0 Spring Lemon and lime drizzle cake - gluten free

Despite it still being fairly cool, there is definitely signs of spring in our Lancashire garden, the snowdrops are blooming well and there are even a few early daffodils poking through the soil. We have even heard the deep throaty calls of a few early frogs coming from our garden pond. So last weekend in celebration of spring and also for our last cake club I made a beautiful lemon and lime drizzle cake with zingy citrus flavours.

This gluten free cake has a beautiful crumb structure and is complemented with fresh sharp tasting icing drizzled on top.

To get the best results you need to firstly pay a visit to your local market or greengrocer (if you still have one - lucky you) to stock up on fresh juicy lemons and limes. Ideally unwaxed if you can get them, not to worry if you can't as a quick scrub under a running tap removes most of the wax used to help preserve the fruit.

To achieve the beautiful texture and crumb structure I used a mixture of very finely ground cornmeal (polenta), cornflour and white rice flour with a little xanthum gum.

What you need

• 175g White rice flour
• 105g Finely ground cornmeal (its golden yellow, I got mine from Holland and Barrett)
• 70g Cornflour
• 1 tsp xanthum gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 225g golden caster sugar
• 4 eggs - free range
• 200ml sunflower oil or vegetable oil
• 400ml skimmed milk
• 3 lemons - zested and juiced
• 4 limes - zested and juiced
• Oil spray for oiling tins
• 2 tbsp of granulated sugar
• About 100g of icing sugar

You will also need an approximately 20cm round loose bottom or springform cake tin, base lined and oils sprayed on the sides.

What you do

• Preheat the oven to 180c
• Whisk the eggs and caster sugar until light and fluffy and tripled in volume 
• Sift in the flours, baking powder and xanthum gum, whisk this in along with the milk, oil and the zest of one of the lemons
• Pour the mixture into your prepared tin and place in the oven
• Bake for approx 60 minutes until firm and tests cooked with a skewer.
• Once ready, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack in the tin.
• To make your drizzle, melt the granulated sugar and the juice of 2 lemons in a small pan until all dissolved.
• Prick the cake all over and gentle pour on the warm syrup whilst the cake remains in the tin
• Once fully cool remove the cake from the tin

To make the icing take the juice from the limes and mix with the icing sugar until you have a smooth drizzleable paste, pour over the icing and once starting to set decorate with lime and lemon zest.

Serve once the icing has set, the cake stores well in an airtight tin.

We are linking up to a new linky with this post, Belleau Kitchen's - Simply Eggcellent challenge where you link up recipes containing lovely free range eggs.

                                             

Also to Family Foodies - whose theme this month is  Lets Get Baking . Hosted by Eat your Veg and Bangers and Mash.

                                               
Bake of the Week over at Casa Costello - a weekly baking linky

                                                           

Detail: Spring Lemon and lime drizzle cake - gluten free

0 Prune and raisin loaf cake - gluten free

Winter baking needs to be comforting and this loaf definitely hits the spot, ideal served with a good cup of tea. I have mentioned before that Mr LF is a member of a walking group and this has been tasted and approved by his fellow walkers, its also robust enough to survive being buffeted about in a rucksack or lunch box.

I love the sticky soft prunes which create large pockets of moist juicy fruitiness, this cake is naturally gluten free and improves with keeping, I have baked the recipe several times and would recommend that you use a quality cider or fruit juice as your soaking liquor as it really makes a difference to the overall flavour of the cake.

This version is taken from River Cottage Light and Easy and is also very similar to a tea loaf recipe I make a lot but instead of the raisins and prunes, I used the same quantity of dried fruit.

What you need

• 150g raisins or sultanas
• 150g soft pitted prunes
• 75g soft brown sugar
• 150ml cider, strong tea or fruit juice (apple or orange is good)
• Oil spray
• 1 egg - free range
• 100g rice flour or gluten free flour
• 100g ground almonds
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp mixed sweet spices

What you do

• Soak the fruit in the cider,tea or juice for a couple of hours, stir in the sugar until dissolved in a large baking bowl. I leave it covered with a tea towel in the kitchen
• Oil spray and base line a 2lb loaf tin
• Pare heat the oven to 170c
• Sieve the flour, almonds, baking powder and spices on to a plate ready for adding to the bowl
• Add the sieved flour and egg to the bowl containing the soaked fruits, mix thoroughly and then turn into the prepared loaf tin
• Bake for 50 to 55 mins until golden and well risen
• Cool initially in the tin and then cool fully on a wire rack
• Stores well in an airtight tin.

I am linking this post up to "Bake of the Week" over at Casa Costello, a general celebration of baking in all its forms.

                                                               

Detail: Prune and raisin loaf cake - gluten free

0 Almond sponge topped apple pots

In winter nothing hits the spot like a warm pudding to round off a satisfying meal, this recipe is one I have been making for many years, originally based on Gino D'ACampo's miel e mandorle pots that I discovered was gluten free when I was entertaining a friend who is a celiac.

These are delicious served hot or cold and are easy to make, the recipe is a great way to use up apples left in the fruit bowl that are passed their best. I used a mixture of granny smiths and braeburn apples but other fruits would work as well. The pots are the perfect combination of fruit and moist golden sponge with a faint almond flavour, ideally topped off with a few flaked almonds. Serve with your choice of custard, creme fraiche, yogurt or cream.

What you need

• 6 dessert apples (I used Granny Smiths), peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
• 50g soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs - free range
• 100g caster sugar
• 100g softened butter
• 100g ground almonds
• Few sliced almonds for sprinkling on top
• Lemon juice
• Apple pie spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg)

What you do

• Preheat oven to 160c
• To make the filling cook the chopped apples, the soft brown sugar, lemon juice and spices in a pan until slightly softened, add a splash of water if you like.
• Place the cooked apple filling in four ramekins, divided equally
• Whisk the caster sugar and butter until light and fluffy ( I used my mixer)
• Add the eggs and ground almonds and whisk until you have smooth fluffy mixture
• Top the ramekins with the almond topping and sprinkle with a few flaked almonds
• Bake in the pre heated oven for 45 mins or so until golden and well risen
• Serve hot or cold.

I am linking this post to "Recipe Clippings" created and hosted by Farmersgirl Kitchen, as I have said this a recipe I have used time and time again and proudly features in my recipe scrapbook.

And also to Credit Crunch Munch created by Fuss Free Flavours and Fab Food 4 all, hosted this month by Elizabeth's Kitchen, as I used some rather sad apples form the fruit bowl to create a great dessert dish.

                        

Detail: Almond sponge topped apple pots

0 Gluten Free Beef brisket, carrot and celery pie - with a delicious pastry top

I recently cooked a small brisket of beef in the slow cooker and this pie is using some of the left over meat from the joint, I actually managed to stretch the meat to 3 separate meals, along with this pie I also served the meat simply with gravy like a roast dinner and in a pan haggerty (that's a post for another day).

Brisket isn't the cheap cut it used to be but its reliable easy to cook especially if you use a slow cooker like I do and it produces delicious gravy too. I just cooked the brisket for 6 hours on high after smothering the join in a mix of Dijon mustard, BBQ spice rub, tomato ketchup and maple syrup. I didn't add an extra liquid.

This is frugal dish as it used a fairly small quantity of meat, the leftover gravy and carrots and celery to bulk up the pie filling. I then created a gluten free pastry top and if I do say so myself it tasted pretty amazing.

Fresh out of the oven 

If you don't have left over brisket or roast beef then this pie could be made with minced beef or lamb and any suitable vegetables you have to hand. The gluten free pastry was very well behaved, the secret being allowing it to rest in the fridge for about half an hour before rolling out and a liberally brushing with an egg glaze before baking so you achieve a beautiful golden top.

What you need 

For the pie filling

• Quantity of left over beef -chopped into bite sized pieces
• Carrots and celery - parboiled until just tender
• Gravy - I used thickened cooking juices

For the pastry

• 225g Gluten free flour (I mix my own)
• 110g Butter
• 20g Parmesan cheese - finely grated
• 1 free range egg - beaten (reserve a little for glazing the pie)
• A little cold water
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1/4 tsp xanthum gum

What you do

• Preheat the oven to 180c
• Mix your pie filling and place in your pie dish
• Sieve the flour, xanthum gum, salt into a bowl, add the Parmesan cheese
• Rub the fat into the flour mixture until its resembles fine breadcrumbs
• Add the egg and enough water to to form a soft dough
• Once you have formed your dough, Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes
• Once rested roll out on a well floured surface and top your selected pie dish, crimp and trim and then glaze with a little beaten egg. 
• Make a couple of cuts in the pastry top to allow steam to escape. With some of your spare pastry why not form some creative pastry shapes.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes or so until golden and cooked through
• Serve immediately

The pastry is deliciously savoury,short yet flaky and undetectable as gluten free. The pastry does require slightly more gentle rolling out for its well worth the effort.

With an eye to Valentine's day I decorated my pie with hearts, as its made with love. 

Detail: Gluten Free Beef brisket, carrot and celery pie - with a delicious pastry top

0 Spicy persimmon bundt cake

A few weeks ago I purchased 3 persimmons which were on special offer in my local market, these beautiful orange fruit are the unsung hero in this bake as they provide moisture and succulence, although you would never know they were there. Perfect for a wintery evening the spicing really lifts this bake and well worth the wait whilst the fruit was ripening.

What you need

• 3 persimmons - peeled and pureed
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 115g butter
• 200g light brown sugar
• 350g plain flour
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• Icing sugar and water to making glace icing

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Oil spray the bundt tin throughly
• Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy
• Add the bicarbonate of soda to the persimmon puree, it will jellify don't be alarmed
• Add the puree plus the other ingredients (except the icing sugar) to the sugar and butter
• Mix until you have a smooth mixture, sppon into the prepared bundt tin
• Smooth level 
• Bake for 40 -45 minutes, until risen and tested cooked with a skewer
• Cool fully in the tin on a wire rack
• Once cool, a sharp inversion of the tin should release the cake
• Ice when cool, using a drizzle technique.

I have just spotted that the theme for Love Cake for January 2015 is "Feeling Fruity" so I am linking up this post to this challenge. This is hosted over at Jibberjabber

                                  

Detail: Spicy persimmon bundt cake

0 Chestnut maple snowflakes

For quite a while I  have been wanting to experiment with chestnut flour, I think this stems from a holiday memory in idyllic Tuscany, when we stayed in a house over looking a chestnut grove and in it was the cutest rustic drying house. I was fascinated with the gnarly trees, the nuts and the recipes they were used in, chestnut flour is used in Italy to make pasta, pancakes and cakes amongst other things.

Chestnut flour is naturally gluten free and is something you will need to seek out if you want to bake with it as its not routinely stocked in most health food shops, this is possibly due to a shortish shelf life but you can obtain it easily by mail order and most shops will happily order it in for you. If you are baking for a coeliac ensure the flour is truly gluten free.

Chestnuts are synonymous with the festive season so I decided to come up with a biscuit recipe which uses this lovely flour, combining it with maple syrup to give a lovely smoky earthy flavour and use my lovely snowflake cutters to give a seasonal twist to this bake. 

This recipe makes about 12 to 15 cookies, depending on the size of the cutters you use. These would make a lovely gift wrapped in cellophane and lovely festive ribbon or a parchment package. Don't expect a crunchy biscuit these are more tender, the snowflakes aren't overtly sweet either.

What you need

• 12 tbsp chestnut flour (I used Shipton Mill) and little extra for rolling out purposes
• 3 tbsp melted coconut oil
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 egg 
• Icing sugar for sprinkling purposes

What you do

• Mix all the ingredients in a food processor
• Tip out on to a floured piece of baking parchment, roll out to just a little thinner than a pound coin and using a cutter to cut out the snowflakes.
• Place on a baking tray (I use a silicon sheet to ensure they don't stick) 
• Bake in a pre heated oven at 180c for 10 -15 minutes until just turning golden
• Cool on wire rack, they firm up more on cooling
• Sprinkle with icing sugar or ice with glace icing if you like.
• Store in a tin

This month we are linking up with Treat Petite created by Cakeyboi and hosted this month by The Baking Explorer, the theme this month being Christmas. 

                                                             

                                                              

We are also linking up to Family Foodies hosted by Bangers n Mash and Eat your Veg, the theme being festive foodie traditions, as these snowflakes are liable to become a new tradition in this household as they are delicious and ideal to baked as a gift particularly for adults.

                                      

And lastly December's Teat time treats hosted by Karen over at Lavender and Lovage and Jane at Hedgecombers. This months theme is Glitter, sprinkles, candles and shiny stuff, this bake I think qualifies as it has lots of sprinkled icing sugar and the staging includes candles.

                                         

                                                                

Detail: Chestnut maple snowflakes

0 Chocolate orange quatre epices cake for Seasoned Pioneers

Who doesn't love a chocolate cake but ever one to ring the changes what about a spiced chocolate cake. Recently Seasoned Pioneers sent across a selection of their spices and intriguingly one of the packs was of their version of quatre epices.

You  may have heard of five spice (Chinese in origin) but Quatre epice was more unfamiliar to me, Quatre epices is a spice mix originating from France and the near middle east, a blend of pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger, hence the four spice name. Used in sweet and savoury dishes its a versatile addition to the spice rack, I thought I would use the blend in a chocolate cake to provide some "Christmassy" spicing yet with an adult twist as the pepper in the spice blend provides a warm heat to the palate.

I have made this cake a couple of times now and it was very popular with visitors, christmassy yet not overly sweet and with a nice spicy edge, nice served with Hot chocolate.

What you need

• 1/2 cup of Quality vegetable margarine
• 1 cup of light brown sugar
• Zest of 1 large orange
• 2 eggs - free range 
• 1 1/3 cups of plain flour
• 2 tbsp cocoa - organic if possible (I find it has a much better flavour)
• 2 tsp Seasoned pioneers Quatre Epices spice blend
• 1 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 cup of yogurt
• 1 tbsp skimmed milk

What you do

• Preheat your oven to 180C and oil spray and flour an 8" square cake tin
• Sieve the flour, cocoa, salt, quatre epice, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder on to a plate
• Cream the butter, sugar and zest in a stand mixer until light and fluffy, add the rest of the ingredients including the flour and beat quickly until you a smooth fluffy mixture
• Spread the cake mixture into the prepared tin
• Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean
• Cool in the tin and leave on a wire rack until fully cool
• To remove from the tin, loosen around the edge with a palette knife and invert sharply the cake should slide easily out of the tin.
• Place on a serving plate and decorate accordingly
• You may wish to slice the cake horizontally and fill with ganache or cream if the mood so takes you.

So if you fancy making something a little different for a festive celebration this is the cake for you.

Detail: Chocolate orange quatre epices cake for Seasoned Pioneers

0 Oaty Date slices

These oaty date slices are perfect with a brew after returning from the frantic streets packed with Christmas shoppers, it a satisfying bake and fairly healthy due to the wholesome filling and the fact that it contains oats. Once baked it keeps well in an airtight tin and ideal served as part of a packed lunch or as suggested with tea or coffee.

What you need

• 200g plain flour
• 200g rolled oats
• 75g granulated sugar
• 150g melted butter or vegetable margarine (if you wish to make vegan)
• 250g stoned dates, roughly chopped
• 100ml apple juice
• Generous splash of lemon juice

What you do

• Oil spray an oblong tin approx 4" by 10" 
• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Mix the oats, flour, sugar and melted butter in a large bowl to make a soft crumbly dough, if needed add a few drops of water to help bind
• Press half of the oat /flour mixture into the prepared tin
• To make the filling , cook the chopped dates in the apple juice and lemon juice in a small pan until you have a sticky soft filling
• Allow the filling to cool slightly then spread the filling on the base
• Top off the filling with the rest of the dough, press down firmly
• Bake for 25-30 minutes
• Remove from the oven when slightly golden and cool fully in the tin before cutting into generous slices.

Detail: Oaty Date slices

0 Winter Warmers at The Cowshed, Buckshaw Village for South Lancashire Clandestine Cake Club

 

Yeah, cake club for our 25th meeting (wow that's a lot of cake !) of the South Lancashire Clandestine Cake club we paid a visit to COWSHED on Buckshaw Village, we had a supper turnout of bakers having 13 cakes in total all to our seasonal Winter Warmers theme.

Quite a few of the bakes featured interesting spice combinations and the bakers excelled themselves with their fantastic decorations. Travelling from far and wide we enjoyed ourselves on a wintry blustery afternoon in this funky coffee shop in the heart of the newly created village.

You can find the Cowshed on Barnes Wallis Way (of Bouncing Bomb fame) just behind the Tesco, there is parking just outside the door and lots more in the area. The coffee shop is open 7 days a week and late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The coffee is amazing and the decor is great and suitably cow themed.

On to the cakes, what a wonderful selection including several which where gluten free and two amazing "Bonfire cakes".

Spice Raisin bundt cake by Helen F

Chili chocolate olive oil cake by Katherine

Lemsip cake by Caroline (Honey & Lemon)

Sticky Toffee cake by Carla

Bonfire cake by Helen B

Spice Coconut cake by Kate

Apple and Cinnamon loaf by Ange

b

Date Bundt Cake by Kate G

Plum cake with warm mulled wine syrup by Sarah

Bonfire Cake by Amanda

Also not photographed individually was a Ginger and Coconut cake (sorry Helen R) this is the large white cake with the Christmas Trees in the large picture and also my Ginger Zinger Cake which you can see here.

Internal shot of the Bonfire Cake by Amanda showing layers

If you are in the area the Cowshed is definitely worth a visit.

Detail: Winter Warmers at The Cowshed, Buckshaw Village for South Lancashire Clandestine Cake Club