Almond Cupcakes - Recipe - Vegan - Gluten Free

Almond Cupcakes

Vegan and Gluten Free

These little cupcakes are moist and have a lovely flavour of almond. You can choose to make a vegan buttercream of a simple white icing if you don't have any vegan white chocolate.

Almond Cupcakes

5 Tablespoons vegetable oil

4 Tablespoons gluten-free dairy free yoghurt

160 ml/5.5 fl oz gluten-free soya milk

160g/5.75 oz ground almonds

3 Tablespoons almond extract

40 g/1 ½ oz ground almonds

* 160 g/ 5 ¾ oz gluten-free plain flour

*½ teaspoon xanthan gum

1 ½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

*If you are using a blend of flours – white rice flour, tapioca starch and potato starch for example then you need the xanthan gum

*If using a store bought gluten-free plain flour it will have thickeners in it so no need for the xanthan gum.

Icing

60g vegan white chocolate

100g gluten-free icing sugar

1 ½ Tablespoons gluten-free soya milk

Toasted flaked almonds and crystallized ginger to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C or 350 degrees F. Line a cupcake tin with 10 paper cases.

Place the oil, yoghurt, milk, sugar, almond extract and ground almonds in a large mixing bowl. Sift in the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt then beat with an electric hand-held whisk until the mixture is well combined.

Divide the mixture between the cases in the prepared cupcake tin and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until well risen and golden. Transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before icing.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Beat in the icing sugar and soya milk and spread the icing over the cupcakes with a teaspoon while the icing is still a little warm and easy to spread. Top each cupcake with a few toasted flaked almonds and finely chopped crystallised ginger.

Lemon Gin Cake - Recipe - Gluten Free

Lemon Gin Cake

Gluten Free

This is my mother's favourite cake! It is moist, lemony and easy to make. It doesn't have a lot of gin but if you don't have any or not wanting any alcohol, a lemon syrup  is still very yummy. You don''t need it but I sometimes serve it with lemon curd and or yoghurt.

Lemon Gin Cake

1 lemon

200g sugar

250g self-raising gluten free flour

1 level teaspoon baking powder

250g butter, softened

4 eggs

150g caster sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

1 Tablespoon gin

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius and line an 18cm round cake tin.

Zest and juice lemon and place in food processor with sugar, mix until zest turns to specks.

Add sifted flour, baking powder, butter and eggs to bowl and mix until smooth. Tip into prepared tin and bake for 1 ¼ hours or until a skewer tests clean.

Mix the caster sugar, lemon juice and gin together.

Remove the cake from the oven, take out of the tin and sit on a shallow tray. Use a skewer to spike cake with a number of holes Spoon over the syrup and leave to sit.

Gluten Free Bakery - Bakery - Gluten Free - Christchurch NZ

Totally Gluten Free Bakery

290b Colombo St, Sydenham, Christchurch 8023

What a find! - a bakery where everything is gluten free so no cross contamination. It is located in a small group of shops in Sydenham near the Funky Pumpkin.


It has sweet and savoury with a large range of breads. Pete is very fussy re gluten free bread - longing for fluffy white bread asparagus rolls! While the white loaf from this bakery is soft, it doesn't reach his standard!

He chose a cherry slice that I thought looked quite dry but I was proven very wrong - was moist and very yummy.

I however, picked a date scone and it was dry and not that many dates.

A later visit before Easter I bought a packet each of fruit and chocolate hot cross buns as well as some shortbread. the buns were ok but a bit like cake rather than your usual hot cross buns. The shortbreat was delicious!

So all in all, fantastic that you don't have to worry about choosing something that isn't gluten free but be selective and it is pricey!

Flourless Chocolate Cake - Gluten Free - Recipe

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free

There are many recipes for flourless chocolate cake. I like them as they are usually a lot more moist than cakes with flour and they are gluten free. This one has the addition of an apple.

Flourless chocolate cake

4 eggs, separated

100g sugar

100g dark chocolate, melted

1 dessert apple, peeled and grated

100g ground almonds

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a 20cm spring form tin. Cream egg yolks and sugar until light in colour and sugar has dissolved.

Mix in cooled melted chocolate, apple and almonds.

Beat egg whites until stiff, then gently fold into mixture a third at a time. (Cut and fold egg whites in gently with a large metal spoon to avoid knocking out too much air. Pour into prepared tin.

Bake for 45 minutes.

You can sprinkle with icing sugar or ice with chocolate icing.

Vanilla Macarons

Vanilla Macarons

Gluten Free

These are one of my favourite sweet treats! They are time consuming to make but well worth it for a special occasion.

The shells should have 'feet' around the base. (if these do not develop during baking, either the shells were not left to form a crust for long enough , or the oven temperature was too low.)

Macaron Shells

Ingredients

225g (8oz) pure icing sugar

140g (5oz) almond meal

100g (3.5 oz) egg whites at room temperature

Line two trays with baking paper.

Combine the icing sugar and almond meal and sift together twice, discarding anything remaining in the sieve.

Beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. If colouring the shell, add the colouring to the egg whites now and beat in.

Fold the sifted sugar and almond meal into the egg whites, continuing to fold until the mixture is glossy and moves slowly when the bowl is tilted.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 5mm nozzle. Pipe rounds 3cm in diameter spacing 2-3 cm apart. Tap the tray firmly on the bench a couple of times to knock out any air bubbles.

The macron shells must now stand at room temperature until a crust forms – this will take 2 - 6 hours depending on the temperature and humidity. When they are ready you should be able to touch one lightly and have no mixture stick to your finger.

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C

Place macron shells into the oven and immediately turn the temperature down to 130 degrees C. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes until firm to the touch but not coloured. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the baking tray.

Pipe on a greased tray

or use a silicone mat

Filling

3 egg yolks

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

90g (3oz) caster sugar

2 Tablespoons water

125g (4.5 oz) softened unsalted butter, chopped

Beat egg yolks and vanilla seed on high for 10 minutes until pale and creamy.

Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer until the syrup reaches 121 degrees C (250 F)

Slowly pour the sugar syrup into the creamed yolks. Beat on high speed for 10 minutes until cool. 

With the mixer on medium speed, add the softened butter a cube at a time, allowing each piece to mix in before adding the next. Beat on high for 2 minutes. Spread onto macaron shell and join together.

Pizza - Gluten Free and Vegetarian - Product

Store Bought Pizza

Gluten Free and Vegetarian

This Mediterranean pizza is very tasty and ticks all the boxes for Pete.

It is available at a few supermarkets (Merivale Fresh Choice, New World as well as the Continental Bakery Rangiora). There is a bit of a price difference between stores but it is around $17 so not cheap but worth it to be able to have a pizza that you can have in the freezer for those quick weekend meals.

After cooking - slightly overdone after Pete forgot about it!!

Apple Slice - Gluten Free - Recipe

Apple Slice

Gluten Free

Apple,  walnut and cinnamon is such a delicious combination. You can use stewed apple or if you don't have time, use sliced apples just use a bit less water.

Apple Slice

2 ½ cups flour - I use 1 ½ cups Gluten Free Flour and 1 cup ground almonds

1/3 cup raw sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3 teaspoons cinnamon or mixed spice

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup (300g) stewed apple or 2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced.

1 cup walnuts, chopped roughly

1/3 cup oil – sunflower or canola

1/3 cup water (less for stewed apple)

2 teaspoons vinegar

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Lightly grease a slice or cake tin and line with paper.

Mix together dry ingredients and nuts then add apple and liquids. Stir until moist. Turn into the prepared tin.

Bake for about 45 minutes until an inserted skewer 

becomes clean.

When cool, dust with icing sugar.

Gluten free Breadcrumbs - Product

Breadcrumbs

Gluten Free

These breadcrumbs are great to have in your pantry. They are handy for so many things. I have used them for Pumpkin and Kumara Balls and Crumbed Fish. You can buy them at most supermarkets.

Macadamia, maple and white chocolate slice - Gluten Free - Recipe

Macadamia, Maple and White Chocolate Slice

Gluten Free Recipe

This slice is divine! It is very rich so you only need small pieces. Great for a shout as it will go a long way.

2 cups Gluten Free Flour – I use Edmonds Gluten Free Plain Flour

1 cup desiccated coconut

1 cup brown sugar

1 heaped teaspoon ground ginger

250g butter, melted

Topping

½ cup maple syrup (or golden syrup)

1 ½ cans sweetened condensed milk

70g macadamias, coarsely chopped

Icing

150 g white chocolate melts

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C.  Line a 23cm x 32cm slice tin with baking paper.

In a large bowl combine flour, coconut, brown sugar and ginger. Pour over the melted butter and stir to combine thoroughly. Spoon into the prepared tin and smooth with the back of the spoon, pressing down to make even at the sides. Bake for around 20 minutes until golden.

To make the topping, combine butter and maple syrup in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil slowly, allowing the butter to melt. Boil for 2 minutes then carefully add condensed milk. Simmer for 7 – 10 minutes, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and turns golden brown.

Pour the topping over the slice and smooth evenly. Sprinkle over nuts and return to the oven for 5 minutes to set the caramel and toast the nuts. Allow to cool before icing.

To make the icing, melt the chocolate in a bowl set over hot water, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over slice. Chill for 1 hour to set before cutting into small pieces.

Casamassima - Italian Fare - Corn Pasta - Gluten Free product - Christchurch

Casamassima - Italian Fare

48 Salisbury St

Christchurch

Corn Pasta

Gluten Free

Casamissima - Italian Fare is a delightful little cafe on Salisbury St. It has an outside seating area with a picket fence and geranium planter boxes. The inside area has a shop at the far end with a selction of Italian fare. Pasta, biscuits, oils etc. They have a section of gluten free pasta made with corn. Pete has always been very disparaging of gluten free pasta but he liked this as it didn't fall apart after being cooked.

The cafe also has great coffee and sweet treats like cannoli!

Mona Vale High Tea - Cafe - Vegetarian and Gluten Free

Mona Vale

High Tea

Vegetarian and Gluten Free

I love high tea - little bite sized delicacies - so for my birthday we booked in at Mona Vale. Such a pretty setting in the gorgeous mansion.

 

On their website I was impressed that they catered for vegans, vegetarians, gluten free and dairy free. You have to book which they followed up with a couple of phone calls to discuss Pete requiring vegetarian and gluten free. At first they said they couldn't do vegetarian and gluten free - the savouries were the issue so I suggested they give Pete some extra sandwiches. They agreed but when we arrived on the day Pete was served two little gluten free vegetarian savouries as well as sandwiches and all the sweet treats.

Everything was delicious! My favourite was the little beef cheek pie - wow! It melted in my mouth. The apple dome was so clever with mousse and apple in the middle. Every item was divine  - I wanted more!

Sitting at a window seat looking out over the garden and pond full of ducks on a sunny afternoon with my beloved Pete eating delicious food was the best way to spend a birthday.

The experience did not come cheap - definitely a treat - mine was $45 and Pete's $50 but well worth the experience.

Pavillion Gluten Free Vegetarian and Cheese Pies - Product - Christchurch NZ

Pavillion Pies

Vegetarian and Cheese

 Gluten Free

We were quite excited to see these pies as previously we had only been able to find spinach and feta quiches. These pies are full of a variety of veges, have a layer of cheese and covered in golden pastry. They cost $6.99 for 2 at Fresh Choice and sometimes at New World. So handy to keep in the freezer for the times when you have a hankering for pastry!

Cashew butter meringues - Gluten Free - Recipe

Cashew Butter Meringues

Gluten Free

I love meringues and these have the addition of cashew butter to add extra chewy yumminess! They are a very impressive dinner party dessert that can be made the day before. You can use other nut butters as well.

Cashew Butter Meringues

4 egg whites at room temperature

1 cup caster sugar

1 Tablespoon cornflour

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup cashew nut butter (or another type of nut butter)

Topping

¾ cup thick plain yoghurt

Fruit and or berries to decorate

Preheat the oven to 100 degrees C

Whisk the egg whites to soft peaks then gradually add the sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat until thick and glossy and the sugar is dissolved. Undissolved sugar will cause the meringue to weep.

Using a large metal spoon, fold in the cornflour, lemon juice and the nutmeg. Spoon 8 x 8 cm circles or meringue, about 3 cm apart, onto a lined baking tray. Stir the butter until it is very smooth then dot teaspoons of it over each meringue. Using a skewer, gently draw the nut butter through the meringue to give a lightly marbled effect. Don’t spend too much time doing this. 

Bake for 1 hour or until the meringues will lift off the paper easily, then turn off the heat and leave the meringues in the oven to cool.

Decorate with yoghurt and fruit.

Maison de Crepes - Cafe Christchurch - Gluten Free Options

Maison de Crepes

2 Papanui Road

Christchurch 
New Zealand

GF, Vegan, Vegetarian, Dairy Free, Egg Free and Sugar Free Options

I love crepes and have wanted to visit Maison de Crepes for a long time - I see it everyday I go to work. So we decided that my birthday breakfast was a good time! What a nice surprise to find all their savoury crepes are gluten free, made with buckwheat  flour, so Pete was very happy! They have egg free, dairy free, sugar free, vegetarian and vegan options. They have a day and evening menu with a wide range of fillings. It was extremely hard to choose!

In the end I chose Le French Toast Crepe with bacon, caramelised banana, cinnamon and maple syrup. Pete chose Le Vegetarian that came with mushrooms, baked beans, spinach, caramelised onions and feta.

Yum!

Berry Friands - Gluten Free - Recipe

Berry Friands

Gluten Free

Many cafes have friands as a gluten free option as they are made with ground almonds and they are very yummy! Berry ones are common but there are also other flavours like blueberries, passionfruit and lemon curd!

1 ½ cups Icing sugar – gluten free

½ cup Rice flour

1 cup Ground almonds

6 Egg whites

1 tsp Vanilla

150 g Butter

1 cup Berries – fresh or frozen (no need to defrost)

Heat oven to 180 degrees C.  Grease 12 oval-shaped friand or muffins pans. Place sifted icing sugar, sifted rice flour and ground almonds in a bowl. 
Make a well in the centre and pour in lightly beaten egg whites, vanilla essence and melted butter, then stir briefly to just combine.

Divide mixture between prepared pans to two-thirds full. Top each friand with a sprinkling of berries.

Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and leave to stand in pans for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.

mini friands