I’m a bit behind with blogging my bake along. There is so much going on at the moment with going back to school, starting all my Guiding and WI commitments and having family over, it’s all getting a bit hectic!
When I heard that there was going to be a ‘Free From’ week, I got excited. After all, I do so much gluten free cake baking, I should have something in my repertoire that would cover one of the challenges. Er, no.
The gluten free element was Paul Hollywood’s gluten free pitta bread technical challenge. I Googled a few recipes on some US websites and came up with a long list of specialist ingredients like psyllium husk powder, various rice flours, arrowroot powder etc. which I knew I’d have to pay a fortune for from my specialist supplier and I’d only use them once before they’d fester in the back of my cupboard until they went out of date. Asking Mr CG, the gluten intolerant member of the family, if he actually liked pitta bread, he declined the opportunity so I was let off the hook.
With no ice cream maker to make a dairy free Arctic roll (yes, they may have said dairy-free ice cream roll, but we know what they really are), I went for the sugar free cake (gluten free of course).
I chose a sugar free carrot cake recipe from the BBC Food website and adjusted it slightly to make it gluten free. All I can say is, never again. 
On the Bake Off, the bakers were all using sugar substitutes like honey or syrups and my recipe had none. The topping was cream cheese with orange zest. How was that ever going to taste like anything other than cheese on a cake? Husband was bravely trying to eat it, youngest was picking out the raisins and eldest was turning her nose up completely. The relief when I told everyone they could leave it was obvious.
The next day I served this. A lemon meringue roulade full of sugar and cream (although gluten free!) which went down really well.
Lovely and soft, marshmallowy meringue, beautiful lemon flavour and indulgent cream. We restrict enough ingredients in this house without cutting things out unnecessarily. The sugar stays!
I’m catching up with pastry this weekend. Think I’m attempting the vol au vent. Eep!