I feel like it was a long week last week. I'm not too sure why, nothing in particular happened. Ok, well I possibly overdid it with the online shopping for christmas (oops!) and I started collating bits and pieces for making my christmas cards + tags and got busy looking at different recipes that I can make as gluten free christmas gifts.
Before I get carreid away and tell you everything I want for Christmas (I'm sure there'll be a post about that soon!) I thought I'd remind all the Sydney-siders and Coeliacs on the East Coast of Australia that the Sydney Irresistible Gluten Free Show is on this weekend, Saturday 20th to Sunday 21st. The Sydney Irresistible Gluten Free Show runs a little differently than the other shows, because if you pre-register here you get free entry! Yes free entry! That means all those samplers and gluten free breads can be tried and tested for nothing. Zip. Zilch. Zero!
Ok, well, that's not strictly true, because if you don't pre-register then you will need to buy tickets for $10 on the day. Isn't is great? Maybe I'll pre-register and then simply pay for flights over to Sydney... or.... maybe not!
So, no, I'm not giving away tickets to the Sydney Irresistible Gluten Free Show but I am giving away two copies of Sue Shepherd's Irresistibles for the Irritable Cookbook!
Sue Shepherd is a Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian and Accredited Nutritionist in Melbourne, Australia and fellow Coeliac who is speaking at the Sydney Irresistible Gluten Free Show. Her first book Gluten Free Cooking was the first Gluten Free cookbook I was given (thanks Nan!) and it's been fantastic to have on hand to make delicious gluten free meals or treats like gluten free banana spice muffins.
To enter simply leave a comment with your email address and answer this question:
What gluten free goodies are you most looking forward to baking this Christmas?
Please Note: Entries are open to Australian & New Zealand Residents only. Please note you MUST leave your email address and answer the question in order to be entered in the giveaway. One entry per person please! Giveaway closes Sunday 21st November at midnight EST and winners will be decided thanks to random.org and announced on Monday 22nd November.
I took these cupcakes into work last Friday and they went down an absolute treat. Soft, delicate and super moist thanks to the hidden cherries they were gobbled up amidst groans of delight. I hope you enjoy them as much as my co-workers did!
Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes
makes 12
1/4cup + 1Tblspn brown rice flour
1/4cup + 1Tblspn tapioca flour
1/4cup quinoa flour
1/8tsp xantham gum
(or substitute all of the above for 3/4cup + 2Tblspn all purpose gluten free flour mix)
1cup castor sugar (I did half raw castor and half normal castor)
1/3cup cocoa
3/4tsp gluten free baking powder
3/4tsp bi-carb soda
1/2tsp salt
1/2cup buttermilk
1/2cup boiling water
1 egg
1/4cup vegetable oil
2tsp vanilla essence
24 sour cherries, drained from jar (reserve the water)
Preheat oven to 175C and line a 12 hole cupcake tray with liners.
Whisk together the dry ingredient in a large bowl and set aside.
In a large just whisk together the buttermilk, water, egg, oil and essence until combined. Pour this into the dry ingredients and stir till there are no lumps.
Spoon 1/3cup measures of mixture into the cupcake liners and top with 2 sour cherries (note they’ll sink)
Bake for 12-15minutes until skewer inserted comes out clean (note: you’ll have to check the edges of the cake not the middle as the cherries will stay quite wet.
Remove from over and allow to cool completely. Note that some may have holes in as the cherries have risen, then dropped, this is fine – it’s what frosting is for!
Chocolate Frosting
125g butter, softened
1 1/3cup gluten free pure icing sugar
2Tbslpn cocoa
2Tblspn cherry water
1tsp vanilla essence
In a mixer beat the butter until light and soft.
In another bowl sift the sugar and cocoa. Once the butter is soft and a little fluffy add half the sugar mixture and 1tbspn of the cherry water. Mix on low until combined, repeat with remaining sugar mixture, cherry water and essence. Once combined beat on high speed for approximately 5minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Make sure to scrape the sides regularly with a spatula, to move the darker cocoa frosting from the edges of the bowl.
Pipe or spread the frosting onto cupcakes. Decorate with coconut or other decorations as desired.
Will keep for up to 4days in an airtight container.
Those cupcakes look and sound so yummy!
ReplyDeleteThis year i am looking forward to baking mince pie bomb Alaska's: a gluten free mince pie toped with homemade coconut milk ice cream and baked in a meringue shell, literally heaven on a plate!
my email address is elliercdouglas@hotmail.com.
thanks!
Yum! These sound good and look sooooo pretty!
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a cook, hence I really need some guidance and this book would be perfect! Only xmas treat I had in mind to make was gf white christmas. Thought it would be fun to make with the kids and for once I might be able to eat the finished product!
Loving your blog btw. Only just discovered it recently.
my email address is marcia.andrew@optusnet.com.au
My family are a bit different and don't do Christmas lunch or dinner, we do brunch.
ReplyDeleteThis is my first Christmas being gluten free and I can't wait to wow my family with buckwheat banana pancakes.
Oh whoops - my email: thegirlwithathousandthoughts@hotmail.com
ReplyDelete:D
I think I'm going to make some amaretti cookies - gluten and dairy-free so everyone in my family can eat them :) Though I know my dad would love this chocolate and cherry combination of yours!
ReplyDeleteSome gluten free pancakes for brekky.
ReplyDeleteDelicious looking recipe.
ReplyDeleteI really should try to pipe icing on top of cupcakes instead of just spreading it on; it looks so much better.
This Christmas I'm looking forward to making a pavlova topped with lots of cream, nectarines, blueberries and passionfruit. So nice because it's already gluten free and lovely and cool on a hot summer day.
My email address is mjasinska@hotmail.com
Cant wait to try this recipe.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try to make gf macaroons and biscotti. Last christmas I made all sorts of gf goodies but this year I want to take it one step further and make all the things I love.
my email kiwiatheartdesigns@gmail.com
Waw!! These festive decorated cupcakes look so delectable, festive & wonderful too
ReplyDeleteMMMMMMMMMMMMM,..Many greetings from a recent gf foodie from Brussels, Belgium!!!
These cupcakes look sooooo yummy!
ReplyDeleteJas, do you have any tricks for keeping the cupcake cases so straight (oh...lets just say it, perfect!) and stop them from falling everywhere? I have tried them on a baking tray and in a muffin tin but the muffin tins I have are too big or too small and they fall over and come out looking terrible. They taste great but I hate taking them to a party when they look so bad :(
Any help? :) Samantha
Sophie - thanks all the way from Perth!
ReplyDeleteSam - You need to get cupcake liners that fit your cupcake trays and they'll turn out like mine if you don't overfill them (but even I overfill sometimes - oops!) something like these liners in this tray. I often check the liners by grabbing a close by cupcake/muffin tray that is in the store to see if they fit. The other trick if you're having trouble is the by stiff paper cupcake liners like these ones. found at most baking stores, fill them 2/3 full and bake on a tray to keep them level. Also, make sure they aren't squashed when you put them on your tray and you'll be fine.
email me at jas [@] glutenfreescallywag.com if you still have any problems!