Author: Maria

Message in a Pancake! (Without Refined Sugar)

Published by

While Valentine’s Day is not a romantic day to me, I find it a happy day nonetheless. It provides me with a great excuse to try something new… and bring on silly or tacky preparations, like these pancakes! This recipe is without refined sugar and can be ready quicker than a cup of coffee.  You can draw hearts or write messages in the pan so don’t wait until Valentine’s to make them! They are wonderful as a birthday breakfast, a weekend brunch or even as edible good news for someone special! (Check the pictures for some fun ideas.) And for a full experience, enjoy these pancakes with the original Canadian maple syrup (rather than that ‘thing’ called syrup, like ‘aunt jemima’, which contains nothing but bad sugar). Happy Drawing! Ingredients 1 large egg 1 cup of self-raising flour* 1 cup of milk pinch of salt oil (not olive oil) *If you are using plain flour add 2tsp of baking powder Optional: maple syrup fresh fruits, nuts greek yoghurt chocolate Utensils 1 large bowl 1 measuring …

Royal Icing for Beginners

Published by

If you love arts and crafts, decorating biscuits with Royal Icing can be highly addictive. For me sitting down with a bunch of biscuits and a piping bag is like practicing mindfulness. Very easy to prepare but not so easy to use, Royal Icing is a mixture of sugar and egg whites beaten until you get a thick white paste. Once that stage is achieved, you can change its consistency and colour. This recipe is aimed at beginners and focuses on the most important tips to start decorating. It presents two difficulties: finding the right consistency and using a piping bag and I will give you tips to perfect the technique. For peace of mind, I always make my Royal Icing using meringue powder instead of raw egg whites to avoid any risk of salmonella (a bacteria that can be harmful to pregnant women, and young and elderly people). This recipe is originally from Biscuiteers with just a tiny change. If you want to make biscuits as stunning as those of Elenis in NY or …

Edible Christmas Presents!

Published by

The biscuit dough is ready and you are looking for decorating ideas? Here are some options for your edible presents. Feliz Navidad! Biscuits to hang Once the biscuits are cut and have been chilled in the fridge, make a hole with a straw (not too close to the biscuit’s edge) and bake. 2. Pass a yarn through the hole. Ready to hang! Biscuits on a mug 1. Once the biscuits are cut and have been chilled in the fridge, cut a small rectangle with a sharp knife (I use a stencil as a guide) 2. Bake and let the biscuits cool before using them! Gingerbread men garland 1. Once the biscuits are cut and have been chilled in the fridge, make two holes with a straw and bake 2. Make a beautiful garland with a yarn! Gingerbread house You can make one of any size. I made a small one for this post. 1. Make your stencils using clean paper or cardboard Walls: draw a square and cut with scissors Roof: draw a rectangle a …

Making Cut-Out Biscuits With Children

Published by

If they are little I recommend preparing the dough the night before and setting up the table without them so everything is ready to be used. If not they can help setting up too. Table set up: Lightly flour a work surface Line a baking tray with parchment paper** Lightly flour the biscuit cutters and place them on a plate Put some flour in a small bowl Put a non-sharp knife or an offset spatula on the table Lightly flour a rolling pin and place it on the table Leave a ball of dough for each child to roll out (if they are too little you can roll it out for them) ** If the baking tray doesn’t fit in your fridge, cut sheets of parchment paper to fit the tray but place them on a cutting board in the fridge. Transfer the sheet of parchment paper onto the baking tray once the cut out biscuits are chilled. If some biscuits are too close you can rearrange them at this point! Rolling and cutting out …

Christmas = Gingerbread Biscuits!

Published by

To me Christmas smells of ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. I love Christmas and I’m sure many of you do too. It’s almost impossible to resist the Christmas spirit; the decorations, the lights, the music and of course the food make this time of year a special one indeed. Every country has their own food traditions but the cut-out gingerbread biscuits are a popular treat in many places. The gingerbread dough is versatile; you can use it to make decorations, little gifts or even a gingerbread house! But best of all, this dough is easy to manage so children and adults can spend time baking together. There is one must-have ingredient that gives gingerbread its characteristic golden colour. This ingredient varies and it can be honey, molasses, golden syrup or treacle. I chose to post a recipe using molasses for three reasons: first you can find molasses everywhere, second it gives the biscuit a very dark colour which contrasts with the royal icing, and third this recipe comes from a blog that I really like …

Delicious Frosting! (Dairy-Egg-Nut and Gluten Free)

Published by

Promises are meant to be kept… In my last post https://thegingerspoon.com/2017/10/31/very-moist-chocolate-cake-dairy-egg-nut-and-gluten-free/ I wrote that I am not a great fan of frostings for baked goods but I have to admit that they are fun to make and definitely add style to any cake! After trying many recipes ‘free from’ I have settled on a chocolate frosting and a vanilla frosting. Both of them are very sweet but taste really good. Use these frostings to fill and decorate cakes, cupcakes or any baked goods. They won’t let you down! Portions: one 20 cm cake   Prep Time: 15 minutes Chocolate Frosting Ingredients 1/2 cup of non-dairy spread (neutral flavour, not coconut) 4 cups of icing sugar 1 cup of good sugar-free cocoa powder 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract **1/2 cup of oat milk (or any other non dairy milk, not coconut) **The quantity of milk depends on the consistency you are looking for. Vanilla Frosting Ingredients 1/2 cup of non-dairy spread (neutral flavour, not coconut) 4 cups of icing sugar 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract (I …

Very Moist Chocolate Cake (Dairy-Egg-Nut and Gluten Free)

Published by

Every time I read ‘free from’ gluten, egg, nut or dairy I feel lucky not to be allergic to any of those delicious ingredients. When my baby was just one month old, she started crying in pain after every feed. The kind advice I received on how to soothe her didn’t work so in the end I decided to change my diet, quitting dairy, nuts and gluten. And it worked! To my surprise, I discovered new products that stopped me from craving dairy or wheat flour. In London the variety of products ‘free from’ you can buy is huge. Even at your local cafe it’s easy to get an oat milk latte and a poached egg over gluten free bread…what a feast! On my birthday my two older daughters were in charge of making my birthday cake ‘free from’. I read many recipes to avoid disappointing my little chefs until I found this one. It’s perfect in every way…very easy to make and yummy. The recipe was tested three times in my kitchen (I never …

The Healthy Bircher-Müesli

Published by

  Last winter we spent a few days in the Austrian Alps and every morning I woke up with only one thing in mind; their delicious Bircher-Müesli. I recently realised that it is just as popular here in England as it is in Switzerland, Germany or Austria. I’ve even seen ready-to-go pots in Starbucks. A Swiss physician developed Bircher Müesli in the 1900s; he went on to recommend it to his patients as part of their treatment. The basic ingredient of this Müesli is raw oats, which are soaked overnight and mixed with shredded apple, yoghurt, honey, nuts and fruits of your choice. The result is a dense and fresh yoghurt with a high-fibre content, vitamins and proteins…there is no better way to start your day! The best thing (at least for a mum) is that adults and children love it equally so it is a healthy, quick and yummy breakfast for the whole family. Fancy a treat in the evening? Replace the big bowl of ice cream with this Müesli (add bitter chocolate chunks …

Super Quick Cheese and Kale Tart

Published by

It’s dinner time and you’re staring at an empty fridge? This kale tart is the solution! It’s homemade and it will fill your kitchen with wonderful aromas. This quick recipe is easy to make and the ingredients can be found in any corner supermarket (at least in England). You can serve the tart hot as a main course or as a side dish for a bbq. I also like it at room temperature, which is ideal for picnics or as an appetiser. Kale is a nutritious and yummy vegetable and I love to include it in my weekly diet. The combination of shallots, honey and cheese, over the puff pastry dough, almost makes this tart a treat; but you can also use your own favourite veggies…the sky is the limit! Ingredients 1 ready rolled puff pastry sheet (320g) 1 finely cut shallot 1 beaten egg 3 tbs of cream 60g washed and cut kale 90g shredded mozzarella cheese honey (drizzle) Salt Equipment Baking/Parchment paper 1 oven tray 1 scale 1 brush 1 fork Instructions Preheat …