Baking Bread

Baking bread used to be my "speciality." My sister would come home expectant of a freshly baked loaf a few days after she came off the plane.

It was always something I loved. Kneading, rolling, patting, the smell of a warm loaf, and the delicious flavour of wholesome bread. Therefore, it became something I missed.

I used to play with baking breads, adding chopped olives or a blend of freshly chopped herbs and just imagining the warmth and flavour of a warm loaf from the oven with a variety of concocted tastes. But when I tried this same approach baking gluten free, they either didn't bake - an overlooked shell with a mushy, sticky centre - or sometimes, they would bake well, but just one bite would notify our tastebuds (and salivary glands) to over-work, it was gonna be one dry mouthful.

So it took a little more playing around. And I've finally found the best gluten free bread recipe as of late. Quick. Easy. And fool proof. A moist and flavourful roll. Fresh rosemary and garlic? It just makes me want to heat a big pot of soup on the stove and quickly make myself some rolls for dipping, and enjoying. Bean shepherds pie soup from last night sounds delicious, a wonderful mix of hearty beans and the flavour of tarragon, blended with potato, carrots, and a dash of coconut milk to create a creamy and wintery soup. Or perhaps, a bowl of Sweet Cumin Carrot Soup would be more suiting to bring us into Spring (although its still dark despite being only five o'clock). I also recommend dipping the warm rolls into some olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Or a bowl of mussels, a delicious complement to the rosemary and garlic flavours of the buns.

When you pull bread from the oven, you are reminded of the best part of baking gluten free; seeing perfectly round little bread rolls, a tad risen, and the steaming aroma of herbs that escapes from the oven makes you feel the emotion in successful baking. These are soft, moist, and everything homemade bread should be.

Some days, baking bread takes a little nudge, and some days, with the rain pouring down and washing away all of our footprints and any trace of activity outdoors, we remain pulled by the warmth of the fire and the heat of our ovens. On those days, we take to our kitchens, and after, sit at our tables with a plate of delicious baked goods to write up recipes, jot down notes, and detail the experiences. So using whole food, we cook. Together, but also secluded in the clatter of pots and pans in our kitchens.

Some days good food is the effect reason to remain at home - you deserve a rest - while somedays it is the inspiration of a photo on Instagram or Pinterest, or maybe someone's conversation on your way home. Or it is the memory of good food from days past, that meal you enjoyed utterly, chewing in silence and sharing the enjoyment of flavours, that really does make the difference, and replenishes your motivation to cook again, to replenish your energy.

Because we are all much happier, and much healthier, with good food in our bellies, and a good mood as a result, sometimes all we need is a reminder of what we enjoy most, and what makes our lives a little bit better. A little bit happier.

Rosemary Garlic Bread Buns
Print recipe here.

I made this recipe twice over two days, eating the buns with soup, and with oil for dipping, for three meals in a row. They're perfect for breakfast with eggs or almond butter and jam, or for lunch and dinner with soup or as sandwiches. Since they are so quick and easy to make, I recommend you take out your mixing bowl and bake a few buns right now!

You may need to add more flour if the mix has too much liquid. The first time I made these rolls the quantities below were perfect, my kitchen was very cold, however the next day, after the house was warm from the blazing fire, the mixture required nearly double the amount of flour. Just make sure you don't add too much - you still want a bit of stickiness to end up with lovey and moist rolls! Have fun playing with quantities, these are almost guaranteed to taste delicious.

Makes 5 - 6 dinner buns.

Ingredients:

Wet Ingredients:

4 eggs
3 - 4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp apple cider
3/4 tsp xantham gum
1/4 cup coconut milk

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup chia seed flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp fresh or dried rosemary, chopped finely
1 large clove of garlic, minced

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients, beating until combined completely.

Add dry ingredients and beat again.

Drop the mixture onto the parchment paper, and form into small round buns.

Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Allow buns to cool for 5 minutes before serving - the centres will be hot!

Delicious when dipped into olive oil.

Enjoy! xx S

The Harmony in Baking Cake

Decorated to be served at Christmas dinner, the cake is finally ready.

I feel as if the beginning of a new year should start with the thrill and excitement of a new journey, one complete with a new set of expectations and goals to accomplish or sights to see. There should be that fleeting flutter of anxiety before, just so you know that it is completely un-adventured, unfound, before you. What if waking up to the new year was like the first day of school as a five year old, you can't sleep from excitement, try to prepare yourself as much as possible with matching pens, backpack and lunch kit, a new pair of shoes even.

However it seems to me that we haven't quite filled enough excitement into the previous year and instead must end with a bang, in the sense of spending the last hours of the year with as much laughter and chatter with friends as possible. There is no reason to seclude yourself for the last hours, however I also see little reason to go all out (no regrets as my friends would say) because the entire year should have much more fulfilment than a single night. And instead of beginning the new year with expectations of accomplishing each goal and all those little things you've always wanted to do but never got around to doing, we sit around in a haze trying to recover from the previous night.

I recall the first time I stayed up past midnight on New Years Eve, I thought the creatures of the night would be awake at the same time, those cowboys of ten-to-ten, the grumpy monsters and pumpkins of parents trying to get their kids to sleep.

I was the kid that went to bed only to get back up again in ten minutes for a cheese and cracker platter, which took plenty of time to choose. I sat in front of the open cupboard trying to select the perfect type and amount of crackers to pair with cheese, and then continued to slice the cheese in only a perfectionists manner.

I can only say now that characteristics so particular to me now must have started young.

When I was younger mum and I used to cook together seamlessly, she gave me instructions for which ingredient to gather or how much to add to the bowl of batter, and I was instructed as the apprentice of the kitchen. Upon her request I took ingredients off the shelves and placed them beside the bowl for use, and gathered spoons or measuring cups for her when she needed. If I was lucky, she held out the big wooden spoon we used, and in two little hands I grasped the handle tightly as I began stirring the mixture round and round slowly, using my entire body to move the weighted spoon.

I think back, and remind myself how lucky I am to have this memory of mum and I, the student and a teacher, as we cooked harmoniously in the kitchen. And as the cakes and cookies always tasted delicious even after I scooped the entire bowl for remaining batter, I know with each bite that it was more than the ingredients which make the outcome so tasty. There's something about sharing the moment when the kitchen suddenly fills with the warmth and spices of something from the oven, and you both take that first bite into the delicious treat heating your fingertips.

It was during this time as we made the Christmas cake that I realised what it is about Christmas that I love so much, and what I hope to keep in mind as I begin the new year. With the same wooden spoon that has stayed in the kitchen for years, and been used to make many Christmas cakes before, a constant among the flow of cheap utensils as they are bought and quickly broken, I stirred the mixture with two hands on the handle of the spoon. I had lined the ingredients which mum needed for the cake neatly beside the old scale brought over from England by my parents, which uses black weights with printed measurements such as '4 oz' on top.

The elegance of the fruit and spices, and even an undetected splash of alcohol combines everything together so neatly in this Christmas cake, and reminded me of what we seem to strive for, and in the short window of Christmas holidays when we allow ourselves to relax, can achieve with the familiarity and comfort of having family and friends close. The harmony of all the flavours in each bite made me realise how I've quickly slipped into a habit of trying to control situations which occur. Instead of allowing things to happen, to show their flavour like the nutmeg or molasses in this cake, I've overpowered those spices, an important necessity to achieving the desired taste, and have instead created something undesirable. Without ease of sitting back and enjoying it the moments to come, I have fallen into the pattern of standing up against it.

Harmony between each other can only exist when we can personally remain balanced, and I'll remember this as each section of the Christmas cake is served, topped with a sweet layer of marzipan and icing, and the flavours develop more and more over time, complementing each other better.

I've taken a slice while I finish this post, and remember the harmony that existed in that moment when mum and I stirred the Christmas cake on the kitchen counter, when I was really little, and just a few weeks ago.

Gluten Free Christmas Cake
Print recipe here.

A richly spiced cake which keeps the tradition of cooking over the holidays in today's kitchens. It lasts longer than other cakes because of the alcohol used, and the spices pair perfectly with the flavours, and I was surprised to find that the moistness of this cake keeps it together and prevents any crumbling, unlike many other gluten-free cakes - even without any gums used!

A sweet topping of marzipan and icing complement this rich flavouring of the cake, because a little sugar and spice was never so nice.

Ingredients

175 g raisins
175 g sultanas
400 g currants
50 g chopped prunes
50 g chopped apricots

50 g ground almonds
1 tsp all spice
1/2 tsp nutmeg

6 tbsp brandy or whisky

225 g butter, slightly softened
225 g dark brown sugar

4 large eggs

225 g Bob's Red Mill gluten free flour mix

2 tbsp molasses

approximately 3/4 c marzipan
white icing made from icing sugar and water, the proportions vary due to conditions of your kitchen, but you want the consistency to be thick so that the icing does not run off of the cake.

Directions

Place all the measured fruit, ground almonds and spices in a large bowl and mix in alcohol. Stir and leave to soak overnight.

Preheat the oven to 275°F and line an 8" cake tin with parchment paper, a round piece on the bottom and a strip along the sides.

Cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it turn cappuccino coloured. Beat eggs together in a smaller bowl and pour in slowly, mixing thoroughly. Don't worry if the mixture curdles at this point.

Fold in the flour mix into the butter, sugar and egg mixture until completely combined. Then add in the fruit and pour in the molasses.

I recommend using a heated spoon when measuring the molasses, running it under hot water before, which keeps the molasses from sticking to the spoon.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin, and place in the oven. Bake for approximately 3 hours. Test that the cake is done by inserting a clean butter knife into the centre, a clean knife when removed means that it is done cooking.

Allow the cake to completely cool before placing it in an airtight container, and keep it in a cool, dry location for a week or so. This resting process allows all the flavours to develop, and don't worry about it going stale - the alcohol will prevent this!

Remove the marzipan from the fridge an hour or so before you begin icing the cake to allow it to soften, rolling it in your hands will also loosen it and make it easier to work with. With a rolling pin roll out the marzipan into a 0.5 cm thick round. Lift it from the counter and lay over the cake. If it is large enough to cover both the top and the sides then cut the excess from the base of the cake, or you may choose to apply the marzipan in two pieces, cutting a round for the top and a separate piece for the sides.

When this is done, and the icing sugar is made, spread it evenly on top of the marzipan with a spatula or knife. It is alright if some drips off of the cake, but it should be thick enough to stay along the sides. Allow it to harden completely before decorating as we often do, or if you choose, serve.

Rain Grows the Flour

The rain finally fell today.

It's been over a month of dry weather; streams have dried up, and on long walks with my dog she jumps in excitedly at the site of every bed... Only to the thud of her paws on parched stones, and the scraping of her claws against rocks as she glides across them. Despite the lack of water, and to my surprise, there was still mud at the sides of the trails, an oozing dark brown with green skunk cabbages dotted throughout. It ushers dogs in, and their paws end up muddy, like little boots, just as you turn to leave. Its my dog's way of getting a bit more out of our walks.

This week I took my dog, a springer spaniel, and my neighbours two dogs, both cocker spaniels mixed, one with pug and one with springer spaniel. They were tons of fun running around, chasing one another, and jumping in the lake nearby. We ended up staying far too long at the beach, where sticks strewn about were picked up by the dogs to be thrown. My dog, with her huge webbed feet, loves the water, and splashes in jovially kicking off the ground to get height with each jump. The other two, both small and frisky, rolled around in the grass, tumbling over each others backs in play.

I met friends at the beach who were enjoying the bright sun and the peaceful air; squatting on the beach they looked out at the rippling water until the dogs disturbed their rest. Tourists lazed on the beach as well, but their serenity was halted as a wet dog made her way over to nuzzle their faces. Luckily, they didn't become angry, and instead played with the dogs, rubbing their bellies and running around in circles, looking for the excited faces of the dogs to watch in earnest, prized on the stick.

And still the rain fell as the day turned to night, the crisp in the air turned icy, and the drops became heavier, soaking into the parched ground, washing away debris.

It's so cleansing watching droplets run down windows, streaking the glass as if wiping it clean. The air becomes fresh as well, with the heaviness diminishing after each cloud burst.

Although its very different when it rains here compared to England, when the rain feels depressing, somber, and heavy. Rainy days weren't comforting when I visited this summer, however perhaps because I was jet lagged the first week of my holiday gave the wrong impression. It poured continuously as I stayed with uncles, until mum arrived. And from that day on, the sun shone, and I wore shorts and tank tops everyday, even tanning in London!

The freshness of this rain is much needed for the plants, to wear fall clothes (and boots!), and especially to enjoy the comfort of autumn foods. And I remind myself to dress warmly when I awake, when the night still darkens the morning until I leave the house. It's as if I still expect it to be sunny in just a few short hours, wiping away the brisk morning front.

Brisk morning fronts. As if standing atop a Scottish castle, overlooking the moors.

I've got Scotland on my mind, just as I've got my nana on my mind as well. My grandad recently sent me gluten-free recipes that my nana worked on to make a cookbook, although it has not been published. I've only received a couple of recipes, but I hope to try each recipe and post how it goes on here, including pictures to add.

It started in the late 1970's when my grandad first became sick. Initially he was brought to the doctors attention because of pain in his appendix, which transitioned into the discovery of his celiac disease, and the reason for his declining health.

When my grandad explains this story he always jokes about the numerous cakes and pies he ate, in hope of gaining weight, but further compounding the problem with even more gluten.

My nana, as a young woman, trained in the field then known as "domestic science," which included nutrition, diet and cooking, as well as an exploration of the research behind the science of cooking. This knowledge also helped her to make cordials and jams, as well as wine from tea. If only I knew how!

So when my grandad got sick, and was diagnosed as a celiac, my nana enthusiastically jumped at the challenge to help him, including tackling her own recipes. Everything she cooked was formulated by herself, as there was no access to the internet for tips on blogs like today.

Over the years she worked on recipes to help him, and was able to bring my grandad back to full health. Now, I start with her first recipe, a gluten-free flour mix, and the basic element to gluten-free cooking.

Having a strong base to cook with results in an easier time in the kitchen, no mixing flours every time, and packets aren't at risk of spilling across the floor each time you bake when rows of packets precariously line the counter tops.

My Nana's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
Print recipe.

Stir together a large batch of this mix and store in an airtight container in the fridge for later use in any baked goods. It is preferable to use within 3 months.

One thing to note, is that chickpea flour does have quite a strong, earthy taste, which you may not like at all. Recently, I have taken chickpea flour out of this recipe and replaced it with coconut - a sweeter, softer flour. So feel free to mix it up, but the general guidelines are as follows.

Makes 1 kg, however if you bake a lot, double this recipe.

Ingredients

250 g potato flour (not starch)
200 g tapioca flour
175 g rice flour
250 g maize flour
125 g chickpea flour, coconut or sorghum flour can also be used to    
                               replace chickpea flour, or any of the above   
                               flours in the same quantities.

Directions

Combine, and mix well.

Pour into an airtight jar, and store in a cool, dry place.

Add baking powder when called for in recipes.