A marmalade-maker’s breakfast (gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan)

January 14, 2024January 14, 2024 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 3 Comments

Single_serving_of_homemade_chocolate_porridge_toppped_with_yogurt_and_marmalade — Chocolate and marmalade porridge. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Happy new year to you! 2024 has begun with chilly, frosty weather here in central Scotland and elsewhere in the UK. But it’s that time of year when the Seville oranges are in the shops, marmalade-making is underway and the sweet smell of citrus wafting round the kitchen makes me think of sunnier climes and warmer days.

Making_homemade_Seville_orange_marmalade_January_2024 — Marmalade season. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I’ve covered making marmalade in a couple of other posts over the years so if you want to have a go, here are the links to the recipes: Chunky Seville orange marmalade (naturally gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan) and Seville orange marmalade – traditional and dark (naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan)

Even with the best planning, I always have leftover preserve once I have filled the jam jars I have cleaned and got ready. However, it does mean that I get to taste what I’ve made straight away without feeling guilty about opening a jar of freshly made preserve too soon. I call the surplus “The Cook’s Privilege”, after all the effort, you deserve the first pickings 🙂

Homemade_Seville_orange_marmalade_in_glass_jar_and_on_a_spoon — Marmalade leftovers for the cook. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

My recipe this week is a simple way to enjoy such spoils for your breakfast the day after your toils. The ingredients below make enough for one portion. I cook my porridge in the microwave, but you can just as easily pop everything in a saucepan and cook it on the stove top.

Chocolate porridge: put 40g gluten-free porridge oats in a large microwave-proof bowl. Sift 1½ teaspoons of cocoa on top and stir in 2 teaspoons maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Mix in 200ml plant-based milk. Cover and microwave on High for 2½ minutes (my microwave is 900W so adjust the cooking time accordingly if necessary). Stir well then cook for a further 1 minute on High. To serve, stir in extra plant milk (or plant cream for extra indulgence) if you prefer a thinner consistency and top with plant-based yogurt and a generous dollop of your leftover marmalade. Delish 🙂

3_steps_to_making_microwave_chocolate_porridge — Microwave chocolate porridge. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Chocolate_porridge_with_yogurt_and_marmalade — Indulgence in a bowl. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Until next time, happy marmalade making and enjoy your preserving spoils!

Chunky Seville orange marmalade (naturally gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan)

February 5, 2023February 5, 2023 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 1 Comment

Jars_or_homemaded_chunky_Seville_orange_marmamalade — February 2023, marmalade making. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Something bright and cheery to start the new month. It’s that time of year when the air is full of the scents of aromatic citrus and the sweet smell of sugar. Seville oranges are in season and marmalade-making is in full swing.

New_season_Seville_oranges — New season Seville oranges. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I do enjoy making preserves, but I find the peel-cutting for marmalade a bit of a chore. This time I made marmalade, I cooked the oranges whole, then once the oranges were cooked, I extracted the fruit pulp from the skin and was left with softer peel to slice. I found the cooked orange skin much easier to slice, and the resulting preserve tastes and looks pretty much the same, so I think this recipe will be my go-to marmalade recipe for the future.

Labelling_homemade_chunky_Seville_orange_marmalade — New season marmalade ready to label. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

You may want to cut the quantities down to make a smaller amount – I had a fair few oranges to use up!

Makes: approx. 3kg

Ingredients

1kg Seville oranges, washed and left whole
2.4l water
1 unwaxed lemon + 60ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (the extra juice is optional but I find it helps with the set especially if the oranges have been stored for a while)
1.8kg granulated sugar

1. Put the whole fruit in a large saucepan with the water. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for about 1½ hours until a skewer can be inserted into the fruit with ease. Drain the fruit using a draining spoon and leave aside until it is cool enough to handle. Keep the cooking water.

Cooking_whole_Seville_oranges_in_water — Cooking whole Seville oranges. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

2. Cut the fruit in half, then scoop the seeds and pulp into the saucepan with the cooking liquid. Halve the lemon, extract the juice and add to the saucepan along with any seeds and the lemon shells. Bring to the boil and boil steadily for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the pulp, and return the liquid to the saucepan.

3. Meanwhile, cut up the orange shells into the size of shreds you prefer and put to one side. I kept the sliced peel quite chunky, hence my name for the marmalade.

Preparing_Seville_oranges_for_chunky_marmalade — Cooked orange preparation. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

4. Stir the shredded peel into the cooking liquid. Add the sugar and extra lemon juice if using. Stir over a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Raise the heat and boil for about 25 minutes until setting point is reached – 105.5°C . Allow to cool a little in the saucepan until the mixture begins to firm slightly, then stir the marmalade to distribute the peel before spooning into clean jars and sealing whilst still hot.

Cooking_up_chunky_Seville_orange_marmalade — Cooking the marmalade. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Cool, label and store in the usual way. Here’s a link to my other marmalade recipes if you want to compare the methods Seville orange marmalade – traditional and dark (naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan)

Serving_jar_and_spoon_of_homemade_Seville_orange_marmalade — Homemade marmalade serving. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I had a few spoonfuls of marmalade leftover once I had put the rest in jars; the “cook’s privilege” I call it. It made the perfect topping for a very indulgent bowl of porridge the next morning 🙂

Until next time, have a good few days and I look forward to posting again soon.

Chocolate_porridge_with_homemade_marmalade — Chocolate porridge with homemade marmalade. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Rise and shine oatmeal porridge (gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan)

March 12, 2020March 12, 2020 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 4 Comments

Bowl_of_oatmeal_porridge_with_blood_oranges_pecan_and_marmalade — A super sunny start to the day. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Hello everyone! I have something bright and cheerful for you this week. Given all the doom and gloom in the news, this tasty and super-charged breakfast will get your day off to a bright and cheerful start. It’s a seasonal update on a recipe I posted a couple of years ago.

Skinless_blood_orange_slices — Blood orange slices. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

No sooner has the bitter marmalade orange season finished, the next citrus beauties are on the horizon, coming into the shops and markets in mid-February. Actually, the season is coming to an end but I’ve been enjoying the ruby-red fleshed oranges for a couple of weeks already. This orange seems to have had a name change, and is now, rather boringly, called red orange, but I will always think of them as the blood orange or Sanguinelli. The flavour is sweet and tart at the same time. They are very juicy and you never quite know how red the flesh will be until you start peeling.

4_steps_showing_how_to_peel_and_slice_oranges — Perfect peeling. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

For the past few days the weather has been decidedly chilly here; it’s been the kind of temperature that calls for porridge. My recipe for an overnight oatmeal porridge which cooks in the slow-cooker means it is ready for you to enjoy the next morning without any fuss. The oatmeal is cooked the traditional Scottish way in just water with some salt to season. Everything else is added afterwards. I posted the original recipe back in March 2018 – you can find it here.

Slow-cooker_oatmeal_porridge_ingredients_water_salt_and_pinhead_oatmeal — Slow-cooker + water + salt + oatmeal. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

To make 6 hearty servings, put 150g pinhead oatmeal in your slow-cooker. Add a generous pinch of salt and pour over 950ml cold water. Cover with the lid and switch on to the low setting. Leave for 8 hours (up to 10). After the cooking time, the surface of the porridge will form a light skin, but give it a good stir and the creaminess of the cooked oats will be appear. Once I’ve got my portion in my cereal bowl, I mix in oat milk (I love the Barista versions for extra richness) to loosen up the texture. Once the porridge has cooled it will solidify. It will keep in the fridge for up to a week, and reheats very well in the microwave – just mash with a fork, mix in some milk and reheat.

3_steps_showing_the_cooking_of_oatmeal_porridge_in_the_slow-cooker — Slow-cooker oatmeal porridge. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

So with the cooking taken care of, you just need to make up your mind what to eat with it. To prepare the orange slices, slice the top and bottom off an orange and then remove the peel by slicing downwards with a sharp knife, trying to take only the skin and white pith away. Slice into rounds or chop smaller.

Adding_a_generous_spoonful_of_homemade_Seville_orange_marmalade_to_oatmeal_porridge — Homemade marmalade for extra citrus flavour. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Back in January, I posted my recipe for Seville orange marmalade. I’ve been putting my stocks to good use this week. It makes a great addition to a bowl of porridge, adding some sweetness and also more orange-flavour. All in all, this is a seriously citrusy and sunshiny breakfast bowl, with a few pecans sprinkled over for some crunch. I’m looking forward to my breakfast already 🙂 Until next time, I hope you have a good few days and stay healthy.

Close-up_on_oatmeal_porridge_with_marmalade_blood_oranges_and_pecan_nuts — A breakfast bowl of sunshine, Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Seville orange marmalade – traditional and dark (naturally gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan)

January 19, 2020January 19, 2020 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 7 Comments

Large_confiture_jar_of_homemade_Seville_orange_marmalade — Homemade Seville orange marmalade. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Seville orange marmalade-making comes but once a year, and that time is now. The bitter Spanish oranges are only in the shops between January and mid February. They are the best citrus fruit to achieve a classic tartly-flavoured orange marmalade, the favourite preserve of one Paddington Bear 🙂

Whole_and_halved_Seville_oranges — In season, Seville oranges. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

There’s no getting away from it, making marmalade is labour-intensive if you make it the traditional way, but I enjoy it, and to me, the reward is greater than the effort involved. I have 2 versions of the same recipe to post this week. The first is the traditional, bright orange, softly set breakfast staple that we’re all familiar with. The second is a dark version which includes dark brown sugar to give a treacly flavour; it is also my personal favourite – delicious over porridge or rice pudding. However, it doesn’t photograph that well in the jar as you may imagine, so I am only posting “selective” images!

Open_confiture_jars_of_traditional_Seville_orange_marmalade_alongside_a_brown_sugar_version — Traditional and dark Seville orange marmalade. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

How you prepare the peel is up to you. I like chunky (which is easier to prepare!). Get yourself organised and soak the peel overnight as this helps soften it, and make sure you cook it properly before adding the sugar to the pan – once the sugar is added, the peel won’t soften any more.

Spoonfuls_of_Seville_orange_marmalade_traditional_and_dark_recipes — Marmalade spoonfuls. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

On with the recipe, and happy marmalade making if you fancy having a go 🙂

Makes: approx. 3kg

Ingredients

750g Seville oranges (approx. 5 large fruit), washed
2.5 litres cold water
2kg granulated sugar
100ml freshly squeezed lemon juice

The day before, juice the oranges, keeping all the pips and membrane that remain on the juicer. Cover the juice and refrigerate.
I use a serrated grapefruit spoon to scrape out the fleshy bits that remain inside the orange shells, leaving just the skin and pith of the oranges ready for slicing.
Pile all the pips, membrane and scrapings from inside the orange shells onto a large piece of clean muslin, and tie in a bundle securely with string. Put to one side. Halve the orange shells and slice as thinly and as small as you like.
Preparing the orange peel. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Place the sliced orange in a large bowl, pour over the water and add the muslin bag. Cover loosely, put in a cool place and leave to soak overnight.
The next day, carefully transfer the contents of the bowl into a large preserving pan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to simmer the peel gently until very soft. This takes around 45 – 55 minutes depending on how thick you cut the peel.
Carefully remove the muslin bag and place in a sieve over a jug. Squeeze out as much of the liquid as you can, and pour back into the saucepan. Discard the bag.
Soaking and cooking the peel. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Pour the orange juice into the saucepan and stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Mix well and heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Raise the heat and let the mixture come to a rapid boil, then cook the marmalade for about 20 minutes until the temperature reaches 105-106°C – spoon a little on to a cold plate from time to time as the temperature rises to check setting point is reached; once it cools, the pool of marmalade should wrinkle when pushed gently with your finger.
Turn off the heat and leave the contents of the pan to stand for about 15 minutes – this enables the mixture to thicken a little and helps keep the citrus peel evenly suspended in the jelly when transferred to the jars.
Stir the marmalade well before spooning into clean jars whilst hot, and seal well. Leave to cool, then label and store in the usual way.
This year’s haul of homemade marmalade. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

For the dark version, replace 500g of the granulated sugar with dark brown sugar and cook as above. If you use a very dark Muscovado sugar you may find the setting point more difficult to achieve (as I did this year!). I added a 250ml bottle of liquid pectin to the mixture to help things along, and a good set was achieved. I have no idea why this happened, the same recipe worked fine last year, the only change was a darker variety of sugar. One of life’s little mysteries…..Have a good week 🙂

Brown sugar Seville orange Marmalade. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Rhubarb and orange streusel cake (gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan)

March 28, 2019March 27, 2019 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ Leave a comment

Drizzle_iced_spring-time_rhubarb_and_orange_streusel_cake — Rhubarb and orange streusel cake. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

It’s time for a rhubarb recipe this week on my blog. Spring is well under way now and rhubarb is plentiful. In the garden at the moment, my own early rhubarb plant is coming along nicely and looks very healthy. Not quite ready for picking just yet, but I don’t think it will be long.

Home-grown_rhubarb_growing_in_late_March_2019 — Early variety home-grown rhubarb. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

This week’s post is a dense-textured, delicious rhubarb cake that can also be served warm as a pudding. You do need a fair bit of rhubarb to make the cake – 600g. Cut the rhubarb stalks to the same thickness for even cooking during the first part of the recipe, and take care not to over-cook in order to retain some texture in the finished bake.

A_bundle_of_fresh_spring_rhubarb_stalks — Spring rhubarb stalks. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

The orange adds a subtle flavour to the cake, but leave it out if you prefer. Bake the rhubarb with a little water instead of the juice. For a spicy twist, replace the orange rind in the cake mix with ground ginger and/or mixed spice.

hubarb_and_orange_streusel_cake_with_slice_out — Rhubarb streusel cake with a hint of orange. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Serves: 8-10

Ingredients

600g fresh rhubarb stalks
1 medium orange
3 tbsp. caster sugar

For the streusel mix:

85g gluten-free self raising flour
75g jumbo oats
50g cornflour
50g dairy-free margarine, softened

For the cake:

200g dairy-free margarine, softened
200g caster sugar
Finely grated rind 1 orange
200g plain dairy-free yogurt (I used plain soya yogurt)
100g ground almonds
100g gluten-free self raising flour

To decorate (optional):

100g icing sugar
Fresh orange zest

Preheat the oven to 200°C, 180°C fan oven, gas 6. Trim the rhubarb and cut into even thickness pieces, 3-4cm long. Place in a roasting tray. Pare the rind from the orange using a vegetable peeler, and extract the juice. Stir both into the rhubarb and sprinkle over the sugar. Bake for about 15 minutes until just tender, then leave to cool in the tin.
Roasting rhubarb. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Reduce the oven temperature to 180°C, 160°C fan oven, gas 4. Grease and line a 23cm cake tin. For the streusel, mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and rub in the margarine. Set aside.
For the cake mix, put all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk everything together until well blended.
Drain the rhubarb well, reserving the cooking juices, and pat dry with kitchen paper. Put half the cake mix in the tin, spread smoothly, sprinkle over half the streusel mix and top with half the rhubarb.
Spoon over the remaining cake mix and spread smoothly. Sprinkle over half the remaining streusel mix and arrange the remaining rhubarb on top.
Finally, sprinkle the rhubarb with the remaining streusel, stand the cake tin on a baking tray and bake for about 1 ¾ hours, covering with foil after an hour or so to prevent over-browning. The cake is cooked when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin to serve cold as a cake, or stand for about 30 minutes to firm up before removing from the tin to serve warm as a pudding with dairy-free custard and the reserved juices spooned over if liked.
Assembling the streusel cake ready for baking. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
To decorate and serve as a cake, carefully remove from the tin and place on a wire rack. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in about 4 tsp of the reserved cooking juices to make a soft, dripping icing. Drizzle over the top of the cake using a teaspoon and scatter with orange zest. Leave for about 30 minutes to firm up before slicing to serve.
Decorating the streusel cake. Images: Kathryn Hawkins.

Streusel cake, ready to serve. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I keep the cake in the fridge and bring to room temperature for a few minutes before serving. You can also heat up a slice in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off. The cake freezes well without the icing. Have a good week 🙂

Salame al cioccolato (Chocolate salami) (gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan)

February 14, 2019February 14, 2019 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

I thought it was time to deliver a little treat. This week, I’ve broken into the chocolate to make something deliciously decadent. Still feeling inspired by my culinary adventure with Sicilian red oranges in last week’s post, I used some to flavour this rich Italian confection which is traditionally served at the end of a meal with coffee and liqueurs, or in my case, Marsala wine.

Slices_of_chocolate_salami — Sliced Italian chocolate salami with coffee and Marsala wine. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I was watching a travel programme about Sicily over the festive holidays. It really does seem like a food and drink paradise, and I hope to pay a visit some day. In the meantime, I tracked down some of the island’s Modica chocolate which is so very different from any other chocolate I have eaten or cooked with. It is naturally vegan as it is made with just cocoa, sugar and vanilla. The texture is grainy and slightly crunchy, with a flavour that is rich and intense. Modica chocolate is very like the chocolate the Aztecs would have been familiar with; it was introduced to Europe in the 16th century by the Spanish, and I’m delighted to have finally made its acquaintance.

Bar_of_Sicilian_Modica_chocolate — Sicilian Modica chocolate. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

You can add any flavourings you fancy to the basic salami recipe. I opted for all things Italian and went with pistachios, marzipan and the red orange. Candied peel is often added but I’m not a huge fan. Because I had the fresh red oranges to hand, I made my own non-candied peel which is much softer and much more zesty than the preserved variety. However, feel free to use the more traditional candied peel if you like it.

I put some red orange juice in the salami mixture as well. If you fancy something with more oomph, you can use 2 tbsp. liqueur instead. I used a dairy-free margarine which has a lower fat content than a solid fat. The combination of the margarine and the added liquid gives a more fudgy texture to the salami. If you prefer a firmer set then leave out the liquid altogether and use something like coconut oil (or unsalted butter if you eat it) which will give a much firmer set.

Red_orange_juice_and_rind_chopped_marzipan_and_shelled_pistachios — Italian flavours. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Makes 16 slices

Ingredients

2 medium oranges, red or other variety
100g 50% cocoa Modica or similar free-from plain chocolate
75g dairy-free margarine
150g free-from ginger biscuits, lightly crushed (or use your favourite variety)
50g natural pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
75g natural marzipan, finely chopped
15g each ground almonds and icing sugar

First prepare the orange rind. Using a vegetable peeler, pare off the orange rind thinly. You need about 40g rind to achieve a rich orange flavour.
Slice the pared rind into thin strips. Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and cook the strips for 4-5 minutes until soft. Drain and cool under cold running water, then drain well and pat dry, before chopping finely. Extract 2 tbsp. juice from one of the oranges – and enjoy the rest of the juice at your leisure 🙂
Making fresh orange peel. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Break up the chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. Add the dairy-free margarine and place the bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, and leave until melted. Remove from the water and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Put the biscuits, pistachios, marzipan, chopped orange rind and juice in a bowl and mix together, then stir in the melted chocolate. Leave in a cool place for about 30 minutes to firm up but not set completely.
Chocolate salami mix. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Line the work top with a large double layer of cling film and pile the chocolate mixture in the centre to form a rough rectangular shape about 24cm long.
Fold over the cling film and twist the ends closed to make a fat sausage-like shape with slightly tapering ends. Chill for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight until firm.
Shaping chocolate salami. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
To decorate, place a large sheet of baking parchment on the work top and sift the ground almonds and icing sugar down the centre to cover an area the same length as the salami.
Carefully unwrap the salami and roll evenly in the sweet almond mixture to coat it lightly. Slice and serve. Store any remaining chocolate salami in the fridge – the sugary almond coating will start to dissolve in the fridge but this doesn’t affect the flavour or texture of the salami. Buon appetite!
Delizioso. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Moorish red orange and carrot salad (gluten-free; dairy-free; vegan)

February 7, 2019February 7, 2019 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 8 Comments

Sicilian_red_orange_and_carrot_salad — A seasonal salad to banish the winter blues. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

This is a great time of the year for oranges. Last weekend, I bought a bag of Seville oranges and made some marmalade, something I haven’t done for many years. It took me much longer than I remembered, but the effort was worthwhile as I have 12 large jars to see me through the year. The other citrus fruit that caught my eye this week comes from Sicily. Beautiful, blushing red oranges (or “Blood oranges” as I remember them being called). They look as lovely on the outside as they do on the inside.

Sicilian_bloor_or_red_oranges — Sicilian red oranges. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

It may not seem the right time of year to be serving up a salad, but my recipe this week is a good choice for eating now, it oozes health and vitality, is robust in flavour with a crunchy texture, and makes a great accompaniment to pulse, rice or grain dishes or can be served on its own as a simple light lunch with bread and a dollop of hummus. The flavours and colours of this salad are the perfect tonic to pick you up if, like me, you are suffering from the winter blues.

Moorish_red-orange_and_carrot_salad_with_toasted_seeds — Robust flavours and crunchy textures. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

The salad is dressed with a simple combination of olive oil and freshly squeezed orange juice flavoured with the warming, earthy spices toasted cumin seeds and dried chilli. I also fried some sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds for 4-5 minutes in a little olive oil with some sea salt, to add bite and nuttiness as a sprinkle on top. I hope you enjoy the recipe, and if you can’t find red oranges, any orange or even pink grapefruit would work.

Serves: 2 to 4 (lunch or accompaniment)

Ingredients

250g carrots (for extra colour I used a heritage variety which were purple, orange and yellow)
3 red oranges
Red orange juice (you should have sufficient leftover from peeling the 3 oranges)
Approx. 25ml extra virgin olive oil
1 – 2 tsp caster sugar or maple syrup (or honey if you eat it), optional
Pinch of sea salt
½ tsp toasted cumin seeds, ground
½ tsp dried chilli flakes
100g pitted black olives
Fried, salted sunflower and pumpkin seeds to sprinkle

Peel and grate the carrots. Place in a bowl and put to one side. Slice the top and bottom off each orange, then using a small sharp knife, slice off the skin, taking away as much of the white pith as you can – see images below. Slice each orange into thin rounds and remove any pips.
Heritage carrots. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Preparing red oranges. Images: Kathryn Hawkins
Drain the orange slices, reserving the juice – any pieces of orange skin that have orange flesh attached can also be squeezed to obtain precious drops of juice.
Measure the juice and mix with the same amount of olive oil, then stir in the salt, spices and sugar, if using. Toss the dressing into the grated carrots.
Carefully fold in the orange slices (you may prefer to cut the orange into smaller pieces) along with the olives. Cover and chill until ready to serve, but allow to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes for the flavours to develop.
Ready to eat. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

I’ve been enjoying freshly squeezed red orange juice for breakfast this week as well. Such a pretty colour, and a super-zingy start to the day.

Freshly squeezed red orange juice. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

I have another Sicilian inspired recipe lined up for next week, so until then, I hope you have a good few days 🙂

Chocolate, rosemary and orange muffins (gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan)

December 21, 2016March 12, 2018 ~ My virtually free-from kitchen ~ 2 Comments

Gluten-free_vegan_chocolate_rosemary_and_orange_muffins — Chocolate, rosemary and orange muffins. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

On the shortest day of the year, here’s a little something baked to brighten up the barely light hours. I picked rather too much rosemary the other day, and spent a few days pondering on how best to use it up. It doesn’t freeze very well and I’m not a fan of the dried stuff. After admiring the stems as a herbal arrangement in my kitchen for a while, I decided to do some flavour experimentation, and these muffins are the result.

I wasn’t really intending them to be so festive looking, but the sprigs reminded me of tiny pine trees and then my mind started going into creative mode. I hope you enjoy them. The flavour is really rich and perfect for the time of year. You only need to use the leaves for this recipe – the stems are too tough – and try to chop the leaves as small as possible for the best flavour and better eating.

Fresh_rosemary_sprigs_and_leaves — Fresh rosemary. Images: Kathryn Hawkins

Makes: 10

150ml sunflower oil
150g dark brown sugar
150g silken tofu
45g cocoa powder
2 level tsp gluten-free baking powder (such as Dr Oetker)
1 level tbsp ground arrowroot (I often add this to help bind gluten-free cake mixtures together)
100g ground almonds
75g polenta
Finely grated rind 1 unwaxed orange
2 level tsp finely chopped rosemary leaves
Pinch of salt
125g icing sugar + extra to dust
Approx. 40ml freshly squeezed orange juice
10 tsp Chia or poppy seeds
10 small sprigs of fresh rosemary

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan oven, gas mark 4). Line a muffin tin with 10 paper cases. Put the oil, sugar and tofu in a bowl and whisk together with an electric mixer until well blended and thick.
Sieve 25g cocoa, baking powder and the arrowroot on top. Add the almonds, polenta, orange rind, chopped rosemary and salt. Mix all the ingredients together until thoroughly combined.
Divide the mixture equally between the cases. Smooth the tops and bake for about 35 minutes until just firm to the touch – the cakes may look slightly sunk in the middle. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To decorate, sieve the icing sugar and remaining cocoa powder into a small bowl and mix together with sufficient orange juice to make and smooth, spreadable icing. Spoon sufficient icing on top of each muffin and spread to cover the top completely.
Sprinkle the top of each muffin with 1 tsp seeds. Leave for a few minutes to set before adding the finishing touches.
Decorating the muffins. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Just before serving, carefully put the muffins into small flower pots. Push a sprig of rosemary into the top of each and if liked, dust the rosemary lightly with a little icing sugar for a frosted look.

The muffins freeze well once iced and seeded, and will also keep for 4-5 days in an airtight tin once decorated. Simply decorate with fresh rosemary and icing sugar just before serving.

Frosty-looking chocolate, rosemary and orange muffin. Image: Kathryn Hawkins

Gluten-free and vegan, a deliciously dark and tasty chocolate, rosemary and orange muffin. Image: Kathryn Hawkins