I have had a busy weekend with four photo shoots today alone. My feet are sore from being on them all day and from our visit to the Food and Wine show yesterday. That was a great experience with food samples and tiny glasses of wine flowing in all directions. From a wide variety of cheeses to thick, rich yoghurts, spicy sausages, crackers and chutneys of all kind. The tummy expanded and the eyes swam as we moved deeper and deeper into the show. We maneuvered through the first pavilion with methodical precision born of a clear head but by halfway through the second, we could have been in the back streets of Italy for all we knew. We had no idea where we were. The limoncello was irresistible, the feijoa wine needed to be tasted in all its varieties from the sparkling to the special reserve, the cold beer called from afar. The tiny cup of Thai curry, the tasty slurp of clam chowder and the toothpick full of vegan sausage didn't manage to absorb the liquid offerings so we bumbled (actually … [Read more...] about Caramel, Chocolate Granola Cups
dessert
Coconut Banana Pie
I had to develop a recipe this evening for a firm who has recruited me so I can't blog about our dinner. But I had coconut cream left over from the last Jamie Oliver meal and I wanted to use it. I had an email from a fellow blogger and went to look at her blog and lo and behold there was a coconut pie. I looked no further. I found this on the Dish-away blog. It took quite a bit longer to cook than in the recipe and it's important to cool it completely or it's too soft to handle. The coconut banana flavours were very tasty though. This is not a low Fodmap recipe. Coconut Banana Pie Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Ingredients 100 grams butter 4 eggs ½ cup flour 1 cup sugar 1 cup shredded coconut 4 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup milk 1 cup coconut cream 2 mashed bananas Method Microwave the butter for 30 seconds, or melt it in a pan on the oven top. Mash the bananas with a fork. Beat the eggs well, then add the melted butter and beat until fully incorporated. Add … [Read more...] about Coconut Banana Pie
Chocolate Chip Pie – Gluten-free
This food blogging is all consuming and takes up a lot of time but what a great ride it is. From the cooking to the styling to the photography, it is a true joy. But the best part is the people you meet online who have the same passion. I have been doing quite a few gluten-free meals lately and it's mainly because there are so many great blogs out there that concentrate on gluten-free and they fascinate me. I suspect I feel better when I am not throwing a lot of wheat down my throat but it's not clear cut enough for me to make the leap to wheat-free or gluten-free. Anyway, tomorrow is visiting-Mum day and she is gluten-free so I went looking at one of the best blogs for healthy cakes and desserts which are often also gluten-free. You have met her before - Chocolate Covered Katie and that's where you will find this recipe. It is similar to this cake I made of hers a few weeks back with the big difference that this one has almost no sugar because it has a whole pile of dates in it … [Read more...] about Chocolate Chip Pie – Gluten-free
Blueberry Oatmeal Cream Cookies – healthy weekend baking
All week I think about my weekend baking - in a good way. I don't obsess, I just wonder what I will bake. So, as I visit my favourite food blogs, I keep an eye out for something that jumps off the page. It could be special ingredients like yesterday's White Bean Cookie Cake, or beautiful photos like for today's recipe which I found on the Butter Cream Blondie blog. It makes me wonder how I will photograph the dish and whether it will be appropriate for the family. These blueberry oatmeal cream cookies are not quite as healthy as the granola bars I have been making lately but they do have blueberries and lots of rolled oats so can't be all bad. That mascarpone filling introduces an Italian element but more importantly a touch of decadence. Blend healthy and decadence and you have the perfect combination for work morning teas - something to look forward to each day. [print_this] Recipe: Blueberry Oatmeal Cream Cookies Ingredients 4 ounces/113gm unsalted butter, room … [Read more...] about Blueberry Oatmeal Cream Cookies – healthy weekend baking
White-Bean Cookie Cake – Gluten-Free and Delicious
My sister and I were supposed to be visiting our mother tomorrow so I made this gluten-free cake to take since she is now gluten-free and feeling the better for it but Janet (my sister) has an exceedingly nasty cold, which my Mum and I do not have any intention of catching. So, no visit and more cake for us. This is similar to some bars I made recently, which I found on the website of Chocolate-Covered Katie. They went down really well with the family so I went hunting for another gluten-free sweet on her website and found this cake/dessert, which uses the same unusual ingredient as the bars - white beans. You can find the recipe here. I prettied it up with a lemon icing drizzle on top, which I actually liked because the lemon cut through some of the sweetness of the dish. I then melted the leftover chocolate chips and dribbled the resultant deliciousness over the icing and crowned it off with a dollop of mascarpone. It definitely has a decadent feel and taste to it and yet it could … [Read more...] about White-Bean Cookie Cake – Gluten-Free and Delicious
Granola Chocolate Cranberry Cookies – a Gluten-Free Recipe
As usual, on Sunday I bake the healthy morning tea for the week. I decided to combine some of my favourite granola bar ingredients and make them into cookies rather than bars. Pure semantics, I know, but a girl needs a change once in a while. Adriano and Dario have come to expect the baking containers to be full. Last week we ran out before the end of the week so this time I made quite a few cookies but several have already been eaten so maybe I should have tripled the recipe. These took all of ten minutes to throw together and they looked cooked after about ten minutes but, as I have said, my oven is whacky and they could take longer in yours. This recipe is not low Fodmap. 5.0 from 1 reviews Granola Chocolate Cranberry Cookies - a Gluten-Free Recipe Print Author: Suzanne Perazzini Serves: 16 Ingredients 1 cup rolled oats ½ cup crunchy peanut butter 1 cup apple sauce ½ cup chocolate drops ¾ dried cranberries 1½ tsp vanilla … [Read more...] about Granola Chocolate Cranberry Cookies – a Gluten-Free Recipe
