Porridge Pancakes

Well, not really anything to do with porridge, except for the containing oats bit. These are more a cross between Pikelets (yeasted pancakes) and Staffordshire oatcakes.

We had sweet toppings today, but they also work really well with savoury toppings too.

I topped mine with fresh peach, frozen berries, coconut milk yogurt and chocolate sauce.

L went for the classic lemon and sugar, M drowned his in maple syrup. 

1 1/2 Cups Gluten Free Plain Flour (I used Dove's Farm White Bread Flour, you may need to adjust fluid for different blends)

1 cup Gluten Free Oats

1tsp Dried Yeast

3 Cups Milk Substitute (plus 1/4 cup)

Put dry ingredients in a bowl.

Mix in milk substitute with a balloon whisk.

Cover and leave in fridge over night.

Stir in extra milk substitute.

Heat a lightly oiled skillet or frying pan on medium heat.

Pour in 1/2 cup of mix and leave until bubbles formed and top beginning to set.

Flip over and brown lightly on other side.

Repeat until all mix used up. Mine made 8 about 6 inches across.

Flapjack Fingers

My usual packed lunch flapjacks are low in fat and sugar and have loads of fresh fruit added, but spotted this recipe yesterday and thought I'd make something a little different for the holidays (I'm also taking advantage of being able to add nuts, but these are optional). I hate shop bought pre packed flapjacks that are soft and doughy, almost like uncooked mix. To me, they should be crispy and taste like the ones I grew up with.

These have 30g of Nutribrex too as I didn't quite have enough oats left!

I sort of followed this recipe, but made a smaller quantity and reduced the sugar a little, oh, and cooked them for longer, because 20 minutes was never going to be enough!

150g Dairy and Soya Free margarine

80g Soft Brown Sugar

90g Golden Syrup

300g Oats

nuts/seeds/dried fruit/chocolate chips

Melt margarine, sugar and syrup together in a bowl in the microwave.

Stir in oats and fruit, seeds etc.

Tip into a lined tin (mine is 25cm x 18cm)

Press down with the back of a spoon.

Bake at 180ºc for 30-35 mins.

Cut into 16 fingers while still warm and leave to cool in the tin.

Gingerbread Flapjack

Another variation on a theme, a slight tweak to the normal fruity packed lunch flapjacks to give them a more seasonal feel. 

75g Hard Vegetable Margarine 

75g Date Syrup

Zest of 1/2 Orange

2 Grated Apples

1tsp Ground Cinnamon

1tsp Ground Ginger

1tsp Ground Mixed Spice

260g Rolled Oats

Put syrup and margarine on a bowl and melt together in the microwave.

Add fruit, spices & oats to the syrup mixture.

Mix well and tip into a lined or greased tin (mine is 18x25cm).

Spread out and press down in the tin with the back of the spoon.

Bake at 170ºC for 40 minutes. Cut into 12 bars with a sharp knife and leave to cool in the tin.

Basic Thick Pancake (Scotch/American) Batter

There aren't many things you can make with only two ingredients!

Basic Batter with added vanilla paste

I Cup* Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

1 Cup Milk Substitute

*size of cup doesn't matter, you just need an equal volume.

Put flour in bowl, make a well in the centre, add the milk substitute and whisk in with a ballon whisk.

Add flavours, if using, and stir in.

Heat a little oil in a frying pan.

Add spoonfuls of batter (or more if making American style ones).

Turn over when you start to see bubbles forming on the top.

Continue to cook until lightly brown and puffed up.

I've attached a few of the ones we've had in the last few months to give you some ideas:

The boys had a competition to see who could come up with the best one…
Blueberry & Lemon (zest) or Apple (grated) & cinnamon. 

 Which would you prefer?

Peach and Chocolate chip (added vanilla, chopped tinned peach and Doves Farm Chocolate Chips)

I made these when we had friends over from New Zealand, half with mashed banana, half without.
The kids had no allergies, but happily guzzled these for second breakfast!

Blueberry pancakes with coconut milk yogurt & toasted pumpkin seeds

Custard

I've neglected the blog for a while, but with a new year comes a new start, I need to get into the habit again. This year I'm starting with some basics, for those who didn't cook before having a child with allergies made it a necessity.

2tbsp (heaped) Custard Powder (or corn flour, or a mixture as I used here)

Sugar to taste (I didn't use any when boys were small, now only about 1tbsp)

350mls Milk Substitute (different substitutes require more or less cornflour/custard powder to thicken, if yours is the wrong consistency, just add more or less next time)

1-200mls Dairy and Soya Free Cream (e.g. rice/oat/almond)

Put custard powder and sugar (if using) in a bowl.

Mix with a little of the milk substitute to form a paste.

Add the rest of the milk substitute and stir well.

Microwave for 2 mins (should just be beginning to thicken and change colour on the edge) and stir well again.

Microwave for another 2-3 mins until thick and bubbling (make sure your bowl is big enough so it doesn't boil over).

Beat well, then mix in the dairy free cream.

If you'r leaving it to cool, mix again a few times to stop a skin forming.