Glutenfree oatcakes

I'm reading Jenny Colgan's The Summer Seaside Kitchen and in them the main character Flora makes Scottish oatcakes. Usually her books contain a few recipes and this one is no exception.... except... the Scottish Oatcakes aren't one of them. So I searched the ever knowing world wide wide and made my own version of the various different recipes I've found. 

These oatcakes are wonderful with a bit of butter or cheese, but I think they make a great and quite healthy breakfast option too, as I'm one of those breakfast cracker kind of person. ;-)

I made these crackers with 100% gluten free oats and oat flour so my two gluten free sons can eat them as well. My sons don't react to oats (i know that is not the case for everyone with coeliacs disease) and they love eating oatmeal and such. 

Ingredients: 

• 100 grams of rolled oats
• 175 grams of oat flour
• 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 60 grams of cold butter
• 1 teaspoon of iodised salt
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 100 ml  of hot water

Instructions: 

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees centigrade or 390 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Mix together the rolled oats, oat flour, cream of tartar, iodised salt and sugar in a big bowl.
3. Add the cold butter mix this through the flour and rolled oats mixture by rubbing it together until everything is mixed. It should have the consistency of bread crumbs. 
4. Add the water (just bit by bit) and combine until you have a somewhat thick and slightly sticky dough. The amount of water varies; depending on the oats. I needed a lot of water. 
5. Sprinkle some flour on a clean work surface and roll out the dough to  thickness that's about 1/2cm. Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. 
6. Place the oat cakes on a baking tray and bake  them in the oven for  about 20-30mins until a light golden brown colour. 
7. Let them cool a bit on a wire rack before you eat them with some salted butter or cheese. 

Blueberry muffins

I'm almost ashamed to say it's been a really, really, really long while since I've actually blogged a recipe. That doesn't mean I've stopped baking, because baking never stops when you have two gluten free boys to take care of. But life has been a tad bit hectic so blogging the recipes I developed never quite 'happened' to make it onto here. 

This week a brand new kitchen gadget arrived: My very own Kenwood Kmix and that was reason enough to bake something. Because, it is no use letting it be pretty on your kitchen countertop right? So... blueberry muffins it was. And they turned out so nice I just couldn't let them go "unblogged'. So hey... I'm back! 

This recipe makes 12 midsize muffins

Ingredients: 

• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of rice flour
• 50 grams (1.76 oz) of corn flour
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of almond flour
• 75 grams (2.65 oz) of sugar
• 10 grams (0.35 oz) of vanilla sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons fiber husk
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of soft butter
• 2 dl (3.33 fl oz) of butter milk 
• 2 eggs
• 175 grams (6.17 oz) of blueberries

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees centigrade/ 350 fahrenheit. 
2. Put the paper cups into the muffin tray or butter the muffin tray. 
3. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl. 
4. Beat the sugar into the soft butter until it is a fluffy mixture. Add the eggs and beat them into the butter mixture. 
5. Add the mixed dry ingredients and mix it all in until it is combined. Then add the blueberries and fold them in carefully so they won't break open. I added them to the mixture in my Kmix and let it mix on the slowest/first setting. 
6. Scoop the mixture into the muffin tray with a spoon. 
7. Put in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden brown. 
8. Take them out of the oven, let them cool in the tray first for a couple of minutes. Then take them out and let them cool completely on a wire rack. 

Enjoy!!

Lemon & Honey cookies

I not only bake for my kids or my blog, I bake for my colleagues too. Almost two weeks ago I had a work dinner and I spent half the evening taking requests from colleagues for cookies. My cookie baking reputation at work has taken a flying leap. And every now & then I indulge them. And I always love their reaction: "You can't tell this is gluten free!" Well, duhhh, of course not. Gluten free does not equal cardboard cookies. Not if you do it right.

But first I needed a recipe for cookies that were delicious, taste like summer & that I could make in enormous quantities. So I adapted another recipe that had the consistency I was looking for with honey and lemon and a bit more sugar to match the summery feel I wanted. This is the result. So I first made a batch for my little men and soon I'll be baking a gigantic amount of cookies & I'll take a tour to visit all the cookie begging colleagues and bring them some. 

They may not look like summer, but they taste like it all the same!

This recipe makes two dozen cookies.

Ingredients:

• 300 grams (10.5 oz) of rice flour
• 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum
• 1.5 teaspoon of cream of tartar
• 15 grams (0.5 oz) of vanilla sugar
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of light caster sugar
• The zest of two lemons
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of butter
• 4 tablespoons of honey

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees centigrade (350 degrees fahrenheit)
• Put all the ingredients in one big bowl and mix till you have a combined dough. It will feel soft, but not extremely sticky.
• Pour some gluten rice free flour on a clean kitchen surface, kneed the dough on it and then roll it out with a rolling pin. Cut out cookies with your favourite cookie cutters. Repeat until you have used up all the dough.
• Put the cookies on baking trays lined with baking parchment and put in the oven for about 15 minutes until slightly risen and golden. 
• Take them out of the oven and let them cool completely before you serve them with a cup of tea or coffee. 

Enjoy! My boys loved them and I think they have a new favourite cookie.

Sinful Gigantic Chocolate Chip Cookies

I could tell these cookies would be fabulous just by tasting the dough. Crunchy, velvety dough full of chocolate. And you know what makes it so fabulous? Loads of full fat butter, sugar, vanilla & egg yolks. Lots of stuff that basically is not healthy for you, but oh so delicious every now & then. 

Those of you who know me a little know that I'm totally horrified by the fact that some people seem to think that the gluten free diet is a good way to lose weight. It's not, it's a diet that helps people get their health back. That doesn't mean that I'm opposed to living healthy either. Those that know me well know I've struggled with my weight for a period of my life and the only way I got back to a healthy weight was by cutting down portions, eating healthier (read loads of veggies, fruits, rice, wholemeal bread and such and above all no more processed packaged foods) and exercising way more (riding my bike to work every day). So I get people wanting to live healthy. I just don't believe that the gluten free diet is going to do you any favours. Because gluten aren't your enemy unless you have celiac disease. Sugar, fat & such are. But if you don't eat unhealthy stuff all day, every day, it's ok to indulge yourself every once in a while. And that's what I've done by making these cookies. Cookies that I'll serve to my kids and some of my colleagues tomorrow because I think they deserve a bit of indulgence. And I may just have one myself. ;-)

This recipe makes about 20 huge cookies. 

Ingredients:

• 250 grams (9 oz) of full fat butter
• 250 grams (9 oz) of light caster sugar
• 250 grams (9 oz) of (sticky) rice flour 
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda or cream of tartar
• 0.5 a teaspoon of iodised salt
• the scraped seeds of a vanilla bean
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of white chocolate
• 100 grams (3.5 oz) of dark chocolate

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 175 degrees centigrade or 350 degrees fahrenheit.
• I bought to bars of chocolate and bashed them to smithereens with my meat hammer (make sure you have some big chunks left in there too for good measure).
• Put all the ingredients in a big bowl and mix them until you have above mentioned crunchy velvety dough with tons of chocolate.
• I rolled out the dough (on a gluten free, clean surface) till it was about 0.5 cm (almost 0.25 of an inch) thick and punched out round cookies with cookie cutter with a diameter of 7 cm (2.5 inch). I put them on a baking tray (make sure you leave a lot of space in between) and put them in the oven for about 10-12 minutes. 
• Leave to cool & then impress your friends, family, colleagues (or yourself) with them as you serve them with a cup of coffee.

Mascarpone & parmesan bread rolls with chives & pine nuts

Before I share this recipe with you all, there's something that I need to get off my chest.

I've had it with this whole fad concept that people seem to think that gluten free is. I've also had it with people eating gluten free solely because they think it's healthy for them. I really don't know how to make this any clearer but: gluten free does not equal healthier people. You are basically denying yourself nutritients: vitamins & minerals because you avoid gluten without any medical reason to do so. Wheat, rye, spelt, whatever.... it's not unhealthy for you (unless you have celiac disease or a wheat allergy). And if you don't have a medical reason to avoid gluten, neither are the gluten. Eat the damn stuff, just do it with moderation. These grains contain nutrients you need & that celiacs need to compensate for with other foods to get their daily intake. Just stop eating all the processed shit that food companies try to sell you. Because that all does contain crap you do not want to eat on a regular basis. Just eat healthy and do not believe the hype, because that is pure marketing. It does not mean it's valid or true. And you are simply making the life of people who have no other choice but to live gluten free very, very difficult. Because you feed the common thought that gluten free is a fad and that you do not need to take it seriously. 

And to all the people on the other side of the spectrum that are rolling their eyes and questioning living gluten free: some people really do have a medical reason to eat gluten free. And it's a very valid one. I honestly hope you don't ever have to go through this strict way of life, where you have to watch out what you eat, to make sure your food does not get contaminated. Because one crumb of bread or a bit of wheat flour can make you sick. And I mean really, really sick. And yes weird things such as cosmetics, play doh or glue can contain gluten and if you forget to wash your hands it will contaminate your food. Just like that. For real. It's not a joke. My 8 year old is proof. He has celiac disease and he is doing remarkably well. Most of the time. He is very strict on his diet, but his intestines will always be his weak spot. Even if he sticks to his diet. Right now he is home with tummy cramps and other stuff that comes with it, solely because the stomach flu virus he picked up is harder on him than it is on others. And he is suffering from it longer than you & I would. He has this disease for life. So trust me, it's real. It's damn real.

Rant over. Here's the recipe to the mascarpone & parmesan bread rolls I made for my sons. Because living gluten free may be hard and serious 'shit', it's not the end of the world either. 

Ingredients:

• 250 ml (9 fl oz) of buttermilk
• 1  large egg
• 125 grams (4.5 oz) of mascarpone cheese
• 450 grams (1 lb) of gluten free bread flour (I used Le Poole mix for white bread)
• 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons of fiber husk
• 10 grams (0.25 oz) of granulated sugar
• half a teaspoon of iodized salt
• 75 grams (2.75 oz) of grated parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons of chopped chives
• 1 egg yolk, two tablespoons of water & pine nuts for decoration

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 50 degrees centigrade (110 degrees fahrenheit) & put a bowl of water in the oven. The water will help the dough proof.
2. Put all the ingredients (except for the pine nuts) into a big bowl in the order you see above. 
3. Mix it all until you have a firm but sticky dough.
4. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces and form them into rolls. I used the handle of a wooden spoon to make indentations on top (in the middle) of each roll. Just because it looks nice. 
5. Put the rolls onto a baking tray lined with baking parchment & put it in the preheated oven for about 45 minutes to let the dough proof.
6. Take the dough out of the oven and turn up the heat of the oven to 200 degrees centigrade (400 degrees fahrenheit).
7. Mix the egg yolk with the water & brush it on top of the bread rolls. Sprinkle with the pine nuts.
8. Put the bread rolls back into the oven for about 30-35 minutes until they are golden. 
9. Let them cool on a wire rack before you serve them, although my son ate his straight from the oven.

Enjoy!

Typically Dutch Sticky Cinnamon Buns

I've always wanted to make these, but never bothered to look up the original recipe to make them or to check how difficult it would be. Well, as it turns out, these typically Dutch sticky cinnamon buns, also known as cinnamon turds in my house thanks to my dear husband, are really easy to make. And also very easy to make gluten free. So it goes to show you should never assume things. 

They may not look like much, but I'm so proud of these!!

So here's the recipe that will make about 12 buns. 

Ingredients:

• 250 grams (9 oz) of gluten free rice flour
• 250 grams (9 oz) of gluten free basic bread flour (I used Le Poole's Twello's wit)
• 15 grams (0.5 oz) of granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons of xanthan gum
• half a teaspoon of iodized salt
• 1 egg
• 50 ml (2 fl oz) of milk
• 215 ml (7.25 fl oz) of water
• 30 grams (1.05 oz) of dry yeast
• 30 grams (1.05 oz) of butter

For the cinnamon-sugar coating of the buns:

• 250 grams (9 oz) of dark caster sugar
• 4 tablespoons of cinnamon

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 50 degrees centigrade/ 122 degrees fahrenheit en put a bowl of water on the bottom of the oven. This will help the dough proof. 
• Mix all the ingredients for the the bun in a big bowl, except for the butter. Mix it with an electric mixer until all is well combined and you have a firm dough. 
• Then add the butter, mix it in and when it is all combined make tiny balls of about 80 grams (about 3 oz). 
• Now here is where the recipe differs from making the normal gluten versions of the cinnamon buns. Normally you would let the dough proof before rolling them out, but that is not effective with gluten free dough. Since it lacks the gluten the dough lacks flexibility and when you roll it out after proofing, the dough will not bounce back. You will end up with dense, tough buns instead of fluffy buns. So... you now take the balls and roll them out as sausages of about 30 cms (about 12 inches). 
• You brush them with some water and then roll them through a mixture of dark caster sugar and cinnamon which you have put in a large oven tray like this:

Make sure you mix the cinnamon & sugar well before rolling the dough in it

• Then you roll them up like this and place them on a baking tray lined with baking parchment:

Roll them up form and 'glue' them together with a bit of extra water

• Place the baking tray in the oven for 20 minutes to let the buns proof. They will come out the oven almost doubled in size, looking  like this. 

They proof really well, so make sure you don't put them too close together on the tray

• Heat the oven to 225 degrees centigrade or 425 degrees fahrenheit. When the oven is ready, put the buns in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.  Take them out of the oven, and immediately put them upside down on a clean baking tray to let them cool, like this:

I have to admit seeing this picture, that my husband sort of has a point...

When they are cooled, they will look like the picture on top of the blog. Serve them with a cup of tea and enjoy!

Ps. If you try out my recipes, please let me know how you get on. That way I can improve my recipes and help more people. If answering here is a bit daunting, you can always let me know on my Twitter account or tumbler linked to this blog.