Udi’s new gluten free products

We first wrote about Udi’s gluten free goodies back in April when the well-known American brand launched in the UK. We then we met up with the Udi’s team at the recent Allergy Show and tried the delicious Tiger Bloomer.

So it’s good to hear that the brand is going from strength to strength in the UK and has recently launched some exciting new products. These include Milk Chocolate Wafers, Apple Breakfast Bars, Blueberry Muffins and… drum roll… Chocolate Chip Cookie Baking Mix. (I love cookie mixes.)

Udi’s Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

The Blueberry Muffins were moist and sweet and packed full of blueberries. These were really popular in the office. The Apple Breakfast Bars were chewy and fruity but I thought they were quite dry. Not my favourites. But the winners were the Milk Chocolate Wafers: light, crispy and chocolatey. Be warned: one is not enough. These are scrummy. Highly recommended.

Udi’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

We also got to try the Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix. As you know I’m a terrible cook so I love these mixes. These were pretty good, sweet and chewy, although it looks like I burnt them in the pic (I didn’t!).

Udi’s Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies (not burnt!)

I managed to make 24 cookies and I think I ate a couple of raw ones too that never made it to the oven. Good value considering a packet costs only £4.50. I would recommend flattening them out a bit before you put them in the oven.

You can find Udi’s products in Tesco where the Blueberry Muffins retail at £1.90, the Milk Chocolate Wafers at £3.00, and the Apple Breakfast Bars are £3.30.

Find out more about Udi’s on their website, on Twitter, and on Facebook.

Knead Bakery's gluten free, dairy free sugar cane free goodies

Knead Bakery, it turns out, is run by the talented and lovely Sim Smith, who’s a former journalist and long time allergy sufferer.

Determined to prove that a diet void of gluten, dairy and cane sugar needn’t be a diet void of tasty treats, she’s set up Knead Bakery, which has launched with six scrumptious products, including chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, mini blueberry muffins, mini lemon and poppy seed muffins, carrot cake and double chocolate brownies, all of which are free from gluten, dairy, cane sugar and additives and preservatives.

And we were fortunate to get a first look last week when Sim dropped into the office with a bag of goodies for us to try.

So we started with the muffins. They were light and fresh, with a bouncy texture and sweet without being sickly. The combination of sweet lemon and the almost peppery poppy seeds was divine. And the blueberries in the blueberry muffins were fresh, plump and juicy like they’d been picked that morning.

Next up were the cookies. You know how so many gluten free cookies and biscuits leave that taste of sugary nothingness in your mouth? Not these. The chocolate chip cookies were incredibly chocolaty and chewy. And the ginger cookies. Well, they were really zingy and mouth-watering. I love ginger cookies with a cup of herbal tea. And these take some beating.

The double chocolate brownie tasted ‘just like a normal chocolate brownie’ said Phil, a non gluten-freer. And it did. Moist and with a lovely consistency, I was left with dark chocolaty taste in my mouth and the feeling I’d eaten something really substantial. ‘Hmmm…perfect with a coffee’ said Miles.

Blueberry mini muffins and lemon and poppy seed mini muffins. That's my hand!

So then we tucked into the carrot cake. Now, Knead Bakery sells this by the slice and also as a whole cake. And I would encourage you, for any celebratory gathering whatsoever, to buy an entire cake. In fact, just by a whole carrot cake for yourself. I won’t tell. Because rarely have I eaten cake that has given me goose bumps. And this carrot cake did. Laced with fresh lemon curd and topped with a soya yogurt frosting, the combination of flavours is exquisite.

What we love about Knead are the quality ingredients Sim uses. So the chocolate chip cookies and the chocolate brownies taste of rich, dark chocolate. The lemon curd tastes super lemony. And you can really taste the vanilla, ginger and cinnamon in the products.

Gluten free, dairy free and sugar free carrot cake

Knead offers a personalised baking service. So if you need an allergy free cake for a special occasion such as a wedding or birthday give Sim a call. She also does gluten free, dairy free and sugar free goodie bags and gift bags which are ideal for corporate events, fashion shoes and even kids’ parties.

The online store will be available soon. In the meantime you can order from Knead by emailing info@kneadbakery.co.uk or calling Sim on 07920 102 284. Mini muffins and cookies are just £3.40 a bag. The chocolate brownie is £2.99 and the carrot cake is £3.99 for a substantial slice (but just get the whole cake!).

For more information visit Knead Bakery, London.

These ginger cookies are very crisp.

• Fine oatmeal flour – 55 g (2 oz)
• All-purpose wheat-free flour – 55 g (2 oz)
• Pine kernels – 2½ tbsp
• Grated fresh root ginger – 3 tbsp
• Runny honey – 2 tbsp
• Baking powder – ⅛ tsp
• Sunflower oil – 1½ tbsp

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2.

Put all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and gather together with your hands to form a ball. Kneed the mixture in the bowl until it is smooth. The mixture will start out feeling rather wet, but as the flour absorbs the honey and oil, the dough will become firmer. It should look very glossy and have no cracks at all. If necessary, add some more oil to moisten.

Pinch out enough dough to form balls of about the size of a walnut and place these balls on an ungreased baking sheet, 7.5 cm/3 in apart. Using the heel of your thumb and palm, flatten the balls of dough as thinly as possible. This can also be done using a metal spatula. Tuck any loose edges of the mixture back into the dough to form a circular cookie.

Bake for 20 minutes or until evenly golden and cooked thoroughly. Cool on a wire rack.

Makes about 8 cookies.