Tuesday 28 February 2012

Gluten free homemade chocolate bourbon biscuit.

I used to work in a old people's retirement home. For 4 years I cared and looked after the elderly. getting them dressed in their best outfits, feeding and wiping them all up...aside from the toileting... tea time was the big task. Making cups of tea at 1/2 hour intervals and passing the biscuit tin around the excited ladies and gents.

Oh There were many scraps around that biscuit tin,  as to who got the precious chocolate bourbon. inevitably Cesil always won and ran hobbled away with 5, whilst Joan, Ethel, Dora and the others were left in his wake with the crumbs or a pink panther wafer. Brutal I know but that's nature and you gotta be quick if ya wanna survive... in the care home lounge. Its ok though, in half an hour, it would be tea time yet again and i would refill the tin with more, making sure I kept my beady eye on Cesil.


In honour of my golden oldies, I got a choccy biccy recipe for all. Gluten free and enough to go round, so everyone can dunk theirs with their cuppa.

Gluten free Chocolate Bourbon sandwich biscuit.
Ingredients
Makes 10

50 g low fat margarine
50 g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
110 g gf plain flour mix ( I use Dove's)
15 g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
flour for rolling out

for the filling

75 g) icing sugar
40 g margarine
1 tbsp cocoa


Cooking Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
2. Cream the marg and sugar together very thoroughly with an electric hand whisk. Next beat in the honey.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa, and bicarbonate of soda together. Add this dry mixture into the fat and sugar to create a stiff paste.
4.Bring together and Knead well, and roll out onto a large and spacious flat surface, which has been covered in a dusting of flour. Using a rolling pin make the dough flat and around half a centremetre thick.
5.stamp or cut out biscuity shapes
6. Place on a greased baking sheet covered with greased greaseproof paper.
7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack.
9. for the filling: Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl making sure you get rid of all the lumps.
10. Beat the fat until soft add in the dry ingredients.
11.Sandwich the cooled fingers with a layer of filling

Tuesday 21 February 2012

perfect free from pancakes for shove tuesday!


HAPPY FLIPPIN' PANCAKE DAYYAYAYAYAYAYYAYA .
Im in work early and all day long so im counting down the minutes til i sprint through my door and fire up my pan to flip up a batch of theses amazing tried and tested Bake n Beebz GF and vegan sprinkles pancakes...



Friday 17 February 2012

Whole Foods Haul.

 Back from my Valentines Grocery shop in whole foods.I was as excited as a kid in a candy store... only slowed down by a very full pizza pie belly and a low bank balance. I eagerly unpacked and nibbled my way through my haul of gluten free nomz.
In the brown bag:
  • Pop cotnerpop chips- in jalepeno cheese. had these last time and were a definate on my list
  • dark chocolate dreams
  • corn tortillas (i have such trouble finding any kind of gf wrap)
  • WHITE CHOCOLATE PRETZELS- OH MA NOMZ
  • cokie mix - have wanted to try this american brand out for a while
  • turkish delights
  • biiiig tin o libby's pumpkin.
  • giant tub of PB...Nothing beats the self service nut butter grinding machine. ooop cheekily added a bit of pecan nut butter in my tub too...shhhhh. 
Gonna get stuck in for some serious snackin'

Wednesday 15 February 2012

Will you Beebz my valentine?

Dear Mister Bake n Beebz, 
Thank you for putting up with such a foodie nutter butter girlfriend.
love ya, man.
k thx bai.
xoxo
Last night, the doorbell rung and I was greeted at my front door by a handsome fella with a bunch of red tulips... I had been picked up for a extra special Valentines day date night and special meal out. Me and Mister Bake n Beebz drove into London to a restaurant we found online after much research into GF dining in the city.
 We hit he jackpot with this, a lil independent pizzeria with rave reviews, about their unique pizza pies. OTTO'S makes their fresh pizzas with a intriguing cornmeal pizza crust, I loved the relaxed atmosphere and the passion the guys who own it, have. The guy who served us was super helpful and really knowledgeable about gluten free and allergy ordering.

 First things thirst... I ordered a Gluten free beer, yeah! best I've had yet, Mongozo premium pilsner... I highly recommend this brew! Harry had a sip an agreed it was pretty good but stuck to water as the sensible designated driver...
Tipsy after a whiff of alcohol.
 
With the help and recommendations of the server we ordered lots lots of different slices to try. I had half a kale and ham pizza and half Greek with feta tomatoes and roasted garlic.
Completely different to any pizza I have ever had, but so good. as long as the cheese is gooey and extra stringy im a happy bunny. Because of the high fibre content of the crust its super filling... more so than its doughy counter part. so after 2 slices i was ready to be rolled outta there... I'm still full now...20 hours later.

afterwards, As My next valentines treat was a trip to the big Kensington Whole Foods... peanutbuttery food haul purchased...best day everrrrr. 

Tuesday 14 February 2012

Happy Valentines Day!

 Don't go breakin' my heart.
 my achy breaky marzipan heart. Just nibble em.
 These candy hearts are so easy to whip up, and make the poiiiifect present for that special person, whether its your fella, friend or you.

 All you need is love and:
a package of marzipan
100g melted chocolate
and sprinkle for decoration!

Directions
Roll marzipan into heart shapes, dip and cover in melted chocolate... allow to set in the fridge on a plastic sheet. too easy but so good!
HAPPY VALENTINES!

Monday 13 February 2012

White chocolate peanut butter and fluff cups!

Be my valentine.
Pooolease.
 I love Peanut butter cups this muuuuuuuuuuuuch.




and that's a lot. 
 
Its saying something when I give away (albeit begrudgingly) my candy love to the one I love. hopefully these make it to him. I'm not strong willed when it come to peanut butter, fluff or chocolate... so i guess I'm in trouble. I'll have to buy in a back up present, just in case the temptation is too much. which we all know, it is...
 share the love and make your candy man/woman/yo fine self a lil summat sweet.

 
 White chocolate peanut butter and fluff cups (whadda mouthful, literally!) are super easy to make but taste waaaay more indulgent than then effort that goes into making up this cups. making them the perfect gift this valentines...



Ingredients

250g white chocolate
2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

2 tbsp strawberry fluff
mini paper liners

Method
  1. melt the broken white chocolate in a bowl on a medium setting in the microwave, stirring regularly.
  2. spoon in a little melted chocolate into the bottom of the liner.
  3. place a little peanut butter and fluff onto chocolate base and pour chocolate over until covered.
  4. place in fridge to set!
Tomorrow...to come... more chocolate... melted over some more sugary stuff. YEAH BUDDY.

Thursday 9 February 2012

Frosted Jam Donut Cupcakes (Gluten Free and low in fat!)

Is it Doughnut or donut?  
doooo nut or doughy sugary heaven fried nut? meh.
you say tomato and i say tomato...
  
What was supposed to be just an ordinary innocent vanilla cupcake... became so much more...

 It looks like a fancy cupcake (due to over generous frosting sprinkles) but when you bite into it, it tastes like a delicious naughty jammy doughnut, only it has next to none of those bad fats.... aaaand its gluten free. its magic, I swear.
 If the police force got a whiff of this donut goings on, and spied this recipe, They'd get their s.w.o.t team  in on the double to swoop in on this batch of healthified doughnut cakey goods. They taste so good it should be criminal. So arrest me, but don't confiscate my baked goods. please. any thing but that.
I burrowed in to the sponge, filled up each cake with jam and popped their hats back on...
 Recipe + Ingredients
  • 1/2c oat flour [ground in a blender from oat groats or steel cut oats]
  • 1/2c rice flour
  • 3T coconut flour
  • 1/3csuger substitute like spender granulated sweetener.
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup fat free vanilla / plain yoghurt
  • 1t vanilla extract
  • 1/2t salt
  • 1t baking powder
 Directions
  1. Preheat your oven to 180*C +line muffin tin with papers.
  2. In a medium sized bowl mix together the oat flour, sweet rice flour, coconut flour, sweetener, salt + baking powder.
  3. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and yoghurt.
  4. Stir wet into dry, until combined.  Do not over stir.  It will look slightly lumpy.
  5. pour or spoon the batter to your pan leaving a little room at the top.
  6. Bake for 18-22min.
  7. Test with a toothpick for doneness doughyness.  You want a slightly moist toothpick.  Not gooey but not bone dry.  The tops of the donut should be golden brown and it will spring back when you press it lightly.
  8. Let them cool in the pan for 5min then turn out onto a cooling rack.
  9. when cooled, using a knife cut out the center of the cupcake and spoon in a teaspoon of jam and or butter cream. place 'lid' back on and pipe on swirls vanilla frosting.
For the frosting i use this recipe!
  • 2 cups of powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup of no fat cream cheese
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp non-fat milk

 ohhhh I really want a donut pan now!

Tuesday 7 February 2012

Happy birthday Bake n Beebz!!!

happy birthday to me, happy birthday to beebz, happy brithday dear Bake n beebz!
We've turned 1! Me and Beebz have done a whole lot of fun and foodie things in the space of 12 months...but mostly consisting of sweet tooth yummy stuff. Time well spent.
awesome photoshopping skillz... still yet to be improved.
One of our First ever posts was cupcakes, so my celebratory birthday party time post is all about cupcakes... my, my how this lil blog has come along, as well as turning gluten free, Its funny to see how my baking and photographing skills have definitely improved... here's to another year of baking n Beebz...
Its my birthday and I'll eat cake if I want to. ok. thanks... nom.
gluten free and vegan Jam doughnut cupcake recipe to come tomorrow!

Sunday 5 February 2012

super bowl sunday.

I have been hooked in, like a sucker to this years NFL. American football highlights are always on those biiiiig wide screen TVs in my gym on a sunday and I find my self totally absorbed into the games and forget all about my burning thighs on the bikes or my dreadmill workout.

im pretty excited for The Patriots V giants game,  but because of the time difference, doesnt kick off til 2300 hours here, so i gotta get me some pre match fuel to keep me awake.
 Couple of glowing  GF blond beers are lined up in my fridge.
This St Petes brew is one of my favourites. but then anthing crisp and bubbley does the trick.
i've sorted out my snacky snacks for this evenings play off.
PB straight up with a dessert spoon and gonna freshly pop some popcorn when the time is right/ during those looong u.s commericals.
GO PATS!