DJ Marshmello - Turning 11 for my little gamer!

Turning 10 - Harry Potter inspiration!!

Harry Potter inspired cake.  8x7" white chocolate mud cake #glutenfree with striped board in Hogwart's school colours (thanks for the design tip @somethingforcake!).  Hand cut lettering detail in Harry Potter font, gumpaste Snitch and glasses.  Cake recipe by @Sweetnessandbite. Design by @mylittlemod

Super easy 3 ingredient lemonade scones {gluten free}

Week two of the flu for my little people and I am passing the time at home (in-between looking after them) with a little baking and sewing.

This recipe makes super light and fluffy scones - perfect with some raspberry jam and a dollop of cream.  Even though appetites have been small around here of late, these were well received!












You will need:

450 g gluten free self raising flour (I used Well and Good)
250 ml cream (I used a thick dolloping cream as that was all I had and it worked perfectly)
250 ml lemonade

Extra flour for dusting
A little milk for brushing

• Heat your oven to approx 200c (fan forced)
• Mix the three main ingredients together.  I threw it all in the Thermomix and put it on 'knead' for approximately 40 seconds but you can use a mixer or do it by hand.  Don't over-mix.

• Dust your surface with extra GF SR flour and roll out your dough to about 2 cms thick.  
• Cut rounds using a small fluted edge cutter and place on to a baking tray lined with paper.  
• Brush the tops with a little milk and put in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.

I got 24 scones from one batch however I would roll them a little thicker next time (mine were a little less than 2 cm). 

Serve with your favourite jam and cream :)

Recipe adapted from the Gluten Free Recipe Book by The Coeliac Society

First Holy Communion

The pyx - this holds gluten free communion which we will have blessed each week we attend.

Chocolate Caramel Slice {Gluten/Nut/Egg/Yeast Free}

Today was a rainy, cold day in Sydney and so instead of rushing about as usual, I spent most of the day tinkering in the kitchen.  It's always a good way to keep warm staying close to the oven :)

I am just waiting for my carrot cake to cool before I can decorate it so I thought I would share this easy recipe for a delicious treat that looks like it took a lot more effort!  Apart from a little cooling time in-between layers it's pretty quick too.

This recipe is from the Australian Women's Weekly Gluten Free Food for the Family.

You will need:

A square or rectangular slice pan - mine was 8x11" but you could go a little smaller if you want deeper layers

90g gluten free plain (all-purpose) flour.  I used Well and Good.
75g or 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
24g desiccated coconut
85g melted butter
395g sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp golden syrup
40g extra butter
150g dark chocolate ( I used 200g and chucked in a whole bar of Whittakers 74% Dark Ghana Bittersweet with a smidge more butter for melting).

Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees and grease and line your baking pan.
Sift the flour, sugar and coconut in a bowl and stir in the melted butter.
Add the mixture to your prepared tray and smooth it out with the back of a spoon to the edges to create the bottom layer .
Bake for 15 mins or until golden.  Allow to cool.
To make the caramel place condensed milk, syrup and 20 g of the extra butter in a pan and stir over a medium heat for approximately 10 minutes until it thickens and is golden.
Pour over the cooled base layer and pop it in the fridge to set.
Melt chocolate and remaining butter until melted and pour over the caramel layer.
Cool completely before cutting.

{Gluten Free & Nut Free} 7th Birthday 'Minion' Party

Here are a few photos of the party last night.  I'll post more info when we have cleaned up and recovered :)

Dave the Minion - 13" of gluten free white chocolate mud cake with white chocolate ganache.  Two 6 inches rounds and a 6" hemisphere on top.  All edible except for the base and legs.  There are some substantial bolts in there to make him stand!  

The party table

Yellow and blue jellies and fruit cups

Orgran GF Itty Bitty Bears and Sue Shepherd GF lollies

Party favours - gluten free minion cookies

Hand painted party game on mdf 1200 x 900.  Shoot the minions with a nerf gun and feed them with bean bag bananas!  Also doubles up as a photo booth!!

{Gluten Free} Banana Bread

I've been making this banana bread for some time now and it's a recipe that my children love.  When my daughter was first diagnosed I bought a lot of recipe books online to help me get started.  There are so many to choose from these days but even a couple of years ago there was not so much around.  The Gluten Free Cookbook For Kids by Adriana Rabinovich stood out as it was written for children by a Mom who has a coeliac daughter.  To top it off the little girl on the front cover just reminded me of my daughter too!  I purchased it from the Book Depository.


Gluten free eating has become relatively easy for the adult palate but when it comes to children, and fussy ones at that, some recipes are just too fancy or too grown up.  Banana bread has always been a winner and I've tried lots of gluten free recipes but this one gets eaten every time and no complaints such as 'it tastes funny!' or 'I'll eat the rest of that later' (code for I don't like it but trying to spare your feelings Mom!!).

I do my prep work in the Thermomix and beat the batter in my stand mixer.  When it comes to converting cake recipes not already tried and tested for the TMX I like to do it the old fashioned way. If you don't have a TMX you can buy almond meal and sugars at the supermarket ready to use.  A hand whisk or wooden spoon will also work just as well (with a little more elbow grease!) to mix your batter.

This makes one large loaf using a 23x13 cm tin, 24 standard size muffins, 10 mini loaves or wait for it ... 100 mini muffins!!!  Perfect for a party.

You will need:

100 g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar - use your TMX to blitz sugar to caster sugar 3 seconds sp 9
125 g light brown sugar.  I use Light Muscovado.
2 eggs beaten
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
185 g gluten free plain flour.  I use Well & Good.
125 g ground almonds*.  Use whole almonds and mill 8 to 10 seconds sp 7
1 1/2 tsp baking powder GF
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp salt
350 g mashed bananas.  Pop these into your TMX for a few seconds to mash or use a fork.
175 ml buttermilk

Preparation:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Line your baking tin of choice
• Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.  Add the eggs in a little at a time and beat well after each addition.  Add the vanilla extract.

• Combine the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt in a medium bowl.  I like to sieve it once or twice to make sure it's well combined.  
• Mash the bananas and add to the sugar/butter mix
• Add the flour alternately with the buttermilk to the sugar/butter mixing well between each addition

Add the mixture into your tin.  I always use my ice cream scoop so the portions are the same size and it gives a nice dome when it rises.

Bake for 45 minutes for a large loaf, 12 to 15 minutes for muffins, around 30 minutes for mini loaves and 7 to 10 minutes for mini muffins.  You will know when they are ready when a skewer comes out clean of the centre.  Let them cool.

If you want to freeze the bread then do not ice it but if it is to eat now you can ice in a few different ways.  I used the cream cheese recipe from the Everyday Cookbook for the Thermomix but you could make a simple glaze with some lemon juice and icing sugar mixed together.  Let the banana bread cool before icing.  I added some crushed walnuts to the top of my icing to eat at home.

Recipe testing :)

*This recipe contains almonds.  Check your school's policy regarding tree nuts or keep at home for afternoon tea.

So light on the inside

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