Lactose Free Recipe for Carrot Muffins

I was looking for a recipe for Carrot Muffins because I wanted something really healthy to snack on instead of bread with jam or bread with honey.  Also my naturopath put me on an Alkaline diet so wanted something that would be very alkaline.

I came across this recipe for carrot muffins but have altered it a bit. The taste is very wholesome, fresh and delicious. It's like something you would eat on a farm out in the field with the green grass blowing and cows mooing!

If you want Spicy Carrot Muffins add a teaspoon of Mixed Spice for that added spiced flavour.

Recipe for Carrot Muffins

Ingredients
• Olive oil, to grease
• 2 carrots grated
• 1 ½ cups wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup raw sugar
• 3/4 cups good quality olive oil (I used Altis)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place patty cases in a 12 cupcake tin.
2. Peel and grate the carrots, and set aside. Sift the flours and cinnamon into a large bowl.
3. Put the raw sugar, oil, honey, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl. Use a balloon whisk to mix until combined. Stir in the grated carrot.
4. Pour the carrot mixture into the dry ingredients. Use a wooden spoon to stir gently until just combined.
5. Pour the mixture into the pan and bake for 30 min. Set aside for 5 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.

Chocolate Nut Cake Recipe from Scratch

I came across this chocolate nut cake recipe from scratch while looking for a recipe to use up all the nuts and prunes I had that had been sitting around for a while.

It is a perfect recipe because I used up all the nuts and only have half the prunes left. I was getting a bit worried about the prunes as they were sitting around for a while.

 

Chocolate Nut Cake Recipe

Preparation Time -20 minutes
Cooking Time -90 minutes

Ingredients
Melted butter, to grease
200gm  dried diced prunes
1/2 cup water with 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup self-raising flour
3/4 tsp ground allspice
100gm almond meal
175gm milk free margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
100gm macadamias, roughly chopped
75gm toasted slivered almonds
200gm dark cooking chocolate (Plaistowe brand), broken into squares

Method
1.Preheat oven to 160°C. Brush a round 20cm cake pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line the base with non-stick baking paper.

2.Combine the prunes and water with vanilla essence in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 45 minutes to macerate.

3.Reserve 2 tbs of the flour. Sift remaining flour together with mixed spice in a medium bowl. Add the almond meal and stir to combine.

4.Use an electric beater to beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, until combined. Use a large metal spoon to fold in half the flour mixture until just combined. Repeat with the rest of the flour.

5.Drain the water from the prunes and discard. Add the macadamias, almonds, chocolate pieces and reserved flour. Use a metal spoon to gently fold the prunes into the butter mixture.

6.Spoon the cake mixture into the lined pan and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake, in preheated oven, for 1 1/2 hours or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.

7. Remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. If desired, brush with the extra brandy over the top. Dust with cocoa powder and icing sugar before serving.

Little Caesars Menu - Lactose Free Pizza

Why am I asking you to look at Little Caesars Menu (just click on right tab on their site) and not at a recipe I just baked? That is because I went to Little Ceasars Pizzeria in Leederville and was thrilled to find you can substitute the cheese for Minicol which is a soy based lactose free cheese.

You would think the flavour is going to be different or not taste like Pizza but you are wrong. You lose none of the flavour. The pizzas are incredibley delicious. Being Greek they tasted just like mama makes with lots of flavour! It is owned by Greeks by the way.

If you choose the soy based option you pay $2 more or if you would like the gluten free version you pay $3 more. It is worth the extra money and trust me your stomach will thank-you later.

Some of the awards they have won just in case you are not convinced.

Awards
2006-Las Vegas Italian Chef Wars Winner
2006-Winner of Pizza Todays Italian Chef Wars
2004-Team member of Dairy Farmers Team Oz that won the Americas Plate in NEW YORK
2003-Australian winner of Dairy Farmers Best of the Best
first time ever there was a clean sweep in all 4 category’s; Meat Seafood Vegetarian Dessert
2003-Western Australian Pizza champion Best of the Best
2002-Australian finalist in Dairy Farmers Best of the Best
2000-Australian finalist Dairy Farmers Best of the Best

Check out Little Caesers Menu then head on over and enjoy one of the best pizzas in Perth.

 Image from Daitaoha's.

Basic Scone Recipe

This basic scone recipe which is very low in lactose was given to me by an older lady I work with. She bakes them every Sunday for her family after church.

Basic Scone Recipe

Pre heat oven to 200C

Temperature needed may vary from oven to oven, but the oven needs to be hot!
 
Ingredients

2 cups of SR Flour

3 (good) teaspoons of Meadow Lea margarine
1 egg beaten in a cup
A little less than 1 cup lactose free milk

Method
Add the margarine to the flour in a bowl.

Rub the margarine through the flour with your fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the egg and milk mix, stir through flour very lightly with a fork until well mixed.

Turn mixture out onto a floured surface and gently shape into a nice fat round shape approximately 5 centimetres thick - this is the secret to getting those nice big scones.

Using a scone cutter cut out shapes and place on a floured baking tray (I use baking paper to cover the tray).

Bake on top or middle shelf for 10 minutes or until golden in colour.

Serve with a choice of margarine & jam.

VARIATIONS

¾ cup of chopped dates.
¾ cup grated soy cheese – to make cheese scones extra spicy, add paprika, cayenne pepper, chilli flakes etc
½ cup mixed fruit
½ cup chopped dry figs

Add anything you fancy to the basic recipe – use your imagination.

Best eaten with tea and shared with good friends J