Gluten-free hot cross buns…yummo!

Feed a hoard at Easter with Mim’s recipe for gluten-free hot cross buns. They can be made dairy-free with soy milk.

Ingredients (12 buns)

• 350g plain gluten-free flour (from health food shop or supermarket)
• 1 tbs guar or xanthan gum (as above)
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• 50g demerara or brown sugar
• 1 sachet dried yeast
• 100g currants or mixed dried fruit
• 1 organic egg
• 275ml warm milk (soy milk okay)
• 50g butter, melted

Method

1. Mix together all of the dried ingredients. Add the egg, melted butter and gradually add the milk. Mix until the dough is smooth, but it will still be very sticky.
2. Tip out onto an oiled work surface and, using well-oiled hands, shape into about 12 buns. Place buns well apart on an oiled baking tray.
3. Cover the lot with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise in warm spot until doubled in size, roughly one hour.
4. To make the crosses, mix a soft paste using a couple of tablespoons of gluten free flour, a tablespoon of oil, and water. Put into a piping bag with a plain tube and pipe a cross onto each bun.
5. Bake at 200ºC for about 25 minutes until golden and cooked.

Enjoy this yummo treat at Easter.

When Dubbo nutritionist Jennifer Price told Mim about a smoothie she’d just invented, Mim knew she had to have to recipe to try it…and share it.

Full of superfoods such as chia seeds, this smoothie is the ultimate healthy indulgence.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 400ml almond milk
• 5 dates, plus water for soaking them
• 1 dessert spoon of organic cocoa powder
• 1/2 dessert spoon of chia seeds

Method

1. Remove stones from dates (or check for remnant pieces, if using pitted) then cover with water and soak.
2. When the dates have plumped up, pour them into a blender with their soaking syrup.
3. Add the chia seeds and the almond milk…and blend.
4. Pour into two glasses and serve.

Chia seeds were a staple grain of the Aztecs and Mayans. High in soluble fibre and a good source of protein and omega 3 fatty acids but low in calories, they contain potassium and calcium.

Cocoa, another Aztec/Mayan food was made into a bitter drink called xocoatl. Containing epicatechin, an antioxidant that helps to prevent heart disease, cocoa can reduce cholesterol and high blood pressure. Cocoa also contains phenylethylamine, a feel good brain chemical released when we are in love…or eating chocolate.

Julie Mainprize has created this simply divine recipe for Pear, Raspberry & Almond cake, with no sugar! Bake, eat and enjoy.

Ingredients

• 4 large ripe pears
• 4 eggs
• 200g almonds
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 200g fresh or frozen raspberries

Method

1. Heat oven to 180°C. Grease and line a bar tin or 20cm round cake tin.
2. Peel, core and roughly chop pears. Place in a saucepan with a tablespoon of water. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cover, reduce the heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
3. In the bowl of a food processor add almonds and prpocess until coarsely ground. Add eggs and mix. Add vanilla and half the cooked pears. Whizz until combined. Stir in the remaining pear piece and half the raspberries. Pour batter into the cake tin and sprinkle the top with remaining raspberries.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes, checking after 35 and test doneness with a skewer. Cool, then serve in slices with a dollop of ricotta and extra raspberries or pears.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 2 ½ cups wholemeal flour
• 1 ¼ cups milk
• 1 cup pie apples, diced
• 1 cup frozen blueberries
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Grease a 6 x ¾ cup capacity muffin tin.
3. Mix flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon in a mixing bowl.
4. Mix apples, blueberries, honey, oil, vanilla essence and milk in another mixing bowl.
5. Pour the milk and fruit mixture into the flour mix. Fold quickly with a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix batter.
6. Spoon batter into muffin tin using an ice cream scoop, if possible.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check by inserting a wooden skewer into the middle of a muffin. If it is still wet in the middle, bake for a few minutes longer.
8. Turn out muffins on to a wire rack while hot. Leave to cool.

Store muffins in an airtight container, in the fridge. Warm them in the microwave for a minute before eating.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 1 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups frozen raspberries
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200°C.
2. Grease a 6 × 3/4 cup capacity muffin tin.
3. Mix buckwheat flour, brown rice flour, cocoa and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
4. Mix raspberries, honey, olive oil, milk and vanilla essence in a separate bowl.
5. Pour the milk and raspberry mixture into the flour mix. Fold quickly with a wooden spoon. Don’t over mix batter.
6. Spoon batter into muffin tin using an ice cream scoop, if possible.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check by inserting a wooden skewer into the middle of a muffin. If it is still wet in the middle, bake for a few minutes longer.
8. Turn out muffins on to a wire rack while hot. Leave to cool.

Tofu makes this pudding high in protein so it can double as a good breakfast choice or a snack.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 415g can apricots in natural juice
• 300g silken tofu
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 4 teaspoons gelatine dissolved in ¼ cup boiling water
• 2 tablespoons roasted slivered almonds

Method

1. Place apricots and juice, tofu and honey in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Add gelatine and water mixture, mix well.
3. Pour mixture into individual moulds (½ cup capacity) and refrigerate until set. These quantities will fill 6 moulds.
4. Dip the moulds in warm water for a few seconds then turn them out on individual serving plates. Sprinkle the puddings with roasted slivered almonds before serving.

This pie resembles a strudel but is a lot simpler to make.

Ingredients (Serves 6)

• 1 cup pie apple, diced (‘no added sugar’ variety)
• 1 cup walnut pieces
• 2 tablespoons sultanas
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 sheets filo pastry, cut in half (8 pieces in total)
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 tablespoon milk

Method

1. Preheat oven to 170 C.
2. Mix apple, walnuts sultanas and cinnamon in a bowl.
3. Brush a 23cm pie dish with a little melted butter. Line it with 4 pieces of filo pastry, brushing the top sheet with a little butter.
4. Spoon the apple and nut mixture onto the pastry base. Spread it evenly.
5. Cover the fruit and nut mixture with the other 4 pieces of pastry. Brush the first three pieces with a little melted butter. Brush the fourth piece of pastry (the piece which goes on the top) with a little milk.
6. Trim excess pastry around the rim of the pie plate. Brush the edges with milk so that they stick together.
7. Bake for 40 minutes, until pastry turns a golden brown colour.
8. Serve warm or at room temperature. It is particularly good with vanilla ice cream, cream, or natural yoghurt with a little honey stirred through it.

I am sure you have heard this lots of times before, but here it is again. When buying cooking chocolate, buy the best quality possible. Higher the cocoa component, better the chocolate.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 pears, peeled and stems left on
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 cloves
• 4 slices lemon

Chocolate Sauce

• 100g dark cooking chocolate
• 100ml fresh cream

Method

1. Place water and honey in a large saucepan. Stir the mixture over medium heat until honey dissolves.
2. Add pears, cinnamon sticks, cloves and lemon slices. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer until pears are cooked. This will take about 20 minutes. Check by inserting a fork into the pears.
3. Transfer pears into a deep bowl. Use a slotted spoon for this, strain the cooking juices over the pears. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate.
4. Break chocolate into small pieces and place it into a bowl. Add cream to the chocolate.
5. Set the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
6. Heat the chocolate and cream until chocolate melts, stirring frequently. Stir until chocolate mixture looks shiny and creamy.
7. Remove bowl from the pan and leave to cool.

To Serve

Place a pear upright in a bowl with a spoonful of chocolate sauce on the side.

If you like a stronger blackcurrant flavour, use more fruit juice and less boiling water. You need 1/4 cup of boiling water to dissolve the gelatine, the rest can be fruit juice.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 300g frozen mixed berries
• 1 cup blackcurrant juice
• 1 cup boiling water
• 3 teaspoons gelatine
• 20 fresh mint leaves (the little leaves on top of the stalks)
• 4 tablespoons fresh cream

Method

1. Portion berries and mint leaves into 4 glass tumblers.
2. Dissolve 3 teaspoons gelatine in 1 cup boiling water.
3. Add 1 cup blackcurrant juice to the water and gelatine mixture, mix well.
4. Pour the fruit juice mixture over the berries. Refrigerate until jelly sets.
5. Serve berries in jelly with a tablespoon of fresh cream on top.

This recipe is in our simple Christmas feast

You just can’t have a recipe book without chocolate recipes. As it happens, chocolate can be good for you, in moderation of course.

Ingredients (Serves 8)

• 6 eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup fine polenta, sifted
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa, sifted
• 1/2 cup dark ‘choc bits’
• grated rind of 1 lemon
• pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.
2. Grease a 23cm springform cake tin (non-stick is best).
3. Whip the egg whites with a pinch of salt until just stiff.
4. Add honey and lemon rind to yolks and mix until honey blends.
5. Mix the egg whites and yolks together gently with a spoon.
6. Mix polenta and cocoa in a bowl, add to the eggs, mixing in a folding motion.
7. Add ‘choc bits’ to the cake batter, mix in a folding motion.
8. Pour the batter into the cake tin. Bake for 40 minutes, don’t open the oven door during this time.
9. After 40 minutes, check to see that the cake has cooked through evenly by inserting a skewer into the middle of the cake.
10. Leave aside to cool in the tin.
11. Sift some icing sugar on top of the cake when ready to serve.

From Mim Beim and Gul McCarty’s book FeelGood Food