Christmas Youle Log #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #Christmas

This gorgeous festive cake is a beautiful addition to any Christmas table. It epitomizes the essence of festive season where beautiful food and the festive spirit are essentially intertwined. A decoration in itself, enjoy the sensory as well as the visual.

Chocolate Sponge

Ingredients:

 

6 Eggs - separated, room temperature. 
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1 cup gluten-free Corn Flour
1/4 cup gluten-free Plain Flour
1/4 cup Cocoa Powder (optional)
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
Pinch of Salt
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

Method:

Preheat oven to 180C.
Grease a large thin sponge tray. Line with baking paper on the base.  (30x15cm)
Sift all dry ingredients 4 times.
In a large bowl, beat egg whites and salt for 3 minutes.
Add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Add egg yolks and vanilla.
Mix through gently until just mixed.  
Add dry ingredients, fold in gently with plastic spatula, do not over mix.
Pour into the tray and bake for 20 minutes.
Turn out onto rack, then decorate with cream after cooling.

Chocolate Butter Cream

Ingredients:

400g Butter - room temperature
2/3 cup Caster Sugar
1/4 cup Water
350g Dark Cooking Chocolate - melted
3 cups Icing Sugar - sifted.
1.5 tablespoon Brown Food Colouring (If it is not dark enough.)
2-3 cups Thickened Cream - whipped.
1 tin Fruit Cocktail (400g) - drained

Method:

Boil caster sugar and water on medium heat for 10 minutes.
Set aside to cool.
Beat butter in mix master for about 15 minutes at medium speed, until soft and creamy
Add melted chocolate and sugar water.

Roll in baking paper or tea towel

Beat for a further 10 minutes until smooth.
Add icing sugar and brown food colouring (if necessary) . 
If the butter cream is a little wet and soft, refrigerate for about 20 minutes. For best results, make it a day ahead.
Remove and place the sponge on a large baking paper or clean tea towel.
Spread with half of the whipped thickened cream.
Place drained cocktail fruit on the cream and roll the sponge.
Let it stand about 30 minutes in the fridge to prevent it falling apart.
Spread remaining whipped thickened cream on a large plate or cake board.
Remove the baking paper from the cake roll, spread top and sides with chocolate butter cream.
Using icing spatula, or fork, make stripes in the butter cream to make the cake look like a yule log.
Cut into 2-3 pieces on an angle.
Place them on the whipped cream.
Using a piping bag, decorate end of rolls to look like logs.
Dust some icing sugar on the top and decorate with some Christmas decorations. 

Decorate with icing bag to look like logs

Keeps in the fridge for about 5-7 days

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com

Arrange rolled sponge on whipped cream

 

Cut and serve!

Rich Fruit Cake #glutenfree #glutenfreebaking #Christmas

With Christmas just around the corner, it is time to bake your Christmas cake. Treat your guests during the festive season, or give this classic cake as a gift to family or friends. Begin your preparations now as this rich fruit cake can keep up to 3 months in a cool place, and it will be richer in flavour and even more delicious after 2 weeks. 

 Ingredients:

150g Butter - softened
1/3 cup Brown Sugar*
4 large Eggs
1 cup gluten-free Plain Flour
1 cup gluten-free Self Raising Flour
1 tablespoon Mixed Spice
250g Walnut or Pecan Nuts
1/2 cup Brandy, extra

A: 

1/4 cup Hot Water
2 tablespoons Jam (Any flavour is suitable, I use plum jam )
1 tablespoon Instant Coffee

B:

Stand overnight

1 kg Mixed Dried Fruit 
250g glace cherries
200g Pitted Prunes - halved
1/2 cup Brandy
1/3 cup Sweet Sherry or Port
1/3 cup Honey or Treacle
Combine all ingredients B, cover and stand overnight.

Method:

Preheat oven to 140C
Grease and double line a 24cm deep baking tin with baking paper. If possible, use a square tin as it is easier to slice.
Sift flour and mixed spice 3 times.
Mix ingredients A together, set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until soft and creamy. 
Add eggs one by one.
Add ingredients A.
Pour 2/3 of dry ingredients in the mixture. Mix well.
Drain the ingredients B.  
Add into the mixture with remaining 1/3 of dry ingredients.
Mix well and pour into the baking tin. 
Spread and smooth the top with plastic spatula. 
Bake at 140C for 1 hour. Reduce to 130C for another 1- 1.5 hours until a skewer comes out of the middle totally clean 
Remove cake from oven. 
Brush the top with extra brandy.
Cover with a dry tea towel or aluminum foil.
Allow to cool in the tin overnight.
Turn out from tin. 
Remove the baking paper.
Brush whole cake with brandy, then wrap with aluminum foil and put into fridge or cold place.
* I only use 1/4 cup sugar as the fruit is already very sweet, but you can add more sugar if you like.

Tips:
Whisky can be used to replace Brandy
Cut the cake when it is just removed from fridge. Allow to come to room temperature.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com 

 

Ossobuco Spaghetti #glutenfree #italiancooking #pasta

Ossobuco is a popular traditional Italian speciality of cross-cut veal shanks, slow cooked with vegetables, red/white wine, and tomato ragu. Why not cook extra Ossobuco and use the leftovers to make this pasta dish? In leftovers, the taste develops to give you a delicious depth to the flavour and  a richness to the finished dish.  Combined with Barilla gluten-free spaghetti, it is a simple but delicious dish.

Ingredients:

1.5 cup peeled cold Ossobuco with sauce (Please check the recipe from our blog)
200g Barilla gluten-free Spaghetti
120g Beans - sliced
1/4 cup White Wine
1/3 cup Barilla Napoletana Sauce*
2 cloves Garlic - chopped
1 tablespoon Chopped Parsley
Some Parmesan
Salt and Pepper

Method:

Bring a saucepan of water with a little salt to the boil. 
Add spaghetti and cook for approximately 6-7 minutes. Cook for a little extra time if you prefer soft pasta.
Drain, toss pasta in a little olive oil, leave aside.
In a large pan, heat with 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
Stir fry garlic until a little brown. 
Add Ossobuco and cook for a few minutes.
Add white wine and napoletana sauce, simmer some minutes. 
Add spaghetti and sliced beans, cook another few minutes. 
Add seasonings , parsley and parmesan before serving. 
Serves 2.

Tips:
* May need reduce or add extra Napoletana sauce, depending upon your leftover Ossobuco sauce.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com 

Sago Plum Pudding #glutenfree #glutenfreerecipe #Christmas

With Christmas almost upon us, it is time to share some more of the festive spirit in the form of another recipe for your Christmas table! Why not make a few of these fantastic puddings. Wrap them in foil, then in a Christmas cloth, finish with a lovely ribbon and a sprig of holly and Voila - the perfect homemade gift that is sure to please.

Ingredients:

2 cups Milk
1 cup Brown Sugar
180 gram Melted Butter
1 cup Sago
2 tabs Brandy or Rum
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
1 tsp Mixed Spice
1 teaspoon Bicarbonate Soda - mixed in a little milk
2 cups fresh gluten-free Bread - crumbed in blender
2 cups Mixed Dried Fruit
2 Eggs

Method:
 
Place sago and milk into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Once boiling, remove from heat and allow to sit with an occasional stir for about 1 hour - (If you watch closely you can stir and boil till it is soft)  
Once soft mix all ingredients together - (Looks a little runny but ok) 
Pour into a greased steamed pudding tin, cover with grease proof paper, then alfoil,put lid on tightly. Place steamed pudding tin into a saucepan, or boiler, of boiling water with saucer under.
Cover boiler with lid and boil for about 2 hours watching the water does not boil dry. - Top up water periodically. 
When done, remove pudding tin from boiler and simply pour pudding out onto a plate.
Serve with custard and have a great Christmas.


Tip:
Ignite a little brandy for a nice effect.

Contact: lee.leehocklai@gmail.com