The G-Earls Will Have Their Muffins Now

Ever since learning to operate the intricate household kettle, I have enjoyed a daily ritual of "tea drinking." From the kitchen drawer, where flavours are lined according to popularity, I select a tea bag (where contents are unrecognisable) and drop it into a nearby mug, selected from a full cupboard located close to the kettle for convenience. My mug is chosen for it's weight, the colour and pattern that is printed, and how comfortable it is to hold in my small hands.

I fill the kettle and set it to boil, waiting a few moments before I hear that 'click', comforting and familiar, and pour the steaming water over my tea bag. I then allow the tea to steep for a few minutes as I collect almond milk from the fridge and a teaspoon from the drawer.

The process entitled "making a cup of tea" continues to be an oasis in my day, a simple ritual entailed by the pleasure of having time to relax, however something behind the manufacturing and processing of the tea I drink each day bothers me. Tea drinking has become increasingly widespread across North America, with sales rising from $1.8 to $6.5 billion over the past 16 years, a huge influx despite the recession - although perhaps this notion that a cup of tea helps us to relax is what drives buyers to places like David's Tea. Or maybe its the cost of buying a drink from Starbucks that makes people rethink where they're spending their money, and instead make drinks at home.

The soaring mass production we have seen, with stacks of tea in the aisles of grocery stores rising, has decreased the quality we taste in every bag, as well as a loss of the tradition behind every cup. As with most things in our society, we have ruined its history to make it profitable, to transform it into a commodity.

Today, gadgets are sold to aid the average customer, oblivious to the past of tea-drinking rituals, to produce a quality cup in their own home. Along with the enticing and fragrant flavours lining most household cupboards, holiday chai or tazo chai? Jasmine or Gamuacha Green tea? There has been more and more recreations of the simple strainer, technologically advanced tea cups, and mechanisms to keep your tea warm as you make your morning commute.

I admit, I have been enthralled by such products as I wait in line, they sit so dramatically along the shelves. And I feel as if I need it, the elegance and structure looks so beautiful, and the cup I am holding, a purple travel mug curved at the edges, fits perfectly into my hand.

I plead to my mum who casually turns her head. How many mugs have I bought recently?

After deciding upon a flavour of tea from the cupboard, two perfectly measured teaspoons are dropped into a "top-of-the-line" strainer, which fits into its matching cup, a device complete with a lid and designed for today's single-cup tea drinkers. According to instructions on the packet, I time it to steep for exactly seven minutes, a direction I should not take lightly to ensure that perfect outcome.

Ridiculous in appearance and the intricacy of the design, reviewers still rave about the final flavours of the tea created by modern mechanisms, flying off the shelves over and over again. Comparatively, the majority still makes tea with a ceramic pot, boiled water from the stove and with a steeping time of only a couple of minutes, and they've maintained the cultural aspects behind each mug brought to their lips.

My parents, both from England, have brought both me and my sister up to really enjoy a simply made "regular" cup of tea. We frequently ask for this, and it is always understand between us, however when others ask what type of tea we would like, and one of us replies,

"I'll have regular tea."

Causing puzzled looks, confusion. Then we have to try,

"English Breakfast?"

"Black Tea?"

But that always causes them to shoot back,

"But what type of black tea?"

Earl Grey Tea Muffins
Print Recipe.

Realizing that I didn't have a recipe for muffins on my blog (probably my favourite of all baked goods) I was shocked, and knew that this week I would set about making the perfect tea-time muffins. However, the first time I made them, we were completely out of eggs, and not thinking to run over to the neighbours, and over exaggerating the amount of times I have successfully baked without eggs, I opted to use ground flax instead. 

Needless to say, they did not work. And I instead pulled from the oven a tray of uncooked muffins, even after 45 minutes in the hot oven. They had come out mushy and gooey.

So unless you have an allergy, or follow a vegan diet, I would recommend these muffins to be cooked with eggs! Although if you do try the flax, it is 1 tbsp in 2 tbsp of warm water per each egg.

I also found that by using more cornstarch with a liquid, in this case the rice or almond milk, you can shape the texture of your muffins. For a denser outcome, use mor cornstarch in replace of the brown rice flour, and for fluffier muffins, reduce the amount or scratch it all together, instead using brown rice flour. The level of cornstarch will also determine the amount of liquid needed, as it acts as a thickener, so the measurement below is an approximation.

Makes 8-10 muffins

Ingredients

60 g sorghum flour
60 g potato flour
80 g brown rice flour
30 g cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c coconut sugar
pinch of salt

2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp grape seed oil
1 1/2 c rice or almond milk
1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp or 1 tea bag of finely ground earl grey tea, if the leaves are large, grind them between your fingers before adding to the mix

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a muffin tin with paper cups, or reusable ones.

Add lemon juice to rice milk and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together flours and cornstarch, baking powder, sugar and salt. Combine.

Best eggs in a small bowl, then add vanilla extract and grape seed oil and pour into the bowl with dry mix. Stir until mixture comes together, then slowly pour in milk and lemon juice.

When mixture appears moist and smooth, stir in earl grey tea leaves. Spoon into individual muffin cups, dividing equally.

Bake for 30-35 minutes.

Drive Roll

You wouldn't believe the hype around here for Justin Bieber's Believe tour. I've never known so many people to go to one concert, at the same venue and time, and all people who I know. And some even got backstage passes - the opportunity to meet him.

Three friends and I were driven down to Tacoma, a three or four hour drive from here for my mum, with the cost of a hotel to share. Tuesday afternoon, with passports and money secured, as well as the tickets for the show safely stored someplace we would remember, my mum picked us up from school early, and we were off.

Music loud, and sun pouring down, the excitement for the next twenty four hours away built. Brick upon brick, joke upon joke, and tumbling down with pouring laughter.

It was hot in the car, and mum and I constantly fiddled back and forth with the temperature dial, me favouring the red side, where warm air escaped from the vents and blanketed me, and mum the blue, causing my toes to chill as icy particles splintered through my cocoon. The temperature outside read above 15°C, and as we drove mum commented,

"It feels like a May long weekend!"

Just like the days when school comes to the end early, and we all dash off for the weekend as a much needed get away, giving us all that extra push of motivation to carry on working and finish the end of the year.

We've had enough tests this week for it to feel like exam time, I've been swamped every evening, underneath toppled textbooks and scattered pens, creating a jungle around me as I sit wrapped up in slippers and a big sweater, cradling my iPad, and fingers drumming at the keys as I slip into zombie-mode...

Must. Get. This. Done. Tonight.

Until mum shouts out,

"Would you like a cuppa tea!?"

Everyone napped as the car edged through traffic, a stalled stampede through the winding array of businesses as we neared Seattle. Truck and RV vendors lined the highway, as advertisements decked out in quickly fading colours dotted along became blurred swatches of colour as we sped up.

The hotel which we checked into was nothing glamorous, with a double bed for two to share, extra padded as requested for a good sleep, and a TV on the wall. Very American. Downstairs, little girls dressed in purple t-shirts with slogans of

Believe Tour 2012

And,

Justin Bieber We Love You,

Matched with little tutus danced around the foyer in excitement, smiles expanding as the time closed in. 3 hours.

In our room we donned make up and heels, and tried not to laugh at how silly we might look with so many younger kids around, in their pony tails and sneakers.

The venue of the concert was a dome building, with seats up the sides of the stage in the centre. We arrived in the middle of the opening act, Carly Rae Jepson, and the stands were only three quarters full. Many people, like us, thought they had loads of time to wait, as nothing ever starts on time!

I loved the costumes some girls wore, matching pinks and purples, matching hats and shirts, and my favourite, the hot pink skirts that read

'Swaggy'

On the back.

That was Tuesday night, and the last day of what still felt like summer. Today, I watched as rain drops fell down the windows, as if racing each other to the bottom.

I cheered for the underdog, slowly crawling and diagonally approaching the race. Slow and steady. If only I had taken heed of that advice as I cooked, maybe I would have remembered all the ingredients.

Like the butter. Which caused my pastry to resemble a cocoon, protecting the little caterpillar inside.

Although, I can't deny what I learnt from it, watching my little rolls sitting in the oven. I explored another consistency from baking with gluten-free flours, only found from straying from the written and tested recipes. Or forgetting to follow the path completely.

Butter is vital for many baked items, including cookies, cakes and pastries. The richness, as well as its creaminess, improves the texture, flavour, and moisture, as well as even freshness of whatever its used in. Butter, as the preferred fat by chefs all across the world, although I often opt for Earth Balance spread, serves for different purposes depending on the temperature.

Chilled butter, best when stored in the coldest part of the fridge, is specifically used for some pie crusts. Cold butter causes the flour to absorb less of the moisture contained within butter, and results in a flaky, crisper consistency.

Alternately, butter kept at room temperature is usually required for recipes that call for creaming together the butter and sugar. This process involves incorporating air, which helps with the process of rising as it bakes. The best temperature for storing butter at room temperature is between about 18°C and 21°C.

Finally, melted butter is often reserved for cooking sauces, and pan-frying, however sometimes it is used in baking recipes, such as cheesecake crusts. Using melted butter adds small amounts of flavour and moisture to dry ingredients.

So here, with butter this time, are my sausage rolls.

Gluten-Free Turkey Sausage Rolls
Print recipe. 

I really started crying this time, when I chopped the onions I mean. I must have been really upset about chopping up such a beautiful onion. Well actually, it was just really fresh. If this happens to you, causing you to sniffle and tear up while cooking, and forcing odd expressions of shock from those around,

"Whats wrong!?"

Chewing gum is meant to help. Try it!


My first attempt replaced the egg in this recipe with ground flax, preferable if you don't eat eggs or are allergic, however the result was crumbly, and the pastry was extremely difficult to work with. The second time, I completely forgot the butter! Which caused the pastry to resemble a shell-like cocoon, although still tasty. I also found that they took much longer to cook without butter, or any replacement. Finally, I remembered all the ingredients, and worked with proper flours to reach a perfect result.

Make 12 regular sized sausage rolls.

Ingredients

Pastry

3/4 c blanched almond meal
3/4 c potato flour (not starch!)
1 c brown rice flour
3/4 c tapioca flour
1/2 tsp salt

1 egg
1/3 c butter, or dairy-free replacement
about 3/4 c chilled water

2 tbsp milk for brushing

Filling

500 g ground turkey

1 carrot, grated
1 apple, grated
1 brown onion, grated
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped finely
2 fresh basil leaves, chopped finely

1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp thyme leaves
salt and pepper to season

Using an egg helps bind together the pastry...

So that this is finally possible!

Directions

Pastry

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

In a food processor combine the dry ingredients, pulse, then add the chilled butter until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Pour in the egg and mix.

With the motor still running slowly add water until the pastry forms a ball. Remove from the processor, wrap in plastic wrap, and place in the freezer for 10-15 minutes.

Filling

Meanwhile, combine all ingredients in a large bowl for the filling, squeezing the juices from the grated carrot, apple and onion before adding. Stir well, making sure ingredients are spread throughout the entire mixture. Set aside.

Pastry

Remove the pastry from the freezer and cut in half. With one half roll it out on a piece of parchment sprinkled with brown rice flour. Shape into a long rectangle approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Spoon the filling down the centre. Using the parchment paper underneath, fold the long edges over the filling.

Brush milk over the edges to help with sticking, and roll the pastry overtop, cinching the edges together. Place the roll so that the edges are underneath.

Cut into desired sizes, and place on the lined baking sheet. With extra milk, brush the tops of each sausage roll.

Bake for 20-30 minutes, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

Delicious with caramelised onions or ketchup (not Heinz brand!)

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.