Mothers Day Eve

We're on the cusp of another Mother's Day in Australia & I couldn't help but think of this very cute satirically captioned image that lives on my hard-drive & my desk. I see the humour & love it to bits.

x

Too cute! Valentines Day cupcake bouquet

It's just 3 weeks until Valentines Day & I'm already getting rather excited... 

Check out this beautiful red rose cupcake bouquet is by L.A. Bakery, a custom company in the UK, serving Hertfordshire, London and Essex, via Flickr. 

This idea is just so cute, I might need to give it a go myself!

I found this picture on the 'Cupcakes Take The Cake' blog - check them out too!

x Sianne

Summer pleasures in 1960

Entertaining is perhaps my favourite part of summer, though not everyone might have the time or inclination to dress herself and her lunch table with such elegant ease, in June 1960 bare arms made a larger hat almost an imperative (a small hat made one look ‘like a sightseer’). For their table, Hostesses were advised that pale linen and organdie had returned to favour, as well as uncontrived flowers and simple, classic crystal and china.

It's love.

x Sianne

Gluten Free ANZAC Biscuits

ANZAC day is fast approaching & it’s time again to bake some cookies for the occasion.
There are a few theories surrounding the true origins of Anzac biscuits, but what is certain is that they came about during WWI, circa1914–15... and they're delicious!

I won't be using a traditional recipe, but rather will be changing a few ingrediants to make these biscuits gluten free frienly. Only being diagnosed as ‘Gluten Intolerant’ about 9 months ago, I’m still re-learning methods of cooking & of course experimenting with the various GF foods on the market.

Some people find they react to Oats, I know that I don't so I've continued to use them in this recipe. Alternatively use something like puffed rice, GF cornflakes, rice flakes, Quinoa flakes or similar.

So here is the recipe that I have tried to make some tasty ANZAC biscuits:

• 1 cup of Oats (or alternative ingredient)
• 1 cup of brown sugar
• 1 cup of shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cup of gluten-free plain flour, sifted
• 125 grams of butter
• 3 tbsp of golden syrup
• 1 1/2 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tbsp of boiling water

The method is very much the same to normal ANZAC cookies: 

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line your oven trays with baking paper.

2. Combine your dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Put the butter & golden syrup in a small heavy-based pan & cook over a low heat until melted & combined. (I used a ceramic dish in the microwave to speed things up.)

3. Combine bicarbonate of soda & water in a small bowl,  which should fizz & bubble slightly, add to the butter mixture & stir to combine.

4. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients & pour in the butter mixture. Stir until well combined & all dry ingredients are moistened.

5. Put tablespoons of mixture, well apart to allow for spreading, onto the prepared trays. (I used my hands to roll the biscuits into a desirable shape & size rather than a tablespoon)

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Stand the trays on wire racks until the biscuits are firm & cool. Transfer the biscuits to the wire racks & leave until cold.

GF ingredient's don't rise or spread as much as normal, so you won't need a huge amount of room to spread.

If you store your GF ANZAC biscuits in an air-tight container, they last for a few weeks.

If you like soft cookies, pull them out of the oven a few minutes early... which I always do!

My results were...

I really enjoyed these cookies.. so much so that I won't be able to test to see how long they last unless I make another batch!

On a side note, even though these were GF, they tasted virtually the same & even my boyfriend hadn't noticed until I told him (I usually have to make him something separate to mine, poor dear).

Sianne