Sunflower Slice

I was looking for a gluten-free slice that was choc-full of seeds like the amaranth slice I bought from Mrs Flanneries last week - sooooo sweet and yummy! It is preferrable if you have soaked and then dried all your nuts and seeds first, but I was in too much of a hurry for something sweet. It is Easter and it is challenging watching everyone else eat chocolate! This is what I came up with:

1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup quinoa flakes
1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup puffed millet
1/2 chopped nuts
1/2 cup honey / maple syrup
1/2 cup ghee / coconut oil
1/2 tahini

Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
Melt honey and ghee in a saucepan until blended.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients then add the tahini.
Mix it well. It should be pretty sticky!
Spread it on a tray that you have greased well or lined with baking paper.
Cook in a moderate oven until golden on top.
Cool before cutting into squares.

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!!

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)

Banana Ice Cream

Contributed By Jen McCormack

Dish history

I can't believe how long it took me to discover the magic qualities of frozen bananas ....

Ingredients 

· Bananas, chopped into chunks

Chop bananas into large chunks and freeze in a container

Push bananas through the mincing attachment on your juicer or blend them together in the food processor.
You can add cubes of frozen yogurt or coconut milk - this is better done in a food processor. Juicers don't like frozen liquids much.
You can also add a few pieces of other frozen fruit such as berries or mango.

Comments

This doesn't need sweetening at all and is a completely acceptable alternative to ice cream for young children, particularly if they can make it themselves. ALWAYS have some frozen bananas in your freezer!

Vegan Brownies

Contributed By Jennifer McCormack

Dish Introduction

These brownies are gluten and dairy free and suitable for vegans. 

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sweet potato puree (see below)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup canola, safflower, or sunflower oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup date sugar or maple sugar
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (can use carob chips)
• 1/4 cup crushed pecans (optional)
• 1/3 cup barley flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder (can use carob powder)
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Before you begin

Preheat oven to 170. For Sweet Potato Puree: Peel and cut 1 sweet potato into chunks: steam or oil 10-15 minutes or until tender. When tender, drain, reserving some of the cooking liquid. Puree in a processor or blender, adding the reserved cooking liquid a little at a time to thin if necessary. The puree should be slightly thinner than mashed potatoes. Sweet Potatoes give these brownies great texture and an intensely rich flavor.