Snicker slice

Ingredients

150g mixed nuts (can be any combination or you can use one variety, I use whatever I have to hand)

150g dates pitted

1 dessert spoonful coconut oil

4 tblsp good quality peanut butter

2 tblsp Maple syrup

1/2 tsp sea salt

200g chocolate ( Plain, milk or both and marble it! Or vegan)

Method

1. Line a cake tin that is 18cm square with baking parchment 

2. Blend the nuts in a blender or a food processor and then whizz in the dates and coconut oil and blend  together until smooth. 

3. Spread the mix out in the tin and then really press down into the cake tin with the back a spoon, making sure its right up to the edges. 

4. Blend the peanut butter, maple syrup and salt together either in a food processor with a blade or in a blender. 

5. Cover the nutty base with the peanut and syrup mix. 

6. Place in the freezer to firm up for between half an hour and an hour.

7. Remove from the freezer and melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of barely simmering water or in the microwave and pour over the chocolate.

8. Place in the fridge to set, when the chocolate is set remove the tin from the freezer,  and cut into squares with a very sharp knife. Store in the fridge to keep it firm. Enjoy.

Gluten free carrot cake

Recipe

This is a shallow cake and so if you want a double layered cake then double the quantity and use two tins. Personally I like this just the way it is. I have included several frostings if you love a frosting or if you are making it for a special occasion but it is just as delicious left plain, in fact that is how we like to eat it, add a dollop of cream too if you like! 

150g soft light brown sugar or golden caster sugar

1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk
2 egg whites, whisked to stiff peaks

125g gluten free self raising flour ( I use Doves Farm) or regular self raising flour 

1 tsp ground mixed spice

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

150 ml grapeseed oil or sunflower oil

75g ground almonds

250g finely grated carrot

75g chopped pecans
75g sultanas (optional)
extra pecans, chopped, grated lemon peel or edible flowers to decorate

Icing 
Buttercream for those that dislike cream cheese
100g butter
200g icing sugar, sifted
1tblsp water or lemon juice (if you want a slight flavour to your icing)

or
Sweet cream cheese frosting- this should cover the top and sides

100g cream cheese

25g softened butter

150g-175g icing sugar

grated zest of unwaxed lemon or orange
or
Less sweet frosting- just for the top 
170g cream cheese
65g butter
35g icing sugar
Grated zest of lemon (optional)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180c/gas mark 4

2. Put the egg whites in a scrupulously clean bowl and whisk until stiff peak stage.
3. Put the sugar, 1 whole egg plus 1 egg yolk and oil in a mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until well mixed or you can use a hand held whisk.

4. Gradually add the flour a spoonful at a time then add the spices, salt, ground almonds and chopped nuts. Finally add the grated carrot and sultanas if using. Mix really well. 

5. With a metal spoon gradually fold in the whisked egg whites trying not to remove too much air as you do.
6. Spoon into a 20 cm round tin that is greased and lined with baking parchment.

7. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Checking by inserting a skewer and if it comes out clean then remove from the oven and set aside for 10  minutes before turning out carefully onto a wire rack to cool.

8. To make the icing, decide which one you would like to use and then either start by beating the softened butter and adding the icing sugar a tablespoon at a time until it is really well mixed. Then add the water or lemon juice and beat really well or if you are using the cream cheese frosting then same method, beat the cream cheese and butter together and add the icing sugar a tblsp at a time and then add the zest of the lemon or orange.

9. Spread the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Decorate either with chopped nuts, edible flowers or grated zest of lemon.

Almond and chocolate bites

Recipe

140g marzipan

25g ground almonds

20g coconut oil

125g plain chocolate

15g pistachios, chopped finely

This should make about 20 small discs or balls. You can just use plain marzipan if you don't want to mess around too much. I just find this is slightly less sweet.

Method

1. Mix the marzipan, ground almonds and coconut oil together in a mixer, food processor or by hand. ( I use a mixer with the pale attachment) 

2. Form into either balls or roll out into a ball and then flatten into a round disc. To do this I use greaseproof paper and squeegee each one into a ball then very slightly flatten with a rolling pin then cut into a disc using a very small cutter that is 4cm in diameter.

3. Keep going until all the mix is used up. Should get about 20 from this mix. 

4. Place on a greaseproof sheet on a baking sheet and refrigerate while you melt the chocolate in a bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.

5. Coat each one carefully in the chocolate by dipping and turning. I use a fork and a spoon and then set on the baking sheet, sprinkle each one with the pistachios and place back in the fridge to set.

Elderflower gin

Recipe

1 litre gin

25 fresh elderflower heads that are just open (best picked on a dry day in the morning.) Do not collect any that are browning. Make sure you only collect the heads and snip off as much of the stalk as you can.

2 lemons

5 tblsp caster sugar 

Method

1. Take a large jar, I use a large preserve jar. Sterilise it and pour in the gin

2. Add the sugar to the gin.

3. Remove the peel from the lemons with a potato peeler and add to the jar.

4. Shake any insect life from the flower heads (don't worry if any get in as they will all get filtered out) Snip off as much of the stalk a you can and add to the gin. Make sure the flowers are squished under the surface of the gin. Some at the top will brown but don't worry it won't affect the flavour.

5. Seal and pop somewhere cool, give it a shake to dissolve the sugar every day and leave for about a week.

6. At the end of the week pour the gin through a clean double muslin or tea towel (I boil mine to make sure its scrupulously clean) This filters out not only the elderflowers but any tiny insect life. I do sometimes pour through several times to get a nice clear gin.

7. Bottle in a sterilised bottle and enjoy with mixer of your choice.