Gluten free homemade chocolate bourbon biscuit.

I used to work in a old people's retirement home. For 4 years I cared and looked after the elderly. getting them dressed in their best outfits, feeding and wiping them all up...aside from the toileting... tea time was the big task. Making cups of tea at 1/2 hour intervals and passing the biscuit tin around the excited ladies and gents.

Oh There were many scraps around that biscuit tin,  as to who got the precious chocolate bourbon. inevitably Cesil always won and ran hobbled away with 5, whilst Joan, Ethel, Dora and the others were left in his wake with the crumbs or a pink panther wafer. Brutal I know but that's nature and you gotta be quick if ya wanna survive... in the care home lounge. Its ok though, in half an hour, it would be tea time yet again and i would refill the tin with more, making sure I kept my beady eye on Cesil.

In honour of my golden oldies, I got a choccy biccy recipe for all. Gluten free and enough to go round, so everyone can dunk theirs with their cuppa.

Gluten free Chocolate Bourbon sandwich biscuit.
Ingredients
Makes 10

50 g low fat margarine
50 g soft brown sugar
1 tbsp honey
110 g gf plain flour mix ( I use Dove's)
15 g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
flour for rolling out

for the filling

75 g) icing sugar
40 g margarine
1 tbsp cocoa


Cooking Instructions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
2. Cream the marg and sugar together very thoroughly with an electric hand whisk. Next beat in the honey.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa, and bicarbonate of soda together. Add this dry mixture into the fat and sugar to create a stiff paste.
4.Bring together and Knead well, and roll out onto a large and spacious flat surface, which has been covered in a dusting of flour. Using a rolling pin make the dough flat and around half a centremetre thick.
5.stamp or cut out biscuity shapes
6. Place on a greased baking sheet covered with greased greaseproof paper.
7. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack.
9. for the filling: Sift the icing sugar into a large bowl making sure you get rid of all the lumps.
10. Beat the fat until soft add in the dry ingredients.
11.Sandwich the cooled fingers with a layer of filling

Ginger nut & dark chocolate chip cookies (GF + vegan)

My latest obsession is ginger, i have been throwing candid chunks and ground spice in everything, the firery kick seems to suit all that i know and love, like chocolate and dark chocolate and nuts ermmm and chocolate.oh  Im also reeeeally enjoying slavering peanut butter and ginger preserve all over my toast... its a pretty tight combo...
...Im just filling this post with jibber jabber, My minds gone blank, because i'm eating this very cookie as i type, and its too darn good, its turning my noggin into a chocolatey chewy mush and making it tricky to think/write about things right now. so ill post a picture of bobbin to compensate for lack of reading material...

Aaaaaanyway i digress, whilst i pull myself together, here us my recipe for my healthy chocolate chip cookie but with a ginger edition... There too good to be true a chewy, crisp chocolatey cookie with a delightful warming spice hint..oh and 40 calories per cookie... Enjoy! I most certainly am.

Healthy Ginger nut & choc chip cookie!

 makes 10-12 cookies

• 1/2 cup oat flour (ground rolled oats!)
• 1/4 cup chestnut flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp bicarb of soda (not baking powder)
• 1 tsp ground ginger spice
• 2T to 1/3 cup chocolate chips, depending on your preference
• 2 tsp candid ginger pieces
• 2T brown sugar
• 2tsp sweetner or more depending on your sweet tooth.
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1T coconut oil or pre-melted margarine
• 1T plus 2tsp nondairy milk (feel free to switch proportions of milk and oil) (25g)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix your dry ingredients, then add in wet. Form cookies into discs using your palms on a baking sheet, and bake 6-8 minutes. Take out when still underdone–they’ll continue to cook while cooling, taking them out early this way, means they remain chewy!

Gluten Free shortbread cookie pups. (vegan)

 

oh my mutt munchies...Simple Gluten free shortbread made a bit exciting with the aid of a cookie cutter! 

Dip these puppies paws in a mug o' hot chocolate. when they get muddy they're extra delicious ;)

 

Gluten free shortbread biscuit

100g rice flour

50g cornflour

50g coconut flour

1tsp xanthun gum

100g dairy free soya spread

80g caster sugar

1tsp vanilla extract

chocolate chips for decoration

1.  Pre heat oven to 200*C and line a baking tray with grease proof paper.
2. In a bowl mix together flours, gum and sugar.
3. add vanilla extracts and cut cold butter/spread into cubes add to bowl and rub into dry ingredients. combine and bring together into a dough ball
4. flour surface and roll out dough to about 0.5 cm thickness
5. press in cookie cutter and carefully lift shapes onto prepared tray.
6. decorate with choc chips
7. bake for 10 minutes.
8. remove from oven and cool on tray, then very carefully place each biscuit onto a cooling rack.
9. decorate with extra icing if desired.

This recipe is brilliant as a basis biscuit recipe, but I think its the decoration that makes them!

 Pups choc chipped and ready to be popped into the oven.

collars iced. 

 

This one needs a vets attention stat... 

 

...OH too late his lower half is already in my tummy and I don't think we can save him.

WOOF! These are so good! simply sweet and buttery. Get barking baking now!

Nandos...gluten freeeer eatin' out

Me and my ol' mate Charlotte met up for some dinner out tonight. Food and gossip were our plans.  She picked me up and we headed to the chain restaurant Nandos to get us some chicken. I havent been to a Nando's restaurant since my 17th birthday (that's 6 years ago) A ll i could remember was greasy fried food and I didnt really hold much hopes for getting myself some tasty that Gluten Free. but I was pleasantly proven very wrong!

 I ordered me some seasoned chicken breast with a massive Mediterranean salad comprising of feta, black and green marinated olives, cherry tomatoes, sun dried toms and chilli peppers. all tossed in a  simple GF salad dressing of olive oil and lemon juice is used. Check out those massive olives they were the size of a meloooon! so flavourful!

The staff were really helpful and well educated in Gluten and food intolerance matters, the servers made sure I knew exactly what I could and couldn't have. Pretty much the whole menu was ayyy ohh kay apart from breads. I was really surprised by how great my meal was and will defiantly be back for more! some of the roasted veggie and bean side dishes sounded mouth watering.

But the best part was unlimited diet cola from the machines and refills of honey frozen yogurt.

 

Several servings were consumed... Helped by an old friend of ours worked there and willingly fetched us more.

Annnnd my box of cookies that I won arrived from the U.S today!  I have only tried the banana + walnut one so far but it was absolutely scrummy! A massive thank you to Tia at Glugle Gluten free who hosted the review and giveaway and sent me these Nutritious Creations cookies!

What I ate Wednesday... snack time.

WAAAAHEY its Wednesday! its W.IA.W! haha. I'm pretty excited as i completely missed the boat last week, and its certainly a case of absence makes the heart grow fonder. Anyway, Im back and I have... Breakfast! This morning I had a bowl of mesa sunrise cereal flakes with fresh strawbs and bloob berries. I flooded the bowl with Lactose free milk and topped with some shredded coconut and sweetner.

 

Bought this at the market today. I have wanted to try Carrot Juice since this lady mentioned it, I don't know what I was expecting but it tastes very... earthy! Definitely felt more energized. It could be in my mind, But it does make me want to invest in a juicer and have a healthy vitamin packed juice daily.

Well, the sweet tooth didn't take long to kick in today....And so.... The snacking begins.  I'm studying for my driving theory test today, the exam is tomorrow and I have yet to pass a online practice hazard perception test... whats wrong with me!?!?! I have very slow, delayed reactions with my mouse!

 yup today I was the cookie monster, knocked back a few pints of milk and rocky road cookies oh and more baby rusks to boot.

What I wore Wednesday!

Finally got dressed and ventured into town for a study break and bit of fresh air!

When I got home I was ready for lunch! Egg white scramble with a toasted Gluten Free seedy roll, topped with smoked salmon and a twist of the pepper grinder. simple and delicious! Has to be my favourite savory food combo! ohh apart from cheese with more cheese obvs.

Then I moved on to some savory Snacks, Mrs Crimbles Sour Cream Cheese and onion cheese bites. The lovely people at Mrs Crimble's sent me a little package of goodies to try out and review. I popped the bag open and a few nibbles of the triangle puffs... not bad! light and crispy but not much of a cheesy chive vibe going on, definitely needed more seasoning. So, I whipped up a quick dip made from GF and dairy free mayonnaise with garlic powder, chopped fresh chives ad a sprinkle of paprika. Much better, they are definitely more of a dipping kinda chip, I liked the was the triangles were good for scooping! I would certainly have these again,  Especially some of the other varieties of flavours, like the tomato, oregano and olive pack. Im pretty excited to trying out some of the GF cake and baking mixes they have too.

Then I decided I was time to close the laptop, put the food down and hit the gym with Harry,  I did 20 min stationary bike warm up Firstly, Then hit the grunting 'cave' man weight section and did some heavy lifting (well heavy for puny me) mainly concentrating on shoulders, back and biceps...

I love how much stronger I feel already!
 ....After more frustrating revision of signs, road markings and hazardous motorway situations It was pretty late.

I wasn't too hungry since i had snacked all day but  I rustled up a quick small dinner of buckwheat pasta spirals, pan fried courgette, mushrooms , spinach and chicken tossed in a dairy free cream cheese sauce topped with a little extra grated cheese...

and that my friends sums up a day of eats! HAPPY W.I.A.W!!!


What was the best thing you ate today?
Oh and have you taken your driving theory test? any pointers/advice for this hopeless case?

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.

Gluten free Orange and Cranberry nutty biscuits.

This week I have been working as a Teaching Assistant at a primary school. Its been great gaining some classroom experience before i start work for real in September.  I have loved every moment! from listening to them read, getting messy with glue and cardboard and dancing around in P.E. The children are adorable, attentive and so eager to learn.

I have also enjoyed the Home time... the satisfied feeling of completing a full days work walking Bobbin then collapsing on the sofa for the evening with dinner and some trash t.v. 

Last night on my walk home all i could think about was a cuppa english tea and a buttery biscuit to dunk...

Gluten free Orange and Cranberry nutty biscuits.

I used a recipe from one of my new gluten free cookery books!

I reduced and adapted the printed recipe using polenta and ground almonds as the base. this biscuits packed alot of flavour. (oh and i accidentally used GF bread flour which sorta affected the crunch... but its the flavour that counts right....RIGHT....just make sure you wake up a bit and read the packaging)

1/4 cup polenta

3 tbsp ground almonds

2 tsp gluten free flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

3 tbsp honey

2 tsp melted margarine

orane zest

1/2 tsp orange essense

2 tsp dried cranberries

1/2 tsp xanthum gum

• Prepare a baking tray with baking paper or spray with oil. place polenta, almonds, flour and powders in a bowl.
• Pour in essence, honey and butter and bring together, mix in cranberries and combine until a dough ball in formed.
• Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes
• Pre heat oven to 180 C/ 350 F
• Roll out dough and cut out  rounds and place them onto the prepared tray.
• Bake for 10 minutes, remove from tray and transfer to cooling rack... 
• Boil kettle... make hot beverage of choice... and get dunkin'