Archive for Sweets & treats

The best gluten & egg free cookies

October 14, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , , ,

Look, it’s not that I’m horribly up-myself, but I do think that these might just be the best gluten & egg-free biscuits around.

My daughter’s BFF is your classic, allergic-to-everything child, and a fussy eater to boot. Over the past couple of years I’ve tried a bunch of recipes on her, all of which have resulted in a screwed up face and that awkward moment of a well-brought-up child who doesn’t quite know how to tell her friend’s mum that she’s unable to swallow the baked good that was made especially for her.

Anyway, I’ve been working on this recipe for a while and I was finally confident enough to present them to Miss F’s BFF. After her first tentative nibble, I was beyond thrilled when she declared that these were actually DELICIOUS (possibly the look of surprise on her face could have been a bit insulting). And then she ate three, with gusto. Seeing her stuff her little skinny face I was so happy that I jumped about a bit, which also resulted in an awkward look from said child as she watched her BFF’s middle-aged mum being weird.

Admittedly, these biscuits/cookies are not even a little bit healthy. They’re all butter, sugar & chocolate, but sometimes it’s nice to be able to whip up something for the ‘special diet’ child that is so great that everyone else is fighting her for them.

Finally, a big, fattening, gluten-free win.

Finally, a big, fattening, gluten-free win.

Gluten & egg-free choc chip cookies

1¼ cups gluten-free plain flour
½ cup corn flour
¾ cup caster sugar
¾ cup desiccated coconut
125g butter
1 tbsp golden syrup
1 tbsp water
1½ tsp bicarb soda
¾ choc melts, roughly chopped (a combination of white and dark is delicious)

Preheat the oven to 170C. Line two oven trays with baking paper.

In the large mixing bowl, combine the flours, sugar and coconut.

Place a small saucepan over low/medium heat and melt the butter and golden syrup, stirring often. Combine the water and bicarb together well then pour it into the butter mix and stir so that the mixture starts to foam. Pour it into the dry ingredients and stir to thoroughly combine.

Mix through the choc melts. Squeeze together golf ball size quantities. Place on the trays, flatten slightly and bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. (Allow room for spreading).

Makes 30ish

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Holiday treat – rocky road

September 24, 2013 · Filed under Food experiences, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , , , , ,

Last week I promised chocolate. Being a woman of my word, here’s a fab little chocolate treat just in time for the school holidays.

Cooking with the kids can be a fun educational way to spend a couple of hours together. If your kids aren’t naturally inclined towards the kitchen (like mine), then the best way to get them involved is to cook treats. Unlike the marble cake or chocolate slice from previous holiday posts, this recipe has the advantage that it’s a no-oven winner, which means that you’ll have the recipe wrapped up before anyone can stutter “I’m bored” or “what time can I play PS3?”.

And unlike those showy-offy sponges or uber-posh macarons, rocky road’s charm is in it’s randomness. Each piece is special, just a little bit ugly and best of all you can’t really get it wrong, which all appeals to a down-to-earth lass like myself.

Bumpy and imperfect, just like life.

Bumpy and imperfect, just like life.

Rocky Road

4 full cups of chunks –choose any or all of…
Marshmallows, cranberries, goji berries, sultanas, currants, dried strawberries or pears, shredded coconut, nuts (peanuts, pecans, pistachios, macadamias) turkish delight, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pepitas
200g block dark chocolate, broken into pieces
1 tbsp golden syrup
25g butter
¾ cup dark chocolate melts (or more dark chocolate, roughly chopped)

Line a 18x28cm slice tray with baking paper.

Mix your choice of chunks in a large bowl. Place the 200g chocolate, syrup and butter into a small saucepan over gentle heat and stir to melt. Remove from heat, tip in the extra chocolate (I like melts, since they quickly stick into the mix, but they’ll stay chunky enough that you’ll get good chocolate chunks through the finished mix). Pour into the dry ingredients. Combine well, tip into the tray and refrigerate.

MAKES 24 SQUARES

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Cake stall SOS

September 5, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, News, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , ,

Do you think the best part of election day is the food? Of course I would, what with me being both a pig and a glutton – nothing thrills me more than a display of home-made baked things or a sizzling BBQ with the waft of bacon.

If you’re lucky enough to be voting in a church hall, then you might just get a home-made jar of jam or lemon butter along with your piece of democracy. Most of us will trundle along to our local primary school where nabbing a bacon & egg roll or sausage in a bread will mean our hands are full enough that we can happily refuse the ‘how to vote’ pamphlets. Then after casting your vote, come out and buy up big at the cake stall. For the school, it’s one of the best fundraisers of the year.

No doubt if you have school-aged kids then have had the note home requesting that you whip something up for sale. Life being the busy thing it is though, you probably don’t have time to help out… or do you? YOU DO! I’ve got your back sisters – these cake stall donations are all simple, quick AND delicious. Click the pics to go through to the recipes…

sally-wise-chocolate-cupcakes

The easiest cupcakes ever.

Anzac Biscuits

Anzac Biscuits

Microwave marmalade.

Microwave marmalade.

...awwwwww, transported straight to Queensland.

Pineapple cakes.

May the best man win….

Comments (10) »

Home-made strawberry topping

August 14, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats, Vegetarian · Tagged , , , ,

Blitz it if the chunks will frighten your children.

Lickable.

There must be a glut of strawberries happening in the warmer parts of Australia at the moment, because my Colesworth supermarket has ridiculously cheap punnets on the go. Flavourwise, they’re good, but the shelf-life is terrible – I’m getting a couple of days at the most before they turn nasty. There’s a reason why they’re marked down, after all.

If like me, you’ve been over-enthusiastic with your berry purchases of late, I have a solution. Dig the spare punnet out from the back of the crisper and whip up this easy strawberry topping recipe. The finished product is multi-purpose – it tastes great on yoghurt, over ice-cream, in smoothies or on pancakes. If you’re feeling fancy, leave some vanilla icecream out to soften, then mix through the topping and refreeze it – delicious strawberry swirl ice-cream.

To use a particularly annoying internet cuteism – “You’re welcome”.

Home-made strawberry topping

Per 250g punnet strawberries
1 tsp lemon juice
1-2 tbsp maple syrup (depending on how sweet or tart the berries are)

Hull the berries, remove any really squishy bits. Wash them well and chop roughly (I like a variety of sized – pieces to give me a good final texture). Pop everything in a saucepan and cover. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 6-8 minutes until everything is mushy.

Serve as is, or blend if you’d like a smoother sauce. Tasty hot or cold.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups.

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Something illicit for the weekend…

August 9, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , , ,

There’s nothing like telling me I can’t do something to make me want to do it. Perhaps most of us are hardwired that way?

At the moment, I just keep hearing about how toxic sugar is, how evil flour is and how my life is being ruined by them both. Except the thing is, I feel good. And I like my life. My body seems to cope just fine with moderate amounts of both without any drama. And did I mention that I LOVE them? In quite a passionate and deeply-needed way.

Maybe it’s just that I’m so far under their spell, that rather than understanding how far they have me trapped in their abyss, all I can see is the absolute delirious joy that I experience as I bite into a floury/sugary concoction that’s freshly baked.

So perhaps biologically they are bad for me, but sometimes, just sometimes, a little bit of naughty can be a whole lotta nice.

Mmwwwwaaaahh aah aah aah aaaaaaaaaahhhhh

Mmwwwwaaaahh aah aah aah aaaaaaaaaahhhhh

Pecan chelsea buns

They’re a bit of work, but a rewarding way to potter about on the weekend.

1 cup luke warm milk
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 tsp instant yeast (just under 1 sachet)
4 1/2 cups bakers flour
1/2 tsp salt
50g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly whisked

Filling
50g butter, melted (this gets brushed over the rolled dough)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1/2 cup currants
1/2 cup sultanas
1/2 tsp cassia powder (or cinnamon)
1/2 tsp mixed spice

Glaze
1/4 cup caster sugar
just under 1/4 cup water

Pop the warm milk and 1 tbsp of the sugar into a jug, scatter over the yeast, stir and leave it somewhere warm until it goes frothy (about 10 minutes). Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and remaining sugar.

Once the yeast mix is ready, pour it into the dry ingredients, along with the melted butter and egg. Use a metal spoon to combine it all into a dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead for 6-8 minutes until the dough it smooth and gorgeous. Pop it into a greased bowl, cover with a tea towel or greased glad wrap and pop it somewhere warm to double in size. (In the winter, I use my car, which is the warmest, least drafty place – but avoid giving anyone a lift anywhere afterwards – they’ll wonder what the yeast smell is). The proving process can take anywhere from 30-60 minutes, depending on the temperature & conditions.

Once doubled, Give the dough a punch with your fist to release the air. Turn it out onto your floured bench and roll it out into a large rectangle.

Brush the dough with the melted butter (from the filling list). Combine the other filling ingredients and scatter them over the entire surface. Roll up the dough from the longest side. Cut into 12 equal pieces. Place cut side down into another greased baking tray. Recover and leave that to prove for another 30 minutes or so.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Add the glaze sugar and water together in a small saucepan over medium/high heat. Stir to melt the sugar. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer it for a couple of minutes to thicken. Set aside.

Remove the cover off the bread and bake for 15 – 20 minutes until golden and springy. Take the buns out of the oven and brush over the glaze (you might not need all of it).

EAT. Enjoy. Makes 12.

_______________

GOT A THERMOMIX? Chuck all the dough ingredients in the bowl and mix speed 6 for 12-15 seconds. Then knead for 6 minutes. Turn out and follow the recipe as normal.

Right then (she says dusting off her floured hands), where’s the wine?

Comments (15) »

Take a look at me, I’m yesterday’s pancakes

August 6, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats

Real maple syrup required.

Feeding frenzy.

Usually it’s Mr VS’s job to whip up something special on a Sunday Morning. But I was husband-less this weekend, and recovering from a seriously horrible whooping-couch style lurgy, so I had to do the Sunday-brunch honours. Rather than anything healthy, the kids got treated to a bit of pancake love. I posted a pic on Facebook and had a request for the recipe, so here is the best American style pancake recipe I’ve found…

Lemon & sugar? Or maple syrup & banana?

Lemon & sugar? Or maple syrup & banana?

American-style pancakes

2 cups plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1½ cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
75g butter, melted

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Add in the salt. Then whisk in the eggs, milk, sugar and butter.

Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add a bit more butter, then pour in 1/2 cup amounts of mixture. Cooks until starting to bubble, then flip and cook both sides until golden and middle is cooked.

Makes 10

Admittedly, there isn’t anything healthy to speak of – no vegies at all. But if you pop some fruit on top then everything is ok, right? So we had one pancake with banana and maple syrup, then a second with nutella! My body is post-sickness craving carbs and sugar and I’m happy to indulge it for a couple of days. Of course, if you’re after a healthier pancake recipe, it’s hard to beat my Oaty pancakes. They’re not as sweet, but absolutely delicious.

And the best bit about Mr VS being away? We’ve got leftover pancakes, which means yesterday’s pancakes are now happily sitting in the kid’s lunchboxes for a Monday treat.

PS apologies if you’ve now got John Paul Young stuck in your head [insert snigger]!

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Eau de Vegie Smugglers

July 30, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , ,

I’m thinking of launching a Vegie Smugglers fragrance. If it’s good enough for Kylie, then it’s good enough for me.

The scent will be based on all my favourite smells – toasted coconut, topped up with freshly toasted flaked almonds. Round it off with freshly ground coffee, meringue and a touch of gin with lime and I’m shoving all my best wafts into one, saleable potion.

I suppose the bottle will have to be lime green, and possibly shaped into an artistic impression of a zucchini. If I make it out of flexible plastic and add some batteries, I can offer mothers both a good smell and a happy day.

But I’m having trouble with the name. I’m trawling all the celebrity scents to find inspiration. I could go atmospheric, like Antonio Banderas’s ‘Mediterraneo’, or try to entice you, like Cher’s ‘Uninhibited’ or Britney’s ‘Hidden Fantasy’ (excuse me while I vomit a little in my mouth). Or even onamatapeic like Katy Perry’s ‘Meow’.

What do you think? Do you have any other enticing ingredients that need to be considered? Or good name suggestions? Possibly I’ll stick to simple. Maybe just ‘Delish’, just like these dairy-free coconut muffins.

Delish.

Delish.



Coconut mini-muffins (Dairy-free)

These are delicately flavoured treats that freeze really well – perfect for lunchboxes. After a couple of days they dry out a little but will revive after a quite zap in the microwave.

1 cup self-raising flour
1 cup oats
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, lightly whisked
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
270ml can coconut milk (full fat)
Desiccated or shredded coconut to sprinkle on top

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line mini-muffin trays with paper cases.

In a large bowl, combine the flour (no need to sift), oats, coconut & brown sugar.

Whisk together the eggs, oil and coconut milk in a separate bowl or jug. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir until just combined, then divide into your muffin cases until full (the mix doesn’t rise overly much). Sprinkle a thick layer of extra coconut over the top and bake for 13-15 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.

Makes 36ish mini-muffins.

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Muffin mania

June 30, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats · Tagged , , ,

Geez I make muffins a lot. Probably once a week. Possibly because I’m too lazy to cut up a whole cake (and also the fact that my oven is too crappy to cook a whole cake well). I love the fact that with minimal kitchen skills I can create so many varying culinary delights. They can be savoury for lunch, as a side dish with a soup, or of course, sweet and fantastic for lunchboxes and afternoon tea. You can make luscious large ones, mini ones that freeze well for lunchboxes or use pattie pans to make ‘muffin tops’ that look nice and large but are actually only a small amount of batter.

Since they’re so simple to make, you can get the kids onto cooking them and quite possibly they’ll stay focused for the entire recipe before getting bored and wandering off to cause destruction elsewhere.

Here’s a selection to try this week, while the kids are looking for things to do…

Cheese muffins

Cheese & vegie.

vegie smugglers choc chip almond and banana muffin

Choc chip, almond & banana.

Ready for this arvo & tomorrow (if there are any left).

Oat & berry.

vegie smugglers apple and sultana mini muffins

Apple & sultana muffin tops.

An all time favourite - chocolate, bran & zucchini

Chocolate, bran & zucchini.

What other flavour combos are popular in your house?

We also like strawberry muffins (from Vegie Smugglers 1), Cheese & ham muffins (from Vegie Smugglers 2) and Blueberry muffins (from 10 quickbakes/10 sandwich spreads).

Comments (14) »

Choc-chip & chickpea cookies

June 4, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats, Vegie smuggling techniques · Tagged , , , ,

So here is the recipe for the biscuits that made Mr Meat&Potatoes cry.

The sight of these freshly baked goodies had him so excited that he was dancing with joy and then he spotted the chickpeas and came to an abrupt and dramatic halt. It was the moment when he realised that THERE ARE ALWAYS VEGETABLES IN HIS FOOD. Even the biscuits. The tears came. He cried to me, “But why mummy, WHY are there always vegetables in everything?”

After a bit of explaining about how I’m the vegie-smuggling lady, and that surprise nutrition is kind of an occupational hazard, he sucked it up and ate one. Then asked for another. Because they taste delicious.

And that’s the thing, see. Kids need to learn that healthy food is normal and part of every day. They need to accept that while it doesn’t always thrill them, they’ve got no choice so they may as well eat it. And if it tastes good, they’ll learn that healthy food is normal and yummy.

These are also the biscuits that make Mr VS fat. Or so he says (just quietly, it could be the beer, prolonged commuting and lack of exercise). But he can never eat less than three of these at a time. I manage to stop after two, so long as I know that there will be one more of them with my cup of tea after dinner.

Even better, they’re a tongue twister. Try saying ‘choc chip & chickpea cookies’ a few times, fast.

Good.

Good.


Choc chip and chickpea cookies

100g butter, softened
1 tbsp grapeseed or olive oil
1 cup brown sugar (use 3/4 cup caster sugar instead if you want to give the cooked biscuits a longer shelf life)
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 egg
1 1/4 cups wholemeal plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup choc chips (I like the dark ones)
3/4 cup cooked chickpeas (I use tinned ones, just rinse and drain well)

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line oven trays with baking paper (you’ll probably need 3 trays).

Use hand-held beaters or your mixmaster to cream the butter, oil and brown sugar together. Start with the butter, then combine in the oil, then add the sugar and whip for a couple of minutes until it’s lovely and creamy.

Add in the vanilla and egg. Beat well, then sift over the flour & baking powder. Fold it in (don’t worry, it seems like too much at first, but trust me it will combine in). Mix in the choc chips and chickpeas.

Use your hands (wet them slightly first) to roll ping pong-ball size quantities of mixture, press (& flatten slightly) onto the trays (allow a bit of room for spreading) and bake for 15 minutes until golden.

Makes 24ish good-sized biscuits.

________________________

Other biscuit recipes on Vegie Smugglers…

Anzac biscuits
Oat, sultana & sesame seed biscuits
Marmalade biscuits

new-book-on-sale

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The best way to smuggle… apricots

March 8, 2013 · Filed under All recipes, Sweets & treats, The best way to smuggle... · Tagged , , ,

I haven’t done one of these posts for a while. If you’re new to the blog, these are the posts where I tackle a specific ingredient. In the past I’ve offered solutions for tricky vegies like mushrooms, spinach and beetroot. You can view a full list here.

So apricots seem a bit lame in comparison, but I figure with summer drawing to a close, you’ve probably got a few of these guys about, possibly looking a little worse for wear. Chuck them in this cake and you’ve got a nice alternative to banana bread. If though, you’re inundated with aging bananas, then you can see a recipe for banana bread here.

Apricots magically disappear!

Apricots magically disappear!

Apricot slice

RECIPE EDIT: Please note that this recipes has changed since first being published. Originally I left out the egg! Huge apologies.

1 1/4 cups self-raising flour
½ cup LSA mix (or just almond meal is also good)
½ cup brown sugar
¾ cup shredded coconut
5 fresh apricots, finely chopped (or use 10 tinned apricot halves – this is a better option than reconstituting dried ones)
140g tub apple puree (or peel & chop two apples, and make your own)
50g butter, melted
1 egg, lightly whisked

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 20x30cm lamington tray with baking paper.

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Mix in the LSA mix and sugar. Combine in the rest of the ingredients and mix well. It takes a while to get the mixture really combined. Depending on your apricots and apple puree, you may need to add a splash of grapeseed oil or 10g extra butter to hold everything together). Press the mix evenly into your tray.

Bake 30-35 minutes until springy to touch. Cool and cut into squares.

MAKES 30ish squares.

Comments (15) »

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