Victoria Sponge (gluten-free)

A Victoria Sponge is the most simple of cake recipes, it's usually the first cake that children bake themselves. This gluten-free version is just as easy, and tastes just as good, if you weren't told it's gluten-free you wouldn't know.

recipe under the cut:

pear, chocolate and pistachio cake (gluten-free)

I adapted this recipe to create a decadent pear, chocolate and pistachio cake. It's a little bit of a faff, but I made it as a thank you.

   
As it is flourless the cake doesn't rise very high, but it still manages to be light and spongy.

recipe under the cut:-

gluten-free hazelnut and carrot buns

It's been ages since I've baked as our scales broke, but after getting a new pair I was ready to get experimenting again. Even with fully operational scales I still winged it with this recipe, I just added more ingredients until it looked right, and lucky it worked. These buns didn't last 5 mins.

As there was only two of us in I made a reduced amount of mixture, making only 6 buns. Of course the ingredients can be doubled if you need more. 

recipe after the cut:-

Gluten-free Chocolate and Elderflower Cake

I've made some proper baking disaster in the attempt to make a decent gluten-free chocolate cake, but I'm onto a winner with this one.

If you are gluten intolerant ground almonds are my top tip for successful cake making.  

Candy Cakes

Strolling around at lunchtime, I spotted this incredibly festive looking cake shop called Candy Cakes. There are some cute dotty tables and chairs outside, so once the weather gets nicer I'm going to bring the lasses from work for a cuppa and a cupcake. If the cakes taste as good as they look, we're in for a treat! 

Bateman's, Home of Rudyard Kipling

I renewed my membership to the National Trust today and visited Bateman's, the former home of Rudyard Kipling.

 Kipling was a prolific poet and author, some of his most famous works include The Jungle Book, Kim and Just So Stories. He enjoyed enormous critical success, became an international celebrity and was one of the first authors to earn a million.

 At uni I studied Kim, the basic plot is a young Irish orphan living in India befriends a Buddhist Lama and is recruited into espionage by the British rulers. It's a while since I read it,  but I remember finding the descriptions of a British lad growing up in India interesting, as my family has links to the country. The views on colonialism and casual racism are a product of the time. The novel was written when the empire was a point of pride, but nowadays sentiments in the novel make uncomfortable reading. A selection of Kipling's works can be bought at the gift shop of the property.

Fittingly for the family home of an author, there are loads of books dotted about and Kipling's desk, where he did a lot of his writing, is nicely chaotic and cluttered with various mementoes from his travels. Have a look after the jump for more pictures:-

Rudyard's study

London Book Review Bookshop

I nipped in to the cutest bookshop today, The London Book Review, no picture's I'm afraid as I didn't have my camera and my phone doesn't has the capabilities (it's a knackered old Nokia). I'll make sure I snap one at the earliest opportunity.

It has a vast range of titles and has the really pleasant hushed feeling of a library. The staff were quite happy for me to wander around without any pushy sales pitch, but I'm sure if I had any questions they would be knowledgeable. There is also a small cafe attached to the store selling cake and sandwiches. It was a real pleasure to peruse the shelf with the smell of fresh coffee floating over.

There were so many books I wanted but I managed to restrain myself. As it's round the corner from my new work, I'm sure I'll be a frequent visitor and soon succumb to temptation.

You should check it out if you're in the area, it's located 14 Bury Place WC1A 2JL, near to British Museum. 

Lemon Polenta Cake

Lemon Polenta Cake- gluten free and delicious 

If you want to make your own the recipe is under the cut:-