Sticky Gooey Chocolate Marshmallow Sandwiches - Smores(ish)

After a recent trip to Scotland where I introduced the boys to the joy of toasting marshmallows over a fire, we've been using more at home.

L, whose never been bothered by his allergies before, came home from Cubs a bit upset as they'd made Smores one evening. Had they told me in advance I would have sent in safe biscuits, chocolate and marshmallows so he could be included, but when he'd joined a few weeks earlier, they told me they don't do a snack while the boys are there. I've asked them to let me know when there are exceptions again!

Having just come home to an empty biscuit tin after a chilly winter walk, I thought I'd try our own variation...

Cinnamon Cookies (You could skip this step and use any suitable biscuits, I would have used Free From digestives but have run out)

100g Dairy and Soya Free Spread

100g Soft Brown Sugar

1tbsp Golden Syrup

1tsp Vanilla Paste (or extract)

1 tsp Ground Cinnamon

150g Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

*Apologies for lack of images, my App crashed overtime I tried to upload more

Whisk all ingredients, except flour, together until light and fluffy.

Add flour and whisk again until well combined.

Place scoops of mixture onto a lined baking sheet.

Bake at 180ºC for 12mins.

Leave on tray to cool for a few minuted before moving as very soft.

Cool until easy to handle

Assembly

Top the base of a cookie with marshmallows (I used sliced giant ones) and suitable chocolate.

Repeat for number you are making.

Put back in oven for 1-2minutes, until chocolate is melted (but still holding it's shape) and marshmallows squishy.

Top with another cookie.

Leave to cool slightly or warm cookie will crumble.

Serve on a plate to grateful children...

Black Forest Cookies

Ages ago I ordered some flavoured icing sugars from Sugar and Crumb, then put them away somewhere and forgot about them. I rediscovered them yesterday while I was looking for something else. 

I thought the black cherry flavour would pair perfectly with the slightly wrinkled cherries in the fridge. You could make them with unflavoured icing sugar too for a more subtle flavour.

100g Dairy and Soya Free Spread

85g Black Cherry Flavoured Icing Sugar (or unflavoured icing sugar)

15g Golden Syrup

20g Cocoa Powder

130g Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

20g Dark Chocolate Chips

120g Chopped Fresh Cherries (or a pack of dried sour cherries)

Put the spread, sugar and syrup in a bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy.

Whisk in the cocoa powder (I find this saves having to sieve it).

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.

Place spoonfuls (or ice cream scoops) onto a tray lined with greaseproof paper.

Flatten slightly and bake for 12-15mins at 180ºC.

Leave for a couple of minutes on the tray to firm up before moving to a cooling rack.

Chestnut & Quinoa Biscuits

Thought I'd try something different today. Mainly because I just noticed my chestnut flour is about to go out of date, but also because I know not everyone can tolerate oats so I'm experimenting with different 'flakes'. I often find rice flakes too crispy in a biscuit recipe, I've run out of millet flakes, and I'm trying to find new ways to use quinoa flakes, that disguises the strong flavour.

These worked brilliantly, I think adding quinoa to a biscuit brought out more of a nutty taste, complimented by the sweet, earthiness of the chestnut flour. 

Crispy and 'nutty' as they are.

Filled with chestnut spread & drizzled with chocolate.

This made 15 biscuits (plus the bit I tested in the microwave before baking and the raw mix I ate...)

85g Dairy & Soya Free Margarine (I used hard Stork as I wanted a crisper biscuit)

50g Light Brown Sugar (any would work, will just alter the colour)

35g Date Syrup (would probably work with golden syrup, but I'd use a bit less)

50g Chestnut Flour

50g Gluten Free Self Raising Flour

50g Quinoa Flakes

Melt margarine, sugar and syrup together in the microwave (or in a small pan).

Add flours & flakes and mix well.

Roll into walnut sized balls.

Flatten slightly (I might try them a little thinner next time - and with less sugar).

Bake at 180ºc for 10 minutes, remove from oven to cool if you want a soft cookie, or turn the temperature down to 160ºc and bake for another 10 minutes for a crispier biscuit. This is what I did, although, some did brown a little more on the edges than I wanted, but my oven is not baking evenly at the moment. I might just try 20 minutes at 160ºc next time.

Remove from the oven to cool.

Eat them plain, or fill with chestnut spread and drizzle with melted chocolate. 

Easy Oat Biscuits

This week's packed lunch biscuits prove you don't need any fancy equipment in your kitchen…

60g Dairy and Soya Free Spread

30g (1/4 cup) Caster Sugar

30mls Milk Substitute)

1 tbsp Honey (or syrup)

1 tsp Vanilla Paste (or extract) - optional

50g (1/2 cup) Oats

150g (1 cup) Wheat free flour (I used gluten free white bread flour) or plain flour

1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

(mine had dried strawberry pieces too)

Mix dairy free spread, sugar and vanilla with the back of a spoon.

Slowly mix in the honey and milk substitute.

Add all other ingredients and mix well.

Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on tray, flatten slightly.

Bake at 180ºC for 15 minutes until golden brown.

Cool on wire rack.

Raspberry and Oat Nobbly Biscuits

I'm not quite sure how it happened, but we are out of biscuits. Even the emergency shop bought biscuit box only contains a few lonely oat cakes. I asked the boys what they fancied and was met by a unanimous cry of "Hob Nobs!". 

Until earlier this week, when I dug out an old blog recipe, I hadn't made Hob Nobs for a while. They were good and looked and tasted like the real thing, but they were far too sweet for me.

The problem with the science of baking is you can't just adjust ingredients and expect the same result, hence the change of name…

The high fat and sugar content of the original recipe is what helps them spread out before 'setting'. By reducing the sugar in these, it means that your biscuits won't spread, so need pressing flat before baking.

Makes 12 large cookies

110g Dairy and Soya Free Spread (e.g. Pure/Vitalite)

75g Sugar (I used light muscovado, but any will do)

1tbsp Golden Syrup 

1/2tbsp Water

1/4tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

110g Oats

110g Gluten Free Self Raising Flour (or Self Raising Flour if you don't need to be gluten free)

2tbsp Dried Raspberry Pieces (optional) - or any other dried fruit

Put spread, sugar, syrup and water in a bowl or pan and melt together.

Add bicarb and stir.

Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well.

Put scoops onto a baking tray.

Flatten with your hand.

Bake at 180ºC for 15-18minutes.

Leave to cool for a minute before moving to a cooling rack.

If they are still too soft, put them back in the oven at 160ºC for 10 mins to dry out more.

Strawberry and White Chocolate Cookies

Divide and conquer seemed to be the only way to get through this afternoon. Boys seemed to be on a mission to see who could wind each other up the most today. On reflection, it may not have been the best idea to leave Mini Monster and Daddy at home with freshly baked cookies (both have the biscuit gene) cooling on a tray…

This made 13 (bakers dozen means there is always one for me to 'test' in each batch), we came home to a measly 4! They had been tidied away in a tin to hide the evidence...

100g Dairy and Soya Free Spread (Pure/Vitalite etc)

60g Caster Sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Paste (or extract)

A FewDrops Of Rose Water (optional) - strong taste, not everyone likes it…

1tbsp Honey (or syrup)

1/2 -1 tbsp milk substitute (depending on flour blend used)

150g Self Raising or Wheat Free Self Raising Flour

2g (about 1/3 of a 7g tube) Freeze Dried Strawberries

White Couverture Powder to decorate

Whisk Spread, Sugar, Honey, Vanilla and Rose Water (if using) until well combined and paler in colour.

Mix in the Flour and Dried Strawberries.

Add a little milk substitute if mix looks too dry.


Use a tablespoon (or cookie scoop) and roll into balls.

Flatten slightly as they don't really spread.

Bake for 12 minutes at 170ºC

Remove from oven and leave to cool for a minute.

Top with about 1/2 tbsp White Couverture Powder.

Spread out with the back of the spoon.

Leave to melt.

Allow time to set before eating.

Enjoy.

Hide them from children and husband so you can eat them yourself...