Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

I love making hot cross buns! This year I made a batch of my lovely Cranberry and Orange buns but I wanted to also make some that my allergic son could also eat. So I used that as my basic recipe, and changed it to make it dairy free.
Needless to say my son LOVED them, and I must admit I did too!
If you've never made hot cross buns before, honestly they are quite easy, but they just take a bit of time due to the two lots of proving that are necessary for a light, fluffy bun.

Anyway, do have a go!

Chocolate Orange Hot Cross Buns

For the Buns:

300 ml milk - I used soya for my son

500 g strong white flour

75 g caster sugar

1 tsp salt

7g sachet fast-action yeast

50 g butter - melted - I used Stork block - non dairy

1 free range egg, beaten

100 g dark chocolate chips - dairy free

2 oranges, zest of both 

1 tsp mixed spice

sunflower oil for greasing the bowl

For the Cross:

75 g plain flour

5 tbsp water

For the Glaze:

1 tbsp caster sugar

1 tbsp boiling water

METHOD:

1. Bring the milk to the boil and then take it off the heat, transfer to a bowl and leave to cool down until it reaches hand temperature.

2. Zest the oranges into a small bowl. 

3. Mix the flour, spices, salt, sugar, yeast, butter and egg together in a bowl and then slowly add the warm milk, mixing until it forms a soft, sticky dough.

4. Knead the dough for about 5 mins or until is is smooth and elastic. I used the dough hook on my Kenwood mixer for this stage.

5. Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with oiled cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about an hour or until doubled in size. 

6. Tip the dough out of the bowl onto the bench top and knead it to remove any air bubbles. Flatten it out into a rectangular shape and sprinkle the chocolate chips and orange zest onto the dough. Fold the dough over to incorporate the toppings, and knead so they are well combined.

7. Divide the dough into 12 even sized pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured surface - you shouldn't need much flour at this stage. Also, it's okay to knead these pieces a bit more to shape them. Arrange them onto a tray lined with baking parchment, leaving enough room so that they just touch when they expand and rise (about 1-2cm apart depending on their size).

8. Heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

9. Set aside to prove for another hour. At this stage I placed the tray into a clean plastic shopping bag rather than covering in cling film.

10. For the cross, mix the flour with 5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Add the water a tablespoon at a time, so that you get the right consistency for a thick paste. Spoon the paste into a disposable piping bag (or ziplock bag) and trim off the bottom of the bag - a small opening is all you need. Pipe along each row of buns in one direction only, then come back and do the opposite direction to make crosses, all in one go. Don't do individual buns, it will look messy and take so much longer.

10. Bake for 20-25 mins on the middle shelf in the oven, or until golden brown.

11. Mix the caster sugar and water together until the sugar dissolves, and then when they buns are straight out of the oven brush them liberally with the glaze so the tops are all covered.

12. Gently rip the buns apart to eat and enjoy!

Ready for the oven!

Glazed with the sugar syrup straight out of the oven.

Chocolate Orange Mousse Cake

This cake, or pie if you like, is AMAZING. It is so light and lovely....and best of all, it is dairy, egg and nut free. It could also be made gluten and soya free too. I can't claim credit for the recipe as it was shared by another allergy mum on a forum I am on. But it's by far one of the most popular posts on that site.

You could make so many variations to this too...swap the orange essence for mint, or add a few drops of a favourite liqueur for an adult version. To make it taste EXACTLY like a bounty bar, use milk chocolate instead!
For us though, it's perfect the way it is!

Oh and the best bit, it takes about 5 mins to make! (well the base needs to chill, but apart from that...)

What are you waiting for? Dive in!

Chocolate Orange Mousse Cake

Ingredients:

For the mousse:

• 1 x 400ml tin full fat coconut milk, chilled in fridge ( check the label for the highest coconut content - 70%+ is ideal)
• 200g suitable dark chocolate (I used Sainsbury's dark cooking choc as it's dairy free and yummy)
• 2 tbsp icing sugar
• 2 tsp orange flavouring (use vanilla if you want plain)

For the crust:

• Approx 10-15 bourbon biscuits - or Oreos will work too. To make it gluten free, substitute for a suitable biscuit.
• 2-3 tbsp of dairy free butter, melted. (I use Vitalite)

Method:

Blitz the biscuits in a food processor until good and crushed. Add melted ‘butter’ and blitz again until you get to a mouldable consistency. Press the mixture into the base of a loose bottomed cake tin and refrigerate.

Whip the solids from the can of coconut milk (if you use a brand with a high percentage of coconut extract [70%+] and chill first in fridge overnight, it should be fairly thick and you shouldn't need to drain any water off after chilling). I used a brand from the world food section - much higher coconut %, so had very little, if any, liquid to drain off.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave, being careful not to burn it. Add the melted choc, orange flavouring and icing sugar to the whipped coconut milk and whip again until well incorporated.

While still silky, pour over the chilled crust and refrigerate for a couple hours or overnight to set.

Should last 5 days in the fridge - if you can resist!

You can make mini ones in ramekins too. And the mousse makes a great dessert on its own; just pour it into ramekins and chill.

Notes: 

• I often add raspberries to the top as they add a fresh element to this dish - delicious!
• If you overmix the mixture and it appears to set in the bowl, put it in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up ever so slightly and use as normal.

Lamingtons

Lamingtons. We love them. Really love them. An iconic Australian cake, and popular with most Aussies.

In our house here in the UK, they are simply our favourites. I always have the idea to make a batch, keep a couple out to eat, and then freeze the rest so we can enjoy them for longer. It rarely happens as we just can't resist them!

Anyway, I am going to give you two cake recipes here - choose the one that suits you the best; they both make good lamingtons but one makes them egg and dairy free (& soya free if needed too) and the other is a standard sponge using egg and butter.
Regardless of the recipe you choose, the procedures are still the same.

Lamingtons
Makes approximately 20 cakes

Vanilla Cake

Ingredients:

150g butter, softened

200g caster sugar

125g plain flour

250g self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp bi-carb soda (baking soda)

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

200ml milk

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 deg C and then line the bases of a 20 cm x 30cm tin with baking parchment.

2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy - this will take about 10 minutes so that it is very pale. This adds essential air into the mixture. Sift the flours, baking powder and bi-carb of soda together into another bowl

3. Add the eggs, one at a time into the mixture, beating well after each one. Adding a spoonful of the flour mixture helps prevent curdling.

4. Once all the eggs are incorporated, add the rest of the flour and mix gently until it is all just combined.

5. Pour in the milk and vanilla and mix slowly until it forms a batter consistency.

6. Gently measure equal amounts into the two tins, flatten it out very carefully and then cook for 20-25 mins. Check they are cooked by lightly touching the top- it should spring back. You can also insert a probe - if it comes out clean your cake is cooked.

7. Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool slightly in the tins. Tip out onto a baking rack to cool completely.


Egg/Dairy Free Cake

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups self raising flour + 2 heaped tablespoons
1 cup caster sugar
pinch salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 cup water

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius. Grease and line a 20cm x 30cm tin with parchment paper.
2. Sift dry ingredients together.
3. Add wet ingredients and mix on high until smooth. Pour into the tin.
4. Bake for 20-25 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.


For both cakes, cool completely and then cut into 4cm x 4cm squares (approximately).

Coating

3 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar), sifted
3 heaped tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
1/2 cup milk (or soya/coconut/almond milk - any non dairy milk if choosing that option)
50 g unsalted butter (or dairy free alternative)
2 cups desiccated coconut - use 1 cup at a time.

1. Sift icing sugar and cocoa into a medium sized bowl.
2. Warm the milk gently in a small saucepan and add the butter. Stir until melted.
3. Add to the icing sugar and stir thoroughly to remove all lumps. The chocolate mixture should be runny - you might need to add more milk to make it thin enough to coat the cake without running off the sides completely. This takes a bit of trial and error to get right. You might need to try a cake square to gauge the consistency and adjust accordingly. If it is too runny, add a small amount of sifted icing sugar to thicken it. Be careful, only use a small amount at a time.
4. Using two forks, dip a cake square into the chocolate mixtures, coating completely. Lift and allow excess chocolate sauce to drip off the cake, then roll in the coconut, coating thoroughly on all sides.
5. Place onto a wire cooling rack - place some baking paper underneath to catch any drips. If your coating is too thick, you'll get more drips than if it is thinner and the excess has run off before adding the coconut.
6. Repeat for all cake squares.

Lamingtons are best eaten after being allowed to rest and set for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

This week I made one giant lamington cake for my husband -same principle but coating in chocolate required me to use a tray to soak it in the chocolate sauce. I made it a bit too runny, so the chocolate coating wasn't as thick or as sweet as it should have been.

This one is made with the vanilla cake recipe.

This is the vegan (egg and dairy free) cake.

These are an incredibly popular cake - I highly recommend giving them a go!

Kris x

PANCAKES - Egg and Dairy Free

With Shrove Tuesday coming up on February 17th this year, I thought I would share a favourite family pancake recipe. These pancakes have developed after a lot of research, testing recipes and so on, to find one that was free from egg and dairy yet still fluffy and delicious.

Honesty, you can't really go wrong with these! My son, who has the allergies, absolutely loves them; they are simply his favourite breakfast EVER. And I have to agree with him, they really are so tasty.

Suggested toppings: bacon/maple syrup, lemon and sugar, jam or for full indulgence, icecream and chocolate sauce.

Suggested additions: blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips, mini marshmallow, although this list is only limited by your tastes and imagination.

Egg and Dairy Free PANCAKES

Ingredients:
1 c plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1 c soya milk (or similar - cow's milk if you prefer - you can even use water)
1.5 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:
1. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.
2. Add vanilla and oil and half the milk. Whisk together.
3. Slowly add the remaining milk until the mixture is to a thick pouring consistency.
4. Heat frying pan and spray with cooking oil (or I usually use a drop of oil with a smidge of df butter - the oil stops the butter burning!)
5. Pour in enough mixture to make a small pikelet or larger pancake.
6. Cook until bubbles appear on top. Flip and cook for a further minute.
7. Serve with your choice of topping. We love good old lemon and sugar, or bacon and maple syrup!

This makes 3 large pancakes or numerous smaller ones. Enough to feed the three of us- double the recipe for more!

A Dairy Free Christmas

 

 

Merry Christmas to all my loyal followers. It's been fun setting up this blog and I'm happy that I am slowly gaining more followers each week. I've only been doing this since August, so feel free to spread the word!

 

Well, what a lovely Christmas Day we have had. Very relaxed, good food and good company. Today's blog post is for my Chocolate and Coconut Bundt Cake, which I served as our Christmas pudding, since none of us are fans of the traditional mixed fruit pudding.

I took this recipe from Brooklyn Homemaker's Chocolate Peppermint Bundt cake, but since my son doesn't like peppermint, I altered it to a coconut flavour instead. I will admit, I loved the sound of the original, but I love all things mint, so it's to be expected.

 

Anyway, I made some slight adaptions to the recipe to make it dairy free, so I will post it below, but you can click the link above to see the original.

 

Today I used my new NordicWare Heritage Bundt Pan, which I only bought last week. I was so very pleased that the cake came out so cleanly. I just love it!

 

 

 Chocolate Bundt Cake with Dark Chocolate and Coconut Ganache

• Servings: 12
• adapted from Brooklyn Homemaker

 

For the Cake:

1 1/4 cups water
3/4 cup cocoa powder
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder(or bi carb soda if using buttermilk)
2 whole eggs
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 cups soya milk (or buttermilk if you can have dairy)
1 cup sunflower oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted

 

For the Coconut and Dark Chocolate Ganache:

 200g best quality dark chocolate, chopped (I used Sainsbury's dark cooking chocolate as it is dairy free)
 3/4 cup coconut milk
 Desiccated coconut to sprinkle on top

 

 

1. Place an oven rack in the centre of the oven and preheat to 180 degrees C.
2. Liberally butter and flour a 10 to 12 cup Bundt pan and set aside.

3. Whisk water and cocoa powder in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Remove from heat and let come to room temperature.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, mix together sugar, salt, baking soda, eggs and egg yolk on low for just one minute. Add the milk, oil and vanilla extract and mix on low again for another minute.
5. Add the flour and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes more.  Add the cooled cocoa mixture and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. The batter will seem quite loose and liquid.  Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 55-65, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool completely in the pan and then invert onto a cooling rack. Once cooled I trimmed off the top to make it level once inverted.

7. To make the ganache, heat the coconut milk in a heavy pot, just until it begins to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let the chocolate melt for a minute or so, then whisk to combine.

8. Drizzle ganache over the cake while it’s still warm and liquid. Sprinkle desiccated coconut over the ganache.

9. Let the ganache set for at least 30 minutes before slicing.

10. We served with hot custard....soooo good!