Jubilee Baked Blueberry Cheesecake (Gluten Free)

I’m not sure the exact relevance that a baked cheesecake has to the Jubilee but we were making this at the weekend for everyone to enjoy during the bank holiday celebrations.

We have been making this recipe in the family for over twenty years and once, an American friend told us ‘it tastes just like an American Cheesecake’, which is always a great compliment 🙂

This is the best baked cheesecake recipe I have tried to date and I know everyone who tries it will love it too!

Serves 8

Ingredients:
For the Biscuit Base...
100g/4oz Gluten free digestive biscuits
50g/2oz Butter, plus extra
25g/1oz Plain Chocolate, broken into pieces
For the Filling...
500g/18oz Ricotta Cheese
Grated rind of 1 Lemon
Juice of ½ Lemon
2 Eggs
100g/4oz Caster Sugar
Seeds of 1 Vanilla pod
350g/12oz Blueberries
1 tbsp Gluten free plain flour


1. Make the base: butter a loose-bottomed 8in round cake tin.

2. Crush the biscuits until fine (use a rolling pin).

3. Melt the butter and chocolate in a small bowl over a pan of hot water.

4. Stir into the biscuit mixture, then spread over the base of the tin and chill.

5. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

6. Put the cheese into a bowl and add the lemon rind and juice, eggs, sugar and vanilla seeds; beat to a smooth batter.

7. Toss blueberries in flour, then fold into the batter. Pour over the base and bake for 35 minutes or until just set. Turn off oven, leave door ajar and leave to cool.

8. Chill for a few hours or overnight.

Amaretti biscuits (gluten free) can be used instead of digestives. This can also be made with Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blackcurrants and Cherries (stoned).

Enjoy!

For Jessica x

Orange Panna Cotta

Panna cotta (from Italian cooked cream) is an Italian dessert made by simmering together cream, milk and sugar, mixing this with gelatin, and letting it cool until set. I’m not sure where the family got this recipe from but it has become a firm favourite with friends and family and, of course, it is gluten free.

We especially like it in the winter served with oranges soaked in Cointreau, and shortbread wafers or in the summer, the vanilla one, with raspberries or strawberries and home-made macaroon fingers. It is lowish in fat (if low-fat yoghurt is used), but have not tried it with half fat cream or crème fraiche, as it is not an everyday pudding and a little cream every now and again is always good 🙂

Serves 6 people

Ingredients:
½pint/284ml Double cream
75ml/2½oz Caster sugar
1 tsp Vanilla paste
2 Leaves of gelatine (soaked in cold water)
350g/12½oz Plain yoghurt (can be Greek or low-fat)
Zest of 1 large orange
Require:
1 glass bowl

1. Put the gelatine leaves to soak in a bowl of cold water.

2. Put the vanilla paste into a saucepan with the cream, sugar and orange zest – bring gently to the boil.

3. Turn off the heat, squeeze the water from the gelatine leaves and add to the cream mixture, whisk until dissolved.

4. Put the yoghurt into a large bowl and slowly pour the cream mixture on top and whisk together until well combined.

5. Pour into your chosen bowl and allow to chill for 3-4 hours or overnight.

NB This mixture will fill 6 ramekins or small bowls. If they are to be turned out line with cling-film.

Fresh fruit can be served with this and other flavours used such as rose water, (a few drops of pink colouring can be added if required), lemon or whatever your choice is.

Enjoy!

West Country Creams

I am not sure where this recipe came from but my Mum has been making these for over 30 years before teaching me. All I know is that the whole family absolutely love it, and we all have done since we were very small, and friends equally so. It is any easy dessert that looks as if it has taken some time to make.

Serves 8 people

Ingredients:
1 lb (450g) Raspberries
½ pint (275ml) Double Cream
½ pint (275ml) Plain Yoghurt – can be Greek or half-fat
Demerara or Muscavado Sugar
Ratafias to garnish

Use 8 ramekins or small glass dishes. It can also can be made in a large glass dish – it looks quite exotic.

1. Divide the raspberries between the dishes.

2. Put the cream into a dish and whip it until it comes to soft peaks – beware do NOT over-whip

3. Fold in the yoghurt, the mixture will thicken.

4. Spoon the mixture over the raspberries but leave a little space at the top of the dish.

5. Sprinkle the sugar over the top of the cream to cover it.

6. Chill the puddings for at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.

7. The sugar will melt to form a coat over the cream.

8. Serve with Ratafia biscuits.

I love raspberries for this dish best of all but any fruit will do even a mixture of one, two or three together.

Enjoy!

Baked Nectarines with Crushed Ratafia

This recipe came about when my mum found it in a magazine for baked peaches. The only trouble was that you had to skin the peaches (too much trouble!) and it used a Bakewell Tart mixture – so was totally useless for her gluten free diet. She looked it up as my younger brother had eaten it at a friend’s house and raved about it. A bit of thought later, she decided that she could cheat and came up with this recipe below, and this is even easier than having to make a Bakewell mixture. We all now prefer this recipe as the filling is lighter allowing us all to eat more than the allotted two!!

Ingredients:
1 Nectarine per person
Gluten free Ratafia or Amoretti biscuits – M&S do good ones!
Cream/Crème Fraiche
Clear Honey

1. Use at least 1 nectarine per person

2. Cut the nectarines in half and remove the stone.

3. Put them in an oven proof dish, cut side up.

4. Crush Ratafia or Amoretti biscuits into a bowl. Use 2 biscuits per nectarine.

5. Add enough Cream/Crème Fraiche to the crushed biscuits to make a thick paste.

6. Pile the paste on top of the nectarines, filling the hole where the stone was.

7. Then drizzle 2 teaspoons of Clear Honey over nectarines.

8. Put in oven for 15-20 mins @ 180°C until Nectarines are fairly soft, but not mushy.

9. Serve with extra cream or ice cream.

N.B. Peaches can be used instead of Nectarines.

Enjoy!

Cherry Vodka

This one comes from my Mum…

Last year Giles made some blackberry vodka – it is yummy. It set me thinking about what other fruit could be used. I had a lot of cherries given me and although I love them I could only eat so many! I made a cherry pie and then thought about steeping some in vodka. I made it the same way that Giles did his blackberry one, and will let you all know the result in about three to four months time.

I will try it with other summer fruits when they are ripe and report on that too!

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1lb/450g of Cherries, chopped
½lb/225g Unrefined Sugar
Vodka

1 Chop the cherries into smallish pieces and place them in a large jar.

2 Add the sugar.

3 Pour over the vodka until just covering the chopped cherries.

4 Seal and then shake the jar every day until the sugar is dissolved.

5 Place in a dark cupboard for three to four months, strain and serve.

6 Serve on its own or topped up with a sparkling wine.

Enjoy!

Fruity Flapjacks

I have always made flapjacks – they have always been a family favourite. Also having Coeliac Disease I can tolerate oats as long as I don’t eat them every day. Usually I make them plain, but whilst sitting in the Dentist’s one day I came across this recipe which I copied out. I cannot remember the name of the magazine or the cook so cannot give them the thanks of how these flapjacks are made. All I can say they are delicious and I find it hard to keep to one a day! Do try them at your peril!

(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 Orange
1 Lemon
50g Golden syrup
175g Butter
150g Soft brown sugar
200g Oats (not jumbo)
75g Pine nuts or amount to your liking
75g Raisins or amount to your liking

Pre-heat oven 160C, Fan 140C, Gas 3

1 Grease the inside of a 20cm square baking tin, line with parchment and grease again.

2 Grate zest from Orange and lemon (no pith) into a large saucepan.

3 Measure the golden syrup into the pan too.

4 Add the butter and brown sugar, heat gently stirring until butter melted and sugar melted. Take off heat.

5 Add the oats, pine nuts and raisins to the saucepan and mix thoroughly.

6 Pour into the prepared tin spreading it evenly.

7 Place tin in the oven and bake for 25/35 minutes or until golden in colour. Check the oven after 20 minutes or so.

8 When cooked remove from the oven allow to cool for a few minutes, then mark the flapjack into squares with a knife.

Do eat the first few warm, with coffee or tea, – they are irresistible.

NB: The oats I used are Gluten-free and bought from Waitrose.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Yule Log (Gluten Free)

As it is christmas time, I thought that I would re-blog about our Chocolate Roulade recipe that is perfect as a Chocolate Yule Log recipe too.

Dont forget that if you are using the recipe for a Yule Log, either fill with a liqueur or chocolate cream, cover in chocolate ganache, mark with a fork, stick on fake robin, and enjoy!

And it is Gluten Free too.

“Sloe Sparkles”

A fun Christmas or New Year party drink, for breaking the ice, or serving as a pre-dinner aperitif is this delicious recipe using homemade Sloe Vodka.

Pour a measure of Sloe Vodka into a champagne flute and add a squeeze of lemon. Top up with either champagne, prosecco or any sparkling white wine, chilled.

Enjoy!

“Blackberry Bubbles”

“Blackberry Bubbles” is a festive drink for this winter season, that I created using our homemade Blackberry Vodka or Blackberry Brandy.

Pour a measure of either the vodka or brandy into a champagne flute. Top up with either champagne, prosecco or any sparkling white wine, chilled.

Enjoy!

Blackberry Vodka Update

My next drink to sieve and bottle, after the Sloe Vodka, was my Blackberry Vodka. This was completely different to the first drink, as it was much darker and richer looking and when I opened the bottle for the first time, it had a stronger sweeter smell too.

After sieving the more syrupy liquid through my cheese cloth, I noticed that the blackberries left behind had turned a rich raspberry red colour. I then poured myself a small measure and was very happy with the results! Having a sweet tooth, this drink was really sweet and delicious and had a nice kick to it as well. I was really pleased at this point, as both drinks had been a success. It’s a shame I promised to give most of it away for xmas!!

I really recommend anyone wanting to try making their first homemade alcoholic drink, to give this easy recipe a go. The results are worth it!

Now, I wonder if there is anything I can make with the leftover vodka infused blackberries?