Genius Gluten-Free Breakfasts

We have various dietary requirements in our household – four out of five of us are vegetarian and we have one who is lactose intolerant. This means I understand just how tricky it can be to negotiate labels when you want to make sure a food is suitable for your needs. Fortunately none of us have any problems with gluten, but I know if we did just how much easier a company like Genius would make our lives – not only making the shopping process simpler because we know we can trust the food to be gluten-free, but also allowing people to easily enjoy gluten-free versions of favourite foods.

 

 

Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne used her skills as a professionally trained chef to develop Genius bread after failing to find good quality gluten-free and wheat-free bread suitable for her gluten intolerant son. She founded Genius Gluten Free so that everyone could enjoy a tasty sandwich or toast, and the company is now the number one gluten-free bakery brand in Britain.  Genius has just three simple rules when adding a new product to its ever-growing range: it has to taste great, it has to be the best quality and of course, it has to be gluten-free.

They sent us a hamper of morning goods to try out. We used the spicy fruit bread and blueberry muffins for a super speedy Sunday breakfast (pictured above) – and they were both really delicious and got the seal of approval from my boys! The muffins would also be great in a packed lunch and the fruit bread would make a perfect after-school snack.

 

 

We also had pancakes to try, and as we have blackberries in the garden at the moment I decided to knock up a quick blackberry sauce to go with them. The pancakes were light and fluffy, just the right texture and the sweet blackberries were the perfect topping. This makes a great brunch, or a perfect pudding with the addition of a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

To make the blackberry sauce simply add the fresh blackberries to a pan with a couple of spoons of sugar and a splash of water (weigh the blackberries, then use about 1/3 of the weight in caster sugar and omit the water if using frozen berries), allow the sugar to melt and the blackberries to start to break down a little. Meanwhile mix a little water and cornflour together to form a paste. Add the cornflour paste to the pan and allow to boil for a couple more minutes until thickened, then serve with the warmed pancakes. (Most cornflours are gluten-free, but always make sure before you serve to anyone with an allergy).

 

 

The crumpets we were sent would of course make a tasty breakfast with some proper butter and a dollop of jam, but we used them for a quick supper – Pizza Crumpets. I made these with Syd, he loves being involved in cooking and these are so easy for him. You could add extra toppings, onion would work well, or olives. We kept it simple, a smear of tomato ketchup (you could use a proper tomato sauce if you have some to hand), a sprinkle of oregano, and a generous handful of mozzarella and cheddar. Just pop under the grill until the cheese is browned and you are done!

We really enjoyed all the products and I can imagine they are so handy for those on a gluten-free diet. I also liked how they all have long dates on them for bakery products, it makes them a handy stand-by for those ‘run-out-of-bread’ moments. The Genius range is stocked in most major supermarkets and the products featured range in price from £2.00-£2.50. For more information and to find your local stockist visit their website.

Love Miss Cisco XXX