A Gluten Free Survival Kit

The festive season is once again upon us and many of us will be preparing to spend time partying and dining with our family and friends.  

If you are dreading the prospect of eating out or you you don't want to be a burden on your party host, then here are a few suggestions to make life a little easier.

1. Print out a copy of Coeliac UK's handy guide - Organising a gluten-free dinner party, or direct your host to the webpage for some excellent advice on cooking gluten free and avoiding cross-contamination.
2. Bring your own emergency supplies - I often turn up to dinner parties with a packet of Trufree pretzels and some Nairns gluten free oatcakes stashed away in my handbag!  If your host hasn't provided any gluten free nibbles, or you're still peckish on the way home, you're well prepared!
3. Offer to bring dessert.  It's quite stressful planning a menu for someone with any kind of restricted diet, especially if you're not used to doing it.  It it always much appreciated when the restricted dietee offers to carry some of the burden - even if they don't take up the offer.
4.  If you are an overnight guest supply your own gluten free breakfast (a box of Doves Farm cereal, or some Warburtons free from fruity tea cakes, for example), just in case your host hasn't thought of that.
5. Remember to thank your host for all they have done for you, a wee gift goes a long way towards your invite back!  Why not whip up some white chocolate rocky road?

If the worst happens and you accidentally eat gluten, I am of the opinion that it's best not to tell the cook until you're back to normal - you'll feel more level-headed then and they won't have to see quite how ill they have made you - then direct them to that Coeliac UK guide for the next time you eat at their house!

Sticky Cardamon Cake

Some of the best discoveries happen by accident. I'm not claiming that this cake is anywhere near as life-changing as penicillin, but it is still pretty great! 

I was planning to make cardamon and rose water cakes, but I couldn't find my rose water anywhere so I resorted to using orange flower water instead. Cardamon has a lightly citrus scent anyway, so the orange flower water just enhances that, giving you a gently fragrant cake. The sticky bit happened because the Husband wanted to take the cake on a weekend road trip, so it had to stay moist for a few days. In the same way that lemon drizzle cake stays moist because of the lemon-y syrup poured over it, the honey meant that this cake was still good to eat four days after I baked it! 

Sticky Cardamon Cake

10 green cardamon pods

a pinch of salt

175g butter, softened

175g granulated sugar

3 large eggs

1 tbsp orange flower water

175g gluten free self raising flour mix

100ml runny honey

• Remove the seeds from all but 2 of the cardamon pods. Grind the cardamon seeds and salt together with a mortar and pestle. (You don't need the salt, it just makes it easier to finely grind the cardamon seeds)
• Beat the butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat.
• Pour in the orange flower water and combine. Sift in the flour mix and fold in, until smooth.
• Pour into a 20cm x 20cm cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven for 25 minutes, at 180°C.
• Meanwhile, bruise the remaining cardamon pods and add them to the honey and warm gently. I find the best way to do this is to put the honey in a heat proof bowl and rest it in a pan of boiling water.
• When the cake is lightly golden and springy to the touch, remove from the oven and prick all over with a fork. Drizzle the warm (now cardamon infused) honey all over the cake, allowing it to soak in.
• Leave to cool completely in the tin before cutting into about 20-25 squares.

Mint - Another Gluten Free Recipe Challenge!

The Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge returns!  If you haven't heard about the recipe challenge before, then have a look at my March challenge post to find out more.

This time, as well as being gluten free, the challenge specified that the recipes should also be egg free, and must use mint as the key ingredient.  As usual, my blogger friends have come up with a fantastic range of recipes for you to try.

Alex at Food Allergy and Intolerance Ink made Minted Peas and Quinoa

Annie at Annie's Supperclub made Pasta with Mint and Peas & a Pea, Mint and Feta Salad
Charissa at Zest Bakery made Melon Berry Mint Fruit Salad

Claire at The Gluten-Free Notebooks made Mint Triple-Choc-Chip Brownies

Debra and The Awkward Eater made Minty Lamb Burgers with Harissa

Hazel at Flicker of Fully Fun made Rhubarb with Quark Mint Creme

Mrs D at Adventures of a Gluten Free Globetrekker made Mint and Limoncello Granita
Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook made Mint Lamb Burgers

As you can clearly see, mint is a brilliantly versatile ingredient!  You can find it being used in many cuisines, from Middle Eastern and North African, Asian, Arab and American to our own British (lamb and mint sauce, anyone?) as well as in teas and cocktails.  It is also an easy herb to grow, given that I have succeeded in growing it and I tend to have the touch of death around most plants.

Why egg free?  While egg allergies are more common in children than adults (as many people outgrow the allergy), some have egg intolerances that continue throughout adulthood.  Other people avoid eggs through choice, vegans and many vegetarians abstain from them for ethical reasons, and quite a few people just plain don't like them.

I decided to make a cake, since my previous efforts at egg free baking have ended in tears and I was determined to find a recipe that actually worked!  After trying a few, this recipe from Food.com  became the basis for my creation.

Mint and Strawberry Cake

200g gluten free self raising mix
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
50g icing sugar
300g sweetened condensed milk
100g butter, melted
90ml water
400g strawberries, hulled and halved
10g fresh mint, chopped
175g caster sugar
250ml double cream

• Sieve the self raising flour mix, baking power, bicarbonate of soda and icing sugar together.    Add the condensed milk, melted butter and water and mix until smooth.
• Divide the mixture into two greased and lined 20cm cake tins and bake for 8-10 minutes at 200°C, until the whole cake has risen, then turn the oven down to 160°C for a further 5 minutes.
• Allow the cakes to cool in the tins for about 15 minutes before turning them out on to a cooling rack.
• Put half of the strawberries in to a large sieve or colander over a bowl and sprinkle 2 tbsp sugar over them.  Leave to stand until the juices have come out of the strawberries and have collected in the bowl. 
• Top the strawberry juice up to 250ml with water and pour into a saucepan with the rest of the caster sugar and the mint and bring to the boil.  Boil until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for about 5 minutes.  Strain and allow to cool.
• Whisk the cream and fold in a few tablespoons of the mint and strawberry syrup - I also folded in the rest of the tin of condensed milk (about 90g).  Spread half over one of the sponge cakes and place the other on top.  
• Spread the cake with the rest of the whipped cream and top with the remaining strawberries, glazed with syrup.

Oh, and you can use any leftover syrup to make a strawberry and mint mojito!

Coeliac book nominated for Best Health Book award

I am very excited to announce that Alex Gazzola - health writer, honourary gluten free-er and friend of this blog - has been shortlisted for a Guild of Health Writers Award 2012 for his book, Coeliac Disease: What you need to know.  It is fantastic news for Alex, and I'm sure you would want to join me in wishing him all the very best with the award.  If you haven't already, head over to Alex's blog Food Allergy and Intolerance Ink for informative articles, research and news on Coeliac Disease, food allergies and food intolerance, all written with his trademark mix of  sensitivity and gentle humour.

Press Release:

Coeliac book nominated for Best Health Book award

14^th March 2012

Coeliac Disease: What you need to know, the new book by health writer Alex Gazzola, has been shortlisted for a prestigious Guild of Health Writers Award 2012 for “Best Health Book”.

The book is a fact-packed guide to key aspects of coeliac disease, covering testing, diagnosis, new labelling regulations, diet and nutrition, future therapies, the psychological aspects of the condition, and much more.

It also features a foreword from Coeliac UK Health Ambassador, Dr Chris Steele.

Nutritionist and coeliac Ian Marber, formerly of The Food Doctor, called the book “a must-have for sufferers, medics, caterers and restaurant staff”.

It is up against books about psychology, cancer, IVF and dementia, and the winner will be announced at a gala reception on the 29^th March 2012 at the Royal Society of Medicine, London.

The book is published by Sheldon Press and is available on Amazon and all good bookshops for £7.99.

An ebook for Kindle will be available in Spring.

The Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge!

Welcome, to the very first Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge.

What is it?

I have gathered together some brilliant gluten free bloggers to cook or bake with a key ingredient.  With just a few restrictions on what they can make, each blogger must create a recipe to share with all of you.

Why?

Quite simply, I thought it would be fun!  More than that, however, I love a challenge, something to make me think outside of my routine, to cook something I wouldn't normally try.  Additionally; many people with Coeliac Disease, or other issues with gluten, have intolerances or allergies to other food types as well.  For most newly diagnosed Coeliacs, dairy products can pose a problem since the part of intestine that reacts to gluten is responsible for the digestion of milk, too.  Then, there are the difficult ones, like me, who have other health issues that can restrict their diets.  I have involved my other blogging friends in order to give you (and me) a wonderfully wide repertoire of recipes to try for yourself.  But, mainly because I thought it would be fun...

The Challenge.

For this first challenge, I chose oranges as the key ingredient.  Seville, blood, clementines, satsumas, tangerines, there are certainly enough to choose from!  The recipes could be sweet or savoury, as long as orange was the main ingredient.  The creations must also be dairy free and free from almonds, hazelnuts and chestnuts (as well as being gluten free, of course).

If life gave you oranges, what would you make?

Annie at Annie's Supper Club made Ginger and Orange Cakes

Bunmi at Foods You Can made Chocolate and Orange Mini Cupcakes
Christine at Christine's Healthy Kitchen made Coconut Dahl with Cauliflower, Pea and Chickpea Pancakes
Claire at Gluten Free Notebooks made Chocolate and Blood Orange Tarts

Hazel at Flicker of Fully Fun made Orange Jaffijelly

Hilary at Eat Free From made Lady Randell's Pudding

Jo at Diary of a Coeliac's Mother made Orange Drizzle Cake

Mrs D at Adventures of a Gluten Free Globetrekker made Orange Polenta Cake 

Ruby at Rubelle's Moon made Sticky Orange Tart

Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook made Orange Flavoured Cupcakes

Sarah at The Gluten Free Blogger made Dark Chocolate and Orange Muffins

And I made...

Duck Braised in Orange Juice

This started life as a furiously scribbled down recipe from Rick Stein's Far Eastern Odyssey, on BBC TV, but the recipe was never published online - so I watched the show on iPlayer to catch the main ingredients. The "original" recipe has changed a fair bit since then as I've tweaked and substituted things, but it's still one of my favourite dishes.  Serves 4

4 duck legs
5 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
4cm piece ginger, cut into matchsticks
400ml freshly squeezed orange juice (about 6-8 oranges, depending on their size)
1 tbsp gluten free tamari (I used Kikkoman)
1 tbsp sugar
4 star anise
2 red chillies, sliced into rounds (de-seed if you don't want it too hot)
a bunch of spring onions, whites cut into 2cm lengths, green parts sliced into 1/2cm rounds)

• Heat some oil in a pan and add the duck legs, skin side down, for 5 minutes to start browning the skin.  Remove from the pan and place, skin side up, in an oven proof dish.
• Gently sauté the garlic, ginger and white parts of the onions to just soften.  Add them to the oven proof dish, around the duck.
• Stir together the orange juice, tamari and sugar, until the sugar has dissolved.  Pour around the duck legs and add the anise and chilli slices (save a few slices for serving).
• If you have a large dish, add some water so that the liquid is about 3cm deep.  Cover tightly with foil or a well fitting lid and place in a pre-heated oven at 160 degrees Celsius (lower in a fan oven) for 3 hours, uncovering for the last 30 minutes.  The orange juice will have cooked right down to a syrupy sauce, take care it doesn't burn!
• Before serving, sprinkle the green parts of the spring onions over the dish.

If you want to take part in the next Great Gluten Free Recipe Challenge, email me for more details.

Banana Cinnamon Crepes

When I first met the man who would be my husband, I had no idea about the rich culture that he carried with him, in fact I had given it no thought whatsoever.  I had heard him talk about his cousins in Trinidad, and soon after we started dating I learned about the Sri Lankan side of his family.  Before long, I was intrigued.  My husband's heritage is a vibrant and interesting one and I was keen to learn more about it.

I was particularly fascinated by the food (natch), and after sampling Sri Lankan food (thanks to a couple of very talented Aunties and one Sri Lankan restaurant) I was hooked.  The deep, intense roasted curry powder, heavy use of chillies and, of course, cinnamon seduced me and I was determined to cook this cuisine for myself.  I have found that most Sri Lankan dishes that use flour call for rice or lentil flour, so are naturally gluten free.  I am still learning and discovering new ingredients (I'm Scottish - before all of this, coconut was just part of the coating on a Tunnocks Snowball) and I'm enjoying every moment.

That said, any Sri Lankans reading this post might want to look away now.  This recipe is very loosely inspired by hoppers, which use a fermented batter made with yeast, rice flour and coconut milk.  I say loosely, and I mean it, this is in no way an authentic recipe.

This month, the Gluten-Free Ratio is focusing on crepes.  T.R. over at No One Likes Crumbley Cookies is hosting this event, so pop over there to see the full round-up.

The ratio for crepes is 1:2:2.  That's 1 part flour : 2 parts egg : 2 parts liquid.  This ratio worked well for me, but some of the others in the rally have altered theirs in some way.  You are basically looking for a batter with the consistency of heavy cream, so depending on what flour you use you might have to adjust the amount of liquid slightly.  I was a little worried that the coconut milk I was using might change the way the batter cooked, but I was pleased to see that it worked in the same way as milk, but with the pleasing aroma of coconut wafting from the crepe pan!

Banana Cinnamon Crepes

2 eggs

56g brown rice flour

114ml coconut milk (the thin stuff - if you have coconut cream, dilute it with equal parts water)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

2 bananas, sliced

3 tbsp golden caster sugar mixed with 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

• Whisk together the eggs, flour and cinnamon until the mixture is smooth, with no lumps.
• Add the coconut milk and whisk again until smooth.  Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes, to allow the flour to absorb some liquid.
• Heat a non-stick frying-pan on a medium flame and brush lightly with oil (or use a piece of kitchen towel) to just coat the pan.  Give the batter a quick mix and pour approximately a quarter of it (about 1/3 cup) into the pan and swirl the pan to cover the surface with the batter.
• You will know the crepe is ready to turn when the surface begins to bubble and the crepe comes away from the pan easily.  Turn the crepe and cover half of the, now cooked, surface with slice banana and sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the whole surface.
• Fold the crepe in half to cover the banana and turn out on to a plate.  
• Brush the pan with a little more oil before starting the next crepe.

Crepe - ready to turn over

Here are the links to the rest of the rally's delicious crepes:

Adina ~ Gluten Free Travelette ~ Breakfast Crepes Three Ways

Angela ~ Angela's Kitchen ~ Savory Buckwheat Crepes with Sweet Potato, Mushroom and Kale Filling

Caitlin ~ {Gluten-Free} Nom Nom Nom ~ Buckwheat Crepes

Caneel ~ Mama Me Gluten Free ~ Slightly Sweet Crepes with Caramelized Bananas and Nutella Sauce

Charissa ~ Zest Bakery ~ Black Pepper Crepes with Chicken Tikka Masala

Erin ~ The Sensitive Epicure ~ Socca with Za'atar & Sumac (Garbanzo Flour Crepes)

Ginger  ~ Fresh Ginger ~ Sweet 'n Savory

gretchen ~ kumquat ~ nutella crepe cake

Heather ~ Discovering the Extraordinary ~ "Southwestern" Crepes

Jenn ~ Jenn Cuisine ~ Braised Duck, Fennel and Chestnut Crêpes

Karen ~ Cooking Gluten-Free! ~ Gluten Free Crepes Savory or Sweet

Mary Fran ~ FrannyCakes ~ Gluten-free Peanut Butter Crepe Cake

Mary Fran ~ FrannyCakes ~ Gluten-Free Vanilla Bean Crêpes Sucrées

Monika ~ Chew on This! ~ Dessert crepes with caramelized plantains, toasted coconut and chocolate sauce

Morri  ~  Meals with Morri ~ Russian Blini for Two

Pete and Kelli ~ No Gluten, No Problem ~ Key Lime Crepes

Shauna ~ gluten-free girl ~ Gluten Free Buckwheat Crepes

T.R. ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ Brownie Crepes with Strawberry Wine sauce

T.R. ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ Basil Tomato and Feta Crepes

T.R. ~ No One Likes Crumbley Cookies ~ Fresh Fruit Crepe

Tara ~ A Baking Life ~ Breakfast Crepes with Eggs and Kale

Jonathan ~ The Canary Files ~ Vegan Crepes for Filipino Spring Rolls

Rachel ~ The Crispy Cook ~ Raspberries and Cream Crepes

~Mrs. R ~ Honey From Flinty Rocks ~ Crepes - Spinach & Dessert

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Leftover Haggis?

Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o' the puddin-race!
Aboon them a' ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye wordy of a grace
As lang's my arm. 

The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o' need,
While thro' your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead. 

His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An' cut ye up wi' ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich! 

Then, horn for horn, they strech an' strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a' their weel-swall'd kytes belyve,
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
'Bethankit!' hums. 

Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi' perfect sconner,
Looks down wi' sneering, scornfu' view
On sic a dinner? 

Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither'd rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro' bluidy flood or field to dash,
O how unfit! 

But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He'll make it whissle;
An' legs, an' arms, an' heads will sned,
Like taps o' thrissle. 

Ye Pow'rs wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o 'fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu' prayer,
Gie her a Haggis!

(Address To a Haggis, by Robert Burns)

Last night, Burns Night, the Husband and I enjoyed gluten free haggis from Findlays of Portobello.  Today we were faced with the question: what to do with the leftovers?  If you are wondering what to to with yours, I'd recommend a haggis toastie or this haggis-y version of bubble and squeak.

This is so easy!  Just combine your leftover haggis, swede and potatoes (neeps and tatties) and place the lot in a frying pan, press flat and fry on a medium heat for about 5 minutes.  Turn the whole thing over (I like to turn it out on to a plate then slide back into the pan) and cook for a further 5 minutes.  You'll have lovely crispy edges with a soft inside, a perfect lunch!

Sakata Crackers

When the lovely people at Sakata sent me samples of their great gluten free cracker range I was delighted!  I love a cracker, but the choice of gluten free ones is limited and I am always willing to try something new.

Sakata's crackers are Japanese rice crackers that are light, crisp, and tasty.  They come in four great flavours, original, barbecue, cheddar, and sour cream & chives and are available from Waitrose, Ocado, and Sainsbury's.

I must warn you, theses crackers are incredibly moreish!  I opened the pack of barbecue flavour, "just to try them," and before I knew it, they were gone... The flavouring on the cracker is not too heavy or overpowering, so that even though I don't usually like cheese flavoured snacks, I found the cheddar crackers were delicious!  Similarly, the sour cream & chive crackers were delicate and didn't fall into the too-oniony category.

These crackers are perfect with dips.  Try the sour cream & chive flavour with salsa, original flavour with hummus, or barbecue flavour with sweet chilli sauce for a delicious alternative to crisps.  (I ate the original flavour crackers with a bowl of chilli and they worked as well as any saltine cracker you'd find in the USA.)  

I would definitely recommend these crackers to you, they make a brilliant snack for anyone, whether they follow a gluten free diet or not. Sakata crackers are now a permanent addition to my gluten free survival kit!

Gluten Free[k]'s Famous Five

Have you noticed that there is a new badge on my sidebar?  

FreeFrom Blogs is (as you might have guessed) a directory of great blogs written for, and by, people with food allergies, intolerances, and Coeliac Disease.  Whether you are dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, fish, free, soya-free, gluten-free, vegan, or vegetarian, you will find the right blog for your diet!  The 4 founders, Lucy, Amy, Amy, and Gemma launched the site this month - if you haven't done so - check it out now!

When Lucy, Amy, Amy, and Gemma suggested I write a post about my top 5 gluten free products, I thought it was a great idea.  There are some fantastic products out there that really make life as a Coeliac a little bit easier.  I haven't include any bread products, mainly because I think Genius and Warburtons have cornered the market as far as GF bread is concerned.  Also worth a mention are DS Ciabatta Rolls and Breadsticks.  


Here are my favourites (in no particular order).

1. Dietary Specials shortcrust pastry.  I do make my own pastry, but this a great thing to have in the freezer for those days when life is just too short to be rubbing shortening into flour.  This is a reliable, versatile pastry that I have passed off as my own on more than one occasion...
2. Young's Free From Fish Fingers. As a child, the only way I would eat fish was as a finger. My tastes may have broadened somewhat now but nothing beats the good old fish finger - I love them with chips, all covered in mayonnaise, or in a butty with Genius bread and loads of ketchup!  
3. ASDA Free From All Butter Honey and Oat Cookies.  I have mentioned these on my Facebook page because they are a favourite.  Crumbly, chewy, sweet and perfect with a cup of tea.
4. Nairns Gluten Free Oatcakes.  A definite store cupboard staple.  Not just for cheese either, they are good with sweet toppings like jam and make a great grab and run snack.  The oats in these oatcakes are farmed by coeliacs, so I am completely at ease about eating these.  
5. Genius Gluten Free Cheese and Onion Slice.  Deliciously flaky pastry filled with tasty cheese, potato and onion, these slices are available at Asda.  I used to love Greggs cheese and onions pasties in my pre-coeliac life, and these gluten free delights are far better than I remember the Greggs version ever being.

Of course, there are many more brilliant gluten free products available.  I would love to hear from you about your favourites.

Free From & Festive - Day 12

Here we are at the final day of this free from and festive extravaganza!  By now I hope we have inspired you and filled you with excited anticipation for the days ahead.  In just 2 days time, the turkey will be in the oven (or maybe on the table!) and soon, it's very probable that you will have leftovers.

It's a time of year when it's so easy to waste food, the abundance can feel quite decadent and we become blasé about the fate of those scraps of meat.  Before you chuck that turkey carcass away, stop!  Those bones will make a delicious stock (I I chuck any leftover roast veg in there, too) and that will make wonderfully warming soups and risottos.

Then, what do you do with that leftover turkey meat?  How do you prevent turkey-boredom by the time Boxing Day closes?  Is there life beyond turkey curry?  (For a different type of curry, why not try Rick Stein's Sri Lankan Turkey Curry?)

Personally, I like to make a pie!  Using my flaky pastry recipe, I line the bottom of a pie dish with pastry, then fill with leftover turkey, roast veg, and gravy, and place stuffing balls on top.  Add a pastry lid, brush with egg and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 50 minutes, until golden brown.

We hope that this Christmas is a wonderful and allergy/intolerance/Coeliac friendly time!

Free From & Festive - Day 11

Trifle.

Need I say more?

Surely the trifle is the greatest of all the desserts?  OK, it's a bit "retro" and I'm sure there are loads of food snobs out there who are sneering at me as we speak, but I don't really care.  In my opinion, Christmas is about home comforts, family favourites and a healthy amount of nostalgia.  Otherwise, why do we watch all those old films and repeats of Christmas specials year after year?

The only part of a trifle that is not gluten free is, of course, the sponge at the bottom so I have some suggestions for effective substitutions.  I have used, with success a few slices of banana bread, a couple of muffins, and sponge cake (especially useful if you have overcooked your cake - don't chuck it out - remove any burnt bits and freeze until you need it) in place of sponge fingers.

As we near the end of our 12 days of gluten free Christmas recipes and reviews, it falls to me to bring you a recipe for trifle.  Admittedly I have not gone for an entirely traditional trifle recipe, instead I have combined it with another traditional dessert, Crannachan.

Crannachan Trifle


250g gluten free sponge (I think Fran's gingerbread cupcakes would work well in this)
2-3tbsp Drambuie, or other whisky liqueur
250g frozen rasberries
500ml custard (use ready made, there's too much going on at this time of                           year to be fussed with making your own)
300ml double cream
3tbsp gluten free oats

• Cut your sponge into slices and cover the bottom of a large bowl, or about 6 individual glasses.
• Sprinkle the Drambuie over the sponge and leave for about 5 minutes to soak in.
• Cover the sponge with the raspberries.  (As they defrost the juice will soak into the sponge.)
• Pour the custard on top and spread evenly.
• Whisk the cream until just at soft peaks (I do this by hand because you're less likely to over-whip), if you like you can fold a touch more Drambuie into the cream at this point, then cover the custard with the whipped cream.
• In a dry pan, gently toast the oats, moving constantly, until lightly browned. Leave to cool before sprinkling on top of your trifle. (Since it's Christmas, I mix a little edible glitter in with the oats before sprinkling -let them cool first)
• Keep chilled until serving.

My favourite thing about the Christmas holidays is that you don't feel guilty about eating leftover dessert for breakfast, and the trifle is the king of the cheeky-pudding-brekkie!

Free From & Festive - Day 10

As we near the end of our 12 days of fantastic gluten free Christmas recipes and reviews it is time to talk about stuffing.  For some (the Husband) it is the most important part of the entire Christmas meal!  So, what's your preference? Good old sage and onion, chestnut, or something a bit sweeter? I have been really impressed by Marks & Spencer this year for the range of gluten free stuffings (as well as bacon wrapped chipolatas,  gravy, Christmas pudding and cake!) and I have started on the Pork Stuffing with Cranberry and Orange rather early!

If you haven't been dreaming of stuffing for the past few weeks and still don't know what to cook for the incredibly imminent Christmas meal, the wonderful Mrs D at Adventures of a Gluten Free Globetrekker has some sensational stuffing suggestions for you, pop over to her blog to check it out.

Mrs D makes Foodamentalist's Cranberry and Herb Stuffing

Free From & Festive - Day 9

Like pork and apple, or lamb and mint, turkey and cranberry sauce are the perfect partners.  Although cranberries aren't native to the UK (neither are turkeys while we're on the topic), they have become synonymous with our Christmas dinner.  These tart little gems are a brilliant accompaniment to the richness of our traditional meal.

If you plan to make your own cranberry sauce for this Sunday (yes, really, not long to go!) then now is the ideal time and we have some great ideas for you.

Fran at Fran's Food has a fantastic cranberry and apple sauce recipe for you to try. I promise, your house with smell brilliantly festive as you make this!

For more great cranberry sauce ideas, check out Punk Domestics.

Free From & Festive - Day 8

This is the season when drinks parties are rife.  "Come round for drinks and nibbles", for the Coeliac means, "come round for drinks, but go hungry."  Bread or pastry based canapés, battered and breadcrumbed finger-foods, and little bowls of gluten filled snacks means that there is usually slim pickings for the gluten free eater.  What do you do?

Annie runs the UK's only completely gluten free underground restaurant, so she is the perfect person to come to our rescue!  Go over to Annie's Supperclub to see her tasty (and thrifty) suggestions for canapés.

Annie's Cucumber and Prawn Canapés

Free From & Festive - Day 7

I make more cookies at Christmas than I do in the rest of the year combined! At a time when you have more guests in your home than usual, and you are visiting friends and relatives, cookies are ideal.  What could be better than greeting visitors with cookies, warm from the oven, or a tin of homemade cookies as a gift for your host?

The holy grail for the cookie baker is that deliciously soft, but chewy, American-style cookie.  Bunmi at Foods You Can has come up with the perfect cookie recipe for you to check out.

"All very well," I hear you say, "but I don't bake.  Never have."

Neither had Alex over at Food Allergy and Intolerance Ink.  He has baked Spicy Mesquite Cookies for the very first time!  Head over there now to see how it went!

Bunmi's American Style Cookies

Free From & Festive - Day 6

There are a few spices that instantly say Christmas to me.  Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and ginger.  The scents of any of those wafting through the house is enough to fill your soul with the sound of jingle bells!  In my opinion, the best of these spices is ginger.  I think the attraction to ginger during cold winter months is the delicious warmth that it spreads through you, hot - but not chilli-hot.

What better way to spread a little warmth and festive cheer than to celebrate gingerbread!  This versatile little item has so many forms at this time of year, biscuits, cakes, even made into houses!

Saara at The Gluten Free Student Cookbook has made some gorgeous Christmas tree decorations that you have to check out and try.

Saara's delicious Christmas tree decorations!

Fran at Fran's Food has made these really cute gingerbread man topped cupcakes, head over to Fran's for the recipe.

Fran's gingerbread cupcakes

Free From & Festive! - Day 5

Brussels sprouts.

You either love them or loathe them.

This little brassica is possibly the most divisive element of the traditional Christmas dinner, but it is here to stay so we best get used to it!  Have you noticed that every year, we are warned that there is a Brussels sprout shortage and yet, there are always some going spare on your plate?

If you are a loather, we are here to help!

Obviously, the first thing you need to do is cook them properly.  Don't boil the things to mush - 5 minutes in boiling water is all they need, you can also steam for about 10, or roast for 40 minutes.  I find that tossing them in a flavoured butter (nutmeg butter, or orange zest butter, are good choices) before serving is a good way to pep them up.

The brilliantly creative Ruby at Rubelle's Moon has a great way to make this year's Brussels' more than just a cabbagey afterthought.  Head over now to see what she has come up with.

Free From & Festive! - Day 4

If there's anything more difficult than being a Coeliac at Christmas, it's being a vegetarian Coeliac at Christmas.  I do not envy all you gluten free veggies out there; most vegetarian options are pastry or pasta based and Christmas dinner has the potential to be just a gravy-less plate of sprouts if you're not careful.  On this day when turkey gravy is consumed and the oven is filled with that big bird, what is a vegetarian to eat?  Assuming  you don't cook goose-fat potatoes, or put pancetta through your sprouts, all you really need is a good centrepiece.

On day 4 of our Free From & Festive we are here to help!  Ruby over at Rubelle's Moon has been inspired by a vegetarian friend and has come up with a great suggestion for a gluten free vegetarian main.  If you fancy a colourful nut roast on your plate this Christmas, head over for the recipe.

I took on this challenge too, I'm guilty of a complete lack of imagination where meat-free is involved and I thought this was a good time to remedy it!

Mushroom and Kale Suet Pudding

This steamed pudding solves the lack-of-oven-space issue, and the individual puddings cook while the turkey is resting.  This recipe serves two.

1tbsp light olive oil

1 small red onion, sliced

175g mushrooms, thickly sliced

50g kale, roughly chopped

1tsp thyme leaves

100g gluten free self raising mix  (plus extra for dusting)

50g vegetable suet (Atora make a gluten free one, or try your local health food shop)

• Heat the oil in a pan and add the onion and mushrooms. Gently fry for about 5 minutes to soften then add the kale and thyme and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes - you want to cook it so that the liquid mostly cooks away or you'll have a stodgy pudding!  Remove from the heat, season and leave to cool.
• Sift the self raising mix into a bowl with the suet. Slowly add cold water, mixing gently to form a soft dough. Cover and put in the fridge for about 30 minutes to rest.
• Dust your worktop and rolling pin with flour and roll out 2/3 of the dough to 2-4mm thick and line two individual pudding basins with it.  Fill this with the mushroom and kale mix.
• Roll out the last third of pastry and top your puddings. Cover the puddings with a piece of greaseproof paper then with foil and secure with string. (If you fold a crease into both, then you'll make space for the pastry to rise) 
• For a better description of how to do this, have a look here.
• Steam the puddings for 45 minutes.  I just put them in a covered saucepan of simmering water, on top of an upturned plate.
• Once cooked, remove the string, foil and greaseproof paper and turn the puddings out.

(If you want to be prepared, this will freeze well, uncooked, for up to 3 months.)

Free From & Festive - Day 3

'Tis the season to be jolly, or so the song goes. 'Tis definitely the season where the odd tipple will be consumed, even those who aren't particularly heavy drinkers will usually indulge at this time of year.

This time last week, I extolled the virtues of mulled wine, I have since been introduced to the concept of mulled white wine and would definitely recommend you give it a try!  Of course, let's not forget egg nog - incredibly popular with our friends in the USA, but not so commonly found over here.

With the weather most certainly turning wintery, what could be more comforting - when the rain and wind are battering the windows - than to be snuggled up inside with a deliciously spiced mulled cider?  Lucy at Glorious Gluten Free has a brilliant recipe for you to try.  

Lucy's Mulled Cider

Free From & Festive! - Day 2

I think that leftovers are possibly even better than Christmas dinner itself! Nothing beats the turkey sandwich (made, perhaps, with a Dietary Specials Ciabatta Roll?) and, assuming that you don't have Monica from Friends infamous "moist-maker", it's the chutney that really makes the sandwich sing. If you have a ham this Christmas, you'll want a generous helping of chutney on your plate - or try a nice appley, or pear-based, chutney instead of cranberry sauce with your turkey.

A jar of chutney is the perfect gift, the ideal addition to any hamper or gift basket and it's always extra special to receive a present that has been made with love.

If you haven't already guessed - our Free From & Festive theme of the day is chutney!  

Today, the lovely Hazel at A Flicker of Fully Fun has come up with two brilliant chutney recipes for you to cook up.  I think either one would be delicious with a cheese board, or in that obligatory sandwich on boxing day. Head over there to check them out!

For more festive chutney ideas, check out this collection on Punk Domestics, with thanks to the ever wonderful Sean.