Bakewell Tart...

Remember these? They often come in a smaller bun sized version & I always thought they were yum! Bakewell tarts are simply a pastry base with jam filling and frangipane/sponge topping. If you're never tried it, you should! They're a really nice light summery dessert, and dare I say it.... a nice change to heavy chocolate desserts...

I made individual tartlets using this recipe but the quantities will also be enough for a 9" round pie dish.

For the pastry case: 

• 200g ground almonds
• 100g unsweetened dessicated coconut
• 50g melted coconut oil 
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• water 

Preheat oven to 160d (fan oven). 

Add all the ingredients except the water to a large mixing bowl. 

Stir together to form a stiff, dry dough. If the dough is crumbly, you may need to add some water. (This depends on the ground almonds you're using so you'll just need to go with your gut). You want a firm but not too sticky dough, but not so dry that it's going to crack & crumble. (I know that's not really helpful!) 

Press into the base & sides of 6 individual pie dishes or a 9" loose base flan tin. This should be simple enough if your dough is the correct consistency (think firm cookie dough). 

You need to bake the dough blind to prevent it burning (ground almonds burns easily when the natural oils are released during cooking). This just means placing a sheet of baking parchment into the pastry case, and holding it down with ceramic baking beans, uncooked rice, lentils or even 2 knives in a cross shape! Improvise if you have to!! 

Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. When lightly browned and firm, remove the parchment & baking beans & set aside to cool.

For the raspberry jam filling:

• 175g frozen raspberries
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Add the raspberries and lemon juice to a saucepan. Bring to a boil, and allow to simmer over a low heat for approx 5 minutes to allow the jam to thicken. 

Set aside to cool before spreading a generous, even layer over the base. 

For the sponge topping:

• 150g butter, melted
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 170g ground almonds
• 1 tsp GF baking powder
• flaked almonds/dessicated coconut (optional)

Start by melting the butter, honey & lemon zest together.

Whisk in eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Whisk in the vanilla extract. 

Finally stir in ground almonds and baking powder until well combined. Do not over-beat. 

Spread over the jam filling and sprinkle with flaked almonds or dessicated coconut. 

Bake for approx 20 minutes until firm and golden. If you find the tarts are browning too quickly (oven temps vary wildly so do keep an eye on them), place a sheet of parchment over them to protect them from burning. 

Serve warm with some fresh raspberries & Greek yoghurt. 

Buttermilk Chicken...

Buttermilk Chicken is an American classic... chicken marinated in buttermilk overnight, then dredged in flour & deep fried in corn oil to give that golden crispy coating that we'll recognise from southern fried chicken dishes... Oh and lets not forget all the artificial flavourings that get added to the commercially produced version. So yeah, let's make a healthier but equally tasty dish....

I love how marinating chicken completely changes the flavour and texture of the meat with minimal time and effort. My version of buttermilk chicken will melt in your mouth it's so tender, and with the addition of the Parmesan and seed coating, it's wonderfully crispy.

For the buttermilk marinade: 

• 1 chicken fillet
• buttermilk 
• 1 onion chopped in half
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• salt & pepper

Add all the above to a deep bowl (you just need enough buttermilk to ensure the chicken is fully immersed)..

Place in the fridge overnight or for at least 4 hours before cooking. 

For the coating: 

• 1 tbsp ground almonds
• 1 tbsp finely grated parmesan 
• 2 tbsp mixed seeds 
• 1/2 tsp turmeric 
• salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 170d. 

Toss the ingredients for the coating together until combined and lay on a shallow plate. 

Remove the chicken from the buttermilk & roll in the seed mixture to coat well. 

Place in a heatproof dish, drizzle with a little melted coconut oil and bake for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with salad & sweet potato chips. 

For an awesome quick dip for your fries, mix equal parts Greek yoghurt with Frank's Hot Sauce. Yum!!!

My favourite part about a meal like this? It's really simple & quick to make, but still fits in with my nutrition plan whilst tasting absolutely awesome! Give it a go... and for those of you with children, they'll love this too! 

Raspberry Blondies....

Did you know some people don't like chocolate???? Madness!! Who'd have thought that there are people out there who don't like brownies?? Since I try to cater for everyone, I baked Sarah some Raspberry Blondies.... (she's not going to thank me for this comment).... but she hoovered them up like a fat kid attacks a brownie! My point?? (other than to rip the piss)...as much as I bang on about how all the GLBTK baked good are treats and shouldn't be eaten all the time, I love nothing more than seeing people destroy a plate of healthified cake!... 

Why?? It's very easy to come on here and post recipes and photos of attractive looking food... after all, we eat with our eyes first...but what's the point if it doesn't taste good? If healthier cakes & desserts tasted bland and as if they lacked something, then would we really bother? Good quality, healthy food can taste incredible... and spreading that message is the mission of GLBTK... 

So anyway.... the Blondies! I always thought Blondies were just white chocolate brownies... WRONG! Blondies are simply white cake cut into bars sometimes with nuts/fruit/chocolate chips...they sound kinda boring now! So.. lets make something a little more exciting... how about Raspberry Blondies packed with creamy almond butter to give them a great fudgy, dense texture like that of brownies and throw in some juicy sweet raspberries?? That sounds more appealing than 'white cake'....

For the Blondies:

• 50g butter
• 100g almond butter (I always use Keen )
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 150g ground almonds 
• 1 tsp GF baking powder
• 100g fresh raspberries 
• 30g cacoa nibs
• flaked almonds

Preheat fan oven to 160d. Line a 7" square cake tin with parchment paper. 

Start by melting the butter, almond butter & honey together over a low heat. 

Beat in the eggs, one at time. Add the vanilla extract. 

Stir in the ground almonds and baking powder. 

Carefully fold in the raspberries and cacoa nibs. 

Spoon mixture into lined cake tin, sprinkle with extra cacoa nibs & flaked almonds. Bake for 15 - 20 mins until just set. 

If you over bake, you'll have more of a cake-like texture rather than a dense, fudgy consistency. 

Cut into squares and serve! 

Strawberry Swiss Roll...

For someone who has almost zero tolerance or patience, I'm unbelievably patient when it comes to baking and cooking. I'll spend hours baking & decorating cakes without even noticing the time pass. It's my thing...baking focusses my mind, makes me happy and helps me to relax. 

As much as I love spending 4 hours making a cake, I'm not sure all of you do! That's why I try to keep most of my recipes quick and simple so that anyone can make them. Most importantly really, I try to make sure that all the ingredients are readily available in your local supermarket.... adding specialist ingredients to recipes usually requires trips to specialist shops, and often a lot of extra expense. 

This Strawberry Swiss Roll is quick and easy to bake, and as always is a million times better for your health than the traditional version...

There's no need to be worried about rolling the cake, it's actually really easy. If it cracks a little, don't worry about it, it will still taste awesome.... or just cover any cracks with fresh strawberries or homemade chocolate sauce! 

For the Swiss Roll: 

• 6 eggs, separated
• 3 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g ground almonds
• 2 tsp GF baking powder

Preheat fan oven to 160d. Line a Swiss Roll tin with non stick baking parchment. 

Separate the eggs. 

Add the honey and vanilla to the egg yolks. Whisk until doubled in volume and pale in colour. 

In a clean, 100% grease free bowl, whisk the egg whites until holding stiff peaks & opaque. 

Fold the ground almonds and baking powder into the egg yolk mixture. 

Lastly, using a large spoon fold in the egg whites (1/4 at a time), until well mixed in. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 20 minutes until well risen and the cake springs back to a light touch. 

Now... listen... you need a large sheet or parchment paper on a heatproof counter top. Turn the cake out onto the parchment. Don't mess around and try to do it slowly or carefully... just do it!!! Turn it over quickly and it'll be perfect.... do it slowly and it'll 100% break. 

You need to remove the parchment that's stuck to the cake from the tin. Don't try and pull it off like a plaster... it's a delicate sponge cake, you'll break it! Start at one of the corners and peel the parchment in pieces. Tear small pieces at a time. Be patient! Pulling it all off at once will end badly. 

Done that? Good job! Now... you're going to lift the edge of the parchment (closest to you, at the narrow end of the cake, and you're going to firmly roll the cake while it's still hot. Again... this is no time to mess around with being gentle... just do it! It won't break if you're firm with it.... 

Once rolled, set aside to cool. 

While the cake is cooling, make your jam...It's really easy to make & you won't miss the bags of sugar that are in store bought jams... 

For the jam: 

• 250g bag of frozen strawberries 
• 1 tbsp honey

Simmer the strawberries and honey over a low heat until defrosted & thickened like jam (Similar to the raspberry jam here)

Once the cake is cooled, unroll it gently. 

Spread an even layer of your cooled strawberry jam over the cake. 

Simply re-roll the cake. It's really easy this time as the cake has cooled and will remember its shape! 

It's a pretty impressive looking & really delicious cake but best of all... it's so simple to bake! Hope you enjoy it :) 

Jaffa Cakes...

I get really excited about recreating people's favourite snacks & treats. I love the challenge of not only making a healthier version, but also one that people love to eat!

A very good friend of mine adores Jaffa Cakes and I'm always baking him cakes based on the Jaffa Cake. I started to wonder if I could make him a healthier version of his favourite treat. First attempt turned out so well I couldn't help being delighted. I've promised to hang out with him this week and we're going to have a baking day... Jaffa Cakes will absolutely be on the menu :)

The best part of this recipe is that it's actually really simple to make, so kids will LOVE helping out just as much as they'll love devouring the finished goodies...

For the Jaffa filling:

• juice of 3 large oranges
• 1 tbsp orange zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp Irish honey
• 100ml water 
• 2 sachets of powdered gelatin (12g sachet x 2) 

Line a 7" square tin with parchment paper or cling film. 

Mix the first 5 ingredients together and heat to just before boiling point. 

Remove approx 150ml of the hot liquid and place in a separate shallow bowl. 

Sprinkle the 2 sachets of gelatin over the hot liquid & set aside to dissolve for 5 minutes. Once fully dissolved, stir gently to ensure there are no lumps remaining. 

Pour the gelatin mixture back into the remaining liquid gradually, whisking constantly to prevent the gelatin forming lumps or strings in the mixture.  

Once fully combined, pour into the prepared tin & place in the fridge until set (should only take about 25 minutes but you can make a start on the sponge base while you wait). 

For the base: 

• 3 eggs
• 2 tbsp Irish honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 75g ground almonds
• 1/2 tsp GF baking powder

Preheat the oven to 160d (fan). 

Start by whisking the eggs, honey and vanilla until pale and doubled in volume. 

Fold in the ground almonds & baking powder until just combined. 

Divide mixture into a non stick shallow bun tin. (This recipe yields 12) 

Bake the sponge base for 8-10 minutes until slightly risen and firm to touch. 

Allow to cool for about a minute before carefully removing the sponge discs from the tray. Place on a wire rack to cool. 

To assemble: 

• 100g dark chocolate (85% cocoa solids) 

Using a round cookie cutter (slightly smaller than the sponge discs), cut out circles of the orange jelly. 

Place on top of the sponge base. 

Melt the chocolate gently in a heatproof bowl over gently simmering water.

Using a teaspoon, pour chocolate over the centre of the jelly disc and spread gently to coat the sides in order to hold the jelly in place. 

Allow the chocolate to harden before serving. 

I'm not kidding, these taste better than the original. There's more jelly filling, it actually tastes like orange and they're healthier! What's not to love?! 

If you know someone who loves Jaffa Cakes, share this recipe with them... they'll love you for it!