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

PEANUT BUTTER NUTTY CUPS.

I remember my first ever encounter with a reeses PB cup. It may have infact the first time I think I had had peanut butter to boot... a big day in history indeed.

It was the summer of 2005, I was still a obsessive skateboarder and spent every single day skating and hanging out in the heat with my best buddies.  It was also in this summer I first layed eyes on Mr Bake n Beebz.  Everytime I bite into a chocolate nutty butter filled treat, im sent zooming back to the funniest, innocent and happiest days of my youth. This one goes out to saggy jean, brace wearing 16 year old Alice.

I may not skate anymore (although Id get the urge every now and then.)  I still, and will always love chocolate and sweets haha!

PEANUT BUTTER CUPS

• 50g peanut butter
• 25g confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 150g chocolate of choice

1. Mix together peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small bowl until smooth and well-combined. Taste and adjust sugar and salt as necessary. Set bowl in fridge to chill. 
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate in 20-second bursts until smooth and shiny. Drop teaspoonfuls of the melted chocolate evenly into prepared mini cases, reserving half of the remaining chocolate. Place  in fridge until chocolate is firm, up to 30 minutes. 
3. Once chocolate is firm, remove from fridge and remove peanut butter mixture . Top chocolate cups with teaspoonfuls of the peanut butter , pressing mixture down with your finger to smooth out. Top peanut butter with teaspoonfuls of the remaining melted chocolate. Return to fridge and chill until peanut butter cups are set. 

 

These are so easy to make, and all packaged up would be great as a foodie gift.

Gluten Free Stuffed French Toast + Review

Popping Candy and Marshmallow

Peanut Butter +chocolate chip +banana stuffed french toast

This is what Sunday mornings were made for, long lazy lay ins and comforting yums. As much as I love cereal and oats, It always feels like a special and somewhat luxurious treat to have a specially cooked breakfast, with out fail, it keeps me smiling all day long. (take note Mr Bake n Beebz if you want to avoid grumpy a Alice.) 

This week I was sent an amazing new range of 4 new spreads by Sainsbury's to try out along with a loaf to sample it with. In my delivery I was excited to receive popping candy chocolate and a peanut butter chocolate chip spread... They must of made these with Bake and Beebz in mind! I could have just had plain ol toast with lashings of spread on (which I did as well ;) but Its Sunday, I'm hungry and I want my special breakfast. now. thank you.

I cant tell you how long I have been meaning to indulge in making myself french toast, maybe years?!! anyway...TOO LONG. Well today I am rectifying this grave injustice and i'm taking it further to compensate by stuffing it with these extra special chocolate spreads.

In one corner I have popping candy chocolate + mini marshmallow and in the other peanut butter choc chip with banana stuffed french toast. Taste tasting these is going to be a very tough job, but someone has to do it! you can too... here's the recipe.

Ingredients
to make 2 sandwiches

4 Slices fresh Gluten Free Sliced Bread

2tsp skim or non dairy milk
1 egg white
1 tsp cinnamon
sweetener (optional)
For the stuffed part!
1 tbsp popping candy spread
6 mini marshmallows
1/2 small banana
1 tbsp peanut butter chocolate chip spread

1. Take the 4 slices of  GFbread and remove crusts
2. Spread 2 pieces of bread with PB/chocolate and top with chosen toppings and place another slice of bread on top.
3. With a fork or your fingers pinch together edges of bread securely.
4. In a bowl whisk together milk, cinnamon and egg and dip each piece in to the liquid.
5. Heat a frying pan on a medium flame, once hot carefully place the 'parcel' into pan and cooked on each side until golden brown. serve immediately!

 

We are non biased here at BnB I'm not affiliated with Sainsbury's but I am in love with them for conjuring up these spreads! The popping candy gave my toast a fun extra pop, mixed with the melted marshmallows made me feel like a very happy kid. Oh and you certainly can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter, its a Bake n Beebz staple. good job Mr sainsbury's, Bake n beebz approved. 

 

Chocolate Coma

 Going

 Going

Gone.

 Had to pack Harry off with the remaining slices... To get this dangerous cake away from me, and out of my house.

Fajita spiced chicken, baby spinach, dollop of sour cram and chive,  toms and peppers.

 A salad to balance everything out...

Chocolate covered treats!

I gathered all the snacks I could find at my parent's house and decided to dip them in chocolate and throw all kinds of sprinkles all over them, as you do.

I decided to opt for salted pretzels and some scottish shortbread were to be generously doused in melted galaxy chocolate.
I broke up and placed the squares of a chocolate bar into a microwave safe bowl and zapped it on medium heat, checking and stiring regulary until all chocolate had softened.

  I then decorated each piece in white chocolate chips and multi-coloured sprinkles, maybe going a little bit over the top with sprinkles. It was very fun, if a little messy.

once satisfied with the ridiculously overboard amount of coatings and decorations, place them on to baking parchment and allow to cool and set. 

they couldn't set quick enough

Shortbread Pizza!

Whadda pear! and ginger drizzle cake.

Hello there. its Sunday, my favourite day of the week! The only day when you don't have to feel guilty about doing nothing productive. Today I have enjoyed being a lady of leisure; pottered around the kitchen walked bobs in the park, read some gossip magazines and blogs, enjoyed a day of procrastination from Uni work.
  
Pear and ginger lemon drizzle cake
Good ol' diet soda cake strikes once again, but its all spruced up.
I used the weight watchers lemon mini muffin kit and added some diced pear and crystallized ginger.

 After my last batch of cakes I didn't have any muffin cases so i poured it into a cake pan.
 Oh so very tastey and only 80 calories for a generous slab of this moist cakey torte. The combination of the spicy ginger, sweet pear and zesty lemon works brilliantly.

Ingredients

• 1 boxed cake mix
• 1 small pear
• 5 pieces of crystallized ginger
• 5 tablespoons water
• egg white

Directions

1. dice pear and slice ginger
2. add dry mix and combine with fruit and wet ingredients
3. bake at 190*c (350)  for 30 minutes
4. remove from oven and cool
5. in a separate bowl, combine icing sugar 1 tbsp of water and lemon juice for icing.
6. drizzle icing mixture all over cake and enjoy.  

There wasn't that much mixture and it only just covered the base of the tin so its a shallow cake. would be best in muffin cases i think. oh and the extra egg white isn't necessary but I added it to make sure it rose successfully, and it did.

Time to curl up on the sofa with a cuppa tea, my dog and some cake. I will do work tomorrow!

Holey Moley: A big ball of wool and a bowl of guacamole.

size comparison against dog.

Spent the majority of this week locked away on my knitting machine making a giant ball of yarn! this wool will be hand knitted into one of my final garments for my final degree, and finally I have used up all my wool and the garment making can begin. But first these biceps need an good rest.

In other news... i recieved the new limited edition MAC Wonder Woman lippy!

WONDER WOMAN!

POW! just look at that packaging! I love the shade, its a very usable everyday nude pinky colour tone.

Tonight im making a mexican feast for a friday fiesta at home.
so i rustled up some home made guacamoley in advance with some very ripe avocadoes that were on offer.
combine and mash together:

• 1 ripe avocado
• half a shallot
• lemon juice
• crushed garlic
• table spoon extra light mayo

perfect for dipping or smushed in a tortilla with some chili.