Meringue Roulade – Gluten Free

29 December 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

A great dessert recipe that’s always a big hit any time of the year and this one uses ground almonds which gives it a really nice texture. It’s so easily adaptable to any flavours you like and also for each season and your imagination is all that will stop you!

A meringue roulade is much quicker than it’s cousin the Pavlova and can be made on the day it’s needed. It takes about 20 minutes to get into the oven, 30/35 to bake and the same to cool and then you can keep it wrapped in the fridge till needed or dress up for serving. I’ve never known anyone to refuse a slice of roulade when presented, so it’s a great one to have in your baking repertoire. Please don’t be worried about rolling it. It’s far more difficult in your head than in reality!

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Coconut Macaroons – Gluten Free

14 November 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

If you want to make something really delicious in a very short time, then these macaroons are the answer. You can make them in different shapes and sizes depending on the occasion but they never fail to please!

Just 3 simple ingredients (well four if you count the chocolate drizzle on top) and 10 minutes to put together with 18 in the oven. That’s it! The fact they’re gluten free is a bonus!

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Spiced Apple Cake – Gluten Free & Low Fat

27 September 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

This delicious and low fat cake comes from the Hairy Bikers. It contains low fat milk and sunflower oil so no butter and for a large 23cm cake, only uses 100g of demerara sugar which you could substitute for an organic variety which is less refined.

I converted it to a Gluten Free version so everyone at home could enjoy it and it worked really well. The other bonus of this lovely recipe is that it freezes well so you can cut in half or in slices and keep for when you desperately need a slice of cake to help sort out the woes of the world. Defrost thoroughly and heat up in a low oven or in the microwave. It’s perfect served hot or cold and will keep fresh for several days once you wrap it in tin foil.

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Iced Lemon Polenta Mini Cakes

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18 April 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ 1 Comment

A very delicious gluten and wheat free recipe full of gorgeous lemon flavor and topped with a fabulous lemon icing. These Iced Lemon Polenta Cakes look so dainty and lovely. Topped with an edible viola each, you will have a perfect Afternoon Tea treat for you and your guests.

They do have a more crunchy texture due to the polenta and some people find this different but it’s a good different 🙂

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Raspberry, Blueberry & Lime Drizzle Cake – Gluten, Wheat & Dairy Free

10 April 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ 3 Comments

Where do I start about this gorgeous recipe? It’s impossible to tell the difference between this and a cake made with traditional ingredients and I’ve made enough to know. I’m always dubious about people claiming their cakes made with all sorts of strange ingredients taste exactly as a normal one as I’ve yet to have that experience, but this recipe delivers and how.

You can keep it dairy free using a dairy free or soya spread but if not, just use Stork. The flour is Doves Farm which I always use and it’s gluten and wheat free, comes in both self raising or plain.

If you’re going to try gluten and wheat free baking, then you will need to have Xanthan Gum in your larder. It’s essential to hold together cakes and pastry and stop them from crumbing. It’s easily available in most supermarkets and mine is the Doves Farm one.

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Gluten Free & Dairy Free Healthy Banana Loaf

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3 February 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

Talk about throw it all in the bowl and go …. this recipe is exactly that! Crazy how quick it all comes together and it’s in the oven before you know it!

You can use honey or maple syrup but I replaced these with agave instead and again you can choose walnuts or pecans, whichever you like best … or both!

As there’s no flour in the recipe, only ground almonds, I would be careful about adding dried fruits as there’s a good chance they will sink to the bottom. Let the bananas do the talking! Originally 2 bananas were called for but I added in another half to help bind it together and then sliced the remainer and placed on top. I sprinkled a teeny bit of raw can sugar on the slices just to finish them off.

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Gluten Free Apple Cake

16 January 2017 ~ cozebakes ~ 1 Comment

This recipe originates from Jo Wheatley of Great British Bake Off fame. It’s a family favourite passed down from her aunt. As I live with a coeliac who loves anything with apple in it, I wanted to adapt this one so everyone could enjoy it. It worked out really well and is a very easy, straightforward and delicious cake. It’s crying out to be served with some custard or cream (your preference) and could be dressed up to make it a little bit special by adding a caramel topping.

There is another Apple Cake recipe on cozebakes if you prefer to make that, just search for Apple Cake and it will show up 🙂

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Cinnamon Apple Cake – Gluten Free

29 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

I could wax lyrical about this amazingly comforting and delicious Cinnamon Apple Cake but it does all the talking for itself. Considering it’s a gluten free recipe, the lightness and moistness of the cake is such a welcome surprise.

I reduced the original sugar quantity as ground almonds are quite sweet and the totally delicious cinnamon sugar topping is heavenly and doesn’t need extra sweetness to fight with it.

Read on for a real comfort food experience …

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Cranberry & White Chocolate Gluten Free Cookies

26 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

These went down a real treat with all the tasters and disappeared very quickly. I made half the original recipe thinking it might be too many but next time, I’ll be making the full batch! They make an ideal gift too!

I froze about 6 of them just to see how they behave and what I found worked was to let them defrost and then give them about 5 minutes in a moderate oven (150C) – just gave them a fresh feel. Remember to put a piece of parchment between each cookies before freezing.

These cookies are pretty irresistible and it’s an easy enough recipe to adapt so you can add your own favourites to it such as pecans, macadamia or other nuts. You can leave out the white chocolate and add milk or dark chocolate. Lots of options to explore so definitely a keeper!

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Banana Walnut & Chocolate Chip Gluten Free Loaf

18 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

Such an easy and quick recipe to put together and enjoy with your morning cuppa or for a treat in the middle of the afternoon! Really do you need an excuse at all?? 😉

I’ve adapted the original recipe from the Good Food files as not everyone likes a strong banana flavour and I substantially reduced the sugar from the original recipe as ripe bananas are very sweet on their own plus the addition of chocolate chips make this plenty sweet for everyone’s tastes.

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Fruit Cake – Gluten Free

9 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ 2 Comments

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!

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Gluten Free Blueberry & Lemon Loaf Cake

7 November 2016 ~ cozebakes ~ Leave a comment

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.

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