Ginger Biscuits

Ginger Biscuits

Inspired by:

Australian Women’s Weekly Gingernuts

Why?

They were something simple and quick to take to a friend’s house.

Time Taken:

20 minutes preparation, 10 minutes baking=30 minutes

Number of Dirty Dishes:

Tray, medium saucepan, wooden spoon, teaspoon, measuring cups, measuring spoons, fork

I used:

90g dairy free margarine

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup golden syrup

1 1/3 cups gluten free flour

¾ tsp bicarb soda

1 tbs ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

What I did:

Line biscuit tray and preheat oven to 180C.

Melt margarine, sugar and golden syrup in a medium saucepan over low heat.

Once melted, remove from heat (turn off stove top) and add dry ingredients.

Mix until well combined.

Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.

Roll teaspoons of mixture into balls and place on tray 5cm apart.

Flatten slightly with a fork.

Bake 10 minutes.

Take out of oven and leave to cool (they will solidify more).

Eat and Enjoy.

Comments after eating Ginger Biscuits:

They were a new taste for my friends, who went back for more.

I don't have a good record for making pretty looking biscuits, but the taste makes up for it.

I was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out, although next time I will aim for more moisture.

What I would do different:

Perhaps add more sugar or golden syrup in the hope they would be more moist.

Practice making biscuits look pretty!

Peanut Butter Biscuits

Peanut butter biscuits

Inspired by:

pbs.org and the may other 4 ingredient peanut butter biscuit recipes that are online

Why?

I had a 'craving' for peanut biscuits

Time Taken:

10 mins preparation +10 mins cooking =20 mins

Dirty Dishes:

Tray, medium bowl, spoon, fork, measuring cups.

I used:

2/3 cup dairy free peanut butter

2/3 cup castor sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

What I did:

Line/grease biscuit tray. Preheat oven to 175C.

In a medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix with a spoon until well blended. 

Roll spoon sized amounts of the mixture into balls (size of the spoon depends on how big you want the biscuits). 

Place the balls on the tray 5cm apart and press with a fork to flatten each ball slightly. 

Bake 10-15 minutes, checking regularly that they do not burn. 

The biscuits will spread and will set further once cool. 

Cool on tray. Eat and enjoy.

Comments after eating Peanut butter biscuits:

YUM! They are really moreish and this is a great flourless biscuit recipe!

I did leave mine in the oven a little too long and they burnt slightly on the bottom, but they still tasted great!

What I would do different:

Watch the biscuits more carefully in the oven!

Melting Moments

Melting moments

Inspired by:

Taste.com.au

Why?

I haven’t eaten one in what feels like years!

Time Taken:

15mins+15mins+5mins=35 mins

Number of Dirty Dishes:

Biscuit tray, medium bowl, fork, measuring cups, table knife, small bowl

I used:

250g dairy free margarine, cubed

1/3 cup gluten free icing sugar

1t vanilla

1 1/3 cups gluten free flour

1/3 cup gluten free corn flour.

Icing

60g dairy free margarine at room temperature

1t vanilla

Lemon rind to taste

2/3 cup gluten free icing sugar

What I did:

Preheat oven to 160C and line biscuit tray with baking paper.

In a medium sized bowl beat dairy free margarine, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy.

Add flours and mix until biscuit dough is just combined.

Roll into balls (the bigger the ball the bigger the biscuit) and place on tray 5cm apart (they do spread). Flatten slightly with a fork. Bake 15 minutes. Take out of oven and leave to cool (they will solidify more). Once cool, mix the icing ingredients together in a small bowl. Using a table knife cover the base of the biscuit in icing and press the base of another biscuit on the top. Repeat until all biscuits are iced. Eat and enjoy!

Comments after eating Melting Moments:

They really do melt in your mouth! Delicious and dangerously moreish! Although they are not so tidy to look at. Once iced they look a bit more respectable, but once you taste them the look of them does't matter so much!

What I would do different:

Make a bigger batch! Also experiment with a little less margarine in the hope that they would spread less. 

Fake Tim Tams or Chocolate Mousse Biscuits

Fake Tim Tams or Chocolate Mousse Biscuits

Inspired by:

Slice base from Gluten Free Baking Book by Simon and Alison Holst and Nigella Lawson’s Instant Chocolate Mousse

Why?

It’s Australia Day on the 26^th of January, and so I wanted to make something that reminded me of Australia. TimTams are one of our famous biscuits- they involve, two chocolate malt biscuits with chocolate icing between them, covered in chocolate. Yum. Without the malt and the gluten and dairy to aid me.  . .here is my attempt!

Time Taken:

Mouse=20 mins, Biscuit base=40 mins, Chocolate=10 mins. 1 hr 10 mins.

Number of Dirty Dishes:

Saucepan, spoon, bowl, spoon, tray, bainmarie, spoon, knife

I used:

Base:

100g melted dairy free margarine

¼ cup castor sugar

1 cup gluten free flour

¼ cup cocoa

Mousse:

150g Gluten free marshmallows

1 Tbs of dairy free margarine (can substitute for oil)

250g dairy free chocolate (I used 40% cocoa solids)

¾ cup dairy free milk substitute

1tsp vanilla essence/powder.

Coating:

100g dairy free chocolate.

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C and line 30cm x 40cm baking tray.

In a medium sized bowl combine the ingredients for the base (dairy free margarine, castor sugar, gluten free flour and cocoa) and mix well together. 
Pour out on to tray and with a spoon smooth onto the base of the tin so that the batter is evenly spread and is half a centimeter thick. 
Place in the oven and bake for 10 mins or until the centre is firm. (If a crunchy biscuit is desired pull base out of the oven and let cool for ten minutes and then rebake for another 10 minutes or until firm). 
Cut the base in half.

While the base cools combine mousse ingredients (marshmallows, dairy free margarine, dairy free chocolate, dairy free milk and vanilla), in a medium saucepan over a low heat. 
Stir mixture continually until marshmallows are melted, taking care not to boil the mixture. 
Let mixture cool for ten minutes and then spread over one half of the biscuit base and place the other half of the biscuit base on top of it so that the mousse is sandwiched between the biscuit layers.

After ten minutes cut the biscuits into thick fingers about 5cm long and 2.5cm wide and separate out on the baking paper.

Melt the remaining dairy free chocolate over a bain-marie, and once chocolate has liquidified pour it over the biscuits until they are covered. 
Once done, lift the biscuits off the paper slightly so that the chocolate runs underneath and coats the bottom of the biscuit as well.

Let the biscuits set, and enjoy.

Comments after eating fake Tim Tams:

Yum! Very chocolatey and delicious. Our friend who does not normally enjoy chocolate desserts liked them very much which was a big complement. Everyone was happy. Not exactly TimTams. . .but it satisfied my craving!

What I would do different:

I didn’t double bake the slice, and I would do that next time or use biscotti in an effort to make the biscuits more like Tim Tams which have that biscuit crunch. My crust was firm before I added the mousse and the chocolate, but when encased in chocolate and mousse, it soaked up the moisture and became more cake like than I desired. No complaints about the taste though!

Jada's really good cookies alert

Jada's REALLY GOOD COOKIES ALERT

Inspired by:  

Jada and her next door Neighbour!

Why?

They sound YUM

She used:

125g dairy free margarine

·        ½ cup castor/white sugar

·        ½ cup brown sugar

·        ½ tsp vanilla essence/powder

·        1 egg

·        1 ¾ cups gluten free SR flour

·        pinch salt

·        125g dairy free choc chips

 

What she did:
Preheat oven to 180C. Line/grease biscuit/cookie trays. In a bowl, cream together butter, sugars and vanilla. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and add to the mixture, stirring together. Mix in gluten free flour, salt, and dairy free chocolate chips. Make tablespoonfuls of the dough into balls and place on to trays. Bake for 10-12 mins or until light brown on top. 

Comments after eating Jada's really good cookies!

If they are entitled really good, they must be really good. I can't wait to try them.

Peanut Butter Biscuits

Peanut butter biscuits

Inspired by: a cook book at my mother’s house which I now can't remember the name of. . .

Why?

I was hungry and she had nothing for me to eat

I used:

1 1/2 cups self raising gluten free flour

1/2 cups dairy free peanut butter

125g dairy free margarine

1/2 cup castor sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

What I did:

Preheat oven to 180C. Grease/line a biscuit tray (or two).

In a bowl mix margarine, peanut butter, castor and brown sugar together. 
Add egg and mix well together. 
Gradually add flour, mixing until combined. 
Make small balls of mixture with your (clean) hands and space them on the tray, press lightly with a fork to flatten. 
Once the tray is full, place in the oven to bake until biscuits are brown, or about 15-25 mins.

Comments after eating Peanutbutter biscuits

I might have to try another one. . .