Easter for me is about treats. Hot cross buns slathered with butter, cake and Easter eggs, and more chocolate than you can shake a stick at. When I started thinking about what I wanted to make for my Easter treat this year, gluten-free hot cross buns were up there, but I really wanted to encompass everything I love about Easter into one delicious treat, which is where this recipe came from. These cupcakes are beautifully chocolatey with a gorgeous hit of hot cross bun spice. Topped with vanilla buttercream and some candied peel they really do scream Easter. INGREDIENTS
For the cupcakes
For the icing
To decorate
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First of all, I must point out that the image here is not one of mine. I made these cinnamon buns and they were scoffed before I could photograph them!
I wanted, therefore, to create my own gluten-free version of these Norwegian treats. I love the recipe I have created, but like everything I do, they will continue to be a work in progress, so if I do find that I hone this recipe further, I will, of course, post an update for you all. But, in the meantime, please give these delicious cinnamon-scented delights a go and let me know how you get on!
RECIPE For The Dough
For The Filling
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I was published again this month in Vintage Life magazine, and while it's an utter thrill to see my articles and recipes in print, this time around I'm rather disappointed (and it's not the first time...) The article I wrote has been shortened without me being asked first and the recipe sadly has been misprinted. I am therefore providing both the full article (Read that here) and recipe here. I hope you enjoy it! INGREDIENTS Makes 25 Sponge: 200g gluten-free self-raising flour 25g cornflour 225g soft unsalted butter 225g caster sugar 1 large lemon, zest only 4 eggs 1-2 tsp lemon extract Buttercream: 250g soft unsalted butter 200g icing sugar, sieved (Optional) Marzipan: 3 tbsp apricot jam 200g ready-made marzipan Icing & decoration: 1kg white fondant icing 150ml water Food colouring of your choice (I would suggest yellow) 1-2 tsp Lemon extract 100g dark chocolate METHOD:
In case you hadn't noticed, it's nearly CHRISTMAS! I genuinely can't believe how quickly it's come around this year, it seems like only yesterday it was summer and I was touring the country with Foodies Festival!
Obviously, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a Christmas dinner and whatever your choice of meat (or meat alternative), the accompaniments for me are what makes a Christmas dinner. Roast potatoes, vegetables, gravy, stuffing (gluten-free obviously) and of course, the Yorkshire puddings. Gluten-free Yorkshire puddings are a pain, I know. They always inevitably look like weird cookies and more often than not they don't rise. Most of the time I endeavour to make gluten-free versions of things that are just as good as the glutenous version if not better, but in the case of Yorkies, I have to announce to you all they are NEVER going to be identical to their gluten-laden counterparts, mainly due to the fact they rise differently and don't taste exactly the same. My recipe is as close to them as I can get, but I am always working on recipes, so if I can get them even closer, then, of course, I will post the updated recipe. However, I feel these "Yorkies" can adorn your table and plate and give you the same satisfaction their opposites give our gluten-eating friends and family. YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS Makes 12 puddings in a full size 12 cup muffin tray Ingredients:
Method:
These can be made in advance and frozen if needed. Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! In another post I talked about how exciting it was to have been published in Vintage Life magazine and that I was looking forward to being published again. The new issue was released on 28th of this month and I was really excited to see my next recipe in print. Sadly, there was a bit of a mix up with the articles I had provided them with so what you've got in this months magazine isn't quite right... What you should have got was a red velvet cake. What you actually got was my orange cake with the red velvet photographs. Oops! Hopefully, everything will be rectified for the next issue I'm in (December), but what I thought I would do is give you the orange recipe with the correct photos in this blog. Hopefully you have gone out and bought the magazine (and I can't thank you enough if you have) so you can still make a delicious gluten-free version of an original 1933 recipe and hopefully, the method gives you enough direction for decorating your finished bake. I also hope you enjoyed the article itself. I do love a bit of social and food history!! Apologies for any confusion caused and I do hope you'll subscribe to the magazine for more of my work. So, here is the recipe: KC ORANGE CAKE INGREDIENTS: For the Cake: 125g unsalted butter, at room temperature 240g caster sugar 125ml orange juice Zest from 1 orange 4 eggs 340g gluten free self-raising flour 40g cornflour 1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder ½ teaspoon course sea salt (if using table salt use a ¼ teaspoon) 125ml milk of your choice, at room temperature For the Filling: 4 tablespoons cornflour 60ml cold water 250ml orange juice Juice of half a lemon 160g caster sugar 1 egg, lightly beaten 1 tablespoon butter ¼ teaspoon course sea salt (use a pinch if using table salt) METHOD:
For any of you who have seen me demonstrate at Foodies Festival, or read my Victoria Sponge recipe you will know of my slight mania around crystallised flowers, specifically rose petals. I love roses in all their many forms and crystallising them just adds a whole new dimension to these beautiful blooms. After every single one of my demos, I was asked the same question; "how do I make the crystallised rose petals?". Well, my dears, I am here to tell you how! This technique can be used on any edible flower or herb. Mint leaves are especially fantastic crystallised and popped on top of desserts, though I am not sure I would suggest trying it with parsley or coriander, though I am sort of tempted to try sage! NB: I do use supermarket roses, which are more designed for looking at rather than eating and can have been sprayed with pesticides and insecticides. As I use so few on my cakes I am not worried about this, but if you have any concerns whatsoever, I suggest buying them from a reputable supplier of which there are many online. I would recommend Jan Billington, who you can find here: http://maddocksfarmorganics.co.uk or indeed, you can grow your own! Anyway, without further ado, here is how to do it... You will need: Rose petals Egg white (1 egg white per 40 rose petals) Caster sugar (a good few tablespoons) A clean paintbrush A baking tray lined with parchment or baking paper It really is that simple. I really love making these petals, I find the repetitiveness of it quite meditative, plus it can be done whilst watching your favourite film or TV show. Game of Thrones anyone?
As always, if you have any questions or queries please get in touch I would love to hear from you!
It was great to meet so many people and I hope I managed to answer all of your questions, I am always available to answer any queries you may have about baking or a gluten-free diet in general, so please don't hesitate to drop me an email or contact me via the website or any of my social media pages. I want to make baking inclusive to everyone, why else do you think I chose the tagline "Let Them All Eat Cake"!? I am also so excited to confirm that I will be back at Foodies Festival doing more demonstrations which is truly and honour and a thrill. You can catch me in Newcastle on the 3rd and 4th June. You can book tickets here if you would like to attend. Foodies is such a fun day out, it's family friendly and dogs on short leads are welcome too - great for us as we aren't allowed to turn up now without Butch! A few people have asked me if they could access my recipes on the website, and eventually I promise I will have a recipe section on the site, but for now, if you don't mind, I will share them here on the blog. The Victoria Sponge was one of the first recipes I mastered before going gluten free and it was super important to me to ensure I created a gluten free version that was as special as the wheaten version that become my speciality. As a retro girl, the Vicky sponge is incredibly close to my heart as something vintage and also as something that is incredibly versatile, it can be changed up in an instant with various flavours or different toppings, it really is my favourite cake. So without further ado, here is my recipe for a gloriously glam gluten-free Victoria Sponge INGREDIENTS:
For the cake 200g gluten free self raising flour 25g cornflour 225g soft unsalted butter 225g caster sugar 4 eggs 1-2 tsp vanilla extract 2-4 tbsp whole milk (or milk substitute) For the jam 150g fresh raspberries 1 tsp caster sugar (use more if you like a sweeter jam) 1 tbs fresh orange juice For the American buttercream 150g soft unsalted butter 300g icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 10 - 40 ml whole milk (or milk substitute) METHOD:
I hope you have a go at this cake and please do give me your comments! If you have any questions about the recipe, please don't hesitate to ask! |
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