Showing all posts tagged butterfree

In Cakes & sweets recipes, Glutenfree recipes

Ricotta tart

Author SaraPosted on Leave a comment
Ricotta tart

You know I don’t like overcomplicated cakes. Just easy and possibly healthy and good-tasting stuff.
So you may understand why I go for a ricotta cake (an Italian cheese, in case you did not know) any time I need something easy, quick and good. Besides, it’s a real lifesaver any time you have celiac guests, because it has no flour in it.
As I skimmed through the net to see if there were other alternatives to my basic version, I found out that the recipe I’ve always used is in fact the base for a Jewish-Roman traditional cake called cassola. I completely ignored that! The traditional cake has spices and a small glass of liquor in it, but the fundamental ingredients are just the same. A real coincidence!
So here we go. Ingredients are really easy to kind in any pantry:
300 gr ricotta
3 eggs
100 gr sugar
1 lemon
25 gr starch
4 tbs chocolate chips
Icing sugar for decoration
First of all we must separate yolks and egg whites. Yolks go into a bowl with the sugar. With the help of a mixer whisk them well, then add the cheese, the starch, and the juice and zest of the lemon.
In another bowl whip the egg whites until it forms stiff peaks, and then incorporate them little by little. As last finishing, put the chocolate chips into the dough.
Pour the dough into a baking pan covered with greaseproof paper, and bake it at 180 degrees for some 30/35 minutes.

In Cakes & sweets recipes

Shortcrust butter-free pastries

Author SaraPosted on Leave a comment
Shortcrust butter-free pastries

This dough is really the easiest to make, and quite versatile too.
Plus it has no butter in it – what’s best for a healthier and lighter breakfast or teatime treat?
This dough is the starting point for a lot of different cookies – in the picture above I filled it with Nutella, but you could put anything into it (such as jam, for example). You may want a chocolate-flavoured dough too, you just need to add a few tablespoons of cocoa powder.
I also made a few with an almond in the middle, and sprinkled them with brown sugar and icing sugar to decorate.
Ingredients are basic as well:
220 grams of plain flour
60 grams of vegetable oil
70 grams of sugar
Half a tsp of baking powder
1 egg
… and this is it!
Put in a bowl the egg and the sugar and mix it well with the help of a fork. Then all’s well mixed, add the oil and the baking powder. Stir again. Then start to add the flour, little by little. When the dough is elastic and doesn’t stick to your fingers any more, it is ready.
With a rolling pin knead the dough, about 1 cm high (or less if you want to fill the cookies with anything) and put into a preheated oven (180 degrees) for some fifteen minutes.
This dough is great even for fruit tarts.

In Cakes & sweets recipes, Glutenfree recipes

Castagnaccio with orange juice

Author SaraPosted on 2 Comments
Castagnaccio with orange juice

I have a confession to make: I hate castagnaccio!
I’ve always thought it tasted like cardboard… not that desirable! But this is a traditional cake from Tuscany and it is the quintessence of cakes for people suffering from celiac disease like my dad. As I did not like it, I made a few adds, like sugar and orange juice… purists will certainly argue about that but I think it is supertasty, so why not!?
It is also quite simple to make and bake, so let’s go.
Ingredients are:
250 grams of chestnuts flour
5 tbs brown sugar (it is about 50 grams)
1 tbs candiade orange zest
20 gr pine nuts
20 gr raisin
10 gr nuts
15 gr EVO oil
300 ml water (room temperature)
100 ml orange juice
1 pinch of salt
Rosemary to decorate
Soak to soften th raisin and the put the pint nuts into a non stock pan to toast them. As soon as they start to exude the oils turn the heat off and let them cool down.
Take a bowl and sifts the chestnut flour into it, then pour the water in and then the orange juice, and stir well to prevent lumps. Then add the sugar, the oil and a pinch pof salt.
Whisk well until it reaches a batter-like consistency.
Then add the pine nuts, the raisin and the candied orange zest.
Put the batter into a greased baking tray (about 18 cm diameter), decorate it with the nuts, some other pine nuts and rosemary, and then into the convection oven, preheated at 180 degrees and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes.
Check the cake with a toothpick (start some 10 minutes before the baking time is due) as every oven bakes differently.
The flavours of chestnuts and orange are so good together and they’ll surprise you!
It’s the perfect vegan and glutenfree cake!