The Best Coconut Slice Ever!

 Archie had to do some cooking for his class last night so decided to make coconut ice. The recipe called for copha which is a hydrogenated vegetable fat... something I really didn't want to buy. So we thought we would try using coconut oil instead. Oh my giddy aunt - it was so much better that I thought we should share the recipe!

Archie's Coconut Slice (adapted from Stephanie Alexander's 'The Cook's Companion'

130 grams coconut oil

250 grams dessicated coconut

500 grams icing sugar

a few drops of vanilla extract

2 egg whites

a few drops of natural food colouring 

Melt the coconut oil and then mix with the dessicated coconut, icing sugar, vanilla extract and egg whites. Divide the mixture in half and mix the natural food colouring through one batch. Spread one half in a 20x20cm square cake tin then spread the other half on top. Refrigerate until cold and then cut into pieces. TRY NOT TO EAT TOO MUCH!!!

Rose Petal Jam

As you have probably gathered by now, I am passionate about my roses. I not only love them for their beauty, scent, etc.... but also for the way they connect me with my mum and grandmother. This is Albertine which is one of our shared favourites and is suddenly flourishing this year over the archway leading into our garden.

 Another rose I love in the garden is an unnamed variety (to me anyway) which has large, deeply fragrant, pink flowers. On Saturday it was bowing under the weight of so many roses, many about to drop their perfect petals and so, I set about making rose petal jam from this recipe.

It was magical to have the air fill with rose petal steam.

 And pretty. Pretty beyond belief.

 The best thing is that now I have lots of little jars to give as Christmas presents. Hopefully I might even keep one or two for winter when I start going into rose withdrawal. 

This is the beautiful bright pink rose that gave up its petals for jam (with some Pierre de Ronsard blooms keeping company)....

Lots and lots of love,

Kate. xxooxx.

Sunday Morning Baking.

As I mentioned yesterday morning, Archie woke in a baking mood. After trawling through my favourite cookbook, 'How to be a Domestic Goddess' by Nigella Lawson, he settled upon her Jam Donut Muffins. One thing I love about Nigella's recipes (we are on first name basis) is that with an extra egg and gluten free flour, they translate so easily into a gluten free version. I can say from experience that this is not always the case!

 He did the whole thing by himself from start to finish and with such happiness.

Hugo of course thought it was the best thing that has ever happened in our kitchen.

 Yum!

 YUM!

We were allowed to have one each. The rest had to be saved for dessert because Poppa was coming over for dinner.

Awwwww. Archie loves his Poppa.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate. xxooxxooxx.

My Favourite Hot Chocolate (in York)

 I have now taken all of the photos and almost finished writing up the tutorial for the roses but it's suddenly reached the stage on a Sunday afternoon where I just want to snuggle with the boys on the couch and make the most of a rainy night. I hope you understand and I promise that tomorrow it will be action stations again!

So, for the meantime I thought I would show a photo of one of my favourite places on our trip - a caravan named 'Flo' (run by the cupcake bakery Crumbs) by Yorkminster. By the way Yorkminster + vintage caravan = heaven.

 Flo serves the best hot chocolate ever and provides the most glorious seating as well.

 Can you imagine having a business like this. I know it would be full of hard work but from the outside - what a dream.

 The cupcakery itself was a delight. Hugo and I had the honoured job of buying a stash of cupcakes for the family.

We were both bedside ourselves with the pink couch. Hugo is still at that stage where anything he knows I like makes him squirmy and jumpy for joy.... "Look at this Mum, look at this Mum, look at this Mum".

Gaaaaahhhhh - they even had a great gluten free section which made me deliriously happy.

Lots and lots of love,

Kate.

p.s. this post is completely unsolicited but I kind of wish that it was solicited (not a great word I know) and that I had been paid with an endless supply of cupcakes.

Macaroon Attempt No.1.

 So far so good.

 Okay.... They seem to have gone well so far. This is my first attempt at macaroons. I don't quite know how they are going to turn out but I have had a secret ambition to make them for quite some time. Just for the colours alone. Archie reminded me that I don't really like the kids to eat food with 'colouring' in it. It's funny how those rules don't seem to apply when it makes my food more attractive.

And the hot air balloons are slowly beginning to increase momentum. I would love to have a moment of them all suspended from the ceiling before I sell them. 

Lots and lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

Lamington Love... A Gluten Free Recipe.

Keeping gluten free is pretty easy these days but I think there is a gluten free lamington vacuum that needs immedaite remediation. I realised the other day that Hugo has never had a lamington - quelle fromage (as my friend Stef says)!!!!!

 So I set to work yesterday afternoon.

 And thinking that it was going to be a fiddly exercise, I was thrilled to find that lamington making is in fact, a pleasure.

Lamingtons (gluten free). 

For the cake:

4 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

1 1/4 cups gluten free S.R. flour

1/4 cup warm water

A good pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

For the Icing (adapted from The Australian Women's Weekly book, 'The Cake Stall':

3 cups of icing sugar

A generous 1/3 cup of cocoa powder (or more to taste)

1 dessert spoon of butter

2/3 cup of milk

Dessicated coconut

Raspberry jam

Grease and flour  33cm x 23 swiss roll tray (or biscuit tray with edges). Preheat oven to 180C. Beat eggs until thick and pale yellow, then slowly add sugar. Beat till glossy. Sift flour  and salt together then fold through egg mixture. Fold in water and vanilla essence. 

Pour into prepared tray and bake for about 15 - 20 minutes until the cake is cooked and golden.

In the meantime, heat butter, milk and sifted icing sugar and cocoa powder in a small saucepan over a low heat until it is of a shiny, dippable mixture.

Sprinkle a tea towel with icing sugar and turn out the cake onto it. Allow to cool then cut in half, spreading one side with raspberry jam and then sandwich the two pieces together. 

Gently dip the lamington cakes into the icing, using a knife or spatula to ensure all areas are covered. Place the cakes into a bowl of dessicated coconut and cover, then place on a tea towel or biscuit rack to set.

Oh yes, then eat.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

p.s. My non gluten free family members raved about them which was wonderful as they get to have the real gluteny deal!

Early Birthdays.

I don't think I have written it here but the whole family has been saving for an ipod touch to share. We finally reached our goal (after months) and this morning I presented it to the boys. I told the boys they had to wait on the couch and give each other a cuddle. Archie's face is a picture of excitement but Hugo's, well you can see that he is just happy to be sprawled all over his brother - monkey.

This is why I have gone a bit fancy with my photos - I have been using the photo app - I promise to go back to normal photos soon. Anyhoo, we are about to go to a birthday party and I have been asked to bring along some melting moment biscuits. I have made so many batches lately that I thought I would go a little tamely-wild - chocolate with blue vanilla icing and then rolled in sprinkles.

Hugo says that they are good.

Aaaaggggghhhhh sprinkles.

Lots of love,

Kate xxooxx.

More Christmas Peeps AND the Best Shortbread Recipe Ever!!!

Business first, Jonno cut out the stag head shield for me yesterday and I spent the day spraying it. The unnamed little fellow is now mounted and waiting for a brass plate to announce his name (although he may have to make do with a cardboard one until after Christmas).

The presents are almost, almost done.

And the boys and I are still enjoying our Christmas glamming of the house.

Now, for the shortbread recipe. I do not make this claim lightly but I do think we may have a winning recipe. It is gluten free but please don't let this turn you off if you are lucky enough to be a gluten eater. I made a batch of gluten and gluten free the other day and had my father-in-law (well known as a shortbread connoisseur test it). Jonno and the boys back up his decision whole heartedly. Here we go...

Shortbread.

250 grams softened butter

1 cup of icing sugar

1 1/2 cups of white rice flour

1 1/2 cups of corn flour

Method.

Pre-heat oven to 180c. Cream butter and icing sugar together. Add rice flour and corn flour and mix well until it comes together in a big ball. Add a little extra butter if it is too dry or crumbly. Roll out on a well floured bench and cut into shapes or roll into a log and slice into circles. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. When they come out of the oven be patient, don't test to see if they are cool with your tongue - it took forever for the blister on Hugo's to go away.

Lots of love, Kate xxooxx.

A Gluten Free Chocolate Cake!!! Also good for gluten people too...

This is our family favourite....

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake (also a good recipe for gluten flour)

150 grams softened butter

1 cup of sugar

3 eggs (only 2 if you are making a cake with gluten flour)

2 cups grated carrot (or 2 ripe bananas mashed)

2/3 cup cocoa powder (dark)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup gluten free self raising flour

1/2 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 180c (or moderate oven). Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat in. Next add the grated carrot or banana mash. Mix in dry ingredients thoroughly and then add milk.

Scrape into a greased and lined cake tin and bake for approximately 45 - 50 minutes.

Ice with your family's favourite chocolate icing. Usually I use butter, boiling water, icing sugar and cocoa powder but last time I swapped the butter for light cream cheese and the icing was extraordinary (and much lower in fat... not that it mattered).

Have fun.

Love Kate xxooxx.

Dave and the Aliens.

Dave and his half finished friends - they are a bit alien-like at the moment... I think I should tweak this quality.
A crocheted pin cushion waiting to be stabbed and some gluten-free bread down below. It tastes so much better than it looks, especially with butter and farm honey.

And one of the boys' more beautiful creations, usually they are sludgy and toxic.

I hope you had a good weekend. It was a quiet one for us with Jonno milking the cows. The next weekend will be exciting though because it will be my birthday - hurrah, the greatest day of the year.

Love Kate, xxooxxooxx.