Recipe: Cocoa Sponge Cakes

This is a recipe I am going to try out soon, and I'll let you know how it goes.. it's from Rowie Dillon's Indulge which is an awesome gluten free cookbook. I like the look of this recipe because it doesn't just substitute gf flour for normal - which normally gives average results.

Cocoa Sponge Cakes


1 1/2 cups quinoa flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder (gf)
1 tsp baking powder (gf)
1 cup caster sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup coffee, chilled
2 tsps vanilla extract (gf)
2 tsp white vinegar

Icing
125g dairy free margarine
1 1/4 cups icing sugar (gf)
1/2 tbs cocoa powder (gf)

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases
2. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder and sugar in a large bowl
3. Combine the oil, coffee and vanilla in a separate bowl, then add to the dry ingredients and stir well. add the vinegar and quickly stir to combine. Pour immediately into the paper cases
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until skewer inserted into middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin and turn out onto a wire rack for icing
5. To make the icing, beat the margarine and sugar in a small bowl with beater until well combined. add the cocoa powder and beat until well combined and the icing is smooth and thick. Using a palette knife (or metal spatula), spread the icing generously over the cakes

Recipe: Gluten-free Jaffa Cake

We all our have foodie strengths.

PhoodiePharmacist is always my first port of call when I need a restaurant recommendation. Or to know which brand of chocolate is gluten-free. I will always insist that Mr R pick out cheeses for a platter, and I would (and do) travel great distances for his Eggs Benedict.  And I’m sure if I ever need to order the world’s most boring pizza, I can call Superman.

And I don’t think my esteemed compadres would argue with my declaration that I am something of a baking diva. In short, I love to bake. I love the smell of something baking wafting through the house, I love taking baked treats to work to share with my colleagues and I love nibbling on a piece of home-baked cake – the secret ingredient is love, surely? In times of great stress, some people turn to meditation or yoga. I switch on the oven and drag out a favourite recipe.

This recipe is a new favourite because it has such a spectacular result for so little effort. It’s a luscious, rich chocolate cake with a delicious hit of orange. It’s an old Nigella Lawson recipe and receives bonus points because it is gluten and lactose free (because, according to Mr R, that makes it healthy). If you’re a baking diva like me, this is definitely one to try.

Gluten-free jaffa cake

Ingredients

2 small thin-skinned oranges (about 400g total weight)

6 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

200 g almond meal

250 g caster sugar

50 g cocoa

 Directions

Put the whole orange/oranges in a saucepan with some cold water. Bring to the boil, cooking for 1 ½ hours or until skin is soft.

Drain and leave to cool.

Preheat the oven to 180°C and butter and line a 20cm springform tin.

Cut the cooled oranges in half and remove any big pips. Cut each orange into about eight pieces. Put the pieces in the food processor and pulp.

Add the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, almonds, sugar, cocoa and eggs to the food processor and process until you have a cohesive batter. Pour into the prepared cake tin.

Bake the cake for 50mins – check after 45 but it could need as much as an hour. It varies from oven to oven.

Leave the cake to get cool for half an hour, then turn out onto a cooling rack

If you don’t have any lactose-free requirements, top with a dark chocolate ganache and serve with double cream (it’s worth the extra calories).

Clementine xx

Recipe: Milk Chocolate Rocky Road

This is the other rocky road that I'm going to make for Christmas. I always buy Rowie's Cakes' gluten free, dairy free Rocky Road from the supermarket for morning tea at work, so thought I'd make the one from Rowie's cookbook! (Indulgence, by Rowie Dillon)
I have made it dairy free by using Sweet William dairy free chocolate (health food aisle).

Not So Nutty Rocky Road
Makes 18 - 20 pieces

• 2 cups marshmallows, roughly chopped
• 30 g puffed rice (make sure gf - had to go to organic grocer to get one that was uncontaminated)
• 70 g hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 50 g sultanas
• 50 g fresh or frozen raspberries or cranberries
• 375 g dark chocolate, chopped

1. Line a tray with baking paper
2. Combine the marshmallows, puffed rice, hazelnuts, sultanas and berries in a large bowl
3. Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth
4. Pour the chocolate onto the marshmallow mixture and stir until well combined. Spoon onto the tray and allow to set. Beak into random pieces and serve.

Recipe: Tiramisù

This recipe is from my "italian mamma" who lives in Mantua, Lombardy. I went on exchange when I was 16 here and have stayed in touch. Giovanna is famous for her tiramisù, and makes this often. I will try and find some of her other recipes in my paperwork to post here. It is so easy, and so tasty. Please excuse the clumsy directions, I translated it from italian.

NB: To make gluten free: I have just found gf savoiardi (Schär brand, called Ladyfingers) in T. Dux

Tiramisù

For 4-6 ppl

1 cup of weak coffee
4 eggs
4-6 tbs of caster sugar
500g marscapone
4-6 tbs brandy
300g savoiardi (aka ladyfingers)
powdered bitter cocoa

1. mix egg YOLKS and ~3tbs sugar together well (keep 2 WHITES aside for step 3)
2. add to this the marscapone and 2-3 tbs brandy (check for sweetness, add more sugar if necessary)
3. beat 2 egg whites until well beaten, and add to mixture
4. in a shallow bowl, put the weak coffee, 2-3 tbs brandy and 2-3tbs sugar - make sure everything dissolved
5. dip the savoiardi lightly into the bowl, and place them side by side in a pyrex dish (as a layer)
6. on top of this, put a layer of the marscapone mixture
7. repeat 5&6 until all used up - with marscapone as last layer
8. dust cocoa on top and put in fridge for 2 hours.
9. EAT