Bourbon Biscuits and Lime Pie

Last week, I decided to rectify the fact that I hadn't eaten a chocolate Bourbon for six years by baking some myself. The resulting Bourbon biscuits were so good that I ate most of the first batch before they'd even cooled down! As wonderful as the biscuits were, I couldn't eat all of them. (When you're testing a recipe, you end up making at least two, sometimes many more, batches in order to perfect the recipe.) The lime meringue pie was born from a need to use the rest of the Bourbons before they went stale.

The biscuits form the base of what is basically a Key lime pie – except that you shouldn't really call it 'Key lime' unless you use limes from the Florida Keys - with meringue on top. I have a habit of separating eggs to use just the yolks or whites in a recipe and leaving the other part in the fridge to be rediscovered when it's too late to use them. That's why there's meringue on my lime pie – I could use the whole egg this way (and it looks great, too).

Chocolate and lime work so well together that it's a shame more desserts don't use them. The smoothness of the chocolate mellows the sharpness of the lime, while the slight bitter edge to both add a sophisticated touch. I've made a lot of lime meringue pies in my time, from now on, I'll always use a chocolate base.

If you fancy making your own lime meringue pie this weekend, head over to Domestic Sluttery for the full recipe.

Gluten Free Recipes Galore!

This morning, over on Domestic Sluttery, we posted a list of our top ten gluten free recipes. From my very first recipe, Viennese fingers, to my most recent, rice cake, with recpes from the other very talented food writers (including the most amazing Daim Bar truffle cake from Hazel!) the treasure trove of exciting GF recipes is sure to grow. I love the challenge of finding new and interesting ways to present gluten free food to a new audience, many of whom have no food issues at all. I hope I've shown people that gluten free doesn't mean flavour free; I know that even some gluten-eaters have given my recipes a spin!

This Crunchie cheesecake is one of my favourites. A smooth baked cheesecake with honeycomb crunch and chocolatey goodness, this is a crowd-pleasing dessert (or a substantial meal for one!). Another sure-fire crowd-pleaser is the mango upside-down cake I made in May, you can happily use tinned mango when fresh aren't in season.

S'mores brownies are a rich, chewy and fudgy sweet treat that I made for Guy Fawkes Night, but they're perfect at any time of year! Ideal for eating over bonfires or barbecues, they seem to taste even better when they're gently melted, you could wrap them in foil and leave them next to the fireplace for 10 minutes if it's too cold to venture outside. If you're more of a savoury snack person, try my roasted cashew nuts or pretzel mix.

I've tackled some old favourites too. These crispy pancakes are brilliantly nostalgic and very flexible, you can fill them with whatever you fancy, cheese and ham, chicken - or go fancy and add brie and bacon or beef Bourguignon! Fish fingers, while easily available in the freefrom section of your freezer department are surprisingly quick and easy to make yourself, the same coating could be used for chicken nuggets or kievs.

I've got lunch covered as well! Rice noodles make a quick and easy salad and this chicken noodle salad is one of the quickest and easiest I know. You could use green bean noodles in this if you'd rather. My smoked salmon kedgeree was intended for Christmas morning, but it makes a pretty special lunch too.

What gluten free recipes would you like to see us cover? Do you have any old favourites that you'd like to make gluten free? Or is there a particular event you want a dish for? 

Let me know!

Mrs Crimble's Macaroons

Anyone with Coeliac Disease will have heard of Mrs Crimble's, from baking mixes to savoury snacks, I'm a fan of their products. Until now, I've never really tried their macaroons. 

Cranberry Macaroons

I've not been able to eat coconut for years, thanks to Crohn's Disease, but since my Ileostomy surgery, I've rediscovered  foods that were previously off the menu. Imagine my delight when the wonderful people at Mrs Crimble's sent me a box of their macaroons to try. I particularly enjoyed the Cranberry Macaroons, which were surprisingly sweet and soft and overpoweringly tart, like cranberries can be.  If you love chocolate and orange, you have to try the Mini Choc Orange Macaroons, but be warned - they are incredibly moreish!

Mini Choc Orange Macaroons

Something you might not know about Mrs Crimble's is their wonderful Share the Love scheme. You can nominate someone who you think deserves a treat and Mrs Crimble's send 1,000 lucky people a free teatime treat, every month! I'm sure we can all think of someone who we don't get in touch with often enough, that we'd like to surprise with a wee treat. If you want to nominate someone, you can do it at www.letsbakelove.com.

Millionaire's Shortbread

Given the content of my blog, this may be surprising but, I'm not a natural at baking gluten free. (Which means that all recipes on the blog are all very achievable; if I can do it, so can you.)  I often struggle with the limitations of baking without gluten and get frustrated by the temperamental nature of all those different flours (some absorb loads of water, some make a delicate dough, some taste too strong to use in certain baked goods...the list goes on). I enjoy baking and it's certainly easier to share a cake at work than it is a casserole, for example, but the thing that gets me through the day is the thought of cooking dinner.  Cooking is where my heart lies, it's what keeps me awake at night and what gets me out of bed in the morning.  I seldom write about my cooking exploits on the blog because I think that most people want to read about foods they can't normally eat, made gluten free - not food that is, in the main, gluten free anyway.  I might be wrong (and do tell me if you'd rather see more naturally gf recipes on here) but, I know that when I was first diagnosed Coeliac I wanted to know how to make gingerbread biscuits and fairy cakes, not cassoulet or risotto.

The reason for my preference is this; baking is specific, measured, while cooking allows me to be more instinctual and creative.  In my mind, baking is science and cooking is art.  Of course, there are times when cooking needs to be precise and baking is more relaxed, and I am generalising here but, I feel freer when I cook.   

Why am I telling you this now?  Well, I have been feeling a bit like something is amiss from my writing recently, I don't feel very inspired.  The husband commented that it seems like the passion has gone out of my writing and immediately, I knew why - the passion has gone out of my baking.

I had a disastrous day in the kitchen on Monday.  The seemingly simple task of baking shortbread turned into a nightmare, the first batch was still liquid after 40 minutes at 180°C; the second batch was so gritty that I had half a mind to keep it until the roads freeze over again; the third batch would have worked if I had remembered to oil the tin before adding the batter to it, consequently, it fell to pieces when I tried to un-mould it.  I felt beaten and started to doubt my own ability to do anything in the kitchen.  In fact, I lost all faith in myself to do anything.

That revelation aside, my recipe for you today is more like baking than cooking.  I needed to reassure myself that I could still make something work, without failure, and I wanted to show you that sometimes you can make a silk purse from a sow's ear...

Millionaire's Shortbread.

I had to throw away two batches of shortbread on Monday, so by the time my third batch fell to pieces I was unwilling to discard it.  Millionaire's shortbread was a favourite treat in our family when I was a child and always succeeds in cheering me up.

250g gluten free shortbread

125g butter

225g caster sugar

150ml double cream

120g milk chocolate, melted

• Melt 100g of the butter while you bash the shortbread into crumbs.  The end of a rolling pin works well, or pop them in a freezer bag and whack it with the bottom of a saucepan. This is especially useful for working out the stresses of the day!  Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and stir well.  Press the mixture into a 20cm springform tin.  Put it in the fridge to set.
• Put the rest of the butter, the sugar and double cream in a saucepan oven a gentle heat. Once the sugar had dissolved, bring to the boil and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, stirring often.  If you have a jam thermometer, you can used that - you're looking for it to reach soft ball, or 240°F.  Pour the caramel over the biscuit base and leave to cool.  
• (If you want a darker caramel, heat just the sugar and butter until it is deeply coloured (don't stir), being very careful not to burn.  Then add the cream - it will bubble fiercely, so be careful - then simmer as before.)
• Once the caramel has cooled, pour over the melted chocolate and allow to set.  Cut into squares slightly before the chocolate has completely hardened.  Warming your knife in hot water first will help you to cut cleanly through the caramel layer.

White Chocolate Brownies

The gluten free brownie has often left a lot to be desired, in my experience.  Coffee shops, in particular like to stock a gluten free offering and very often that is a brownie.  Not a rich, chewy brownie, with just the right amount of slightly gooey centre.  No.  They are usually dense and sickly, with a cakey centre.  It is no surprise that I went off the notion of brownies for a while and I'll admit to approaching this challenge with more than a little trepidation.

During my research for this months' Gluten-Free Ratio Rally (hosted by Mary Fran of Franny Cakes), I found hundreds of brownie and blondie recipes, each with a different ratio.  I was completely overwhelmed!  In the end I put down the research and started baking - after all, that's the fun bit, right? My poor husband and his workmates almost drowned in the deluge of experimental brownies that I forced on them to test.  My husband claims to have gained weight last month as a result (I'll just add more salads to his packed lunches this month...) but happily, I found a ratio that I was confident with.  The ratio that I had most success with is 2:1:1:1:1, that's 2 parts chocolate : 1 part fat : 1 part sugar : 1 part egg : 1 part flour and it yielded good results with plain, milk and white chocolate.  I used marshmallow and chocolate to make up the "2 parts chocolate" in my recipe, but it works so I don't mind bending the rules a wee bit!

White chocolate brownies? Blondies?  What do I call these? As far as I can tell, blondies and brownies are made using different methods  and a blondie does not necessarily have chocolate in the recipe.  So, despite the fact that I used white chocolate in my recipe, I used the brownie method to make them and I stand by the name "brownie".  At most, I'll concede that they are "blonde brownies".

Whatever you want to call these, I hope you'll agree that these are deliciously chewy, fudgy and they taste great!

White Chocolate & Marshmallow Brownies

195g white chocolate

45g marshmallows

120g butter

2 eggs

120g light brown sugar

120g gluten free plain flour mix (I used Doves Farm)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp salt

• Melt the chocolate, marshmallows and butter together in a bowl placed over just simmering water (make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the surface of the water).  Don't be too particular about melting the marshmallows completely.  Set aside to cool
• In a bowl, combine the eggs, vanilla extract and sugar then add the flour and salt. Mix well until smooth.  Add the melted chocolate, marshmallow and butter mixture and combine. 
• Pour the mixture into a greased and lined 20x20cm tin (even if you use a silicone mould, I recommend greasing it, too).
• Bake for 25-30 minutes at 170°C.  Allow to cool in the tin before turning out and cutting, you'll get about 16 squares from this recipe.

Here are the rest of the fantastic recipes from the Ratio Rally gang:

Adina from Gluten Free Travelette made Chocolate Brownie Pie with Orange Zest 

Angela from Angela's Kitchen made Gluten & Dairy Free Cream Egg Brownies 

Brooke from B & the boy! made Triple Chocolate Brownies 

Caitlin from {Gluten Free} Nom Nom Nom made Peppermint Brownie Bars 

Caneel from Mama Me Gluten Free made Triple chocolate brownies 

Charissa Luke from Zest Bakery made Slutty gluten-free brownies 

Claire from My Gluten Free Home PB&J Brownie Whoopee Pies 

Claire from This Gluten-Free Life made St. Patty's Day Marshmallow Swirl Brownies 

Erin from The Sensitive Epicure made Mexican Cocoa Brownies with an Almond & Pepitas Crust 

gretchen from kumquat made salted caramel brownies 

Heather from Discovering the Extraordinary made Nutmeg Blondies 

Irvin from Eat the Love made Blueberry Citrus Marble Brownies 

Jean from Gluten-Free Doctor Recipes made Blue Ribbon Brownies 

Jenn Cuisine made Grain free brownies with no-bake ricotta cheesecake cream 

Jonathan from The Canary Files made Vegan Marbled Banana Walnut Brownies 

Karen from Cooking Gluten Free! made GF Chewy Crackled Top Brownies with Raspberry Puree 

Mary Fran from FrannyCakes made Gluten-Free Hazelnut (Nutella) Brownies 

Morri from Meals with Morri made Oaxacan Brownies & Mesquite Cacao Blondies 

Mrs. R from Honey From Flinty Rocks made Black Bean S'More Brownies 

Pete and Kelli from No Gluten, No Problem made Caramel Mexican Chocolate Mesquite Brownies 

Rachel from The Crispy Cook made Co-Co Nut-Nut Blondies 

Shauna from Gluten-Free Girl made Gluten-Free Brownies 

Tara from A Baking Life Mint made Chocolate Flourless Brownies 

TR from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies made Gluten Free Berry Fudge Brownies

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Hotel Chocolat - The Eggsibitionist

As a child, I faced the annual disappointment of opening my easter egg to discover that it was really just a thin shell of chocolate with a tiny bag of chocolates inside.  How did some kids make them last for weeks?! Mine were finished about ten minutes after opening them!  When the lovely people at Hotel Chocolat sent me an extra thick easter egg, I was prepared for the anticlimax of another - slightly thicker - thin shelled egg, but my cynicism was short lived...

When Hotel Chocolat say "extra thick", they mean it!  The shell was two substantial chunks of milk chocolate, each containing six mini eggs, with delicious salted caramel, praline, mango, ginger and raspberry fillings.  That's twelve scrummy egglets as well as the thickest easter egg I have ever seen!

The chocolate shell meets Hotel Chocolat's usual high standards and the egglets, with their exciting  insides, are positively dreamy.  And, all gluten free!  The website and catalogue are well labelled with the many gluten free options available.

At £26, it's a pricey option, but  I think it's worth it.  The quality of the chocolate and the egglets speak for themselves and the beautiful presentation in the attractive box, tied with ribbon make it a brilliant gift (for a loved one, or yourself!).

If you fancy The Eggsibitionist, you can find it and the rest of Hotel Chocolat's wonderful Easter Range at Hotel Chocolat stores, in their catalogue and on the website.

You Take the High Road, I'll Take the Rocky Road...

The best thing about making your own gifts is not the thrift, nor is it how clever and talented you look when everyone opens their presents.  It's the fact that you can prepare them whilst wearing pyjamas with a cup of tea in one hand - they tend to frown on that in Debenhams.  For the reluctant shopper, or the too-tired-to-drag-myself-round-the-shops shopper, making your own gifts is perfect, especially when these gifts require nothing more sophisticated than a glass bowl and a fridge. 

A couple of weeks ago I found the recipe for Not Quite Nigella's White Chocolate Rocky Road and was instantly taken by how pretty it was.  I decided to make some to give as Christmas gifts and I was not disappointed.  Tied up with cellophane and a piece of ribbon, this struck me as a very feminine present, perfect for Mums and Aunties.  Another bonus, as the Husband so rightly pointed out, "it looks quite expensive", no one will realise that you've only spent a few quid on ingredients (until they read this...)  

I adapted the Not Quite Nigella recipe a little to better suit the ingredients I had to hand (the original recipe uses macadamia nuts, but I think the green pistachios add an extra touch of colour that goes well with the pinks and creams already in there).  I used regular baking chocolate and stirred in the seeds from a vanilla pod to add a touch of luxury, if you use fancy chocolate you can omit that.

White Chocolate Rocky Road (adapted from this recipe by NQN)

450g white chocolate

seeds from 1 vanilla pod

125g rose Turkish Delight, cut into 1/2cm cubes

50g Nougat (the pink and white bar you used to buy in your school tuck shop), cut into 1/2cm cubes

75g shelled pistachio nuts

100g dried cranberries

50g pink and white mini marshmallows

• Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl sitting over hot water, or (carefully!) in the microwave.  Add the vanilla seeds and stir in well. 
• Stir in the Turkish Delight, Nougat, pistachios, cranberries and marshmallows until well mixed.
• Pour into a 20cm square cake tin, lined with clingflim.
• Leave for about 2 hours to set, then cut into small squares (you'll get about 25 squares)

After I made this I wanted to make something for the men, something a bit more "masculine", so I came up with a kind of grown-up tiffin that would appeal to Dads, Uncles, and Brothers alike!

This plain chocolate tiffin uses up any dried fruit that you might have left after making mince pies or Christmas cake, use whatever you have to hand.  I used Drambuie in mine but any whisky or whisky liqueur will work well, or if whisky's not your thing then rum would be good, too.

Dark Chocolate Tiffin

300g plain chocolate

150g unsalted butter

2tbsp golden syrup

150g mixed dried fruit

100ml Whisky liqueur

200g gluten free ginger snaps or Kent & Fraser Spicy Ginger Crunch biscuits, crushed

50g stem ginger, chopped

• Simmer the dried fruit in the liqueur until liquid is completely absorbed.
• Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over hot water, add the butter and syrup and stir constantly until it is all melted and well mixed.
• Add the whisky soaked fruit, broken biscuits and stem ginger and mix well.
• Pour into a 20cm square cake tin, lined with clingflim.
• Leave for about 2 hours to set in refridgerator, then cut into small squares (you'll get about 25 squares)

Both will keep for a couple of weeks, but you'll need to keep the tiffin in the fridge or it will become a bit soft.