All posts filed under: featured

Cinnamon Walnut Cake, Moist cake.

Moist Cinnamon Walnut Bites

Autumn calls for cinnamon, coffee, and a cosy blanket. There’s nothing quite like coming home feeling a bit chilly and catching the scent of something baking in the oven. It’s one of my cherished childhood memories. This yogurt cake, with its warm notes of toasted walnuts and cinnamon, is the perfect companion for crisp autumn days—comforting, wholesome. This recipe is a small batch suitable for use with silicone moulds. If you’d like to bake it in a loaf tin, simply double the recipe. At the end, pour half of the batter into the tin, add the walnut filling, and then top with the remaining batter. Silicone moulds are very easy to use. I grease them with butter just to be on the safe side, even though they’re non-stick. I bought this mould at Michael’s for around $6, just to show that you don’t need to purchase expensive baking equipment to create charming baked goods.

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

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)

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 Best Vanilla Panna Cotta

Very simple to make, all you need is five ingredients to enjoy a fresh and delicious Panna Cotta. Originally from Italy this dessert is made of full fat milk, vanilla, cream, sugar and gelatine. The only tricky part is to use the right amount of gelatine to get a creamy and wobbly Panna Cotta. Below you’ll find the only recipe you’ll ever need for a basic Panna Cotta. Buon Appetito! Prep Time: 15 minutes (plus overnight fridge)   Portions: 4 Ingredients 75ml full-fat milk 425ml double cream 50g sugar 1 vanilla pod 2 fine leaves of gelatine (1.7 grams per leaf aprox) Equipment 1 saucepan 1 spatula 1 heatproof jug 1 cutting board 1 sharp knife 1 bowl with cold water (for the gelatine) 1 whisk or fork (for the gelatine) 4 ramekins (or custard molds) Instructions Pour the milk, the cream and the sugar into a saucepan. Stir. 2. Remove the seeds from the vanilla pod. Add the seeds and the emptied-out pod to the saucepan. 3. Put the saucepan on the stove over …

Soft-Boiled Egg and New Soldiers

This is the ideal option for an Easter brunch. Both little ones and grown ups love them! When the eggs are done properly, with a runny yolk, nothing is better than dipping your soldiers into them. In this post, you will also have some new soldiers to try… More than a recipe, this post is an invitation to remember a childhood favourite (my 5 year old can’t get enough of them!). Sometimes the simplest of recipes make us the happiest! Happy dipping! Soft-Boiled Egg Portion: 1  Prep Time: 7 minutes Ingredients 1 medium egg at room temperature salt and pepper Equipment 1 medium saucepan 1 sharp knife 1 long spoon 1 small cup Instructions 1. Fill a small saucepan with water. Put on the hob over a medium heat and bring to the boil. 2. Once the water is boiling, put the egg into the saucepan using a spoon. 3. As soon as the water comes back to the boil, set the timer for 4 minutes. This guarantees a runny yolk. 4. After 4 minutes take …

8 Reasons Why Your Meringue Fails

Meringue is a great complement to many desserts; because of its beauty it stands out on any sweets table. It is also 100% fat free and protein rich. However it contains high levels of sugar which is essential to give the meringue stability. This means that it is hard to replace sugar with other sweeteners. Meringues are made of only two ingredients, but the chemistry involved in the preparation process makes it a challenging one. How to make a bullet proof meringue? Well, below you will find a few tips so that you will never again lose a single egg white! The bowl, mixer and anything that touches the egg whites must be 100% free of fat. (Avoid plastic bowls because their porous material may contain traces of fat) Egg whites must be 100% free of yolk Egg whites must be at room temperature Try to avoid humid or rainy days when preparing meringue To bake meringue, the oven must be preheated at a low temperature (100 celsius or less) Avoid a cold kitchen (a …