Pampered Chef is closing in the UK from 31st December 2015

The Pampered Chef have decided to pull out of the UK sadly as of the 31st December 2015 and so I have lots of additional stock hiding in my cupboards.

Click here to look at my sale leaflet

I haven't quite figured out what I'm going to do with this blog but I want to keep all my recipes on here.  It might change in name and feel but the recipes will still be available!

Thank you for visiting and all of the lovely feedback I've had over the years
Kristina x

Vegan Meringues (eggfree, dairyfree, gluten free and nutfree)

Yum

I know aquafaba meringues have been about for a while, and the furthest back I'm aware of them being in print is from the Ten Talents cookbook of 1968! But I have so far shied away from them as an experiment too far.  But, now with the help of an amazing group of folks on Facebook called Vegan Meringue - Hits and Misses!, I have given it a go.  And WOW what a revelation.... Lemon meringue pie is now possible along with angel cakes, eton mess and macarons! I'm so excited to get started on them all.  Today however, I want to tell you about the absolute basics.

A big thank you to everyone in the Facebook group for sharing their expertise and their tips and failures.  Especially Goose Wohlt for the basic tutorials!

You need a tin of chickpeas (garbanzo beans in the US) and some sugar, a whisk and an oven.  That is all! Honestly!

Ingredients

1 Tin of Chickpeas in water (I used unsalted and organic but apparently salted is ok too)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
drop of vanilla extract if wished

Method

1.  Drain the tin of chickpeas over a small batter bowl.  Set aside the chickpeas to use in a yummy salad or casserole later.  Empty the liquid from the chickpeas into your mixer bowl.

2.  Put the mixer on a high speed setting and mix for about 3-4 minutes.  Magic will happen and you should end up with a bowl of fluff.  Keep mixing until the meringue forms stiff peaks - it stays up in a point when you bring the whisk out of it.  If its soft and the peak collapses a little keep mixing for a bit longer.

3.  When you have stiff peaks add the vanilla if you desire and then add the sugar a spoonful at a time while mixing at high speed to gradually incorporate it into the meringue.

4.  Once you have mixed in all the sugar pick up a little of the mixture between your fingers, and if it feels gritty, mix again until the sugar has all dissolved and you have a glossy white bowl full.

5.  Pipe or plop it onto baking trays lined with baking paper and bake in the oven at 110°C for around an hour to an hour and a half.  Once done open the oven door a little and leave the meringues in there to cool.

Vegan Meringues and Raspberries - heaven!

Rhubarb Tart (vegan, dairy free, egg free, nut free)

We are in the middle of the rhubarb season in Scotland, and we have eaten a load of it this year. A lovely colleague provided us with some, as well as the usual supply from my parent's garden, so we've eaten plenty of rhubarb crumbles. But I fancied something a bit more adventurous too.  I spotted Chloe Coscarelli's Vanilla Pastry Creme recipe in her book Chloe's Vegan Desserts last year and decided I just had to have a go at making it and using it in this rhubarb tart.  I cannot praise this stuff enough - its so easy and very very very tasty!

Rhubarb Tart

Ingredients
Pastry
225g Plain Flour
130g Dairy Free Margarine (I use Pure Spread, Trex, Cookeen or block Stork)
1 1/2 tbsp of Sugar


Creme Patisserie (Vanilla Pastry Creme by Chloe Coscarelli)

1/4 cup non dairy milk
1/4 cup cornflour or arrowroot
1 can coconut milk - full fat
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Topping

7 stalks of Rhubarb
5 tbsp Sugar
6 tbsp Water



Method

1.  Make the pastry first. Place the flour in a Classic Batter Bowl add the vegetable fat and mix well using a pastry blender, or rub in using your fingers. Once you have fine breadcrumb like texture, add the sugar and stir through.  Add 1 1/2 tbsp of water and mix into a smooth ball. (If it is still a little crumbly add another tbsp more of water.)

2.  Place the dough on a well floured surface. Roll the pastry out to fit your tart tin, and then pick up over your rolling pin and place in the tin. Use your fingers to smooth the pastry up the sides and cut off the edges with a table knife. Place in the fridge to cool for 30 mins.

3. Now make the pastry creme: Mix the non dairy milk and cornflour or starch in a small bowl with a whisk till well combined.  Place the coconut milk and sugar and salt in a pan and heat gently until just bubbling.  Add the cornflour and non dairy milk mixture whisking continuously.  Heat till boiling and boil for two or three minutes until very thick, stir frequently.  Remove from the heat, mix in the vanilla and put into a small batter bowl.  Cover with a layer of cling film on the surface of the creme to prevent a skin forming. Refrigerate until cool (this can take up to 3hrs).

4.  Place baking parchment over the pastry and add baking balls, or dry rice and blind bake in the oven at 200°C for 10 mins or until pale golden.  Remove the baking balls and parchment and leave to cool on a rack in the tin while you prepare the filling.

5.  Chop the rhubarb into lengths to fit your baking tin.  Place the sugar, water and chopped rhubarb in a pan and heat very gently for ten minutes until the rhubarb starts to soften.  Leave in the juice to cool.

6.  Once everything is cooled, add creme to the pastry case (you will have spare), and arrange the rhubarb on top.  Drizzle over the syrup from the rhubarb and serve.

Mincemeat Crumble Slice (vegan, dairy free, egg free and nut free)

Yum

I know mincemeat slice doesn't sound very vegan, but honestly, this is mincemeat in the sweet sense; made of sultanas, raisins, apples and peel mixed with spices and is a staple of Christmas cooking in the UK.

I like this recipe for mincemeat from Pig in the Kitchen, but I've found most supermarket brands are actually vegan anyway.

I love making mince pies at Christmas time - I don't allow myself to do it until the 1st December though as it makes me feel Christmas is fully on the way then.  This mincemeat slice, however, is a lot less hassle, much faster and tends to be cooked as soon as I get my hands on a big jar of mincemeat in the supermarket!

Mincemeat Crumble Slice

Ingredients

500g Self Raising Flour
200g sugar
250g non-dairy margarine (I use solid Stork or Pure Spread)
100ml non-dairy milk, divided
600g mincemeat (about 1 and a 1/2 jars)

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

1.  Place the self raising flour, sugar and margarine in a Classic Batter bowl.  Use a Pastry Blender (my new favourite add on!) or a Mix n Masher to mix them together to create a sandy, breadcrumb mixture.

2.  Remove half the mix to another bowl.  Add 60ml non dairy milk to one of the bowls and mix it all together with your hands to create a dough.  Press this into the bottom of a Medium Bar Pan and smooth out to create the bottom layer.

3.  Spread the mincemeat across the layer of pastry and smooth out so there is an even layer.

4.  Now take the other half of the crumb mix and add 40ml non dairy milk.  You want to now create a rubble style of crumble with this, not a single ball but lots of little bits, so get your hands in and get squishing!  Spread this evenly across the mincemeat and put in the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

5.  Leave in the bar pan to cool for about 15-20 minutes before cutting or it will crumble.  Use a Mini Serving Spatula to remove from the bar pan and serve. This keeps well in a sealed container for 3-4 days.

Carrot and Courgette (Zucchini) Muffins

Its World Vegan Month in November.  Why not try these wee vegan cakes? No-one will believe that they are egg and dairy free!

Yum

We've had a huge amount of courgettes (we use the term courgette in the UK instead of zucchini) growing in our garden this year which has left me searching for new recipes to use them up. My favourites have been this lovely recipe from Alexx Stuart for Roast Zucchini and Basil Rosettes. And these amazing wee carrot and courgette muffins. The kids prefer the cakes! I've adapted Chloe Coscarelli's recipe for Maple Glazed Carrot Cupcakes from Chloe's Vegan Desserts, so they work beautifully as just carrot cupcakes (use 2 cups of grated carrots).

I've also made these as gluten free versions, and they work really well.  You may want to add a tiny bit more orange juice to make them as moist, as gluten free flour tends to absorb a little more liquid.

I make a batch of these every few weeks as they are so quick and moreish!

Carrot and Courgette (Zucchini) Muffins
(Egg free, dairy free, vegan and can be gluten free)

Ingredients


1 cup sultanas
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 cups plain flour
3/4 cup of sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground mixed spice
1 cup peeled grated carrot
1 cup grated courgette (peel if old but if young leave on the skin)
1/2 cup oil
1 tablespoon cider apple vinegar


Method

Makes 18

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4.

1. Measure out the orange juice and sultanas using the easy read measuring cups.  Place both in a small batter bowl to allow the sultanas to soak up some of the orange and become nice and plump and juicy.

2.  In a Classic batter bowl, add the plain flour and sugar. Then measure out the baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt, cinnamon and mixed spice using the adjustable measuring spoons and add to the classic batter bowl.  Use a stainless whisk to mix them together well and aerate the flour.

3. Peel and grate the carrot and courgette using a microplane course grater and add to the wet ingredients in the small batter bowl.

4. Measure out the oil and cider apple vinegar and add to the wet ingredients.  Stir with a mix n scraper.

5.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry in the classic batter bowl and mix with the mix n scraper until everything is combined.

6. Use the large scoop to measure out the mixture evenly into 18 cupcake wrappers in a stoneware 12 cup muffin pan or muffin pan.

7. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

8. Cool on a stackable cooling rack. Then watch them disappear in super quick time.

If you want to ice them a basic "butter" icing made with Pure spread and icing sugar and a few drops of lemon juice.  It tastes amazingly like cream cheese icing when added to the cakes.

Dairy Free Tablet

If you haven't come across tablet before its a Scottish speciality.  Every bake sale and coffee morning, and particularly church sales, requires at least one of the local star bakers to make a batch, or there is a riot from disappointed members of the public! Its a bit like fudge but without the squish factor.  You expect a good snap from a piece of tablet rather than the softness of fudge, and I suppose it tastes a bit like toffee but its not chewy.  Hmmm its proving more difficult than I thought to explain!

Anyway, tablet is usually made traditionally with condensed milk, but my granny's recipe just used normal cows milk.  So I've experimented with it and substituted in other non-dairy milks to see how it works.  Well, I couldn't quite believe how well it works! My milk of choice is soya but feel free to use whatever you prefer.

Although this recipe is always well received by children, I wouldn't recommend them helping in the kitchen with this one as the sugar reaches a rolling boil and can cause severe burns if it lands on skin. Please be careful!

Dairy Free Tablet

Ingredients

900 g sugar (I like golden granulated but thats just my preference)
370ml milk of your choice
1 tablespoon golden syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp dairy free spread (I use Pure Sunflower)

Method

1. Put the sugar, milk, syrup and vanilla extract in a large, heavy based pan.  I use my jam pan as the sugar really increases in volume as it boils and needs lots of space.

2. Melt everything together slowly and once boiling, reduce to a simmer for 25 minutes, stirring all the time to prevent sticking and burning.

3. Once the mix has boiled for 25 minutes it should be a golden brown caramel colour.  Remove a teaspoonful from the pan and place it on a cold plate.  In about 30 seconds it should be thick and sticky and form a set of ridges when pushed with a finger. If not, boil for another few minutes and try again.

The tablet on the right is underboiled, not caramel coloured enough and will not set, but remain a bit wet.

4.  Remove from the heat and add in the teaspoon of Pure spread.  Now beat it like mad with a bamboo spoon for about ten minutes until the mixture moves from a smooth caramel texture to a cloudy, slightly grainy texture.  It is then ready to pour into a medium bar pan, lined with greaseproof paper.
(I did try it with an electric mixer too, and that works much more quickly and without the arm strain but them I didn't feel like I'd earned the privilege of eating it!)

5.  Let the tablet set for at least 30 minutes before cutting up and enjoying. Wrap it in greaseproof paper if you're sending it off into the world to your local bake sale.

Alternative Easter Treats - Hot Cross Cookies (Egg Free, Dairy Free, Vegan and can be Gluten Free)

My blog has been getting a massive amount of hits in the past few weeks with people popping in to have a look at my Hot Cross Bun recipe which I posted two years ago.  I love it to bits but I reckoned it was time for a change this year.  So I've made Hot Cross Cookies instead!  I spotted a recipe for them in Good Housekeeping magazine, but it was completely unsuitable for my family, being full of eggs and butter, so I had a go at inventing my own based on the Good Housekeeping recipe and my favourite Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, and they worked out pretty well...

To make these gluten free simply substitute in your favourite gluten free flour mix.  I tend to use Dove's Farm but have recently tried Bob's Red Mill and loved the texture.

Hot Cross Cookies (Egg Free, Dairy Free, Vegan and can be Gluten Free)

Makes 30 cookies when using the small 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
1/4 heaped tsp mixed spice
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup mixed peel

Icing
3 tbsp icing sugar
2 tsp water

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, salt and mixed spice, measured using an adjustable measuring spoon, and whisk together with a stainless whisk.

4. Add mixtures together and combine until creamy. Stir in the raisins, sultanas and peel until well mixed.

5. Using a small scoop drop the dough onto flat stoneware such as the medium round stone, medium bar pan or rectangular stone.  Flatten each cookie slightly with the heel of your hand or a spoon dipped in a little water to stop it sticking. Make sure you leave spreading space between each cookie as they do like a bit of extra room!

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cook a tiny bit longer if you like your cookies on the crispy rather than chewy side.

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

8. Once cooled, ice a small cross one each biscuit using water icing in a squeezy bottle with a small plain nozzle from the decorator bottle set.

Pancake day crêpes (egg free, dairy free and vegan)

Vegan crêpes

I wrote a post a few years ago about my go to pancake recipe which is one of the most popular on my blog and has again had a lot of interest this year as we head for pancake day or Shrove Tuesday tomorrow.  The lovely Pippa Kendrick tried out my recipe last week and used gluten free flour - it worked a treat!  You can see her creations on her blog The Intolerant Gourmet here:  http://www.theintolerantgourmet.com/journal/2014/2/25/maple-syrup-pancakes-gluten-free-dairy-free-egg-free-vegan.html

This year I've been experimenting with the idea of crêpes.  They are even more simple then the other pancakes and contain just four ingredients!

Vegan Crêpes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups plain flour
1 cup non dairy milk
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil


Method

1.  Place all the ingredients in a small batter bowl and whisk until frothy.

2.  Lightly oil a small frying pan (I love my 20cm saute pan for crepes) and run a paper towel over it to remove excess oil.  Heat the pan until very hot.

3.  Pour in the batter and swirl the pan to coat the bottom of it evenly.  Cook until small bubbles pop all over the surface and the edges are beginning to curl slightly.

4. Flip over the crepe using a silicone scraper, and cook on the other side until lightly golden spots appear ( you have to check underneath it).

5. Slide onto a plate and repeat.  You can keep the cooked crêpes warm in the oven with greaseproof paper between the layers if you wish.

Serve with sweet or savoury fillings as required.

Have you decided on pudding for Christmas Dinner yet? It should definitely feature IceDelight!

I'm in my local Real Foods store in Edinburgh on a regular basis and a few weeks ago they asked if I would like to do another product review for them (I did one back in June which you can see here).  It was such fun last time I was delighted to have another go.  Boy am I glad I said yes! Would I review IceDelight for them?  Yes of course!

I went along to the store to collect my IceDelight which comes in tiny little 100ml tubs and larger 500mls.  I was expecting some little ones....what I got was the selection you see here and wow we have had fun trying out all sorts of things with these yummy treats.

IceDelight is made at Belhaven Fruit Farm by the lovely Mark Rennie who I had the pleasure of meeting several years ago at one of the food festivals in Edinburgh.  Belhaven Fruit Farm is just down the coast from us here in Edinburgh, near Dunbar where they grow fabulous fruits for pick your own, and sell their yummy treats in the shop.  (I can highly recommend them for strawberry picking next year!)

IceDelight itself is dairy free, egg free, gluten free and fat free, and made without artificial colours or flavours.  They taste great and even count towards your 5 a day! The five flavours are Strawberry, Raspberry, Blackcurrant, Gooseberry & Elderflower and Lemon.  In various taste tests with the family we had no outright winner.  I love the Raspberry for its straightforward flavour, Mr Robb liked the Gooseberry and Elderflower which we hadn't tasted before, our eldest enjoys Strawberry or Blackcurrant the most, and surprisingly the littlest loves the lemon, although couldn't make up her mind on her favourite.

We went a little bit Ice Delight wild here and I added it to puddings such as apple crumble, we had straightforward cones, dairy free knickerbocker glories, strawberry daiquiris, IceDelight tarts, ice cream cakes and more.

Brown sugar mini cupcakes (vegan) topped with Strawberry, Raspberry and Lemon flavour IceDelight

So what will we be having for pudding for Christmas Dinner this year? I still don't know, but it will feature a healthy helping of IceDelight!

Cheers! An awesome Strawberry daiquiri made with Rum and Strawberry IceDelight!

Apple Crumble (vegan, gluten free and nut free)

At this time of year my thoughts turn to comfort foods, and the use of seasonal staples such as apples and pears.

Apple Crumble and some amazing Raspberry IceDelight
(no colourings here - just naturally pink from the fresh raspberries!)

This week I've been playing with a wonderful selection of IceDelight flavours and I have plenty of other delights for you in the next few days along with a review of IceDelight for Real Foods. However, today I've been making Apple Crumble, one of the simplest and most comforting of desserts. I make mine completely plain, but you can add cinnamon for a bit of an apple pie style or any other autumnal fruit to boost the flavour.

I used wheat flour to make mine this time, but I have in the past used a plain gluten free flour mix and it has worked beautifully well, as it makes the topping lovely and short and light. I also didn't have enough Bramley apples so I used a selection of five from the fruit bowl today and no-one complained!

Apple Crumble

Ingredients

100g Solid Dairy Free Margarine (I use block Stork)
75g   Golden Sugar
175g Plain Flour (Wheat flour or Gluten Free)

3 to 4 cooking apples such as Bramley (or 5 eating apples)
Another teaspoon or two of sugar depending on how tat the apples are

Method

1. Put the margarine, sugar and flour in a Classic Batter Bowl.

2. Using a Pastry Blender, or your fingers, mix together until you have a sandy, fine textured crumb.

3. Peel and slice the apples and place in the bottom of a Mini Baker with a sprinkle of sugar.

4. Cover the apples with the crumble mix and give the surface some texture to give more crunch once baked.

5. Bake at 180°C for 40-50 mins until golden brown and crisp.

6. Serve with your favourite ice cream style dessert.  Our favourite at the moment is IceDelight from a farm just along the road at Belhaven in Dunbar. It complements the flavour of the apples beautifully and lifts the pudding into something really special.

Vegan hot dog rolls! (egg free, dairy free, nut free, soya free)

I've been meaning to try these little guys for ages having seen them on pinterest ages ago. The original idea came from Taste of Japan's blog and so I had a crack at it for the @sundaybakeclub on twitter whose theme this week is animals.




The recipe is super easy and I used a very basic bread mix:

225g bread flour
1 1/8 tsp yeast
3/4tsp salt
140 mls water

Raisins for eyes / nose
Olive oil for brushing

1. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl and knead for ten minutes until you have a smooth dough. Or be lazy like me and chuck it in a mixer with a dough hook or the pizza dough setting in a bread maker.

2. Divide into six equal parts and roll each one into an oval.

3. Place on a flat baking stone such as the Rectangle stone to rise for around 20 mins covered with oiled clingfilm.

4. After 20 minutes, cut a slice at each side to create the ears and smooth them to a rounded tip. Add raisins for the eyes and nose (push these well into the dough as they pop out again as it bakes).

Is it me, or does this little guy look like Droopy Dawg?

5. Brush with olive oil using the silicone basting brush and bake at 200°C for 15 - 20 mins until golden.

Serve with hot dogs or anything else you fancy!

Apple Crumble cupcakes (Gluten free, egg free, dairy free, nut free, soya free and vegan!)

These cupcakes were created as an entry for a Pampered Chef competition for their consultants. The challenge was to make a cupcake that could be cooked for Party Hour which is a super quick show and allows guests and host to enjoy a Pampered Chef show even if they are pushed for time.  I went for an allergy free cupcake as I feel that the recipe should be available to as many people as possible, and just because you have an allergy doesn't mean you shouldn't have a cupcake!

Don't be put off by the list of ingredients. It may seem a lot but it is just a bit of repetition in the crumble topping, and dairy free, egg free cooking needs a bit of extra oomph sometimes!

 Crumble Topping

¾ cup Gluten free self raising flour

½ cup brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup vegan margarine, melted

Cupcakes

1 ½ cups Gluten free self raising flour

½ cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

½ cup rice milk

½ cup vegetable oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 apples

100g Jar Apple Sauce, divided into 2 tbsp and 12 tsp

Icing

4 tbsp icing sugar

1 tbsp water

Ready rolled white icing

1.   Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Place cupcake cases in the 12-cup Muffin Pan.  Into the 2L Stainless Mixing Bowl, measure out the Crumble topping ingredients using an Easy Read Measuring Cup and the Adjustable Measuring Spoon teaspoon.  Mix together with two forks until the topping is crumbly and has small lumps in it. Set aside.

2.   Into the 4L Stainless Mixing Bowl measure out the flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a Small Batter Bowl whisk together the milk, oil, vinegar, 2 tbsp apple sauce, and vanilla using a Stainless Whisk, until frothy.

3.   Wedge the apples with the Apple Wedger and then chop into fine chunks with a FoodChopper. Add to the flour mix.

4.   Pour the wet mix into the dry flour mixture and mix until just together with a Mix N Scraper.  Quickly Scoop into the paper cases using a Large Scoop.

Sprinkle the crumble topping over the cupcakes and press down slightly to make it stick.  Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. 

5.   Meanwhile prepare the icing by mixing the icing and water together and scooping into a Decorator Bottle with the round nozzle attached.  Use the apple cutter from the Creative Cutter Set stamp out 12 apple shapes from the ready rolled icing.

6.   Remove cupcakes from the oven and leave to sit for a few minutes before removing from the stone.

7.   Carefully remove the cupcakes from the stone (see chef’s tip) and place on Stackable Cooling Rack.  While the cupcakes are still warm you can drizzle icing over in random patterns, add a teaspoon of apple sauce to the top of each one and place an apple shape on the top.

Chef’s Tip: Use a micro scraper to ease the cupcakes out of the wells without spilling too much crumble topping everywhere.

If you don't want to top with the apple shape then simply add the drizzled icing and stop there.

Raspberry Mallow Crispies (egg, dairy, gluten, soya and nut free)

These yummy Mallow Crispies make a great allergy friendly party food.

I love this recipe - it is the ultimate in children's party food for those with allergies as you can make it free of the big four and no-one is any the wiser.  I came across it as I was wading through many different recipe books at the beginning of my allergy mum journey, and I fixed on it as simple and easy and fitting our requirements of no egg, dairy or wheat at the time.  I had almost forgotten about it in the experimentation with cakes and biscuits, but I came across some marshmallows at the back of my cupboard yesterday and I suddenly remembered about it.

The recipe comes from Alice Sherwood's Allergy-Free Cookbook, which covers a multitude of allergies but always annoys me in the difficulty of having to swap in different things depending on the allergy, as I have to do at least two and it gets complicated!  However, don't let that put you off, as some of the recipes are great.

If you are making it gluten free, make sure your crispies are free from barley, as Kellogg's are not, and are therefore not gluten free.  Try something like these ones from Kallo.

The recipe is nearly identical to the original recipe you may remember from your childhood for rice krispies treats, but this has a wee added extra of some raspberry jam to pep it up!  If you don't fancy that then omit it and you'll have original flavour ones.

Check the marshmallows - some contain egg!  And if you want to make this vegan use veggy marshmallows, a near impossible feat in the UK without spending a fortune, but it can be done.

I like to decorate mine with a little dairy free chocolate and I love Moo Free, although its not guaranteed nut or soya free, so you may want to give it a pass.

Raspberry Mallow Crispies
Egg free, dairy free, gluten free and nut free

Ingredients

115g    marshmallows
55g      vegan margarine  I use Pure Spread Sunflower
4 tbsp   raspberry jam
140g    puffed rice cereal

Dairy free chocolate for drizzling if you fancy - watch out for nuts and soya in the chocolate though.

Method

Oil your Square Baker or Medium Bar Pan lightly to start with, with a nut free oil. (Or any baking tin about 23x23 cm)

1.  Put the marshmallows, vegan margarine and jam in a large saucepan and heat gently.  Stir constantly with a mix 'n scraper so it doesn't catch on the bottom and burn.

2.  Once everything has melted, bring to the boil for one minute, stirring all the time.

3.  Stir in the crispies and stir quickly until everything is well coated.

4.  Scrape the mix out of the pan and into the square baker, or medium bar pan for a shallower crispie.  Press down firmly with the back of the mix 'n scraper, wetted slightly to stop it sticking if you need to.

5.  Mark out your squares (I get 16 from the square baker and 24 from the medium bar pan).

6.  Leave to cool and place in the fridge for two hours to set.  Drizzle with a little dairy free chocolate if you wish, and cut into the squares with a nice sharp knife such as our Santoku knife.

7.  This stores well for three days in an airtight container.  I'm not sure about any longer as its always all eaten by then!

Review for Real Foods: Raspberry Maca Kale Chips

Yes you read that right!  Raspberry Maca Raw Dehydrated KALE Chips!

Real Foods, the wonderfully friendly people who help to fill my kitchen cupboards, fridge and freezer with egg and dairy free treats, invited me to do a review of one of their new products.  Of course, everyone loves a freebie, and I rather liked the idea of being a tasting guru, so I said yes.  Apparently I have talented taste buds!  (Could this be a new career?)

Having been truly fabulous and checked all of the allergies we have in the household, Real Foods invited me into the Broughton Street store to collect our tasting product.  I took my littlest person with me, as anything I taste, the family will probably want a bit too.  She is allergic to eggs and dairy, and the reason my blog is peppered with recipes without these ingredients.

We spent half an hour in the store wandering around and picking up goodies she could eat.  So, not only did we come home with our interesting Kale Chips, but we also came home with Wot No Dairy Cherry flavour pudding to try, Willie's Colombian Black Cacao, Iced Delight (Blackcurrant flavour), Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour, Moo Free Chocolate, Biona fruity teddy bears, Sheese Strong Cheddar style, and Real Foods own brand, raw Cocoa butter. That was some haul!

So, the Kale chips you ask?

Well they are really rather good!  Kale is everywhere at the moment.  I've been reading about it on Dreena Burton's Plant Powered Kitchen recently as well as in Veg News this month. And most of the recipes are savoury not sweet, but this works as a taste sensation!

The Raspberry Maca Kale Chips are made by inSpiral and are Raw, Vegan, Dairy free, Wheat Free, Soya Free, Low GI and have no added nuts (but the packaging does note it is produced in a nutty environment).  As you can see the ingredients are Kale, Raspberries, Raw Cacao Butter, Coconut Palm Sugar and Maca.

I had to go and look up Maca as I'd never heard of it before!  Apparently its related to radishes and can be used as a dietary supplement to help with all sorts of physical ailments.  Kale is rich in antioxidants, calcium and vitamin A, a big plus for my little people.

The tastings began when we got home and I cracked open the package for everyone to have a piece.  The verdict from the littlest person (age 4) was two thumbs up!  The older one (age 6) needed very little persuasion to try it, I think enticed by the raspberry seeds, and she came back for more.  Hubby likes the "green-ness" of the taste and preferred the bigger bits so he got more of the kale aftertaste, while me, with my sweet tooth, I enjoyed the smaller pieces that had a more raspberry taste to them.  There is an interesting texture, perhaps provided by the cacao which gives a smooth feel with the crispiness at the same time.

Friends visited, and I pounced on them with my little pot of kale.  What did they think?  Another six year old came back for more, and her mum liked it too, although she did make an observation that was my one negative too.  It makes you feel like you need to floss!

All in all successful, and we don't have much left now.  I wouldn't sit and eat a huge amount at one time, but as an accompaniment to other snacks it works well.  Raw veg and hummus, maybe with a side of Kale Chips? Crackers and cheese/sheese with grapes and a few Kale Chips? Hubby suggested it as a topper for ice cream! Or just something to nibble on when you want something tasty and different that fits with just about any healthy eating or diet regime I can think of.

The kids just couldn't leave it alone!

Coming soon.......to a blog near you!

I'm excited by the fun I've had this week doing a wee taste test for Real Foods one of my local Healthfood shops in Edinburgh.  They were kind enough to give me a new product to try.  Hear about my adventures soon....

They can be found online if you are not in the Edinburgh area: http://www.realfoods.co.uk/

Stoneware Farmhouse Loaf

I have been meaning to post this recipe for quite some time and its been sitting in my drafts folder awaiting a photo.  I always forget to take a photo of it and it gets eaten too quickly!  However, having been asked for the recipe I paid attention today and got a picture.  So here is my basic white loaf, egg and dairy free and vegan too.

You'll notice I use olive oil in this recipe.  It is my favourite oil to use in bread as it gives a very subtle flavour, and a good structure to the bread.  Many recipes ask for butter and milk powder in them.  I ignore the milk powder - dreadful stuff full of preservatives and things for a start! And I simply substitute any butter with my favourite olive oil.

Farmhouse Loaf - Perfect for the Stoneware loaf pan!

Ingredients
475g Strong White Bread Flour
1 1/4 tsp fast action yeast
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
275ml warm water

Method
1. Put the flour in a classic batter bowl. Add salt, sugar, yeast and stir.

2. Add the oil and then the water gradually to make a soft dough.

3. Knead well on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic (or bung it in a mixer with a dough hook if you have one - just watch it doesn't march across the work surface!)

4. Put the dough back in the bowl and cover with lightly oiled cling film (or put on the lid) for 45 mins or until double the size.

5. Heat the oven to 200°C.

6. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead for a minute.

7. Grease the sides of the loaf pan lightly with a little veg oil (for the first few times you use it) and put the dough in.

8. Cover with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for up to 30 mins.

9. Bake for about 30 mins till golden brown and makes a hollow sound when tapped on top.

10. Leave to cool in the loaf pan for about 5 mins then remove to a cooling rack using oven gloves.

Watch out because the loaf pan retains lots of heat for ages and can still give you a nasty burn after the five minutes cooling.

Toffee Apple Tart (egg and dairy free, vegan)

I first tried this recipe back in the Autumn of 2011, and on reflection it probably is quite appropriate for that time of year, however I had guests last week and was looking for an easy make ahead tart.  Plus, I had masses of apples!

The original recipe came from the lovely Ruth Clemens at The Pink Whisk and can be found here. As we don't do dairy and eggs I adapted the pastry and used my Mum's tried and tasted recipe for my very favourite shortcrust pastry.  I also added a little more cinnamon as I love the warmth of the flavour coming through the apples.

My guests for lunch were my fabulous brother and his gorgeous partner.  My brother happens to be a professional photographer and he insisted on taking a photo for me. (It does look so much more professional than mine, but I'm learning!)  So thank you Hamish for some amazing photos and lovely company while we ate. You can see more of Hamish's work at HCampbell Photography.

Ingredients

Pastry

150g plain flour

85g non dairy margarine (I used block Stork)

1 tbsp sugar

2-3 tbsp water, as much as the dough requires to come together

Filling

70g fresh breadcrumbs (2 slices of bread)

1 tsp cinnamon

3 apples - I used a mix of bramley and braeburn but most tart apples will do!

200g demerara sugar

50ml water

10g non dairy margarine

1tsp vinegar

1 tbsps golden syrup

I used an 8 inch tart pan, which I greased a little before putting in the pastry, but I reckon this would translate brilliantly into mini tarts in the new Mini tart pans.

Method

1.  In a food processor, pulse the flour and margarine together until it looks like fine breadcrumbs. (You can do this the old fashioned way with your hands or a pastry blender if need be).

2.  Add the sugar and pulse to blend it in.

3.  Remove the mixture from the processor and add to a classic batter bowl.  Mix in 2 tbsp of cold water and mix to bring the dough together.  If it is still crumbly add another tablespoon of water. Squeeze the dough into a lump of dough and allow to rest. Put it in the fridge in the batter bowl if it is warm in the kitchen.

4. Make the breadcrumbs by adding the bread to the processor and pulsing (a little of the crust isn't going to do any harm mixed in!).  Once finely chopped, add the tsp of cinnamon and pulse again to combine.

5. Pre heat the oven to 180°C.  Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface (I love the flexible cutting mats for this.)

6.  Lift the pastry gently on the rolling pin, and lift it over the tart pan.  Push the pastry into the sides and down into the bottom.  If it tears just use a little from the extra at the edges to patch it up.  Trim the edges off cleanly.

7.  Line the tart case with baking parchment and dried rice or baking beans.  Bake for 15 mins, then remove the beans and paper (pour them onto a tray to cool, not back in their pot straight away!) and put the tart case back in the oven or around 5 mins till its a light golden brown and firm on the base.

8.  While the tart cools a little peel your apples and then use an apple wedger to core and wedge them.  Then cut them into small chunks as illustrated in the pictures.

9.  Pour the breadcrumbs into the tart case  and spread them out evenly, then add the apple chunks on top.

10. Place the demerara sugar, water, margarine, vinegar and golden syrup in a pan and gently heat it to melt everything together.  Cook until the sugar dissolves and there are no grainy bits obvious, stirring all the time.

11. Pour the sauce over the apples, covering them all.

12. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the apples are beginning to brown lightly. Then remove and cool on a stackable cooling rack.

I served it naked with no accompaniments, but ice-cream or any kind of cream would go down very well!

Toffee Apple Tart - a teaser.....

I've been feeding people again.  It seems that is what I'm good at! I fed them Toffee Apple Tart today.  Recipe coming soon....

Caravan Biscuits for the holidays! (Dairy free, egg free, vegan and can be gluten free)

This recipe is the result of my mum clipping recipes in the 1970's.  She is pretty sure this one originally came from the fabulous people at Good Housekeeping, and its served us well over the years!  (We don't know why they are called Caravan biscuits though! Any ideas, please let me know?)

These biscuits, or cookies if you prefer, are slightly crunchy, chewy in the middle and full of knobbly oaty bits.  Naturally vegan with the use of vegan margarine, they can also be gluten free if you use gluten free flour and add a 1/4 tsp xanthan gum.

Chuck a few handfuls of raisins or chopped cherries in and you have fruity, oaty biscuits, and boy are they good!

Caravan Biscuits 

Makes 20

Ingredients

120g plain flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
large pinch salt
large pinch cream of tartar
120g vegan margarine (I use Pure Spread Sunflower)
120g sugar
120g rolled oats
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tsp hot water
2 tablespoons syrup


Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and cream of tartar together and set aside.

2. Beat the margarine to soften in a classic batter bowl and add the sugar. Beat in.

3. Add the oats and stir to combine.

4. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the hot water in a pinch bowl.

5. Warm the syrup slightly then measure it out using a measure all cup.

6. Add to the margarine and sugar mix. Beat in.

7. Add the flour and mix until well combined.

8. If the mixture is very solid you can warm it slightly in the microwave to make it easier to handle, and then form small balls. If too warm leave it to cool slightly before you handle it.

9. Place on flat stoneware (I used my rectangle stone, and my medium stone) and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand.

10. Bake at 180°C for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden. Don't let them get too dark of they will be bitter!

11. Allow to cool slightly on the trays before removing to a cooling rack.

Garlic pizza bread (egg / dairy free and vegan)

I often have left over pizza dough when I make pizzas with my pizza base recipe and have been making this garlic bread to accompany the meal as a way to use up the dough.  Plus its a really lovely addition to the table.
I cook my pizzas and bread on Pampered Chef Stoneware as the bases are crispy and the food is cooked beautifully evenly.  Plus the stoneware keeps the pizza and bread warm right to the last slice! And its crispy not soggy.

Make up your pizza dough recipe and then divide in three.  Use two balls to make pizza bases and the other to make a the garlic bread below.

Ingredients

1/3 portion of pizza dough
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp Mixed dried herbs, or chopped fresh herbs if you have them
Rock salt

Method

1.  Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Roll the dough out on a Medium round stone with a baker's roller until nice and thin.

2.  Crush the garlic into a pinch bowl using the garlic press (the beauty of our garlic press is no peeling needed!).  Add the olive oil and herbs with the adjustable measuring spoons and stir well.

3.  Pour over the dough and spread it out with the back of a spoon to cover the whole dough up to 1/2 cm from the edges.

4.  Sprinkle with rock salt.

Dough all slashed and oiled up and ready to go.

5.  Make slashes in the dough with a sharp knife and place in the oven for 8-10 mins till golden brown.  Leave on the stone to keep warm as you eat, and cut with the pizza cutter.

Don't go kissing too many people afterwards unless they shared this with you!