Grain-Free Gluten-Free Paleo Almond Cookies Recipe

Almond Flour Sugar Cookies Recipe

Biscuits are something that can be enjoyed any time of day. Breakfast biscuits, snacks, with tea, as a treat, a dessert, they're perfect for any occasion. I have always been a fond cookie and biscuit lover, but not so much the sugars and added artifical ingredients that come loaded inside them! Although they're great for a treat in moderation, it is incredibly easy to make biscuits that not only you are aware of the ingredients inside them, but also know that they are healthy for you!

The ultimate guilt-free treat!

  These sugar cookies are a great and healthier variation, that taste just as, if not better, than your average sugar laden cookie. Sweet and crunchy and packed full of flavour, you'd never realise that they're actually healthy! (Of course, if you're going to use glaze icing for decoration this makes them less healthy, though in comparison you can still enjoy these guilt-free!). These are great for those who have to watch their sugar intake (such as myself), as they are very low in sugar and net carbs per serving. Also, a great substituion for anyone who is gluten-free!

The amount this makes will entirely depend on the size of your chosen cookie cutters. For me, this made 14 small (bite-sized) heart shaped biscuits. For larger biscuits, you may want to double the recipe.

This recipe was adapted from the lovely chocolatecoveredkatie blog.


Ingredients

50g Ground Almonds (aka Almond Flour / Meal)
1/2 Tbsp Butter or Oil (e.g Coconut Oil)
1 Tsp Almond Extract
2 Tsp Agave Nectar (or liquid Sweetener of choice, e.g Maple Syrup)

Optional;
Icing Sugar and Water for a glaze icing.

Directions

•  In a bowl, melt the butter (or oil) for a few seconds in a microwave.

• Add in the almond extract and agave and combine.

• Mix in the almond flour until the mixture forms a wet dough.

• The dough should be wet but able to form into a ball.

• Place the dough onto some baking parchment and fold the parchment over the dough (this keeps the wet dough from sticking to your rolling pin) and roll until it is at your desired cookie depth (approx. 5mm).

• You may cut out the cookies at this stage, or after it has set in a freezer (I find that cutting them out after the dough has set tends to be easier).

• Place the dough into a freezer for a minimum of 30min - 1hr for best results.

• When the dough is set, it is now easier to cut out the biscuits.

• Place on a greased piece of baking parchment and bake for approx. 5-10min (or until slightly golden).

• Allow to cool for approx. 10 - 15 min before peeling off of the baking parchment.

• Decorate with glaze icing if you wish!

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Experiment with different flavours that compliment almonds, such as cherry, strawberry or vanilla.

• Add in or sprinkle on some cinnamon.

• Serve with ice cream, healthy frozen banana ice cream and agave or maple syrup.

• For a true bakewell experience, decorate with almond flavoured glaze or fondant icing, with jam or cherry coulis. 

Cara X

Simple Simnel Muffins Recipe

Simnel Muffins Recipe

Are you a dried fruit and spice lover like me? No? Try this muffin recipe and I expect a change of opinion. If you said yes then hooray! You're going to go absolutely head over heels for these super easy full of flavour muffins.
   As Easter is fast approaching, these Easter muffins are a great and flavourful Spring dessert recipe, guaranteed to impress your celebrating friends and family. What I love most about these muffins are how the flavours and spices used are reminiscent of the flavours used throughout fall and winter, but sweeter and not quite as heavy and dense.

Morning Baking at it's finest

Using simple ingredients you most likely already own, these are great for a fiber packed snack, breakfast or dessert.

This recipe uses 3 different spices and 4 different dried fruits, you may add or omit as you desire, this is a great chance to experiment!

Makes 12 - 20.

Ingredients

110g Butter

50g Granulated Sugar

60g Brown Demerara Sugar
2 Eggs
Zest and juice of an Orange

110g Self-Raising Flour

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1 and 1/2 Tsp Mixed Spice

1/2 Tsp Nutmeg

1/2 Tsp Ginger (Optional)
1 to 2 Tbsp Milk

Dried Fruit (I used Raisins, Sultanas, Dried apple chunks, Dried Cranberries)
90g Marzipan (Optional)

Optional; 

1 Tsp Glaze Icing (for each muffin)

Driedfruit, Nuts or Mini Chocolate Eggs to decorate

Directions

• Preheat an oven to 180C and line a muffin tray with muffin cases.
• In a large bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars until fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs and add the zest and juice.
• Fold in the flour, baking powder and spices until well combined, adding milk until the mixture is of dropping consistency.
• Fold in the dried fruit.
• Fill muffin cases to approx. 1/3 full and place a piece of marzipan in the centre before covering with more mixture until 3/4 full. (If omitting the marzipan, then simply fill until 3/4 full).
• Bake for approx. 20 - 25 mins. (Until golden brown and firm to the touch).
• Allow to cool and decorate with a tsp of glaze icing and decorations of choice.
• Best eaten within approx. 2 days of baking.
  
  

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Use the left over orange zest / juice to flavour the icing.
• For more of an Easter theme, make small easter fondant decorations such as mini rabbits, rabbit ears, ducklings or eggs!
• Candied orange peel also makes a great decoration.
  
  

Cara X

Simple Winnie the Pooh Honey Cake Recipe

Winnie the Pooh Honey Cake Recipe

I like cake moulds. In fact, I love them. I have a growing collection that is filling up my baking cupboard faster than I can remember what I even have anymore. Upon such realization, I decided to take a look and remind myself of all the different moulds that had not seen the light of the oven in some time, and discovered many wonders that have now been queued for use. One such mould was my Disney Winnie the Pooh face cake mould that I received from the Disney's Cakes & Sweets magazine collection (a collection, I might add, that has provided me endless hours of entertainment, providing adorable recipes and even more adorable and good quality baking gifts!).

Look how happy he is to see you!

 I used to love Winnie the Pooh when I was growing up, and still own a vast collection of books and soft toys that I have kept in his honour (and could not bring myself to throw away!). I always loved his unfathomable happiness in his oh-so-simple life, and the endless curiosity and kindness he had for the most everyday things. Childish I know, but I believe there is something that adults especially can learn from such a basic lesson. One such thing he loved most of course, was honey!And so in honour of Winnie's love, I decided to make his cake a honey cake!

I may have filled it a little too much.. !

I did a bit of research into honey cake recipes as I had only attempted honey cupcakes before and although I could have easily adapted this for a bigger cake, I preferred to research into simple but delicious looking honey cake recipes that seemed appropriate for the mould. Another lesson I learned too however, was to not be lazy and overfill the mould.. because it will overflow drastically! (This did however provide a delicious little deformed splodge of a cake that served as a taste test!).

If you've never felt the excitment of pulling away a mould.. I highly suggest you change this.

An overflow of cake is normal and is actually better than not rising enough so don't worry if yours seems to be double the cake that you intended. With the additional cake, use a sharp knife to cut across the top of the mould, following the moulds edge, until you're left with a mould which is filled with cake but does not have any overflowing the edges.

And voila!

This recipe was adapted from NetMums' honey cake recipe, using only 8 everyday ingredients this produces a moist but dense cake packed full of sweet honey and cinnamon flavours!



Ingredients



For the Cake:
120g Butter
2 Tbsp Caster Sugar
3 - 4 Tbsp Honey (I used Spanish Forest)
2 Eggs (Beaten)
200g Self-Raising flour
1 to 1 and 1/2 Tsp Cinnamon
1 to 2 Tbsp Water

For the Icing:
 60g Icing Sugar
1/2 Tbsp Honey
Water (as needed, approx. 1 to 2 Tsp)


Directions

•  Preheat an oven to 180C.
• Grease a Winnie the Pooh cake mould or your chosen cake tin. 
• In a large bowl, combine butter, sugar and honey.
• Beat in the eggs.
• Fold in the flour and cinnamon and mix, adding water as necessary until the mixture is smooth but not too liquid.
• Bake for approx. 30 to 40 mins (until golden and springy to the touch).
• To make the icing, place the icing sugar in a mug or small bowl and add water until it is slightly more liquid than a glaze icing.
• Mix in the honey until it is well combined and drizzle over the cake.

Tips & Serving Ideas

• Serve with cream or honeycomb ice cream. 
• Fold in some raisins or sultanas into the sponge, or place decoratively on top.
• Decorate with chopped honeycomb pieces, nuts, flaked almonds or try your hand at making some fondant bees!
• Sprinkle over some gold edible glitter.
• Alternatively, you could cover the cake in marzipan and/or fondant (be sure to add in his eyes and nose!).
  
  
   

Cara X