Gluten free profiteroles - with or without the Thermomix

For some reason the profiterole, and choux pastry in general, has fear factor written all over it for many home cooks.  This fear makes the elusive croquembouche a task most just won't even attempt, seeing it more as the ultimate Masterchef challenge handed down by the 'all things sweet' pátissier master himself, Adriano Zumbo!

Well, quite a few years ago now, when I was making gluten free wedding cakes 'on the side', I decided to try conquering not only choux pastry, but gluten free choux pastry!!!  From memory I had even written it off as a failure before I began, assuming it would be just one of those things that could not be replicated as gluten free.

After dinner treats for when you're told not to bring a thing!

Been invited over for dinner lately and told to bring nothing?!  I've been on the receiving end just as much as telling my guests the same thing.  Its a common conundrum we have all faced at some point and whilst the host has the best intentions and in most cases (certainly mine!) truly means 'don't bring anything', the guest either really wishes to contribute to the nights feasting, or feels obliged to not turn up empty handed.

Either way, the marketing and advertising teams down at Cadbury no doubt had some clever insight into this situation when they launched the Cadbury Favourites 'What to bring when you're told not to bring a thing' campaign!!  I know that slogan has run through my head on multiple occasions prior to a night out at a friends place!

Gluten, dairy, egg and nut free chocolate cake, although you wouldnt know it!

I felt totally chuffed when a friend of mine asked if I would make her daughters 1st birthday cake recently!  What an honour.  Then she listed the provisos and I must say it stopped me in my tracks for a minute!!  As her daughter has been reacting to certain foods, it has restricted what she can feed her until she can get further tests done.

Being Coeliac myself, and for a time was fructose intolerant too, I am quite aware of the limitations and frustrations of living with food allergies and intolerances, however this challenge was a real eye opener for me to see just how difficult it must be for parents with kids on restrictive diets.

My food journey thus far and the most recent road taken....

My journey with food so far has been an interesting one.  Looking back, stages of my life have been coupled with a certain way of eating.  Trends have come and gone, and yet other learnings have stayed with me and shaped the way I view food today.

Growing up I remember being so jealous of friends lunchboxes at school.  They would have 'delicious' packs of potato crisps, lollies, white bread sandwiches etc whilst I would have the choice of a wholegrain sandwich, an apple and maybe if I was lucky a muesli bar.  There was only ever soft drink in our fridge if we had a party on, and Mum never had lollies, chocolate or chips in the cupboard for everyday eating.  That's not to say that we ate textbook style.  We got our fair share of treats, especially as we got older, but the underpinning of our diet was always good quality, whole foods.  Back then I didn't appreciate it.  Now I owe so much to the upbringing that my parents imposed on me.