"OUCH" IT'S TRUE

As you know I have been GF for quite a few months now.  It has been a learning experinece, but just in case it was all "smoke and mirrors", I though I would test myself.  I was good, by gut was good.  The perfect test subject.  So, I ate about a tablespoon of a product I knew contained gluten to see what would happen.  Maybe I was kidding myself.

It didn't take long and the rumbling began what became two days of quite severe gut ache.    All the aches I called overwork of joints, sciatica, bloating, gas etc came back with a vengence, and has taken about a week to settle back down.  Am I going to test again - I don't think so.  It made me realise how many doctors had got it wrong.  I had been paying for their trips to Bali whilst I writhed in pain at home.  All because of Gluten.

GF CHOCOLATE BREAD CAKE (my grandma made a great version of this - without the egg - and it worked for her).

4 cups (1ltr) milk or coconut milk, 1 loaf of GF bread (the coles pre-mix is perfect), 100g of soft real butter, 35g (half a cup) of GF breadcrumbs, 5 (or so) eggs separated, 250g castor sugar, 200g GF melted chocolate or carob, 120g GF flour,  FOR THE SAUCE (optional):  2 oranges, 265g jar of Buderim ginger marmalade or jam, 100ml real cream.

Bring the milk to the boil and pour over the bread in a large bowl.  Stand for about and hour or more until fully absorbed.

Preheat oven to 180C.  Grease a 22cm springform cake pan.  Dust base and sides with breadcrumbs and shake out excess.

Beat yolks and sugar until thick and pale, gradually add melted butter beating contantly.  Beat into the bread mixture, chocolate and flour to combine.  (My grannie mushed up the bread with her hands to get all the lumps out,  before mixing it in with the other ingredients).  Beat egg whites to soft peaks and carefully fold into the batter.

Pour into the pan and dust with remaining breadcrumbs.  Bake for 40 minutes then reduce oven to 150C and bake for another 50 minutes or until the scewer comes out clean.  Cool in pan on a rack.

SAUCE:  Finely grate zest from 1 orange and squeeze the juice  of both oranges into a pan with marmadale or jam and cream.  Simmer for 15 minutes until rich and thick.  Serve the cake either drizzled with the sauce, or the sauce in a sauce boat on the side.  Indulge.