Gluten-free Christmas Cake

October half-term is the traditional time for me to make the Christmas Cake, and I've been using the same recipe for many years.

I've adapted it by using plain gluten-free flour instead of normal wheat flour. The thing about gluten-free flour is that any cake you make can tend to be rather dry. For sponge cakes, you need to add 5 tablespoons of milk to get that springy texture, but that doesn't work for a rich fruit cake which has to be firmer to hold the fruit.

So I also add some extra egg, that is 3 instead of 2½; use chopped dried apricots instead of mixed fruit peel, because they add more moisture; and substitute ground almonds for flaked almonds to help prevent it drying out too much.

Recipe for Gluten-free Christmas Cake

Turn on oven to 150° C, 300° F, or Gas Mark 2.
Grease and line a deep 7 inch cake tin with a double layer of baking paper, or greased greaseproof paper.

Mix together in a large bowl:
8 oz currants
3½ oz sultanas
3½ oz raisins
2½ oz glacé cherries - halved, washed in warm water and dried on paper towel
2 oz chopped dried apricots
2 oz ground almonds
½ rind from one lemon, grated

In another bowl sift together:
6 oz Doves Farm Gluten Free Plain White Flour
½ tspn ground cinnamon
¼ tspn ground mixed spice

In yet another large bowl beat together:
5oz butter
5oz soft brown sugar

Then add 3 large eggs, one by one, adding a little of the flour mixture after each to stop it getting too sloppy.

Fold in the rest of the flour, and then the dried fruit mixture. Turn out into the prepared tin and smooth surface, making a little dip in the middle so the cake rises with a flat top, easier for icing.
Tie a double sheet of newspaper around the tin to extend about 2'' above the top to stop it burning before the centre is cooked.

Cook for about 2½ hours. Test with a skewer. If it comes out clean then your cake is done, if not put it back for 15 minutes and check again.

When cooked, let it cool in the tin and then turn out onto a wire rack. Remove the lining paper and prick all over the bottom with a skewer.

Carefully spoon a few tablespoons of brandy over the cake and wrap in greaseproof paper and foil and store in a cool dry place. This can be repeated monthly until you are ready to ice your cake in December.

This photo shows my favourite stage in the cake-making process when all the dried fruit is mixed together. It smells like Christmas and the colours are magical. I hope that if you try my ideas, they work for you, and you can enjoy a Gluten-free Christmas Cake too!

Gluten-free Chocolate, Coconut, Cherry and Caramel Cabana Bars

These don't actually look like the delicious Cadbury's Cabana bars from the 1970s, but they taste very much like them, and the beauty of them is that they are totally gluten-free!

I found a recipe by chance in The Flavour Thesaurus by Niki Segnit which the most wonderful book to help you find out what flavours go best together.
However, making the coconut layer from desiccated coconut and egg didn't result in the gorgeous chewy sensation that I remembered. So I have adapted another recipe for coconut ice using sweetened condensed milk which is set in the fridge rather than cooked in the oven.
Oh, and I added a few more cherries!

You will need a silicone baking tray with eight chocolate bar shapes. I got mine from ebay.

Coconut base:
100ml sweetened condensed milk (save the rest for the caramel topping)
125g   icing sugar
90g    desiccated coconut
20      glacé cherries quartered
Mix together in a bowl, then divide into eight and press into the rectangular moulds and set in fridge.

Caramel topping:
30g     sugar
30g     butter
2tsp    golden syrup
100ml sweetened condensed milk
Melt gently together in a thick bottomed saucepan, then boil, stirring until a pale caramel colour. Do not over cook, or it will turn into hard toffee! Then spoon over the chilled coconut.

Chocolate finish:
I used 150g of Sainsbury's Fairtrade Belgian Milk chocolate. I melted it on medium power in the microwave for 2 minutes, stirring after a minute, and then spooned it over the caramel. Delicious!

Leave to set. These are best eaten at room temperature so that all the layers are soft and chewy in your mouth. You can tell that I like them very much!
I daren't work out the calories, but I expect that they are quite a lot!
Enjoy!

Celebrate 60 years since the Coronation with Gluten-Free Coronation Cup Cakes!

Why not celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Coronation with Gluten-free Coronation Cup Cakes?
I made gluten-free  cup cakes like these for last year's Jubilee celebrations, and I think they would make delicious Coronation Cup Cakes too. The problem with gluten-free cakes is that they are often rather dry. I've found that the answer is not to skimp on the milk you add. I know you don't normally add milk to a Victoria sponge mix, but it is essential with gluten-free flour.

Turn on your oven to Gas mark 5 or 190 degrees Celsius.

Here are my ingredients, for metric equivalents, see my conversion chart page above.

6oz caster sugar  

6oz margarine

3 eggs

6oz Doves Farm Gluten free and Wheat free White Self-Raising flour 

5 tbsp milk

Either mix together in a food processor, or cream the sugar and margarine until light and fluffy, beat in the eggs one by one and fold in the flour and milk.

Spoon into paper cases and bake on the middle oven shelf for 20 mins until golden brown.

When cool decorate with butter icing made from 2oz margarine or butter, and 3oz icing sugar, plus a few drops of vanilla essence. 

I got these decorations from Sainsbury's. I really wanted red, white and blue sugar strands, but they'd all gone, so I had to buy them separately. I particularly like the pearls contrasting with the red and blue. The resulting mix looks a bit like royal jewels!

Gluten-free Chocolate Sponge Cake

Look at this delicious gluten-free chocolate cake. Someone's taken a big slice or two already! 

This recipe uses the following ratio of ingredients, you can multiply it up or reduce it for a smaller cake.
3 eggs 

6oz Doves Farm Gluten-free Self-raising Flour

6oz caster sugar  

6oz butter or margarine 

2tbsp cocoa

5tbsp milk

If you prefer metric measurements, you can use my Metric Conversion Chart.

Turn on the oven to Gas Mark 5, 190° Celsius or 160° Fan oven.

Grease 2 x 7 inch sandwich tins and line each with a circle of baking paper. 

Cream the sugar and margarine together until light and fluffy, beat in each egg and fold in the flour and cocoa followed by the milk. Or you can use a food processor which is much quicker as you can mix it all in one go.
Divide between the tins and smooth the top. Bake for 25 minutes until well risen and firm to the touch.
When cooled, sandwich together with chocolate butter icing, made with 2oz butter or margarine, 3oz icing sugar and a tablespoon of cocoa, and dust the top with icing sugar, or you could smooth some melted chocolate over it for a treat. 

Instead of the cocoa for the cake, you can add vanilla essence, or grated orange or lemon rind, and sandwich with vanilla, orange or lemon butter icing, or simply raspberry jam or lemon curd. Mmmm!

Gluten-free Pancakes with Strawberries, Blueberries and Bananas

Pancakes are delicious at anytime of the year, and with gluten-free flour, everyone can enjoy them. This recipe can be adapted for breakfast, sweet desserts, or savoury lunches and suppers.

You will need:
½ pint milk (See Metric Conversion Chart above)
4oz Doves Farm Gluten Free Plain White Flour
1 large egg
Add 1½ oz caster sugar for sweet pancakes, or a pinch of salt for savoury.

These are the basic proportions of ingredients and will make 6-8 pancakes depending on the size of pan you use and the thickness of the pancakes. If you want to make more, just multiply them up.

I zuzz up the mixture in my food processor, or you can make it the traditional way by tipping the flour into a bowl and making a 'well' in the middle, a bit like the top of a volcano. Crack the egg into the centre, stir it a little with a wooden spoon to break up the white and yolk, then gradually add the milk and sugar (or salt). Beat it well to mix it all together. It is worth noting that batter made with ordinary flour is usually left to rest before using, if you do this with gluten-free flour, it will sink to the bottom! So use it immediately or give it an extra stir before you do.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot, swirl it around and then carefully pour out the excess into a heatproof jug; you can use it again for the next pancake. Then pour enough batter in to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Not too thick or it will be stodgy, and not too thin so it will break up when you try and turn it over. With pancakes, practice really does make perfect!
The pancake should be nearly cooked on the bottom. To check, ease up the edge with a silicone palette knife so as not to scratch the pan. If turning a golden brown, gently slide the palette knife underneath and flip it over, or you can try flipping it in the air!
Keep cooked pancakes hot, stacked on a plate in a warm oven about 110°C until you are ready to eat.

This one is a sweet pancake, topped with maple syrup, blueberries, sliced strawberries and banana, but you can use any softer fruit like melon which tastes delicious with the maple syrup, or of course, simply squeeze on some lemon and sprinkle with sugar. Also try apple stewed gently with raisins and cinnamon, lovely on a cold day!

Savoury pancake ideas include: chopped chicken and ham in a white sauce, or prawns in cheese sauce.

For a basic white sauce you will need:

½ pint of milk

½ onion studded with 2 cloves

1 tbsp cornflour

salt and pepper

Put most of the milk and the onion in a saucepan to heat gently to almost boiling.
Remove from the heat and take out the onion. 

Mix the cornflour with the rest of the milk, then stir into the saucepan.

When completely mixed, bring to the boil to thicken it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can also ring the changes by adding chopped parsley, grated cheese, or mushrooms sliced and fried in a little oil.  

All cornflour should be gluten-free, the only problem arising when it is made on the same production line as gluten products. If you want to be sure, you can buy Doves Farm Organic Corn Flour which certainly is. 

I hope that you will enjoy these ideas for tasty gluten-free pancakes.

Gluten-free Apple and Blackberry Crumble

In this wintry weather, it's comforting to have a hot pudding, but not always easy when you have to avoid gluten.
This Apple and Blackberry Crumble is simple to make and can be enjoyed by everyone.

Turn on your over to Gas Mark 6 or 200ºC
You will need:
8oz Doves Farm Gluten Free Plain White Flour
4oz Caster Sugar
4oz Margarine or Butter
2tbsp Sugar to sweeten apples
1tbsp Demerara Sugar to sprinkle on top of crumble
3-4 Cooking Apples
Handful blackberries
(For Metric measurements - see my chart above)

Using a food processor or simply your fingers, rub the margarine into the flour until it is like breadcrumbs.
Add the sugar and stir in.
That's it!
Peel, core and cut the apple into quarters and then slice them up.
Mix in the blackberries and sugar.
Place in an oven proof dish, big enough to take the fruit and the crumble.
Spread the crumble on top, pressing it down gently with the back of a wooden spoon.
Sprinkle the Demerara on the top.
Place dish on a baking tray to keep your oven clean.
Cook for about 40 minutes.
It's delicious with vanilla ice cream or custard. (Recipe can be found here with the instructions for my Gluten-free Blueberry Sponge Pudding.)
You can also ring the changes with plain apple, apple and blueberry, apple and cinnamon, or rhubarb which is delicious with added orange zest and ginger.
That should keep you warm until the spring!