Apple and Blueberry Muffins (BLW)

14th January 202114th January 2021
by thefoodwife

Makes 12 small muffins

Low-sugar apple and blueberry muffins (easily made dairy free) for my little people to enjoy. Austin (3) and I made them together this morning and he and his 9 month old brother enjoyed them at lunchtime.

They are great to make with little ones as all it requires is a little mixing. Whilst they aren’t too sweet (if you want these for a more adult sweet tooth you can always up the sugar by 50g) they are packed full of sweet juicy fruit.

These are not big muffins, the recipe makes 12 in normal cupcake cases.

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
60ml oil
120ml (dairy free if required) milk
200g plain flour
100g caster sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 small eating apples (or one large), peeled and cored then cut in to a medium dice
120g (frozen is fine) blueberries

Step 1: Simply mix all the ingredients together (don’t over mix! It’s the secret to a light muffin) and then equally fill 12 cup cake cases in a muffin tin.

Step 2: Bake in a preheated oven (200c fan) for 22 minutes and then allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before moving to a cooling rack to cool completely.

These can be frozen. Ensure they are suitably wrapped before hand.

Spiced Biscuit Dominoes

4th January 20214th January 2021
by thefoodwife

Makes 12

We’ve just made some vegan dominoes biscuits, with a super simple spiced biscuit dough and white icing. It was inspired by an old 90s Safeway magazine recipe my mother recently passed on to me.

Ingredients:
115g vegan baking block, softened
50g caster sugar
175g plain flour
5g mixed spice

Step1: Rub all ingredients together until you have ‘crumbs’ and then use your hands to bring together into a smooth dough.

Step 2: You can then either roll the dough out until about 1/2cm thick and cut into 12 rectangles, alternatively shape into a rectangular sausage shape, wrap in grease proof and chill until solid. Then simply slice into 12.

Step 3: Place your 12 rectangles on a lined baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 180c fan for 12 minutes.

Step 4: Allow to cool and then ice with a simple icing sugar and water icing.

Then you can play and/or eat!

It’s Christmassssss!

14th December 202015th December 2020
by thefoodwife

I thought I’d do a bumper post with links to some of my favourite recipes for this time of year. There will be savoury and sweet recipes and plenty of ideas for what to do with all that left over turkey!

If you fancy making your own mincemeat, but are looking for a slimmer version, why not try my Fat-Free Bramley Apple and Vintage Cider Mincemeat my latest batch had the addition of amaretto instead of the rum. Delicious. You can use it in my Mince ‘Pie’ Cupcakes with Custard Buttercream for a festive themed baked treat. On the theme of amaretto, if you’re looking for an alternative showstopper dessert for the big day, take a look at The Food Wife’s Chocolate and Amaretto Italian Cheesecake. Make ahead and easily made gluten-free.

When it comes to the main event, my favourite part of the Christmas dinner is always the ‘stuffing’. Here is my take on it with my Pork and Pear Stuffing. This year I’ll be following the same principles but using dried apricots in place of the pear.

And after the 25th? Well you may well have a lot of left overs. We deliberately buy a bigger bird in order to create some exciting post Christmas meals such as a Vietnamese soup with a post-festive twist, my Turkey Pho or my sticky Korean Turkey Baos. If you’re looking for less fuss then give my Turkey Tagine or Coronation Turkey a whirl.

If Turkey isn’t your bag, then you may have bought a different joint. Pork or Beef will work wonders in my recipes for Ragù.

And finally, wave goodbye to this year and see in the next with my New Year Rocky Road . It won’t disappoint (the rocky road, that is. I can’t guarantee anything about 2021).

Gingerbread

9th December 20209th December 2020
by thefoodwife

Gluten free and vegan, this is my go to recipe for gingerbread. Today we made glittery Christmas trees and gingerbread people. Easy and quick to make! Perfect to make with your little people. Of course you don’t have to make these gluten free or vegan. By all means use regular flour and butter, if you like.

Ingredients:

125g of vegan baking block
100g light soft brown sugar
65g golden syrup
300g gluten-free plain flour
1 tsp gluten-free bicarbonate of soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 180c (fan). Line baking trays with parchment.

Step 2: Melt 125g of vegan baking block with 100g light soft brown sugar and 65g golden syrup. Set to one side.

Step 3: In a bowl mix 300g gluten-free plain flour, 1 tsp gluten-free bicarbonate of soda, 2 tsp ground ginger and 1/2 tsp of ground cinnamon. Add the molten fat and sugar and stir until you have a smooth dough.

Step 4: Allow to cool for a few minutes and then tip out on to a large piece of grease proof paper. Top with another piece and then use your hands on top of the paper to spread the dough out until a few mm thick.

Step 5: Use your chosen cutters to press out shapes and carefully transfer to your lined baking sheets (you will need to be delicate as the dough tears easily at this stage) and then into the oven for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Step 6: Remove and allow to cool (wait about 15 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool fully and then decorate as you wish).

Keep in an air tight container for up to a few days.

Number Biscuits

20th November 202020th November 2020
by thefoodwife

Makes 16-20 biscuits

In an effort to help the first Food Baby (not a baby anymore!) with learning his numbers we spent a wet lockdown afternoon making these fun number biscuits. We made them both gluten and dairy free but you don’t have to. You also don’t have to make them in the shape of numbers!

Made with gluten-free flour (so that The Food Husband could help us out with eating them) they were lovely and powdery soft when eating. We used brightly coloured icing to decorate and went with a more is more approach…

Ingredients:
100g butter or vegetable baking block
100g caster sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
275g (gluten-free) plain flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum (if using gluten-free flour)

Step 1: Combine the fat and sugar until smooth, add the egg and vanilla and mix. Add flour (& xanthan gum if using) and mix until a smooth dough is formed.

Step 2: Roll out on a lightly floured surface until approx 1cm thick. Cut into desired shapes.

Step 3: Lie apart on a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 mins at 170c fan. Allow to cool on a wire rack before decorating with icing made using icing (powdered) sugar, a little water, plus any colours you like. Let the icing set before tucking in!