which if homemade, can be a bit healthier.

Choccy nutty biscuits

Ingredients:

150g dairy-free margarine
50g caster sugar
200g plain gluten-free flour
300g 70% dark chocolate
200g blanched hazelnuts

Method:

Cream the margarine and sugar together then add the flour until you get a smooth dough.

Roll out and using a pastry cutter, cut out rounds and place on a baking sheet.

Place in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up.

Preheat the oven to 190C and bake the biscuits for 20 minutes. Remove from oven to cool down.

Roast the hazelnuts for 8 minutes and chop into pieces. Carefully melt the chocolate.

Mix the hazelnut with the chocolate and place a spoonful of the chocolate on top of the cooled biscuits.

These are a variation of my chocolate clusters. Add flavours such as lemon, orange to the biscuits and chocolate as you wish.

So fellow readers, are there any other favourites that you would like to make yourself to make more healthy? Custard creams inspired by Nigella are one for sure that will appear soonish.