Wednesday 9 January 2013

Peanut Butter Cookies. Gluten Free.

My lovely mother-in-law is a great supporter of my blog and often gets back to me about recipes.  One of her (and my) favourites is my wheat-free peanut butter chocolate cake http://bizandthebear.blogspot.com/2012/10/chocolate-peanut-butter-cake-wheat-free.html.  


However, the recipe uses rice flour, an ingredient that most of us don't use on a regular basis.  So here is another recipe to add to the rice flour armoury.  They are amazingly easy to whip up, are completely delicious in a melt-in-the-mouth shortbread way, and go so well with a cuppa for elevenses.  Oh and check out my new wonderful cookie cutter collection my fab brother-in-law gave me for Christmas - eat the world!



Ingredients (makes lots, about 20 normal cookie cutter size)

125 g unsalted butter, softened
175 g brown sugar
125 g peanut butter (try and get one which is 100% peanuts without any oil or sugar added, it doesn't matter if its smooth or chunky)
1 large free-range egg
1 tsp baking powder
175 g rice flour, plus extra for dusting

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C, cover a baking tray with greaseproof paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together.


3. Beat in the peanut butter and egg.


4. Stir in the flour and baking powder and gather together into a dough.


5. Dust a work surface with some extra flour and roll out the dough until it's about 1 cm thick.  Cut out shapes and pop on the greaseproof paper.




6. Pop the cookies in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to harden (this will help them keep their shape), then pop in the oven for 15 minutes or until just turning golden, allow to cool on the tray.  They will be a little soft but will harden on cooling.  I did the freezing/baking in two batches - as one lot was in the oven I popped the second lot in the freezer.


Yum, yum, yum...

Tuesday 8 January 2013

Mediterranean Chicken. So Delicious.

This is such a delicious meal.  It's a little bit like a chicken margarita pizza without the base.  It's store-cupboard/freezer fare that works well as a mid-week meal or even as a main for a rushed dinner party. Mozzarella freezes well as does chicken so all you need to buy fresh is the basil (but if you're really stuck dried thyme would be a great substitute). 


Basil, bubbling mozzarella, cherry tomatoes and chicken, what's not to love?

Ingredients (serves two)

2 skinless, free-range chicken breasts
2 tbsp olive oil
3 fat garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, halved and sliced
1 tin of cherry tomatoes
a large handful of basil
a ball of mozzarella
salt and black pepper

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180C.
2. Heat the oil in a saucepan and add the garlic and onion.  Cook over a moderate heat until soft then add the tomatoes, basil and season well.


3. Spoon into a small baking dish top with the chicken, crumble over the mozzerella and pop in the oven.
4. Cook for 20 minutes or until bubbling and golden.


Serve with veggies.  Divine.