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The Great British Bake Off – gluten and dairy free technical challenge – week 6

Friday, September 21st, 2012

Technical challenge – week 6. Gluten and dairy free Queen of pudding

I haven’t made this pudding since I was at college. When I made it then, we piped a criss cross of meringue so you could see the jam in the spaces. Maybe this is a bit      80′s now? Plus you don’t get enough meringue which to me is the best bit.

You will notice in the recipe that I have used cake crumbs again instead of breadcrumbs. This is my personal taste. You can use breadcrumbs if you prefer.

The Recipe

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients
100g gluten and dairy free cake crumbs (sponge cake recipe) or 90g gluten and dairy free bread crumbs

570ml / 1 pint almond milk
25g dairy free margarine (only if using breadcrumbs)
3 egg yolks
1 egg
50g caster sugar
1 lemon, zest

6 tablespoons raspberry jam

Meringue
3 egg whites
150g caster sugar

Method
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas mark 3 and grease a 1.4 litre/2½ pint shallow ovenproof dish (one that will fit into a roasting tin) with dairy free margarine.

Crumble the cake crumbs into the ovenproof dish.

Warm the almond milk in a small saucepan. Add the dairy free margarine (if using gluten and dairy free breadcrumbs).

Lightly whisk the egg yolks and 1 whole egg in a bowl with the sugar and lemon zest. Whisk the warm milk into the eggs and strain over the cake crumbs. Leave to stand for about 15 minutes, so the cake crumbs absorb the liquid.

Carefully place the dish into a roasting tin and fill the tin halfway with hot water. Bake the custard in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes until the custard has set. Remove from the oven, carefully take the dish out of the roasting tin and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.

Turn the oven up to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4

Place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and whisk until stiff (it is whisked enough when you can turn the bowl upside down and the egg white doesn’t move).

Whisk in 1/3 of the caster sugar until the meringue comes back to peak.

Add another 1/3 of the sugar and do the same.

Add the last 1/3 of sugar and whisk until stiff and shiny. Fill a large piping bag with the meringue.

Spread a layer of raspberry jam over the set custard, then pipe the meringue on top.

Return the dish to the oven for 10 minutes, without the roasting tin until the top of the meringue is golden.

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The Great British Bake Off – gluten and dairy free technical challenge – week 5

Saturday, September 15th, 2012

Technical challenge – week 5. Gluten and dairy free hand – raised chicken and bacon pie.

I was slightly nervous about this challenge. I have attempted gluten free hot water pastry before and wasn’t happy with the results. It’s taken me a couple of days as I needed to make a special trip to my butchers – the lovely Martin at Boathouse Organics in Lewes. He makes lovely gluten free free range sausages and you can buy fresh organic suet from him too.

I also couldn’t find a pie dolly. Cook shops must be kicking themselves this week for not stocking them, as am I for not buying one years ago when I ummed and arred in the shop.

So here goes…. I am really happy with my pie. What do you think?

I’ve followed Paul Hollywood’s recipe for the filling. I remembered to take more photos this week too!

I’ve used Vitalite dairy free spread in place of lard. Mainly because I forgot to buy it and I thought the margarine – sorry, ‘dairy free spread’ would give the pastry more flavour. You can use lard if you want to.

The Recipe

Makes 2 pies

Ingredients

125g gluten free plain flour
125g maize flour
¼teaspoon xanthan gum
1teaspoon salt
125g dairy free margarine
125ml water

Filling
200g/7oz raw chicken meat
200g/7oz smoked back bacon rashers
2 sprigs fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
150g/5oz dried apricots, chopped
2 leaves gelatine
¼ pint hot water
¼ organic Kallo chicken stock cube

Method

1.Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

2.Grease two medium sized pie dollies, approx 13x7cm/5x3in, with some oil. I used two glasses roughly this size, oiled.

3.In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten free flour and maize flour with the xanthan gum.

4.Mix together the boiling water, salt and dairy free spread in small saucepan. Heat and stir together until the dairy free spread melts.

5.Pour the fat and water mixture on top of the flour mixture, stirring with a spoon until everything comes together.

6.Tip the dough onto a surface dusted with gluten free flour and bring together into a ball.

7.Divide the pastry in two, then remove a quarter from each half for the lids of the pies.

8.Work quickly while pastry is still quite hot. With the remaining three-quarters of the pastry, place on a flat surface and place the dolly/glass on top of the pastry in the middle. Sculpt the still warm pastry around the dolly, try and make sure the pastry is the same thickness. (You can roll out slightly first and wrap around the dollies, but be careful not to have an uneven thickness around the dollies if you do it this way). Make sure the bottom is not very thick.

9.Ensure there are no holes in the pastry.

10.Chill the pastry wrapped around the dollies in the fridge for about 20 minutes.

11.Roll out the reserved quarter of pastry into a circle to match the size of the dolly. Make a hole in the centre of each one and chill in the fridge.

12.Slice the chicken meat, and the bacon. Keep them separate. Season well with salt, pepper and fresh thyme.

13.Take the dollies out of the fridge and carefully coax the chilled pastry off in one piece. I slid a long thin palette knife down the sides of the pastry and I found using the glass made this easy because I could see where the pastry was sticking before pulling the glass away. If it softens from handling you may need to chill again for 10 minutes or so. Trim the top of the pie shells to make sure they are even, and not too tall, otherwise the sides will sag during baking.

14.Brush the inside of each pastry case with beaten egg in hope of sealing any tiny holes. Now pack the filling into the pie, start with bacon, then chicken, then a layer of roughly chopped apricots. Repeat until the filling is all used up.

15.Place on the lid. As this pastry will crack very easily, I trimmed the pastry with scissors in line with the sides of the pie then gently crimped around the sides, sealing thoroughly.

16.Brush the lids and the sides of the pies with egg wash. Place on a baking tray and cook for 50-60 minutes, or until the pastry is nice and crisp all the way around. The pastry will not colour as much as pastry made with wheat.

17.While the pies are baking, dissolve the chicken stock cube in 150ml/5fl oz of hot water.

18.Soak two leaves of gelatine in cold water for five minutes. When soft, squeeze out the excess water and whisk into the warm stock.

19.When the pies are cooked, place them on a cooling rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

20.Carefully pour the stock into the slit on the pie lid, to fill in any spaces inside the pie with (what will be) chicken stock jelly. This must be done when the pie is hot, if done when cold the jelly will just sit on the top and not soak into every nook and cranny.

21.Leave to set overnight before eating.

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The Great British Bake Off – gluten and dairy free technical challenge – week 4

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Technical challenge – week 4. Dairy free creme caramel.

I had forgotten how much I like creme caramel. My two boys were very happy with the end product too. They’re enjoying this challenge as much as I am. My oldest is now expecting pudding after every meal.

Creme caramel is naturally gluten free so how to make it dairy free and taste good?

 I have used my favourite almond milk for the custard and I tried using 2 egg yolks in place of one egg to add richness to the custard. I thought this worked really well.

Recipe

Serves 6 

Ingredients
120g white caster sugar
500ml almond milk
3 eggs and 2 egg yolks
50g caster sugar
vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 170°c / 325°f / gas mark 3

Place 6 dariole moulds in a deep ovenproof dish.

Place the first sugar in a small saucepan with enough water to moisten the sugar.

Have a cup of water handy and a pastry brush

Measure 2 tablespoons water into a cup.

Put the saucepan on the heat and stir with a metal spoon until boiling. Once boiling, stop stirring. Dip the pastry brush in the water and brush around the inside of the pan to ensure any grains of sugar are washed into the caramel. If not the caramel can crystalise.

Boil until the sugar changes to a deep caramel colour. Don’t stir, if the caramel is colouring quicker in one spot, swirl the pan gently to mix.

Quickly add 2 tablespoons water, be careful the caramel will spit. Swirl the pan to mix in the water then pour equal amounts into the moulds.

Whisk the eggs, second sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl.

Heat the almond milk until hot but not boiling. Whisk into the eggs and sugar. Strain into a jug and fill the dariole moulds to the top.

Place the ovenproof dish onto a shelf in the oven and pour boiling water into the dish around the dariole mould ¾ way up.

Cook for 30 minutes. To test if cooked, insert the tip of a knife into the centre. The custard should be set.

Take each mould out of the water and leave to cool. Once cold, cover and store in the fridge over night.

To empty out the creme caramel – I find it best to dip each mould into a bowl of boiling water for a few seconds, place a plate on top and turn over onto the plate. The dairy free version is a bit more delicate than with dairy milk so empty out gently.

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The Great British Bake Off – gluten and dairy free technical challenge – week 3

Friday, August 31st, 2012

Technical challenge – week 3. Gluten and dairy free treacle tart with woven lattice top.

Treacle tart – no problem. Woven lattice top with gluten free pastry – yeah, I can do that!

Making a lattice with normal sweet pastry can be a challenge. Luckily I had a lot of practise of this when I worked as a pastry chef. Lattice apple pie was a banquet favourite. Problem – you can lay the strips over an apple filling, not so over a treacle filling. I’ll admit it took me a few attempts, but enjoyable. I do miss being a pastry chef!

So I got there in the end. I did this by heavily flouring a flat baking tray with gluten free flour. I made my lattice top on the very edge of the tray then slid it over the treacle tart.

There is slightly less filling in the tart than there should be as a bit had been scooped out with previous lattice attempts!

You’ll notice I have used gluten and dairy free cake crumbs in my treacle filling. I just prefer the taste, in a wheat based treacle tart too.

The recipe

Ingredients
Sweet pastry
100g dairy free margarine ( I prefer vitalite)
50g caster sugar
1 medium egg
100g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour
100g maize flour

Treacle filling
225g golden syrup
225g dairy and gluten free vanilla sponge, blitzed in a food processor into fine crumbs. Here’s my recipe
1teaspoon lemon juice

For the pastry
Place the dairy free margarine, sugar and egg into a food mixer or a large bowl. Mix until all ingredients are combined.

Mix in the gluten free flour and maize flour until it comes together as a dough. When making pastry with wheat flour the pastry needs time to relax before rolling out or the gluten in the flour causes the pastry to shrink when cooking. As this pastry does not contain gluten we do not need to do this but if the pastry feels soft bring together into a ball, flatten slightly. Wrap in cling film and place into the fridge for 20 minutes.

Rub a layer of margarine or butter all over the flan ring or tin. Lightly dust the work top with gluten free flour. Roll the pastry one way, turn the pastry 90° making sure there is gluten free flour underneath and roll again. Continue rolling out the pastry moving the pastry around between rolls to make sure it doesn’t stick to the table.

Roll up the pastry onto the rolling pin and unroll over the flan ring. This pastry is crumblier than wheat pastry so if you find it difficult to roll out, roll out onto a plastic food bag or cling film. Fold the pastry into the corners of the flan ring. Try not to stretch the pastry as it will tear. If you get holes in the pastry push the pastry together and rub the join.

Preheat oven to 190°c / 375°f / gas mark 5.

Depending on your oven you may want to part bake your pastry case before adding your filling. Line the pastry case with baking parchment or tin foil. Fill with baking beans and part bake for 10 minutes.

For more tips on making gluten free pastry.

Warm the golden syrup in a saucepan until runny. Stir in the cake crumbs and the lemon juice. Pour into the pastry case.

Lattice top.
Roll out the leftover pastry and cut into strips. You may want to cover the strips with cling film to prevent the pastry drying.

Heavily flour a flat baking tray with gluten free flour. Lay your lattice strips at the edge of the tray. Slide the lattice over the top of the treacle filling. Trim the pastry around the edge. Brush with beaten egg.

Bake for 30 – 40 minutes until golden.

Just out of the oven.

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The Great British Bake Off – gluten and dairy free technical challenge – week 2

Thursday, August 30th, 2012

Technical challenge – week 2. Gluten and dairy free 8 strand plaited loaf

Ok I kinda cheated on this one. If you’ve ever made gluten free bread you’ll know that you make a batter and not a dough. So how do I plait a batter? Pipe it of course. Am I still in the contest?

Here’s my recipe

Ingredients
200g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour
100g cornflour
100g ground almonds
2tsp xanthan gum
1tsp salt
2tsp caster sugar
4tsp (2 x 7g sachets) dried yeast
30ml sunflower oil
1 egg
360ml lukewarm water – just warm, if the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°c / gas mark 6.

Stick a sheet of baking parchment onto a baking tray.

Mix together the gluten free flour, cornflour, ground almonds, xanthan gum, salt, caster sugar and yeast in a large bowl.

Measure the sunflower oil, egg and water together.

Pour the liquid into the flour and beat until smooth. The mixture should just be able to fall from the spoon.

Spoon the batter into a large piping bag fitted with an inch wide round nozzle.

If you look at the 8 strand plaited loaf, it looks like one plait sitting on top of a wider plait. So I piped a wide plait onto the baking tray, then a smaller neat plait on top. Not bad I thought!

leave in a warm place to prove for 45 minutes.

Brush the top with a beaten egg. Leave for a few minutes then repeat to give a good colour to the bread.

Bake for 25 – 35 minutes until brown on all sides. Take the loaf out of the tin and tap the bottom. If it is cooked it will sound hollow.

Cool on a wire rack. This is best eaten on the day of baking.

Just piped gluten and dairy free 8 strand plaited loaf.

Dough proved, brushed with beaten egg and ready for the oven.

The finished loaf.

Posted in Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Lactose free, Recipes, The Great British Bake Off | 3 Comments »

The Great British Bake Off – gluten and dairy free technical challenge – week 1

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

I mentioned on my Facebook page how good it would be to enter The Great British Bake Off and to make everything gluten and dairy free. Somebody tweeted asking if I would be able to complete the technical challenge. So I thought I would give it a go, I like a challenge!

I was away in the middle of Dartmoor last week with no television or internet so had to wait until now to start.

Technical Challenge – week 1. Gluten and Dairy Free Rum Baba

I’ve never understood the appeal of a rum baba. You make a gorgeously rich dough bun then completely ruin it in my opinion by soaking it in rum syrup which you then serve with too much cream thus ending your meal with indigestion.

A far better idea would be to take your bun and top it with fondant and maybe add dried fruit to the dough to make a luxurious Swiss bun / iced finger – my favourite. How a Swiss bun should be, not just a bread roll with fondant on the top – bakeries you know who you are!

Some people may be horrified of the thought of fondant on top of such a bun, but if you are a Swiss bun fan as I am then this is the ultimate.

I found this challenge quite easy to adapt. I also made a rum baba containing wheat and dairy using Paul Hollywood’s recipe to compare.

Rum Baba has quite a close texture which my gluten and dairy free version matched and the flavour was similar. Once the babas were soaked in the rum syrup I don’t think you could tell the difference.

You can buy dairy free whippable cream but I couldn’t find any locally so I filled my rum baba with whipped coconut cream which I added a drop of vanilla extract and icing sugar to flavour.

The recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients
100g Doves Farm gluten free plain flour
50g cornflour
50g ground almonds
1tsp xanthan gum
½tsp salt
50g caster sugar
4tsp (2 x 7g sachets) dried yeast
½ egg, beaten
80g dairy free margarine, melted
100ml warm water

For the syrup
250g caster sugar
3 – 4 tbsp

Filling
1 carton coconut cream, chilled

Method
Grease the rum baba moulds with vegetable oil and sprinkle with caster sugar.

Mix together the gluten free flour, cornflour, ground almonds, xanthan gum, salt, sugar and yeast.

Melt the dairy free margarine and pour into the flour with the beaten egg and water, beat until smooth.

Fill a large piping bag fitted with an inch wide round nozzle with the dough. Pipe the mixture into the rum baba moulds. Leave in a warm place to prove for 30 – 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°c / 400°f / gas mark 6.

Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until golden brown. Gently take the buns out of the mould. Tap the bottom of a bun, if it sounds hollow it is cooked.

Leave on a wire rack to cool. The buns can be frozen at this stage if needed for a later date.

Before serving, make the syrup. Place the sugar in a saucepan with the rum and 250ml water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. Brush the syrup all over the buns allowing it to completely soak in.

If filling with coconut cream, place the chilled coconut cream in a large bowl with a drop of vanilla extract and enough icing sugar to sweeten. Whisk until light and fluffy.


Coming out of the oven…. my version is on the right.


Paul Hollywood’s recipe is on the left and my version on the right.

A very promising and tasty start (if I do say so myself) – wish me luck with challenge 2.

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Lactofree chocolate cake

Wednesday, May 16th, 2012

Arla, the company who produce Lactofree dairy products very kindly sent me some vouchers to try their products for free.

If you have digestive discomfort after consuming foods made with cows’ milk, you could be lactose intolerant. But you don’t need to miss out on the foods you love as Lactofree has a range of real dairy products, just without the lactose.

While many people think they’re intolerant to dairy, the uncomfortable symptoms that occur after eating dairy are often caused by lactose, the natural sugar found in milk. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, which can begin from birth or develop at any age. Visit the Lactofree website for more information.

I decided to make my chocolate brownie recipe using Lactofree Spreadable instead of butter or margarine. I topped it with chocolate ganache made using equal quantities of Lactofree Cream and dairy free plain chocolate.

The recipes turned out well. They tasted just the same as if I’d used my usual butter and cream.

The cream also whips well and I used it to make sour cream by adding a little lemon juice.

Thanks to Lactofree, people who are lactose intolerant can now enjoy a full range of dairy products again.

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Dairy Free White Chocolate Easter Egg

Thursday, March 22nd, 2012

Exciting news! Found - a dairy free white chocolate Easter egg in Sainsburys.

Is this the first commercial dairy free white chocolate egg?

Choices, made by Celtic Chocolates. The price was £2.25 for 65g of chocolate. I was excited to find this after being really impressed with their dairy free ‘milk’ chocolate. Personally I found it tasted very sweet and I prefer the melt in the mouth feeling of Humdingers white buttons, but this is great for all the people who usually miss out having their own Easter egg because they can’t or don’t want to eat dairy and the packaging is lovely.

Does this mean dairy free white chocolate will be returning to our supermarket shelves? Let’s hope so. I don’t know about anybody else but I’ve had real trouble getting hold of any lately. They all replaced Humdinger dairy free buttons for their own brand buttons made by Celtic Chocolates.

If you are missing your Humdinger dairy free buttons, you will find them at the brilliant www.veganstore.co.uk where maybe soon there will also be a return of my favourite - Holy Cow dairy free white buttons.

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Food Allergy Advice For Cake Decorators – update 22/02/2012

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

I have decided to update my original post of the same name as it is still very popular and a lot of the information it provided has now changed. 

I have been making celebration cakes for people on special diets for as long as I have been making cakes and have spent a lot of time making sure the ingredients are safe to use for individual diets. I constantly check to see if the ingredients have changed or new products come on the market.

As a cake decorator are you are being asked more frequently if you can make cakes for special diets?
Do you get confused with ingredient lists?

I have put together a list of the common icings and sugarcraft ingredients used in the UK and allergy advice on each.

There are hidden ingredients that you may not think about. The main ingredient that causes confusion is Glucose syrup. This ingredient is found in most sugarcraft products.

Glucose can be made from any kind of starch and is used in sugary foods to soften texture and prevent crystallisation of sugars.

Most of the world seems to make glucose syrup from corn and call it corn syrup rather than glucose syrup. In Europe glucose syrup is made with corn and wheat.

If you buy your ingredients from a catering wholesaler there is a good chance the glucose in the product will be made from wheat, – this includes glace cherries and mixed peel.

 To be sure what is in a product ask your supplier for the food specifications. This is a printed sheet which gives a description of a product, packaging info, shelf life, origin, ingredients and their derivatives  and any allergy information.

You may be wondering ‘what is the problem with glucose?

Glucose syrup is gluten-free. It can be derived from wheat but the production methods make it safe for people with coeliac disease to eat.

  Research on whether wheat derived glucose syrup is safe for a person with a wheat or gluten allergy or intolerance strongly suggests that it should be fine for them to eat. I follow this advice but everyone’s tolerance and reactions are different. Some people with a wheat allergy or intolerance say it does affect them and even some Coeliacs too. If I have a customer who can’t eat wheat, I will ask them if glucose syrup or maltodextrin affects them personally.

Manufacturers do not have to state where the glucose syrup in their products derives from so you will have to contact them to get this information.

The following legislation applies to cake decorators selling cakes directly to the consumer.

Since November 2011 EU law now states that food whether prepackaged or sold loose has to provide information if it contains any of the following allergens or ingredients derived from the following allergens

Peanuts and products thereof – found in sauces, cakes, desserts, groundnut oil, peanut flour.

Nuts and products thereof, namely; almonds, hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecan nuts, Brazil nuts, pistachio nuts, macadamia nuts, except for nuts used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin  
– found in sauces, desserts, crackers, bread, ice cream, marzipan, ground almonds, nut oils.

 Soybeans and products thereof,
except:

(a) fully refined soybean oil and fat ( 1 );

(b) natural mixed tocopherols (E306), natural D-alpha tocopherol, natural D-alpha tocopherol acetate, and natural D-alpha tocopherol succinate from soybean sources;

(c) vegetable oils derived phytosterols and phytosterol esters from soybean sources;

(d) plant stanol ester produced from vegetable oil sterols from soybean sources;                                                                                                                                                          

Soya can be found in tofu or beancurd, soya flour and textured soya protein, some ice creams, yogurts, sauces, desserts, meat products, vegetarian products, ready made meals, margarines, lecithin.

Mustard and products thereof – Including liquid mustard, mustard powder and mustard seeds, in salad dressings, marinades, soups, sauces, curries, meat products.

Lupin and products thereof – lupin seeds and flour found in some types of bread and pastries.

Eggs and products thereof – found in cakes, mousses, sauces, pasta, quiche, some meat products, mayonnaise, foods brushed with egg.

Fish and products thereof,
except:
a)fish gelatine used as a carrier for vitamin or carotenoid preparations;
b) fish gelatine or isinglass used as fining agent in beer and wine
 – found in some salad dressings, pizzas, relishes, fish sauce and some soy and Worcestershire sauces.

 Crustaceans and products thereof
– shrimps, prawns, , scampi, crab, shrimp paste, crayfish, lobster

 Cereals containing gluten, namely: wheat, rye, barley, oats, spelt, Kamut,or their hybridised strains, and products thereof,
except
a) wheat based glucose syrups including dextrose
b) wheat based maltodextrins
c) glucose syrup based on barley
d) cereals used for making alcohol distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin
– found in cereals such as wheat, rye and barley and foods containing flour, such as bread, pasta, cakes, pastry, meat products, sauces, soups, batter, stock cubes, breadcrumbs, food dusted with flour. Most oats are also contaminated with gluten containing cereals in the milling process.

Sesame seeds and products thereof
 – found in bread, breadsticks, tahini, houmous, sesame oil.

 Celery and products thereof
 – including celery stalks, leaves and seeds and celeriac, in salads, soups, celery salt, some meat products.

Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations of more than 10mg/kg or 10mg/litre in terms of the total SO2 which are to be calculated for products as proposed ready for consumption or as reconstituted according to the instructions of the manufacturers
– found in meat products, fruit juice drinks, dried fruit and vegetables, wine, beer.

 Milk and products thereof
except
a) whey used for making alcoholic distillates including ethyl alcohol of agricultural origin
b) lactitol
 – including milk products. Cream, butter, cheese, yogurt. Found in many ready made foods.

Molluscs and products thereof – abalone, clams, mussels, octopus, oysters, squid and scallops.

Also if you are still using one or more of six food colourings being voluntarily phased out, you must include a warning on products. In addition to the standard required information,

 labels must also have a warning using the following wording: ‘the name or E number of the colour(s)’ may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children’. The colours are:

  • sunset yellow (E 110)
  • quinoline yellow (E 104)
  • carmoisine (E 122)
  • allura red (E 129)
  • tartrazine (E 102)
  • ponceau 4R (E 124)

From January 2012 food producers cannot label their food as gluten free unless it has been tested for the gluten levels. It now has to be labelled with – No gluten containing ingredients. See this link for further information:

 www.icedgembakes.co.uk/special-diet-blog/hints-and-tips/new-gluten-free-food-labelling-for-caterers

Take a look at the list below for a one-stop guide to popular sugarcraft products and their allergens. If you want to add any brands I’ve missed or let me know of any changes, please do get in touch.

Product ingredients and their derivatives can change from batch to batch so always check the label. 

 Key:
v = vegan / does not include any animal ingredients including eggs, dairy, gelatine or honey.
df = dairy / lactose free
nf = nut free
gf = gluten free
ef = egg free

Sugarpaste / Rolled Fondant

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Renshaws sready to roll icing Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Made in a factory that handles nuts glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Dr Oetker Regal-Ice Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free  Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Pettinice vegetarian Gluten Free Contains dairy Egg Free Nut Free  Egg and gluten in the same factory
Covapaste Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Silverspoon Ready To Roll Icing Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free may contain traces of egg May contain traces of nuts Glucose derives from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
M & B Sugarpaste Vegan Gluten free Dairy free Egg free Nut free Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Satinice vegetarian Gluten free Dairy free contains egg Nut free  completely free of wheat and corn products

 

Marzipan – Almond paste

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Odense Vegan Contains gluten Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts  
Ingram Brothers vegetarian Contains gluten Contains dairy Egg free Contains nuts  
Dr Oetker Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
Silverspoon Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
Sainsburys Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
Waitrose Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
Asda Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
Tesco Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Contains nuts Glucose from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten

 

Flower paste (gum paste)

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen
Flower paste		 vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg May contain traces Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Sugar City Platinum Paste Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free  
Sugar City Diamond Paste Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free  

 

Mexican / modelling paste

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen Mexican Paste vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Squires Kitchen Instant Mix Mexican Paste Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Squires Kitchen Sugar Dough Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Squires Kitchen Pastillage Vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg May contain traces of nut  Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Sugar City Mexican Paste Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Nut free  
Sugar City Modelling Paste Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg free Nut free  

 

Fondant/ Poured Fondant

  Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen Fondant Icing Mix Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free  Egg Free  May contain traces of nut  
Tate & Lyle Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free  
Silver Spoon Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free May contain egg Nut Free  
Almondart block fondant Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free egg free Nut Free  

 

 

Chocolate Paste

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen dark chocolate Cocoform vegetarian Gluten Free May contain traces of milk May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Contains soya, glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Squires Kitchen milk chocolate Cocoform vegetarian Gluten Free Contains milk May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Contains soya, glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Squires Kitchen white, green and red chocolate Cocoforms vegetarian Gluten Free Contains milk May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Contains soya, glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Squires Kitchen flavoured cocoforms (English mint, Brazillian orange, cappuccino and strawberry) Vegetarian except strawberry Gluten Free Contains milk May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Contains soya, glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Regalice luxury white chocolate Sugarpaste vegetarian Gluten Free Contains milk Egg free May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Regalice luxury chocolate Sugarpaste vegetarian Gluten Free Contains milk Egg free May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Tracey Mann dark chocolate paste vegetarian Gluten Free May contain traces of milk Egg free May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten

 

Dried egg white

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen pure albumin vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg May contain traces of nut  
Dr Oetker egg white powder vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg Nut free  
Meri-White vegetarian Contains gluten from wheat made in a factory that handles dairy Contains egg   Contains wheat

 

Royal Icing Mix

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg May contain traces of nut  
Tate & Lyle vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Contains egg Nut free  
             

 

 Supermarkets now stock Dr Oetker writing icing which does not contain any of the allergens and is handy for piping a simple message or decoration. Always check the label as ingredients change all the time. Alternatively, use watered down sugarpaste, which works well piped from a piping tube. Water down with pre-boiled water to prevent bacterial growth.

Food colouring

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen Powder colours Vegan Gluten Free Dairy free May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut  
Squires Kitchen paste colours Vegan Gluten Free Dairy free May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
             
Sugarflair powder colours Vegan Gluten Free Dairy free Egg Free Nut free  
Sugarflair paste colours Vegan Gluten Free Dairy free Egg Free Nut free  
Sugarflair liquid colours Vegan Gluten Free Dairy free Egg Free Nut free  
Orchard cake tools powder colour vegetarian Gluten Free Contains dairy Egg Free    contains lactose and cornflour

 

Glucose Syrup

  Vegan / vegetarian Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Other info
Squires Kitchen glucose syrup Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free May contain traces of egg May contain traces of nut Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Dr Oetker’s glucose syrup Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free  Glucose derives from wheat but does not contain gluten
Silver Spoon’s glucose syrup Vegan Gluten Free Dairy Free Egg Free Nut Free Glucose made from wheat or corn but does not contain gluten
             

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Dairy Free Advent Calendar – Vegan Store

Tuesday, October 18th, 2011

If you are on the look out for a dairy free chocolate advent calendar and other Christmas chocolate then you should really visit this website if you haven’t already.

www.veganstore.co.uk

This is a brilliant website stocking vegan groceries, toiletries and clothing but the page which really excites me is Chocolate and Sweets!

Not only can you buy a whole range of dairy free chocolate, you will also find vegan jelly sweets, dairy free fudge, vegan marshmallows and loads more.

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Posted in Christmas, Dairy Free, egg free, Products, vegan | No Comments »

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