Sweet Potato Gnocchi

225g raw sweet potatoes (kumera)
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 egg
2 cups White Wings gluten-free plain flour


Preheat oven to 175ºC. Bake sweet potatoes for until soft to the touch*. Time taken will depend upon the size of the sweet potatoes. Remove from the oven, and set aside to cool.

Once the potatoes have cooled, scoop the flesh out and mash well. Add garlic, salt, nutmeg and egg, mixing well. Mix in the flour a little at a time until you have soft dough. Adjust the amount of flour used according to the dough - some sweet potatoes will be moister than others. Sometimes I find I need the full two cups - sometimes only 1 1/2 cups.

On a floured surface, roll the dough out in several long snakes about 1.5cm in diameter, and cut into 2cm sections. Lightly press the back of a fork against each gnocchi - this helps the gnocchi cook evenly, not to mention look pretty.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.  Drop the pieces into the boiling water, and allow them to cook until they float to the surface - this will only take bout 30s-1 minute. Remove the floating pieces with a slotted spoon, and keep them warm in a serving dish.

These gnocchi can be served with any type of pasta sauce - good alternatives are a butter and sage sauce, alfredo sauce or creamy pesto sauce. The gnocchi are rather sweet, so a rather savory sauce does the job the best.

* If you're running short of time, microwaving the sweet potatoes would probably do the trick.

(Thanks to AllRecipes for the inspiration for this recipe)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

• These muffins are moist and moreish. They keep for a few days - pop one in the microwave for 20 seconds prior to eating for maximum yummy-ness! 
• 
  
• 1 1/2 c White Wings gluten-free plain flour
• 1/2 tsp psyllium husks
• 1/3 c sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarb soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 c mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large)
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 c butter, melted
• 1/4 c milk
• 3/4 c dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a 1/3 cup muffin tray with muffin cases.

Sift dry ingredients together well in a large mixing bowl. Mix together banana, egg, melted butter. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until just mixed. Do not overmix. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cases. Bake for about 30 minutes or until muffins are golden and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into a muffin's centre comes out clean (except for some melted chocolate). Cool on a wire rack.

(Thanks to Epicurious for the original inspiration for this recipe).