Egg-free Chocolate Mousse

My children were asking for chocolate mousse the other afternoon. I have a recipe that they just love but I don't often have the motivation to make it because it contains eggs which I cannot eat. Some of the commercially prepared mousses from the supermarket don't contain eggs but they are quite expensive. I did a Google search for eggless mousse and found a great recipe on this site.

It just happened that I had all the ingredients on hand so away I went. I found it quite quick to prepare and it certainly disappeared quickly.

You just need to make sure that the marshmallows are gluten-free. I used a packet called 'Dominion' which I bought from Aldi. It does not state that they are gluten-free on the packet but it contains wheat glucose (which is highly refined and does not contain gluten) and uses maize starch.

Rum Balls

This recipe was given to me by my friend's mother years ago and when I had to start eating gluten-free I just adapted it to suit.

In a large mixing bowl combine:

250 g packet gluten-free biscuits (crushed in blender/food processor)*
1 cup coconut
1 cup mixed fruit
2 tablespoons cocoa

Make a well in the centre and add:

1 tin of sweetened condensed milk (in Australia they are 395 g tins)
2 tablespoons rum

Mix thoroughly and place the sticky mess into a fridge for about 30 minutes. Take small spoonfuls and roll into a ball with your hands then roll in extra coconut. Keep refrigerated.

*If you don't need to have gluten-free then the Arnotts Arrowroot biscuits are good for this recipe. For gluten-free there are the Eskal Tea Biscuits which are ideal. I wait until Coles has them for 20% off for coeliac society members and buy them then. Other brands would probably work okay.

Rice Paper Rolls

These rice paper rolls make a nice lunch idea. They're good if you have to travel somewhere for lunch so long as you keep them cool. I find that gluten-free bread is nice cooked fresh and is okay toasted but isn't so nice when used for sandwiches when you're out and it can't be toasted.

The rice paper is very cheap and is readily available in the Asian section of the supermarket. I buy the ones that are the size of a dinner plate (see left above). They are quite stiff but you just brush them generously with warm water to soften them, wait about a minute, then roll them up around whatever you please. For the above rolls I used shaved roast beef, shredded lettuce and grated carrot. Sometimes I use chicken breast that has been marinated in a honey-soy marinade and fried. Our neighbour has just given me some nice mango chutney so I might try some cooked chicken with that one time. If you are vegetarian just omit the meat and put in whatever you like.

My 11 year old son Matt has to eat gluten-free and he really likes these.

Chocolate Caramel Slice

I make this slice often during the holiday time and always make up a double batch because it disappears quickly!

BASE: Mix together 2 cups self raising gluten-free flour (I've tried several types and all work well), 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups coconut and 250 grams of melted butter. Place into a large baking tin (mine is 34 cm x 24 cm). Bake at 180 C for 10 minutes.

FILLING: While the base is cooking combine 2 tins (395 g each) sweetened condensed milk, 2 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons golden syrup in a large saucepan (19 cm diameter)and stir constantly over medium heat until boiling. Turn down the heat slightly, keep stirring and keep it simmering for 5 minutes. Take care not to burn the mixture or yourself. By the time the 5 minutes is up it should be looking like hot, bubbling lava. Spread over the base and cook for another 10 minutes in the oven. Allow to cool.

TOPPING: Melt 375 grams of cooking chocolate in a double saucepan. Spread over the filling and refrigerate.

NOTE: The base part of this recipe can be used as a gluten-free cheesecake base in place of a biscuit base.

No Egg Chocolate Cakes/Muffins

Ingredients:

3 cups gluten-free self raising flour*
200 grams butter
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
2 tablespoons cocoa
1 and a half cups of sugar

Method:

Sift the flour and cocoa together.
Add the sugar and golden syrup.
Melt the butter and add to the mixture with 1 cup of milk.
Add the bicarbonate of soda to the other cup of milk and add to the mixture.
Mix well by hand or with electric mixers.
Place into muffin trays and cook for approximately 30 minutes at moderate heat (180 C).

This cake has a nice texture even though it does not have eggs.

All measurements are Australian metric measurements: 1 cup = 250 ml
*I use Orgran self raising flour but in the past have used other gluten-free flours and they work fine too.