Author: cozebakes

Popcorn Caramel Brownies – Gluten Free

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This is not for the fainthearted! It’s rich, decadent, luxurious, delicious and quite sinful. But it’s oh so worth it! Originally I saw a video from Dr. Oetker showing how to make this and managed to get the ingredients listed and method tested to get a result. Oh and did I mention it’s gluten free?! Yes indeed you won’t believe it but it is!

If you like your chocolate very rich and full on then use all dark chocolate or for a slightly less full on chocolate effect, you can opt for half dark and half milk. If you only use milk chocolate, it will probably be too sweet when combined with the caramel layer.

There are a couple of options with the ingredients if you can’t get the original ones and they all worked for me so that makes things a little easier. It’s not a complicated recipe but is made in stages so you need a little more time.

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Chocolate Fudge Ganache Cake

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This really is the ultimate decadent chocolate cake and truly fit for a special occasion. The chocolate ganache covering just lifts it up from a chocolate cake to another platform of chocolate heaven!

It’s actually easier to make than the finished product looks. It was my first time using my Nordic Ware very fancy bundt tin and I learnt a few things along the way which I’ll outline in the method so you have a perfect result.

This particular type of bundt tin has very sharp edges and just needs a little bit of pre baking love to have a perfect result. I had a few of the narrowest bits stay behind in the tin but I know what I did wrong and that’s why I try out each and every recipe first before putting them up here. I filled the centre of my cake with fresh raspberries, both as a cover up (sneaky) and also because I really like the contrast of chocolate and raspberries.

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Oat & Blueberry Cookies

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In no time, bake a batch of these lovely soft and slightly chewy cookies using fresh or dried blueberries. They are full of oaty goodness and I’ve reduced the sugar substantially from the original recipe. They still taste lovely! If you like, you can drizzle melted white chocolate over the top of each cookie for a very pretty display.

For a change, why not add dried cranberries, sweet sultanas or raisins and keep everyone happy. When using these dried fruits, I find they are plenty sweet enough so the need for processed sugar is not required.

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Chocolate Orange Cupcakes

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These cupcakes have a great surprise once you take a bite! Nice chunks of chocolate orange pieces throughout and this adds such a special touch. They are topped with an orange flavoured buttercream and I used the Golden Yellow from the Wilton Gel Dye range to get this shade.

The recipe is originally from Jane’s Patisserie and I’ve changed a couple of things and the method to get a perfect result each time.

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Key Lime Pie

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Anything with citrus is always a winner at ours and I’ve been wanting to make a Key Lime Pie for a good while now. My son has been asking for one. He doesn’t eat many desserts so when he asked, I decided to bite the bullet and make one.

It’s full of zingy lime and has a lovely buttery base. Both only need a short time in the oven and some fridge time to be ready. It’s rich and indulgent so I’ll leave that there with you!

We’re not big fans of cream so I was asked to leave it off but finishing this off with a flourish of whipped cream and decorating with some grated lime zest would make it a wonderful centerpiece.

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Mixed Berries Low Fat Muffins

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These are a great way to get a burst of fruit and healthy berries in the morning and they have no added sugar. A great low fat option also for those “on the run” times you can’t stop.

I used a pack of dried “super berries mix” and some sultanas. It’s up to you what you use but dried fruit will probably give better results. You can add some fresh blueberries for a nice burst in a bite 🙂

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Chocolate Chip Minty Oreo Ice Cream

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While doing my shopping, I spotted a real bargain. Packets of Oreo Mint Biscuits for only €1.00 and had to buy them. I figured I would work out some way to incorporate them into a recipe and as it’s summer, I had a go at a no churn ice cream using the biscuits and of course adding chocolate chips, well you would have to … 😉

Make the day before you need it. I use a glass container which is longer than a standard 2lb loaf tin but a plastic or metal container would work well too.

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Blueberry, Lemon & Honey Cake

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I really can’t resist anything that says lemon and then they add blueberries and what do you know, another favourite, honey! Had to be made!  It’s a simple and quick to make loaf cake and it’s so moist and full of fresh blueberries and yet you can still taste a hint of honey throughout. Really nice!

You can dress it up as much as you like depending what you want it for. I brought it to a coffee morning so I added a lemon icing drizzle and used edible flowers. Equally you can just sieve a bit of icing sugar over the top and serve with a bit of fromage frais if you prefer.

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Simple & Quick Banoffee Pie

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I’m not a fan of Banoffee Pie but I was asked to make it by my nephew so I went ahead and found a great, easy and quick recipe and it got lots of thumbs up from the tasters so it’s a keeper! I used the Nestle Carnation Caramel tin which speeds up everything.

I used digestive biscuits for the base because with the combination of banana and caramel, you don’t want the base fighting for attention. Let the stars of the show shine 🙂

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Strawberry Ice Cream

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What else would be the perfect summer dessert than homemade strawberry ice cream?! This no churn, very simple and quick ice cream recipe is from the US and I’ve converted the quantities from cups to grams so you don’t have to 🙂

Fresh strawberries and some strawberry jam give this ice cream the delicious flavour and a lovely marble effect in every slice. You do need to give it a minimum of 12/14 hours in the freezer and then let it sit for about 10 mins before cutting or scooping. I tend to leave all my ice cream in the freezer for 24 hours before using.

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Rum, Raisin & Chocolate Ice Cream

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An easy, no churn ice cream recipe that’s full of the excellent combination of rum and raisins with the added twist of orange zest and chocolate. Top with some chocolate curls and cool down in style!

Make this recipe in a 1lb loaf tin or your own plastic container, I guessed at a 2lb size but it’s too big. Don’t worry about the rum being strong flavoured as it’s heated with the raisins so you tone it down a bit (but not too much 😉 )

Oh excuse the pictures! The end product photo was left in my eldest son’s hands and his artistic abilities are somewhat limited ….

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Lemon & Elderflower Drizzle Cake

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A delicious and light sponge cake with both an elderflower buttercream and lemon curd in the middle and topped with a simple lemon icing glaze. The secret to creating such a moist and Mmmmm response in every bite is the lemon and elderflower syrup which is drizzled over the cake while it’s still warm and let soak through.

Originally this is a Stork recipe and I found I had to change some of the proportions of ingredients to get the taste I felt was perfect. It’s a quick and simple recipe with the added bonus of only using a wooden spoon to make, even for the buttercream!

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