A Christmas recipe for Candy Cane Brownie Pops

Don't these look lovely!  These are a Pampered Chef recipe, but I've managed to make a dairy free and egg free version too.

The recipe VEGAN style (egg and dairy free) looks exactly the same but I use my favourite egg and dairy free Brownie recipe then use vegan chocolate such as this Moo Free Chocolate and make sure my candy canes were egg and dairy free too (most of them are just sugar and colourings/flavourings!). Hurrah! 

Pampered Chef Recipe for Candy Cane Brownie Pops

Ingredients
1 package (18-21 oz or 450 g) fudge brownie mix (plus ingredients to make brownies) or your favourite brownie recipe
24  candy canes
10 oz (300 g) chocolate cake covering or chocolate
Additional decorations such as red sprinkles

Directions
1.  Line Medium Sheet Pan with a 33-cm piece of greaseproof paper. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions; pour batter into pan. Bake 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs attached. Remove from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool 20 minutes or until still slightly warm.
2.  Meanwhile, cut off straight ends of candy canes to form 4 1/2-in. (11-cm) sticks using Utility Knife. Place candy cane tops into resealable plastic bag and crush using a rolling pin; set aside.
3.  Using a Large Scoop, scoop brownie into 24 scoops, packing brownie into scoop using hands. (Entire brownie will be used.) Roll brownie scoops into smooth balls. Insert candy cane sticks into centers of balls, mounding brownie around stick.
4.  Place chocolate into Small Batter Bowl; microwave according to package directions until melted and smooth. Spoon melted chocolate evenly over each brownie ball, turning to coat completely. Allow excess chocolate to drip off. Dip into reserved crushed candy canes or additional decorations (see Cook 's Tips) and stand upright on a piece of Parchment Paper. Repeat with remaining chocolate, lollipops and crushed candy. Let stand until set. Place into miniature cupcake liners.

Yield:
24 servings of 1 lollipop
Nutrients per serving:
Calories 260, Total Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 4 g, Cholesterol 20 mg, Carbohydrate 40 g, Protein 2 g, Sodium 75 mg, Fiber 1 g

Cook's Tips:
While still slightly warm, the fudgy brownie rolls easily into balls. Although the edges of the brownie are crusty, they do not need to be discarded. Simply scoop the edges along with the center, and they will soften as they stand.

Wrap lollipops in cellophane, tie with ribbon and use as table décor, place settings or take-home party favours for a special holiday touch.

White Chocolate Festive Fudge

Here we go, a recipe direct from Pampered Chef, and as promised to many people at the Haddington Christmas Market today!

Ingredients:

1	orange
400g	white chocolate, chopped
200ml	sweetened condensed milk
100g	coarsely chopped toasted pecans, divided
75g	sweetened dried cranberries, divided
85g	coarsely chopped dried apricots, divided
1	tsp Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. Line Small Sheet Pan with a piece of Parchment Paper, allowing about 1 in. (2.5 cm) to extend past sides. Zest orange with Microplane® Adjustable Fine Grater to measure 2 tsp. Place chocolate and condensed milk in Large Micro-Cooker®; microwave on HIGH 2-3 minutes or until chocolate is mostly melted, stirring every minute. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add 75g of the chopped pecans, and half each of the cranberries and apricots, all of the orange zest and vanilla; mix well.
2. Spoon chocolate mixture evenly over parchment; spread evenly using Large Spreader. Top fudge with remaining pecans, cranberries and apricots; press lightly. Refrigerate several hours or until firm.
3. Lift parchment and fudge from pan. Cut into squares. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 3 weeks. (Do not freeze.)

Yield: 30 servings
Nutrients per serving: Calories 120, Total Fat 7 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Sodium 20 mg, Carbohydrate 14 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 2 g
Cook's Tips: For a perfect party favor or place setting, place fudge in a Simple Additions® Petite Square. Wrap with cellophane, tie with a ribbon and a gift tag.

Any combination of nuts and dried fruit would work well in this recipe

I left the nuts out for the one I made for the fair today and it was pretty fabulous.  I did add in a little more apricots and cranberries to make up for it.

Sticky Toffee Pudding (Vegan, Egg free and Dairy free)

I love a good sticky toffee pudding.  It is one of the staples of British menus and I quite often will choose it if it is on the menu in a restaurant.  I have had good and bad ones, and some truly awful ones!  For me it should not contain raisins, but should be heavy and toffee-like with the weight of the dates it contains. Although, it should also be light enough to make you want to eat more than two spoonfuls.

I found this recipe while searching for an egg and dairy free alternative for family Christmases, and then of course I had to tweak it! 

Ingredients

200g dates
250ml soya milk
100ml water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
115g vegan margarine (I use Pure Spread)
115g soft brown sugar
200g self raising flour
A few scrapings of fresh nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Toffee Sauce
100g golden syrup
200g soft brown sugar
150g vegan margarine
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100ml soya cream

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 190°C

2. Chop the dates using a santoku knife on a cutting board and put them in a small saucepan.  Cover with the soya milk and water and simmer until the dates are soft.

3. Take the dates off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda, which will froth as you add it to the date mixture. Leave to cool.

4. Beat together the margarine and sugar in a Classic Batter Bowl with a mix n scraper until pale.  Add the date mixture & stir in.

5. Measure the spices using an adjustable measuring spoon, and mix the spices into the flour. Sieve the flour and fold into the wet mixture.

6. Spoon the sponge mixture into a square baker (or a lined 20cm square tin).

7. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.  I usually listen to mine - is its still making little crackling noises give it a few more minutes!

8. To make the sauce, melt the syrup, margarine, sugar and vanilla extract in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes without stirring. Leave to cool slightly and then stir in the soya cream with a mix n scraper.

9. Pour half the toffee sauce over the pudding. Serve with the rest of the sauce in a jug and add some dairy free ice cream. Fruit ice creams and sorbets work well too.

Based on the recipe from the Vegetarian Cookery School

Chicken goujons (egg, dairy and gluten free)

FEATURED RECIPE IN ALLERGY UK's FOCUS MAGAZINE AUTUMN 2014

My mum makes fantastic home made chicken goujons, or nuggets if you like.  I taste them and I'm transported back to my childhood, and a few amazing picnics when she made these and we took them along cold and dipped them in sauce to eat them with our fingers.

Having a little person with egg and dairy allergies makes the use of eggs to coat them really difficult. I went on a mission to find out how to make them for her (and us) without the addition of eggs so that we could have a happier and healthier alternative to chicken nuggets.

The fact that these are made at home means that the coating can be controlled and made gluten and wheat free too, depending on the flour or bread used for the breadcrumbs.  So I reckon you could make these pretty much allergy free!

I use this method to make home made fish fingers too.

Serves 4

Ingredients

400g pack chicken breast strips or breasts cut into even sized strips or chunks
3 tablespoons plain flour (or corn flour if GF)
2 tablespoons oil
4 tablespoons non-dairy milk (I use soya)
Two ends of a loaf of bread (use any bread you like, gluten free if needed)

Method


Preheat the oven to 180°C

1.  Place the bread in a food processor and whizz until the bread is fine breadcrumbs.

2.  Put the oil and milk in a small batter bowl and whisk until well mixed and frothy with a stainless steel whisk.

3.  Put the flour on one plate and bread crumbs on another.

4.  Coat each chicken strip well by rolling it in the flour, then transfer to the oil and milk emulsion and coat well in that too.

5.  Place the strips on the breadcrumb plate and coat in the breadcrumbs by turning and patting them on.

6.  Place the chicken on a flat stone such as a medium bar pan (you'll need two of these) or a rectangle stone, and cook in the oven for 25-30 mins until golden brown.  You could fry these, but I find as they already contain oil in the coating they bake really well.

7.  I serve these with chips or mash, peas, and plenty of sauces for dipping.  My family particularly like sweet chilli sauce.

Thank you to HCampbellPhotography for the truly beautiful food shots!

Pampered Chef Yorkshire Puddings disguised as Profiteroles.

Are they Yorkshire Puddings or are they Profiteroles?

I made these at the show I did last night and they are completely amazing.  So quick and easy and simply a Yorkshire pudding mix which then has cream and melted chocolate added.  I love the Stoneware 12-cup Muffin pan they are made in and it is definitely the key ingredient for the virtually fat free Yorkshire Puddings.

The best thing about these is you don't have to heat the Muffin pan to red hot before you pour in the batter, or put in chunks of lard or huge amounts of oil. These are cooked from cold (yes really!) and last night I even convinced a seasoned Yorkie maker that the Stoneware Muffin Pan could make hers even better.

So here's the super simple recipe...


Ingredients

1 Prep bowl Plain Flour (A prep bowl is 250ml)
1 Prep bowl milk
1 Prep bowl of eggs (3 eggs topped up with water if less than the full bowl)

Method
1. Place all of the ingredients in a Classic Batter Bowl

2. Beat till all combined with a Stainless Whisk; a few lumps are fine!

3. Pour into a Stoneware Muffin pan that has had the wells lightly oiled with a little vegetable oil on a silicone basting brush if its new.  If it is seasoned you need no oil at all!

4. Bake at 200°C for 25 mins for fluffy and puffy Yorkshires! (You can leave them in the muffin tin for a while once they come out of the oven and they won't collapse like traditional ones.)

To make profiteroles beat a tub of double cream with a double balloon whisk and squirt into the middle of the profiteroles with an easy accent decorator.  Pile them into a trifle bowl or onto a bamboo platter and pour over melted chocolate.  Also fabulous with syrup or jam.

Blueberry and Lemon Cupcakes (egg and dairy free, and vegan)

I have a complete obsession with all things lemony and have been wondering about how to make a lemon and blueberry cupcake for a while.  Then a thought; Why not adjust the lemon loaf cake and add blueberries?

So that is what I did this afternoon.  And Wow I'm glad I did.  Daughter number two ate two in quick succession and then asked for another!  (She didn't get another one in case you're worried about my parenting.)

Blueberry and Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups Self Raising Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
3/4 cup of fresh or frozen Blueberries
Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon
100ml Vegetable Oil
170ml Cold Water

Icing

1/3 cup Pure Spread
1/3 cup Trex
1 1/3 cups Icing sugar
1/3 cup blueberries

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

1. Measure out the flour and sugar using a measure all cup and add to a classic batter bowl.

2. Measure the baking powder using an adjustable measuring spoon and add to the bowl.

3. Zest the lemon with the Microplane zester, add to the flour and mix well with a stainless steel whisk to aerate.

4. Use the citrus press to squeeze the lemon into an easy read measuring cup,  and add to the bowl.

5. Add the oil and the water, measured in the easy read measuring cup, and mix thoroughly with a mix n scraper to make sure all is combined well.

6.  Fold in the blueberries.

7.  Spoon the better into twelve cupcake cases in the Muffin Pan and bake for 15-20 minutes until light golden brown. Poke one with your finger - if it bounces back nicely, its done!

8. Remove from the Muffin Pan and cool on a stackable cooling rack.

9. When cool, make the icing for the top. Put the blueberries in a pan and heat gently until the berries have burst and become nicely juicy.  Sieve the blueberries so you have just the juice and discard the skins.

10. Beat the Trex and Pure Spread together until fluffy, add in the icing sugar and one tablespoon of blueberry juice.  Beat until smooth, adding more blueberry juice as needed until you have a lovely smooth buttercream consistency.  Add a little water if you run out of juice and need more liquid.

11.  Ice using the Easy Accent Decorator with the small star nozzle fitted.  Top with extra blueberries if wished.

If you would like to do these gluten free, just sub in your favourite gluten free flour and about 1/2 tsp xanthan gum, and they turn out very nicely!

Ginger biscuits and lots of rain.

To say I got wet today is an understatement.  I headed out to collect daughter number one from school with the sky looking grey and a bit threatening, so I put daughter number two in the buggy with the raincover, changed out of sandals into something sturdier and put on my raincoat.  By the time I had managed to get half way along the road the heavens had opened, rivers ran across the pavements, drains bubbled, water fell off roofs in great sheets, and I was soaked to the skin!

Then the hail and thunder and lightening started.....by that time I was laughing and splashing through the huge puddles like a mad woman, while the streets emptied and others huddled in doorways.

I got to the school gates dripping wet, collected my daughter and then headed to the pool for her swimming lesson.  A comedy ten minutes ensued while the little one tried to dry my trousers with a hairdryer.  I gave up and steamed gently through the rest of the lesson!

When we finally got home I changed, dispensed warm drinks and toast and then went into the kitchen looking for solace.  I found it in the shape of these biscuits which remind me of childhood and have been in my mum's recipe folder forever.  I've recently added the stem ginger to these and find it gives a lovely additional layer of flavour.

Ginger Fairlings

Feel free to use any gluten free flour for these as it works pretty well.  They are a little crumbly but you could add a little xanthan gum to help prevent that (about 1/2 tsp is enough).  If you use Dove's Farm it already has this added in the self raising flour anyway so don't add any.

Ginger Fairlings (dairy and egg free/vegan)

Ingredients

4oz (1/2 cup) Vegan Margarine or butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
3oz (1/3 cup) sugar
6oz (1 1/4 cups) self raising flour
1 tsp ground ginger
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
2 pieces of stem ginger

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
2. Melt the margarine and syrup in a large saucepan over a medium heat.
3. Remove from the heat and add the sugar.  Stir well with a bamboo spoon.
4. Chop the stem ginger finely with a utility knife on a cutting board and add to the pan.
5. Add in the flour, ground ginger and bicarbonate of soda and stir well to mix everything to a dough.
6. Using the small scoop, scoop out balls and roll them lightly in your hands to make them smooth.  Place on a flat stone such as a medium round stone or medium bar pan.
7. I like to squash them down with a fork to make the pattern on the top but you could just give them a squish with the palm of your hand.
8. Cook for 10-15 minutes until golden brown. (Mine usually take precisely 12 mins!)
9. Leave to cool for a few minutes on the stone before removing to a cooling rack with a mini-serving spatula to cool.
10. Enjoy with a well deserved cuppa!

A nice cuppa and some vegan ginger fairlings  - ahhhh!

Caramel icing on chocolate cupcakes.....

I had a serious chocolate craving this evening and decided I was going to make some of the wonderful cupcakes from Vegan Cupcakes take over the World.  Once they were baked I couldn't work out what kind of icing I wanted.  Hubby voted for mint, which was a good idea but there was no mint extract in the house so that was out.  Instead, I went flipping through my cookbooks for inspiration, and found....Caramel Buttercream Icing!  This got me so excited - its gorgeous and easily made dairy free too.

Caramel Buttercream Icing on Chocolate Cupcakes

So here it is; Caramel Buttercream Icing from The Primrose Bakery Book which is supposed to be for a triple layer cake (it would be amazing on my triple layer cake too) but I reduced the amount and used it to ice my cupcakes.  I've halved the recipe here for you to use on the cupcakes, so if you want to use it on a layer cake, just double it.

Caramel Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

45g butter (I used Pure Spread, vegetable)
4 1/2 tbsp semi-skimmed milk (I used soya milk)
165g light, soft brown sugar
180g icing sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Method

1. Combine the butter, milk and brown sugar in a heavy based saucepan and put on a high heat.
 
2.  Stir constantly with a bamboo spoon till melted and boiling. 

3. Boil for one minute, then remove from the heat and stir in half the icing sugar.

4. Allow the mixture to cool then add the rest of the icing sugar and vanilla extract.  Beat until smooth.

5.  Ice the cakes using a small spreader.  If the icing thickens too much as you are spreading it on the cakes, simply warm a little and beat again.

Apparently this keeps in the fridge for up to a week, so put any leftovers into a prep bowl and put a lid on it. (Not in our fridge - I'd have it eaten direct from the bowl well before the week was up.)

To use just warm a little and beat till smooth.

My big cake secret! (dairy free, egg free and vegan cake)

This is my big secret!  Don't tell anyone will you?  I have a basic sponge recipe that is egg free, dairy free and is so simple its ridiculous!  And it doesn't contain any odd egg replacers, which I have a real aversion to.

Plain sponge with choc chips added

Ingredients
90g     Sugar
90g     Dairy free spread (I use Pure Spread)
180g   Self Raising Flour
160ml Soya milk (or other non dairy milk)

Thats it!!

Method

You can use a mixer for this but I don't have one at the moment so its all by hand here! (Good for my right arm though.)


Preheat the oven to 180°C

1. Measure the sugar and Pure spread into a classic batter bowl and mix with a bamboo spoon until nicely fluffy.

2. Add the flour and milk and mix until combined well and looking like a normal cake batter.  If its too solid add a little more soya milk.

3.  Spoon into 12 cupcake liners or leave your stoneware muffin pan naked and bake in the oven for about 12-15 mins till golden brown. (You could use the deluxe mini-muffin pan and make 24 small ones!)

4. Remove to a stackable cooling rack and cool completely before icing.

Tip:  Fancy blueberry muffins or raspberry muffins, or any other fruit for that matter?

Then bung in a good handful of fruit once the cake batter is mixed, stir them through and bake as above - YUM!  I quite often use frozen fruit - chuck them into the batter while still frozen and just increase the cooking time by a couple more minutes.

Or what about choc chip?  Chop up about 80g vegan chocolate into chunks and chuck it in.



Basic cupcakes with added British Flags by my six year old daughter for @sundaybakeclub on twitter

I've also used this to make large birthday cakes such as the Princess castle below!  Just use the above recipe in a 20cm cake tin for each layer, and bake for about 22 minutes. I added muffins and ice cream cones to this one to make the shapes.

Chicken pinwheels (egg and dairy free)

I have been super busy recently and a few weeks ago had a lovely time with visiting friends from Australia.  It meant a little bit of catering on a Monday night for a family gathering and I was determined to be organised ahead of time.  So, inspired by a sausage roll recipe I found in Good Food magazine I came up with these little bites of yummyness.

I used the Pampered Chef Manual Food Processor (or MFP) to do these and loved how easy it was.  However, you could use the Food Chopper, a knife to chop it all finely, if you can be bothered, or an ordinary run of the mill food processor.

The Manual Food Processor

(By the way, the MFP comes highly recommended for caravanning or camping and very quick yummy salsas and guacamole, as it needs only your arm as power. A kitchen tool and work out in one!)

I made mine dairy free by using puff pastry that was made without butter.  Please check your brand, but I like Jusrol's puff pastry which is made with vegetable oil, not butter. No eggs are needed here as the pastry is lovely and crisp anyway.

Chicken Pinwheels
Ingredients

4 chicken thighs (cooked and bones removed)
4 sundried tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
1 slice of bacon
handful of basil leaves
salt and pepper to season

1 pack of ready rolled puff pastry


Method

1. Take the puff pastry out of the fridge to warm a little.

2. Chop the tomatoes and chicken roughly and put into the Manual Food Processor.  Pump the handle to blend until the chicken is becoming flaky.

3.  Squeeze the garlic in the garlic press into the Manual Food Processor. Add in bacon and basil and blend again until everything is mixed and the chicken is well flaked. Season lightly with a little pepper and salt.

4.  Unroll the puff pastry and cut the sheet in half.  On each piece, spread out half the mixture and then roll the pastry into a spiral roll, pressing down at the edge to seal it.

5.  Cut into about 11 pieces for each roll and place on a flat stone (I used my medium round stones), pressing down each slice slightly to make it look a little bit tidier.  Bake for 20 mins till golden brown.

6.  Remove from the stone with a mini serving spatula and cool on a stackable cooling rack, or serve immediately. I made mine in advance and reheated before serving.

Vegan lemon cake

I LOVE lemons and citrusy tastes and have been experimenting with vegan lemon cakes for a while.  This one has a lovely clean taste to it, not interfered with in any way.  I've felt others have been oddly "muddy" with the addition of other ingredients to substitute for the eggs. Here the lemon juice itself does the job by activating the baking powder and making everything light and fluffy.

One of these doesn't last long in our house!

You can make these with gluten free flour (I've done it by just subbing in Dove's Farm self raising with nothing else added as their mix already has xanthan gum in it).

Another option is little cupcakes.  One batch of batter will make you 12 normal sized cupcakes.  Bake these for about 18 minutes.

Ingredients

2 cups Self Raising Flour
1 cup Sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
Zest & Juice of 1 Large Lemon (reserve 2 teaspoons of juice for the icing)
100ml Vegetable Oil
170ml Cold Water

Icing
1 cup Icing Sugar
2 tsp reserved lemon juice (plus a little water if needed)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C

1. Measure out the flour and sugar using a measure all cup and add to a classic batter bowl.

2. Measure the baking powder using an adjustable measuring spoon and add to the bowl.

3. Zest the lemon with the Microplane zester, add to the flour and mix well with a stainless steel whisk to aerate.

4. Use the citrus press to squeeze the lemon into an easy read measuring cup, reserve two teaspoons for the icing,  and add to the bowl.

5. Add the oil and the water, measured in the easy read measuring cup, and mix thoroughly with a mix n scraper to make sure all is combined well.

6. Pour into a stoneware loaf pan or lined loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes until fully cooked. Check it's cooked by listening to it - put your ear up close and if it's making little crackly-pop noises it could take a few more minutes. Or poke with your finger - if it bounces back nicely, its done!

7. Remove from the loaf pan and cool on a stackable cooling rack.

8. When cool, make the icing for the top. Sieve the icing sugar and stir in lemon juice and drops of water until the consistency is wet enough to spread over the cake.

TIP:  If your lemons are small use the juice of one and a half in the cake and the rest for the icing.  My lemons seem to have been organic Monsters recently!

Thank you to The Ethical Chef for the inspiration and original recipe.

Citrus Berry Trifle

Wow I've been busy the past few weeks and haven't had much time for blogging. 

I was on the Gardening Scotland stand all day on Saturday with some Pampered Chef colleagues and I made this trifle as a display piece.  I taste tested with my husband as I made it and will definitely be making it again as the trifle is now inedible after sitting on display.  So sad!

I also think I could have a good go at making this egg and dairy free, but I'll have to work on it...I'll get back to you once I've had a go.

In the meantime, here is the original Pampered Chef recipe.

Citrus Berry Trifle

Ingredients:

4-5  limes

175  g full fat soft cheese, softened

150  ml sweetened condensed milk

350  ml whipping cream or double cream, whipped to form soft peaks

450  g fresh berries such as strawberries, raspberries and blackberries or blueberries

450  g Madeira cake, cut into 2.5 cm cubes

600  ml (about 400 g) lemon sorbet

20  g flaked almonds, toasted

Additional fresh berries, to decorate (optional)


Directions:
1.  Slice 2 limes using Ultimate Mandoline fitted with v-shaped blade; set aside. Using Zester/Scorer, zest remaining limes; finely chop zest using Chef's Knife to measure 2 teaspoons zest. Juice limes into Easy Read Measuring Cup using Citrus Press to measure 125 ml juice.

2.  In Classic Batter Bowl, whisk together soft cheese, condensed milk, lime juice and lime zest using Stainless Whisk, until smooth and combined. Attach open star tip to Easy Accent® Decorator; fill with about one-third of the whipped cream and set aside. Gently fold remaining whipped cream into soft cheese mixture with Small Mix 'N Scraper®, until smooth; set aside. Slice strawberries with Egg Slicer Plus(TM). Place mixed berries in Small Batter Bowl.
3.  Cut Madeira cake into 2.5-cm cubes on Cutting Board using Bread Knife. To assemble trifle, place half of Madeira cake cubes into bottom of Trifle Bowl. Top with half of the lemon sorbet using Small Scoop or Medium Scoop; spread evenly. Top sorbet with half of the berries and half of the soft cheese mixture. Arrange lime slices in a circular pattern against inside of bowl to decorate. Repeat layers once with remaining Madeira cake cubes, sorbet, berries and soft cheese mixture.

4.  Pipe whipped cream rosettes around rim of trifle using decorator. Coarsely chop almonds using Food Chopper; sprinkle over top of trifle before serving. Decorate with lime slices and additional berries, if desired. Serve.

Yield: Serves 16

Per serving: Energy 1382 kJ/329 kcal; Protein 3.4 g; Carbohydrate 29.9 g; Fat 22.6 g; Saturated Fat 13.5 g; Fibre 0.6 g; Salt 0.4 g

Cook's Tip: Any flavour of sorbet, such as mango, raspberry, apricot or dark cherry can be used in this recipe, if desired.

Chilled fresh lemon mousse may be substituted for the lemon sorbet, if desired. Scoop and spread the mousse gently, taking care not to crush too much air out of the mousse.

© The Pampered Chef, Ltd. 2006
www.pamperedchef.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies (egg and dairy free/vegan)

Choc Chip cookies!  There is something about the crunch and chew factor of a choc chip cookie that comforts and makes me feel like I can face the world again when I'm feeling a bit down.  But they do have to be really good choc chip cookies to do that!

These ones fit into that category.

I use my favourite Dairy free chocolate for these - Moo Free chocolate drops which are a huge hit in our house.

These are based on a recipe from Kelly Rudnicki's Food Allergy Mama Baking Book.  I use a jar of baby food apple sauce as it is nice and smooth, often has nothing added, and is usually organic too.

I didn't have any the other day, so grated an apple into a pan (skin on) using my coarse microplane grater, added a little water and simmered it until it was nice and mushy.  One gala apple makes pretty much the amount you need for this recipe.


My big tip for making cookies all the same size, or cupcakes for that matter, is to use our large scoop to measure out the dough onto the baking stone, or the batter into the cupcake cases.  The means you get a uniform size of cookie or cake. Our small scoop is perfect for mini muffins or smaller cookies.



Vegan Choc Chip Cookies

Makes 12 cookies when using the large scoop

Ingredients
2/3 cup Pure Spread
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 small jar baby applesauce (unsweetened) or 1/4 cup applesauce, mashed to remove lumps
1 3/4 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 packets Moo Free dairy free chocolate drops (or 105g vegan chocolate)

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C

2. In a classic batter bowl, mix together the Pure Spread, brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla and applesauce with a mix 'n' scraper till smooth. I use a Measure all Cup to measure all of these ingredients out.

3. In a stainless mixing bowl combine the flour with the bicarbonate of soda and salt, measured using an adjustable measuring spoon, and whisk together with a stainless whisk.

4. Add mixtures together and combine until creamy. Stir in the chocolate chips.

5. Using a the large scoop drop the dough onto flat stoneware such as the medium round stone, medium bar pan or rectangular stone.  Flatten each cookie slightly.

6. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.

7. Leave to cool on the stone for a few minutes before removing with a large serving spatula to a stackable cooling rack.

Eat warm for best results!

Some little ones that I made this week for a childrens' birthday party, on our stackable cooling rack. I added the idea of lolly sticks which I cut in half with my fabulous professional shears and then inserted into the middle of the balls of dough before cooking.  These were made using the small scoop.

Cabbages!

The local college has a veggie bag scheme from one of the local organic farms which sees some of the students going out to the farm each week to fulfill the orders from other students and staff for a bag of organic vegetables. So once you have all these veggies its important to make sure you eat them all.

We have a bit of pot luck going on and I have had loads of cabbage over the last term.   And my cabbage recipes are few and far between!I generally don't like cooked cabbage and prefer it raw.

So off I went on a search of the internet to furnish myself with more and came across the wonderful world of Abel and Cole. http://www.abelandcole.co.uk/recipes

These guys do the most amazing looking recipes for all the vegetables they put into their organic boxes.  I had to have a go at a few!  Below are the results of this weeks cabbage adventures using my Pampered Chef kit and influenced by the Abel and Cole recipes.  If you want to know more about any of the equipment used simply click on it and you'll be taken to my personal website shop.

Looking at this from a veggie perspective? Veggie bangers, vegetable stock and agave nectar rather than honey and you've got it!

Braised Brassica with Bangers, Beer and Bay

Prep time: 5-10 mins
Cooking time: 45 mins
Serves 3-4

Ingredients 
A few splashes of olive oil
6-8 bangers
4-5 bay leaves
1 cabbage (I used about 3/4 of a lovely red one)
3 garlic cloves, whole but crushed flat and peeled
Sea salt and a good grinding of black pepper
A nugget of butter
1 bottle of beer or 300ml chicken stock with most of a stock cube
1 tsp honey

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
2. Cut the cabbage into chunky wedges with a utility knife on a cutting board.
3. Heat some oil in a 30cm Skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and let them sizzle and brown. Push to the sides of the pan.
4. Add the bay leaves, cabbage wedges and garlic. Season. Cook till each side of the cabbage is just golden.
5. Cosy up the browned cabbage, bangers, bay and garlic snugly in a square baker.
6. Place the skillet back on a medium heat. Add the butter and melt it until frothy. Pour in the beer or stock. Swirl in a bit of honey. Reduce for a moment. Add a touch more honey or seasoning, as needed.
7. Pour this over the cabbage and bangers. Cook for about 25 mins (or until the cabbage is tender and the bangers are done) in the oven.

We ate it with a big dollop of mash made with the wonderful mix n masher!

I used the stock this time, but hubby is very keen to try it with the beer - I'll let you know! 

Bangers and Cabbage

Mrs Mac's Cake (egg and dairy free/vegan and can be gluten free)

Fruit cake!

This is a family recipe that has been around a while and uses a traditional method of boiling the fruit to make them nice and moist.  My mum has been cooking it for ages and for some reason I always associate it with Easter.  Maybe its the fruit cake thing?

Anyway, as usual, with most family recipes, I've been trying different egg replacers to make it friendlier for our little person who is egg and dairy free.  I hate commercial egg replacers with a bit of a passion, and try everything else I can instead. This has been tried with half a banana in place of the one egg in the original recipe, but it did leave a bit of a banana flavour, which I wasn't keen on, so I tried apple sauce instead - bingo!

Then, because I'm lazy and I can't be bothered with the hassle of making apple sauce, I tried it with a jar of apple baby food - excellent!  And then I finally settled on grating an apple in with the fruit as they boil at the beginning, removing the need for the sauce at all! The boiling makes the fruit very moist and squishy and just delicious, and the apple just disappears into the mix.

You can make this GLUTEN free too, just substitute in gluten free flours (I like Dove's Farm) and add a 1/2 tsp xanthan gum to help it stick together - its a bit crumbly otherwise.

So here it is, my favourite fruit cake:

Mrs Mac's Cake

Ingredients

1 cup water
3/4 cup sugar
100g Pure spread or butter if not dairy free
2 cups mixed fruit (I like a mix of dried apricots, dates, raisins, sultanas and glace cherries but it works with anything.)

1 eating apple such as a gala (or 1 egg)

1 cup plain flour
1 cup self raising flour

1tsp bicarbonate of soda
1tsp cinnamon


Method

1. Measure out the water, spread, sugar and fruit in an easy read measuring cup.  Place them in a large pan. If using larger fruit like dates or apricots chop them up with the professional shears first.

2. Grate the apple into the pan with a coarse microplane grater. Like I said, I'm lazy so I don't even bother peeling it - extra fibre is good!

3. Heat until boiling.  Boil for five minutes stirring all the time with a mix n scraper.

4.  Leave to cool slightly. (If you are using the egg let this mix cool completely and then stir in the egg, remembering you don't need the apple earlier on)

5.  Meanwhile measure out the flours in a classic batter bowl and pre-heat the oven to 160°C.

6. Add the cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda to the mix in the pan using an adjustable measuring spoon, and stir well - the mix will fizz and bubble as in the photo below.

Bubbly fruit mix after adding the bicarbonate of soda

7.  Pour the wet ingredients into the flour and mix it all together.

8.  Pour into a stoneware loaf pan, or lined metal loaf pan and bake for about 1 hour.  Check it's done by pressing on the top of the loaf - if it bounces back nicely it is done. (I also listen to it!  If you can hear little crackles then chemical reactions are still happening and it may need a little longer!)

9.  Cool on a stackable cooling rack, and wait for it to be fairly cool before slicing - I know its difficult but if you cut into it too early it all crumbles and is a bit squooshy.  It keeps well for several days in an airtight container, and may even be better on day 2 and 3!  (If it lasts that long)

Triple layer chocolate cake (dairy and egg free/vegan)

I'm having a wee bit of a love affair with Isa Chandra Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero, the authors of my current favourite recipe book Vegan Cupcakes take over the World.  They are amazing vegan cooks and have produced one of the best cupcake recipe books I've come across.  This is a Triple Layer Chocolate Cake based on their basic chocolate cupcake recipe which was the first recipe I tasted from the book and which blew me away!
 
Its been a busy Easter weekend and I baked this for my Hubby and Brother in law's birthday celebrations yesterday.  Happy Birthday guys! xx
 

Ingredients
2 cups soy milk
2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder (I currently use Asda's own brand)
1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt


Icing

130g Pure Spread
70g Trex
400g Icing sugar
3 tbsp soya milk
1 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

To decorate:
Dairy free chocolate chips (I used Moo Free which are AMAZING!)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and line three 6 1/2 inch (16 1/2cm) cake tins with baking paper. Run a little dairy free spread or oil around the edges to prevent sticking.

2. Measure out the soy milk in an easy read measuring cup, and place in a classic batter bowl. Measure the vinegar using an adjustable measuring spoon and whisk together with the soy milk using a stainless whisk, and set aside for a few minutes to curdle. (This is home made dairy free buttermilk)

3. Measure out the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, and salt using the easy read measuring cups and adjustable measuring spoon.  Sift together in a separate stainless mixing bowl. (Or if you are lazy like me use your whisk to remove lumps while mixing it all together.)

4. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla extract to the soy milk mixture and beat with the whisk until foamy.

5. Add the flour mix slowly to wet ingredients and beat with your whisk until no large lumps remain (a few tiny lumps are okay).


6. Pour into the tins, putting slightly less in one of them, to be the middle layer.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a stackable cooling rack, tip upside down, remove tins and baking paper and turn right way up to cool completely.

7.  Once the cake is cooled cut off any high spots to even out the base and middle layer, and make up the icing without the cocoa powder:  Cream the Pure and Trex together until smooth in a stainless mixing bowl with a mix n scraper then add the milk and icing sugar and beat hard for a couple of minutes until smooth.

8. Spread the bottom layer of cake with icing, add the middle layer and spread icing on this too. Add the cocoa powder to the remaining icing and beat well.  Spread this over the top of the cake with a large spreader and decorate with dairy free choc chips or dairy free smarties.

Thank you to Carolyn Figg a fellow Pampered Chef consultant for the Trex magic!

Apple, sultana and cinnamon hot cross buns (egg free, dairy free, vegan)

Hot Cross Bun Tear and Share Style on the Medium Round Stone

Normally I take my time and add in lots of links to the products but I have several people champing at the bit for this one so here it is!

This can be vegan or not depending on whether you use the dairy free spread or butter and what kind of milk you use.  I got the inspiration for the tear and share style from a magazine last month, but I can't remember where!  And I based my recipe on one from Baking Mad.

Ingredients
625 g strong white bread flour
7g sachet fast action yeast
75g sugar
pinch salt
2 tsp ground allspice/mixed spice
2 tsp cinnamon
50 g Pure spread or butter
250ml milk (any kind you fancy!  I used soya milk)
125ml water
1 large bramley apple
125g sultanas (UPDATE!  Having eaten several I'd add more sultanas! Maybe double it to 250g?)

For the crosses:
6tbsp plain white flour
4tbsp water

For the glaze:
2tbsp sugar
2tbsp water

Method

1. Place the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a classic batter bowl and stir together with a mix n scraper.

2. Measure out the spices using an adjustable measuring spoon and mix into the flour.

3. Melt the fat with half of the milk in a small pan, add the remaining cold milk and 125ml cold water, so that the liquid is luke warm.

4. Pour it into the flour mixture and mix in.

5.  Peel the apple, cut and core it with the apple wedger and then chop it into tiny pieces in the food chopper.

6. Add the sultanas and finely chopped apple to the dough and knead firmly for 10 minutes (or 5 minutes in a mixer with a dough hook or on the pizza dough setting in a breadmaker) until the dough is smooth and elastic.

7. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface, divide it in two and then roll one half into a long sausage, cut into 10 equal pieces. And repeat with the next one, cut into 9 pieces.

8. Pinch the edges of each piece of dough up to the centre until you have a smooth ball, turn seam side down on the worktop and roll into a smooth ball.

9. Place the buns on a medium round stone allowing space for them to double in size. I used a concentric circle pattern with one in the middle, six around it and then 12 one the outside ring.  I lined up every second one on the outside ring with the inner ring and then put one in the space.  Hope that makes sense?

10. Cover with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size and is sticking together (see below).  I left mine about an hour.

11. When to dough is almost ready, preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix the plain flour with enough water to make a paste of a similar consistency to butter icing in a small prep bowl.

12. Place the paste in a plastic bag and snip the end off, then pipe crosses on the hot cross buns. I did a large line across the centre one and then smaller ones radiating out.  I then made a couple of rings all the way round to give the spider web effect. (Thanks to a fellow consultant Pauline, who suggested using the Easy Accent Decorator for this bit - probably less messy than the bag!)

13. Bake for 20 to 22 mins until the buns are golden and firm.

14. To glaze dissolve 2 tbsp caster sugar in 2 tbsp water, boil for a minute then brush over the hot buns with a silicone basting brush as soon as they come out of the oven to give a shiny glaze.

15.  Leave to cool slightly then enjoy with spread, jam, nutella, or naked, whatever you fancy!

Rock buns and Easter holidays

I can't wait!  The Easter holidays are nearly upon us and I've been on countdown this week.  With this in mind I've got a child friendly recipe for you that can be ready pretty quickly and always is a hit.

Do you remember rock buns as a child?  I always remember making them at nursery as a child for some reason! 

Later on as a nursery teacher they were a favourite with my little people too, and now my own children love them.  I always used to use the traditional Bero recipe which usually worked a treat, unless a certain member of staff got a go at the baking and then they really were ROCK buns!  You could bounce them off the walls!  I never did figure out what she was doing wrong.

This one won't be bounce-able and will be light and fluffy (unless you are THAT member of staff!).

I have to work without eggs in my kitchen so I've fiddled about until I got a fab light texture and enough sultanas/raisins to balance it out.  Hope you like them?

(Have you been to like my facebook page yet?  The first prize draw takes place on Saturday 31st March and you have to be in it to win it!)

egg free and dairy free rock buns in the sun, as we enjoy all this lovely weather outside in the garden

Rock Buns (egg free, dairy free and vegan)

Ingredients

250g self raising flour
90g sugar
90g butter or Pure Spread (for those who are non dairy)
100g sultanas or raisins or a mix of dried fruit.
3-4 tablespoons of milk (whatever kind you like)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C

2. Measure the flour into a classic batter bowl and stir in the sugar with a mix n masher.

3. Add the butter or spread and using a mix n masher blend it all together till you get breadcrumbs.  Or use your fingers and get rubbing - the children love this bit.

4.  Stir in the dried fruit.

5.  Add enough milk with an adjustable measuring spoon to make a soft but not sticky dough.

6.  Divide the mixture into roughly 12 heaps on a rectangle stone or any other flat stone/tray and cook for around 8-10 minutes until they are a light golden colour.

7.  Remove to a stackable cooling rack and eat either warm or cold.  These are best eaten on the day they are made, but honestly don't last long anyway!