Marks and Spencer new Gluten Free products

 A few new gluten free products have appeared on Marks and Spencer shelves!

A very tasty looking Chocolate Birthday cake and some more bread varieties, ciabattas and baguettes.
They all look worth tasting, so one to try soon.

There are also a good amount of gluten free choices in their food to order section for when you need to entertain:
http://www.marksandspencer.com/l/food-and-wine/food-to-order/solutions-for-everybody/gluten-free

Coffee and walnut Cake - Cake Angels Gluten Free recipe

Another fantastic cake made at home following the recipe in Cake Angels by Julia Thomas.

It is one of my favourite cakes! The sponge is so light and airy that it melts in your mouth. Every time I've baked it it has been loved by gluten and non gluten eaters.

Like all gluten free cakes, it is always at it best on the day of baking, but it'll last in an airtight container for quite a few days, and it doesn't really loose much flavour.

I normally switch from normal coffee to decaffeinated, but I forgot this time, so after eating a piece in the afternoon, it took me a while to fall asleep zzz

Konditor & Cook Gluten Free choices

Layered noisette cake (left) and Choc Hazelnut cake (right) both GF
 

At Konditor and Cook they have lots of delicious cakes and small bites to tempt anyone, even us gluten free eaters.

I was very impressed recently when I tried the gluten free Almond St Clements cake and had promised myself to go back to test some of the other gluten free temptations ;)




A slice of the gorgeous cakes above
 

 

 

 

This time I even had a bit of banter with the lovely lady behind the counter at the  Waterloo branch, who let me take some photos, and was very informative, even though it was a Sunday afternoon, very near closing time.

Thanks for your patience!!!

So, what tempted me?
I got a slice of the two gluten free cakes I hadn't tried yet:

* Chocolate Hazelnut cake (£24 for a full cake, approx £3 for a slice)


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Ingredients: Dark Chocolate, Crushed Hazelnuts, Butter, Soft Brown Sugar, Polenta, Organic Eggs, Milk, Cocoa Powder, Cream, Splash of Rum
This cake was delicious, in a chocolate lover kind of way, a great cake if you like your dark chocolate.

* Layered noisette cake (£28 for a full cake, approx £3 per slice)
Ingredients: Sugar, Light Brown Sugar, Hazelnuts, Dark Chocolate, Polenta, Organic Eggs, Butter, Mascarpone, Giandujia Chocolate, Vanilla Pods, Splash of Rum
This cake was by far my favourite, also chocolatey but lighter than the other one and so nutty!

I didn't get any of the Mount Hazelnut small bites, which I reserve for future visits.

With cakes this delicious they should have an emergency line!

Konditor and Cook
http://www.konditorandcook.com/
Waterloo branch:
22 Cornwall Road,  London,  SE1 8TW

Konditor & Cook gluten free Almond St Clement Cake

I was at EV on Sunday celebrating a friend's Birthday, what a great venue, and lovely food too.

We all had a brilliant day, but as a gluten-free eater I had to be on full alert.

Their cakes look so gorgeous, but unfortunately none were gluten free.
Feeling a bit sorry for myself, my brain went into overdrive........
Where could I get myself a gluten free cake last minute?
Maybe a biscuit from a supermarket wouldn't be such an appalling choice after all??

And then I remembered someone had recommended the lovely cakes at Konditor & Cook and that some of them were gluten free.
Success! Now a plan was forming, at 4.20pm, would it be a bit of a push to get to the Waterloo branch in time?
Well, needs must! I had to run.

Got in before they closed and was faced with a dilemma, Chocolate Hazelnut or Almond St Clement?
How can a girl choose amongst so much deliciousness?
Almond St Clement it was and it was brilliant!

I have since checked the cake profile online and it seems that it has won the 2013 Great Taste Gold Star.
I'm not surprised ;)

There are a few branches around London, definitely worth visiting:
http://www.konditorandcook.com/about-us/stores

Marks and Spencer Christmas range

I went into Marks and Spencers the other day and decided to check their gluten free Christmas range.
They have a good selection, with mince pies, a Christmas pudding for one and a Christmas cake. Reasonable price too, around £2.Not bad.

I haven't tried them, as I've never really liked the pudding or the mince pies in my gluten eating days, but I though I should mention it. If any reader has tried them, please leave a comment with your thoughts, thanks!

M&S Gluten Free Products

It's nice to see the selection of gluten free products at Marks and Spencer. There are quite a few of them, including sponges, biscuits, crackers, muffins, crumpets, shortbread and a few breads.
They also have some gluten free pasta, if I remember correctly in the pasta section.

I particularly love the white bread, which they call sliced white boule, super soft and spongy with poppy seeds, so yummy I always try to find an excuse to have one more slice ;)

Food heaven Lemon Cheese Cake

I had this cheese cake at the weekend, available in larger Sainsbury's frozen cupboards at £3.

There is also a summer fruits option, but in my opinion the lemon one is nicer.

Back to the Lemon Cheesecake, it is actually quite nice. The first time I tried it I was worried the base was going to be like a rock, but it's very much like biscuit crumbs.

The lemon cheese cake is make with Soya I think, but I like the taste so that is not a problem for me ;)

I had a chance to try all their products at the Allergy Show last June and I much say the Tiramisu was by far my favourite, I hope it is soon stocked in Sainsbury's so that I can indulge some now and then.

Vanilla cupcakes

I was dreaming of some sweet nothing the other day and reached for my baking book, Cake Angels by Julia Thomas, going over my favourite recipes for a quick and easy one. Vanilla cupcakes it was, plishhh plashh plosh, done in no time!
I always leave out the frosting, too sweet for me.

Cupcakes from The Healthy Cook Company in Kingston

It was my Birthday this month and I got up on the day full of happy thoughts, waiting for nice surprises along the day, and the first one was these lovely cupcakes for breakfast! Someone from the Gluten Free London Club had recommended this bakery in Kingston. As I was telling my sister about it, she cunningly got online to check out the cakes available and as we talked about it she made her order. I was a very happy girl indeed, the chocolate and beetroot ones were my favourite, and she even asked them to make them with not too much icing as she knows I'm not too keen! Great way to start a day that was full of good times and memories to treasure ;) http://www.healthycookcompany.co.uk/

Rasperry, Blueberry and Lime Drizze Cake

Oh yes!!! Another brilliant cake from the recipe book Cake Angels. I made this cake yesterday and I think it is the best so far from the book. The coffee and walnut recipe was my favourite beforehand, but this takes the crown! It was very moist, very berry and very drizzled ... In this cut, it even managed to get a little heart bubble. Of course it was made with a lot of love. I took it to my knitting group and everyone wanted to try it so there wasn't enough for a second picture or a second round. Will have to do it again ;)

Hummingbird Cake

Since going Gluten Free 18 months ago, a few things have been a battle, and one of them has been sweet treats. I've always enjoyed cooking, so main meals have never been a problem, but, I have never been a baker, so when I went gluten free I turned to supermarkets for my sweet fix ... Not a great idea. After a lot of tantrums and being a total pain to my friends and family I got for my Birthday last year a book that has changed my GF life. It is "Cake Angels" by Julia Thomas, all gluten, wheat and dairy free cake recipes. The instructions are easy to follow and there are pictures for most recipes and so I've managed to get a few decent cakes, success! Now that baking is no longer a nightmare I decided to bake the Hummingbird Cake for my sister's Birthday. It meets her dairy free and my gluten free requirements so we are both happy.

The look is impressive, with those coconut flakes over the meringue frosting. The taste is very good and moist, with it's pineapple, pecans, bananas and cinnamon, very tasty. Would I do it again? Probably. I would definitely use the frosting for other cakes, but use almond flakes instead of coconut ones. My meringue frosting was a bit gritty, so next time I'll make a syrup with the sugar and water before mixing in the egg white. The cake itself would be more appropiate for an afternoon tea. Next Birthday cake I make i'll do something more towards a Victoria Sponge. Overall, sister has enjoyed it and I have too ;)