Baking with Bob - shortbread, flapjacks and cornbread

I knew today was a busy day for the kids, up by 7am, away to swimming lessons, back to McDonalds and then off to Ayr Race course for a fun afternoon thanks to a competition win, so I knew we would not have much time or energy for baking, so forward planning I made them some stuff to snack on till I would have chance to make them some tea.
I decided last night as I had the oven on for our tea I would make something different and bake instead of using cake maker.
So I racked my little brain as to what may be suitable, and came up with two ideas, shortbread and cornbread, must admit personally I have enjoyed what I have made with the cornflour so decided to look for something using it.

Recipes don't really get much simpler than shortbread.

the shortbread

I creamed 250g vitalite with 100g brown sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla essence, the having previously mixed a batch of flour using 50% Dove Farm Plain white flour, 12.5% tapioca flour, 12.5% white rice flour, and 25% brown rice flour with 3 teaspoon of gluten free baking powder and 3.5 oz gluten substitute, sieved them together 3 times to make sure well mixed and popped it in a tupperware, I sieved together 280g of this flour with an extra 4 tablespoon of rice flour to add lightness, and added flour to margarine and worked the two together. Pressed mixture into a flat baking sheet, cut it into squares and baked at 170C in my fan oven for approx 40 mins ( until brown and slightly risen) I then re-cut same squares and left in till till cold ( hot biscuit mix is not hard). Then watched oh munch it before I could even get it out of the tin!!
Verdict not as crunchy a bite as normal shortbread, and a bit crumblier ( maybe need more fat to flour?) but very pleasant all the same....and yes oh who moans about me baking with everything missing has munched his was through more than half the tray since I made it.

Cornbread

oil and dust a baking tin.

my craggy cornbread

Mix 1 heaped teaspoon of egg replacer with 3 teaspoons of warm water, stir and leave aside.

a cross section view of cornbread

I sieved 4 ox rice flour with 2 oz tapioca flour, 1 teaspoon xanthan gum (helps keep product fresher for longer) 3 teaspoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt, added 6oz cornflour, 2 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 cup soya milk and 3 tablespoon sunflower oil ( mental note to self...remember to buy olive oil, healthier for you and might taste different), lastly add egg as prepared at start and mix well.

This makes a fairly thick mixture, thicker than cake mix, more like bread consistency. cook for 25-30 mins at 210C (fan oven) until skewer (ok  a cable knitting needle in this house) comes out clean. col for 5 mins and turn out. This did not really come out the oven any bigger than it had gone in.
This is nice toasted, or spread with cheese spread ( dairy free in Bobs case,lactofree in my case) and a bit of jam.







Last but not least, and only cos box fell out cupboard as oh reckons I need a bigger kitchen to store all my ingredients in I decided to do flapjacks as well. I had always thought of oats as containing gluten, and apparently some don't. I got through a box of Juvela pure oats on Saturday from them, and it landed recipe side up so it looked like fate was telling me something.

Chocolate Flapjacks

chocolate flapjacks

I oiled a shallow baking tin.
I melted 2.5 oz of vitalite with 2.5 oz brown sugar and 2 tablespoon golden syrup, I then added 3 oz Tesco drinking chocolate powder and a few handfuls of sultanas and dried cranberries, and then stirred in 5 oz of the oats, pressed into the oiled baking tin and cooked for approx 20mins at 170C (fan oven). leave in tin to cool for approx 5 mins then turn out.....do not leave to cool in tin as I did as you then no longer have squares of flapjack you have pieces of varying sizes, shapes and broken.

warned you it sticks

this was a huge hit with the kids, it is sticky but not tooth breaking, chewy due to syrup and dried fruit and good for you due to dried fruit and oats, and I have enjoyed it during the day as well.

This is  three things they have never had before, Bob has had bought shortbread bit neither of the other two.