almond bread

Almond bread or almond slice as it is sometimes known is a favourite of mine.

My dear aunt used to make it for me and while I had tried to make it myself  I could never get it quite the same. 

Now with my aunt no longer here with us I thought my almond bread days were over, until I came across the recipe in my 4 ingredients Gluten Free Cook Book.

My first attempt was fine but I could not get them really thin for the second baking, but then an idea came to me (in the middle of the night, like these things often do), if I froze the loaf first before cutting I could get a much thinner slice, and it worked YAAYYY!!!!

So without further ado here is the Almond Bread recipe.

Almond Bread

4 eggs

1/2 C raw sugar

1C gluten free flour

1C almonds

Preheat oven to 180C

Separate eggs and beat egg whites until stiff, then add sugar slowly and beat until dissolved.

Sift flour and stir in and add almonds.

Place mixture in a lined loaf tin (the trick to getting your baking paper to stay still is a dot of butter in the bottom of the tin) The tin I use is thin and long with straight down sides 8cm x 25cm and makes a really nice sized piece.

Bake for 40 minutes. 

The recipe states when cool enough slice thinly- now this is what I tried first but ended up with the freeze and cut method as mentioned above, my aunt and in several old recipes I have read actually leave the loaf for several days before slicing.

Place slices on a baking tray and return to oven until browned 10-15minutes (I like to turn my oven down for this step to about 160C as they can easily go too brown really quickly so keep an eye on them)

With the freezing I can get a much thinner slice and get many more than the 15 stated in the recipe, I keep the loaf in the freezer and just slice off as many as I need- or otherwise they go really quickly- too moreish!!!

 Note the one missing- that was a taste test.

These are a lovely crisp biscuit great with a cup of coffee.

hot cross buns

Every year on Good Friday we enjoy making our own Hot Cross Buns.

My dear friend Sandra (miss you too) requested the recipe so here it is.

It is originally out of a Family Circle Magazine.

Hot Cross Buns

2 t yeast

1 1/3 C warm water

1/4 C sugar (you could use honey)

4 C plain flour

1/4 C full cream milk powder

1 t mixed spice (I also add 1 t cinnamon)

1 C sultanas

1/2 C mixed peel (I use diced dried apricots instead as they are sweeter and add more flavour)

80g butter melted and cooled

2 eggs lightly beaten

1. Mix together yeast water and sugar and wait 10 minutes or until it has bubbled up.

2. Add other ingredients to bowl of electric mixer with dough hook attached

3. Add yeast mixture and mix for 5 minutes on low

4. Cover and set aside until doubled in size (if you are in a hurry or it is cold you can do this in the oven on a very low temp under 50C)

5. Punch dough down give it a quick knead and divide into 16 equal pieces

6. Place in lined pan close together

7. If you wish to put crosses on them now is the time, mix a little flour and water in a small ziplock bag and cut one corner and pipe on (I am not very good at piping but try my best)

8. Cover and leave to rise until doubled in size.

9. Heat oven to 200C 

10. Spray buns with water and place in oven. 

11. Bake for 10 minutes and then reduce heat to 180C and bake for 15-20 minutes longer, you can tell if they are cooked if they sound hollow when you tap them.

12. Cool for 5 minutes in tray before removing onto wire rack.

13. Make a glaze out of a little icing sugar and water and a bit of cinnamon (like a really runny icing) brush onto buns while still hot.

14. Serve warm with lashings of butter. 

Leftovers can be cut in half and toasted for breakfast the next day.

If you want something different than the buns you can make an Easter loaf by diving dough in half to make two loaves.

Take one and cut it into 3 equal pieces roll these out and plait to make a plaited loaf, do the same with other piece of dough, brush with egg white and sprinkle on flaked almonds and sugar, cook as for Hot Cross Buns. 

I usually make this as well but I can't find a photo.

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expresso amorettis

This is again a recipe from 4 ingredients gluten free.

I made this the other day for afternoon tea when we had some visitors, I was a little unsure how the kids would like them as they have coffee in them, well apparently they must have liked them a lot because this recipe made heaps, there was a good half a container left and when I was going to Bible Study and thought to take some along there was only 3 left!

I think you could adapt it by using cocoa or carob powder instead of coffee and I think they would be lovely drizzled or dipped in chocolate.

Expresso Amorettis

1T instant coffee

3 egg whites

3 C almond meal (I buy this in bulk from the health food section)

1 C sugar (I used raw because I didn't have any white)

Preheat oven to 160C, dissolve coffee into 2T boiling water, allow to cool.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. 

Add egg whites, sugar and almond meal to coffee mix and stir until combined. 

Using a tablespoon (I use a teaspoon so I can make more biscuits) dollop balls onto a paper lined baking tray. 

Bake for 20 minutes (I baked for 15 because they were smaller) or just beginning to brown. 

I left these on the tray to cool for about 10 minutes then put them on a rack.

I am going to make these today to take to Church tomorrow and I think I will make a chocolate version.

raspberry almond cake

 I made this cake for myself for my birthday.

It was a lovely cake, but I think it needs to be served with something.

Whipped cream and/ or a chocolate ganache would be my first choice, unfortunately being gluten and dairy free I would have to go to my second choice of a dairy free ice cream either vanilla or chocolate or a raspberry sorbet.

Raspberry and Almond Cake

2 C frozen raspberries, thawed, juice included

6 eggs

1 C sugar

255g almond meal

Preheat oven to 160C

Puree raspberries with their juice.

Beat eggs and sugar with a mixer until light and fluffy, add puree and almond meal.

Stir well, pour into a greased 22cm cake tin (I used a springform tin, lining bottom and greasing the sides) and bake for 60-70 minutes.

As you can see from the photo I dressed it up by putting flaked almonds on top before baking and dusting with icing sugar once cooled.

The note in the book says you can swap raspberries for apples, bananas, oranges or mandarin. 

Topped with cream cheese and sprinked with poppy seeds, this cake is beautiful.

gluten free dairy free sponge cake

This sponge cake turned out beautifully, I have been making sponges for a while now- well since I got my kitchen aid and except for once when I didn't whip my eggwhite for long enough before adding the sugar they have all worked out really well.

In this recipe I combined the ingredients from the 4 ingredients gluten free cookbook with the method from my tried and true sponge.

Gluten Free Sponge

4 eggs separated at room temperature

3/4 c sugar

1C gluten free self raising flour

dash vanilla essence

Their method:

Preheat oven 200C. 

Beat egg whites until nice and stiff. 

In a separate bowl beat egg yolks, gradually add sugar and vanilla until pale yellow in colour. 

Spoon egg whites into egg yolk and fold together. 

Add flour and fold in with a whisk (helps keep mixture aerated). 

Pour into a lined 22cm tin  and bake for 30 minutes.

My method:

Preheat oven to 200C. 

Beat egg whites until stiff, gradually add sugar beating each time until sugar is dissolved.

Add yolks one at a time and mix well add vanilla.

Slowly add flour, either by hand or on mixer very slow, using whisk attachment.

Pour into lined tin and bake for 30 minutes.

It came out beautifully light and fluffy. I topped it with icing made from berry juice and icing sugar and topped it with some more berries and a sprinkle of icing sugar. 

If you are not dairy free you can top it with jam and whipped cream.

I really like passionfuit icing but didn't have any passionfruit on hand that day so used the berries instead.

gluten free date loaf

This is another recipe from The 4 ingredients Gluten Free Cookbook,

again super easy and super yummy!

I have eaten this for breakfast with some butter spread on it, but it is nice without butter too.

Date Loaf

375g pkt dates

2t instant coffee

1C GF self raising flour

1/4 C flaked almonds

Add coffee to 1 C boiling water and mix.

Pour over dates and soak overnight.

Stir in GF flour.

Pour into a loaf pan lined with baking paper.

Sprinkle with flaked almonds and bake for 45 minutes at 160C

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peanut butter biscuits

I can't believe how long it has been since I posted a recipe, it's not like I haven't any to share and I even told friends I would post an awesome cake recipe and I still haven't done it.

But anyway after borrowing the fabulous 4 ingredients GF recipe book from the library and loving it VCH bought me a copy for my birthday.

So being inspired to cook the other day I tried out a few new recipes, the first I am going to share are these biscuits.

I took these to Bible Study and was immediately asked for the recipe, these are so easy and so moreish and very very yummy.

Peanut Butter Biscuits

1 C crunchy peanut butter

1 C raw sugar

1 egg

1t cinnamon (I had run out so didn't use it)

Mix ingredients in bowl roll into balls, the recipe said tablespoon size but I like teaspoon better- you get more biscuits, I found wet hands the best, flatten with a fork, I used wet fingers and bake 180C for 10 minutes, cool on tray.

Options: to cut some of the sweetness you may like to sprinkle with a little salt before cooking, I used Celtic Sea Salt, or sprinkle with sesame seeds.

I think these would be fabulous dipped in chocolate but I haven't tried it yet.

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