making your own sugar free chocolate

Now,
I DO LIKE chocolate.
A few squares of dark chocolate after my lunch, seems to be part of my daily routine at this stage.
I don't need a lot of it, but just that little strong taste to finish of the main meal of my day, is a 'must'.

I wondered how difficult it would be make my own - and in that case, sugar free chocolate.
As you might know I have experimented with  energy chocolate balls  a few weeks ago, which I liked very much.

Last week I experimented with making 'just' chocolate.
And oh my goodness, it turned out lovely, (not just my words), and was SO easy.

homemade sugar free dark chocolate
on a small plate made by Elke Buhl

Sugar free dark chocolate

• soak about 4 dates in a tiny bit of water to soften them up.
• blend this into a paste 
• I used the nutribullet- it will stick to the sides, and  not all of it will turn into a smooth paste, as it is such a small amount (you can use larger quantity and refrigerate for use in other recipes)

Then:

• melt 1/4 cup of (organic) coconut oil
• I put this in a small glass bowl, which I put into a pan of boiled water. (not on the stove) It slowly melted and did not get hot.
• make sure it is slightly cooled

Then:

• Put 1/2 cup of cacao powder in a small bowl
• I used organic cacao powder (from True natural goodness)
• mix in a generous tablespoon of the date paste
• leave out any lumpy bits
• Add spoon fulls of the melted, and slightly cooled coconut oil to the powder & paste
• Add 1/4 teaspoon of (organic) vanilla extract
• pinch of ground seasalt

Mix it all gently together until you have a smooth looking chocolate mix.

Poor onto a shallow dish and refrigerate for half hour or so.

Cut into pieces.

I am sure it would be lovely to use chocolate moulds to make nice looking chocolates, but I did not have that. 

Taste all the same!!

I know it is sugarfree, but don't eat the lot of it as it is still chocolate, and fatty...

... I poored a tiny bit of boiled water in the bowl to not waste any of this glorious goodness. Swirrled it around, to get all the chocolate off the sides of the bowl. Poored it into a cup, added (goats) milk and heated it all up to make the most delicous hot chocolate. (add more cocao if needed)

Links and further reading:

• My other sugar free, and mostly dairy free, gluten free recipes

The most delicious sugar free porridge

BBD Saturday
Blog-Baking-Day

Ok, no baking again today, but a lovely, delicious sugar free breakfast recipe instead.

I have been using this recipe, or variation of it, for about 18 years, and still look forward to eating it.
If you use millet flakes and soyamilk it is also gluten and dairy free.

Porridge!
I eat small amounts of food, so maybe you need to increase the amounts used, but maybe try this first?

ingredients for porrigde

In a small saucepan:

• 2 tablespoons of millet flakes (my favorite at the moment- and gluten free)
• or oat flakes
• 4 tbs water
• 10 tbs goatsmilk (my current favourite), or unsweetened soya milk 
• (or what ever milk you prefer)
• 1 ripe pear, peeled and cut into pieces
• 2 unsulphered apricots

Bring to the boil

Then simmer on very low heat for about 10 minutes, stirring often.

cook slowly

Serve in the best, most beautiful bowl you have, or the one that makes you smile, or brings happy memories... 

serve in the bowl that you like best that day

Sprinkle with ground, or whole seeds:

• pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, hemp, linseed, goji berries...

Enjoy!

Eat slowly.

Other recipes, see this link

Glutenfree pancakes

Saturday-Blog-Baking-Day: Gluten Free Buckwheat and Soyamilk Pancakes 

with (optional) ground seeds and banana 

gluten free buckwheat pancakes

I am Dutch
We eat pancakes any time of the year
Any time of the day
Not just "Pancake Tuesday"!

Here my very easy to make Gluten Free Pancakes

I use the Nutribullet ( a great little mixer for juicing and smoothies) to make my batter.
No energy wasted, other than electricity!
Can of course be mixed by hand.

So.

Mix:

• 1 cup of buckwheat flour
• 2 cups of soyamilk
• optional: 2 teaspoons of ground seeds
• tiny bit of salt
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon of oil or butter
• my mother thought me that, that if you add the butter to the batter there is not need to butter the pan before each pancake. Except for the first one!

Blend all together into smooth batter

• Add a little butter or oil to your frying pan
• Hot pan! (6)
• I use a tiny very light weight 15 cm frying pan, easy to handle for me.
• Reduce to medium heat (4)
• Add small amounts of batter.
• when there are no more wet patched visible, turn over and bake the other side.

Makes about 6 small pancakes.

breakfast in the making

Optional 

• add half a banana to the last half of the batter and use the nutribullet or blender again to make into a smooth batter.
• or any other fruit, or nuts, or cheese, or ham...

They are most delicious straight from the pan, but freeze well, to have quick breakfast or snakc anytime.

See Other recipes on this blog

Raw Energy Balls with roasted seeds

Raw Energy Balls

 Dairy, sugar & gluten free, made with cocao, date paste and roasted seeds.

Raw energy balls with roasted seeds

To make the date paste, soak:

• 12 dates in about 40 ml of water for about ten minutes

Add:

• 3 unsulphured apricots 
• 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla essence

Blend in a food processor- (or nutribullet which is what I used)  into a smooth paste

Mix together in a bowl:

• 60 grams of the  Date paste (which might not be all the paste you made...)
• 70 grams of ground seeds
• I roasted Hemp, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds in a dry pan heavy bottomed pan- separately - until they start to pop. It gives a nicer nutty flavour. Watch out that they don't burn though!
• I used the nutribullet to grind them into a "flour"
• You can just use raw ground seeds too, if you prefer
• 20 grams of pumping seeds
• 15 grams of chia seeds
• 18 grams of raw cocoa
• Add a little more paste it the dough is too dry - or
•  you can add a tablespoon of melted coconut oil

Take a generous teaspoon of dough and roll it with your hands into small balls. 

I made 13, but it is up to you what size you like to make them.

I rolled some in ground almond seeds. Just to have a choice of two varieties.

Put them on a sheet of baking paper and store in the fridge.

And then ... I scraped the deliciously sticky mixture of my hands with my teeth.

A new version of "licking the cake-spoon'!

Enjoy!

I certainly did.

Further reading

• Other wheat, sugar and dairy free recipes, see here  Bread, cakes, muffins...

Feel Good Cake

Not my own recipe this time, but one slightly adapted from the book: Vegetarian Cooking Without (2000).  One of the wonderful books by Barbara Cousins with recipes free from added gluten, sugar, yeast, and dairy products. Check out her website and books!

Gluten, Sugar and Dairy Free Feel Good Cake 

is a recipe full of photo-estrogen's which assist in hormone balancing. But trust me, it is delicious! And you don't need to suffer from hormonal imbalance to appreciate the goodness and sweet cake.

It does have a lot of ingredients, but easy enough to make. 

I prepare in stages.

I make the carrot mix.

A while later I put all the flours in a bowl, and prepare a bowl with the seeds etc.

After baking I cut it in slices and freeze them individually, so I have pieces of cake for a few weeks. It is well worth the effort.

Feel Good Cake
recipe adapted from Barbara Cousin's Book Cooking Without

Feel good Cake  (adapted from recipe by Barbara Cousins)

Put in a small saucepan:

• 125 grams of slices carrots
• 1 and 1/4 cup of water
• 3 star anise

Bring to the boil, and when carrots are almost soft add

• 3 tablespoons of linseed

Remove star anise

Blend the now gloppy carrots in a food processor, and blend until smooth.

Add and blend until smooth:

• 1 and 1/4 cup of soya milk
• 1/2 cup of sunflower oil (or soya oil if you have it)

Add, and blend until smooth:

• 90 grams of rice flour
• 90 grams of soya flour
• 90 grams of corn flour (fine polenta flour)
• 1 teaspoon of speculaas spice ( or cinnamon)
• 2 teaspoons ground liquorice
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

Put the mixture in a large bowl and add:

• 60 grams of chopped almonds or almost slices
• 30 grams of dried apple, cur in pieces
• 60 grams of pumpkin seeds
• 30 grams sunflower seeds
• 225 grams of dried fruit (raisins and currants)
• I used: raisins, sultanas, pieces of unsulphered apricot,  dried dates and mango (soaked and cut into pieces) and 2 table spoons of ground gogi berries

Stir it all gently together and add to a greased - linen sponge cake tin (20cm) or (900 gram)bread tin.

Preheated oven 170C, 325F, gas 3

Bake for 45 minutes.

Then reduce heat to 145C, 290F, gas 1 for another 30 minutes

Eat within 3 days or cut and freeze into small pieces.

Feel Good Cake
recipe adapted from Barbara Cousin's Book Cooking Without

Further reading and links

• other wheat, sugar and dairy free recipes

Sugar free, Party Piece Apple Cake

My party piece - an apple cake too delicious not to try!

It does not have sugar added, but does have butter, so not a dairy free cake this time.

I used spelt, but gluten free flour works just fine.

Just before you think this is a too big a job, I can assure you, this is a very easy cake to make!
And  this sugar free recipe doesn't stop sugar lovers from enjoying this cake.

Delicious Sugar Free (no added sugar) Apple Cake.

Put the following in a (magi-mix) food processor and mix until the consistency resembles course cornmeal: (can be done by hand too)

• 8 ounces spelt flour *
• 2 teasp. baking powder
• 2 teasp. speculaas kruid (which is a Dutch mixed cookie spice).  Cookie-spice will do the same, or mix mostly cinnamon, with a little bit of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamon, white pepper 
• 3 to 4 ounces of butter or margarine

Transfer to large bowl and add:

• 4 ounces of sultanas, or raisins
• 2 apples cut into small pieces
• (optional add seeds or nuts to your liking)

Mix together:

• 1/4 cup soyamilk
• 1 egg, gently beaten
• add the apple concentrate, or 2 tablespoons of homemade natural sweetener

Mix this with dry ingredients to create a wet-ish dough that easily falls of the knife.

Add more more if it looks too dry.

• put into greased and floured 2lb loaf tin (or a ring-cake-tin)) and level on top.
• bake in preheated oven 350-375F, 180 C, or gas 4, for 1 hour. (centre)

• Eat and enjoy!

( *you can also use gluten free flour, but in this case increase the amount of baking powder to 2 and 1/2 teaspoon and add more liquid)

Links and further reading

• Other recipes, mostly wheat, and sugar free, but all are adaptable and delicious even without sugar. Trust me!

Spelt Muffins with Cheese and Spinach

Cheese and Spinach Muffins.

 * I endeavour to make wheatfree recipes, but in this case I used Spelt. 
But if your prefer to use Glutenfree flour for this recipe, please Add more liquid.

Spelt Muffins with feta, other Cheeses and Spinach. My current favourite!

Mix in a large bowl

2 cups spelt flour * 
2 teaspoon baking powder
125 gr cooked and drained spinach - Squeeze out any access liquid. (Frozen spinach is fine) 
A handful of fresh spinach (optional) 
150 gr. of mixed cheeses: I used 100 grams crumbled feta, and 50 grams total of grated hard goats cheese and grated Parmesan
Little bit of (herb) salt 

Mix it all together.

Mix the following
1 egg, beaten
1 cup soyamilk (or other milk)
1 tablespoon yoghurt (optional)
1/3 cup sunflower oil

Mix well, and add to the other ingredients, making sure everything is well combined.

Put in 12 muffin cases, or in a buttered muffin tin

Preheated oven Gas 7, or 220 C.
20 min or until golden brown

Freezes well

Happy eating!!

Links:

• Other recipes 

Yummy Sugar Free Rye Muffins with raisins and apple

Sugar and dairy free RYE MUFFINS WITH RAISINS AND APPLE

sugar free Apple and raisin Rye Muffins

This recipe has the natural sweetener in it, see last week's post

RYE MUFFINS WITH RAISINS AND APPLE

Mix these dry ingredients in a large bowl

1 and 1/2 cup oat flakes
1 cup rye flour

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix the following

1 cup soyamilk
1 tablespoon of yoghurt or  squeeze of lemon
1/3 cup sunflower oil
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons of homemade sweetener (* See last week's post)
or 1 tablespoon of concentrated apple juice

Stir and add to dry ingredients, gently mixing it all together, then add.

1/2 cup raisins
1 apple cut in small pieces, or banana, or pear, or summer fruit (which can make them quite wet, so reduce liquid)


Divide dough in about 12 cake cups placed in a muffin tin.
preheated oven: gas 7. or 220 C for 20 minutes

Can be made with gluten free flour, but add 1/2 cup of soyamilk in that case

natural sugar substitute for baking

Not an actual baking recipe this week, but a homemade natural sweetener which you might make and freeze in advance of next few baking recipes! 

As I avoid sugar in my diet, I have tried various alternative natural sweeteners over the years.

• honey
• rice syrup
• concentrated apple juice 
• agave syrup

The honey and Agave syrup I still find very sweet and mimic sugar, in terms of reaction on my sugar levels in my body.
If you do want to use the above, I recommend about one tablespoon of any of the above, in stead of two tablespoons of sugar.

I don't like very sweet food, so you might want to play around with quantity to suit your own taste.

My favourite however is my natural homemade sweetener

Recommended use is about two tablespoons in any baking recipe.

I make a batch of it in advance as it freezes well.

How to make:

homemade sugar substitute for baking

Put the following in a small saucepan:
1 medium size carrot, peeled and thinly sliced

7 un-sulphured apricots, cut into small pieces

1 apple,  peeled and cut into small pieces

enough water to cover 

Bring to the boil.

Simmer, uncovered, until carrots are soft. (About twenty minutes.)

Blend it into a soft paste with a blender. Mash if you don't have a blender.

Blended homemade sugar substitute for baking 

Leave it to cool and divide into three or four portions of two generous tablespoons each, onto sheets of clingfilm, wrap up and freeze.

Defrost well before use.

Next week's recipe will have this sweetener in it! Rye muffins!

Links and other recipes:

• Gluten free raisin and nut/seed bread
• Wheat and dairy free Rye Bread

Gluten free fruit, nut and seed bread

As promised last week, here my Gluten Free fruit, nut and seed bread, which I bake at the same time as the Rye bread 

Gluten Free fruit, nut and seed bread 

The colourful mix of my 'bread-to-be'

Mix these dry ingredients in a large bowl:
2 cups gluten free white flour 
1 cup oatflakes
1 cup buckwheat flour (or spelt if tolerated) 

1 cup ot more (in total) of dried fruits, nuts and seeds of your choice.
 * I used raisins, walnut pieces, almond pieces, almond flakes, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and      sesame seeds.

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Optional:

1 tablespoon of nori bake which is a powdered seaweed

Mix the following in a measuring jug:
1 egg, beaten
250 ml water
250 ml soyamilk 
1 tablespoon of plain yogurt, or good squeeze of lemon juice

Stir and add to dry ingredients, gently mixing it all together:

* Because the gluten free flour absorbs a lot of liquid this should be very wet dough! Almost pancake batter consistency.

Put in a greased bread tin.

If I have a bit of dough left, I fill these tiny baking tins, to make some mini breads, nice little presents, or great for kid's lunch boxes.

Place in Pre-heated oven: Gas 7, 220 C, 425 F.

About 45 minutes.

Cool on wire rack and ENJOY!

* It tastes the best when still a little warm! If it is not going to be eaten in a day or two, I would suggest to cut it in slizes and freeze individually wrapped. I freezes well. Warm defrosted slizes in the microwave for few seconds, or under the grill for a bit, and it will be as fresh as if just out of the oven!

fruit bread and mini breads

Links to other recipe:

• Rye bread 

Wheat, dairy and sugar free Rye Bread

When I was still well, as in not ill with ME. a different kind of well... Saturdays used to be for baking. With that in mind, I decided that my Saturday Blog is a baking blog. My aim is to share recipes which are (mainly):

 Sugar free. Yeast free. Wheat Free. Dairy free. 

But still ABSOLUTELY delicious!!

First a thought, not baking related, but I just want to say that my thoughts are with my American readers who wake up to the knowledge that their new president has, within a few hours of taking office already tried to dismantle 'Obama Care'.  I can not imagine the worry that has brought to many. All I can do is that I have you in my thoughts.

Baking...
I love baking. Much more so than cooking. And to accommodate my changed tolerance for certain foods, I have adapted many recipes over the years. 

My first offering here is a Rye Bread. It is a bread I made for years, and many people (even those not in need of a wheat free diet) have asked me for the recipe. It has gone to many countries by now.

Wheat, dairy and sugar free Rye Bread

And... It is very simple to make.

In fairness, I do get help with the mixing. 

My job is to put all the ingredients in the bowl.

Observe the mixing. Set the timer .... something that is easily forgotten... Take it out of the oven. And eat it!

It freezer really well, so I slice it when cold, wrap slices in clingfilm and freeze so I can have a fresh slice of bread at any time.

I usually make two loaves, or one of this bread and one currant/nut bread. The recipe will follow next week

Rye Bread

Mix these dry ingredients in a large bowl

2 cups of Rye Flour 

1 cup of gluten free flour, or spelt flour

1+ 1/2 cup of oat flakes 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

Optional:

1 tablespoon of nori bake which is a powdered seaweed

And you can add seeds of your choice

Mix the following

200 ml water

200 ml soyamilk (or goatsmilk)

1 tablespoon of plain yogurt (or good squeeze of lemon juice)

Stir and add to dry ingredients, gently mixing it all together.

It should be quite a wet dough! As one of my home helps used to say, "it is all in the mixing" Don't overdo it.

Put in a greased bread tin.

Place in Pre-heated oven: Gas 7, 220 C, 425 F.

About 45 minutes.

Cool on wire rack and ENJOY!

Day Fifty-8+9: Time for a treat!

It's Sunday and the sun is shining.

A good day for a treat!

Yummy Sugar & Wheat free Muffins -

(for those of you who do like sugar, see amounts in brackets in italics)

It only takes about 10 minutes of preparation time, and 20 minutes of baking.

Eat hot!

1 and 1/2 cup oat flakes ( wholemeal wheat flour)

1 cup rye flour (white flour)

1 teasp. baking powder

1 teasp. baking soda

1/2 teasp salt

1 cup soya milk (buttermilk- omit the lemon juice)

squeeze of lemon

1/3 cup sunflower oil

1/2 teasp. vanilla essence

1 egg

1 generous tablespoon apple concentrate or rice syrup (2/3 cup sugar)

fruit of choice: for example

• 1 apple and one pear
• 1 apple and handful of raisins
• 1 apple and handful of blueberries (this is the one I made today)

Mix all the dry ingredients together

Mix in the fruit so all is coated with the flour mixture

Mix wet ingredients and stir into dry mixture

Put the quite wet dough in cupcake casings, makes about 12 big muffins, or 16 smaller ones.

Bake in oven gas 7, 225 C for 20 minutes

Then EAT! :-)

Day Twenty Three."If I knew your were coming...

...I'd have baked a cake, baked a cake..."

Well I DID bake a cake, a sugar free one, and will gladly share the recipe with you.

Just before you think this is a 'too big a job', I can assure you, this is a very easy cake to make!

... and... the sugar free recipe doesn't stop sugar lovers from enjoying this cake.

Corina's (Sugar Free) Apple Cake.

• 8 ounces white flour *
• 2 teasp. baking powder
• 2 teasp. speculaas kruid (which is a Dutch mixed cookie spice)- or a mixed cookie-spice
• 3 to 4 ounces of butter or margarine
• 4 ounces of sultanas
• 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of apple concentrate. (equivalent of 3 ounces of sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup soyamilk, or ricedream (or cows milk if you prefer)
• 2 apples cut into small pieces

( *you can also use gluten free flour, but in this case increase the amount of baking powder to 2 and 1/2 teaspoon and add more liquid)

• Sieve flour and, baking powder, and spice into mixer bowl
• add butter/margarine and mix until the consistency resembles course cornmeal
• by hand: mix in (sugar), raisins, apple
• mix egg with half the milk, and add the apple concentrate
• mix this with dry ingredients to create a wet-tish dough that easily falls of the knife
• put into greased and floured 2lb loaf tin and level on top.
• bake in centre of oven 350-375F or gas 4, for 1 hour.

• Eat and enjoy!