Pumpkin and Pecan Cookies

1/2 cup coconut butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tbs maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup mashed pumpkin
2 1/2 cups flour (I used a combination of rice/buckwheat/besan/tapicoa)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xantham gum
1/2 cup almond meal
1/2 cup pepitas
2 tsp pumpkin spice (mixture of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg)
pecans


METHOD
Cream coconut butter and brown sugar together.
Add eggs, vanilla and molasses/syrup and keep beating.
Stir in mashed pumpkin.
Sift flours, baking powder, spices and xanthum gum together, then stir into mixture with the almond meal and pepitas.

Place dollops of mixture on a baking tray and position a pecan on top.
Bake in a moderate oven until cooked through.

I don't think this recipe is exactly what I did - mine turned out a bit chewy and I think I may have changed things as I wrote them down. Have a play and give me some feedback on this recipe.

They are still yummy!

I would recommend storing them in the freezer and defrosting them before you want to eat them. Like all gluten-free baked goods these are best eaten the day you make them.

Simone's Magic Muffins

Another of my friends posted this delicious muffin recipe - perfect for lunchboxes.

http://theeverydaymum.blogspot.com/2010/02/simones-magic-muffins.html

Fail Proof Cookies

Mama Moontime posted this fantastic recipe for fail proof cookies  - and so easy to make with children for a quick treat at after school!

http://www.mamamoontime.com/2010/02/worlds-easiest-biscuit-cookie-recipe.html

Easy Baked Raspberry Coconut Slice

This one comes from my old text book from Year 10 Home Economics. Would you believe they asked us to use the The Australian Women's Weekly Basic Cookbook (1988)? It is a very basic cookbook but I have used it so often since then. It is full of simple cooking ideas. Not very imaginative, but very yummy.

So, at the very back you will find this:

Here it is. Kids can help make it too:

1 1.2 cups plain flour
100g butter
1 egg yolk
2 tbs water
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 cups coconut
2 eggs. lightly beaten
1/2 cup sugar

1) Sift flour and rub in butter. Add egg yolk and enough water until you can press ingredients into a firm dough.

2) Knead dough gently until smooth then press into 19cm x 29 cm lamington pan. Use a flat sided glass to roll it evenly into the pan. Bake in moderately hot oven for about 20 minutes. Stand 10 minutes.

3) Spread jam evenly over pastry base.

4) Combine coconut, eggs and sugar (I add the white from the previous egg too). Mix with fork until all the coconut is moist.

5) Spread mixture over jam. Do not flatten. Bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan.

G rated and M rated tahini cookies

The G rated version of this comes (again) from the Recipes to the Rescue book, but I have changed it a bit.

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup barley flour
1/4 tsp bicarb of soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 - 1 tsp ground ginger. OR 2 tsp carob powder
1/2 cup tahini (the original recipe used ground pecans)
2 tbs honey (original recipe uses 1 tbs honey, 1 tbs maple syrup)
4 tbs citrus juice (original recipe uses 2 tbs but I found this too dry)


Sift dry ingredients, add wet ingredients.
Knead lightly and roll into small balls.
Place balls on a baking sheet and press down with the back of a fork
Bake 15 - 20 minutes in moderate oven.
Yummy with chopped nuts, dried fruit or small choc bits.

MA Rated Tahini Cookies

1 cup tahini (crunchy peanut butter is also delicious)
1 cup sugar (ok - you don't need the full cup)
1 cup crushed chocolate bits (use the best!!)
1 egg

Sounds like it won't work but it does. Mix it all up really good and drop small spoonfuls on a tray. Bake in mod oven about 15 minutes. They'll spread a bit but they do keep their structure. This recipe was sent to me by my sister-in-law. I made a batch last night for Father's Day, but ate them with the women who came over to make dolls with me....so I'm making another batch this morning!!

Wacky Cake

This delicious recipe is from my friend Lianne and it is a family favourite. It is perfect for birthday cakes when you want to avoid chocolate but still want a yummy moist cake.  It is dairy-free and can be made gluten-free too, which makes it a cake for everyone. It can be made with self-raising flour - just omit the baking powder and vinegar. I'm guessing it is called a wacky cake because it is made directly in the pan you cook it in. I like that - less to wash up :)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1/3 cup honey or 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup carob powder

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp vingear

1/3 cup oil

1 cup water

1/2 cup optionals (eg chopped dates, sultanas, nuts etc)

METHOD

Mix dry ingredients in an ungreased non-stick pan.

Add wet ingredients and mix really well

Cook 20 - 25 minutes at 180C

My Fave Childhood Cookies

Here's another yummy recipe that I grew up with - one of those ones that was written down on a bit of cardboard and passed from Nana to Mum to Me. I love these little numbers. I make them gluten free by using puffed rice instead of oats, and gluten-free flour instead of wholemeal flour.

1 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar (you can use less)

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup SR wholemeal flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon or mixed spice

1/2 tsp salt

I cup sultanas / chopped dates

3 cups rolled oats

Self-Saucing Pudding

This yummy pudding I made for Thursdays playgroup:

I doubled the recipe, and used carob instead of cocoa, soy instead of milk and SR gluten-free flour instead of wheat flour

and made a little extra sauce to pour over the top ;)

60g butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

1 cup SR flour

1 tbs cocoa

1/2 cup milk

extra 1/2 cup sugar
extra 1 1/2 tbs cocoa

1 1/2 cups boiling water

METHOD

1. Cream butter and sugar

2. Add egg and beat well

3. Fold in sifted flour and cocoa alternatively with milk

4. Place mixture into a greased ovenproof dish

5. Mix extra sugar, cocoa and boiling water and pour over mixture.

6. Bake in a moderate oven, 180 - 190C for 35 to 40 minutes

serves 4 - (apparently! I can eat it all myself)

Pistachio Banana Cardamom Cake

I found this receipe on the blog www.homemaderainbows.blogspot.com

Leanne I hope you don't mind me using it - please contact me

Jennifer (jennifer@ceremonieswithspirit.com)

2 cups plain flour
3/4 teaspoon bicarb soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 large eggs
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/3 cup finely chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 180° C.

Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
Place sugars and butter in another large bowl, and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add banana, sour cream, and cardamom and beat until blended. Add flour mixture then beat at low speed just until moist. Stir in the pistachios. Spoon batter into a greased and lined tin. Bake at 180° for about 1 hour or until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

Ice with orange icing.

To make the orange icing combine icing sugar (approx3/4 to 1 cup), freshly squeezed orange juice and orange zest (about a tablespoon)with a whisk. Adjust your ingredients until you achieve your required consistency. A good hint is to add your orange juice slowly so as not to make your icing too runny....if this happens simply add more icing sugar.....and round you go! Enjoy!

Apple Crumble

Contributed By Jen McCormack

Dish history

This recipe supplied during a Toward Health and Healing Course that I attended in 2007. It's intention was to give an example of how to use rye flour in regular cooking with children in the kindergarten. So there are lots of apples in thic recipe!

Ingredients 

• 18 - 20 apples
  
• 2 cups rice flour
• 1 cup rye flour
• 1 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup honey
• 200g butter
• sultanas
• yogurt to serve
• for those without nut allergies you can add half cup each of sunflower and sesame seeds
  

Before you begin 

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Method

1. Melt butter and honey on the stove, and combine with dry ingredients.
2. With children, chop apples and put into two oiled glass baking dishes.
3. add a dash of water to each baking dish, sprinkle apples with a handful of sultanas plus crumble mix.
4. Bake at 180 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until browned.
5. Swap dishes about halfway through cooking to brown evenly.
6. Use half a large container of yogurt in two little brown bowls to serve.

One-Bowl Muffins

Contributed By Jennifer McCormack

Dish history

This is another recipe that has formed itself over time. I bake a lot with children and it isn't easy when you have bowls and spoons everywhere. Much easier to pass one bowl around for each child to have a turn at stirring!! Of course if you are adding bananas to the muffins then you may need an extra bowl for the mashing (which is a task children LOVE to do)

Ingredients · List quantity of ingredients

• 2 cups self raising flour (I like to use half wholemeal / spelt and half white to make them a bit lighter)
• 1 cup milk (or oat/rice/soy/almond milk)
• 2 tbs oil
• 2 tbs golden syrup
• 1 egg (can be made without egg)
• chopped apple/pear/mashed banana/sultanas ... whatever you have to put in there today!
• 1tsp cinnamon
  

Before you begin

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease muffin trays

Method

1. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl
2. Add wet ingredients. Mix well
3. Add any extras
4. Spoon into muffin tray and cook for about 15-20 minutes

Comments

• These can be made with gluten-free flour but you may need to adjust the liquid content
• Trust the children with knives. With good modelling and assistance when necessary, children can chop apples happily and easily using a table knife and a board if you have peeled and cored the apples first, and chopped them into manageable sections. My son has been helping me chop fruit and veges since he was 2 and a half, although initially there was some waving about of the knife, and most of what he chopped got eaten before it was put into the pot, but raw food has more nutrients for children so I wasn't so fussed about that....

APPLE PIE

Contributed by Anjanae Brueland 

sweet shortcrust pastry

3 apples (green) peeled and grated
rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 level tbsp sugar per apple
marmalaide (spread on pastry
2 beaten eggs

sprinkle top with nutmeg and dots of butter and raisins
45 mins 180deg

SUGAR-FREE BANANA BREAD

Contributed By Jen McCormack

Dish history 

This recipe can actually be found in the “Commonsense Cookery Book” (Book One Revised Edition, 1988, Harper Collins) but I’ve changed some quantities and mixed it up a bit with the methods of another recipe so it is not actually the same. 

Ingredients ·

• 1 cup wholemeal flour
• 1 cup plain flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• ½ tsp mixed spice
• 60g butter or margarine
• 1 egg
• ½ cup finely chopped dates
• 2 well-mashed ripe bananas
• ¼ cup milk

Before you begin

Preheat the oven to 180°C. 

Method

1. In a small bowl add the chopped dates and the bicarbonate of soda. Pour boiling water over the dates so they are only just covered. 
Leave for 15 minutes.
2. Lightly oil a bar pan.
3. Sift flours, baking powder and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl.
4. In another mixing bowl, cream butter, egg and 1 tbs of dry ingredients – beat well then stir in dates (with the liquid) and bananas.
5. Fold in remaining dry ingredients alternately with milk. If a lot of liquid went in with the dates then don’t add the milk.
6. Spread mixture in the bar pan and bake for 30 minutes. Or until cooked inside. Test with a clean knife. If there is mixture on the knife when removed, then bake for longer.

Comments

I like to sprinkle a mixture of brown sugar and cinnamon on top before the pan is put in the oven– which, strictly speaking, 
means it is no longer a sugar-free cake…

Playgroup Bread

Contributed By Jennifer McCormack

Dish history

Jen's Playgroup Bread is somewhat haphazard ... in that it is different every week and I don't measure anything ... but usually it seems to turn out all right! This recipe is enough to feed a small playgroup of about 10 children (and their mummies) - with very small bread rolls! I have found it MUCH yummier when the bread dough is made 12 hours in advance. Apparently this proving time gives the yeast a chance to ferment, thus making the bread easier to digest, which is good because children under 2 years of age who are making bread at playgroup tend to eat more of their roll BEFORE it even gets on to the baking tray ...

Ingredients · List quantity of ingredients

• 2 cups wholemeal / rye / spelt flour
  
• 1 cup plain flour / rice flour
• 3 tsp gluten
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1.5 tsp yeast
• 3 tbs oil
• water (sorry! don't know how much ... maybe 1.25 cups?

Before you begin 

No preparation required

Method

1. Sift flours and gluten together
2. Add sugar, yeast and oil
3. Stir together with a bit of water. Add a full cup while you are stirring, and then add more as you feel it needs it.
4. The dough should be damp and stretchy, but not too sticky
5. Turn dough out on to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes. This is important! The kneading activates the gluten in the flour to create a nice firm, but stretchy dough. Not enough kneading and your bread will be very hard to chew and maybe a bit dry.
6. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp tea towel or put a lid on it. Prove for 12 hours if possible, but if not then prove for at least 2 or 3 if you can. The longer the better.
7. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly.
8. Divide into small bread rolls for the children to knead - and sing your bread song while you do this!

Comments

• I find it useful to mark out sections with a pencil on the baking tray so that each child knows where their bread roll is. You can write their name on the baking paper next to their roll if they have made something special.
• Using rice flour in the shakers is good as it does not muck around with the consistency of the dough too much

Gluten-and Dairy Free Muffins

Contributed By Renee Marshke-Beveridge

Dish history

After months of serving dodgy packet-mix gluten-free muffins at playgroup, my friend Jen was shown up when I “whipped” up this beautiful little recipe one morning when playgroup was held at my house. Jen thinks that these muffins are delicious (words by Jen on behalf of Renee)

Ingredients

· 1/3 cup sugar
· 1 cup brown rice flour
· 1/2 potato flour
· 1/2 cup corn cornflour
· 3/4 tsp salt
· 2 tsp g.f. baking powder
· 1tsp xantham gum
· 11/4 cups g.f. rice milk (check for no malt added)
· 2 eggs
· 3 tblsp. oil or melted butter
· 1 tsp vanilla. 

Method

1. Mix dry and wet, then combine.
2. Then for flavourings - just addblueberries, or a mashed banana, or sultanas, or choc chips.
3. Cook at 180C for 20 minutes

Carrot and Banana Breadmaker Cake

Contributed By Renee Marschke-Beveridge

Dish history

This recipe makes such a moist, yummy cake, and as it is made in the breadmaker it is a great no-fuss recipe. 

Ingredients

· 2 eggs
· 1/3 brown sugar
· 1/2 cup olive oil
· 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
· 1 cup grated carrot
· 1 cup mashed ripe banana
· 1 tsp all spice (or any spices you like)
· 1/2 cup sr gluten-f flour
· 1/2 cup plain gluten-free flour
· 1 tbsp xantham gum
· 1 tsp bicarb soda

Topping

· 250g cream cheese
· 50g butter (opt)
· 2 tbl lemon juice

Method

1. Put ingredients into pan in order. Select cake program button. 
2. Check after 5 mins of mixing, and if needed, mix with wooden spoon. 
3. Take out when finished and cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack. 
4. Whip all ingredients for topping until creamy and apply when cake is cool.