Banoffee Bites


If you love Banoffee Pie but don’t have time to make the traditional version, here’s a very quick, very simple, no bake recipe which will fit the bill perfectly and the bonus is they are surprisingly light so you don’t feel very full after one or two 😉

You only need 4 ingredients, some freezer time and a quick 60 seconds in the microwave. What could be easier?!

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Gluten Free Pistachio & Almond Cake with Limoncello Icing

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This is a lovely cake, baked in a loaf tin which uses ground almonds and pistachio nuts for it’s main flavour. Originally the topping used lemon juice but I replaced it with Limoncello for an extra kick and it worked beautifully but you can use lemon juice if you prefer. I’ve adapted it from a book called Ginger & White.

Making it again, I would reduce the ground almonds to 100g and increase the guten free flour to 70g and for my fan oven, I would set it 150C as the top can brown quite easily but you can guage yourself what works with your oven.

The only slightly testing part of this recipe was removing the shells off the pistachio nuts and realizing that you need twice the weight that you bought after removing said shells! So when you go to buy the pistachio nuts, you will need 200g to get 100g of peeled, ground nuts.

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Lemon Kisses

These gorgeous little bites of lemon heaven are very simple to make but do make sure to leave them chill in the fridge for 30 mins before baking. The only other thing to remember is to try and buy or make really good quality lemon curd to fill them. You need that sharp and lemony bite to make all the difference.

I put them back into the fridge after making them to set the icing and so the lemon curd would take a hold of the biscuits and not slide off. They were pretty delicious cold too! The recipe called for the zest of 2 lemons and to use only one in the batter and the other to decorate the biscuits but I added the zest of both to the batter as you’re coating them with a lemon icing and there is no such thing as too much lemon 😉

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Cherry Almond Cake

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Sometimes, you just want a proper cake. You know? Just a proper tasting cake of what cake used to taste like and this recipe is just that. It’s crying out for a dainty plate and a cup of tea for pure nostalgic perfection.

Looking pretty impressive doesn’t hurt either 🙂 and it’s got ground almonds in it which helps to keep it  moist and not become too dense or dry. The wonderful surprise is the layer of delicious cherry jam in the centre of the cake – perfect!

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Ultimate Chocolate Cake

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This is a recipe from the U.S so it’s originally given in cup measurements. I’ve adapted it slightly as some of the products are not available here and the oven temperature and timing were guessed at so you will have to keep an eye on it and see how it works with your oven. I weighed each of the ingredients as I measured them so if you like, you can use the equivalent weights given in grams next to the cup measurements but they are only approximate so it’s up to you. Just don’t mix them. Use either cups or grams.

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Lemon Meringue Ice Cream (Limoncello adaptation)

Another great recipe from the unbeatable Mary Berry!  It’s such an easy ice cream to make, it’s no churn which is a huge bonus if you don’t own the machine and you can use broken up meringue pieces or shop bought. It’s not a big deal. It’s traditionally made in a loaf tin as you can then cut into slices as needed but it can also be made in an 8″ square tin to cut into perfect slices for wafers.

Add some mixed berries and a little cream for a delicious dessert or pop it over your favourite hot brownie … oh yes indeed. Lemon …. a wonderful thing!

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Chocolate Nutty Caramels – Gluten Free

I should probably apologise for adding this recipe but it’s so good that I think you will actually thank me. Your hips may not, but one piece won’t be that bad *cough*. It’s a delicious nutty caramel layer which sits on a decadent brownie base.

The only thing to watch out here is that you can’t let the caramel burn or it will taste awful. You have to just give it the time it needs without interruption – about 15 minutes – and all will go well. So get a magazine or whatever you need to keep you stirring for the time required.

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Chocolate Meringue Roulade – Gluten Free

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A great recipe to make beforehand and depending on the filling, can be frozen and let defrost when needed. I made a buttercream filling and kept it in the fridge overnight but it would be perfect with cream and the addition of your favourite berry swirled through. If you choose cream, then it would need to be eaten on the same day.

It’s relatively simple so don’t be afraid of the rolling. No meringue roulade is ever perfect or free of cracks so go ahead and roll away for your own special version of this classic dessert. The bonus of course is that there’s no flour used so it’s a perfect gluten free recipe.

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Egg Yolk Sponge Cake

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A really simple and very handy recipe to have. Make it beforehand and keep in the freezer. This cake will bring you back to your childhood with the beautiful aroma! If you are following a butter/margarine free diet, then you can enjoy this cake with no worries.

It uses egg yolks and not the whole egg which is handy when you may have made pavlova and similar recipes and you’re not sure what to do with them. I make this sponge cake regularly and then freeze it. It doesn’t take long to defrost and always tastes perfect. A great one to have on standby for unexpected guests. Jam and a dusting of icing sugar is all you need.

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Honeycomb Ice Cream

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Another recipe from the fabulous Mary Berry. A simple and easy no churn ice cream recipe with totally delicious results. The honeycomb takes a little bit of attention but it’s quite straightforward really if you follow the step by step instructions and really makes this ice cream recipe a bit special.

It will keep in the freezer for a month (won’t last that long 🙂 ) and softens quite quickly once taken out. You can keep some of the honeycomb to decorate on top if you like. Perfect to finish off a dinner party, or for a BBQ or any occasion really. So far, I haven’t needed an excuse 😉

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Vanilla & Chocolate Marble Cake

I do love a marble cake. They are so simple and yet always make an impression when cut. Each slice has a different pattern and I love that the result always looks so good yet takes only a little bit of effort.

This recipe is taken from one of Mary Berry’s books and once you follow her recipes to the letter, they never fail.

For this recipe, there’s a chocolate coating which is then decorated with melted white chocolate but if you wanted to keep this cake for a simple slice of loveliness with your daily cuppa, just leave it undecorated. It’s moist and will still be delicious!

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