Gluten- Free Feijoa and Apple Loafs with Lime Cream Cheese Icing

Posted on May 18, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Gluten-free baking can most of the time be deemed as dry and unpleasant however I have managed to make not only as gluten-free cake be moist and satisfying but also dairy-free. If you use a simple vanilla icing sugar and water icing instead of the lime cream cheese icing it will be both gluten and dairy free however this time I covered mine in lime cream cheese icing. This is a simple plain cake recipe with some Feijoa and apple compote added with some diced dates for added texture. Topped with a generous amount of lime cream cheese icing these are a perfect accompaniment to a cup of tea or coffee.

Gluten- Free Feijoa and Apple Loafs with Lime Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup. gluten-free flour
3/4 cup. caster sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. baking soda
300ml water
100ml canola oil
2 tbsp. cider vinegar
1/4 cup. dates, chopped
1 cup feijoa and apple compote
Lime Cream Cheese Icing
3 cup. icicng sugar, sifted
250gm cream cheese
1/2 lime zest and juice

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 fan bake.
Sift gluten-free flour, baking soda, caster sugar and cinnamon into a bowl and whisk in water, oil, cider vinegar until you have a smooth batter.
Stir in 1 cup of Feijoa and apple compote and chopped dates.
Spray silicon mini loaf tin with rice bran or canola oil.
Fill with 1/2 cup of batter and bake for 26 minutes until tested with a skewer and it comes out clean. If you only had one loaf tin like I did you can bake the other half once the 1st batch is cooked or make in a muffin tin.
Combine cream cheese, sifted icing sugar, zest and juice of half a lime.
Whisk in stand mixer for 1 -2 minutes until thick and fluffy.
Top your cakes and enjoy

Makes: 10-12 mini loafs or muffins

You can garnish further with a thin slice of feijoa and lime zest.

Otaki Grans Sunday Sponge

Posted on April 22, 2019 by soulfoodie92

For as long as I can remember a trip to Otaki on the Kapiti Caost of the North Island always included one of grans famous sponge cakes with home made jam of her choice to finish of a Sunday roast was tradition! Some of the earliest food memories and my passion for sharing comes from my Gran Anne Joynt. When she passed away I was lucky enough to be given her Kenwood stand mixer and famous sponge tins, something that I will cherish and look after for the rest of my life! I remember the first time I attempted a sponge cake with grans mixer and tins and it turned out a success and the true judge was my dad he was happy, but again he would have to say its good right?

Well anyway there’s a wee bit of background surrounding the Otaki Sunday Sponge. In turn fashion it is layered with homemade jam I chose a apricot one I made a few months back but you can use any jam you like.

Otaki Grans Sunday Sponge

Ingredients:
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup. caster sugar
1/2 cup. flour
1/4 cup cornflour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt
25 gm. butter, melted and cooled
Whipped cream, homemade jam and a dust of icing sugar to serve

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 190 degress bake.
Line two sponge tins with baking paper base and sides.
Separate egg whites into a stand mixing bowl, whisk until foamy.
Whisk in caster sugar and egg yolks, whisk for 5 minutes until pale and fluffy.
Sift all dry ingredients into separate bowl and fold into the egg mixture. I use a rubber scraper, start by going around the edges then a figure 8 pattern through the mix. Do not stir as you will loose all the air that makes it fluffy and light.
Once flour is basically folded in fold in butter.
Pour sponge batter evenly over the two sponge tins and bake for 24 minutes until sponge comes away from the edges of the tin.
Cool and spread jam and whipped cream on the bottom layer followed with the lid, dust with icing sugar and enjoy!!

Serves 6-8

Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

Posted on April 6, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Weekends call for something sweet don’t they? Well I have to agree to that, they do! Not just your average cinnamon roll but jumbo size, soft and fluffy homemade dough layered with cinnamon and brown sugar baked until sticky and topped with vanilla glaze.

Jumbo Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cup flour
1 1/4 tbsp. active instant yeast
1 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
75gm butter, melted
Filling
150gm butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon
Glaze
2 cup icing sugar
4 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 100 degrees for 15 minutes then turn off.
Heat milk for 40 seconds in microwave until warmed not to hot, sprinkle over the yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes until frothy.
In a stand mixer bowl add eggs, sugar, salt and melted butter.
Pour in yeast/milk mixture followed by flour and salt.
Using a dough hook mix for 3-4 minutes until the mixture is pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
Spray an oven proof bowl with oil spray and place the dough in the center, your dough will be slightly sticky but not runny if so add 1/4 cup more flour and mix in.
I spray the top of the dough lightly with oil to prevent it from getting a crust, glad wrap the bowl and cover with a towel.
Place in the warm oven for 45 minutes until dough has doubled in size. If you have a warm house you can leave it on the bench but this was a great way to speed up the proving process.
Remove from oven the dough should have doubled in size.
Pre-heat your oven to 180 degrees fan forced.
Dust the bench with flour and “knock your dough back” this means hitting the air out of it. Turn the dough out onto the floured bench and press out into a large rectangle about 2cm thick, You could use a rolling pin but with this soft dough I find hands is much easier.
Now combine the filling mixture to form a paste spread all over the dough and now roll up tightly.
Once you have the roll, line baking tray and cut the roll into 8 even pieces, place them close together on the tray and bake for 28 minutes until brown and golden.
Allow to cool slightly and combine all ingredients for the glaze and drizzle over the rolls.

Serves: 8, best served warm from the oven.

Cinnamon Pear and Honey Apple Cake

Posted on March 31, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Pears, apples and cinnamon go hand in hand when it comes to baking. Perfect Autumn cake slightly tart apples, pears and cinnamon with a hint of lemon baked into a brown sugar cake with vanilla glaze. I enjoyed a piece of this warm I couldn’t resist.

Cinnamon Pear and Apple Honey Cake

Ingredients:
2 cox orange apples or granny smith
2 brown pears
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 dsp honey
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cup self raising flour
Icing
3 cup icing sugar
2 cap vanilla essence
4 tbsp. water

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degress bake.
Dice apples and pears mix with cinnamon, honey and lemon juice.
Line cake tin with baking paper you can use a circle or square tin just ensure the baking paper goes up the sides.
Combine vanilla, eggs, brown sugar oil in a bowl stir well. Sift in flour and baking soda and stir to combine.
Add milk and mix to form a smooth batter.
Scatter half the apple and pear mixture on the base of the lined cake tin, followed by the batter. Smooth this out evenly and top with remaining apple and pear mix.
Bake for 60-70 minutes until when tested with a knife it comes out clean.
Allow to cool.
Sift icing sugar into a bowl and add 2 caps of vanilla essence and 4tbsp of cold water, stir well until you have a thick consistency.
Pour icing over the cake starting in the center and smoothing it evenly with a spoon.

Serves: 8-10

Blackboy Peach and Apple Shortcake

Posted on March 17, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Autmun weather has graced us now in Canterbury and with that comes the last of the black boy peaches I forage from the redzone here in Christchurch. Also was given some beautiful large apples from my partners family in Darfeild.

I have a small obsession with different types of slices at the moment and decided a shortcake would be a nice thing to bake but changing the usual filling of stewed apple to a combination of black boy peaches and apples. If you can’t however get your hands on blackbooy peaches then normal golden peaches are fine.

Blackboy Peach and Apple Shortcake

Ingredients:
230gm butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
3 cup plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 cup stewed blackboy peach and apple
Blackboy Peach and Apple
1/2 cup water
6 black boy peaches
2 large green apples

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degress bake.
In heavy based saucer add water, roughly chopped peaches and diced apple leaving the skin on. bring to boil and simmer for 15minutes until fruit is soft and tender. Stir often to avoid the fruit from catching.
Allow to cool.
In bowl combine sugar and softened butter, cream together with your hand and stir in eggs until well creamed.
Add flour and baking powder and mix until crumbly dough is formed.
Line baking dish with baking paper and press 3/4 of the base into the tin.
Spread over stewed fruit, crumble over remaining shortcake mixture and press down.
Bake for 40minutes until golden brown.
Serve cold by itself or warm with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Snickers Slice

Posted on March 17, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Sweet and crunchy snickers slice is not for the faint hearted. It sure has a caramel packed kick with nutty peanuts and dark chocolate. Everyone’s sweet tooth was extremely happy when I presented them with this one to try. I enjoyed mine with a nice hot cup of tea on a Sunday afternoon.

Snickers Slice

Ingredients:

Caramel
2x tin 395gm condense milk
100g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
1 cup toasted peanuts
Base
1 cup toasted peanuts
250gm packet malt biscuits
180gm butter, melted
Topping
250gm Dark chocolate
2tbsp coconut oil

Method:

Pre-heat oven 180 fan bake.
Toast 2 cups plain peanuts for 15 minutes until golden brown.
In food processor add malt biscuits and 1 cup of toasted peanuts. Blitz until a chunky texture has formed add , melted butter.
Line baking dish with baking paper and press in the crumb. Press crumb firmly into the dish.
Combine condense milk and golden syrup in a microwave safe jug. Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir repeat 2 times and on the 3rd time add the butter and stir in.
Pour caramel over base and sprinkle with remanding 1 cup toasted peanuts, bake for 25minutes, until golden and bubbling.
Allow to cool completely, combine chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl and melt for 1 minute. Stir well to remove all lumps and pour over the set cooled caramel. Allow to set and enjoy a slice with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Lemonade Scones

Posted on February 24, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Lemonade scones are the most simple scone recipe I have ever come across simply 3 ingredients and you can’t really go wrong. Light and fluffy perfect spread with butter and topped with homemade plum jam and a sneaky topping of whipped cream. They could even be topped with cheese for a savory version or add 1/2 cup chopped dates to the mixture.

Lemonade Scones

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cup self-raising flour
300ml lemonade
300ml cream

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees fan bake.
In large bowl combine flour, cream and lemonade.
Mix until dough has formed, sprinkle bench with light dusting of flour and turn dough out, knead slightly until smooth.
Flatten slight around 3-4 cm thick and cut scones.
Dust your cutter with flour after each cut as the dough is so soft.
Place on a lined baking tray and brush with milk.
Bake for 26 minutes until lightly golden.
Serve warm with butter, homemade plum jam and a sneaky dollop of whipped cream.

Serves: 10

Chewy Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Posted on February 7, 2019 by soulfoodie92

Sometimes you just need to make a cookie to go with that cup of tea, well scratch the tea I just wanted a cookie when feeling down.
Yes this is a gluten-free recipe however if you wanted to you normal flour you can and it will be fine. However I highly suggest just make them gluten-free you wouldn’t be able to tell unless you were told!
Pams is one of my go to brands, its cheap and affordable but the quality is perfect. Wish they made a gluten-free flour blend though.

In the recipe it says to chill the dough, please do this or the cookies with turn into very flat cookies, probably still edible and very tasty but not the look you’re wanting. I also used pullet eggs which are a lot smaller than normal size 7 eggs I used 2x but 1x 7 egg would be enough in total mine weighed 80gm.

Gluten-Free Chewy Dark Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2cup Edmonds gluten-free flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2cup brown sugar
1/4cup white sugar
150gm butter softened
pinch of cinnamon
2x pullet eggs or 1x size 7
1cup Pams dark chocolate chunks
1/4cup dried cranberries

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees fan bake.
In stand mixer combine both sugars, cinnamon and softened butter, beat for 2 minutes until pale and creamy. This is important that you do this step to achieve a tasty chewy cookie.
Scrape down the side of the bowl and add eggs one at a time, turn up beater after each addition. I used pullet eggs which are considerably smaller than your every day egg. 1x size 7 egg will do around 80gm in total.
Add chocolate chunks, cranberries, baking soda and gluten-free flour. beat in slowly or you will have a large mess to clean up. Scrape down the side of the bowl and mix in the remainder by hand.
This cookie dough is much wetter than your usual, DO NOT PANIC. Place cookie dough in fridge for 15 minutes to set it slightly.
Line baking tray with baking paper, I used a dessert sized spoon to make the cookies however an ice-cream scoop would be perfect.
Shape dough into rounds and space apart, I made 8 cookies and had enough dough for around 3 more left but I didn’t have space on my tray so I froze it for when I am in need of making a cookie craving.
Once you have shaped your cookies place the tray in the fridge for a further 15 minutes. This is very important or you cookies wont be cookies and not chewy.
Remove tray from fridge and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove cool and eat or just go straight for it off the hot tray.

Makes: 8-11 Cookies

Superb Chocolate Caramel Slice

Posted on May 27, 2016 by soulfoodie92

Everyone loves a chocolatey caramel sweet treat every once and a while. Most of us also have some stray Weet-bix lying around. This recipe uses Weet-bix in the base and is super delicious with the gooey baked caramel topped with simple chocolate icing. Why not give this one a go this week or even better get in there with the kids and have a family baking day with some other tasty treats.

I’ve used EquaGold Premium Dutch Cocoa in this recipe and it just takes it from average to amazing with such a deep chocolate flavour! You can purchased here.

Weet-Bix Chocolate Caramel Slice

Ingredients

Base
180g butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup weet-bix, crumbled
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp equagold dutch cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup coconut, shaved/thread or desiccated
Caramel
1 395g tin condense milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla eseence
80g butter, cubed
Icing
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp equagold dutch cocoa
3 tbsp water

2 tbsp coconut to garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
Line square 20cmx20cm cake tin with baking paper base and sides. (help you to pull out once cooked.)
Combine all base ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Press into the lined cake tin.
In small saucepan combine condense milk, brown sugar, vanilla and butter over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer stirring constantly. Once thickened pour over base and bake for 30 minutes, until caramel is golden brown and bubbling.
Allow to cool, once cold remove from tin.
Sift icing sugar and cocoa together into bowl stir in water, add more if necessary. (needs to be a thin icing)
Pour over cooled slice and smooth out evenly, top with coconut once set cut into 12 squares.

Squares: 12

Perfect with a hot cup of tea!

Feijoas yes please!

Posted on May 9, 2016 by soulfoodie92

I love feijoa’s hence this is my second post on feijoa’s today ! Make the most of them while they are nice and cheap and are available. If you get a your hands on to many you can always peel and freeze for when you have a feijoa craving!

This is one of easiest cake recipe out! You put all the ingredients in the food processor so no mixing or hand beating requires! It a moist upside down feijoa and lime yoghurt cake, it goes down a treat warm with a cup of tea. Would be perfect served warm with ice-cream for a different dessert but is just as good cold!

Upside Down Feijoa and Lime Yoghurt Cake

Ingredients:
5 feijoa’s, peeled and slice thick rings
2 limes, zest and juice
1 lemon, zest and juice
1 cup canola oil
1 cup yoghurt
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees.
Combine all ingredients in food possessor apart from the feijoa’s!
Puree until combined scrap down sides and blitz once more.
Line a loaf tin with baking paper and arrange the feijoa slices along the bottom making sure there are no gaps.
Pour over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes until golden brown and a knife comes out clean when tested.
Remove from oven and allow to cool in tin for 5 minutes until turning onto serving plate.

Serve warm or cold.

*this can be made in either a loaf tin or cake tin but it is important that you line it or it wont turn our of the tin.