Gluten Free Vegan Christmas Scones
These scones are the perfect Christmas morning or afternoon tea treat for unexpected or expected visitors as they can be chilled in the fridge or thawed overnight from the freezer (RAW, and shaped ready to bake). They are delicious and the antidote to the rich Christmas offerings, it can be served simply with butter or vegan butter or to be paired with sharp vegan or dairy cheeses such as cheddar or even creamy Brie or Camembert. For sweet toothed people … cherry jam is pretty good too!
GLUTEN FREE VEGAN CHRISTMAS SCONES or DAIRY, EGG FREE
DELICIOUS GLUTEN FREE VEGAN CHRISTMAS SCONES - EGG & DAIRY FREE
Servings: 8 8-10 scones
Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS - MUST BE MIXED FIRST (WHISKED) prior to adding wet ingredients
- 300 grams Wild Sourdough Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour available from my website and retailers: https://wildsourdough.com.au/where-to-buy/
- 15 grams Baking Powder Gluten Free Double Acting (3tsp) must be double acting & gluten free
- 30-50 grams raw or rapadura or coconut sugar optional but this is a treat and taste better with a small amount of sweetness
- 5 grams sea salt fine (1tsp - can reduce to 1/2 tsp)
- 15-20 grams mixed spice or speculaas spice (3tsp)
- 1 tbs zest of one lemon, optional
WET INGREDIENTS - VEGAN
- 75 grams vegan butter of your choice, cold can use coconut butter
- 80-85 grams vegan milk of your choice, cold this amount can vary depending of your choice of vegan mylk incl coconut milk
- 150 grams sparkling mineral water, cold soda water or lemonade can be substituted
WET INGREDIENTS - DAIRY VERSION
- 150 grams sour cream full cream or whipping cream, cold FULL fat, not low fat
- 150 grams sparkling mineral water, cold soda water or lemonade can be substituted
DRIED FRUIT
- 150 grams dried fruit mixed
- 50 grams dried cherries or cranberries not the fake coloured variety
- 30-50 grams slivered pistachio, optional to add green festive colour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 220C
- Mix by hand or machine ever so lightly until form a rough homogeneous dough
- Dough looks like a solid mousse or whipped cream
- Dust ur bench w superfine rice flour
- Roll or press dough to an inch or 3cm thickness and either cut w a metal dough scraper into 6 squares or use round 3-4cm round cutter or a glass, gather remains for the runt scone
- Brush w dairy or vegan milk
- Put scones on baking paper inside a roasting pan or small tin
- Put into middle rack of ur oven
- Reduce temp to 200C and bake for 20-25mins (or 30mins depending on size of your scones) until inner temp is 100C n golden brown
- Enjoy best eaten warm
- To refresh: microwave for 10-20sec
- FREEZE or CHILL RAW SHAPED scones on baking paper in an enclosed container, thaw thoroughly or overnight in fridge prior to baking
- Mist w water and follow baking instructions
VARIATIONS:
- Plain scones: take all the spices sugar etc n you have plain scones
- Cheese scones: take all the spices sugar etc, add grated sharp cheddar cheese, about 1/3 weight of flour
HYBRID SPELT & GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH BREAD ROLLS FODMAP FRIENDLY
HYBRID SPELT & GLUTEN FREE SOURDOUGH SOFT BREAD ROLLS - FODMAP friendly
want to lower your gluten and/or FODMAP load without compromising on deliciousness, softness and irresistible crackly crust? This is the answer for you … a double whammy to tame the gluten in spelt (or wheat if you prefer) and the 40% is gluten free using either my Wild Sourdough Gluten Free wholemeal or white bread mix
Servings: 8 BREAD ROLLS
Ingredients
WET ingredients
- 120 grams sourdough starter of your choice, active & bubbly I used my rye sourdough starter, for lower FODMAP, use spelt or wheat or gluten free starter
- 400 grams water, room temperature filtered if you have it, tap is fine
- 1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil, OR Optional for softer crust, softer crumb
- 15-30 grams extra virgin olive oil
DRY ingredients
- 300 grams white spelt flour or strong unbleached bakers flour
- 200 grams Wild Sourdough Gluten Free Wholemeal or White Bread Mix https://wildsourdough.com.au/product-category/wild-sourdough-gluten-free-flour/
- 1 heaped or 6g tsp fine sea salt - if using WS GF wholemeal bread mix, OR
- 2 tsp 10g fine sea salt - if using WS GF white bread mix
Instructions
- In a bowl, using digital scales or your Thermomix TM6 scales, add ingredients in the order in this recipe from wet to dry ingredients
- MIX by hand or spatula or in TMs: 1 min on dough or knead
- REST at least 15mins to 30mins, for TMs: dislodge dough from blades by turning the bowl onto the bench or silicon mat
- KNEAD, stretch and fold dough several times (LESS is more, do not break the dough, no more than six stretch & fold), you can also, if you prefer, to do old fashioned ‘comfort’ kneading. For TMs: 1-2 mins on dough or knead
- RISE for 2-3hrs at room temperature in a oiled and covered container
- Dough should rise at least 50% in height or volume
- SHAPE into 100-125g rolls and place touching sides on the lined enamel tray of your oven or heavy roasting pan or large muffin tins or special bread roll tins like in my photo
- MIST like mad with water and keep covered
- FOR SAME DAY BAKING: let rise covered until they are risen again to double. Time will vary depending on room temperature, keep moist and covered, away from draft and direct heat source
- FOR NEXT DAY BAKING: let rise covered in another closed container or wet cling wrap (NOT TEA TOWEL) in the fridge, DO NOT FREEZE
- BAKING: get an oven thermometer to make sure that your oven is doing the right thingSAME DAY baking: pre-heat your oven to 225-235C, and MIST your rolls with plenty of water. Throw two big handful of ice cubes as you place the bread rolls dough into the oven. Bake for 20mins. Reduce heat to 200C and bake for another 10-15mins until dark golden brown and thermometer inserted into the rolls show 95-100CFOR NEXT DAY BAKING: Take rolls out of the fridge, MIST your rolls with tons of water, place your bread rolls dough into the oven, throw two handful of ice cubes and crank up your oven to 235C, for half hour. Reduce heat to 200C and bake for another 15-20mins until dark golden brown and thermometer inserted into the rolls show 95-100C
Margaret’s Walnut Almond Cinnamon Gluten Free Cake
Margaret’s Walnut Almond Cinnamon Gluten Free Cake
Walnut Almond Cinnamon Cake Gluten Free (dairy free optional)
Servings: 12 Servings
Equipment
- 1 23cm springform round tin Buttered and lined with silicon non stick baking paper
Ingredients
Ingredients for cake
- 160 grams softened butter
- 200 grams caster sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 200 mls cream
- 2 large eggs
- 160 grams Wild Sourdough White gluten-free flour see Ingredient link
- 1 heaped teaspoon baking powder (gluten free) mixed well into flour
- 125 grams ground almonds
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- zest 1 orange
Filling to be swirled into the cake batter (see method)
- 150 grams chopped walnuts
- heaped teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons sugar all mixed well with walnut & cinnamon
Topping, to be added once baked (see method)
- Juice of half an orange mixed with
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Method
- Preheat oven to 180C and line 23cm springform pan Cream butter and sugar
- Add eggs and beat well
- Add orange zest and vanilla
- Add flour with baking powder and mix
- Add apple cider vinegar
- Add almond flour and beat well
- Place half of the batter in the pan then cover with half of the walnut mix Place rest of the batter on top and cover with the rest of the walnut mix
- With a knife cut and swathe through the cake, avoiding the edges of the cake Bake for approx 55 minutes or until skewer inserted comes out clean
- Cool in tin and after 10 minutes gently pour orange juice with sugar dissolved over the top
Notes
This is a perfect cake to share with friends for afternoon or morning tea, the smell of cinnamon and orange is just so divine as you bake this cake, even better it is totally Gluten-free and can be made dairy free by replacing butter with vegan butter (use good quality one, the best one you can find). Simple to make with my Wild Sourdough gluten free bread mix and 1:1 all purpose flour makes this cake tastes just like it is made with wheat. You can use either my white or wholemeal gluten free flour, my awesome bff Margaret used my white gluten free flour. Here is the link to my gf flours incl my retailers:
that soft old fashioned ‘sandwich loaf
This lovely old-fashioned loaf will take you down memory lane in a time of COVID19 stress. The aroma and ultra-soft texture create a sandwich loaf you will crave and want to rush home to savour… So, here is my sourdough version, inspired by Janine: best friend and best sister. Actually, you can tell we aren’t really sisters as she is a blond and I have black hair. Janine, thank you for allowing me to adapt and share your recipe. Stay well and share the joy of sourdough (SEE RECIPE NOTES below for a video of how amazing soft this loaf is)
that soft old fashioned 'sandwich loaf
when no other bread will satisfy your craving for comfort food, this will!
FOR THERMOMIX, KITCHEN AID & KENWOOD: half this recipe PLEASE and do it twice to make a huge sandwich loaf.
Servings: 1 huge loaf
Ingredients
white leaven
- 50 grams active rye starter do not use all of your rye starter, take this 50g from your mother starter
- 60 grams white flour wheat or spelt
- 90 grams filtered water
WET ingredients
- 200 grams white leaven
- 480-500g grams water
- 60 grams extra virgin olive oil
DRY ingredients
- 400 grams white spelt flour or use all strong unbleached premium bakers flour or all white spelt
- 400 grams strong unbleached premium bakers flour
- 40-60 grams sugar, rice malt or maple syrup
- 3 teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
WHITE LEAVEN
- Stir and mix well, leave overnight or 6-12 hours until starter has doubled and bubbly
MIX
- BY HAND: In a huge large diameter bowl, measure and add your wet ingredients. starting with the starter. Then add all of the dry ingredients. MIX WELL, and massage any lumps you may have. You want to have one homogeneous dough. Turn bowl upside down on your kitchen benchBY THERMOMIX: 30 sec KNEAD, turn bowl upside down, then do the same for the other half BY MAGIMIX: 1 MIN SPEED 7, Brioche setting ROTARY MIXERS: 30 sec, K beater, speed 1
REST 1 hour
- REST (fermentolyse) the dough covered (turn your bowl upside down)
STRETCH & FOLD X4
- STRETCH and FOLD your dough 3-4 times, EVERY 30 mins - REPEAT 4 TIMES
SHAPE
- SHAPE your dough into your large sandwich loaf tin (outer measurements 30cm long x 13cm wide x 12cm height)
RISE OR RETARD
- RISE OR RETARD OVERNIGHT until doubled. The dough must double before baking so if it is still not doubled after an overnight rise, take it out of the fridge to double
BAKE
- PREHEAT YOUR OVEN TO 225-235C for 30mins with an enamel tray on the lowest rack PUT your dough in on a rack above the enamelled tray ADD two handful of iceBAKE for 20mins REDUCE temperature to 200C, BAKE for 20mins REDUCE temperature to 180C, BAKE for 20mins INSERT thermometer, the inner dough temperature must reach 100C. ENJOY... wait till it cools down if you can, to get a better crumb ... I bet, you can't resist cutting it as soon a it is out of the oven BAKED BREAD is freezable in a zip-lock bags for up to 2 months
- put your tinned dough in bake for 20mins reduce temperature to 200C, bake for 20mins reduce temperature to 180C, bake for 15-20mins until inner temperature of dough reaches 100C
ENJOY
- if you can resist the temptation, wait until the loaf is cool before cutting but, the choice is entirely yours! Enjoy and you can even freeze this baked loaf for 2 months in an airtight container or zip lock bag
Notes
Salad, EASTER Salad of Roasted Vegetables & Sprouted Quinoa with Pomegranate
Salad, EASTER Salad of Roasted Vegetables & Sprouted Quinoa with Pomegranate
~VEGAN, NUT FREE & GLUTEN FREE
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, but I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version.
So the base of this salad is three roasted vegetables: brocolli, cauliflower, pumpkin (you can use sweet potato instead but I think pumpkin fits better here)
To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted quinoa
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta, to be served separately.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Enjoy…
Salad, EASTER Salad of roasted vegetables & sprouted quinoa with pomegranate
Nourishing substantial salad
Salad as a complete meal
Servings: 8 ppl
Ingredients
Roasted VEGETABLES
- 1 kg JAP or butternut pumpkin washed, peeled and sliced to 0.5cm
- 1 each brocolli, organic if possible washed and sliced into 0.5 cm, then separate into flowerettes
- 1 each cauliflower (large) washed and sliced into 0.5 cm then separate into flowerettes
- 2 tsp Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled, for brocolli
- generous drizzle vincotto for pumpkin
- few sprinkling baharat spice mix i like Greg Malouf's or Herbie's, for cauliflower
- generous drizzle extra virgin olive oil enough to coat all vegetables
TAHINI Dressing
- 150 ml organic hulled tahini
- 75 ml lemon juice to get the right salad dressing consistency
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil australian please
- 50 ml pomegranate molasses honey or maple syrup may be substituted
- 1 tsp Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- 2-3 cloves fresh garlic to taste
- black pepper freshly milled, to taste
TOPPINGS
- 2-3 tbs Za'atar from good delis or Herbie's online
- 1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup marinated goat cheese, optional Meredith's Dairy is my favourite
- 1 cup activated nuts of your choice, optional walnuts are delicious here
Instructions
Roasted vegetables
- Preheat your oven to 180C
- In a large bowl, coat the cubed/sliced vegetables with generous drizzle of olive oil, salt and black pepper or spices as listed in the ingredients, to taste.Roast at 180C for 15-20 minutes until the vegetables started to caramelise and soft to touch but not mushy (this depend on the type of vegetables and the size of each piece)Cool to room temperature and chill in fridge if preparing ahead of serving, these roastes vegetables can be pre-perepared up to 2-3 days ahead.
Tahini Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously before use or better still blitz using a hand held stick blender or an electric blender
HOW TO SERVE
- Use the largest flat serving plate you have, mine is 50cm in diameter.arrange the roasted veggies in concentric layers sprinkle the cooked quinoa and fresh pomegranate seedsdrizzle with blobs of tahini dressing sprinkle the za'atar and serve with broken up goat cheese feta and walnuts or serve these separatelyEnjoy ...xxx
Salad, Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Note: can be vegan without the feta cheese
For me there is nothing more delightful to see and savour on the table than a well thought out salad. A delicious substantial salad that is not an afterthought and can stand up on its own as a complete meal (which is handy for those of you are catering for vegan and vegetarians). This recipe is more about the how to rather than a step by step recipe.
When I have to cater for a crowd, I like to have a ‘base’ salad that is vegan, nut and dairy free, and I will serve on a separate plate the dairy or nut ingredients for those of you who like to have the jazzed up version. I also serve one to three alternative dressings on the side so everyone can choose and add his/her own. Trust me, this way I always manage to please everyone.
So the base of this salad is salad greens such as rockets, radicchio and few sprigs of herbs such as basil, parsley, dill, and fennel fronds. To make this salad substantial, I choose chilled cooked and sprouted de Puy Lentils (you can choose chickpeas or other lentils) and roasted beetroot (cubed).
For dairy side-ons, I like marinated (soft style) goat fetta or bufallo mozzarella, but remember once you add this to the main salad the dark red beetroot colour will bleed into the white colour of the cheese.
I always like different textures in my salad, so for crunch, I add activated and roasted (or dehydrated if you prefer) walnuts and pomegranate seeds but you can choose other nuts if you prefer.
Below are the two salad dressing recipes, one vegan and one dairy.
Salad, Christmas Salad with de Puy Lentils, Beetroot, Walnut and Feta
Nourishing substantial salad
Salad as a complete meal
Servings: 8
Ingredients
Roasted Beetroot
- 1 kg beetroot organic if possible washed, peeled and cubed
- Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled
- extra virgin olive oil enough to coat the beetroot
Vinaigrette with vincotto, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
- 1 part (volume) balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 part (volume) vincotto fig vincotto is delicious
- 4 part (volume) extra virgin olive oil
- Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled
Yoghurt Fetta Salad Dressing
- 1/4 cup thick greek yoghurt
- 75 g soft fetta cheese crumbled
- few sprigs fresh dill or fennel fronds chopped
- 3-4 tbs lemon juice to get the right salad dressing consistency
- Murray River pink salt flakes to taste
- black pepper freshly milled
Instructions
Roasted Beetroots
- Preheat your oven to 180C
- In a large bowl, coat the cubed beetroots with olive oil, salt and black pepper, taste to suit your palate.Roast at 180C for 15-20 minutes until the beetroot cubes started to caramelise. Cool to room temperature and chill in fridge if preparing ahead of serving.
Vinaigrette with vincotto, balsamic vinegar and extra virgin olive oil
- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously before use
Yoghurt Fetta Salad Dressing
- Place all ingredients in a glass jar and shake vigorously before use or better still blitz using a hand held stick blender
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
It is not everyday that I get very excited about a new tool, but I am really impressed with the new Magimix Dough Hook XL. Not only does it live up to its advertised capacity of being able to knead dough up to 1.6kg without its motor overheating, but more than that, what really tickled my fancy is its ability to knead dough gently as if I am kneading the dough by hand.
This new Magimix Dough Hook XL kneads the 1.6kg dough so gently without creating heat hence it does not oxidise the dough. It also collects the dough and ‘lifts’ the dough up above the blade, creating a ball of dough (see various pictures in my recipe below) and therefore prevents the chopping off of the gluten as the dough is directly moving above the blade.
I managed to mix and knead three lots of 1.6kg dough one after another and the bowl and dough hook remained cool with no overheating of the motor observed.
So let’s give this amazing tool a work out with this new recipe..
http://wildsourdough.com.au/recipe/review-magimix-dough-hook-recipe-sourdough-purple-and-heirloom-ancient-wheat-grains/
REVIEW OF MAGIMIX DOUGH HOOK XL & RECIPE
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (MAGIMIX CE Method)
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
(MAGIMIX CE Method)
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
I always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
Magimix CE function which allows you to keep the blade stationary at a perfect fermenting temperature of 30C is perfect for this cake, especially if you make this cake in Nothern Hemisphere pre-Christmas time. Allow 4 hours to ferment this cake using the Expert Programme, Speed 0, at 30C.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (MAGIMIX CE Method)
This is a dense fruitcake which has a more complex flavour than traditional fruitcake because it is naturally fermented with sourdough culture.
It is naturally easier to digest than a traditional fruit cake. This cake relies on the sweetness of the dried fruit rather than refined sugar.
Servings: 20 cake
Ingredients
Fruit and Liqueur mixture - prepare at least a day before and up to 2 months
- 125 grams small dark raisins (muscatels) or sultanas
- 75 grams dried black cherries or cranberries
- 25 grams candied peels (candied orange and candied citron)
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 50 grams dried figs
- 50 grams activated nuts of your choice optional
- 50 grams brandy, whisky or your liqueur of choice
Flour and spice mixture
- 125 grams organic white spelt flour or khorasan flour You can use wheat if you prefer
- 1-2 tsp mixed spice Speculaas spice is a favorite
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger or cloves optional
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Butter mixture
- 125 grams butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 grams dark brown or rapadura sugar
- 150 grams Raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
- 3 large organic eggs (150g without shell) at room temperature
- 250 grams white spelt or kamut sourdough starter
- 25 grams molasses
Instructions
Mix fruit and liqueur
- Prepare the fruit and liqueur mixture at least a day before you plan to make the Christmas cake.You can also prepare the mixture a few weeks beforehand for a stronger flavour. Mix the ingredients together and leave to marinate at least overnight. The next day, drain the mixture, separating it into fruit and liquid. The fruit will be added to the cake, while the liquid will be used to glaze it once baked.
Mix ingredients
- Put the flour and spice mixture ingredients in your metal bowl, run the EXPERT programme and mix for 20 seconds/speed 7. Put aside.
- Beat soft butter, the two sugars and vanilla in the metal bowl with the whisk attachment, run the PASTRY/CAKE programme for 2 minutes/speed 7 until light and creamy. Scrape down sides frequently to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.
- With the programme running, slowly add eggs one by one through hole in lid. Allow 30 seconds between the addition of each egg. Stop mixing once the mixture looks curdled. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add sourdough starter and molasses and continue whisking. Scrape sides of bowl.
- Add pre-mixed flour and spice mixture and continue whisking until the programme ends. Do not over-mix or you will end up with a tough cake. Scrape sides of bowl, if necessary.
- Remove the whisk. Ferment your cake mixture for 4–6 hours with the lid on, if you are making this cake in warmer weather such Australian pre-Christmas weather. Alternatively, if the room temperature is cold (ie. Northern Hemisphere Christmas), run the Expert programme 30C/speed 0/4hours . The cake mixture will rise about 1¼–1½ its original volume.
Prepare cake tins
- Line cake tins with butter then line with silicone coated baking or parchment paper (e.g. Gladbake). You have the option of using: • 20cm diameter (8in) round cake tin – each holds 1kg of mixture, or • 2 x 12.5cm (5in) round cake tin – each holds 500–550g of mixture, or • 8–10 muffins – each holds 120–150g of mixture.
Add and mix
- Add drained fruit to the cake mixture and run the Expert programme for 20 seconds/speed 5, until the fruit is well distributed.Pour into lined tin or tins. You should only fill two-thirds of the tin or the cake mixture will overflow during baking.
Bake
- Put the cake inside a cold oven and set the temperature to 165°C (329°F).Here are the baking times depending on the size of cake tin you used:For 20cm (8in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Then reduce heat to 150°C (302°F) and bake for a further 1 ½–2 hours until golden brown. If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil.For 12.5cm (5in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 1 hour 15 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F).For muffins Bake on lower third rack for 40–45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F).Remove cake from the oven and brush generously with the leftover liqueur. You can brush your cake with any liqueur of your choice (brandy, rum, whisky, Cointreau) every few days for a month before Christmas. This will make your cake so delicious and moist.
Rest
- Leave to cool before cutting.Best kept wrapped tightly in waxed paper and aluminium foil. Leave in the coolest part of your house and it will keep for 1–2 months or alternatively it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cake, Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake BY HAND
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
I always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!
Cake, Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake
This is a dense fruitcake which has a more complex flavour than traditional fruitcake because it is naturally fermented with sourdough culture.
It is naturally easier to digest than a traditional fruit cake. This cake relies on the sweetness of the dried fruit rather than refined sugar.
Servings: 20 cake
Ingredients
Fruit and Liqueur mixture - prepare at least a day before and up to 2 months
- 125 grams small dark raisins (muscatels) or sultanas
- 75 grams dried black cherries or cranberries
- 25 grams candied peels (candied orange and candied citron)
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 50 grams dried figs
- 50 grams activated nuts of your choice optional
- 50 grams brandy, whisky or your liqueur of choice
Flour and spice mixture
- 125 grams organic white spelt flour or khorasan flour You can use wheat if you prefer
- 1-2 tsp mixed spice Speculaas spice is a favorite
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger or cloves optional
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Butter mixture
- 125 grams butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 grams dark brown or rapadura sugar
- 150 grams Raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
- 3 large organic eggs (150g without shell) at room temperature
- 250 grams white spelt or kamut sourdough starter
- 25 grams molasses
Instructions
Mix fruit and liqueur
- Prepare the fruit and liqueur mixture at least a day before you plan to make the Christmas cake. You can also prepare the mixture a few weeks beforehand for a stronger flavour.Mix the ingredients together and leave to marinate at least overnight. The next day, drain the mixture, separating it into fruit and liquid. The fruit will be added to the cake, while the liquid will be used to glaze it once baked.
Mix ingredients
- Put the flour and spice mixture ingredients in a large bowl and whisk until the flour mixture is well distributed. Put aside.Beat/Whisk soft butter, the two sugars and vanilla in a bowl until light and creamy. This will take a few minutes by hand.Scrape down sides frequently to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.Slowly add eggs one by one and stop mixing once the mixture looks curdled. Scrape sides of bowl.Add sourdough starter and molasses and mix well but gently. Scrape sides of bowl.Gently mix in the pre-mixed flour and spice mixture. Do not over-mix or you will end up with a tough cake. Scrape sides of bowl.Cover and ferment your cake mixture for 4–6 hours. The cake mixture will rise about 1¼–1½ its original volume.
Prepare cake tins
- Line cake tins with butter then line with silicone coated baking or parchment paper (e.g. Gladbake). You have the option of using: • 20cm diameter (8in) round cake tin – each holds 1kg of mixture, or • 2 x 12.5cm (5in) round cake tin – each holds 500–550g of mixture, or • 8–10 muffins – each holds 120–150g of mixture.
Add and mix
- Add drained fruit to fermented cake mixture, making sure the fruit is well distributed.If you have decided to use baking powder to make the cake lighter, add the baking powder now. I prefer the cake without the baking powder as I like my fruitcake dense. Pour into lined tin or tins. You should only fill two-thirds of the tin or the cake mixture will overflow during baking.
Bake
- Put the cake inside a cold oven and set the temperature to 165°C (329°F).Here are the baking times depending on the size of cake tin you used:For 20cm (8in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Then reduce heat to 150°C (302°F) and bake for a further 1 ½–2 hours until golden brown. If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil.For 12.5cm (5in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 1 hour 15 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). For muffins Bake on lower third rack for 40–45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F).Remove cake from the oven and brush generously with the leftover liqueur. You can brush your cake with any liqueur of your choice (brandy, rum, whisky, Cointreau) every few days for a month before Christmas. This will make your cake so delicious and moist.
Rest
- Leave to cool before cutting.Best kept wrapped tightly in waxed paper and aluminium foil. Leave in the coolest part of your house and it will keep for 1–2 months or alternatively it can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (Thermomix Method)
Wild Sourdough Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (Thermomix Method)
VEGAN option: use vegan butter/margarine
Gluten Free option: use brown rice starter (avail from my website) and Gluten Free plain flour
always adore making and eating fruit cake, so creating this recipe was a joy. This cake has the texture of a classic Christmas cake – dense and complex in flavour, which is what you want for an exceptional and easy-to-digest Christmas cake. You do have the option to add a teaspoon of baking powder to make this cake lighter but it is not essential. This recipe is versatile so you can change the dried fruit mix (about 325–400g) to suit your taste. One combination I love is dried pear, hazelnut and ground cardamom.
The method is quite simple, just like making any traditional butter cake. The white sourdough starter is added at the end of the mixing before the addition of fruits and nuts. The long fermentation allows pre-digestion of gluten, fat and sugar. You can use wheat instead of spelt or kamut/khorasan. Khorasan is worth a try, because for some people this unhybridised/ancient wheat is easier to digest than modern wheat. However, please consult your medical practitioner for advice.
NOTE: This cake is full of fruit, so the cake mixture will not double in size. If you prefer a more complex flavoured cake, you need to make this cake 1–2 months before Christmas.
Use the best quality organic dried fruit you can buy!
Cake, Spelt or Khorasan Christmas Cake (Thermomix Method)
a dense fruitcake has a more complex flavour than traditional fruitcake because it is naturally fermented with sourdough culture.
it is naturally easier to digest than a traditional fruit cake. it also relies on the sweetness of the dried fruit rather than refined sugar.
Servings: 20 cake
Ingredients
Fruit and Liqueur mixture - prepare at least a day before and up to 2 months
- 125 grams small dark raisins (muscatels) or sultanas
- 75 grams dried black cherries or cranberries
- 25 grams candied peels (candied orange and candied citron)
- 50 grams dried apricots
- 50 grams dried figs
- 50 grams activated nuts of your choice optional
- 50 grams brandy, whisky or your liqueur of choice
Flour and spice mixture
- 125 grams organic white spelt flour or khorasan flour You can use wheat if you prefer
- 1-2 tsp mixed spice Speculaas spice is a favorite
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger or cloves optional
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
Butter mixture
- 125 grams butter, softened at room temperature
- 150 grams dark brown or rapadura sugar
- 150 grams Raw sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or 1 vanilla bean split lengthwise and scraped
- 3 large organic eggs (150g without shell) at room temperature
- 250 grams white spelt or kamut sourdough starter
- 25 grams molasses
Instructions
Mix fruit and liqueur
- Prepare the fruit and liqueur mixture at least a day before you plan to make the Christmas cake.You can also prepare the mixture a few weeks beforehand for a stronger flavour. Mix the ingredients together and leave to marinate at least overnight. The next day, drain the mixture, separating it into fruit and liquid. The fruit will be added to the cake, while the liquid will be used to glaze it once baked.
Mix ingredients
- Put the flour and spice mixture ingredients in your TM bowl and mix for 10 seconds/speed 5. Put aside.Beat soft butter, the two sugars and vanilla in TM bowl for 1½–2 minutes/speed 3–4 until light and creamy. Scrape down sides frequently to make sure the ingredients are well mixed.With the machine running at speed 3, slowly add eggs one by one through hole in mixing bowl lid. Stop mixing once the mixture looks curdled. Scrape sides of bowl.Add sourdough starter and molasses and mix for 10–15 seconds/speed 2. Scrape sides of bowl.Add pre-mixed flour and spice mixture to TM bowl and mix for 10–15 seconds/speed 2–3. Do not over-mix or you will end up with a tough cake. Scrape sides of bowl.With the TM bowl lid and MC back in place, ferment your cake mixture for 4–6 hours. The cake mixture will rise about 1¼–1½ its original volume.
Prepare cake tins
- Line cake tins with butter then line with silicone coated baking or parchment paper (e.g. Gladbake). You have the option of using: • 20cm diameter (8in) round cake tin – each holds 1kg of mixture, or • 2 x 12.5cm (5in) round cake tin – each holds 500–550g of mixture, or • 8–10 muffins – each holds 120–150g of mixture.
Add and mix
- Add drained fruit to the TM bowl and mix for 10–20 seconds/speed 3/Reverse, making sure the fruit is well distributed.If you have decided to use baking powder to make the cake lighter, add the baking powder now. I prefer the cake without the baking powder as I like my fruitcake dense.Pour into lined tin or tins. You should only fill two-thirds of the tin or the cake mixture will overflow during baking.
Bake
- Put the cake inside a cold oven and set the temperature to 165°C (329°F).Here are the baking times depending on the size of cake tin you used:For 20cm (8in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F). Then reduce heat to 150°C (302°F) and bake for a further 1 ½–2 hours until golden brown. If the cake top browns too quickly, cover it with aluminium foil.For 12.5cm (5in) tins Bake on lower third rack for 1 hour 15 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F).For muffins Bake on lower third rack for 40–45 minutes at initial temperature of 165°C (329°F).Remove cake from the oven and brush generously with the leftover liqueur. You can brush your cake with any liqueur of your choice (brandy, rum, whisky, Cointreau) every few days for a month before Christmas. This will make your cake so delicious and moist.
Rest
- Leave to cool before cutting.Best kept wrapped tightly in waxed paper and aluminium foil. Leave in the coolest part of your house and it will keep for 1–2 months or alternatively it can be frozen for up to 3 months.