a gluten free accomplice.

There will be a lot more baking around here from now on. After several months of doctors visits for what the medical profession likes to call "fatigue" Miss K has been diagnosed with coeliac disease. (see below) I was diagnosed 17 years ago, almost on the same day.

We shall call ourselves the gluten free girls.

There will be lots of gluten free cake.

Cake is good.

so far we've baked jam tarts, ginger cookies, lemon drizzle cake and banana bread.

what's your favourite cake?





the following information is taken from Coeliac UK

Coeliac disease(spelled celiac in other countries) is an auto immune disease in which the immune system reacts by damaging the lining of the small intestine. Coeliac disease is common and affects 1 in 100 people. However only 24% who have the condition have been diagnosed. If a first degree family member has the condition then the chances of having it increase to 1 in 10. 

Treatment consists of a lifelong gluten free diet.

The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from very mild to severe. Coeliac disease is known as a 'multi system' disorder – symptoms can affect any area of the body. Symptoms differ between individuals in terms of type and severity.

Possible symptoms may include:

• severe or occasional diarrhoea, excessive wind and/or constipation
• persistent or unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting
• recurrent stomach pain, cramping or bloating
• any combination of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
• anaemia
• tiredness and/or headaches
• sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases)
• mouth ulcers
• hair loss (alopecia)
• skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
• tooth enamel problems
• depression
• infertility
• liver abnormalities
• repeated miscarriages
• joint and/or bone pain
• neurological (nerve) problems such as ataxia (poor muscle coordination) and neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the hands and feet)
• amenorrhoea (lack of periods in women)

ask your GP for a blood test if any of this sounds familiar.

a tart

some days you need to have cake.

it is just the way of the world. 

it happens quite often here and on this occasion I knew I had to be a tart.

right then.

which was tricky as I didn't have all the ingredients for the recipes I found.

so I improvised, using what I had and making it gluten free.

there was Way too much filling so the rest of it got dumped on some stewed apple which I found in the freezer. and the children liked that even better than the tart. hence no photo.

as for the tart, comments included;

I don't like the almonds on the top

will you ice it and put cherries on?

can I have another slice?

  

rhubarb muffins

today I am introducing rhubarb muffins.

take the recipe for rhubarb and orange cake, realise you don't have ground almonds, and use some more flour instead.

I cooked the rhubarb a bit first as I didn't think the shorter cooking time for buns would cook the rhubarb properly, dollop the cake mix into bun cases, add a blob of rhubarb, cook for 15 mins, and then add the almond sugary topping, and cooked for a further ten minutes at the lower temperature.



they are Very good.

unfortunately the ones that looked the best got eaten first, without having a photo shoot, so only the sad slightly squished ones (they are very gooey!) were left.

but don't despair, pop on over to Flossie Teacakes, where there is a delightful pattern for a pinflower cake topper, make yourself one or two, and stick them in your cakes.

even squashed cakes look delightful with a pinflower in them!

gingerbread pinecones

This post is inspired by Emma's making winter and her making winter pinecone tutorial
which looks fantastic, and I wanted to make some straight away but I didn't have the clay and was too impatient to wait......

but it's ok, I have an alternative, and it allowed me to indulge in one of my Christmas passions, and make pinecones too.

Gingerbread dough!

I couldn't get the cookies to shape very well, even when warm they cracked, but I stuck them together with icing, and I have a secret weapon when it comes to decorating.

everything Always looks better when covered with the icing sugar snow!

go here to see more making winter festivities

raspberry lemon drizzle cake with elderflower

when you've got raspberrys (from the garden! loving these autumn treats!)

eggs, and lemons,

and what you need is cake, 

then take lessons from Nancy, who makes a delicous fruit studded cake, and from Nina who makes lemon drizzle with a twist,

and you get raspberry studded elderflower and lemon drizzle cake, which lasts approximately 17 minutes when taken to a craft evening.  Thankyou for the inspiration.

the photo says it all. no. 2

mmmmm. delicious.

thanks for all the birthday wishes, I had a lovely day, with LOTS of cake!

easy pavlova

warm sunny weekends need summery desserts. ok so this is a favourite winter dessert too but don't tell anyone.....

Easy pavlova
heat oven to 180 C
whisk 4 eggs whites till frothy



whisk in 25o g caster sugar, till it goes silken, and you can make little peaks



fold in 1tsp of white wine vinegar and 2 tsp of cornflour and spread on a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

turn oven down to 150C, and cook for 1 hour - 1 hour 15 minutes depending on your oven, it needs to be still quite pale. leave to cool in oven (that's why it needs to be slightly underdone)

heap piles of fruit and cream on once cool

and then forget to photograph it before it's all gone. - ok so that bit isn't part of the recipe - or the plan......

another way to 5 a day

each day the children take packed lunch to school, sandwich, fruit, water, and some kind of treat. I won't give crisps, or sweets, or chocolate bars and therefore I am a "mean old mummy".
oranges have to be easy peel, or they come back "I couldn't get in it........."
apples have to be cored, quartered and wrapped in cling film or "I can't bite them without any front teeth"
bananas just come back "it got squashed. I don't like squashed bananas.........."

today they've got really really squashed bananas, and they had fun squashing them too.




combine 75ml full fat milk, and 1tsp vinegar and leave to stand for 10 minutes (it will curdle and look gross - perfect for cooking with children then...)

sift 250g plain flour ( I used doves farm gluten free), 1tsp bicarbonate of soda, and 1/2 tsp salt.

cream together 110g butter and 195g caster sugar

beat in 2 beaten eggs,

then 250g (2 or 3 bananas) mashed banana and

75g chocolate chips

fold in flour mix, and the now curdled milk, and mix gently.....

bake in greased 2lb loaf tin at 180C for 50-60 minutes.

let there be cake

last year I made a resolution to start using all my recipe books (I have an awful lot) and somehow it just didn't happen.

this year I have an accomplice - Miss K!

last night it was music to my ears when a little voice said

"mummy you know next week is half term"

"yes........"

"can we make banana bread like Auntie C and ginger cake, and can we bake every day?"

that's my girl!

to celebrate I made marmalade buns from Cherry cake and ginger beer, well I made 6 buns, and one loaf - typically it wasn't cooked when it was time to go to E's swimming lesson, so I turned the oven off and left it in, and now it's a bit dark - I just put extra icing on.

and because they have marmalade in I had some for breakfast. so much better than cornflakes!

Miss K is holding out for Grandpa's birthday cake, because tradition dictates chocolate!

cranberry and orange rock buns

thank you so much for all the wonderful comments and support in my last post, I really appreciate it.. xx

and to say thank you do come round for a nice rock bun, I modified a recipe when I found some dried cranberries in the cupboard that really needed eating up, and they're not bad..




cranberry and orange rock buns

340 g plain flour ( I used doves farm gluten free which is why they aren't very rocky, feel free to use normal flour!
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
175g butter/margarine
175g sugar
85g dried cranberries
85 g raisins or sultanas
85g glace cherries - chopped up
zest of 1/2 orange
zest of 1/2 lemon
1 egg
2 tbsp milk

rub flour/butter/sugar together to resemble breadcrumbs

stir in baking powder, salt, nutmeg, dried fruit and zest.

mix in egg, and milk, to make a stiff dough

pile mixture into little rocks on greased/lined baking tray.

sprinkle with a little demerara sugar.

bake for 15-20 minutes until golden brown at 180C

cool on a wire rack if you can resist them......

they certainly cheered up Miss K when she came home from school - which is getting a lot easier this week, we've had 2 meetings with the head teacher, and they're FINALLY listening, and so fingers crossed. Of course next we have the issue of which secondary school.........

and I was hugely cheered up by this most wonderful parcel which I won in Sheila's giveaway,



the whole parcel smelt gorgeous even before I got it undone!
Thank you so much Sheila,



and I've found the perfect pattern for the wool.

cherry and coconut slice

for Anna, recipe from this lovely cafe here



5 oz cooking chocolate
2 oz vegetable margarine
4oz soft brown sugar
4 oz coconut
1 egg
2 oz glace cherries (chopped)

line a Swiss roll tin with non-stick baking parchment or foil.
melt chocolate in double boiler or microwave, and spread over foil/paper and leave to cool.
Cream margarine and sugar. Beat in egg. Mix in cherries and coconut. Spread over the chocolate and cook until golden brown (15 -20 minutes) at Gas 4, 375F, 190C. cut into slices when cold.

I used foil and it stuck a bit, might try parchment next time, or that amazing re-useable non stick sheet stuff you can buy.

the beady eyed amongst you might notice that some of the pieces have raisins not cherries, for Miss K and hubby who are not cherry eaters - these pieces are good, but the raisins burnt a bit..

These might be good for you Kristina, for your allotment picnics.

We also made some great cookies last week, from Mel, recipe here, but they got eaten too quickly to photograph, - Mel has a good photo of hers!

rhubarb and orange cake

as requested by Garden Girl



rhubarb and orange cake
serves 6-8, serve warm with cream as pudding, or cold as cake, keeps 2-3 days in airtight container -- from March 2001 Good Food Magazine

12 oz rhubarb cut into 1/2 inch lengths (little bits - don't measure!)
2 oz golden caster sugar
zest of 1/2 orange
mix and marinate for 1 hour



cream together
5 oz butter
6 oz golden caster sugar

add 2 beaten eggs
fold in
3 oz self raising flour
4 oz ground almonds
1/2 tsp baking powder



stir in juice of 1/2 orange
----
pour mixture into lined greased 9 inch loose bottomed cake tin
drain the marinated rhubarb and spoon over cake mix
--
bake at 190 C for 25 minutes

then mix

1 oz melted butter
1 oz muscavado sugar,
zest of 1/2 orange
2 oz flaked almonds

sprinkle this over the part baked cake, reduce the oven temp to 180 C and cook for further 15-20 minutes till firm



cool in tin, dust with icing sugar to serve.

hope this makes sense, email me if it doesn't

sorry no photo, I haven't made one yet this year, but because I don't like posts without photos here are some lovely lambs prancing about on 2000 year old roman ruins.

spicy apple cake

my head hurts - no sympathy deserved however, all self inflicted.


brain not quite functioning, so attempting to write a recipe may be a bad idea, if it is a total disaster please forgive me. you might think as I have more than one or two recipe books it would just be a case of copying something, but I made this recipe up, so we'll have to hope for the best...

Spicy apple cake




60z flour (I used doves farm gluten free but use anything.. or even self raising and miss out the baking powder)
6oz sugar - golden granulated is my fave
60z butter (or marg, or dairy free margarine)
3 eggs
2 teaspoon baking powder (maybe less if not using nasty gf flour...)

mix all of these ingredients with a hand held blender, kitchen aid, wooden spoon....
grease and line cake tins - I used 2 7inch sandwich tins, but you could make it one deeper tin, and just cook it for longer.
spoon mixture into tins.
peel and core 2 or 3 eating apples, and slice into segments approx 1cm thick
arrange on top of cake mix in tin in a single layer.
mix 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon, and a couple of teaspoons of muscavado (dark brown) sugar, and sprinkle this liberally all over the apple slices.
bake at 180 C for 25 - 35 minutes, till cake springs back when prodded and a fork/cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
cool slightly and serve warm with some cream or cold with a cup of tea, or even for breakfast (well it's got fruit in it so I reckon that makes it healthy)



don't think recipe writing is my strong point, I may not take it up as a career...


this is part of a valentines decoration I made after finding the new bead shop, seed beads and red hearts strung on fishing line, and hung in the window. (totally impossible to photograph in the window - believe me I tried)




and my new necklace, a pink and white bead, on pink soft leather.



Miss K thought it might be for her!

soup

it's grey and wet and I'm full of cold.
it's a soup day.
this is my favourite recipe, but we don't have all the ingredients, so I'm making do with a tin of Heinz tomato.

Butternut squash and potato soup.1 oz butter
1 onion chopped
1 butternut squash peeled and chopped
1 large potato chopped
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 pints stock (chicken or veg)
salt and pepper

melt butter, soften onion
add squash, potato, nutmeg
cover and sweat for 10 minutes
add stock, bring to boil,
reduce heat, cover, simmer for approx 20 minutes till soft.
puree/blend.
season to taste.

garnish with crispy bacon bits, croutons, roast chestnuts, whatever is in fridge.

enjoy.