Recipes

  

   Almond and Orange Cake by Victoria Blasford-Snell

This cake is gluten and diary free

200g carrots, peeled and sliced

1 tbsp fresh orange juice, or orange- or almond-flavored liqueur

4 large eggs, separated

½ tsp pure vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1 orange

¾ cup sugar

1¼ cup almond flour (almond meal)

Icing sugar, for sifting (optional)

Method:

Preheat the oven to160°C.

Butter an 8in (20cm) round cake pan and line the bottom with a round of parchment paper. Cook the carrots in a little water about 15 minutes, or until very tender. Drain and purèe with the orange juice; you should have ½ cup of purèe. Beat the egg yolks, vanilla, and orange zest in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed. Gradually add the sugar, mixing until it becomes very thick. Stir in the carrot purèe and almond flour. In a clean, dry bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff, then fold into the batter. Spread in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto the rack, peel off the paper, and cool completely. Sift confectioner's sugar over the top before serving, if desired.

Notes

Good with fresh fruit such as raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries and a spoonful of thick yogurt or whipped cream.

Corn-Scallion Pancakes by Elizabeth Barbone

1 1/4 cups gluten-free cornmeal

3/4 cup brown rice flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 cup milk

2 large eggs

2 tablespoon vegetable oil plus additional oil for pan

1 1/2 cups corn, thawed

1/2 cup chopped scallions

Method:

In medium bowl, whisk together cornmeal, brown rice flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. In small bowl, combine milk, eggs, and vegetable oil. Whisk with fork until smooth. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir with fork until smooth. Add corn and scallions. Stir to combine. Lightly oil flat griddle pan with vegetable oil. Heat griddle over medium-high heat. Pour batter, approximately 1/4 cup per pancake, onto griddle. (Batter should sizzle when it hits the pan.) Cook until bubbles appear on edges of pancakes, approximately three minutes. Flip pancakes and cook another 1-1 1/2 minutes.

Soda Bread by Elizabeth Barbone

3 1/2 cups white rice flour

1/2 cup sweet rice flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 cup potato starch

4 tablespoons caraway seeds

5 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

8 ounces (2 sticks) butter

2 large eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups buttermilk

1 1/2 cups raisins

non-stick cooking spray

Method:

Adjust oven rack to center position. Preheat oven to 180 c Spray a 9-inch spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray.

In medium mixing bowl, whisk together white rice flour, sweet rice flour, cornstarch, potato starch, caraway seeds, baking powder, salt, baking soda, and xanthan gum. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer, cream together butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until a thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl. Add half the dry ingredients. Turn mixer on to low speed. Mix until incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add half the buttermilk. Mix until thoroughly combined. Repeat with remaining dry ingredients and buttermilk. After adding buttermilk, mix until batter is thick and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Add raisins, mix until incorporated. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan. Bake bread until golden brown, about 80 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center of the bread should come out clean. Allow bread to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Unmold bread and place on a wire rack to cool completely.

 Store on the counter for up to two days or freeze for up to two months.

Walnut mocha chocolate dessert cake by Lucille Cholerton

100g dark chocolate – melted with 1 Tbs hot water and 2tsp instant coffee granules (15 seconds in microwave 1200 watts)

150g sugar

6 eggs, separated

125g butter – melted

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1/3 cup potato flour

½ tsp baking powder

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp Xanthan gum

½ cup plain yoghurt

150g ground walnuts (save 50g whole walnuts for decoration – or about 8)

Icing:

1½ cups sifted icing sugar

125g softened butter

½ tsp vanilla essence

2 tsp coffee granules dissolved in 1 Tbs hot water

Glacé cherries to decorate

Grated chocolate to decorate

Walnuts to decorate

Toasted flaked almonds to decorate sides of cake

Method:

Melt chocolate and allow to cool.

Beat sugar and egg yolks together well.

Add melted butter, chocolate/coffee mix and vanilla and beat well.

Fold in flours, baking powder, salt and Xanthan gum that have been sifted together. Add yoghurt to the batter and stir well.

Fold in ground walnuts and stiffly beaten egg whites.

Divide cake batter into three and pour into three lined cake pans

Bake at 180ºC for 20 to 25 minutes (test with a skewer)

When cool, ice layers together, cover with butter icing and decorate.

Icing: Beat all ingredients together very well – you may need more butter and icing sugar since the whole cake needs to be covered with the icing.