Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chocolate Brownie!

[This recipe is also Fructose and Low Fodmap Friendly!]

Ingredients

• 300g Jar of Coconut Oil 
• 200g Lindt Dark 70% (Dairy free) (or higher) Chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 1 3/4 Cups brown sugar
• 1 1/3 cups Gluten Free Plain Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder (Gluten Free)
• Optional: 1 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 F)
2. Melt chocolate and coconut oil in saucepan on low heat until smooth, set aside to cool a bit
3. Beat eggs and sugar in mixer until thick and pale
4. While stirring gradually add the chocolate mixture
5. Add the flour and baking powder to mixture and stir until combined
6. Add the raspberries to mixture if desired (if using frozen raspberries, no need to defrost, just add frozen)
7. Pour mixture into a baking paper lined square 20cm baking tin
8. Bake in oven for 40 minutes or until firm, but when place a skewer in it still comes out moist (with gluten/ dairy free, you especially don't want to over-bake the brownie as it will become very dry and unpleasant!)
9. Serve with a dusting of icing sugar and more fresh berries, if desired!

Homemade Marshmallows (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)

Ingredients

Icing sugar, 1 tablespoon

Cornflour, 1 tablespoon

Vegetable oil for oiling tin and knife

Gelatine powder, 25g

Red food colouring 2-3 drops (optional)

2 Free-range egg whites,

Granulated sugar 500g

Method

1. Sift the icing sugar and cornflour together into a small bowl. Rub the tin lightly with just a few drops of oil and shake a little of the icing sugar mix around the tin to coat the base and sides. Set the tin to one side.

2. Bring the kettle almost to the boil, then measure out 125ml water. Pour it into the second small bowl and sprinkle the gelatine on top. Stir with the wooden spoon until the gelatine has all dissolved. If you want the marshmallows to be tinted the traditional pale pink, add the red food colouring to the gelatine and stir again. Leave the dissolved gelatine to stand near the hob.

3. Stand the food mixer on the work surface near the hob. Put the egg whites into the bowl of the mixer.

4. Put the granulated sugar in to the medium saucepan and add 250ml water. Turn the hob on low and stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completley dissolved and you can't see any grains left if you carefully tilt the pan. Now stop stiring. Rinse the sugar thermometer under the hot tap for a few seconds so it doesn't get too much of a shock, then stand it in the pan. Raise the heat so the syrup comes to the boil. Meanwhile, switch on the mixer and whisk the egg whites until they're completly stiff. Stand jug with a little hot water in it near the hob.

5. The sugar needs to boil fiercely until it gets to 122C - the hard-ball stage. Watch the thermometer carefully, especially in the later stages of the sugar boiling. As the sugar gets to 122 C, immeadiatly turn off the hob. Using oven gloves or a thick cloth to protect your fingers, take out the sugar thermometer and put it in the jug of water to cool down.

6. Pour the dissolved gelatine into the pan of syrup, stirring all the time with a wooden spoon. The syrup will bubble up a little, although not dangerously so. Stir until the mixture is well blended.

7. Switch the food mixer on low so that the egg whites carry on whisking. Very carefully pour the syrup on to the beating egg whites in a steady, gentle trickle - avoid pouring it on to the beaters or it will splash. You'll see the mixture turn creamy. After you've poured in all the syrup, leave the machine to carry on beating until the mixture turns really thick and bulky but is still pourable. If you lift up the beaters, a ribbon of marshmallow should remain on the surface for a few seconds before sinking back down in to the mix.

8. Pour the marshmallow into the prepared tin. Leave it to set in a cool place, though not the fridge - this will probably take an hour or two. You won't want to wait that long, obviously, but try and be patient.

9. Dust the chopping board with the rest of the cornflour and icing sugar mixture. Coat the butter knife in a little oil. Carefully ease the mashmallow out of the tin on to the board, helping it our where necessary with the butter knife. Make sure the surfaces of the marshmallow are entirely dusted with the icing sugar mixture - sift over extra icing sugar and cornflour, if necessary. Cut the marshmallow into squares, oiling and dusting the knife as it needs it (probably between every cut).

This is a great recipe from the Tv Show River Cottage:

http://www.rivercottage.net/recipes/home-made-marshmallows/

Gluten Free & Dairy Free Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups Almond meal
• 6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons Canola or vegetable oil (or 1/4 cup Butter)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F)
2. Beat eggs and sugar until creamy using a mixer
3. Add the oil (or melted butter), vanilla and mix well
4. Mix through the almond meal, cocoa & baking powder
5. Add the dry ingredients and combine
6. Fill cupcake/ muffin tin lined with patty pans (or greased with oil or butter) and fill 2/3 or 3/4 full
7. Bake at 180 C for 35 mins or until cupcake tops bounce back when pressed lightly
8. Once ready leave to sit in pan for 5 minutes and then remove and leave to cool on a wire rack
9. Serve dusted with icing sugar or with Dairy free chocolate icing

Dairy Free Chocolate Icing
Melt 70% dark chocolate and sift in pure icing sugar, mix together and spread over cupcakes

Luscious Chocolate Mousse with berries (GF)

Ingredients

• 300g good quality chocolate (200g dark, 100g milk)
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1 tbs of good quality cocoa, sifted
• 500ml of cream, whipped
• Berries of choice to serve

Method

1. Melt chocolate in a bain-marie (glass bowl over simmering water in saucepan)
2. Beat eggs in mixer with sugar until thick and pale and larger in volume
3. Add in the slightly cooled chocolate and stir in quickly and add sifted cocoa
4. Whip cream and fold into the chocolate mixture
5. Put mousse in bowls or glasses and leave in fridge to set for 1-2hrs or overnight
6. Sprinkle berries on top and serve

Peanut Satay Chicken skewers (GF)

Ingredients

• 6 chicken thigh fillets or 2 large chicken breast fillets, chopped into cubes (I find thigh meat more tender and flavoursome).
• 2 tablespoons of crunchy peanut butter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp of crushed chilli
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Method

1. Chop up chicken into cubes
2. Make marinade by combining peanut butter, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, chilli and brown sugar.
3. Place chicken cubes onto wooden skewers (dampened with water so they won't burn).
4. Pour or brush the marinade onto the chicken onto both sides and leave to absorb for an hour in the fridge or over night.
5. Fry skewers in hot preheated pan or BBQ for 2-3 minutes each side until flesh turns white.
6. Serve with favourite salad or side dish.

Lamb, Mint and Rosemary BBQ Skewers (GF)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of maple syrup (for Low FODMAP diet it is quite sugary so substitute maple syrup with a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar instead)
• 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 cup mint leaves, chopped
• 1 cup of flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 500-600g lamb shoulder, thinly sliced
• 12 large sprigs rosemary, half of the leaves picked
• Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

1. Place maple syrup, vinegar, oil, garlic, mint and parsley in a non-metallic bowl and mix until well combined.
2. Add the lamb and mix well to coat.
3. Leave lamb to marinate in sauce for 1 hr in fridge or overnight.
4. Pick off the rosemary from half of each sprig and use a sharp knife to slice a sharp angled end on the sprig and thread the lamb onto the rosemary skewer.
5. Preheat the BBQ or grill pan to a very high heat.
6. Cook the skewers on high for around 2 minutes each side (for medium rare tenderness, also if you leave it longer the sugars in the marinade will begin to burn).
7. Place on a plate and cover with foil to rest for about 5 minutes and serve with lemon wedges and your favourite salad etc. 

Gluten Free Bruschetta (GF)

Ingredients

• Gluten free bread, sliced (For gluten intolerance make sure it doesn't have any other grains containing Gluten such as barley and oats).
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
• A handful of basil, roughly chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed into tomato mixture or rub onto bread

Method

1. Toast bread in griller or toaster until crisp, rub the bread with a garlic clove
2. Chop up tomatoes and basil and mix together
3. Put tomato mixture on top of bread and serve hot