Gluten-free Plum Cake

When I set out to make a gluten-free version of my pretty Plum Semolina Cake I did not expect to like it more than the original. It is very light and fluffy, with an amazing melt-in-the-mouth texture and a fine crumb. Achieving that with simple, widely available ingredients made me extremely happy.

It took some experimenting to reach this perfect version, for which I used a half-and-half combination of fine cornmeal and rice flour. Too much cornmeal and I had myself a sweet polenta cake, too much rice flour and I could barely lift a square from the pan, for being so crumbly. This one is just right and I absolutely love the delicate flavour that cornmeal imparts to the cake.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

I am so in love with this pudding. It's indulgent without being overly chocolaty or sweet, and it feels light even though it doesn't appear so. Before making this recipe I used to add chia seeds, whole or ground, to my breakfast cereal and milk for a boost of nutrition. I'd seen many chia seed pudding recipes before, but it wasn't until I saw Food Doodles' mouthwatering pictures of Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding that I finally gave in and tried it.

Crunchy Sticky Bites

The purpose of these bites was to satisfy my craving for dates and nuts. Although I had used all these ingredients before, what I didn't expect was their combined taste which instantly reminded me of a childhood favourite - nougat (halvita in my language). That nougat had peanuts and was sandwiched between two thin wafers.

Chickpea Walnut Patties

These chickpea walnut patties are a great example of how to turn simple ingredients into impressive snacks in just a few easy steps. They are not only very tasty, but also highly nutritious, providing an arsenal of vitamins, minerals, fiber and protein.

I love crunchy snacks and these patties reflect that. I had some leftover toasted walnuts after making Crunchy Sticky Bites and adding them in this recipe made a big difference in taste and texture.

Celeriac Wraps (Celeriac Cheelas)

Celeriac wraps (cheelas) are easily my favourite of all the gluten-free wraps I've made so far. Although celeriac does have a specific taste, when mixed in the batter and lightly cooked it has a rather mellow flavour and thus combines better with different fillings or dishes than other cheelas do.

Even without adding turmeric, the wraps take on a beautiful light golden colour that makes them look soft and delicate, which they are. The surprising thing was that, despite not having the same ingredients, they reminded me a lot of my Crêpes - their mild taste and light, elastic texture were quite similiar, I couldn't believe it.