Mum's Sticky Date Pudding (Heather's)

1 1/4 cups dates

1 cup water

1/2 teasp. bicarb soda

60g butter

2 eggs

3/4 cup sugar (brown for a richer flavour)

1 1/4 cup GF Self-Raising Flour

1/4 teasp. vanilla

Cook chopped dates with water until a jam like consistency. Stir in bicarb.

While the dates are cooking prepare dry ingredients, place all dry ingredients together in a bowl and whisk lightly to combine. Chop pieces of butter into the flour.

Mix through hot dates.

Lightly whisk together eggs with a fork, add vanilla. Mix through.

Pour into a greased slice tin or rectangular cake tin.

Bake 20-25 mins in moderate oven.

Butterscotch Sauce

125g butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

150ml cream

Heat all ingredients together in heavy bottomed saucepan, once boiling reduce heat and simmer/boil carefully for another 4-5 mins to fully melt sugar and caramalise.

This sauce also keeps really well, do not freeze but keep in fridge in sealed container.

Serve in small portions.

Notes

* This desert is a universal favourite and I have not met anyone who does not enjoy it, it is delicious Gluten Free as the cake on its own or with the decadent sauce warm as a desert with vanilla icecream

* I usually make double this recipe and bake it in two slab tins so it makes a lot of thin slices which freeze really well.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups GF Self Raising Flour *commercial mix

1/4 cup GF Plain Flour * commercial mix

1 teasp. cinnamon

2/3 cup brown sugar

125ml skim milk

2 eggs

50g melted butter

2 small OR 1 large ripe banana very gently mashed with fork (do not over do it)

* optional 1/3 cup walnuts

Put all dry ingredients into bowl and lightly whisk. Place all wet ingredients into separate bowl and whisk. Pour wet ingredients into dry and quickly mix in mix-master. Do not over-beat this mix. Add walnuts by hand then pour into prepared tin. Bread or loaf tin works well. Not silicon.

Bake in Mod. oven for 40-45 mins.

Chocolate Sponge Cake

6 eggs

3/4 cup castor sugar

1/2 cup good quality cocoa

1/4 cup GF self raising flour * commercial mix OR 1/4 cup potato flour/starch

1 teasp. GF baking powder

100g melted dark chocolate (min 60% cocoa) (slightly cooled)

Melt 100g chocolate carefully on half power in microwave, set aside to cool.

Meantime, whisk eggs and sugar together in mixer until at least doubled in volume and quite thick. Fold in sieved dry ingredients gently with a whisk. As they are beginning to incorporate gently add cooled melted chocolate, carefully whisk together and then pour into prepared tin.

25cm round tin

Bake in mod oven for 25mins.

Chocolate Butter Cream

100g dark chocolate (min 60% cocoa) melt and cool

Meantime beat 50g soft unsalted butter with

100g GF icing sugar until thick and creamy

Then beat in 1 large egg yolk and then the cooled chocolate

Beat together and spread onto cooled cake

Sponge Cake (plain Gluten Free Sponge)

6 eggs

3/4 cup castor sugar

3/4 cup potato flour/starch

1 teasp. GF baking powder

Whisk eggs in mixer with sugar until at least doubled in volume and quite thick. Fold in sieved dry ingredients gently with a whisk.

Cook in moderate oven for 25 mins.

Notes:

Do not add butter or any other ingredients to this recipe as it causes the mix to separate.

This sponge is an excellent base for triffle or tiramisu.