Xmas muffins

All the flavour of xmas pudding in an individual serve.

These are gluten/grain and can be dairy free.

Makes 12

Ingredients

300g of any dried fruit- I have used blueberries, apricots, prunes, medjool dates, figs, and mango- small dice, or chopped in food processor

1 ¾ cups (175g) of blanched almond flour

2 tsp of gf baking powder

3 eggs

1 clean, whole orange, chopped into chunks

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup of coconut oil or butter

1 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

Method

Preheat oven to 180c and grease well a 12 holed muffin tin. It’s easier to line them with paper muffin cases as they do tend to stick.

In a food processor put in your orange and blitz until mostly smooth, add your coconut oil or butter, eggs and vanilla and pulse briefly. Add in your almond flour, spices and baking powder. Add in your dried fried and just stir them through. Spoon into 12 muffin holes and bake for 12-15 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.

For the honeyed brandy cream

For each ¼ cup of double cream I have used ½ tsp honey and 1 tsp brandy. You can use more if you want, just taste it!

You can do whipped cream if you wanted, just add honey and brandy as you whip your cream.

For dairy free you can use the thick part of ayam coconut cream and add your honey and brandy.

Gluten/grain/yeast free bread

Dry Ingredients

1 & 1/3 cups of tapioca flour- most Asian grocers stock this, may be called cassava

1 & 1/3 cups of blanched almond flour

¼ cup psyllium husk, found at the supermarket in health or near breakfast/oat section

¼ cup of coconut flour- health food shops or online

1 tsp salt- don't cut out any of the salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Wet Ingredients

4 eggs, separated, room temp

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or similar

2 tsp honey

200ml warm water

Method

Preheat oven to 180 c

In a large bowl put in your dry ingredients.

In another bowl whisk your egg whites until firm peaks- You can use electric whisk or hand beater, then add water and combine

In a smaller bowl put your egg yolks, vinegar, oil and honey, whisk until thick and pale yellow. Then whisk in water.

Put your egg yolk mix in your flour mix, whisk until combined. It should be a very thick batter.

Then add half your beaten egg whites and fold in, don’t be too rough you want to keep the aeration.  Then put in the other half and fold in again, make sure it is thoroughly combined.

Put into your bread tin, even out the top-you can sprinkle sesame or pumpkin seeds if you want.

I have used a silicon bread mold- one that measures 10cm x 23cm.

Bake for 50 minutes approx (Do keep an eye on it as all ovens are different)

Then turn the oven off and leave the bread in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Take out and cool on a rack. When cool you can slice and put in the freezer, or the bench in an airtight bag or container.

Coconut flour pineapple fritters

Ingredients

4 pineapple rings

2 eggs

2 ½ tbsp coconut flour

¼ tsp baking powder

Method

Mix well with a whisk, should be a thick batter.

Dip in the batter and fry in a pan with coconut oil for 1 minute each side, should be golden brown. You can then dip in cinnamon sugar if you wanted. (I did, have used organic raw sugar gives it a little texture)

This would be great with banana too. Serve with ice cream/cream or coconut cream

Vegetarian stuffed cabbage leaves

Ingredients

8 large wombok leaves (chinese cabbage)
1 bunch silverbeet, washed and chopped well
2 carrots, grated
4-5 cloves garlic, crushed
400g ricotta cheese
700g jar of tomato passata (cooked strained tomatoes)
½ tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs
Salt and pepper
Optional grated cheese to sprinkle over the top

Method

In a large pan half fill with water and put on to boil.
Take the stalk part off the leaves
Cooked the grated carrot and garlic in some butter or coconut oil, cook for 2 minutes and then set aside to cool. Put a pot with some water and cook your silverbeet for 3-4 minutes until it’s wilted, then put into cold water and squeeze out excess liquid.
Plunge the leaves in the water one at a time for 20-30 seconds, this makes the leaves pliable, then take out and put into a sink of cold water, then drain them.
Mix your cooled carrot mix and silver beet, add the ricotta, nutmeg, salt, pepper and eggs, mix well. Lay your cabbage leave on your bench and put your filling in the middle in a log shape, use all the mix and then roll up your cabbage leaves. In a large baking dish pour enough passata to cover the bottom and then place your cabbage rolls in, cover with the remaining passata, and grated cheese if using. Bake at 180C for 30-40 minutes until hot right through.

Strawberry and vanilla breakfast crumble

This can be made for dessert then used as breakfast, either warm or cold. I drizzled over ½ tsp honey. You can serve with full fat greek yoghurt, coconut cream or double cream.

Note: honey and extras serving suggestions is not included in the nutritional breakdown. But ½ tsp (5g) honey is 4g carbs

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup (160g) mixed nuts

¼ cup seeds (40g pumpkin and sunflower)

¼ cup (50g) of chia seeds

½ cup (50g) shredded coconut

50g cold butter, small dice

2 tsp vanilla extract

250g strawberries, hulled and cut in half lengthwise

Method

Preheat oven to 180 C

In a food processor (or chop by hand) briefly blitz nut, seeds and coconut. Not too fine keep some chunks. Place into a bowl, then add your chia seeds and butter, using your hands pick up the mix and put through your fingers to distribute the butter, you still wants chunks of butter so don’t mix too much. In a baking dish put in your strawberries, pour over the vanilla and toss through. Put your crumble mix over evenly and bake for 30 minutes, watch out it doesn’t burn, if it getting too brown cover with foil.

1463kj, 10g carbs, 32g fat, 10g protein

Double chocolate cheesecake bites

Makes 8-12 

Ingredients

Base

50g walnuts- you could use any nuts in the base

50g almonds

50g melted butter

1 tsp honey

1 tbsp cacao powder

Topping

125g full fat cream cheese

2 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp vanlla extract

1 tbsp coconut oil, melted

Method

For the base:

In a food processor blitz nuts until it looks like crumbs, then add cacao, honey and butter, pulse until combined. On a tray lined with baking paper put balls of the mix on and flatten with your fingers to form a flat circle. You should get 8-12 depending on how big you want them. Put in the fridge to set.

While the base is setting blitz up your cream cheese, cacao, vanilla, cacao and coconut oil until smooth. Take out your base and spoon the topping on, put back in the fridge. You can keep in the freezer for a frozen treat too.