Le meilleur pain sans gluten...

En Septembre 2009, sur les recommandations d'une Naturopathe (je l'avais consultée en raison de mon manque d'énergie constant) j’ai commencé une régime sans gluten.  Lorsque mon fils a eu un an, j'ai remarqué que la fatigue ne faisait qu'empirer. Je suppose que n'importe qui avec un enfant en bas âge vous diront que c'est normal mais pas pour moi. J'ai alors consulté un Acupuncteur qui m'a dit à nouveau que ma consommation d’aliments contenant du gluten et les aliments contenant des produits laitiers devait être contrôlée parce que j’y suis plutôt sensible. Donc, j'ai décidé d'éliminer les produits contenants du gluten et tous les produits laitiers de mon alimentation ... la seule chose dont j’ai vraiment besoin maintenant c’est une recette de pain qui va me satisfaire autant que le pain contenant du gluten. Je suis heureuse de rapporter que je l’ai finalement trouvée: (:http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/perfect-bread/)

Parfait pain sans gluten 
1 tasse de farine de sorgho
1 tasse de farine de pois chiche
1/2 tasse de fécule de pomme (farine de maïs pour moi)
1/3 tasse de farine de tapioca
2 1/4 cuillerée à thé (7 grammes) gomme de xanthane
1 cuillère à soupe (12 grammes) de sucre de palme
1 sachet (7 g) de levure instantanée sèche
1 1/4 tasse (289 grammes) d'eau tiède
2 supplémentaires (113 grammes) gros oeufs, à température ambiante
1/4 tasse (50 grammes) d'huile de canola
1 cuillère à café (5 grammes) de vinaigre de cidre de pomme
1 1/4 cuillerée à thé (7 grammes) de sel fin

Préparer un plat en verre (je met seulement un morceau de papier sulfurisé dans le fond et le laisse dépasser sur les cotes, pour démouler le pain plus facilement). . Préchauffer le four à 350 ° F.(150 C Degré)

Fouetter ensemble le mélange de farine, la gomme de xanthane, sucre de palme, et de la levure instantanée. Mettez de côté.

Mettre l'eau, les œufs, l'huile et le vinaigre dans le bol d'un batteur équipé du fouet palette et mélanger jusqu'à obtenir un mélange homogène. Ajouter les ingrédients secs, sauf le sel et mélanger jusqu'à ce que tous les ingrédients soient incorporés. Augmentation la vitesse du batteur et mélanger pendant une minute. Éteignez, ajoutez le sel, et mélanger pendant deux minutes de plus.

Tournez la pâte dans le moule à pain préparé. Placer dans un endroit chaud pendant une heure pour se lever, ou jusqu'à ce que le pain à peu près double de taille. (Ne le laissez pas monter plus que doubler sa taille d'origine ou il pourrait s'effondrer dans le four.).

 Cuire au four pendant45 - 55 minutes, jusqu'à ce que le dessus soit doré et le pain sonne creux lorsque vous appuyez dessus. Laisser refroidir pendant 20- 25 minutes dans le moule. Démouler et laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille.

Se conserve 3 jours a température ambiante enroulé dans un papier film. Autrement ce pain peut se congeler. 

Best Gluten Free bread I have tasted so far.

In September 2009, on the recommendations of a Naturopath (I had consulted due to my constant lack of energy) I went on a Gluten Free Diet. During that time, what I missed the most was BREAD!!! Being French, bread is almost like oxygen to me. So imagine my relief when 3 weeks into the diet I found out I was pregnant and thought that tiredness was a bi- product of the pregnancy. That was my excuse to drop the Diet and indulge in bread and some more bread....
When my son turned one I noticed the tiredness was getting worse. I guess anyone with a toddler would tell you that this is normal but not for me. I consulted an Acupuncturist who told me again that my consumption of gluten containing foods and foods containing dairy. So I decided to go on a gluten and dairy free diet... and I will never again miss bread thanks to the below recipe: (can also be found here: http://simplysugarandglutenfree.com/perfect-bread/

Perfect Gluten-Free Breadmakes 1 9″ x 5″ loaf

1 cup of sorghum flour
1 cup of chickpea flour
1/2 cup potato starch (cornflour for me)
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
2 1/4 teaspoon (7 grams) xanthan gum
1 tablespoon (12 grams) palm sugar
1 packet (7 grams) dry instant yeast
1 1/4 cup (289 grams) warm water
2 extra (113 grams) large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 cup (50 grams) canola oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams) apple cider vinegar
1 1/4 teaspoon (7 grams) kosher salt

Prepare a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.  Line with parchment paper if desired.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Whisk together the flour blend, xanthan gum, palm sugar, and instant yeast.  Set aside.

Put the water, eggs, oil, and vinegar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until combined.  Add the dry ingredients except the salt and mix on low until incorporated.  Increase to medium high and mix for a minute.  Turn off, add the salt, and mix for two minutes more.

Turn the batter into the prepared loaf pan.  Place in a warm place for an hour to rise, or until the loaf just about doubles in size.  (Don’t let it rise more than double it’s original size or it might collapse in the oven.)

Score the bread with a sharp, serrated knife if desired.  Bake for 45 – 55 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it.  Let it cool for 5 minutes in the pan then turn the loaf pan on its side, scoot the loaf forward so the steam can escape – but leave it in the pan.  Let it cool for another 10 – 15 minutes the move to a wire rack to cool completely.

To store, wrap with plastic and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.  Freeze any leftovers for toast or gluten-free bread crumbs.

Another decorated cake

It was my sister- in- law's Birthday last week end and we arranged to meet in the park so my little Monkey could run around a bit.
I made her the cake below. It was the ginger cake recipe that I have posted earlierhttp://www.thebakingfrog.blogspot.co.nz/2012/02/im-not-one-to-brag-but-this-gingerbread.html, with some white chocolate ganache, covered with fondant and royal icing pipping. It took me about 3 and a half hours to decorate it. I couldn't find some of my tools (it was getting close to midnight) so I used a pizza cutter for the details on the bag. I must have been quite tired because I went a bit deep on some of them.
Enjoy:)

I'm not one to brag BUT this gingerbread cake is delicious

Ok, so it's doesn't look like much but trust me it ticks all the boxes (at least all of mine). It is very, very moist, not too sweet, tasty and good for you...

I wanted to make a gingerbread cake simply because I LOVE the smell of gingerbread cake baking. It gives the whole house a holiday smell. So I got inspired by this recipe: http://aww.ninemsn.com.au/food/cookbooks/833427/divine-ginger-cake-with-caramel-icing.
When I said I got inspired by this recipe, it's because I gave myself a challenge: make this cake gluten and dairy free so I could finally have some cake!!!

Don't ask me why I made the changes I made, I have no idea, I just felt this was meant to be so here is my version of it:

Ingredients:
¾ cup (165g) cane sugar
1/2 cup of rice flour

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour

1/4 cup of brown rice flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
125g of coconut oil
2 eggs, separated
2/3 cup (160ml) sour milk (2/3 cup of soy milk with a teaspoon of white vinegar)

1 orange (zest and juice)

2 pieces of crystallised ginger

Spray a 9'in round pan with cooking spray and pre- heat the oven to 170 Degree C.

In a medium sized bowl, mix together all the dried ingredients.

Beat the egg whites until they reach stiff peaks.

Mix together all the wet ingredients (except the egg whites) in a jug.

Mix the wet ingredients with the dried and add the orange zest and the crystallised ginger cut into small pieces.

Carefully fold in the egg whites.

Pour in the prepared tin. 

Place in the medium rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. 

Leave it to cool in the pan until you can turn it over a wire rack. Cover with a tea towel and leave it to completely cool. 

Notes: 

- I have not iced it because all the icings I could think of have dairy in them, however a nice dark chocolate icing might go well with the heat of the ginger.

- It also can make a very nice tea cake. Bake it in a loaf tin and serve it for tea with maybe a little butter and a nice warm cup of tea.

- Despite the generous amount of coconut oil, the cake does not taste of coconut. The orange and spices are the pre- dominant tastes. 

- Finally I have found this cake to be so tasty, I had to pieces. Even my husband could not believe it. to be honest, I could have had the whole thing for dinner...

Hope you enjoy making this cake and especially eating it.

Happy Baking everyone :)

Decorated cakes- 2009

Since I didn't have a post for Valentine's Day (we don't actually celebrate it at home), I thought I would post some pictures of cakes I have decorated so far.

So here they are:

This was one of my first "elaborated" ones. The order was a Tennis themed cake from a friend for her Mother's Birthday. I made the racket on the right too big and it started cracking.

This is the cake I made myself for my 30th Birthday. Top tier is gluten free orange cake and bottom... well has to be chocolate:

This one was for my Manager when she left for her new job:

I made this one for a 40th Birthday I think. It was a very rich chocolate cake...

I made this one for a lady at work who was going on maternity leave, unfortunately, when I got out of the car, the container fell on the ground and the cake got damaged:

Halloween:

I made this one for a colleague at work who was getting married:

This one is the one that started it all I have to admit. My manager at the time asked me if I could make a cake for her son who loved Lighting McQueen. It's not a perfect cake but considering I had had no training in shaping cakes or on how to use fondant, and the rest, I am still really happy how it turned out. 

This one I made for my niece's third Birthday:

I hope you have enjoyed looking at those cakes as much as I have enjoyed making them. I'll try to post some more soon. Happy baking :)

On Saturdays, we have pancakes...

Every Saturday we have pancakes for breakfast at our place. I have tried a few Gluten Free recipes but this one wins it for me. I served it simply with fresh blueberries and a drizzle of agave syrup. It was delicious, they were light and fluffy and despite the picture only showing 3 on my plate I must have eaten at least twice this many.


Here is the recipe: (from: http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/9096/gluten-free-pancakes)
½ cup buckwheat flour
½ cup rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbs white sugar, I used 1 tablespoon of agave syrup 
1 egg, separated
1 cup gluten-free soy milk- I actually add a teaspoon of white vinegar to my cup of milk to make it a sour milk. It seems to make the pancakes light and fluffy but it's really up to you.
pinch of salt
1 tbs oil (I used a vanilla infused grapeseed oil)

1. 
   Sift the flours and baking powder into a bowl. Add the salt and sugar and make a well in the middle. Pour the whole egg yolk, milk and oil in and whisk well until just combined.
2. 
   Whisk the egg white until peaks form and gently fold into the batter. Let the batter rest for 20 minutes. I guess this might have made them even fluffier but you should see breakfast was pretty rushed as I had to prepare my son's as well.
3. 
   Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and spray with oil. Drop tablespoons of the batter onto the pan. Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear on the top side and then flip it over. Cook for another minute or so until golden.
4. 
   Serve immediately with sliced fresh fruit and soy yoghurt.
5. ********************************************************************************************************
6. Tous les Samedis, chez nous on mange des pancakes
7. 
   
8. 
9. Chaque samedi, nous avons des pancakes pour le petit déjeuner. J'ai essayé quelques recettes sans gluten, mais celle-ci est la recette gagnante pour moi.Je l'ai servie tout simplement avec des bleuets frais et un filet de sirop d'agave. Ils étaient délicieux, ils étaient légers et moelleux, et malgré l'image montrant seulement 3 sur mon assiette, je dois avoir mangé au moins deux fois ce nombre.
   
   
   Voici la recette: (à partir de: http://www.lifestylefood.com.au/recipes/9096/gluten-free-pancakes)
   ½ tasse de farine de sarrasin
   ½ tasse de farine de riz
   1 cuillère à café de poudre à pâte
   1 cuillère à soupe de sucre blanc, j'ai utilisé 1 cuillère à soupe de sirop d'agave
   1 oeuf, 
   1 tasse lait de soja sans gluten-j'ajoute une cuillère à café de vinaigre blanc à ma tasse de lait pour en faire un lait caillé. Il semble faire les crêpes légère et mousseuse, mais c'est vraiment à vous de décider.
   pincée de sel
   1 huile tbs (j'ai utilisé une huile de pépins de raisin  infusée   la vanille)
   
   
   Tamiser les farines et la poudre à pâte dans un bol. Ajouter le sel et le sucre et faire un puits au milieu. Versez l'oeuf entier, le lait et l'huile à l'intérieur et bien mélanger au fouet jusqu'à ce que ce les ingrédients soient bien combinés.
   
   
   Faire chauffer une poêle antiadhésive sur feu moyen et vaporiser avec de l'huile. Laisser tomber des cuillères à soupe de pâte dans la poêle. Cuire les pancakes jusqu'à ce que des bulles apparaissent sur ​​le côté du haut, puis retournez-les. Faites cuire pendant une minute ou jusqu'à ce qu'ils soient dorés.
   
   Servir immédiatement avec des fruits frais tranchés et le yaourt de soja.

A project for the week end with my little boy: decorate sugar cookies

On Friday afternoon my son kept playing with a decorating kit of mine and I thought: "let's make some simple sugar cookies and we will make it OUR project to decorate them together." He helped me prepare the batter for the cookies, picked the cutters but when it came to decorate he was over it so Mummy had to practice her pipping (which is very rusty but still extremely relaxing). Here are a few pics:

Our Green, Purple and White bear collection:

Our chocolate covered bears (1 of them has already perished):

And our flower collection:

Happy Baking everyone :)