Nutella Bread and Butter Pudding - Yes, it's Gluten Free!

It's no secret that I love Nutella and that the only reason why I don't buy those ginormous jars of Nutella isn't because of price, but because it would mean I would need a whole new wardrobe. And who can be bothered with that. Everything in moderation, blah, blah, blah.

Anyway, the point of this post is to share a recipe I've tested out a couple of times, and one that's perfect for those cool, crisp and wild wintery days. Nutella Bread and Butter Pudding! Minus the butter...and this version is gluten free. I was inspired to create this version when I stumbled upon this one. Read on for the list of ingredients and method:

It's not pretty, but it's pretty delicious!

Ingredients:

1 loaf Gluten Free Bread*

1 jar of Nutella - be generous

400ml milk

600ml thickened cream

5 eggs

100g maple syrup**

dash of Marsala***

butter for greasing the baking dish

* I baked this loaf using Laucke Flour Gluten Free Bread Mix.
I also added the chocolate bits just in case the pudding wasn't chocolatey enough.
You can use store bought bread or your own bread recipe.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan forced)

2. Grease a largish baking dish with the butter. Generally gluten free loaves are smaller than standard loaves, you will still need a large baking dish.

3. Spread a generous amount of Nutella on each of the slices of bread, then cut into triangles. Don't be tempted to cut multiple slices at a time as Nutella is very sticky and the gf bread crumbly. Be patient and slice each piece one at a time. Or maybe use a sharper knife...maybe my cutting skills leave a lot to be desired...

Don't skimp on the Nutella. Be thorough in your coverage.

4. Arrange the Nutella triangles in the baking dish. You can be as neat or as messy as you like. Overlap the bread if that's what's going to make you happy. Sprinkle that dash of Marsala over the Nutella triangles. Consume any leftover Nutella triangles that don't fit into the baking dish...it would be rude not to...

Pack those Nutella triangles in together!

5. In a pan, pour the milk, cream, dash of marsala (yes, another little dash), the maple syrup, give it a stir and heat. While you wait for the mixture to come to an almost boil, whisk together the eggs. Gently pour the egg mixture into the hot milky mixture, whisking the whole time. Remove from the heat, whisking as it starts to slightly thicken. I then poured this mixture into a jug, with a spout, then carefully saturated the Nutella triangles. I could have poured the mixture straight from the pan onto the Nutella triangles, but I would have made a mess and I would have spilt the mixture all over the bench, it would have dripped on the floor, I then would have slipped on it while reaching for the paper towels to clean the mess up. The doorbell would have rung at that very moment and my friends would have arrived and been shocked at the mess and the ruined dessert and would have probably returned to their car and would have gone home, upset that their afternoon of eating a yummy dessert had been crushed. I wouldn't have been able to cry, as everyone knows you shouldn't cry over spilt milk. So, bearing all this in mind, it was easier to pour the mixture into the jug to begin with. You may not need to do this if you're not as clumsy as me.

Ensure all the bread is soaked with this warm eggy mixture.

6. Place the baking dish into a larger baking dish and half fill that with water. Cover the dishes with aluminium foil and place into the oven for 15 to 20 minutes. Test at about the 15 minute mark. If the mixture has set, then by all means turn off the oven and let the pudding rest while you gather the biggest bowl you have and grab the double cream from the fridge. If it's still not set, then be patient but don't get too distracted - you don't want to dry out the pudding by overbaking it! Once the pudding is cooked, then serve with some double cream or ice cream and enjoy!

Notes:

* There are quite a few gluten free ready baked breads on the market now, so you can choose from one of those. I've been baking some different varieties, but have found with a recipe like this one, sticking to a traditional style bread works best. Again, there are several gluten free bread mixes you can experiment with and I've had success with a few of them. I've also baked from scratch, but find these breads to be a lot heavier than traditional bread.

** You don't need to use maple syrup, you can use any sweetener of your choice. I tend to make this recipe for friends and so add the extra sweetener for their benefit. If you're trying to watch your sugar intake - which would be hilarious with a recipe such as this one - then eliminate the additional sweetener altogether.

*** Marsala is my dessert cooking wine of choice. You may prefer to use Kahlua or Frangelico or not use any alcohol at all.

Another note, you can make variations of this recipe - if you have a friend who, for example, doesn't like Nutella (is that even possible?  have you heard anything so preposterous?) (sorry P!!!) then butter and jam can be used. Sultanas or raisins can also be added, as per the original recipe that inspired this experiment.

I hope you try out this recipe, and if you do, then drop me a line and let me know how you got on with it. Do you experiment with recipes? What's your favourite Nutella recipe?

Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

One of the holiday batches of Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

A few weeks ago while away on holidays, I took advantage of not only being in holiday mode, but also being in a new kitchen, new oven, fairly bare cupboards and did I mention that I was in holiday mode? As there are about 20 families we go away with, we try and organise a Ladies' Afternoon where wine and nibblies are consumed, with no husbands or children in sight. And that is where this recipe was born. I had limited supplies and a couple of my friends have special dietary requirements, so I wanted to make sure the recipe would be safe for them to enjoy. I managed to make a few batches while away and before you ask - who bakes while they're on holidays - you'll see from the recipe how simple it is to whip up. No fancy gadgets required!

So where did the name Chocolate Lava Cupcakes come from? One of the hundreds of kids that belong to one of the 20 families asked if he could have a cupcake - in a most polite and sweet way, and I simply couldn't refuse such sweetness! While enjoying the cupcake he told his mum he thought the inside was like lava - all molten and gooey and delish! The name was perfect and they've been known as Chocolate Lava Cupcakes ever since. So, thank you to T.'s young son for naming these cupcakes, I couldn't have given them a better name!

There are a few variations to the recipe and I'll include those details in the notes.

Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups almond meal
3 - 4 tbs cocoa powder, unsweetened
generous handful of dark chocolate buttons
1/4 cup coconut oil
3 generous tbs of glucose
1 cup mashed pumpkin
2 eggs
1 tsp baking soda, gluten free

The dry ingredients laid out

Method:

* Preheat oven to 160°
* Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together with a wooden spoon.
* Add the eggs, mashed pumpkin, glucose and melted coconut oil.
* Stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
* Place the batter into cupcakes and bake for about 15-20minutes. It will depend on size of cupcake wrappers and your oven, of course.

Adding the wet ingredients to the dry mixture

The batter's ready to be placed into waiting cupcake wrappers

Fresh from the oven. this batch made 8 large cupcakes

I allowed the cupcakes to cool before whipping them straight into the freezer

Additional Notes:

* If you don't want to use mashed pumpkin, you can use a cup of pureed apple instead. If you're using apple puree, then ease up on the glucose or it may be too sweet for you. For a wholesome Red Velvet Chocolate cupcake, add a cup of raw finely grated beetroot.
* You can substitute Honey or Rice Malt Syrup if you don't have Glucose. Some may find the recipe not sweet enough, especially if they're used to eating store bought or traditional cupcakes, so you might need to add more sweetness. You could also use Stevia, I tend not to use a lot of that as I don't like the taste of it.
* When you're testing for readiness of the cupcakes, you want the skewer to be a bit dirty, but not wet. In other words,you want to under-do them to get that lovely moist "lava" quality.
* Feel free to add things like vanilla or your favourite nuts or even date chunks. Remember, I had limited items at the time.
* If you want an egg-free version, then use 2 tbs of chia seeds to 1/2 cup of water. Stir the seeds and water and wait for the seeds to expand, forming a jelly-like goo. This can then be substituted for the 2 eggs.
* The measurements I've included are approximate and even when I make batches of the cupcakes now, I play around with the quantities.
* This recipe is Gluten-Free and Paleo-friendly.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and if you have any questions or suggestions then feel free to post a comment.

Quick, Easy and Healthy Banana Pancakes

A few weeks ago my friend C. told me of a very quick and easy banana pancake recipe and I had all but forgotten about it until this morning when I spied the bananas in the fruit bowl. I don't know if your household is the same, but bananas in my household are either immediately scoffed and you question whether you actually bought them in the first place, or they're completely ignored and then the only thing they're good for is for baking into banana cake/bread/muffins.

Back to the quick, easy and healthy recipe - and this is yummy enough to be served up as an afternoon snack and dare I say it, even dessert!

Quick, Easy, Healthy Banana Pancakes

What you'll need:

1 banana, mashed with a fork
1 egg
Sprinkling of cinnamon powder

1 sandwich press
3 egg rings that you've greased with a little bit of butter.

* This is enough for one serving. You can alternate the egg/banana ratio depending on how many bananas your family has left you, and how many people you need to make this for. I waited for the family to head to work, school and uni before making this - sneaky, I know ;)

I really should have cleaned the sandwich press, or at least photoshopped the crumbs away...

Method:

Preheat your sandwich press. Mine doesn't have a temperature control dial so it's either off or on. Place the 3 greased egg rings on the sandwich press. In a small bowl, add the egg to the mashed banana and keep mooshing together until a nice gloopy consistency is created. Sprinkle some cinnamon powder to taste. Pour the mixture into the egg rings and close the lid. It only takes a few minutes to cook, so while you're waiting, you can slice up some seasonal fruit or raid the pantry for nuts. Grab a plate, test the pancakes to make sure they're cooked (I did this by cutting into one of them). Run a butter knife along the edges of the egg ring in order to release the pancake. Stack the pancakes on your plate, add a dollop of ricotta and the seasonal fruit, then finish off with another sprinkling of cinnamon. Sit down and enjoy it!

Delicious breakfast for one. Nom!

Alternatives:

* Omit the ricotta if you don't eat dairy, use a dollop of tahini instead.
* If you prefer your food a little sweeter (note that I didn't add any sweeteners natural or otherwise), then add a squirt of honey or your favourite sweetener to the eggy mixture.
* To turn this into a simple dessert, add a handful of dark chocolate bits to the eggy mixture, then serve the lot with ice cream or sorbet or yoghurt.

There would be countless alternatives to this simple recipe. Best of all, it's quick, you don't need any high falutin' appliances and the resulting dish is delicious, wholesome and versatile. Give me this delicious breakfast to the alternative breakfast that's served up from a cardboard box any day!

Thanks so much C. for the great breakfast tip! xx