Sticky honey & nut gingerbreads

One of the best gingerbread cookies i have ever made! sweet and sticky, flavoured with honey, nuts and mixed peel.  Baked on oblaten- type of very thin rice paper/wafer mainly used in Germany.  You can bake those a month before Christmas, as they will keep very well in an air tight container.


Ingredients:

• 150g light brown sugar
• 50g clear honey 
• 3 large egg whites 
• 50g chopped pecans or walnuts
• 250g ground nuts or almonds 
• 40g gingerbread spice (mix of mixed spice, cinnamon, cloves and ginger)
• 20g plain flour
• 10g baking powder
• 65g marzipan 
• zest of one orange 
• 100g mixed peel 

For the icing:

• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 1-2tbsp hot water
• small handful of chopped pecans or walnuts

Additionally:

• 18 oblaten (approx. 6-7cm diameter ) 

To make the cookies mix egg whites, sugar and honey in a bowl until combined. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until you have a thick paste. 

Divide the mixture into 19 equal parts, and place each one on top of an oblaten, spread leaving 0,5cm edge around the paste.  

Leave to dry out a little for a couple of hours, then bake at 180C for 10-12cm. 

To make the icing mix icing sugar with water, brush each cookie and sprinkle with chopped nuts. 

Enjoy!

Chocolate chai polenta cake

Delicious, gluten-free, spiced chocolate chai cake. Perfect for the cold evenings and rainy days, with a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate!


Ingredients:

• 220g dark chocolate 
• 110g unsalted butter
• 5 eggs
• 140g caster sugar
• 160g polenta
• 6tbsp instant chai latte powder
• 1tsp cinnamon 
• 1tsp mixed spice

Whisk the egg whites with half of the sugar, making a meringue-like mixture and set aside. 

Melt the butter with chocolate over a low heat.  

In a large bowl whisk egg yolks and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy.  Slowly stir in the chocolate butter mixture.  Add dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Gently fold in the egg whites.  

Pour the mixture into a lined 23cm cake tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at  180C for about 40 minutes.  The cake should be baked through but still gooey in the middle. 

Enjoy!

Peanut butter & banana cake

I could not believe how delicious this cake is, baring in mind it is gluten-free and there is no sugar in the recipe! Soft, aromatic and moist, best with a cup of tea or some warm milk. 

Ingredients:

• 4 very ripe bananas, chopped
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 1tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp mixed spice
• 1tsp vanilla paste
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup ground almonds
• 1tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1tsp baking soda
• small handful of chopped pecans to decorate

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl until combined.

Pour the mixture into a lined 20cm cake tin, then sprinkle with chopped pecans and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 45 minutes. 

Leave to cool.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread meringues

Sweet little meringues flavoured with gingerbread spice and cocoa powder.  You can use your favourite piping nozzle to give them different shapes, then use them to decorate a cake or eat on their own. 

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 240g caster sugar
• 1tbsp cocoa powder
• 1tsp mixed spice 

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar until medium peaks form.  Add the sugar gradually and whisk until its all dissolved.  

Whisk in cocoa powder and mixed spice, then pipe small meringues onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with more mixed spice. 

Bake at 150C for 60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Coconut & almond cake

This cake must be one of the best gluten-free cakes I have made so far.  It is really moist, soft and so delicious, you would have never guessed it is a gluten-free option! 

Ingredients:

• 200g ground almonds
• 80g desicatted coconut
• 180g caster sugar
• 1tsp vanilla paste
• pinch of salt
• 200g melted butter
• 4 eggs
• 2tbsp Amaretto
• coconut shavings and almond flakes for sprinkling

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy, slowly pour in cooled butter and continue whisking until combined.  

Add remaining ingredients and stir.  

Pour into a lined 20cm cake tin, sprinkle with coconut shavings and almond flakes and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 45 minutes, until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. 

Leave to cool, then sprinkle with icing sugar if you like.

Enjoy!

Cappuccino macaroons

Macaroons, french classic, here- another flavour, this time cappuccino, do I need to tell you how delicious they are?

Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

• 75g of ground almonds
• 115g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 50g caster sugar

For the filling:

• 135g white chocolate
• 60ml double cream
• 2tbsp espresso 

Ground almonds and icing sugar place in a food processor and process for few seconds. Sift into a bowl.  You can skip this step, if you don't have a food processor, however your macaroons will not be as smooth in texture.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then whisk in caster sugar  to make a meringue.  

Fold in the almond mixture (i always do it three times, adding third of the mixture at a time).  Fold the mixture until shiny and thick.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe 32 small rounds.  Tap the baking sheet onto a work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Leave the macaroons in the room temperature for about 30min (it can take anything from 30 to 60 minutes) to let the macaroons form a 'skin'.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 160 C for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool. 

To make the filling place double cream and espresso in a small saucepan and heat, add white chocolate stir until melted. Leave in the fridge to chill, then whisk until fluffy. 

Sandwich macaroons with the filling.


Enjoy!

Nutella cake

Moist, heavy and soooo chocolatey! The cake really reminds me of a brownie and it is really hard to believe its gluten-free!

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs
• 125 soft, unsalted butter
• 100g melted dark chocolate
• 100g ground hazelnuts (or almonds)
• 1tbsp hazelnut liqueur
• 400g nutella

Beat the egg whites until stiff then set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the butter with nutella, then add egg yolks and all remaining ingredients and mix until combined. 

Fold in the egg whites.  Pour the mixture into a 23cm lined baking tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 45 minutes.

Enjoy!

Lemon, almond & ricotta cake

 

This must be one of the best gluten-free cakes on the blog.  It is somewhere between a lemon sponge and a cheesecake... And it's so easy to make!

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 120g soft butter
• 200g caster sugar
• Zest of one lemon
• 240g ground almonds
• 250g ricotta
• Almond flakes
• Icing sugar for sprinkling

Beat egg whites until medium peaks form, then gradually add 100g sugar and beat until stiff.  

Beat butter with remaining sugar until pale and fluffy, then add lemon zest, ground almonds and ricotta. Gently fold in the egg whites. 

Pour the mixture into a lined 20cm tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for about 45minutes, until the cake is golden brown on top. 

Enjoy!

Rosewater meringues

 

Those cute, little meringues are so tasty! You can eat them on their own or add to cakes and desserts for extra flavour and texture. 

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 240g caster sugar
• 1tbsp rosewater
• pink food colouring

Beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until medium peaks form, then gradually add the sugar, beating constantly until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add rosewater and food colouring and beat for a few seconds to combine. 

Pipe small meringues onto a baking sheet, then bake at 140C for about 60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Basler herzen

After making the spiced chocolate and almond cookies last year, I decided to make the original version- those heart-shaped cookies, called basler herzen. 

Ingredients (makes about 40 cookies, depending on how big your cookies cutter is):

For the cookies:

• 100g dark chocolate (gluten-free for gluten free recipe)
• 250g ground almonds
• 230g icing sugar
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp mixed spice
• 2 egg whites
• pinch of salt
• 1 tbsp Amaretto 
• 1 tsp vanilla paste or extract

Additionally:

• 1 egg white
• few tablespoons of caster sugar

Melt the chocolate over a bain marie and set aside.  In a large bowl whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff (like for a meringue), then add all dry ingredients and mix until well combined.  Add melted chocolate, vanilla and amaretto and stir.

Wrap the dough in foil and leave to chill in the fridge for about 1 hour.  Roll out the dough to 1 cm thick, you can dust the surface with icing sugar to stop the dough from sticking, cut out snow flakes. 

Place on a lined baking sheet and leave to dry out for 10-12 hours.  Brush cookies with an egg white  (save the remaining egg white for the icing) and bake in a pre-heated oven at 200C for about 10 minutes, the cookies will be still soft, especially in the middle, and will just start to crackle and brown on top.  Take out the oven and leave to cool a little, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Brush the egg white around the edges of each cookie, then sprinkle with caster sugar.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread macaroons

All the amazing flavours of gingerbread in one, little macaroon! I can't tell you how good these are.. light, crisp and chewy, gingerbread flavoured shell with the most delicious plum and chocolate filling- a must bake this winter!

Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

• 75g of ground almonds
• 115g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 50g caster sugar
• 1tsp mixed spice

For the filling:

• 50g dark chocolate
• 4-5tbsp plum marmalade

Additionally:

• 1tsp mixed spice for sprinkling

Place ground almonds, mixed spice and icing sugar in a food processor and process for few seconds. Sift into a bowl.  You can skip this step, if you don't have a food processor, however your macaroons will not be as smooth in texture.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then whisk in caster sugar  to make a meringue.  

Fold in the almond mixture (i always do it three times, adding third of the mixture at a time).  Fold the mixture until shiny and thick.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe 32 small rounds.  Tap the baking sheet onto a work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Leave the macaroons in the room temperature for about 30min to let the macaroons form a 'skin'.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 160 C for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool. 

To make the filling place dark chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stir until melted.  Stir in plum marmalade and leave in the fridge to set until thick, about 30 minutes should be enough.  

Sandwich macaroons with the filling and sprinkle with mixed spice.


Enjoy!

Salted caramel macaroons

 

Salted caramel macaroons are my new obsession! I love salted caramel and the filling for those little macaroons is soooo good... I could easily eat it with a spoon out of the pot!

Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

• 75g of ground almonds
• 115g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 50g caster sugar

For the filling:

• 60g white chocolate
• 120g dulce de leche
• 1/2 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

Ground almonds and icing sugar place in a food processor and process for few seconds. Sift into a bowl.  You can skip this step, if you don't have a food processor, however your macaroons will not be as smooth in texture.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then whisk in caster sugar  to make a meringue.  

Fold in the almond mixture (i always do it three times, adding third of the mixture at a time).  Fold the mixture until shiny and thick.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe 32 small rounds.  Tap the baking sheet onto a work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Leave the macaroons in the room temperature for about 30min to let the macaroons form a 'skin'.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 160 C for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool. 

To make the filling place dulce de leche and white chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, stir until melted.  Stir in the salt and leave in the fridge to set.

Sandwich macaroons with the filling.


Enjoy!

Coffee macaroons

I don't think I need to tell you how much I love macaroons... and this is yet another flavour, so delicious!

Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

• 75g of ground almonds
• 115g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tsp instant coffee
• orange or brown food colouring (gel works best)

For the filling:

• 100g white chocolate
• 80ml double cream
• 1tsp instant coffee

Ground almonds and icing sugar place in a food processor and process for few seconds. Sift into a bowl.  You can skip this step, if you don't have a food processor, however your macaroons will not be as smooth in texture.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then whisk in caster sugar  to make a meringue.  Add the food colouring, it is best to use gel.

Fold in the almond mixture (i always do it three times, adding third of the mixture at a time).  Fold the mixture until shiny and thick.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe 32 small rounds.  Tap the baking sheet onto a work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Leave the macaroons in the room temperature for about 30min to let the macaroons form a 'skin'.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 160 C for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool. 

To make the filling warm the double cream until very hot, then add white chocolate and coffee, set aside for one minute to melt, then stir.  Leave in the fridge to set.

Sandwich the macaroons with the filling.


Enjoy!

White chocolate & lemon macaroons

This is one of my favourite flavours for macaroons.. so summery and refreshing but yet sweet and creamy.  I used my homemade lemon curd for the filling but a good quality shop-bought will work well too. 

Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

• 75g of ground almonds
• 115g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 50g caster sugar
• yellow food colouring (gel works best)

For the filling:

• 50g white chocolate
• 3tbsp double cream
• 1/2 cup lemon curd

Ground almonds and icing sugar place in a food processor and process for few seconds. Sift into a bowl.  You can skip this step, if you don't have a food processor, however your macaroons will not be as smooth in texture.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then whisk in caster sugar  to make a meringue.  Add yellow food colouring, it is best to use gel.

Fold in the almond mixture (i always do it three times, adding third of the mixture at a time).  Fold the mixture until shiny and thick.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe 32 small rounds.  Tap the baking sheet onto a work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Leave the macaroons in the room temperature for about 30min to let the macaroons form a 'skin'.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 160 C for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool. 

To make the cream melt white chocolate with double cream in a small saucepan over low heat, leave to cool a little, then mix with lemon curd and place in the fridge to thicken.  

Sandwich macaroons with the filling.

Enjoy!

Strawberry macaroons

Macaroons are so fashionable and delicious everyone should have a go at making their own! 

 Find 'How to make perfect macaroons?' HERE.


Ingredients:

For the macaroons:

• 75g of ground almonds
• 115g icing sugar
• 2 large egg whites
• 50g caster sugar
• 1/2tsp rosewater
• pink food colouring (paste or powder)

For the cream:

• 250g strawberries
• 1/3 cup caster sugar
• squeeze of lemon juice
• 1,5tsp gelatine
• 1tsp corn flour
• 250g mascarpone cheese

Ground almonds and icing sugar place in a food processor and process for few seconds. Sift into a bowl.  You can skip this step, if you don't have a food processor, however your macaroons will not be as smooth in texture.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks, then whisk in caster sugar  to make a meringue.  Add pink food colouring, it is best to use paste or powder.

Fold in the almond mixture (i always do it three times, adding third of the mixture at a time).  Fold the mixture until shiny and thick.

Pour the batter into a piping bag and pipe 32 small rounds.  Tap the baking sheet onto a work surface to get rid of any air bubbles.

Leave the macaroons in the room temperature for about 30min to let the macaroons form a 'skin'.

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 160 C for 10-15 mins, then leave to cool. 

To make the cream place strawberries, sugar, corn flour and lemon juice in a pot and warm up until the fruit has broken down.  Pass the mixture through a sieve to get rid of the seeds, then add dissolved gelatine (read instructions on a packet), then leave to cool.  Place in the fridge to set, then mix with mascarpone.

Sandwich the macaroons together.

This recipe makes 16 macaroons.

Enjoy!

Chocolate and orange polenta cake

This dark, moist and intense cake is inspired by one of Nigella's recipes.. when I first came across her flourless chocolate orange cake I knew I had to make my own version.. with polenta, more cocoa and sticky orange syrup.

This cake might just be my knew obsession.. eating it almost makes you feel guilty, almost.. until you realise there is no flour and fat involved!

Remember to use gluten-free baking powder if making a gluten-free cake.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 370g clementines (it's best to use seedless)
• 6 eggs
• 200g caster sugar
• 1tsp baking powder
• 1/2tsp bicarb. of soda
• 60g cocoa powder
• zest of 1 orange
• 100g ground almonds
• 100g polenta
• 1tsp vanilla paste

For the syrup:

• juice of 1 orange
• 2tbsp caster sugar
• 2tbsp Cointreau

To make the cake cook the clementines until very soft, then take out the pan and blend until smooth, leave to cool.

Mix all ingredients until combined, then pour into a lined 20cm cake tin and bake for 45-60minutes, until skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Take the cake out the oven and leave to cool.

To make the syrup place orange juice, Cointreau and sugar in a small saucepan and cook until the mixture is thick and syrupy.  

Prick the cake with a fork and pour the syrup over.  Decorate with chocolate dipped orange slices. 

Enjoy!

Strawberry Pavlova

Sweet and crisp meringue with chewy marshmallow centre, topped with vanilla cream and fresh strawberries.. do I really need to say any more to convince you to make it?

Ingredients:

For the meringue:

• 6 egg whites
• 300g caster sugar
• 1tsp cornflour
• 1tsp white vinegar

Additionally:

• 300ml double cream
• 1tbsp icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla paste
• 225g strawberries

Whisk the egg whites and when almost finished slowly add caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time.  Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.  Add corn flour and vinegar and whisk until combined.

Dollop the mixture onto a lined baking sheet, and shape into a 20-22cm circle.  Pre-heat the oven to 180C, place the meringue in the oven and turn the temperature down to 150C.  Bake for about 1,5h until dry and crisp. 

Turn the oven off, open it and leave the meringue in to cool.  

Whisk double cream with icing sugar and vanilla paste, spread on top of the pavlova.  Decorate with strawberries.

Enjoy!

Pink grapefruit and cranberry polenta cake

I really wanted to make a raspberry and passionfruit polenta cake but didn't have any raspberries.. and not enough passion fruit. .. so I decided to use the grapefruit I have bought and added a handful of frozen cranberries I still had from Christmas.  It must be one of the best experiments I have ever made.  The cake is so fruity and juicy, so summery and refreshing!


For the cake:

• 160g soft, unsalted butter
• 3 eggs (in room temperature)
• 120g ground almonds
• 145g caster sugar
• 115g polenta
• 2 tsp baking powder
• zest and juice of 1/2 grapefruit
• zest of 1 clementine
• 3 passion fruits  (pulp, no seeds)
•  handful of cranberries

For the syrup:

• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• juice of 1 1/2 pink grapefruit

Beat the butter with sugar until pale and fluffy, then add eggs, almonds, polenta and baking powder and mix.

Add zest and juice of grapefruit, passionfruit pulp (pass through a sieve to get rid of the seeds) and cranberries.  

Pour into a lined 20cm baking tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for about 35-40 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

To make the syrup place sugar and grapefruit juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is of thick, syrupy consistency.  Pour over the cake.

Enjoy!

Double chocolate mousse cake

I have found this recipe a long time ago and knew straight away I had to make it… but I haven't got around to it for such a long time.  I have been asked by a friend to make something very chocolatey and very naughty.. and this was the first cake that came to my mind.  Beautiful and elegant dessert, light soufflé- like cake and smooth, rich chocolate mousse… chocoholics' heaven!

Recipe comes from 'Crave, a passion for chocolate' by Maureen McKean.


Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 115g unsalted butter
• 115g dark chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 tbsp cocoa powder
• 130g caster sugar

For the mousse:

• 75g unsalted butter
• 75g dark chocolate
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder
• 85g caster sugar
• 1 1/2 gelatine leaf
• 1tbsp cherry liqueur 

To make the cake melt the butter with chocolate in a small saucepan and set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks with cocoa powder and add the chocolate mixture.

In a large bowl whisk the egg whites, slowly adding sugar, whisk until stiff.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, a little at a time.

Line the base of a 20cm cake tin, then line the sides with a long stripe of baking paper (about 10cm taller than the tin).  

Pour the mixture into the tin and bake in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 25-30 minutes.

Take the cake out the oven and leave to cool,  the cake should collapse, forming space for the mousse.  If that doesn't happen while the cake is cooling, gently make a shallow cut at the top of the cake 2cm away from the edges, all the way around the cake. 

Leave to cool completely in the tin.

To make the mousse melt the butter with chocolate in a small saucepan and set aside.

Whisk the egg yolks with cocoa powder and add the chocolate mixture.  

In a large bowl whisk the egg whites, slowly adding sugar, whisk until stiff.

Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, a little at a time.

Soak the gelatine in cold water, then dissolve in 2tbsp of hot (not boiling) water and add to the mixture. Add the liqueur and mix until just combined.  

Pour the mousse onto the cake and leave in the fridge to set over night.

Enjoy!

Blood orange polenta upside down cake

My family absolutely loves my lemon polenta cake so it was just a matter of time when I would make an orange variation… and when I saw those beautiful blood oranges I knew I had to get them! And I new what I was going to make.. of course.

Remember to use gluten-free baking powder if making a gluten-free cake.


Ingredients:

For the oranges in syrup:

• 3 blood oranges
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup water

For the cake:

• 160g soft, unsalted butter
• 3 eggs (in room temperature)
• 130g ground almonds
• 145g caster sugar
• 100g polenta
• 2tsp baking powder
• zest and juice of two lemons
• 2tsp orange blossom water

Wash the oranges and cut into about 3mm slices (they should be not too thick but not too thin either).  Place the sugar, water and oranges in a saucepan and cook on a low heat for about 15 minutes until the fruit is soft and the mixture has become syrupy.

Take the oranges out the pan and set aside, keep the syrup for brushing on top of the cake.

Quickly beat the butter until fluffy, then add the eggs, sugar, almonds, polenta and baking powder and mix until well combined.  

Add the zest and juice of two lemons and orange blossom water and mix.

Line a 20cm cake tin with baking parchment and arrange orange slices on the bottom.

Pour the cake mixture on top and bake in a pre-heated oven at 170C for about 35 minutes.

The cake is ready when golden brown and the skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Take the cake out the oven and leave to cool a little, then take out the tin, turn up-side-down and peel of the baking paper.  Leave to cool completely.  Brush remaining syrup on top.


Enjoy!