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Hello stranger! nice to see you.

Rocky Road Bars

You may have noticed that me and Beebz have been a little absent for the last 2 weeks! its been pretty hectic over here at bake n beebz HQ. lotsa work related stressing going on as well as taking on more hours, starting another new job and doing some design work, I kinda have neglected my oven and all things fun in general.

No need to fear though Bn'B readers, me and the shih tzu are going to be posting as normal and back on your computer screen once again...

Back in business and baked up some new Gluten Free sweet treats!

healthy banana browines

And dropped a few too...

GF chocolate caramel shortbread

Recipes will be up very soon. x

A VERY ORANGE, orange cake.

 

 Errrrmmm excuse me, its sposda still be summer... But its not... Theres been a temperature drop and all hopes of any heat wave for us in England have diminished. So I'm putting ma denim cut off shorts away (that have hardly seen any action) and getting out the hotwater bottle and mittens. As a farewell I have baked an Ode to the end of summer!

 This Gluten free cake will make summer last just that little bit longer.... Made with whole oranges – simmered until very tender and then finely chopped, this cake has no fat but an incredibly moist, light texture and a wonderful fresh citrus flavour.

 Ingrediants 

• 2 oranges, about 280 g (10 oz) in total, scrubbed and roughly chopped (with skin)
• 3 eggs
• 200 g (7 oz) caster sugar
• 50g (8 oz) ground almonds
• 100g coconut flour
• 100g plain GF flour mix
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1tsp xthanum gum
• sifted icing sugar to decorate.

Directions

1. Place the clean, whole and unpeeled Oranges in a microwave proof bowl, Pierce holes into skin, cover, and cook on high for around 7 minutes
2. Pre heat oven to 180*c / 350F
3. Remove oranges from microwave and a allow to cool
4. In a bowl whisk and cream eggs and suger until light in colour and fluffy
5. Add almond essence and using a food processor blitz the cooked oranges, once a pulp is achieved fold in oranges to eggs and sugar.
6. Carefully fold in in flours, gum and baking powder
7. Pour int greased tin and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and slightly risen.
8. Serve with icing sugar and a lil something light but creamy like yogurt or creme fraiche.

ROCKY ROAD COOKIES (GLUTEN FREE + VEGAN )

Whilst casually strolling down the baby section and aisles ( Dont tell /scare Mr bake n Beebz) of a pound shop (oh yep we are thrifty here at Bake n Beebz and love a bargain) I came across gluten free baby biscuits! Rusks, I went through a phase at university of comfort eating a boxes of rusks and dipping them into hot milk... mmm maybe I shoulda chugged a beer bong like everyone else.
Anyway, I had to buy em up, but it got me thinking what I could do with em, ya know stretch myself further than dipping those shortbread biccies in a hot coco.

And So... a ultimate cookie was born...  CHOCOLATE CHUNKS, MARSHMALLOWS AND CRUMBLED BISCUIT COMBINED IN CHOCOLATEY CHEWIE / FUDGEY COOKIES.

 I have yet to make a completely successful GF cookie. I tried, Ive failed but Ive still eaten up every crumbly experiment.   Until now... these are truly crispy on the outside edges, chewy, soft centered and taste like a decadent brownie in a cookie disguise.

 Pass me a glass o' milk stat.

I took this recipe and adapted it!

Ingrediants- to make 12 cookies.

• 3/4 cup white Gluten-Free Flour Mix
• 1/4 cup unsweetened good quality cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup soya spread (melted)
• 1/4 cup  1 tbsp  milk (rice, soy, cow, etc)
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup+ 1tsp granulated sugar
• chocolate chunks or chips, mini marshmallows and gluten free crushed biscuits.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. a baking tray with parchment or silicone paper.
2. Combine the flour mix, cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking soda and salt. Mix thoroughly, being sure to work out any lumps of cocoa powder.
3. In a separate big bowl, Combine the melted spread and milk, mixing with a whisk on medium speed, then add the vanilla and sugar. Mix for a further 20 seconds.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix on low speed, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Fold in the chocolate chunks.
5. Scoop out the dough by heaping tablespoons and roll them in your hands to form balls, place onto tray and press down lightly.
6. Bake in the center of the oven for 12 minutes, until just set. Do not overcook, as chocolate burns easily and the marshmallows will loose their shape. You also want the inside to remain chewy, not dry.
7. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets before shoveling them over to a cooling rack.

Healthy Gluten Free + Vegan Funfetti Party Pancakes

 

 Every day should start with sprinkles. Its like a having a party for breakfast.

 

These little flecks of fun can turn any frown upside down especially if i have gotten out of the wrong side of bed in the morning. They make me instantly happy and breakfast feel like a special occasion ... I really wanted stick a candle on this pancake tower and pretend its my birthday. but that's just going to far right?

 

After sprinkling sprinkles on my shake yesterday, I took it one step further today and dumped a whole load of confetti into some pancake batter. Not any pancake batter though, a healthy gluten friendly one.

 Healthy Fat free + Low calorie Gluten free Funfetti Pancakes

 makes 6 pancakes (serves 2)
150 Calories per serving.

Ingrediants

 1/4 cup gluten free flour mix
2tbsp coconut flour
1/2 a  banana pureed
1/4 cup skim or non dairy milk
1 egg white or 1 tbsp flaxseed
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp granulated sweetener

1 tsp vanilla extract
SPRINKLES

 

Choice of syrup or fruit toppings.

I used a icing mix of (1tbsp icing sugar, 1tsp arrow root + 50mls non fat milk)

1. Mix together your choice of milk, pureed Banana, egg white and Vanilla extract  in a small mixing bowl or jug. 
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, sugar and salt.
3. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until blended but down over work the mix.
4. Then add sprinkles into mix and stir some more.
5. Lightly grease a  pan with some coconut oil or spray. 
6. Spoon pancake batter into pan and cook until bottoms are lightly browned. Flip pancakes and continue to cook until the other side is brown and pancakes are cooked through. 
7. Serve with my icing, fresh fruit and maple syrup or honey and more sprinklessss.

 

I'm not a morning person... but times are a changing and I cant wait to set my alarm so I can get my frying pan heated up tomorrow morning... for my un-birthday party part 2. 

 Are you a morning person? Whats your favourite breakfast or way to start the day?

 * tomorrow I may add some extra banana protein powder to up the nutritional value of these puppies.

Nutritional info!

GULTEN FREE + VEGAN CHOCOLOATE CUPCAKES

I whipped up some special cupcakes for a special occasion! These Anniversary Cupcakes tasted rich and decadent but aren't too naughty for the waistline... oh and there vegan aaaaaand Gluten Free. Its a miracle.

 

I did a little experimenting first....lab coat on and electric whisk plugged in. For my first recipe trial, I used chickpea gram flour and adapted a Babycakes recipe. For the second batch  I used only rice flour. The Babycakes recipe was very fudgey, I could just taste gram flour and didn't rise too well but...

After extensive taste tasting I was pleasantly surprised with how successful my rice flour cakes had turned out. they rose a treat, had a bouncy, spongy crumb and weren't too over overpoweringly chocolaty. WE HAVE A WINNER.

GLUTEN FREE AND VEGAN CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE!
Ingredients- makes 10 cupcakes

 Dry ingredients
110g rice flour
35g potato flour
50g cocoa powder
15g arrowroot
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt

100 ml coconut oil (melted)
100 ml applesauce
150 ml agave nectar
110 ml hot water

Directions.

1. Pre heat oven to 170 degrees C and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
2. In a bowl sift all dry ingredients and mix.
3. in a jug or bowl combine the wet ingredients and slowly pour into dry ingredients whilst electric mixer is on slow.
4. whisk until mixture is smooth, pour or spoon into cases.
5. bakes for 15- 18 minutes. 
6. allow to cool then frost and sprinkle those babies!

 These were so delicious! I used a chocolate vegan icing recipe to top them off!

what have you baked lately?
Have you ever tried vegan or gluten free baked goods?

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY.

Judging by this text I received yesterday, we were defiantly made for each other...

Yup Its mine and Mr bake n beebz' Anniversary today. I was 16 when we met and boy has time flown by!

LOVE YOU HARRY!

We spent this sweltering summer's afternoon strolling around the lake and park with Bobbin, The weather was stunning and the park was packed!  After we walked up to town and treated ourselves to a slap up meal to celebrate.

 We dined at Wagamamas, one of our favourites, specializing in tasty simple Japanese food. They also go out of their way to cater for all allergies and help you select a meal.

I chose the Saien Soba - noodles in a vegetable soup topped with fried tofu, beansprouts, courgettes, asparagus, red onion, leeks, mushrooms, mangetout and garlic. garnished with spring onio. They used rice noodles instead of wheat and substitued the miso soup for a gluten friendly base. 

We have been to Wagamamas many times and I wanted to try something I don't normally get and although i love the way they are so brilliant at adapting, this was a little lacking in flavour, but I still happily slurped it up! (It made me miss the days when I woulda ordered whatever the heck I liked.)

Harry went for his favourite... chilli ramen and polished it off.

Harrys bowl had noodles in a spicy chicken and pork soup topped with your choice of chicken or beef sirloin, beansprouts, red and spring onions and chillies. garnished with coriander and lime.

Bobbin waited patiently under the table for her noodle scraps ;) I have no shame.

(oh and shes had a haircut... she came into my salon to have a her hacked off this morning.)
Whilst in town we did a little shopping and I had to buy the cupcake version of the muffin dog toy....

she had trouble deciding which to chew on for dessert...

In the end she wanted cake.

Whilst us humans had real cupcakes...

I baked some special anniversary GF chocolate cupcakes. These were lovely, decadent and fudgey...going into for my second and about to slip into chocolate coma.

Recipe to come!

Gluten free Blueberry, Coconut and Banana Muffins.

 

Yesterday I was in London with my Dad for some work meeting, We packed a homemade sandwich and sat and ate our lunch by the Thames with a  gorgeous view of passing boats, St. Pauls, Southbank and Big Ben. After we decided to have a wander around the city. Its brilliant to take in all the sights and actually appreciate our capital, normally i'd be rushing around from tube station to A and then to B, but it was great to see all the landmarks and be a bit of a tourist :) We meandered through to Covent Garden and walked past a bakery 'Muffinski' outside was a blackboard advertising Gluten Free muffins!

 My heart skipped a beat, I popped my head in, the smell was just amazing. there were 3 GF flavours on offer. i opted for the raspberry and white chocolate. it was yummy! highlight was the crispy top but it was very much lacking in white choc... This morning i still had muffs on my mind so I baked some for my family for a mid morning treat...

Delicously moist and gluten friendly, these muffins are made with

Bananas and have a lovely  hint of coconut because of the flour. The flavours perfectly complement each other in these sweet muffins with a tangy hit from the bloobs.

There pretty healthy too ;)

 Ingrediants
 ¼ cup sifted Coconut Flour
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soya milk
2 mashed bananas
1 tsp ground flaxseeds
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅛ teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup fresh blueberries

 Directions

• In a large bowl mash bananas and whisk in egg,  oil/ butter,  milk, honey, salt and vanilla. 
• Combine coconut flour with baking powder and whisk into batter until there are no lumps. 
• Fold in blueberries. 
• Pour batter into lined muffin tray. Bake at 180 Degree C  for 18 - 20 minutes. Makes 6 muffins.

Gluten Free Seedy Loaf

 So yesterday, I got miss sold a brick. an expensive brick. I bought a loaf of gluten free bread from a health food store on the premise (from a overly pushy cashier) it was seedy, soft and fluffy. Rushed home sliced up my special loaf and.... spat it out. ewwww it was like eating dusty, sandy clay topped with seeds. outraged i'd spend £3.50 on dust, and still itching for a good egg salad sammmmich, I took the dough into my own hands a whipped up my own bread...

I had had this warm, fresh out of the oven, and can honestly say its the best bread ive had since becoming GF. actually has  abread texture and is fluffy it is amazing toasted too. oh it just ticks all the boxes. But maybe I'm biased as anything tastes better than the crumbly brick I had earlier, so the bar hasn't been set very high... any way... Bake this.
Ingrediants

• 300g brown GF bread flour mix flour
• 20g coconut flour
• 1 tbsp xantham gum
• 30g sesame seeds
• 15g poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp fast-action dried yeast
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 400ml hand-hot water

Directions

1. Mix the flours with the xantham gum, seeds, and salt in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients.
2. mix with wooden spoon until it forms a sticky dough, then knead for around 1 minute.
3. Transfer to the loaf tin. smooth the top for a nice presentable finish, (unlike me)
4. Cover loosely with oiled cling film and leave in a warm place until the dough reaches the top of the tin – approx 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200 C. Remove the cling film and bake in the oven until risen, golden,  around 40 minutes.
6. Tip out of tin on to a wire rack.

 after our supper, me and Beebz headed out for a evening stroll, which turned into a 2 hour walk along the seafront. Just kept on walking. It was a beautiful serene evening.

 On Monday we will be leaving Hastings, the sea, the beach and our flat, as I have taken a new job in the countryside. Its a new chapter in our lives and the first time in 3 years me and Harry wont be living together. But I'm determined to make it work and hopefully it will be like a new adventure.

Once we got back in, I decided that I should really begin the process of packing... the big move is only 4 days away!  but first... some toast, PB and a cuppa.
 Let the procrastination begin.