Apricot & Coconut Bliss Balls (GF) (LF)

Bliss Balls are the easiest lactose-free, dairy-free, gluten-free morsels of deliciousness with no added refined sugar you can make. These ones are of the apricot and coconut kind and one of my favourites. Just pop the ingredients in a food processor, blitz, roll into balls and after 30 minutes in the fridge, BOOM! BLISS BALLS!

Apricot & Coconut Bliss Balls

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup desiccated coconut
1 cup almond meal
1 tbsp melted coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp honey


METHOD:

Put all the ingredients into a food processor.
Pulse until well blended and mixture comes together.
Add a little water (tablespoonfuls at a time) if mixture looks to dry.
Roll into bite-sized balls.
Refrigerate for 30 mins.
Serve.

Enjoy!

Profiteroles (GF) (LF)

Profiteroles are always a delicious favourite. These are gluten-free and filled with dairy-free creme patisserie, topped with a drizzle of melted chocolate, strawberry coulis and served with a side of strawberries... how can you go wrong? I made these for dessert when I visited my brother and sister-in-law for dinner and they loved them. As an experiment I made pear creme patisserie and filled a few with that for a more indulgent treat.

Profiteroles

 
INGREDIENTS:
Profiteroles:
55g margarine
70g rice flour
125ml water
2 eggs

Soy Creme Patisserie:
450ml soy milk
55g caster sugar
55g cornflour
2 eggs


METHOD:
For the creme patisserie:
Whisk all ingredients in a pan and cook over a medium heat until thick.
Remove from heat and cover with non-stick baking paper.
Refrigerate for at least an hour.

To make pear creme patisserie:
Stew 3 pears until soft, puree and add to creme patisserie with 1/4 cup of softly whipped cream.

Creme Patisserie, Pear Puree and Cream

 For the Profiteroles:
Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
Heat water and margarine for profiteroles in a pan.
Once boiling, remove from heat.
Add flour and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves the side of the pan.

Profiterole Mix - Ready for eggs to be added

Beat eggs in one at a time.

Profiterole Mix - Just after 2 eggs have been added

 Continue beating until mix is smooth and shiny.
Place mixture into a piping bag and pipe rounds onto a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper.
Bake for 25 minutes or until puffed up and golden.

Profiteroles - Just out of the oven

When ready, remove profiteroles from oven and quickly pierce the base of them with a cross.

Profiterole - Cross in the base

Leave to cool on a wire rack.
Once cooled fill the profiteroles with the creme patisserie.
Serve with fresh strawberries and a drizzle of melted chocolate and strawberry coulis.

Enjoy!


Tips and tricks:
- Just omit the cream if you want to make dairy-free creme patisserie

Creme Patisserie and Pear Puree

 - Leave about 5cm between each piped profiterole to give them room to expand
- If you're after a rustic look, just drop tablespoonfuls of mix onto the tray rather than piping
- The cross in the base after cooking the profiteroles is to allow steam to escape, preventing them from going soggy so you can just stab a hole in the side if you aren't too worried about presentation.

Frozen Rocky Road (LF)

Frozen Rocky Road is a recipe I made up as a quick dairy free dessert for Christmas this year. Having moved away from where our families live, we always have to travel to be with them for Christmas so when my sister suggested I make a dessert to contribute to the Christmas feast I said "sure" and quickly put my thoughts into what I could easily make in my mum's not so well equipped kitchen on short notice. Then 'BOOM!'  Frozen Rocky Road was born. It's chocolate frozen goodness with chewy dried fruit, crunchy hokey pokey(honeycomb) chunks and nutty nuts. Delicious!

Frozen Rocky Road

INGREDIENTS:
5 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
1/2 tsp baking soda
200 g dairy-free chocolate
90g blanched almonds
90g shelled pistachios
150g margarine
85g dried cranberries
100g dried apricots


METHOD:
Lay a silicon mat onto a cookie sheet and brush with vegetable oil.
Melt sugar and golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat.
When sugar mix is 115 degrees celcius or is a caramel gold colour turn the heat up to high.
Quickly whisk in the baking soda and pour mixture onto prepared silicon mat.
 

Hokey Pokey (Honeycomb)

 Let it cool for 30 minutes, remove the hokey pokey from the tray and chop into chunk sized pieces.

Hokey Pokey Chunks

Line a loaf tin with at least 4 layers of cling film, ensuring it overhangs the sides of the tin enough to cover over the mix when it's full.
Chop up the almonds and pistachios then mix together with cranberries and apricots. Set aside.

Dried Fruit

Chopped Almonds

Break up the chocolate into a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Add margarine to chocolate and stir together until melted together.

Chocolate & Margarine Mix

 
Take off the heat and add the chopped nuts and dried fruit.

Rocky Road Mix

Spoon and press into prepared loaf tin.
Fold overhanging cling film over the rocky road mix.

Rocky Road Mix Set in Loaf Tin

Freeze overnight or at least 6 hours.
Remove frozen rocky road from tin, unwrap cling film and cut into slices.
Serve with fresh summer fruit like strawberries and raspberries.

Enjoy!

Tips and Tricks:
- Work quickly once you add the baking soda to the sugar mix when making the hokey pokey otherwise you may end up with a sticky claggy mess in your pot to clean up.

-If you do end up with a sticky hard goo in your pot or on your utensils just rinse it hot water and the mix will dissolve off.

-Keep a large glass of hot water handy whilst making the hokey pokey so you can easily dissolve the sugar mix off your thermometer in between measuring and stirring.

-Make sure your silicon mat is brushed well with vegetable oil so the hokey pokey easily slides off. Baking paper is not a good alternative.

-Once the frozen rocky road is set; the slices can be kept in the fridge sif you prefer the slices to be firm but nit rock hard.

Lemon Cupcakes (LF) (GF)

Lemon cupcakes are refreshingly delicious. Full of lemon zesty goodness, lactose free for my wonderful "guinea pig" (partner) as well as amazingly soft and springy for a gluten free cake recipe. I topped these with a basic lemon icing recipe; something I'm not used to making so please excuse the poorly made/applied icing - it's not my best effort but it did not affect the taste.

Lemon Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:

For the cupcakes:
89g rice flour
67g maize cornflour
28g almond meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
150g sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
80 ml canola oil
200 ml soy milk
1 lemon, zested and juiced

For the icing:
1 lemon zested and juiced
2 cups icing sugar
1 drop of yellow food colouring

METHOD:

Turn on oven to bake at 180 degrees celcius.

In a bowl mix together rice flour, cornflour, almond meal, xanthan gum, sugar and baking soda.

Mix together the eggs, soy milk, oil, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Add wet ingredients mixture to dry ingredients and stir until well combined.

Line and fill a 12 pan cupcake tin so each is 3/4 full of mixture.

Bake for 20 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

To make icing, mix together lemon juice, food colouring and icing sugar until nice and smooth.

Add more icing sugar if required to get a spreading consistency.

Add lemon zest to icing mixture.

Once cupcakes are cooled, spread icing onto cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake (LF) (GF)

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake is just yum! I made it for my birthday cake this year and of course it's dairy-free and lactose-free so my awesome partner could help me devour it. As a bonus it's also gluten-free! Here I served it with dairy-free creme patissiere, berry coulis, strawberries and a sprig of mint. Amazingly simple and quick to make, it even kept moist for 3 days. I can't wait for an excuse to make another.

Vegan Chocolate Fudge Cake

 

INGREDIENTS:

190g rice flour
145g maize cornflour
60g almond meal
1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
380g sugar
80g cocoa powder
3 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
500ml cold water
150ml coconut oil, melted
1 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

METHOD:

Turn on oven to bake at 180 degrees celcius.

Line two 24cm x 15 cm loaf tins with non-stick cooking paper.

In a bowl mix together rice flour, cornflour, almond meal, xanthan gum, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.

Add the vanilla essence, water, coconut oil and vinegar. Mix well.

Pour mixture evenly into loaf tins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Serve with Creme patissiere, strawberries and berry coulis.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts (LF)

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts are little morsels of awesomeness! Topped with epic vegan raspberry jelly and filled with dairy free chocolate mousse you just have to go back for one more. Substitute the sweet short crust pastry (base) with a vegan alternative such as the base from my Chocolate Mousse Cake Recipe to make this an amazing vegan dessert.

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts

INGREDIENTS:

For Base:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup sugar
10 tbsp dairy-free margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp water
2 egg yolks

For Filling:
350g silken tofu
350g vegan chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla essence

For Raspberry Jelly:
1 cup raspberries
1/4 cup water
4 tbsp sugar
1 tsp agar agar powder

METHOD:

Turn on oven to bake at 180 degrees celcius

For Base:
Put flour, salt and sugar into a bowl.
Add margarine and rub until mixture is like breadcrumbs.
Add vanilla, water and egg yolks.
Mix together and knead into a soft smooth ball of dough.
Place in fridge for at least 15 minutes.
Roll out pastry to about 2-3mm thickness.
Cut circles out of the pastry to line the holes in a mini-muffin tray.
Bake blind for 8 minutes. Remove baking blind material and bake for 1 minute.
Remove from oven tray and set aside to cool.
Continue to bake pastry cups until pastry is used up.

For Filling:
Place tofu and vanilla essence into a blender or food processor.
Over a double boiler, melt chocolate.
Add melted chocolate to blender and quickly start whizzing the mixture until smooth.
Spoon into the cooled bases.

Place into fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.

For the Jelly:
Put raspberries and water into a small saucepan.
Mash the raspberries into the water with a fork.
Add the sugar and bring to the boil.
Add agar agar powder and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Place a non-stick silicon mat into a large flat bottomed tray (such as a swiss roll tin).
Pour raspberry jelly mixture onto mat and refrigerate overnight or until set.
Cut small shapes from the jelly and layer over the set chocolate tarts - I used a square cutter and two jelly layers to give the tarts some height.

Makes 48 bite-sized tarts.

Quick Tips:
- I don't have a double boiler so to melt the chocolate I use a glass or metal bowl on top of a saucepan of boiling water - just need to be careful of the steam, I often wear an oven glove on the hand holding the bowl.
 - You can also use a microwave to melt the chocolate by microwaving in stints of no more than 20 seconds at a time (often much less once heated through), stirring in between each stint.
 - Make sure you start whizzing the filling mixture as soon as the melted chocolate has been added because the chocolate will start cooling and solidifying as soon as you add it.

Enjoy!

Vanilla Cupcakes (GF) (LF)

Vanilla cupcakes - yum! Classic sweetie goodness. Bonus with these ones is they're gluten free and lactose free yet still very soft, fluffy and delicious. I made a batch to celebrate a friend's birthday only to have to make another so I could blog them here.

Gluten Free Vanilla Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:
130g margarine
130g caster sugar
125g rice flour
1tsp xantham gum
2 eggs
1tsp vanilla essence
2tsp baking powder

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Cream margarine and sugar until fluffy and pale.
Mix flour with xantham gum and baking powder.
Fold half the flour and one egg in to the margarine/sugar mixture.
Fold remaining egg and flour into the mixture.
Fold in vanilla essence.
Line a cupcake tin with patty cases.
Fill cases 3/4 full and bake for 12-15 minutes.
Remove when golden or an inserted skewer comes out clean.
Cool the cupcakes on a wire rack.

For vanilla icing:
Cream 100g margarine with 100g icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Mix in 1tsp vanilla. (Add 50g sifted cocoa if chocolate icing required).
Spread over cooled cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here

Strawberry Millefeuilles (LF)

Strawberry Millefeuilles is a rich and filling dessert despite its deceptive light and airy appearance. By making creme patissiere using soy milk and using cheap margarine based store bought flakey pastry this is a super treat for my lactose-intolerant partner that's really easy to make. The strawberries can be replaced with other fresh berries such as raspberries or blueberries and whipped cream can be used in place of creme patissiere for an impressive looking quick dessert.

Strawberry Millefeuilles

INGREDIENTS:

3 sheets flakey pastry
400g strawberries

For soy creme patissiere
450ml soy milk
55g caster sugar
55g cornflour
3 size 6 eggs

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius.
Place a sheet of flakey pastry on a lined baking tray.
Place a wire rack on top of the pastry.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until just brown.
Flip the sheet of pastry and bake for another 10 minutes until both sides are browned.
Remove from oven and transfer to a chopping board.
Repeat for the remaining 2 sheets of flakey pastry.

For the creme patissiere:
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Pour into a saucepan and heat over a medium heat until thick.
Transfer to a bowl, cover with baking paper to prevent a skim forming then place int eh fridge to cool.

To assemble the Millefeuiles:
Spread half the creme patissiere over one sheet of flakey pastry.
Sprinkle with half the strawberries.
Repeat with another layer of pastry, creme patissiere then strawberries.
Place the last sheet of pastry on top and sprinkle with icing sugar.

Keep chilled for up to 6 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe (LF)

Chocolate cupcakes are just perfect for afternoon tea or as a treat when feeling a little peckish. These are made with lactose-free dark chocolate and lactose-free margarine then topped off with sprinkles and dairy-free chocolate butter cream icing (the recipe for which can be found here). Making them a special treat for my lactose intolerant partner.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Sprinkles and Dairy-Free Butter Cream Icing

INGREDIENTS:

150g margarine
200g dark chocolate (lactose-free)
185g self-raising flour
30g cocoa powder
285g caster sugar
2 eggs, lightly beaten
185ml water
Dairy-free Chocolate Butter Cream Icing

METHOD:

Sift flour and cocoa into a large bowl; set aside.
In a heat proof bowl, add margarine and chocolate.
Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
Stir the mixture constantly until melted.
Combine margarine and chocolate mixture with sugar, eggs and water. Mix well.
Add chocolate mixture to flour and cocoa.
Stir until well combined.
Heat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Line 20 standard muffin holes with paper cases.
Divide mixture evenly among the cases.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
Transfer onto a wire rack.

Once cooled, ice with butter cream icing and top off with sprinkles or chocolate hail.

Makes 20.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here 

Chocolate Almond Torte Recipe (GF)

This Chocolate Almond Torte is a gluten free, moist and irresistable dessert. Served cold with cream it's perfect to accompany a great cup of coffee with friends. For a more decadant dessert, create a Sachertorte by brushing the surface with 2 tablespoons of apricot or raspberry jam then a generous spread of chocolate icing. To ensure it is gluten free be sure to check that the chocolate you use does not use gluten flours as a thickener.

Chocolate and Almond Torte

INGREDIENTS:
310g dark chocolate
115g margarine
100g caster sugar
100g ground almonds
5 eggs (size 6), separated
55g corn bread crumbs

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 180 degree celcius.
Melt chocolate in microwave until just melting; stir until smooth.
Cream margarine and sugar together until well combined.
Mix in egg yolks, ground almonds and bread crumbs.
Fold into mixture the melted chocolate.
Whisk egg whites until dry.
Fold egg whites into mixture.
Pour mixture into and greased and baking paper lined 23cm springform tin.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove from oven and leave to cool for 45 minutes.
Remove from tin and dust with icing sugar.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here

Dairy-Free Chocolate Butter Cream Icing Recipe (LF) (GF)

This Dairy-free Chocolate Butter Cream Icing Recipe is a variation of that posted by The Dairy-Free Diva which can be found here. Finally, I can now make pretty cupcakes for my partner who is lactose intolerant :). Can't wait. Very excited! Lots of thanks goes out to Stephanie Colman: The Dairy-Free Diva for the recipe. I tried out my first batch on top of my feijoa cake; it was delicious and very easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 cup cold margarine
2 2/3 cup icing sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD:
Put margarine into a bowl.
Sift in icing sugar and cocoa powder.
Mix well.
Mix in vanilla essence with a wooden spoon.
Over a shallow sink of warm water, beat the mixture until it forms into a spreadable consistency.
Remove bowl from sink and your dairy-free butter cream icing is ready to use.

TIPS:

• After you add the vanilla essence, the mixture will still seem quite dry
• Make sure the water in the sink is not hot as the mixture will split if heated too far
• After you start forming a thick icing consistency, electric beaters can be used to get a smooth consistency. 

Enjoy!

Just desserts here 

Sesame Balls Recipe - 煎堆 Jin Deui (GF) (LF)

Jin Deui or Sesame Balls are sweet, soft crunchy and gooey at the same time. Traditionally filled with red bean paste they are considered an 'acquired' taste. Here I've opted for a filling of sugar and peanuts that I think many would find quite delicious. An added bonus is this recipe is both lactose and gluten free. By the way, despite the name, glutinous rice flour does not have an gluten in it!

Sesame Balls 煎堆 (Jin Deui)

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups glutinous rice flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp apple cider or carbonated apple juice
3/4 cup warm water
1/2 cup sesame seeds
2 Tbsp chopped roasted and salted peanuts
1 Tbsp sugar

METHOD:
Sift flour into a bowl, add first two measures of sugar and mix well
Stir in water and apple cider to form a smooth dough
Add flour to get to a smooth dough-like consistency, it should hold its shape when left to sit whilst still soft.
Combine peanuts with third measure of sugar.
Divide dough into 20 portions
Take a portion and roll into a ball, make an indent in the centre and fill with peanut mix.
Enclose the filling inside the dough, roll in warm water and then in sesame seeds
Repeat with remaining portions
Fry in hot oil over a low heat until they puff up to double their size and have a crispy crust.

TIPS:

• Make sure the depth of oil will allow the balls to float when doubled in size, otherwise you may end up with a more 'golden' side if allowed to rest on bottom
• When you first put the balls into the oil, keep them moving around until they start puffing up, this is to ensure they hold their circular shape, try pressing the balls into the edge of the pot or wok holding the oil if required.
• Once puffed up they will start to float so keep turning them to get even colouration
• Fry them in batches of 3 or 4 to avoid accidentally burning or creatng flat looking sesame balls.

Enjoy!

Just desserts here 

Orange Marsala Sauce (GF) (LF) Recipe

This sauce goes well with decadant chocolate desserts such as chocolate and pistachio bavarois where a sweet fresh sauce is needed to cut through an intense richness. Made with eggs, it is like a thin custard. The spike of Marsala intensifies the orange flavour and aroma. If you don't have Marsala, dry sherry can be used instead.

INGREDIENTS:
4 eggs, beaten
200g caster sugar
Grated zest of 1 orange
140 mL fresh orange juice
55g Margarine
60 mL Marsala

METHOD:
Put eggs, sugar, orange zest and orange juice into a blender or food processor and process for a few seconds.
Transfer toa non-stick saucepan and cook over a low heat until mixture thickens. Keep stirring to prevent sticking but do not allow the mixture to boil as it will separate.
Once thickened, quickly beat in the margarine and marsala.
Transfer to a bowl or jug and allow to cool, then cover and chill until required to serve.

Enjoy!

Walnut Torte (LF) (GF) Recipe

Just biscuit crumbs, sugar, walnuts and eggs. Great as a simple dessert or along side a good old fashioned cup of tea. Serve it "rustic" with a dollop of cream, a few berries and a sprinkling of chopped nuts. Good for satisfying the sweet tooth. Omit the cream on top and it is lactose free. Can also be made gluten free by using gluten free biscuits.

Walnut Torte ... Spectacular!!!

I usually use plain biscuits and use my bullet blender to create crumbs, making sure the crumbs are as fine as possible. The same with the walnuts, best to get them as fine as possible. If you're really adventurous you could try other flavours like ginger or chocolate. Be good to hear how that goes if you try.

INGREDIENTS:
125g walnuts
1/2 cup biscuit crumbs
1 cup sugar
3 eggs

METHOD:
Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius and grease or line a 20cm cake tin or rectangular tin.
Using a blender or food processor, blend the walnuts and half the sugar until finely crumbed. Add the remaining sugar.
Whisk eggs together until pale and thick.
Carefully fold the biscuit crumbs, walnuts and sugar into the eggs mixture until just combined.
Pour mixture into prepared tin.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the torte is springs back when lightly touched.
Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before removing from tin.
Cut and serve with a dollop of cream, fruit and chopped nuts.

Enjoy!

Walnut Torte - Made with gluten free biscuits

Lemon Meringue Pie (LF) Recipe

Lemon Meringue Pie is a classic favourite. This recipe can be made using margarine so it's a lactose free dessert.

A photo of the latest one I've made 4/5/2012

I've made it successfully many times and here's the recipe.

Pastry:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 sugar
10 tbsp butter/margarine
1 tsp vanilla
2 tsp water
2 egg yolks

Filling:
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp lemon zest
3 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup corn flour
1 Tbsp butter/margarine
3/4 cup water

Topping:
5 egg whites
1/4 cup caster sugar
1/4 tsp vanilla

To Make:

Heat oven on Bake to 180 degrees celcius

Pastry: Sift flour, salt and sugar in to a bowl. Add butter/margarine and press into breadcrumbs. Add vanilla, water and egg yolks. Mix together using a fork until just combined then use hands to knead in to a soft smooth ball of dough. Place in fridge for at least 30 mins. Roll out pastry to about 4mm thickness and line a flan tin (can be ceramic flan dish). Bake blind for 20 minutes. Remove baking blind material and bake for 1 minute. Meanwhile make filling and topping

Filling: Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, sugar, water and cornflour in a pot. Heat on moderate heat until thick and smooth, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in butter/margarine and egg yolks until combined. Pour into cooked pastry case.

Topping: In a large bowl, whisk together vanilla and egg whites until soft peaks form (not dry) form. Whisk in sugar tablespoonfuls at a time. Spread evenly over the top of filling in pastry case and bake for 10 minutes.

Enjoy.

   Special Lemon Meringue Pie made for Wade and Trystan's double trouble party