Vanilla Cream Cupcakes

Serves 24

Ingredients
200g (7oz) plain flour, sifted
2 tsp baking powder
200g (7oz) caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt
100g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
150 ml (5 fl oz) milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing
200g (7oz) icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
100g (3 1/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
sugar sprinkles

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Place the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Mix together with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
2. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract together until well blended.
3. Slowly pour the egg mixture in to the dry ingredients, whisking all the time. Whisk until smooth, being careful not to over mix. Too much beating toughens cakes.
4. Pour all the batter into a jug to make it easier to handle. Place the cupcake cases into the holes in the cupcake trays. Carefully pour the cake mixture into the papers, filling each one only half full. 
5. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until springy to the touch. Test the cakes are done by inserting a skewer in to the centre of one cupcake. Leave for a few minutes, then transfer the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. 
6. To make the icing, combine the icing sugar, vanilla extract, and butter in a bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for 5 minutes until very light and fluffy. Check the cakes have cooled completely.
7. If icing by hand, add a teaspoonful of the frosting mix to the top of each cake, and use the back of a spoon to smooth the surface. To pipe the icing, transfer the icing to a piping bag. Pipe by squeezing out the icing with one hand. Starting from the edge, pipe a spiral of icing that comes to a peak in the centre. Decorate with sprinkles.

Taken from Step-by-Step Baking

Chocolate Cupcakes

Serves 24

Ingredients
200g (7oz) plain flour
2tsp baking powder
4tbsp cocoa powder
200g (7oz) caster sugar
1/2 tsp salt 
100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter, softened
3 eggs
150ml (5fl oz) milk
1tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp Greek yoghurt

Icing
100g (3 1/2oz) unsalted butter, softened
175g (6oz) icing sugar
25g (scant 1oz) cocoa powder

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Sift the flour, baking powder, and cocoa in to the bowl. Add the sugar, salt and butter. Mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and vanilla extract, and yoghurt together until well blended.
2. Slowly pour in the egg mixture to combine. Gently whisk until smooth. Place the cupcake cases in to the trays. Carefully spoon the cake mixture in to the cases, filling each one only half full.
3. Bake for 20-25 minutes until lightly coloured and springy to the touch. Leave for a few minutes, then transfer the cupcakes in their cases to a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the icing, beat together the butter, icing sugar and cocoa powder until smooth. Ice by hand, using the back of a spoon dipped in hot water to smooth the surface. Or transfer the icing to apiping back and pipe onto the cakes.

Taken from Step-by-Step Baking

Flapjacks (The best I've ever made!)

Makes 16-20

Ingredients
225g (8oz) butter
225g (8oz) light soft brown sugar
2 tbsp golden syrup
350g (12 oz) rolled oats

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 150c. Lightly grease the base and sides of a tin (25cm/10in square). 
2. Put the butter, sugar and syrup into a large saucepan and place over medium-low heat. Stir constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent scorching. Remove from the heat.
3. Stir in the oats, making sure they are well coated, but don't overwork the mix. Spoon the mixture from the saucepan in to the prepared tin. 
4. Press down firmly with the wooden spoon to make a roughly even layer. Bake for 40 minutes or until evenly golden. Leave to cool for 10 minutes, then cut in to squares.

Notes: Melt 50g of plain/milk chocolate. Drizzle over the flapjacks in the tin before slicing.

Taken from Step-by-Step Baking

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

Makes 24

Ingredients
170g (6oz) butter
250g (8 1/2 oz) soft light brown sugar
55g (2oz) granulated sugar
300g (10 1/2 oz) plain gluten free flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
185g (6 1/2 oz) chocolate chips

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add in the sugars, stirring until no lumps remain.
3. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda, and salt in to a mixing bowl
4. Add the melted butter and sugars, the beaten egg, and vanilla extract and mix to a soft dough.
5. Mix in the chocolate chips
6. With wet hands, shape the dough into 18 or 24 balls. Place well apart on the baking sheets.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden, but still soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely

Taken from Allergy Free Cookbook

Notes: Cook for 10 minutes and check - too crispy/crumbly after 20 minutes

Lemon Syrup Polenta Cake

Serves 8-10

Ingredients
140g (5oz) butter
140g (5oz) caster sugar
2 eggs, beaten
140g (5oz) ground almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
85g (3oz) polenta, or other cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
grated zest and juice of 1 large lemon

for the syrup
4 tbsp lemon juice (juice of 2 lemons)
2 tbsp water
115g (4oz) icing sugar 

Instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 180c. Grease a deep 18cm (7in) round cake tin and line it with baking parchment.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar either with an electric whisk or wooden spoon, until soft and fluffy
3. Add in the eggs a little at a time, whisking well after each addition.
4. Add the ground almonds and vanilla extract. Sift the polenta, baking powder and salt Add the lemon zest and juice and fold everything in gently with a metal spoon.
5. Transfer the cake mixture to a prepared tin and level the surface.
6. Bake for 1 hour or until risen, golden and firm to the touch. Remove from the oven.
7. To make the syrup, gently heat together the lemon juice, water and icing sugar in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved.
8. Stab the cake all over with a wooden cocktail stick, making the holes almost to the base. Spoon the hot syrup over the cake.
9. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin before turning out and removing the parchment paper 

Taken from Allergy Free Cookbook

Notes: Makes a lot of syrup, majority does soak in. On second try of this recipe, I let the syrup dissolve for longer in the saucepan, and it didn't create a layer like in this photo, and the cake was even moister!

Rasberry Mallow Crispies

Serves 24

Ingredients
115g (4oz) marshmallows
55g (2oz) butter
4 tbsp raspberry jam
140g (5oz) puffed rice cereal (gluten free)


Instructions
1. Grease an 18 x 28cm (7 x 11in) shallow baking ti.
2. Put the marshmallows in a large saucepan with the butter and the jam. Heat gently, stirring all the time, until everything has melted. Boil for 1 minute, stirring throughout.
3. Stir in the cereal fairly rapidly until thoroughly coated in the sticky mixture.
4. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin; spread it right to the corners; then press down firmly using a wet palette knife or the back of a spoon. Use a knife to mark it into 24 squares.
5. Leave the mixture until cold, and then chill overnight to firm. Store in an airtight container.

Taken from Allergy Free Cookbook, by Alice Sherwood

Spiced Carrot and Ginger Soup

Ingredients
2 tbsp oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion, chopped
2 green chillies, seeded and chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
3 parsnips, peeled and chopped
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
5 cups vegetable or chicken stock (gluten free)
salt and pepper
plain yoghurt

Instructions
1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Add the garlic, ginger, onion and chillies. Cook gently for 4 minutes. Stir in the cumin, coriander, ginger, turmeric, parsnips and carrots, then pour in the stock.
2. Bring to the boil and reduce the heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the parsnips and carrots are tender.
3. Process the soup in a food processor and blend until smooth. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve topped with a little yoghurt and sprinkled with mint.

Taken from 500 soups