The Ultimate Gluten free take-a-plate slice - Caramel Topped Brownie!

I must admit I am pretty proud of this creation. Perfect, just in time for all those take-a-plate outings you are bound to have coming up in the next month or so.
Fudgy, dense, moist brownie on the bottom, chewy buttery caramel in the middle topped with a soft real chocolate topping and oh so perfectly divine!

Even better - it is gluten free! For all those that gluten free is not an issue - simply replace the baking mix cup for cup with normal wheat cake flour and you will be fine, it works either way. 

Recipe:

For the brownie base:

Pre-heat your oven to 180 Deg C (350 F) and line a 30x20cm (8x12in) tin with non-stick baking paper.
Melt 155g (5 1/2 oz) of butter in a medium sized bowl.
Add to the butter 1C of sugar, 1/3C of Cocoa and 2 large eggs. Beat well to combine with a wooden spoon.
Fold in 1C of quality Gluten Free Baking mix (or if not gluten free, then 1C of normal baking flour)
Pour into the tin and spread out evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until just firm.

For the Caramel:

In a microwave proof glass bowl (or in a double boiler if you are very patient) combine 1 tin of sweetened condensed milk, 2 Tablespoons of golden syrup, 110g (4oz) butter and 1/3 C sugar. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stir, cook a further 2 minutes and stir again. Continue to cooking for 1 minute intervals, stirring between each time. It takes approximately four minutes of this depending on your microwave. It needs to be a deep golden colour and when you place some caramel on a cold surface it will set sort of soft but chewy. Alternatively you can cook in a double boiler, stirring constantly until it reaches soft-firm ball stage (this takes ages, hence the microwave cheat)

 Don't panic - when it gets properly boiling the butter will separate from the caramel and it will look curdled - trust me it will come together in the end.

Once cooked to the chewiness you like, beat well with a handheld beater until it all comes together (about a minute) then pour on the brownie base. Sit this aside to cool and set.

For the Chocolate topping:

Melt 250g (8 1/2 oz) of 50% cocoa solids good quality chocolate with 50g (2oz) of unsalted butter - it takes about 1 minute in my microwave. stir well to melt any last pieces of chocolate and pour over the set caramel. Place in the fridge for about an hour to set the chocolate. Cut in to bars with a hot, dry knife. Store in a air tight container. Will keep at least a week - but it never lasts that long at our house!!!

Gluten Free Brownie

Good gluten free baking is hard to come by. The Internet is full of promising recipes with beautiful Pinterest worthy photos, but when you try them at home they fail. They fail epically. They are either chalky, crumbly and dry or gelatinous and slimy. *Gag*
This brownie recipe is amazing, its soft but not gooey, chewy but not dry, it is awesome.

Oh and it is easy!

Dana's Gluten-Free Actually Delicious Brownie.

Melt 150g of Butter in a large bowl or pot.
Add 2 Eggs and 1C Sugar and mix well.
Add (sift if you like, I don't bother) 1/3C Cocoa, 1C Baking Mix (either from a packet or this recipe here), 1/2 t Baking Powder, 1C (white, milk or dark)chocolate buttons or chips - optional, but recommended!

Pour into a lined 20x25cm tin and bake at 180 deg C for 25-30 min. Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving, dust with cocoa or icing sugar.

Will keep in a sealed tin for about 1 week, if you forget about it, ours usually lasts 2-3 days.

Time to get my bake on!

A Gluten-Free lunchbox

There are many reasons why you might be trying a gluten free diet for your children - skin allergies, behavioural issues, stomach problems, or you might be like me and just think we eat far too much modern wheat in our diet and that we all have some degree of intolerance to it. My eldest was only two when she started to complain of a sore belly after eating wheat products, we live largely gluten free these days, though we aren't too strict on it.

We don't buy gluten free bread for the kids, it is gross. We have learnt to live without bread. The girls have cereal, porridge or eggs for breakfast. For lunch they have a selection of things - carrot sticks, cherry tomato's, strawberries, raspberries, easy-yo yogurt, jelly, salami, ham, sticks of cheese, olives (a favourite!), nuts, boiled egg, cold meat from the night before, raw broccoli, raw cauliflower, fruit, and of course home made baking.

I was doing some lunchbox baking with the kids on Saturday and thought I would share two of the best gluten free recipes I have with you all :-) I think the sign of a good gluten free product is when my best friend doesn't believe me that they are gluten free, if they pass that test, they are good!

Dana's Gluten free baking mix:
 

2 c rice flour (the finer the better, try an Asian supermarket)

1 ½ c maize cornflour
1 c tapioca or arrowroot flour (they are practically the same)
1 ½ t gum – either xanthan or guar gum (you can buy at the health food shop or the supermarket or in bulk from www.kiwisoapsupplies.co.nz)

3 t baking powder

Mix well. This works out about half the price of buying the pre-mixed stuff and works just as well.

 

Dana's Gluten Free Chocolate Chippies
 

 

Cream together:

• 220g softened butter
• 1/2c brown sugar
• 6T sweetened condensed milk (about 1/2 a can)
• 2t Vanilla essence

Mix in:

• 2C of baking mix
• 2tsp of baking powder and
• 400g chocolate drops or buttons.

This mixture is surprisingly soft, don't stress. Put golf ball sized blobs on a lined tray and bake at 180 degrees for 13-14 minutes. Leave to cool on the tray for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Best Chocolate cake recipe ever:

No one will believe it is gluten free!

 

Mix in a bowl:

• 2c baking mix
• 2c sugar
• 1t baking soda
• 1t baking powder
• 1/2t salt

In a pot bring to the boil then turn off:

• 250g butter
• 1c water
• 1/2c cocoa

Mix the cocoa mixture into dry ingredients, then add:

• 2 eggs
• ½ c milk
• 1 1/2t vanilla

Beat together well either by hand or with a mixer.
Bake 180 deg in 25cm tin for 60-70 min or until a skewer comes out clean. We ice this with a simple chocolate icing - 2T butter, 2T cocoa, 2C icing sugar and hot water to mix.

Gluten free baking tips:

Most recipes with lots of butter or eggs works well with gluten free baking. If you are making a cake with 'bits' in it – banana cake, carrot cake, sultana cake you need to add another teaspoon of gum powder to the recipe to hold it together. Some recipes work best if you add an additional egg or more butter – eg scones you add an extra 25g butter. Always just under bake cakes/slices and muffins, and watch cakes closely. I usually under bake cookies by 2 -4 minutes. If they are cooked for the full amount of time they end up dry and crumbly. Hunt around to find the cheapest flours, the Asian food markets often have rice flour much cheaper than the super market, and buying some stuff on line is sometimes cheaper too. Good luck with your endeavours and if you have a favourite gluten free recipe or any questions, feel free to comment below!

 

 

Perfectly Pink Princess Party

My eldest 'baby' turned 5 last weekend. As a girly girly girl she of course wanted a pink princess party. How I managed to get two girly girls, I will never know! I have learnt to embrace the pink and the frills and the dancing and to go with it. Here is a summary of her big day:

Pink, Pink and more Pink (and white, and gold)

 

I find parties much easier to plan for with a colour theme, pick one or two colours and go for it. This year miss princess wanted pink, white and gold. Easter eggs in a glass preserving jar added a little sparkle.

 

Cupcakes!

 

 

My best friend is awesome at bringing a plate to add to the offerings, it makes for one less thing that I have to make. This year it was a plate of mini cupcakes. She makes the most delicious cupcakes! We added a few mini white chocolate crowns and some silver balls and it became a plate to serve a princess.

 

Personalised Cookies

 



 

I love icing cookies! This is a simple sugar biscuit made a few days ahead of time, iced with royal icing.

 

Jelly Time

 



 

What is a party without jelly? I made a double batch, with 1/2 a cup less water and set it in a lined cake tin, then its not too tricky to cut into squares and sprinkle with sparkles.

 

Princess Tiara Cake

 



 

I love making cakes, the white chocolate crown was fun to make, however it was pretty scary trying to get it off the baking paper! The bottom is iced with marshmallow fondant, much tastier than bought fondant, and quite a bit cheaper to make! I used Pascal marshmallows, they made nice soft icing.

 

Pink Roses, Pink Juice, Pink Everthing

 



 

The girls got a little tiara each on their plates to take home. The plastic roses were a warehouse bargain and the little milk bottles I got from a glass wholesaler.

 

 

We played a simple round of pass the parcel (known in our house as "castle-castle" thanks to miss 3's  mis-interpretation of the words) and a hunt-for-the-chocolate bars in the garden. Other than that the kids just played in the lounge. This was also the first time we have held a party over lunchtime (11-1). It was great, they were all gone by 1.30 and I wasn't up until midnight cleaning and tidying up, and we got to spend the afternoon playing with her new toys. Miss 5 really enjoyed her party, in fact her exact words were "that was my best day EVER!" I encourage you to go out of your comfort zone with parties, try something you have never tried before, you only get each party once, make it memorable.

Tips for home made baby food

Home made apple, pear and strawberry puree.

Making your own homemade baby food is much easier and cheaper than many think, and can be quick to prepare with a little planning.  By creating your own portion sizes you cut down on waste and unused food from cans or jars. Also, you have the ability to control every single ingredient that goes into your child’s mouth.  You can create endless flavor combinations of fruits, veggies, and meats.

Weaning your baby on to solids is full of well meaning advice, and do's, don'ts and varying opinions and trends. At the end of the day there really is no "right" way to do it. The World Health Organisation recommends that babies only start solids at 6 months, but a week or two is unlikely to make a difference one way or the other. If you have major food allergies in your family it is best to wait to introduce those foods until baby is over 1. In the Iti Baby Household we avoid grains for our babies as they cannot properly digest them until they are over one.

Your baby is likely to be ready to try solids when:

• Your child has good head and neck control.
• Your child is able to sit well with little or no support.
• When you put a bottle or spoon in front of your child they show interest by opening their mouths or trying to reach for the object.

Coming up with your own combinations of foods can be a lot of fun, but if you are running short of ideas, have a look at the cans of baby food at the supermarket, and make your own versions of similar combinations.  It isn’t imperative that one type of food be introduced before the other, but there are a few recommendations that may help the process go smoothly.

1)     Introduce vegetables first. The idea behind this is that your child may be less willing to give vegetables a chance after discovering the sweet flavors of the fruit.

2) Try starting baby with soft cooked egg yolk with small amounts of vegetables. Egg yolks are very nutritious and easy to digest.

3) Mix meat/bone broth in with vegetables right from the beginning, they contain iron and minerals in very accessible forms.

4)     Prepare and serve foods plain, do not add any additional sugar, salt, or seasonings.

Preparing the food

Before you start, some food safety!

• Always wash your hands prior to preparing any foods.
• Work on a clean surface with clean equipment, cooking utensils and a clean storage container
• Never cross contaminate surfaces by cutting vegetables or fruits on the same surface on which you previously cut raw meat.

The easiest way to prepare fruit or veges is in a pot (or microwave) with a little water. This will completely cook the foods, and will also aide in breaking them down making it easier for your baby to digest them.

1) Select your vege/fruit - try to get organic, local food if possible. Try combinations like broccoli and peas, sweet potato/kumara and carrot, pumpkin and sweet corn, apple and apricot, pear and blackberries.

2) Wash, peel, chop your vegetables or fruit in to 1.5cm cubes or there abouts. You can do this in small amounts fresh each meal while you prepare the rest of the families dinner, or you can do it in bulk ie a bag of apples at once, a whole pumpkin at once etc and freeze for later.

3) Place in a pot with 2cm water in the bottom and cook until the food is soft - 10-20 minutes.

4) Now you have two choices - to go the finger food/ baby lead weaning way, or the more traditional puree way. For finger food, let the food cool and plop it in front of baby and let them go for it. For puree add a little butter, breast milk, coconut oil, bone/meat broth or vege cooking water and mash with a fork, puree in a food processor or use a stick blender.

5) If your food is pureed, storing it in covered ice cube trays (or for larger portions use silicone muffin tins) and pop into the freezer. This is great if you are doing a whole lot of one type of vegetable at once, then you can grab one cube of broccoli, one of pumpkin and one of kumara, defrost and mix together with ease. It is also easy to defrost a little more if baby is still hungry!

Tip for defrosting: Be careful using the microwave, is leaves hot spots in the food, so if you do use it, stir, stir, stir well and leave it to sit for a few minutes before serving. To avoid the microwave, heat the food in a bowl over a pot of hot water.

Making Bone Broth:
 

Making bone broth is very easy and incredibly nutritious. It contains minerals from the bone, soothing fats (for nerve and brain growth) and gelatin (for the immune system) from the meat and connective tissue, protein from the meat and the all important iron.

Choose chicken frames or beef shin bones. Add these to a deep pot or slow cooker with plenty of water. Babies don't need additional salt or seasoning, but you may like to add some chopped carrots or celery for additional nutrients.

Put over a slow - medium heat and simmer slowly for many many hours (at least 3, up to 24). Check the water level regularly and top up as required. When finished, strain the liquid in to ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, tip out into a labelled zip-lock bag and store in the freezer. These can then be added to sauces, and baby's food.

Home made baby food is much much cheaper, tastier and more nutritious than bought preserved food. Give it a go! Baby doesn't know conventional food combinations, so feel free to experiment!

Dana's no-fail Orange and Cinnamon Fudge

I am a self professed pretty-good-baker and equally-good-cook. But I have a secret shame, despite the many amazing things I can bake - I can't make fudge... There, I said it.
I do, however, have an amazing no fail fudge recipe that is perfect for this time of year. It is done over a low heat (or a microwave if you like) and is a simple one that kids can help with. It makes great gifts for friends or teachers.

Ingredients:
1 can condensed milk
600g chocolate chips or buttons or chopped chocolate (about 3 cups)
8 drops of orange oil or 1/4 teaspoon of orange essence
1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon.

Line a 20x20cm tin (or similar) with tin foil.
Melt the chocolate with the condensed milk over a low heat stirring constantly. Or microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between.
Once all the chocolate is melted add the orange flavour and the cinnamon and stir until smooth.
Pour into the tin and leave to set in the fridge.

Notes: 1) You can buy orange oil in kitchen speciality shops.
            2) You can replace the orange flavour and cinnamon with 1 teaspoon of vanilla and
                1/2 cup chopped nuts.
           3) Use this recipe to pour in to cookie cutters that have been wrapped in foil so it
               doesn't run out the bottom. Let the kids decorate the tops with lollies or silver balls.
               Once set remove the foil from the bottom and wrap in cellophane to give as gifts to
               teachers.

Keeping pre-schoolers busy

 

Keeping littlies busy can be a hard task, especially when they are tired from a busy morning at kindy. A big hit in our household is always baking.
Here is my delicious chocolate chippie recipe - modified from my own Grandma's, she was an awesome baker!

The girls help measure and pour the ingredients, push the buttons on the microwave and roll and flatten the cookies.

Dana's Chocolate Chip Cookies

225g Soft Butter
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1/2 Cup White Sugar
1 Egg
1t Vanilla
1t Salt
2t Baking Powder
2 1/2 Cups of Flour
250g Chocolate chips/drops

Preheat your oven to 180 Celsius.

Cream together butter and sugars. Add egg, vanilla and salt and beat a little longer.
Mix in baking powder, flour and chocolate chips.
Roll into balls about the size of a golf ball, place on a lined tray. Flatten lightly with a fork.
Bake for 13 - 20 minutes. 13 minutes gives you a soft chewy cookie, 20 minutes gives you a dark golden crispy one.

For super-duper amazing-ness add 2T of cocoa with the flour. AAAMMMMAAAZZING!

Makes aprox. 28 cookies (minus the dough you eat first...)