Chocolate Coconut Bars – Gluten-free and Vegan

For a while now I’ve had this recipe for homemade ‘Bounty’ Bars devised by someone on Facebook called ‘Aldi Mum’. The recipe uses dairy so I figured I’d use the principle of the recipe and convert it to make it vegan. There are only three ingredients and they are so easy to make. I’ve realised that my phone pic above is quite blurry so I need to take clearer pictures and post later.

Ingredients

305 g tin of sweet condensed coconut milk (I use the Panaroo brand)

190 g packet of shredded coconut (I use the Aldi one as the amount of shredding is perfect for this recipe and the 190 g size is exactly right too)

400 g dairy-free chocolate (I used Aldi dark chocolate which says it may contain traces of milk. This is fine for our family who don’t have a dairy allergy but obviously this would be unsuitable for anyone with an anaphylactic dairy allergy. In Big W stores you can buy Kinnerton chocolate which is gluten, dairy, egg and nut-free. Always check the ingredient list!)

Method

1. Add the coconut to a medium sized bowl and add the tin of condensed coconut milk. Ensure it is thoroughly mixed together.
2. Form into small logs. I used two silicon ice-cube trays that I bought from Woolworths. With this amount, I had a little left over so used a silicone mini-muffin tray for the extra amount.
3. Freeze until firm.
4. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pot of boiled water.
5. Dip the frozen bars into the melted chocolate and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
6. Refrigerate until set then place in a container and keep refrigerated.

Here is a picture of the trays:

 

Chocolate Fudge – Gluten-free and Vegan

Making fudge has had a bad history for me. When I was 14 I tried to make chocolate fudge. The recipe said to take it off the heat at a certain point, add butter and then beat it hard with a wooden spoon. I was a bit too enthusiastic with the wooden spoon and a pile of very hot fudge slopped out of the saucepan and onto my bare leg (I was wearing shorts). My father scooped me up in his arms and put me in the bathtub and had the cold water on immediately, but I still had a nasty burn. Thankfully there was no scarring but ever since I’ve been wary of piping hot things on the stove. A few years ago I made a caramel fudge in my Bellini but last night I decided to try a chocolate fudge on the stovetop. I wanted to make it vegan as I’m taking it to friends tomorrow who can’t have dairy or gluten. It’s worked out fine but if you try this please be very careful and also I’d suggest not having young children around your feet while making it as it needs careful attention and you don’t want the risk of them grabbing the saucepan. I started with a non-vegan recipe and converted it using coconut milk and Nuttelex. Here it is:

Ingredients

400 g white sugar

45 g cocoa powder

235 g coconut milk

55 g Nuttelex (or other dairy-free margarine)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Grease a square 20 x 20 cm tin/dish with Nuttelex (I used an oven-safe glass dish). Measure out the Nuttelex and vanilla extract into a small bowl.
2. Add the sugar to a large saucepan and sift the cocoa on top. Add the milk and stir to combine. Try not to get the sugar up the sides of the saucepan as it will affect the smoothness of the fudge if the sugar crystallises out.
3. Put on a high heat to bring to the boil, stirring often. Once boiling, turn down the heat to a medium level which will keep it boiling. On my electric stove top I have levels 1-6. I turned it down to level 3.
4. Use a candy thermometer to measure when the mixture is at 115 C. This took quite a while – I estimate 15-20 minutes. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, test by putting a drop of the mixture into a glass of cold water. It will form a soft ball when ready.
5. Remove from heat and add Nuttelex and vanilla extract. Beat with a wooden spoon until the fudge loses the glossy look. Please be careful!
6. Pour into the tin and allow to cool before cutting up. Cut the squares quite small as the fudge is very rich and it could be quite devastating our waistlines!

Basic Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free and Vegan Cake with variations

I’ve been playing around a little with getting a basic cake that is free from the most common allergens including soy and nuts. Although I am able to eat dairy, some people that I cook for at times need either lactose-free or dairy free food also. This recipe uses the technique of replacing the eggs with bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) and vinegar and works well. The basic vanilla cake recipe is below then the variations appear underneath the post. The picture is of a coffee cake variation (omit walnuts for nut-free). I’m still experimenting with this recipe so more variations are to come.

Ingredients

185 g gluten-free plain (all purpose) flour*(see below)

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/2 teaspoon salt

225 g caster sugar

30 g cornflour (it must be corn cornflour for gluten-free)

250 g cold water (this is 1 metric cup = 250 ml)

75 g oil (I use sunflower or canola oil)

20 g white vinegar (4 teaspoons)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

1. Mix together all dry ingredients well in a bowl. For a Bellini Intelli (or other thermocooker) add all dry ingredients to the jug and pulse a couple of times to ensure they are mixed well.
2. Mix the wet ingredients together into a small bowl and add to the dry ingredients.
3. Mix quickly with electric beaters (do not over mix) until lumps disappear or use speed 6 for 5 seconds with the Bellini, scrape down the jug and repeat.
4. Cook in silicone muffin trays for 20 minutes at 160 C (fan-forced oven) or 180 C (conventional oven) or until a skewer inserted into the cakes comes out clean.

*For flour I use Aldi Has No Brand gluten-free plain flour. Other brands including Woolworths, Orgran and White Wings will work in this recipe. If you are in the UK the Tesco or Sainsbury brands of gluten-free plain flour will work. In the USA I think there is one called King Arthur which is available from Walmart which looks to have a similar make up of flours to the ones in Australia. Also, Aldi in the USA has a similar looking all purpose flour. At some point I’d like to put a mix together myself but if I do, I’ll come back here to post my mix recipe.

And now for the variations (watch this space for more)!

Chocolate: Replace the cornflour above with cocoa powder (the same weight). Ice with chocolate icing. Icing: 140 g icing sugar (powdered sugar) sifted, 24 g cocoa powder, 30 g hot water and 30 g melted dairy-free margarine. Mix together well and ice the cakes.

Coffee: Dissolve 1 teaspoon of instant coffee (I use decaffeinated) in a small amount of hot water then add cold water up to the 1 cup (250 ml) mark. Use in place of the 250 g cold water. Icing: 140 g icing sugar, 1 teaspoon coffee dissolved in 30 ml hot water, 60 g dairy free margaine (I use Nuttelex). Mix together well and ice the cakes. Top with walnuts if desired.

Mocha (I haven’t tried this yet): Replace the cornflour with cocoa and also the water with coffee. Use the chocolate icing mix but add coffee into the hot water before adding to the other ingredients.

Berry: Thaw some frozen berries (or use fresh) and puree well in a blender. Replace some of the cold water with the berry puree. When I made this I used mixed berries and the puree was 200 g so I added 50 ml water and used this to replace the 250 g water in the recipe.

Lemon and Poppy Seed: Replace the vinegar in the recipe with freshly squeezed lemon juice (the same amount – 20 g) and add the zest of two lemons and 4 teaspoons of poppy seeds to the mixture.

 

Gluten, Dairy and Egg-free Chocolate Carrot Cake

I’ve been doing some travelling this year, visiting Scotland and England. I was born in the UK so had a lovely time catching up with relatives as well as doing some sightseeing. The Scottish Highlands are absolutely amazing and I did see a ripple on Loch Ness so Nessie made an appearance just for me!

I was thrilled with finding the wonderful Schar bread in Tesco and Sainsbury stores. I really wish that our regular shops stocked it here in Australia. I was surprised to find that it was not so easy to obtain the Orgran No Egg (egg replacer) that I often use in cake recipes. Eventually I tracked it down in a Holland and Barrett store and I also saw it in a different health shop. So, if in the UK, check out the Holland and Barrett shops for it. This cake recipe was given to me 24 years ago, so I decided to make it gluten-free and vegan. The icing is made from cream cheese so if you want it vegan, have a look at substituting a vegan cream cheese and non-dairy margarine or just enjoy without icing. If not nut-free, a handful of walnuts thrown into the mixture go down well too.

Ingredients

190 g gluten-free self raising flour

20 g cocoa powder

110 g sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup grated carrot (weighs approximately 140 g)

225 g crushed pineapple

80 g water + 2 teaspoons Orgran No Egg (or use EnerG or use 2 eggs if you can have them)

115 g vegetable oil (I use sunflower oil)

Method

1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a wooden spoon. Add the carrot and mix well again.
2. Add all of the wet ingredients into the middle and mix well with a wooden spoon.
3. Spoon into a medium sized ring tin.
4. Bake at 160 C fan-forced (180 C conventional) oven until a skewer inserted comes out not sticky. I found this took around 60 minutes.

Icing (not vegan)

1. Mix 60 g cream cheese and 30 g soft butter together with electric beaters.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat again.
3. Add 175 g sifted icing mixture (powdered sugar/confectioner’s sugar) – make sure if it has starch that it is cornstarch not wheat start.
4. Add 2 teaspoons lemon juice and mix well.

Chocolate Biscuits Gluten-free, Dairy-free and Egg-free

Well, phew, the school year is done and dusted, so I can get back to blogging. These chocolate biscuits are based on a recipe I saw elsewhere, and I have changed them to make them gluten and egg free as well as dairy free. I used my Bellini thermocooker to make them, but a food processor or hand method would work as well. I have made them with butter, and have also tried them dairy free when making them for a dairy allergic child, and they taste yummy both ways. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

200 g plain gluten-free flour (I used the Aldi ‘Has No’ brand, but other brands will work fine eg. White Wings, Home Brand, Orgran)

50 g cocoa powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

330 g caster sugar

150 g Nuttelex or another dairy free margarine (butter can be used if not dairy free)

40 ml water plus 1 teaspoon of Orgran ‘No Egg’ powder (or use EnerG powder) plus 10 ml (2 teaspoons) oil (I used sunflower oil).

Alternative egg substitute if you don’t have egg replacement powder: 1 tablespoon (4 teaspoons) flax meal plus 3 tablespoons hot water. Mix together and allow to cool before using.

Method

1. Measure the dry ingredients into the Bellini jug or food processor and mix for 30 seconds on speed 4 to combine. If doing by hand, sift ingredients together.
2. Add the Nuttelex or butter in cut up chunks.
3. Press the ‘pulse’ button on the machine or processor until the Nuttelex is incorporated evenly. I usually find it takes about 3-4 quick pulses.
4. Add the egg substitute and pulse again until the egg substitute is combined. If working by hand use a knife to incorporate the wet ingredients.
5. Roll the mixture into teaspoon sized balls. Press down with your hands and place on trays. Press down lightly with a fork.
6. Cook at 160 C (fan-forced) or 180 C conventional oven for 11 minutes.
7. Allow to cool and harden before eating.

Gluten-free and Egg-free Chocolate Slice

Here’s a chocolate slice recipe that I always fall back on when I need to bring a plate of goodies to an event.

Ingredients

300 g gluten-free plain flour

180 g dessicated coconut

225 g sugar

24 g cocoa

370 g butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Mix the flour, coconut, sugar and cocoa together in a large bowl.
2. Melt the butter and vanilla together and add to the dry ingredients.
3. Press into a 30 x 23 cm baking tin.
4. Bake at 160 C fan-forced (180 C/350 F conventional oven) for 20 minutes.
5. Allow to cool then ice with chocolate icing and sprinkle with coconut.
6. Refrigerate until cold then cut up into squares.

Icing: Sift 280 g gluten-free icing mixture (or use pure icing sugar) and 48 g cocoa into a bowl. Add 60 g of melted butter and 60 ml of hot water and stir until well mixed.

Gluten-free, Egg-free and Dairy-free Chocolate Self-Saucing Pudding

It’s spring here in Brisbane, but thanks to some rainy weather, it’s a little cooler than usual for November. It felt like a great day to pull out the old chocolate pudding recipe:

Ingredients

Cake

150 g gluten-free self raising flour

24 g cocoa powder

170 g sugar

30 g melted dairy-free margarine (Nuttelex) or use other margarine or butter for non dairy-free

125 g rice milk (or dairy milk if you can have it)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Sauce

110 g brown sugar

30 g cocoa

435 ml boiling water

Method

1. Sift the flour and cocoa into a medium sized bowl. Add the sugar and stir to combine.

2. Add the margarine to the milk and vanilla then add to the dry ingredients.

3. Mix well with electric mixers and pour into a small casserole dish.

4. Combine the brown sugar, cocoa and hot water together, then pour carefully over the cake mix in the casserole dish.

5. Bake at 160 C fan-forced (180 C/350 F conventional oven) for approximately 45 minutes.

Eggless and Gluten-free Brownies with Strawberry Cream

 

I saw this fabulous picture on Facebook recently and just had to have a go at making something like it. I haven’t followed the recipe given there but used one that I’ve had for years. Yummy, chewy brownies with strawberry cream!
Ingredients

185 g chocolate (I used milk chocolate)

125 g butter

80 ml water

175 g caster sugar

150 g gluten-free plain flour

2 teaspoons Orgran No Egg (or use EnerG) – If you can eat eggs use 2 eggs and omit the water above

1 cup walnuts (optional – I didn’t use them this time)

Method

1. Grease and line a 20 cm square cake pan.

2. Melt butter and chocolate with the water over low heat.

3. Stir in sugar and mix well. (If using eggs, add them here)

4. Sift the flour and No Egg powder together.

5. Stir in flour and walnuts and mix really well to avoid lumps of flour.

6. Pour into the pan and bake at 160 C fan-forced (180 C/350F conventional oven) for 40-45 minutes.

7. When it has cooled to room temperature, remove the brownie and place on a cutting board. Cut out hearts using a heart cutter. Place the hearts onto a plate and refrigerate to become firmer. Keep the leftover bits for nibbles.

Strawberry Cream

1. Whip 200 ml of thickened cream until quite thick. Blend 100 g of strawberries and mix in with the cream (reserve a little for the plate if you like).

2. Place some strawberry puree on the serving plate. Place 3 hearts onto the plate. Pipe strawberry cream onto the hearts.

3. Place a heart brownie on top and dust with icing sugar.

Chocolate Caramel Slice Gluten-free Egg-free

I honestly thought that everyone knew how to make this slice seeing as the recipe is on the side of the condensed milk tin. However, every time I make it, people ask me for the recipe. The original recipe is not gluten-free, but using gluten-free flour works well. I have changed the chocolate icing recipe, as the one I use makes it easier to cut. I’ve also converted cup measurements to mass so that it is quick and easy to put together. The recipe below is for a double batch. With the colder than usual August weather in Brisbane everyone seems to be hungry and we have regular visitors who don’t mind a piece or two. Just halve the recipe if you don’t want so much!

Ingredients and Method

300 g gluten-free self-raising flour

340 g brown sugar

160 g coconut

250 g melted butter

Combine these four ingredients together and mix. Place into a large oven tray (I used one that is 35 cm x 25 cm x 6 cm). Bake at 160 C fan-forced or 180 C/350 F conventional oven for 10 minutes.

2 cans of sweetened condensed milk (each 395 g)

40 g butter

100 g golden syrup

Combine the condensed milk, butter and golden syrup in a large saucepan. Stir over medium heat until boiling then continue to simmer whilst stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Take care as the mixture is very hot and may ‘spit’ as air bubbles come to the surface. Pour over the base and cook for a further 10 minutes in the oven. (Keep the saucepan aside for scraping out later – yum!)

300 g chocolate

60 g butter

70 ml water

Combine the chocolate, butter and water in a heat proof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well combined. Pour over the slice and refrigerate until set. Use a warm knife to cut into pieces. This slice keeps well in the fridge – if you can keep everyone away from it long enough!

Gluten-free, Egg-free and Dairy-free Chocolate Cake

This chocolate cake is so easy to make and it tastes great! It takes me less than 15 minutes to mix it and get it into the oven. Now that I have a new fan-forced oven, it’s cooked in no time. Here’s the recipe:

Ingredients

260 g self-raising gluten-free flour (The Orgran or Aldi ‘Has No” brands work well. Often other brands have too much raising agent in them, causing the cake to over rise and then sink)

340 g caster sugar

60 g cocoa

125 ml oil

375 ml milk (use coconut milk  or rice milk for dairy free – coconut milk gives a lovely flavour)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Sift the flour, sugar and cocoa together into a large bowl.

2. Mix the milk, oil and vanilla together and add to the dry ingredients.

3. Mix well with electric mixers until it is thoroughly mixed.

4. Place into a greased ring or bundt tin.

5. Bake at 160 C fan-forced (180 C/350 F for conventional oven) until cooked. My oven is fan-forced and it takes about 45 minutes in a bundt tin.

6. Allow to cool and then invert onto a plate.

Icing

Sift 140 g gluten-free icing sugar and 24 g cocoa into a bowl. Add 30 ml of hot water and 30 g of melted butter (or dairy-free margarine such as Nuttelex). Mix well.

Tips

It’s normal for the cake to sink a little in the middle when cooking. If using a bundt tin no one will notice the sink when it’s inverted!