My Advent Calendar – 15 Dec – Baking some gluten-free, sugar free Christmas cakes

And they really are delicious, even without added sweeteners. This is a boiled fruit cake that can either be made ahead of time, or whipped up at the last minute.

I originally posted this recipe here two years ago, and for the whole story of how it came about, and the different variations, you can go to that post. Today’s post is a recap, so might not be as detailed.

For the past several years, we’ve been eating mostly the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet, which doesn’t allow starches, so I’ve been using almond and coconut flours. This year, I’m going back to making the gluten free variation. Just pop across to the other post for the starch free or original recipes.

The first part of the recipe is prepping the fruit. I generally use something like 1/3 sultanas, 1/3 raisins, and 1/3 other bits and pieces for variety like prunes, currants, figs or whatever else we happen to have. Today it was:

• 300gm sultanas
• 300gm raisins
• 300gm mixture of apricots, currants, dried strawberries and a few tart cherries

The first two get stirred thoroughly so I can pick out any stalks, and the rest get chopped up small with kitchen scissors.

Then into a large pan go:

• ¾ cup of water – or if you want a boozy cake, replace ¼ cup with rum or brandy
• Juice and zest of one orange
• Zest of a lemon
• 170g butter (or you can use coconut oil)
• Today I used 3 tsp mixed spice, but sometimes it’s 2 tsp mixed spice & 1 tsp ginger
• I don’t use any extra sweetener, but if you like sweeter you can use up to 1 cup rapadura, muscavado, or any other unrefined sugar or natural sweetener

Combine over a low heat, till all melted and mixed together, then add the fruit. Simmer gently, stirring often till all the liquid has been soaked into the fruit. There may be a little of the fat not absorbed, but that’s ok.

Leave to cool for a while, while you prep your tins. This year I was making smallish ones, so just lined the tins with baking paper. And for mini muffins, I used a silicon tray.

Then prep the rest of the ingredients. Into a medium sized bowl or jug, break & beat up:

• 3 large or 4 small eggs

In another bowl (and I usually reuse the bowl I used to mix up the fruit before putting it in the pan), sift together:

• 1 cup ground almonds
• ½ cup white rice flour, sifted
• ½ cup arrowroot, sifted
• 1 tsp baking soda, sifted

At least, that was what I was going to do. But I couldn’t find arrowroot in the supermarket. Only tapioca starch labelled as arrowroot, with a note that they could be used interchangeably. Sigh. So that ½ cup ended up being 2/3 rice flour and 1/3 tapioca starch. (if doing the GAPS version, replace the rice flour and arrowroot with ½ cup coconut flour, which is more absorbent.)

Mix the eggs into the fruit, then the dry ingredients. Spoon into the pans and cook at 150C. The small cakes, which will be gifts, took about an hour. The mini muffins, which will be part of the Boxing Day feast, took about half an hour.

Even without added sugar, these are too high in carbs for my current fairly strict keto diet. So I’m relying on @frot to taste test them for me. @karenb54 – would a tiny one of these be allowed on your plan?

One last Christmas outing tomorrow…

• Day 1 – Carol singing with the NZ Symphony Orchestra
• Day 2 – Kilbirnie Santa Parade
• Day 3 – Posting overseas Xmas cards & a Xmas themed exercise class
• Day 4 – Last minute book buying
• Day 5 – Last choir rehearsal for the year
• Day 6 – Choosing gifts for the Xmas game
• Day 7 – Xmas lunch with my exercise class
• Day 8 – Xmas spiced nuts
• Day 9 – Xmas tree time
• Day 10 – Last arthritis class for the year, and a sugar free brownie recipe
• Day 11 – A choir performance
• Day 12 – Taking marinated chicken wings to the choir Xmas party
• Day 13 – The NZ local xmas cards & some e-cards
• Day 14 – Planning the Xmas menus and best dessert ever

Thanks for reading

Photos by me.

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