If At Third You Don't Succeed......Give Up?

Clearly the Easter hols have got to me and I must just have too much time on my hands because suddenly this week I had an urge to channel my inner Gluten Free Domestic Goddess! I wrestled the mixing bowl and spatula out of Dale's hand and claimed the kitchen as mine! Be afraid.....be very afraid! Those who know anything about me will understand what a rarity this is! I am not a natural in the kitchen....yes I enjoy food and yes, yes, yes I luuuuurve eating it but the preparing of it has never really floated my GF boat! Until this week.....

Challenge number one...... Many of you will know I retured from Portugal craving the small custard tarts  that are served for breakfast, lunch and dinner in all good eateries. After finding a suitable recipe and Dale muttering something about "You'll never be able to do that"..... It was baking a go go!

I painstakingly made my first ever batch of GF puff pastry and my goodness what a labour of love that was but not bad for a first go eh?

I used Dove's Farm flour and xantham gum. Pastry - done. Custard- done. Tarts- DONE!

Oh, yes, I think it would be safe to say I was feeling a little smug. "Can't do it eh?!" Put that in your pipe Dale!!

Well, they say pride comes before a fall because I woke up the next morning to find they had gone mouldy!! One, yes, ONE tart was all I got to eat!!!!! Not impressed!

(It is worth mentioning here that the day after this cooking fail I finally found Genius Frozen Puff Pastry in Asda....I've been searching for it for weeks!! You gotta smile at the irony yeah?!)

Not completely disheartened I set about challenge number 2....... GF hot cross buns!

Last year, my first attempt became famous as being a little, erm, how do you say.....well done?! So I found another recipe from BBC Good Food http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/how_to_make_ice_cream_97157

I ditched the glaze because quite fankly I just couldn't be bothered heating and sieving apricot jam! Using the trusty Dove's Fam flour again here's what happened...

Hmmmmm well I'll let you make your own judgement! What I will say is that we now calling them hot cross rock cakes. It's a good job I finally found some Sainsburys Free From ones on the same day! It probably says a lot about my baking expectations that I didn't think twice about buying a pack for "back up"! Taste ok but definitely not light and bready as you would expect from a hot cross bun! 

So many say thrid time lucky don't they?! Feeling a little deflated but still with mild enthusiasm I decide to approach challenge number 3..... GF red velvet cupcakes for church on Easter morning.

I used this recipe http://toriejayne.com/recipe/gluten-free-red-velvet-cupcakes and again relied on Dove's Farm. The cupcakes came out of the oven a treat (even if they weren't all that red!!). My cream cheese frosting was a little runnier than required so I had the bright idea of putting them in the fridge for them to harden up. *Novice Baker Alert* Yep, hardend the frosting BUT also hardened the cakes PAH!!!! I had the whole "shall I / shan't I serve them" thing going on! Then I thought blow it.....the people of church are gonna be a generous audience it's not like I've got to serve them to Mary Berry or anything so I took a deep breath and put them out!

Actually, they went down quite well! I understand that by nature Christians are kind and caring but they are also not meant to lie so based on that fact I'm taking their compliments as a good thing!

Sooooo if after 3 attempts of baking and you still don't succeed, do you give up?! Erm, NO!!! You just switch tactics! So I set my sights on the savoury side of things! I decided to cook dinner....a normal enough task I hear you say. Wrong! I have been married for four years and this makes the fourth time I've cooked for Dale!! I reckon, by laws of averages I'm good for another year now!

Thank you to the fabulous Jack Monroe @MsJackMonroe for the wonderfully easy recipe book

which meant I could confidently produce Sausage and Beer Casserole

Result!!! At last!! I used Sainsburys Taste the Difference Scicilian sausages (check the packs cos not all Taste the Diff are GF) and Green's Premium Pilsner et voila!!!

I finally allowed Dale back into the kitchen last night, as I begged him to help me with the last creation.... Low Carb Cauliflower Crust Pizza. I used the recipie from here http://www.thelondoner.me/2013/09/carb-free-pizza.html Dale needed a little convincing this was a good idea but even he was a tad impressed by our joint culinary efforts!

Blitzed cauliflower, Parmesan, mozarella and egg mushed and patted down.

Baked for bit

Toppings added and baked

Really, really good! The base didn't crisp up and remained quite soft and bready in texture which meant it was easier eating it with a knife a fork. This wasn't a problem at all and it was great having a bread free, tasty pizza base. I would really recommend giving this a go and it's definitely worth all the ringing out of cauliflower in a tea towel...even if it is a little random!

Now, it seems the insanity of the last week has left me and normality has returned. Will I bake again....yes! Will I bake again this year....probably not! Dale, the kitchen is all yours...welcome back!

Have a good week everyone! (@lizprice79)