Ain’t No Sunshine When She’s Gone
🎼 Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
It’s not warm when she’s away
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
And she’s always gone too long
Anytime she goes away 🎶
I know you missed me and my recipes!
My deepest gratitude to all who reached out to me, in comments or by email, after my last post to wish me a speedy recovery. It meant the world to know I wasn’t forgotten even in my months-long silence! I don’t know yet when I’ll be able to reach some recovery and in what way. It’s been a process, and it’ll remain as such for the time being. I’m writing this post on a not-so-good day, so, if you see some mistakes, or I’m not making sense in certain parts, forgive me as my head is literally not right today as I struggle with symptoms.
I push myself to do some normal human things, like to write this post, as to not completely sink into a dark hole, but it takes me 10 times more energy to do them than it’d for you I assume. I can sit there and cry (and I’ve done it many times) over the prior “normal me” and the new “normal me” that struggles with simple things now and sometimes loses hope that the actual normal me will ever come back. Or I can try doing some little things no matter how long it takes and how badly I may feel at the moment.
Last night I ventured out to a small get together, something I haven’t done in months since I got sick. I’ve seen my family and close friends of course, but this one required more energy and the actual will to do so. I made cupcakes to bring to a party, something that I’d normally do, but it took me twice as long to make them. I used to whip them up in a jiffy with my eyes half closed. I was tired but still satisfied how they turned out.
Vanilla strawberry cupcakes (gluten free of course) for your admiration. Do you want one?
I could only bare to be at the party for a short time, and getting back home was a nightmare with the trains being messed up as always at night, but I did a human thing yesterday: I made cupcakes and went to a party. I do suffer more symptoms today though because I’m overtired and dizzy.
I did another human thing earlier this week – I made a recipe to be posted today and did all the prep work that goes into making one: creating a recipe, baking it, staging a shoot, shooting pictures, sorting and retouching them. It does take a lot to make a recipe post ready, and it takes more out of me to do one now. So, I hope you enjoy it and make one at home too!
What’s Cooking This Week
This week we’re making gluten free hot cross buns. Easter is just around the corner, but you don’t have to wait and can start enjoying this Easter treat right away. My recipe has a wholesome taste as I’m using some oat flour and coconut sugar. Gluten free yeast dough is very capricious, so I can’t guarantee that you get the same results if you’re using different flour blends other than mentioned in my post. This recipe is formulated specifically using King Arthur original gluten free blend (no xanthan gum). Also, make sure all flours and starches are sifted thoroughly and measuring cups are filled using a spoon rather than a scoop method.
Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns
Combine flours and starches with spices, orange zest and salt, set them aside.
Make a yeast sponge by combining milk with sugar and yeast, set it aside for 10 minutes till yeast bubbles up.
Cream soft butter, then add eggs, then yeast sponge and vanilla.
Gradually add dry ingredients till everything is incorporated, then mix in cherries and raisins.
Cover dough and leave it in a warm place to rise for at least an hour.
Line a square baking pan with parchment paper. Form 9 round buns and place them next to each other. Cut a cross on top of each bun with a sharp knife.
Let them rise for another 10 minutes while the oven is preheating. They’ll rise and smooth out a bit more during that time.
Combine flour with water and 1 tsp of sugar to make a thick paste. Place it in a piping bag with a round tip and pipe a cross on top of each bun.
Bake at 375F degrees for about 20-25 minutes till the tops are slightly browned.
Combine 1 Tbsp of milk with 1 tsp of powdered sugar and brush the tops with sugar glaze.
Cool them on a wire rack (or not if you simply can’t wait).
They’re great with morning coffee or afternoon tea.
Actually they’re great with just about anything and anytime.
Gluten Free Hot Cross Buns
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of King Arthur gluten free original blend
- 1/2 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup tapioca starch
- 1/2 tsp Expandex starch
- 3/4 cup almond milk or regular
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 2 eggs
- 2 Tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp rapid rise yeast
- zest from 1/2 orange
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp anise seeds
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1/4 tsp ginger powder
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup mixed dried cherries and raisins
- cross paste: 1 Tbsp water + 1 tsp of sugar + 1-2 Tbsp of flour
- sugar glaze: 1 Tbsp milk + 1 tsp powdered sugar
Instructions
- Combine flours with starches, spices, salt and orange zest.
- make a yeast sponge by combining milk with sugar and yeast and set it aside for 10 minutes until yeast bubbles up.
- Cream soft butter, add eggs, then add yeast sponge and vanilla.
- Gradually add dry ingredients till everything is incorporated, then mix in cherries and raisins.
- Cover dough and let it rise in a warm place for at least an hour.
- Line a square baking pan with parchment paper.
- Form 9 round buns and place them next to each other.
- Cut a cross on top of each bun with a sharp knife.
- Let them rise for another 10 minutes while the stove is preheating.
- Combine flour with sugar and water to make a thick paste.
- Place it in a piping bag with a round tip and pipe a cross on top of each bun.
- Bake at 375F degrees for about 20-25 minutes till the tops are slightly browned.
- Combine milk and powdered sugar and brush the tops with sugar glaze.