A good hot cross bun recipe - grain free, refined sugar free

So I mentioned in my last post that we were going to try the BePure Champion Hot Cross Muffin recipe. Well it was a winner. Really really yummy. Though my crosses were a bit of a failure because I don't have a piping bag!

 

 

The only things I changed were swapping out the 2 Tbsp psyllium husk with 1 tsp of xanthum gum as I didn't have any psyllium left. Also I used maple syrup instead of rice malt syrup.

They were a great texture, and were still great the day after. Definitely gave us our hot cross bun fix for the Easter weekend.

This recipe is definitely a keeper and will go into my Tried And Tested folder.

TRIED AND TESTED - Coconut banana berry muffins (grain and refined sugar free)

I thought I would start sharing with you some of my tried and tested and favourite recipes. It's good to get recipe recommendations, especially when you are trying to cook gluten free or grain free or refined sugar free. You can spend ages trying to find suitable recipes, there are so many recipes out there that promise deliciousness but sadly fail to deliver! Have you had that experience? It's so disheartening - wasted time, and wasted ingredients - not cool.

 

A friend and myself have been running cooking classes over the last couple of years. We help people who are just starting out on the real food / restricted diet journey. We give them tips and ideas and share with them some of our favourite recipes. Tried and tested recipes, yummy recipes, that actually work, don't have a huge long list of ingredients, and are quick and simple to make - that's what we're all about.

 

So I'm going to share the recipe sharing love around and with you guys too :) I will label all these recipes TRIED AND TESTED so you will be able to find them in my side bar once I start adding more.

 

 

These are my new favourite muffins at the moment, I am making them on a weekly basis.

They tick all the boxes.

 

 :: COCONUT BANANA BERRY MUFFINS ::

 

You can find the original recipe here at The Hearty Soul. I have made a few little amendments - I have reduced the maple syrup and added the tapioca and ground nuts/seeds to make them a little more dense. Normally I make double the recipe and freeze some so we can enjoy them all week. (When I double the recipe I don't double the fruit - just do 3 bananas and 1 1/2 cups berries.)

 

- 2 ripe bananas, well mashed

- 2 eggs

- 1/3 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

- 1 cup desiccated coconut

- 1/4 cup tapioca flour

- 1/4 cup ground nuts/seeds (ones in photo had almond, last time I used sunflower and flax seeds)

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 Tbsp maple syrup

- 1 cup fresh or frozen organic berries

 

Mix together all the ingredients except for the berries (you can use a blender if you wish). Stir the berries through at the end (I often chop up some of the bigger ones).

Pour into lined muffin tins.

Bake at 180 c for about 15 minutes.

 

Christmas fruit mince tarts (grain and sugar free)

We have been enjoying a pretty chilled out lead up to Christmas, just pottering around, going for some walks, doing some baking, catching up with family.
Aaron is off work now and his dad and step mum have arrived from Australia to stay. My mum will be arriving on Wednesday and my dad will turn up some time this week. The kids are getting very excited opening their advent calendars and counting down the days.
We've planned our Christmas menu and are planning on hitting the shops tomorrow to buy the rest of what we need. We want to make it as relaxing as we can on the day, so we plan on having a BBQ - which means men do the cooking :) (hopefully no rain showers!) and pretty much all the food preparation can be completed on Christmas Eve, so hopefully lots of feet up sipping cold drinks is on the agenda!

The kids and I made these Christmas tarts last week, we've gobbled up quite a few, but there are still some tucked away in the freezer. I'm also going to make a paleo style Christmas cake this week. It's nice to be able to enjoy these festive foodie traditions even when you don't eat gluten, grains or sugar.

:: Christmas Fruit Mince Tarts - gluten, grain and refined sugar free ::

Pastry
1/2 cup whole raw almonds
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter, diced (or coconut oil)
1 egg
1 tsp honey
Process the whole almonds until like breadcrumbs, add the almond flour and tapioca flour and pulse until mixed. Add the diced butter and blitz. Lastly add the egg and honey and pulse till well combined. It will be quite sticky but we just pulled pieces off and pressed them into our tart tin. You can chill it a bit to firm it up and make it easier to handle, but don't chill too long or it will be hard as rock :).

Fruit mince
(This made lots so we have had enough to make a few batches. Keeps for ages in the fridge.)
1/2 cup dates
1 cup raisins
1 cup sultanas
1/2 cup currants
1/3 cup dried cherries
1/4 cup preserved or crystallised ginger
2 apples peeled and quartered
1/2 cup almonds
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp brandy or brandy essence
Basically just throw everything into your blender and blitz it until it's all combined and sticky.

Brush your tart tin well with coconut oil and then press the pastry dough into it. Top with fruit mince. Roll some of the pastry out with lots of tapioca flour to stop it sticking and then cut into stars with a cookie cutter. Press yours stars down lighting onto each tart. Brush the tops with a little egg white if you wish.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 15 mins or until lightly browned.

Happy 6th birthday Isla

She was so soooo excited to be turning 6, she would literally dance and sing in the days leading up to the big day if anyone mentioned it or if she happened to think about it. So sooooo exciting to be turning 6!



It has become a tradition here to set the table for breakfast, sneakily, when they go to bed the night before. I set it all up with their birthday card and presents and all their toys, they love waking up and going out to see what awaits them.



We didn't plan a big party this year, but we had a few simple celebrations and all the people who love her sent their love her way. We were treated to a visit from my mum who came to stay for a few days and then Aaron's mum from Australia came to stay also.



My mum was able to spend the birthday morning with us, and as her birthday happened to fall on our homeschool playgroup day, we had some birthday cupcakes and a picnic at the beach with our friends in the afternoon.



Isla's GG (Aaron's mum) made a special birthday platter for her when she arrived on Saturday. (This has become her tradition for them, when she is able to be here for their birthday).





On the Saturday after her birthday her cousins and a few girls she loves to play with at church joined us for a picnic afternoon tea.









She wanted a tinkerbell cake, so I cut out tinkerbell figurines and had the girls help decorate the cake with them. Then Isla sprinkled the cake with 'fairy dust' - (sparkly cake sprinkles that I changed the label on). Isla's friend Beth wanted to know if it meant we would be able to fly if we ate the cake.







The cake recipe I used was this one, grain free with honey to sweeten. It was a bit of a risk as I'd never made the recipe before. It was delicious! Highly recommended! I made the icing pink by adding a little bit of beetroot juice.





She had such a wonderful 6th birthday and she is still smiling a week later, and enjoying playing with all the special gifts she received. Thank you everyone for making this celebration so special for her.

Gluten free flat bread with flax seed

This is a yummy recipe that I've been making lots. It's a great snack for the kids to munch on when we're out and about and very yummy dipped in saucey curry.



:: Gluten free flat bread with flax seed ::
(See original recipe here at food.com)

- 1/4 cup ground flax seed (I grind whole seed in a spice grinder)

- 1/2 cup tapioca flour

- 3/4 cup brown rice flour

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

- 1/8-1/4 cup water

Put all ingredients except water into a food processor, blend, then add water until it forms into a ball. (Or you can mix by hand). Cut dough into 8 pieces and roll flat between two sheets of baking paper. Fry in a dry frypan a few minutes each side.

DIY flour shaker

I've had my eye out for a nice flour shaker for a while.
Don't know why I didn't think to do this earlier.





I just used a nail and a hammer to make the holes, probably should have drilled them, but I was in a hurry, once I think of a new idea I just want to do it right away. I figured I can always make a new one later if the messyness annoys me, I have plenty of those metal lids.
I had the jar already, and it's perfect, it's quite narrow so easy to hold and shake.

Gingerbread houses and Pepperkake

Well we're nearly there, it's nearly Christmas! The kids are getting so excited, opening their advent calendar first thing each morning to see what little picture is behind the door.  All my Christmas shopping is done, bought the last present today. So I've got some wrapping to do tonight, and also some more sanding and painting - I'm making the kids little wooden trees and houses to go with their train set, I didn't plan on being all crafty and making them myself, but I had something particular in mind and just couldn't find anything I liked.  I wish I had started earlier as the project is kind of dragging on seeing as the only time I can do them is in evening when they are both (eventually grrr)tucked up in bed.



We've been eating our pepperkake and trying to resist cutting into the Christmas cake, I'd like to save it till Christmas day. I popped out today to get ingredients to make some fruit mince tarts which will hopefully fulfill the craving for something spiced and fruity and keep the Christmas cake safe for a few more days. The kids made gingerbread houses at our homeschool playgroup, so much fun! And just as much fun to eat, but hmm, too many lollies for my liking, I stretched the eating of it over as many days as I could.  I would have liked to have made another bigger one but I don't think we will have time now - and use more dried fruit and nuts for decoration and less lollies. My sister is making one so I'm looking forward to seeing what hers looks like.  I found this amazing one which I've saved for inspiration for next year.







Here is the Pepperkake recipe if anyone wants to make it. You can see the original recipe here on Tiny Happy, (I've basically just changed the type of flour/sugar and how I form the biscuits).

:: Pepperkake ::

- 1 cup wholemeal spelt flour
- 1 cup white spelt flour
- 1 cup barley flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp finely ground pepper
- 1 1/2 tsps baking powder
- 3/4 tsp baking soda
- 1 Tbsp ground ginger
- 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
- 90 grams softened butter
- 3/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Grated rind of one lemon
- Icing sugar and lemon juice for decoration.

Mix the first group of dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat together the butter, sugar and egg until smooth. Then add the molasses, vanilla and lemon rind and beat well. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients. Divide the dough in half and put each half on a large piece of baking paper or glad wrap. Form a log with each piece using the paper to stop getting your hands all sticky. Fold the paper right over the dough and roll it into smooth log. Chill for at least 2 hours. Take the logs out and slice them up so that you have circles of about 1/2 cm thick.  The circles will get slightly flattened as you cut them so just reshape them slightly and put onto a greased baking sheet.
Bake at 180 degrees Celcius for about 10 minutes, or until nicely browned.
To make the white icing for decorating, mix some icing sugar with some lemon juice to make a smooth paste. Pipe decorations onto the biscuits once they are cooled.

Cake recipies to start the weekend

Sorry, I've been a bit absent this week, where has the week gone!
Thought it might be nice to share some recipies today, just in case you have a some time to do a little baking over your weekend.

Honeyed seed cake -


I found this recipe on this lovely blog - Sensible Living (recipe here). It's delicious and certainly deserves a mention, and I will certainly be making it again. I'll be copying it into my recipe box, when I finally remember to buy some more index cards. (The only change I made was using all wholemeal spelt flour instead of a mix of all purpose and whole wheat).

Banana oatmeal cake -


I made this a couple of weeks ago when I had very little flour in the house, and lots of oats, and ripe bananas. I just typed banana oatmeal cake into google, and found this. It's yummy, and will also be going into the recipe box for making again. (I altered it a bit by using all wholemeal spelt flour, halving the amount of sugar to 1/2 C, and only loosely followed the frosting recipe which I only made up a very small amount of - it was plenty sweet enough).

Enjoy your weekend, whatever you may have planned :)

I'm always saying this

...that my weeks just disappear, another one, almost gone, I've been a bit slack in my blogging haven't I, time just races sometimes, I've been meaning to blog, but each day just disappears.
We've been busy, just doing things, as you do. Lots of things I mean to write about, but I just don't find the time to write the words down. So instead, how about a few photos from our week, and just a few words, so that you know we are still alive, and then I'm off to try a new recipe, from that Nourishing Traditions book there above, a book that deserves a whole post of it's own, so interesting. And another book in that stack too deserves a proper mention - Warm Bread and Honey Cake - so good.


Highlight of the week, Aunty Frith coming to stay for two nights!


Finally a bit of sewing, it's been a while. Inspired by Frith's visit.


Eating the first of the broadbeans from the garden.


I just noticed the broccoli has tiny little minature heads!


Sugar snap peas are quickly growing.


This sweet little pea is growing quickly too - cousin Olivia. Isla is in love.


... and this sweet little pea is growing quickly too, our wee friend Ruby. As you can see Isla is in love with the new girls in her life!


And Aaron's been building which means offcuts to play with.


We've had a milestone this week - they are sharing a room! And it's working surprisingly well!


Tried out our new juicer from the opp shop, I've always wanted one. Carrot, orange and kiwifruit juice, delicious.


And this has been looking at me for two days, and has just been added this afternoon. Hmm, I suppose I better do it tonight.


And this is the reason the washing has piled so high (well part of it anyway :) I must admit to a strong dislike of folding washing). I'll share soon what I'm making, I'm getting a bit obsessed.

Hope your week has been good. I'm off to visit family next week as Aaron is away for work. So take care all and I'll see you back here a bit later.

(oh by the way, been meaning to say - Marnie are you out there? Marnie from music? I'd love to catch up.)

Nutty apricot slice

Hope your week has been all well and lovely so far, we've had my mum staying for a few days so we've been out and about and keeping busy and the children have had a great time pestering granma :). It's still blowing a gale here, which really is good weather to stay indoors, and sow seeds, and good weather to bake. Which is what we've been doing, and plan on doing this afternoon. So incase you're having the same blustery and rainy weather as us, you might want to try this slice recipe, which I promised last week I'd share with you. It's full of good things to fill little tummies, (and bigger tummies too of course).



Now the funny thing about this recipe is I have no idea where it came from. And this is funny because, it was all written out nicely, by me, and in my new(ish) recipe box. Which is funny because it's the recipe box that I am filling with my tried and true and favourite recipies, and yet I have no memory of ever making or eating this slice before. But anyway, there it is, and it's good, so it will stay.

:: Nutty apricot slice ::

- 3 cups rolled oats
- 175g diced dried apricots
- 250g chopped chocolate (I actually left this out as I'd run out)
- 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 100g chopped almonds
- 1 cup desiccated coconut
- 1/4 cup rapadura sugar
- 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup honey
- 150g butter

Mix oats, apricots, chocolate, seeds, almonds and coconut in a bowl.
Put sugar, peanut butter, honey and butter in a pot and heat on the stove top till melted.
Pour melted mixture into dry ingredients and stir well. Press into a lined tin and chill until firm. Slice into bars once chilled and set.