Gluten-free Chocolate and Almond Muffins

I borrowed this book "Primrose Bakery Celebrations" from our local library and this is the first recipe I have tried from it.  If the rest are as delicious I will be buying this book!  I have slightly tweaked the instructions, but the ingredients are the same.

In the book the muffins are decorated with butter icing, but we have enjoyed them without it.

Makes 12 muffins

125g unsalted butter

125g dark chocolate (I used Dr O, as it claims to be gluten-free)

4 large eggs, separated

125g golden caster sugar (I used ordinary caster sugar)

125g ground almonds

1.  Preheat oven to 160'C fan.  Line a muffin tray with 12 paper cases.

2.  Melt together chocolate and butter.  I did this in my microwave on the medium setting, at 30 second bursts, stirring each time.  Set aside to cool slightly.

3.  In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until light and fluffy.  I used my hand held electric whisk.

4.  Fold in ground almonds with a metal spoon.

5.  In a separate bowl (or processor) whisk egg whites until at soft peak stage.

6.  Fold cooled chocolate mixture into almond mixture.

7.  Gently fold in whisked egg whites, again with a metal spoon.

8.  Divide evenly between paper cases and bake for approximately 20-22 minutes.  Test with a skewer.

9.  Allow to cool in tin for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack.  Can be decorated once completely cool.

Peanut Butter & Chocolate Squares

I originally found this recipe here via Pinterest.  Although I do have US measuring cups I felt it would be easier for myself if I could weigh the ingredients in good old ounces!

For the base:

1cup/7oz unsalted butter, melted

2cups/8+1/8oz (16 biscuits) McVitie's Digestive Biscuits, finely crumbed

2cups/10oz icing sugar

1+1/2cup/12oz peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)

For the topping:

1/4cup/2oz peanut butter

2cups/12oz dark chocolate chips.

 1.  In a large bowl, combine all of the base ingredients until smooth.

2.  Spread evenly in a 9"x13" lined baking tray.

3.  Melt together topping ingredients.  I microwaved mine on a medium setting for 1 minute and then removed it and stirred until smooth.  Don't overcook - chocolate can hold its shape even when soft.  Stirring will remove any lumps.

4.  Spread topping onto base and place in refrigerator until set.

5.  Once set, remove from refrigerator and leave for 5 minutes before cutting.  This prevents the chocolate from cracking.

 I used crunchy peanut butter and therefore had little lumps in my chocolate, smooth peanut butter in the topping would prevent this, but I like the crunch.

 I started cutting my squares slightly too soon and you can see a couple of fine cracks in the chocolate.  Trimming off the edges will make the squares look more presentable.  The trimmings aren't wasted! ;)

 These are a hit with my family!

Dad's Boozy Ice Cream

 I have called this my Dad's recipe, because my Mum says it is so easy that he can make it ... and he does!  Originally my Mum clipped this recipe from a magazine, but I don't know which one.

2oz caster sugar

2tbsps rum or whiskey

finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

0.5pint double cream

2oz raisins

6 glace cherries, quartered

2oz meringue, broken into small pieces.

1.  Place sugar, alcohol, lemon juice and cream in a large bowl and whisk until thick.

2.  Fold in lemon rind, raisins, cherries and meringue.

3.  Turn mixture into a pudding basin and freeze.  I lined my basin with cling film, but you can skip this and when ready to serve dip bowl in hot water.

 To serve, unmould and slice like a cake. Serves 6.

 I also tweaked the recipe for a second pudding and instead of using the raisins and cherries, I substituted some homemade mincemeat and replaced the rum/whiskey with brandy to match the alcohol in the mincemeat.

Ginger and Lemon Fruitcake

This is the recipe I developed for the body of my Christmas Cake Snowman.

100g unsalted butter, softened

100g dark muscovado sugar

2 medium eggs

130g plain flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp ground ginger

325g mixed dried fruit

50g crystallised ginger pieces

zest of 1 lemon

1 pint pudding basin

1.  Preheat oven to 140'C fan.  Grease basin and base line with grease-proof paper.

2.  Beat together the butter and sugar.

3.  In a separate bowl mix flour and spices together.

4.  Slowly add eggs to creamed mixture, alternating with the dry ingredients.

5.  Fold in dried fruit, crystallised ginger and lemon zest.

6.  Spoon into prepared basin and bake for approximately 1 hour & 45 minutes or until a skewer comes our clean.

7.  Allow to cool in basin before turning out.

Gingerbread Muffins

I found this delicious recipe via Pinterest and I'm saving it here as it was the best Gingerbread Muffin I have ever tasted!  I will definitely be making them again.  Here I have translated the recipe into English terms.  I had ran out of allspice so substituted ground mace instead and I upped the amount of ground ginger from 0.5 tsp to 1 tsp, because we like our ginger!

For the Muffins:-

0.5 cup/115g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

0.5 cup/100g dark muscovado sugar 

1 medium egg, 

0.5 cup/120ml milk, at room temperature or slightly warmed in microwave

0.5 cup/156g black treacle

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.33 cups/167g plain flour

0.5 tsp baking powder

0.5 tsp bicarbonate of soda

0.25 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

0.5 tsp nutmeg

0.25 tsp ground allspice

For the Buttercream:-

unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

icing sugar

milk

vanilla extract

Also:-

12 Muffin tin liners

Decorations

1.  Preheat oven to 180'C fan and line a muffin tin with 12 liners.

2. Beat together butter and sugar, either in a large bowl with a hand held mixer or in a food processor.

3.  Beat in the egg until combined, then add in the milk, treacle and vanilla on medium speed. Don't worry about it curdling as the mixture will not fully combine at this stage.

4.  Mix together in a separate bowl the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and spices.

5.  With the mixer/processor on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined.

6.  Fill liners two thirds full and bake for approximately 20 minutes.

7.  Allow to cool on wire racks and then decorate.

The original recipe supplied a choice of frostings, but I used my usual vanilla buttercream recipe.  I don't measure my ingredients, but the usual ratio is 1:2 butter to icing sugar, although I use only a small amount of butter and soften the mixture with milk.

Fudgy Cake Pops

Recently I bought a Cake Pop baking Tin from Lakeland.

 I am very impressed with it.  The Cake Pops baked well and turned out of the tin beautifully.

This is the recipe that came with the tin:-

For the Cake Pops

125g dark chocolate drops

120g butter

150g sugar (I used caster)

20g cocoa powder

 2 medium eggs

90g SR flour

0.25tsp salt

To Decorate

24 lolly sticks

chocolate or fondant icing

sprinkles or decorations of your choice

1.  Preheat oven to 160'C fan.  Grease and flour both sides of tin.

2.  In a medium saucepan (or microwave) melt chocolate drops and butter together.

3.  Pour into a medium bowl and add sugar and cocoa powder.  Mix together.

4.  Add eggs, one at a time and mix well.

5.  Add flour and salt and stir until well blended.

6.  Spoon mixture into bottom half of tin (without holes), filling each well so that it is mounded.

 7.  Place top half of tin onto bottom half and lock into place.

8.  Bake for approximately 12 minutes.  Test with a wooden toothpick through the holes in tin.  Toothpick should come out almost clean.

 9.  Remove top of tin and leave to cool for 3 minutes.

 10.  Remove from tin and allow to cool.

11.  Wash and prepare tin for next batch.

12.  Repeat from step 6 with remaining batter.  Makes 24 cake pops.

 13.  When completely cool, trim rim with a sharp knife and decorate.

 I coated my Pumpkins in orange-flavoured chocolate and a added a stalk and tendril.

The Ghosts are simply a circle of fondant icing with 3 circles cut out for eyes and a mouth, using a piping nozzle.

The Toffee Apples are coated in toffee with sprinkles shaken over them.  Set in fridge.

Pumpkin and Chocolate Cake

The original recipe for this cake is by Fiona Cairns and includes beetroot, but my husband and I weren't so keen on the taste, so I adapted the recipe for Halloween and used pumpkin instead of the beetroot.  I also added ground cinnamon and more cocoa powder.  My two posts about this cake can be found here and here. 

For the Cake

180ml sunflower oil

250g pumpkin - cooked, pureed and drained

3 medium eggs

250g caster sugar

190g SR flour

80g cocoa powder

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1.5tsp ground cinnamon

For the Icing (optional)

250g icing sugar

water

food colouring

decorations of your choice

1.  Preheat oven to 160'C fan.

2. Grease and base line a deep, 23cm cake tin.

3.  In a large bowl or food processor, beat together the oil, pumpkin and eggs.

4.  Add the sugar and beat.

5.  Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon.  Add to the mixture and beat well.

6.  Pour into tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, use a skewer to test if cooked (it should be clean when removed from centre of cake).

7.  Leave to cool in tin for 10 minutes and then remove to a wire cooling rack.

8.  Decorate as desired.