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.