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.

Waffle Biscuits

I like to keep recipes as simple as possible for people who are new to baking, so I've stripped down my usual waffle recipe even further to make these crunchy, crispy biscuits. Perfect with ice cream or as a snack on their own.

I've been after a proper cast iron Krumkake pan for years, but second hand ones are rare and new they are only available in Scandanavia/Holland and are expensive to ship. When I spotted this in Lakeland a few weeks ago at quarter of the price I had seen them at before, I couldn't resist.

I added spices to these, but it can easily be left out for a plainer biscuit. I might try a savour cracker too.

Made 24

1 Cup Gluten Free Self Raising Flour (or plain flour, plus 1tsp Baking Powder)

1tbsp Caster Sugar

1 1/2tbsp Vegetable Oil

1/2tsp Vanilla Paste (or extract)

1/2 - 1tsp Mixed Spice (optional)

1 Cup Milk Substitute

Heat waffle press on a medium heat.

Put flour, sugar, oil, vanilla and spice in a bowl.

Pour in the milk substitute.

Gradually mix to a smooth batter with a balloon whisk.

Place 1 tablespoon of batter into the centre of a hot waffle cone press.

Close lid to flatten. Flip pan over after 1-2 minutes.

After a minute on the other side open to check colour.

Keep turning frequently until desired colour reached and crisp when removed.

If they colour too quickly, turn down the heat.

Leave to cool (unless, like me you have boys eating them as soon as they go on the plate!)

Will stay crisp in a tin for upto a week (I only know this as one of the cones I made last week got forgotten about, then we went away and Mini Monster found it still crispy last night!).

English Muffins (2017 version)

Not quite sure why it's so long since I last made muffins. Buoyed on by by watching Junior Bake Off, Mini Monster wanted something he could make by himself. He managed to make 6 English muffins from my old recipe (done just after he went wheat free). They were great, if a little wet inside, but had all been finished by mid afternoon. So much for having some for this weeks packed lunch! 

My expertise in MEWS free baking has come a long way since those days, so I set about making a second batch with a few tweaks (these did make it to packed lunches, but only because I split and froze some to take out as needed).

These were left under the grill a little longer than I intended...

The pictures don't quite match up with the method as some were taken while Mini Monster was making the first batch with oil, I haven't missed something from the ingredients!

300mls Milk Substitute

100mls Boiling Water

2tsp (1 sachet) Dried Yeast

300g Gluten Free White Bread Flour

60g Dairy & Soya Free Margarine (I used hard Stork that had been left out to soften, but spread would work too)

Polenta (or ground rice) for lining the tray/tins

Mix milk substitute and water in a jug or bowl. Sprinkle on the yeast, stir and set aside for 15 mins to froth.

Ignore the jug of oil, this was the first batch of the day!

Put flour into a bowl, add frothed yeast mixture and beat until a smooth thick batter is formed.

Cover and set aside for 30-40 mins until dough has expanded in size (may not double). This stage is not essential, but as a bread baker pre kids, I always preferred a double rise (think I just do it for psychological reasons now!).

Grease a tray and the inside of 6 baking rings. Sprinkle on polenta to cover evenly.

Add the soft margarine to the dough and beat again with the whisk until evenly incorporated.

Ladle the mixture into the prepared rings. Cover with greased cling film and allow to rise until just below the top of the ring.

Bake at 190ºc for 20-25 minutes, or until the muffins are just coming away from the edges of the tins.

Remove from tins and place on a cooling rack.

Toad in the Hole

Another variation on a theme…

(Mine didn't brown today, only thing I did different was use almond milk… Still puffed up nicely, was beautifully crisp on the outside & gooey in the middle just as it should be though. Usual complaint from boys, not enough...)

8 Chipolata Sausages

1 Batch of Yorkshire Pudding Batter

1 Eating Apple (cut into wedges)

1 Parsnip (peeled & cut into wedges)

Chopped sage and rosemary (optional)

Put sausages and parsnip in oven at 220ºc for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make up the batter and add the herbs (if using).

Add apple to sausages and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Heat toad in hole tin, with a little oil, until smoking hot.

Pour in the batter.

Top with sausages and veg.

Bake at 220ºc for 25-30mins or until puffed up, browned, and coming away from the sides of the tin.

Reindeer Pancakes

It's the boys first day of school holiday's today, so before we head into town and dash around for the last Christmas bits, were starting with a breakfast to get us into the festive spirit.

I know I posted these on Twitter last year, but never got round to typing up a recipe, so here goes...

Yes, there was an argument over who got the plate with the
smaller one and who got the one with a broken antlers!

200g Gluten Free Plain Flour (I used Doves Farm Bread Flour, which I use for most things as it's buckwheat free, you may need a slightly different amount of fluid for different flour blends)

300mls Milk Substitute

2tsp Baking Powder

1tbsp Sugar (any will do, I used light muscovado for this)

1tsp Mixed Spice (or other christmas spice flavours)

1tsp Vanilla Paste (or extract)

Enough eyes and noses for 6-8 reindeer (depending on size). I used chocolate chips and frozen raspberries.

Put dry ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.

Add milk substitute and whisk to form a smooth batter.

Put a couple of tablespoons of batter in a cone of greaseproof paper for piping the antlers. Snip the end off.

Place one tablespoon of batter on a hot oiled pan and spread a little to form an oval.

Place another, slightly smaller, spoonful above the first.

Pipe antler shapes.

When bubbles are beginning to form on the surface and underside lightly browned, flip over and cook on the other side for a few minutes.

Put on plate & place on eyes and nose.

Repeat until all batter is used up.

GBBO - Week4 - Batter

Well, while most of us are still reeling from the news that Great British Bake Off is moving from the BBC, it's important to keep sight of what we're here for. Baking. Specifically free from baking. This week it's batter. Still not sure what my bake off challenge is going to be this week, but if you're new to free from cooking, batter is your friend! Thought I'd just post a couple of old recipes to get you started.

When my first son came up in blisters where he'd touched some eggy bread at 7 months old, it was time to start approaching cooking a bit differently. I've been lucky that the progression through exclusion of egg, milk, soya, wheat and pulses (lentils or any type of bean) has been gradual, allowing me to adapt recipes one step at a time. 

I was delighted to discover pancakes worked just as well without the egg. All I had to do was increase the fluid by 50-60mls per egg. I used egg replacer initially, but since forgetting to add it one day and finding they worked just as well, I stopped bothering. The switch to wheat free was just as easy.

Pancakes are a great thing to start off with if you're not used to baking. There is much less to go wrong than with cake and the possibilities are endless. Basic thick pancakes are so simple, even my 6yo can make them on his own!

Basic Thick (Scotch/American) Pancake

Raspberry Pancakes (has pictures of basic steps not shown in above recipe)

Basic Thin Pancake (scroll down for the wheat free version) 

If you're feeling more adventurous and want to try a less forgiving batter, my Yorkshire pudding recipe is here…

Technically waffles and my baked doughnuts use a batter type mix too... 

Waffles

Herb Waffles (great for packed lunches)

Baked Doughrings

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