Gluten & Dairy Free Chocolate & Coconut Madeleines

Gluten and Dairy Free Chocolate & Coconut Madeleine's



 

Having recently been sent a tub of Food Thoughts Fair-trade Cocoa to try, I decided to put it to good use to coincide with a Glutafin Demo I’m doing in Cambridge this month.

Those who demo will know that you need to demo something that is interesting and relatively quick to do, so I decided on the Madeleine's as they are not something the Coeliac’s or the Gluten Intolerant or Free-from Life-stylers can easily pick up in the shops.

So a little about the cocoa, the first thing that struck me was the difference in colour compared to my usual brand of cocoa, this is all down to the process in making it or in Food Thoughts case the lack of it. The Food thoughts Cocoa is not “Dutch Processed” or treated with Acidity Regulator (Potassium Carbonate). This means that the colour is more subtle with hues of reddy brown, rather than a really dark almost black/brown colour. Its pH is also different…For more info on the Dutch method, I suggest you Google it. I walked away from Food Science…..

The second difference was the smell, it seems to me to be a lot more rounded in smell compared to my usual brand. When using it I also noted it blended in really well.  What also appeals to me is that its Gluten free, I’m mindful of ingredients and generally use GF ingredients where possible to ease of storage and of course any cross contamination. Would I buy it and use it again, yes I would.

I’ve also made this recipe Dairy Free as I had some Pure Margarine to use up, for those not Dairy Free, simply substitute with butter.

 

Makes approx. 24

Ingredients

2 Eggs

100g Caster sugar
80g GF Plain Flour Mix (I used Asda )
20g Food Thoughts Cocoa
25g Desiccated Coconut
¾ tsp. Baking powder
100g Pure DF Margarine, melted and cooled slightly, plus extra for greasing

 Method

1.      Preheat the oven to 160^oC Fan/ Gas 4.  Brush the madeleine tray liberally with melted Margarine.

2.      Sift together the GF Flour, Baking Powder and Cocoa.

 

3.      Whisk together the eggs and the sugar in a bowl until frothy. Add in the coconut and lightly whisk in. Fold in the GF Flour and the margarine.

4.      Carefully add in around a tablespoon of the mix into the prepared tin to just below the rim.

5.      Bake for approx. 10 minutes, until the mixture fully cooked through. Leave in the tin for a minute or two then transfer the madeleine’s to a wire rack and leave to cool.

 

Eat or Freeze on the day of baking

 

I was sent this cocoa to review, all words and thoughts are my own.

Gluten Free Fig, Pineapple and Ginger Chutney

Having recently completed a Home Preserves Course (and passed with a distinction) I wanted to share my top marks recipe with you. My palette is tantalised with a real sweet sour vibe and this just fits the bill. Also by using cider vinegar it makes it Gluten Free. Hope you enjoy it.

Gluten Free Fig, Pineapple & Ginger Chutney

 

 

Makes approx. 5-6 x 340g jars

1kg Whizzed up Fresh Pineapple

1kg Cooking Apples ( small diced)

500g White Onions ( small diced)

300g Chopped dried figs*

2" Pieces of Grated Fresh Ginger

 

100g Grated Stem Ginger

500g light soft brown sugar

600mls Cider Vinegar

Spice Bag: 3 Tsp Mustard Seeds, 3 Tsp Black peppercorns, Cinnamon Stick

*soaked for an hour in 150mls orange juice

 

Put the spice bag spices in some muslin, tie it up and put it in the preserving pan with all the other ingredients except the sugar.

Slowly bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, when the onions are soft add in the sugar, stir until the sugar has dissolved.

Simmer slowly for 2 ½ - 3 hours, until its thickened and well reduced.

To check its ready, draw a flat edge wooden spoon along the bottom to expose the bottom of the pan, if no thin juices fill the void its ready.

Sterilise your jars & lids by putting them on a tray in a hot oven. Fill the warm jars with the hot chutney (don’t fill them right to the top leave about 1cm void) Place the lids on tightly, label when cold, store for at least 6-8 weeks before eating.

 

Gluten Free Raspberry Frangipane Tart

Gluten Free Frangipane Tartlets



Gluten Free Frangipane Tarts

Well it’s not that often I get to blog a recipe , but as I have been asked quite a few times for this recipe I decided to dig out and dust down the blog.

Frangipane tartlets are really good to demonstrate and have become a firm favourite of mine when I'm off up and down the country, demonstrating Gluten Free Cooking for Glutafin. Having worked so much with the prescription brand flours its given me such an insight as to how fats & liquids behave in gluten free cookery. My private gluten free work encompasses using different flours & starches to make breads & pastry, again one blend of flour will work so differently to another.

 So for ease I have used a flour mix readily available, my private courses will use my own blends of flours......But please feel free to use your own pastry recipe for this

 Gluten Free Frangipane Tartlets

Makes Approx.  2 Small 5” Tartlets or 1 18cm tart

 Ingredients

225g Gluten free plain flour ( I used Asda FF for this)

1 tsp. Xanthan Gum
55g Cold soft margarine
55g Trex
25g Caster sugar
1 egg (beaten)
½ tsp. Salt.
2 Tbsp. cold water (approximately)

Filling

90g Butter or DF Margarine
90g Caster Sugar
90g Ground Almonds
1 Egg
20g GF plain flour
Small Punnet of Fresh Raspberries
3 Tbsp. Good Quality Raspberry Jam

 Sieve and mix together the Xanthan Gum together with the flour. Add in half of the flour and all the remaining ingredients in a bowl and using a dough scraper combine to a smooth paste. Add the remaining flour and bring the mixture together using a dough scraper, then using your hand brings together into a ball.

Place on a work surface lightly dusted with flour and knead for 1 minute until completely smooth. Flatten and chill for 30 minutes.

Knead the pastry again then roll the pastry out in between 2 pieces of cling film, place the pastry into the tin and trim to a neat edge.

Mix the filling ingredients together, until smooth (except the Jam)

Place a layer of jam in each pastry tartlet, then neatly top with Frangipane, place the Fresh Raspberries into the frangipane

Bake in a preheated oven 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5 oven for 30- 35minutes until golden. Leave to cool, store in an airtight tin.

Please enjoy!!
NB> you will have some pastry left over, simply freeze it. Defrost when needed, knead it well before rolling.