Heavenly Cake’s gluten free Billionaires Brownie is literally, as the name suggests, heavenly.

A thick, rich chocolate brownie, slathered in sweet caramel and topped with a thick layer of milk chocolate, this is just divine.

I love the cute, white chocolate buttons on this cake as well, it really finishes it off!

This is such a rich, indulgent treat, and it completely satisfied the chocolate craving I have been having for a while!

I have loved every one of Heavenly Cakes products so far, and I really cannot reccommend this company enough!

You can see my review of their lemon meringue shortbread, marathon flapjack and AMAZING baked chocolate cheesecake as well.

Most of their products are available as both gluten free and not, so make sure you check out with the gluten free options!

And for now, I’ll just leave you to drool over these snaps…….

Always lovely and friendly, Steph packed a slice off in the post to me, and it arrived, beautifully wrapped in pretty pink paper – ready for me to tuck in!

This cake looked so yummy – a proper childhood treat, with it’s fluffy pink and yellow layers, sandwiched with marshmallow.

It’s always great when you see cakes that you would find as standard on the shelf in a gluten free format, and I believe this is going to be a massive hit!

The sponge was moist and colourful, and the marshmallow was soft and gooey, just how it should be.

Perfect for tea parties, picnics of children’s parties, this really is a delicious cake – a simple idea executed to perfection!

For more info on Steph’s cakes, visit her website by clicking here. You can also read my reviews here of her gingerbread people, carrot cake, battenburg cake and lemon drizzle cake.

Watching the hype on the blogosphere build around Fria’s gluten free bread was awful – it was like dangling a carrot in front of a donkey!

I watched with envy the fantastic reviews about these new products from Sweden, and, when the lovely Monika contacted me last week asking if I wanted some samples, I actually stood up and did a little victory dance at my desk…

Ok, the victory dance was in my mind, but I don’t think I have ever, ever been so excited to receive gluten free goodies!

And my God, they were worth the wait!!

First up for me to sample, were Fria’s rustic mini baguettes, aka Grov Minibaguette.

For mini baguettes, they were still a decent size which impressed me first off, and I was happy to see that even frozen, they looked like real bread!

I always envy when you go into a cafe and see baguettes piled so high you can barely eat them, and I thought, do you know what? I am going to treat myself!

So I decided to settle for a sausage, brie and mushroom extravaganza…..and even now my mouth is still wantering when I think about it!

The bread was so, just….amazing! Soft, a little crusty on the outside and squidgy on the inside – it was justperfect.

The seeds added a great crunching sensation, and the taste was just phenomenal…and that’s not a word I use lightly!!

I can’t reccommend these enough, and am so so pleased to hear that Fria are currently in negotiations with major retailers…please please keep your fingers crossed these will become available nearer me…hell, I’d even travel an hour to my nearest city to stock up!

If you’re lucky enough to live in London, you can grab yourself some of these goodies from the Scandinavian Kitchen (61 Great Titchfield Street), TotallySwedish two stores (32 Crawford Street and 66 Barnes High Street) or order online from TotallySwedish’s online store where you can order for next day delivery.

Well, sadly I gave in, as it looked like that was never going to happen.

Ironically enough, after I stuffed my face with the beef burgers, the weather has turned, so it’s a good job I kept the pork and apple burgers for future BBQ  possibilities!

But, enough waffle, and on to the good stuff….

I’ve been on a bit of a mission recently to try and cut down on processed carbs, so I decided to opt for veggies with my Black Farmer Beef Burgers instead of chips!

These burgers sure do pack a meaty punch – they are full to the brim of top quality beef.

They were really tasty, and you can tell they’re not filled with the usual processed crap that you find in many supermarket freezers.

Sold in packs of two, these meaty burgers would be great for the BBQ, or you can try them grilled as well!

With my grilled burgers I had mushrooms and red onions sauteed in butter, and a good helping of kale steamed and stirred in a tomato and garlic sauce.

Delicious!

You can buy these beauties at Ocado by clicking here.

But when I went to visit R & S Ware’s Butchers in Torrington, North Devon, I didn’t expect to be kindly handed a pack of free sausages after casually mentioning that I was coeliac!

I love the idea of shopping locally when I can, and seeing a local, family butcher stocking good quality gluten free food is a must.innuendo, apologies!) and they went straight into the pan one Sunday morning for a fry up.

Sold in the shop as frozen, I thought the price was reasonable for the amount of sausage (cringe!) you got for your money.

This happily did the whole family, and I thought they were a good quality make – none of the gristly bits you sometimes find in this sort of product.

Unfortunately R & S Ware don’t have a website, but if anyone is ever in the Torrington area, I’d definitely reccommend popping in – they’re very friendly, and got nominated to be shop of the week in the paper I work at!

I enjoyed mine with bacon, mushroom, eggs and hashbrowns….what gluten free goodies do you like in your fry up?

R & S Ware can be found in South Street, Torrington, North Devon.

BIO:

Other work includes BBC London as a presenter and singing the theme tune to various TV shows, including the highly successful ‘Coupling” performing the song ‘Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps’.

Now entering her fourth decade as a recording artist Mari is reconciled with her past and excited about the future.  Her new album ‘Cover Stories’ is out now.

Two gluten free treats, by ‘Queen of Soul’ Mari Wilson

Mari Wilson, rocking the beehive way before Amy Winehouse turned it into her own

In 1991 found out I had coeliac disease which explained my constantly distended stomach, lack of energy, weight loss and dark circles under my eyes.

I also have Type 1 Diabetes and apparently there is quite a high incidence of Type 1 Diabetics also having coeliac disease.

As is my way, I hoovered up as many books as possible on the subject and now I can bore anyone to tears about it.

When people invite me for dinner I think they often wish they hadn’t, but it’s really not so bad.

It really is the healthiest diet.

I don’t eat meat, so plenty of fresh vegetables, salad and fruit and of course, fish.

I know lots of people who may not have coeliac disease but do have a problem digesting gluten. It’s amazing how much energy you have when you’re eating the right diet full of fresh produce.

So, here’s a couple of recipes – nothing spectacular, pretty basic and easy.

Apple Ring

When I want to make a gluten free cake, the easiest is the all in one sort of Victoria sponge mix and mine is very similar to the non-gluten variety. Sometimes gluten-free cakes can be a little dry and I find adding the apple gives it much needed moisture and taste. Sometimes you can’t even taste the apple, it just makes it less dry.

4 oz self-raising gluten-free flour (I like Doves Farm)

4 oz caster sugar

4 oz unsalted butter at room temperature

2 medium eggs

1 tsp gf baking powder

2/3 large cooking apples (or eating apples will do) grated or just chop them if you’re using an electric mixer

few drops vanilla extract (not essence as it can be synthetic)

Icing sugar for the top

So, I usually just chuck all the ingredients in my electric mixer – don’t mix it for too long, just until it’s the right dropping consistency.

I find with this it’s lovely baked in a ring and I have a silicone one which is so easy.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 170 degrees centigrade. The temperature may vary depending upon your oven. I have an oven that can use conventional or fan-assisted but I find the fan oven is sometimes too harsh for baking, so I stick to the conventional.

After you’ve turned it out onto a plate, sift some icing sure over the top.

I made this at Xmas and added cocoa powder to my cake mix and then when it was cooked I drizzled melted chocolate over it and added some xmas decorations, and then some sifted icing sugar; it looked like a chocolate xmas wreath.

Tuna Bake

This is something I made up years ago when I was first on my gluten-free diet. It’s kind of comfort food, like a variation on cottage pie or shepherds’ pie and handy if you’ve not much in the house because we’ve nearly always got a tin of tuna and some veg.

It’s also pretty low fat and I should imagine not high in calories… AND healthy! This recipe would be enough for two in deep casserole dish, 10”x7”, which is usually enough for four, but just increase the amount of tuna and veg for a larger dish and more people.

6 large potatoes, chopped, boiled and mashed.

4 or 5 large carrots, chopped and boiled

one large onion, chopped

185 g tin tuna in brine

400 g tin chopped tomatoes

chopped basil

tsp marmite – optional

salt and pepper

grated cheddar cheese for topping

tbsp sunflower oil

salt and pepper to season

Fry the chopped onion in the oil until transparent, then add the tuna followed by the chopped tomatoes and chopped basil.

In order to get all the tomatoes out of the tin, I fill a third of the tin with boiling water and add a teaspoon of Marmite and swill it round, then add it to the rest of the mixture which gives it a little extra liquid and taste, but If you want it more spicy, just add what you fancy – chillies or tabasco. Or you can just add salt and pepper.

Once it’s nice and hot, pour into the casserole dish, top with the carrots then top with the mashed potatoes.

When I mash my potatoes I add a little Philadelphia Light to give it flavour and creaminess. Put the potatoes on the top then grate the cheddar on the top.

Place under a low to medium grill until golden brown. I like it served with steamed broccoli.

If you are interested in Guest Posting on this blog, contact me on glutenfreeblogger@hotmail.co.uk

It’s is the God of all desserts, the ultimate champion of puddings.

So when I got sent this delightful lemon meringue shortbread from Heavenly Cakes, I already knew I was going to love it before I took the first bite.

And I certainly wasn’t wrong!

You may have already read my blog posts previously about Heavenly Cakes‘ AMAZING baked chocolate cheesecake (my favourite cake, ever EVER!) and the delightful marathon flapjack.

Well, this one just completed a line of deliciously, yummy products!

The all-butter shortbread is topped with a tangy lemon sauce and meringue chunks, smothered in white chocolate.

The shortbread literally melts in your mouth, the lemony tang is beautiful and the sweet white chocolate embraces the delectable, crunchy meringue.

Oh this cake is like poetry, it’s just amazing!

It really was a case of love at first sight, and now I am feeling quite forlorn that I have eaten it all. So perhaps I will just marvel at these pictures whilst my mouth waters…….

If you could turn one dessert into a cake-form, what would it be? Comment below and let me know!

Angry-caps-lock-wielding rant over, suddenly my prayers have been answered, because, finally, FINALLY, there is a rice noodle that is actually gluten free.

Those two magical words...gluten...free....*bliss*

And, even better, it’s a straight-to-wok jobby and made by a major food brand…finally the word is getting out there.

Ok, so this beauty was released last year, but being in North Devon, these things take their time to get to my kitchen!

Amoy’s Straight to Wok Ribbon Rice noodles, I’m very happy to see, are clearly marked as gluten free, yet are still a mainstream product.

These are literally so simple – you deposit the (I will admit, slightly tape-worm looking, but don’t let this put you off!!) lump of vaccuum-packed noodles into the wok, and cook for a minute or so.

And then serve.

It really is that simple! Yes, that’s right, a no-faff gluten free product – and it tastes great!

I made mine into a delicious thai-satay -type-thing, which, althought it was incredible (If I do say so myself!) I kind of threw everything into the pan, so will have to try it again so I can blog it!

Nom nom nom, if only I had written down how I did it! Oops!

Overall though, this was an impressive product – and so nice to feel like I can pick something ‘normal’ off the shelf and not be disappointed!

I believe these are available in most major supermarkets – have you tried them yet? What did you think?

The dinner and dancing (though unfortunately as my back has gone, there was no boogeying for me) took place at the Park Hotel in Barnstaple, North Devon, and they were ever so helpful with what I could and couldn’t eat.

I normally dread asking waiters about what is gluten free, but instead of being met with the usual blank stare, the staff at the hotel were so helpful!

They told me exactly what was gluten free and what wasn’t, and even supplied me with my own separate jug of gravy, which was waiting for me at my place as I returned from looting the carvery.

Very happy with my own gravy!

The carvery was delicious – a great selection of veg (with swede mash, my fave!) and a choice of beef or turkey. Naturally, I went for a bit of both!

I was also really pleased to find that my gluten free gravy was proper, thick gravy – at other places I have been given thin, watery stuff, but this looked better than everyone elses!

When the dessert menu came round, I prepared myself for disappointment – I was eyeing up the pavlova but feared I would be stuck with the fresh fruit salad.

But, as luck would have it, the pavlova was gluten free! And my gosh, was it delicious!

I was so happy to be able to feel ‘normal’ and not be left with different food or the rubbish dessert – I always find it so disheartening when restaurants have GF options but never consider pudding!

I felt the Park Hotel deserved a blog post for the great service – and to the waiters for putting up with our drunken behaviour!

Great food, great wine and a great time had by all – if you’re planning a stay in North Devon I would reccommend!

The best parcel I had received for a while, meat glorious meat!

While the beef burgers and the pork and apple burgers remain in my freezer, perhaps somewhat foolishly waiting for BBQ weather (I may have to give up on this soon judging by the current downpour – drought, what drought!?) I tucked straight into the meatballs!

There were two kinds here; pork meatballs and beef meatballs; both were part of the Black Farmer’s Daughter range, which also includes my favourite – chipolatas!

Coincidentally, I have been going through a bit of a meatball-obsession at the moment, so the timing on receiving these couldn’t have been better!

Firstly, I tried the beef meatballs, which I fried in olive oil and mixed with chopped tinned tomatoes, tomato puree, chopped onion and a little cream cheese.

Pasta and meatballs, a sneaky treat, but so worth it!

These were so delicious – meaty and with a good texture.

You can tell they are not full of nasty crap or bulked out with bredcrumbs like some products, yet they held together really well when frying.

Next up I tried the pork meatballs, though I have no photographic evidence as my camera unfortunately committed suicide that week!

The pork ones held together just as well – I had these in my lunchbox with veg, and to be honest they were just like the Black Farmer sausages, minus the skin!

Overall I was really impressed with these products – I usually make my own meatballs with mince as the supermarket ones seemed to be packed with unnecessary gluten, but this will make a nice treat when I am feeling lazy!

Now I just need some sunshine, because I can’t wait to try the burgers!

For more information on the Black Farmer’s gluten free products, click here.

If you think these look nice, you can also check out the other Black Farmer products I have reviewed:

• Chipolatas
• Pork, onion and chive sausages
• Spicy Muscovado sauce
• Mum’s sausage-meat pasta (made with BF pork sausages)