Baking myself happy




Today I actually baked myself into a good mood. Yes, I know that's not the normal reaction to feeling blue particularly given that I will have to give away  most of the stuff I've baked. Yup I can't eat the absolutely delicious looking cookies I've made because of how the coconut sugar does bad things to my stomach. Not that I'd normally let that stop me but new leaf and sugar free diet and all that malarky. I'm really trying to be good this time so instead of nomming all the noms I give them away quickly (the quicker the better) and try to live vicariously through the people eating them or all the praise they lavish me with for giving them free yummy things.

 In case you are wondering today's offerings include Oat cookies plain and covered in melted chocolate and gluten free buns. I shall include the recipes at the end because I'm sound like that. Fortunately I can actually eat the buns so you wont find me crying to myself as a I nibble on cucumber slices and pretend they are delicious treats. 
There's something therapeutic about the art of baking that just soothes me, even all the washing up and I don't think I've ever done so much washing as I did today. But I stood back to survey my work and I felt pretty damn good even if I did come close to losing my cool when I realized my scales is completely banjaxed so I did my best to salvage my baking and then headed to argos to purchase a better model. I don't think I could really afford it but I can't bake without one and you can't really put a price on my sanity. Perhaps I am being a little dramatic. I had to use coconut sugar in the buns because I haven't managed to get my hands on powered stevia just yet but I didn't use much so hopefully I wont feel too many ill effects. 
Anyway here's the recipes if you fancy giving it a shot yourself

 Oat cookies
Ingredients 
3.5 oz butter 
50g or 1.75oz coconut sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
3.5 oz spelt flour ( or you can use a mix of gluten free flour and almond flour)
1/2 tsp baking powder 
1.75oz porridge oats
4-5 tbl almond butter (0r 0ther nut butter)
1/3 green and blacks milk chocolate bar chopped into chunks
handful chopped nuts ( I used brazil and hazelnuts) 

 1. preheat the oven to 180c
2 cream the butter until soft and then add the sugar and vanilla essence. Beat until light and fluffy.
3. Sift in the flour and baking powder gently.
4. add almond butter and mix well
5. mix in chunks of chocolate and nuts
6. add oats and bring together to form a dough.
7. Roll into a log and cover with cling film and allow to chill in the fridge for 30 mins
8. remove the cling film and slice the log.
9. Bake the cookies for 15 mins until light golden brown.

 Okay so I baked a half batch which makes about 15 cookies but you can certainly go the whole hog if you wish. If you leave out the chocolate chunks they are still pretty delicious and also for the chocolate covered ones I just melted the rest of the chocolate bar and dipped a number of the cookies in the melted chocolate.
I will be sharing these amongst my boyfriend and housemate because I can't live with that sort of temptation in the apartment.

 Then because I was in a baking mood I made these buns. I also made a half batch of these which is 6 buns. 
chocolatey buns 
Ingredients 
3 oz almond flour 
3 oz buckwheat flour ( you can use any gluten free flour here but if you're going with spelt or wheat flour instead I would suggest you go for 6oz and leave out the almond flour)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum (0nly needed if you are baking these gluten free) 
2 eggs
4 1/2 oz butter 
4-6 tbl coconut sugar 
1 tsp vanilla essence

 the icing 
6 tbl coconut oil
6 tbl cocoa or cacao powder ( I used green and blacks cocoa powder)
rice syrup ( you can also use agave or maple ) to taste
a pinch of rock salt

 1, Mix the butter with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy and then add sugar .
2, add the eggs one by one and then the vanilla essence, mixing each time 
3, mix the flours with baking powder and gently fold into the mixture 
4, when its all well mixed spoon into cupcakes and place in a preheated oven at 180c (fan oven) for about 12 minutes

 When they have cooled you can add the icing. 
To make the icing melt the coconut oil and add cocoa powder and gradually add rice syrup until it tastes sweet, throw in a pinch of rock salt and then place it to one side and allow it cool a little. When it has thickened a bit pour over the buns and place in the fridge to allow it to set. 

 They are easy and fun plus you don't have to feel all that guilty for laying into them. Enjoy

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