One flavour which I really enjoy is Maple. In Canada at this time of year, the sap is running on the Maple trees and they are tapping them so that they can make Maple Syrup.
One of my favourite things to do when I lived there, with the family, was to take a trip into the Maple bush to watch them making the Maple Syrup and to buy some of their products.
They don't just make syrup, but also candies and sugar. Butter, fudge, etc. It takes about 45 litres of maple sap to make one litre of syrup.
The harvested sap goes into a sugar house where it is put into the evaporator which boils and condenses it down into syrup, as the water evaporates.
For other products (butter, sugar, candy) the syrup is boiled/evaporated/condensed even further.
When I first moved over here to the UK, Maple anything was very hard to procure. I came over with a 4 liter can of Maple syrup which I carried right onto the plane.(Try doing that now!)
Thankfully Maple products are a lot easier to find now. You can buy the syrup in all the shops and even Maple sugar in some.
I used some of my maple sugar the other day to make this delicious Pear & Maple Upside-down Cake, along with some maple flavouring in the batter.
Pears and maple go very well together. I had some tinned pears which were coming close to their sell by date and this was a great way to use them up.
Of course if you don't have maple sugar, soft light brown sugar works very well. It is what was originally used in making upside down cakes. Using maple sugar was my own idea, and it worked well.
I used tinned pear halves and pecans, filling in the spaces in between with some slices of pear and more pecan nuts.
The recipe itself was based on the one for Pineapple Upside-down Cake in my old Purity Cookbook. You can't beat that book!
It is filled with lots of very sound basic recipes.
The recipe for the batter calls for the use of white vegetable shortening, which makes for a lovely white sponge. Generally, you can use butter or margarine in place of shortening, but making this substitution may slightly alter the texture of baked goods.
Shortening is 100 percent fat, but butter and margarine are composed of about 85 percent fat and 15 percent water.
I have found that in cakes the substitution is barely noticeable really, except you might have a slight golden cake instead of a pure white one.
Not a problem really. Just don't use whipped or spreadable butters/margarines. Use solid, and you will be okay.
I think I like this Pear & Maple version even better than the old Pineapple version. My husband ate two pieces, one while it was still warm and another one later on after it had cooled!
Myself, I am trying hard to resist it, but it's hard to do! A little sliver won't hurt . . .
*Pear & Maple Upside down Cake*
makes 1 9-inch cake
A
delicious twist on an old favourite. If you want you can use 65g (1/2
cup) of maple sugar instead of the brown sugar called for in the recipe
for an even more maple-like flavour. That is what I did this time and it
worked beautifully.
a quantity of toasted pecan nuts
210g plain flour (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp maple flavouring
190g sugar (1 cup)
.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Whisk in the sugar. Drop in the shortening and 120ml (1/2 cup) of the milk. Beat on low speed with an electric whisk for 1 minute. Add the eggs, remaining milk and maple flavouring. Beat for an additonal 2 minutes on low speed. Pour over the pears in the pan. Smooth out evenly.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. The cake should spring back when lightly touched. Remove from the oven. Immediately invert on a serving plate. Let cool for 10 minutes before carefully lifting off the cake tin.
Cut into weges to serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
This really is a lovely cake and one I am sure the whole family will enjoy! Bon Appetit!
The other day I was in the shops and I thought I would buy a loaf of gluten free bread to try it out. I have one word to say. BLECCH.
It was a very popular name brand, and it did have a nice texture and it looked like real bread, albeit a much smaller loaf, and very expensive I might add. £3 for a seeded loaf.
It didn't taste bad. It just left a pasty kind of coating in my mouth. I couldn't bring myself to eat any more of it. I just couldn't. I will have to try making my own.
If these delicious brownies are any example of how good homemade gluten free baking can be, then we are in for a treat. I need to do some research first on bread.
I am not sure why it is so difficult to photograph chocolate things. They never come out looking at tasty as they really are.
If you have any hints or tips on that, I would really appreciate!
These gluten free chocolate brownies are fabulous. Dense. Fudgy and chocolatey!
I dusted them lightly with some icing sugar to make them look better. Not sure if it worked, lol
They really are nice . . . with a fudgy, dense and rich chocolate crumb . . .
I wish I could just give you one to try to you could taste test for yourself, I am that sure you would love them. Especially if you love Brownies.
I baked these for a friend of mine in hospital who is wheat and dairy free, and she loved them. Of course I had to try them before I gave them to her.
I would never give anyone anything I hadn't tasted myself and didn't KNOW tasted great!
They are composed of butter, ground almonds, cocoa powder and copious amounts of dark chocolate, with some eggs, brown sugar and flavourings . . .
Vanilla and orange flavourings . . . think dark chocolate orange here.
If you are not fond of chocolate and orange together, you can simply leave out the orange flavouring, and add a touch more vanilla.
This was excellent served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.
I dare say these would make an excellent dessert choice if you knew that you were having gluten intolerant people over for dinner.
*Gluten Free Brownies*
Makes 6 - 8 servings
Preheat the oven to 160*C/325*F/ gas mark 2. Base line an 8 by 12 inch baking tin with baking paper. Set aside.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer on the stove. Using a bowl that will sit comfortably on top without the bottom touching the water, put the butter and chocolate into the bowl and place over the simmering water. Stir until it is melted and amalgamated. Set aside to cool slightly.
Beat together the eggs, brown sugar, vanilla and orange extracts. (If using)
Whisk together the cocoa powder, almonds and baking powder. Make a well in the centre. Pour over the melted chocolate/butter mixture and the egg mixture. Stir togther until well combined, working from the centre. Pour into the prepared baking tin.
Bake for 25 minutes until set all over and beginning to pull away from the edges of the pan. For gooey brownies, take them out a bit sooner. For firm brownies leave in the oven a bit longer. Allow to cool completely in the pan. Tip out onto a board and carefully peel off the paper. Cut into squares or bars as desired. Store in an airtight container.
Oh boy . . . was this ever good! Amazing even. I had it slightly warm with some Scottish ice cream. I think you will enjoy, even if you aren't gluten free. Bon appetit!
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This recipe I am showing you today is a very simple one that you can make for one, or you can make for many, depending on what your needs are. You CAN only cook one at a time however, but once you get started, it moves very quickly along.
Its basically a very thin, crepe-like omelette, which is folded around a quantity of spring onions, cheese and ham. Easy peasy.
Todd really enjoys these, and he is a simple man with simple tastes, so this basic one is all I usually do for him, but they are very easy to amp up with other flavours. You can try adding a line of salsa and using jack cheese for a mexican flavour. Chopped tomatoes, peppers, olives, thinly sliced pepperoni and mozzarella for a pizza flavour. Or just go veggie and have your favourite cooked sliced veggies and cheese. I love broccoli and cheddar myself. I think you are going to have fun making these and adapting them to your own tastes and flavours!
*Ham, Cheese & Egg Breakfast Wrap*
For 12 medium free range eggs
Crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk them together with the salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese. Melt the butter in a large non-stick skillet, over medium heat. Once the butter begins to foam, swirl it to coat the skillet and pour in your egg mixture, swirling it to cover the base of the pan.
Once it begins to look set around the edges, lay the spring onions down the centre of the egg mixture, leaving some space at the top and the bottom edges.
Lay the cheese out on top of the spring onions.
Lay the ham on top of the cheese.
Reduce the heat to low and cover with a lid. Cook for a further 2 to 3 minutes to heat everything through. Everything should be hot and the cheese should be melted.
Everything should
be hot and the cheese should be melted.
Fold over the top and bottom, and fold over the edges to enclose everything completely.
The neatness of your folds, will of course depend on how much you have inside the omelette. I was rather generous with the ham the other day. I couldn't separate it (hate it when that happens) so I just plopped a quantity on top!
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter that it look exact. It really only matters that it is delicious, and I can tell you I never hear any complaints what-so-ever! Bon Appetit!
These delicious muffins I am showing you today make for a fantastically tasty grab and go mid-week breakfast. Perfect for days when you are in a rush and don't have a lot of time to dawdle at the breakfast table.
I love muffins. Not quite a sweet as a cupcake, they almost make you feel like you are making a virtuous choice when you choose to have one.
Who doesn't love a muffin? Small individual quick breads built just for one!
These lovely muffins smell heavenly when they are baking and no wonder as they are chock full of lovely nutritious things.
Whole grain oats, grated fresh apple, chopped dried apricots, chopped toasted pecans . . .
Ripe banana, sultanas . . . sweet honey . . . oh, how I love honey . . .
They are a perfect combination of fruit, nuts and fibre to keep up your energy levels and help keep you going the whole morning through!
Because there are only two of us, I always cut the recipe in half, and when using my medium muffin tin, I get 9 medium muffins.
These are just perfectly sized for us. Using a larger tin will yield fewer muffins.
They are moist and delicious, filled with lots of lovely bits . . .
I love these muffin so much I will quite happily declare that they are my all-time favourite breakfast muffin. But they're not only good for breakfast, try them for your elevensies tea break, or in the afternoon with your coffee break.
They are great packed into the kid's lunch boxes, and also freeze well, when stored in an airtight container. They will keep well for about 3 months. Simply reheat for about 30 seconds in the microwave if frozen.
*Apricot & Honey Muffins*
Makes 12
Whisk together the flour, soda, baking powder, spice, apricots, pecans, raisins, and porridge oats in a large bowl. Mash the banana well with a fork and then beat together with the eggs, oil, vanilla, honey and milk. Stir in the brown sugar. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Pour in the wet and mix to combine, working from the centre. Spoon into the prepared muffin cases, filling htem 2/3 full. Sprinkle the tops with few more chopped toasted pecans for texture and crunch.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 - 40 minutes until golden brown, well risen, and the tops spring back when lightly touched. Cool on a wire rack.
These are fabulous fresh but will keep for several days in an airtight container.
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