Marmite or Chocolate? Picnic Pinwheels

With another summer picnic on the horizon I trawled back through my recipes and found my recipe for Marmite Pinwheels. I decided to make two batches, one with safe chocolate spread and one with marmite! Can you guess which is which?

Bizarrely, my little chocoholic preferred the marmite ones, my lover-of-all-things-savoury preferred the chocolate ones. They guessed pretty quickly too!

These are best warm/fresh from the oven.

Is Marmite Gluten Free?  

Previously, Marmite was previously deemed to have only very low gluten levels and therefore be acceptable on a Coeliac diet - read here.

Recent changes to the European Codex have ruled that foods labelled "Gluten Free" much contain less than 20ppm. Marmite falls slightly outside this limit.

"Results have met the criteria for the old international Codex standard for “gluten free” (below 200ppm) and the recently introduced EU regulatory limit for “very low gluten” (less than 100ppm), but not the recently introduced EU regulatory limit for “gluten-free” (less than 20ppm)."

So it's usually ok, and certainly my daughter tolerates it but including it needs to be an informed decision in discussion with your child's health professional.

Raspberry Muffins

This is a variation on the Blueberry and Lemon Muffin recipe published a few months back. We have some late Autumn Raspberry canes in our garden which after all the mild weather are still producing fruit, so I have been really lucky this year.

Dairy free, soya free (depending on flour used), wheat free, gluten free, could be egg free

These are delicious iced but are equally good "plain". I guarantee these won't last long either, best fresh from the oven - I think I will be making double quantity next time!

Ingredients 

• 100 g Sunflower Oil (NOT olive oil, this is too heavy)
• 100 g Caster Sugar 
• 1 Egg (or equivalent egg replacer, used above)
• 150 g Self Raising Dove's Farm Gluten Free Flour 
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum (if tolerated)
• 125 g Fresh or frozen raspberries 
• 6 Paper Muffin Cases (or 10 smaller cupcake cases)
• small quantity of icing sugar (optional)

Method

• Beat together the oil, sugar and egg well until batter starts to thicken. 
• Add the lemon juice
• Mix in the flour. 
• Mix in the raspberries. 
• Spoon into paper muffin cases standing on a baking tray. 
• Bake in a pre heated oven for 20/25 minutes.
• Mix up the icing sugar and drizzle on top once cool - if desired.

Tip - All muffins cook more evenly in good quality bakeware, and it will last for years so it's worth investing in some! These blueberry muffins are in a solid Denby baking tray. 

I'm linking up with the Denby "Cake Off" Competition! 

Coconut Almond "Protein Power" Bites

Actually the title should say "Coconut, Almond and Cranberry "Protein Power" Bites" but they are optional and interchangeable with other fried fruit you might prefer. (Cranberries are really good with coconut though!)

These are NOT egg free, but I have challenged myself to try new protein powders as my daughter's dietician is concerned that her restrictive diet and difficulty swallowing meat in combination have produced some mildly concerning blood test results.

So we are "on a mission" to boost her protein intake. There are a couple of options which suit those with food allergies and sensitive stomachs. Pea Protein or Rice Protein powder. (It is important to try as pure a protein powder as possible, our dietician is an expert and recommended that brown rice protein powder to us.)

My daughter can tolerate egg, which again adds to the protein content so I revisited my Tiana coconut flour recipes and decided to alter this one. I swapped a few things around and this is what I came up with:-

Tip - I really recommend getting hold of some cup measures as it makes life a lot easier! All Tiana recipes are in cups.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup sifted Tiana flour
• 1/2 cup of chopped almonds (I used flaked today as I was out of chopped)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 cup pea protein powder
• 2 tablespoons almond milk
• 1/2 cup cranberries

Method

• Nothing very scientific here, I have a Kenwood mixer and I just chucked it all....... and blitzed it!
• BUT - and it's a big BUT, Tiana flour takes a little while to soak up the liquid and start working. Leave it for 10 minutes before the next step. Really.

You might need to add a little more almond milk, if you want "bites" it needs 

to still be relatively stiff, like these 

You could make them more moist and then let them bake as cookies - they will be less soft.

• Bake at 180C for 15-20 minutes.

My suspicious little monkey agreed to tentatively try one.....

Let me know how your little ones get on with this recipe - and big apologies to those who cannot eat eggs....

Pea and Lentil Fritters/Cakes

To serve 4-6

Ingredients

175g/6oz easy cook peas (e.g. Whitworth)
125g/4oz Red Split lentils
10ml/2tsp Mixed dried herbs
25g/1oz butter equivalent (we used PURE sunflower)
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
1/2 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
2 sticks celery, chopped
1 large garlic clove, skinned and chopped or crushed
1 egg, beaten
1.25ml / 1/4tsp cayenne pepper
30ml/2 tsp plain flour - we used Dove's Farm Plain Flour
salt and pepper

Method

1. Place peas, lentils, enough water to cover and herbs into a saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer, partially cover and stir occasionally for 30-35 mins until dried peas and lentils are tender but peas are still whole. Drain off excess liquid.

2. Melt the margarine in a large frying pan. Add the onion, pepper, celery and garlic and cook gently for about 10 minutes until soft and almost transparent.

3. Turn the peas and lentils and the vegetable mixture into a large mixing bowl, allow to cool slightly before adding the remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

4. Divide the mixture into 10-12 pieces and form each into a "cake" on a lightly floured board.

5. Fry gently for about 10 minutes each side or until golden and crisp outside. Drain on absorbent paper and serve with safe tomato sauce.

Mum made these today for the twins! Would also be delicious cold on a picnic or in a packed lunch.

Fruit Bread

This is a variation of Orgran Easy Bake mix.

The Orgran mix is by far the easiest bread mix I have tried, not as versatile as the Juvela Harvest White (ie cannot make pastry, bake with it as free from flour) but you cannot beat it for ease when it comes to making a loaf. Rolls are harder to form because the mixture is thicker and stickier however, but for a basic loaf to slice and freeze it's fab!

So I decided to try adding some raisins, cinnamon, mixed spice and a couple of tablespoons of caster sugar to try and achieve a fruit bread. And a little cocoa powder to change the colour a little.

The results are amazing, great texture, easy to slice so it can be frozen, and should toast well too.

One word of warning though..... the sugar had another effect.... it really makes it expand more and I should have split the mixture between two loaf tins I think so leave plenty of room!!!

Orgran Easy Bake really IS that easy but there is even a YouTube video on how to do it!

Bacon and Corn Muffins

I adapted this recipe from one which contained cheese. It is Dairy free, Gluten free (and therefore wheat free), soya free and can be egg free.

Makes 12 - use muffin cases in a patty tin and preheat oven to 180C, NOT fan

Ingredients

• 150g Rindless bacon - check ingredients/preservatives. (Most ham has lactose added)
• 55g "Pure" Sunflower margarine
• 300g Dove's Farm Self Raising Flour
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1 extra teaspoon baking powder
• 30g polenta (not the block/precooked one but the flour)
• 1 small can of sweetcorn or equivalent of chick peas
• pinch of salt
• 1 egg (or orgran egg replacer for egg free)
• 350-400mls oat milk, rice milk or hemp milk.

Method

• Cook the bacon (I cook it on a covered plate in the microwave, quicker and less messy!)
• Blend corn or chickpeas in food processor, I also blend the bacon as my two have trouble swallowing sometimes.
• Melt the margarine (you can use the bacon pan for this if used and still warm)
• Place flour, Xanthan gum and baking powder in a bowl or mixer, stir in the polenta, salt and add the margarine.
• Beat the egg and add to the bowl.
• Add the milk slowly, combine well until the mixture is a soft dropping consistency and spoon into muffin cases.
• Bake at 180 C preferably in a non-fan oven until risen, firm and just going golden on top.

I make double quantity most times and freeze. these make a great alternative to sandwiches in a packed lunch and are quick and easy to defrost for tea after school.