Soooo where do you start with Flapjacks? Everyone has a version and most are great. They are a handy “on the go” snack but can be laden with calories or fat so enjoy but don’t over indulge. They are a good starter to the day with their oats and dried fruit.
Traditionally you make Flapjacks with porridge oats but I have a fussy one in the house who has an issue with textures yet loves Flapjacks so I decided to use oat bran which produced a really nice bar and got a big thumbs up 🙂
If you like banana bread, you’ll really like this version of the traditional bake. It makes a good loaf cake that’s easy to transport and it’s a good way to introduce people who may not like bananas that much as the banana taste isn’t too strong.
It makes an amazingly moist cake, probably due to the addition of oil plus beaten egg whites and it can be decorated lots of ways to suit your occasion. It’s lovely on it’s own, or drizzled with white chocolate but if it’s for something special, you can make the suggested icing and decorate with dried banana chips.
This gluten free Fruit Cake can also be used as a Christmas Cake and is made in a 7″ / 18cm square tin which allows you to cut it into two loaf shaped cakes so you can keep one and give one as a gift. It will keep for one week, wrapped properly, so if it’s made several weeks before Christmas, freeze until it’s needed. Give it several hours at room temperature to defrost fully.
As it’s a gluten free recipe, this cake doesn’t result in as dense a cake as a standard one so it’s important to leave it sit until it’s really totally cooled down and then handle with care. The original recipe calls for sherry but I used an orange liquour and the smell is Ah May Zing! .
Just prepare your fruit the night before, then finish the cake the next day.
Surprise your coeliac friends and family with their very own wonderfully delicious Christmas cake!
Reading the Irish Times magazine during the summer, I saw this recipe and thought, I’ll definitely make that and just the other day I remembered I had put it away safely – you know that place?? After a little bit of searching, I found the torn out page and decided, that’s it, definitely making it now!
I can’t resist anything with blueberries and lemon; it’s like a perfect match and the fact this cake is gluten free is an added bonus for my house and it’s occupiers!
There’s no flour in this cake at all, it’s just ground almonds and then the usual suspects of ingredients and it’s amazing that it holds itself so beautifully when cut.
Thin pancakes are all well and good for Pancake Day but on other days, there’s no beating an American style pancake smothered with your favourite topping and these gluten and wheat free variety are really good.
You can decide if you want to add the sugar or leave it out.
You will easily feed 4/6 people with this batch of gloriously good pancakes!
Definitely one of my most favourite flavour combinations, I am always drawn to anything that combines apples and cinnamon. Throw in pecans and I’m hooked. A mixture of apple, pecans and coconuts give these cinnamon spiced muffins a fabulous texture and flavour. They are light and the little bite of tart apple is just perfect!
I spotted this delicious recipe in a U.S. magazine and had to make it as soon as I got home. Literally from start time to eating time, took 1 hour and 20 mins and that included getting ingredients out, bowls and cooling time. I had all the ingredients at home and what I didn’t have, I substituted and it all worked out very well.
There are a few jobs when making cakes that we all wish we had our own little helper to do and lining a cake tin properly must be up there with them.
My own personal tedious jobs are having to sieve icing sugar (how long does it take …. really!) and zesting anything … not only does it take ages but I tend to lose skin off my knuckles at a worrying degree!
So I’ve made this little video to show you how to perfectly line your Christmas Cake tin so nothing is left to chance. Considering how expensive all those delicious ingredients are, why would you leave anything to chance and have things spoilt.
Not only does proper lining help to bake a cake evenly, it means you get perfect results after all the hours of baking and preparing.
So check out this video and take the extra few minutes to prepare.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkQER6pF0lc
Soraya x
Barmbrack is a traditional Irish fruit cake, not unlike a sweet bread and usually made at Halloween. It’s very similar to a tea brack but with the addition of whiskey. This recipe makes a really beautiful, moist loaf, packed with flavour from the mixed spice and dried fruit, which has soaked overnight in cold tea and whiskey. There is another version which includes yeast but I personally feel it’s not as moist as this one.
Notes for Gluten Free Barmbrack method in the recipe below
This is the gluten free version:
The fun in making a Barmbrack is deciding what surprises you’ll pop in for people to discover. The ring, the lucky coin, the not so lucky pea or piece of cloth! Let’s keep with the positive vibe and only put in positive charms! Just remember to wrap any additions very well in greaseproof paper! For me, there’s only one way to eat this …. thickly sliced with lashings of good Irish butter … oh and a cup of tea. Yes indeedeee 😉
Ideally try to make this recipe at least 1 or 2 days before you need it. It needs a little settling time to be perfect for slicing.
These yummy biscuits are full of all those childhood taste memories. Golden Syrup, Oats, Condensed Milk, Cornflakes and Custard Powder …. they are just so delicious and the bonus is they literally take minutes to make, less than 15 mins in the oven and a bit of cooling time.
I adapted the recipe to make it Gluten Free but I’ll list it as given and put the gluten free options and additions in brackets. They will last for up to a week in an airtight container.
What’s the next best thing to a deep fried doughnut?? One of these heavenly and totally delicious Doughnut Muffins which are simply divine and really do taste like doughnuts but they are baked in the oven! Must be better for you right??
Eat them warm from the oven for a little slice of heaven!
Cannot recommend this recipe highly enough! It’s a Bord Bia award winning recipe. It’s simple and gorgeous and I can’t say enough about it. So light, so lovely, so perfect for afternoon tea, morning coffee …. oh anything really!
No mixer needed, no special ingredients … just pure and simple perfection! You may have guessed, I’m a fan 😉
Such a delicious loaf cake which is easily adapted to whatever berries you have in your fridge. The only ones not to use are strawberries as they go totally mushy and will ruin the cake. You still want to be able to bite into bits of berries with each slice.
The sugary berry coating on top finishes it beautifully with bright, jewel colours and a little crunch!
