chocolate truffles GF DF

My sister Rebekah introduced me to this pretty great recipe last week, and so in an effort to make nice things for my dieted out daughter I changed the recipe to become dairy free and gluten free. :)

125 gm GF DF coconut biscuits
100 gm DF margarine
1/4 cup cocoa
1 cup icing sugar (check ingredients)
1 cup coconut
1/4 cup dried fruit (I used a mix of apricots and apple)
1/2 tsp caramel essence
1-2 Tbsp water

Crumb biscuits in a food processor. Add the margarine, cocoa, icing sugar and coconut. Add dried fruit and caramel essence. Mix, adding a little water if dry. Form mixture into small balls. Roll in extra coconut and chill until firm.

These will keep for up to 2 months in the fridge. DELICIOUS!!!

New England Pumpkin Muffins

50 gm dairy free margarine
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs (or 3 Tbsp Golden Syrup)
1 cup cooked mashed pumpkin
1 2/3 cups healtheries baking mix
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sultanas

Makes 42 mini muffins.

Mix all the above ingredients with a wooden spoon, in a bowl using the above order. Put teaspoonfuls of mixture into prepared muffin pans. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 10-15 minutes. They almost melt into your mouth, hmmm, DELICIOUS!

Note: I cooked the pumpkin (skin and all) in the microwave and pureed it in the food processor with a little water.

Pancakes GF DF

1 cup Healtheries Simple Gluten Free Baking Mix
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1/2 cup coconut cream
3 Tbsp sugar
1 egg

Mix all of the ingredients together and cook in 1/4 cup measurements in a hot pan.

Serve with maple syrup and dairy free margarine.

Homemade Custard GF DF

2 eggs
2 slightly rounded Tbsp sugar
2 heaped Tbsp gluten free cornflour
2 cups coconut cream (1 tin and add water to make up to 2 cups)
1 tsp vanilla essence

Beat eggs, sugar and cornflour together.

Add coconut cream and beat.

Cook on high, beating every three minutes until desired consistency is achieved (doesn't take long).

Add vanilla essence and beat.

Adjust cornflour for runnier or thicker custard.

This recipe is an old family favourite, one I grew up with (of course that one had dairy in it). This one is DELICIOUS, and everyone wants to come back for more!

Hot Cross Buns GF DF

Based on the recipe found here, but using a breadmaker instead of a stand mixer and with a few adjustments to the recipe to make it dairy free!

Makes 12
Preparation: 30 minutes, + proving
Cooking: 15 minutes

3 teaspoons (10g) dried yeast
1 can coconut cream (400gm tin)
2 tablespoons caster sugar
31/4 cups (plus 2 tablespoons extra) Healtheries Simple Wheat & Gluten Free Bread Mix
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground mixed spice
60g dairy free margarine
2 cups dried mixed fruit
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
Warmed apricot jam, to glaze

1. Place yeast, coconut cream and sugar in a small mixing bowl. Whisk to dissolve sugar. Rest for 10 minutes.

2. Sift together 31/4 cups bread mix, spices and 1/2 teaspoon salt into the breadmaker tin. Using fingertips, rub through margarine. Add mixed fruit, eggs and yeast mixture. Put on the dough function of your breadmaker.

3. Using a 1/3-cup dry measure, scoop into generous mounds on a greased
30x20cm lamington pan, making 3 rows of 4 mounds each. Rest the dough in a warm place for 45 minutes until almost doubled.

4. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced. Mix extra 2 tablespoons bread mix, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1 tablespoon water to a paste and pipe crosses on buns. Bake for 25-30 minutes until cooked through and browned. Brush on jam while still warm.

The most difficult part of making hot cross buns (in my opinion) is making the crosses. I guess it's the perfectionist in me! Oh well, these turned out okay. They taste great, and mean that we can all celebrate Good Friday carrying on a yummy tradition!

We took them to Daddy who had to work today!

Carrot Muffins GF DF

Makes 48 mini muffins.

1 1/2 cups Healtheries Simple Baking Mix
1 tsp mixed spice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar (I use muscovado sugar instead)
3 large eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup dried mixed fruit
4 Tbsp dessicated coconut

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius. Prepare silicon muffin trays by using paper patty cases. Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl in order above. Combine with a wooden spoon - don't over-mix! Cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

DELICIOUS!

(Photo to come)

Announcement; Gluten Free Recipes to come!

We have just discovered, via elimination, that my youngest daughter is not only intolerant to milk, but she is also intolerant to gluten (wheat). So I will be adjusting some of our family favourites to be more in line with this. Today, I made carrot muffins - they were really YUMMY! There is hope for us yet!

If you have any great gluten free and dairy free recipes I would love to hear them. Email any to me at sewfunky@orcon.net.nz - thanks! :)

chocolate syrup

This recipe makes a delicious chocolate syrup that could rival some of the better (think, more expensive) bought ones.

1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Stir constantly until sauce begins to thicken (2-5 minutes of boiling). Store in a jar in the fridge.

You can use it to make both hot & cold drinks or as a delicious ice cream topping! Use one tablespoon of syrup for each drink!!

the recipe box swap; Spag Bol

Spaghetti Bolognaise

2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
500gm minced beef
1 x 400gm can's of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp mixed herbs - optional
1/2 glass of wine - optional

Brown the garlic and onion in the oil. Then add the mince and the other ingredients and boil until nice and thick.

Serve with fresh pasta and yummy cheese on top!

(photo to come!)

New look to the blog...

Huge KUDOS to my wonderful hubby, who saved the day when I updated the blog to the not-so-new blogger. I managed to lose everything except the posts - it was a sad, sad moment! Still here we are with a new blog template and two sidebars!!!

Let me know what you think in the comments!

The Recipe Box Swap

From Randi's I have to say blog; My little recipe box is in need of some new ideas, so I think that a recipe swap is in order.

On Thursday, February 7th, I will be posting a couple of my favourite recipes here on my blog and I invite you to do the same on your blog. I will provide an auto-link at the bottom of my post so that you can leave your post URL so that others can visit and see what you have cookin'.

Any recipe you choose will be perfect! I hope to see you on Thursday!

What a great idea - I say! :D

Shrove Tuesday - Crepe's

Using the crepe recipe and yummy ice cream recipe on this blog created a wonderful Shrove Tuesday experience for our family!

By way of explanation;
Shrove Tuesday is a great day for pancake lovers, but Shrove Tuesday also has a special religious significance for Christians, and provides a valuable message for people all over the world.

Shrove Tuesday, or Pancake Day as it is often called, is the last day before the Christian festival of Lent begins. Lent is the time when Christians prepare for Easter by giving up something special for 40 days. Traditionally Christians would fast (give up food) as a way of remembering the 40 days that Jesus spent alone in the desert, but nowadays people give up all sorts of things for the 40 day period. Television, meat, wine and chocolate are common sacrifices, but people can choose to forgo anything in recognition of the festival.

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday. Traditionally Christians would rub ashes on their forehead on this day, as a way of showing they were sorry for their sins. The ashes are made from the palm crosses from last year’s Palm Sunday celebrations, and symbolise the death and resurrection of Christ.

Scones made the dairy-free way!

3 cups flour
6 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
50 gm dairy free margarine
1 1/4 cups coconut cream (slightly less than a can)

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Rub the margarine into the flour mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add coconut cream and mix quickly into a soft dough. Lightly knead. Lightly dust an oven tray with flour. Press scone dough out onto this. Cut into even sizes. Leave a 2 cm space between scones. Brush tops with left over coconut cream. Bake at 220 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes or until golden brown.

homemade hamburger patties

Makes around 30 patties.

2kg minced beef
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1 cup homemade tomato sauce
4 eggs, lightly beaten

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, and then shape mixture into patties, and snap-freeze on trays in freezer. Store in freezer bags until required.

Homemade Tomato Sauce

Makes 2-3 cups.

2 tbsp oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 x 400gm can's of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp mixed herbs - optional
1/2 glass of wine - optional

Brown the garlic and onion in the oil, then add the other ingredients and boil until desired consistency.

Can be used to add to bolognaise sauce or as is.