Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Pecan Cookies

Today I’m bringing you these amazing cookies, actually they are more like biscuits – very short in texture and packed with flavour! But they look like cookies, so I stuck with that name. They really do taste incredibly morish.

Ingredients

• 200g dark chocolate, chopped into chunks
• 100g unsalted butter, softened
• 50g light muscovado sugar
• 85g golden caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg, beaten
• 100g pecan nuts, chopped
• 100g gluten-free plain flour
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda

Method

1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4.
2. Melt 85g of the chocolate in the microwave on High for 1 min or over a pan of simmering water.
3. Beat the butter, sugars, vanilla and egg until smooth (I use my Kenwood stand mixer with the K beater).
4. Stir in the nuts and remaining chocolate, then sieve in the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
5. Tip the dough out onto a piece of greaseproof paper and make into a log shape. Wrap in  foil and chill the dough in the fridge, until needed or at least 1 hour
6. Chop the dough into roughly 1cm thick slices and space them apart, on 2 baking sheets.
7. Bake for 15 mins until firm, then leave to cool on the sheets, on wire racks.

 

Gluten-Free Cherry and Sultana Cake

This is a really yummy, lighter alternative to the traditional fruit cake. It’s great for travel or lunch boxes. It stores well for a week, in an air tight container or can be frozen.

Ingredients

• 225g/ 8oz unsalted Butter
• 225g/ 8oz caster Sugar
• 275g/ 10oz gluten-free self-raising flour
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 4 Eggs
• 100g/ 4oz sultanas
• 100g/ 4 oz dried cranberries or cherries (I used cherries this time, as it was all I had in the cupboard).
• ¼ tsp Mixed Spice
• ¼ tsp Ground Cinnamon
• 3-4 tbsp Milk
• 3 tbsp Demerara Sugar

Method

1. Grease & line a large baking tin (approx 23x33cm). Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C/ Gas Mark 4.
2. Measure all the ingredients, except the Demerara sugar into a large mixing bowl. (I use my Kenwood stand mixer for this). Beat with the ‘K’ beater on maximum speed until well blended.
3. Tip into prepared tin & level the top. Sprinkle over the Demerara sugar.
4. Bake for approx 35 minutes until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tin and then cut into squares.

If you’re not feeding a crowd, then freeze half of this mix.