Gluten And Lactose Free Treats - Trio of Old-Fashioned Lollies

I haven't posted a lot this week. I've been busy, and it gets busier after today (I have a wedding cake to make tomorrow.)

Coconut Ice, Chocolate Fudge and
Peanut Brittle all packaged up.

On Sunday, my daughter and I spent the day making some of her favourite lollies, for her wedding. (My future son-in-law was roped in to do some beating as well.)

I thought I'd share those recipes with you. They are all gluten free and lactose free, for those of you, who like me, have reactions to both of those things. 

(Note: you will need a sugar thermometer, and a very large saucepan - the boiling sugar takes up far more room than the ingredients look like they'll take when you first measure them. I use caster sugar because it dissolves quickly, but you can also use regular white sugar.)

Coconut Ice

3 cups caster sugar

1 cup water

vanilla

1 1/2 cups desiccated coconut

pink food colouring

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Line a 30cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. In a large saucepan, mix 1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/2 cup water, 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar.
3. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves.
4. Brush down sides of saucepan to remove grains of sugar.
5. Increase heat and boil without stirring until mixture reaches 113 deg C.
6. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.
7. Add vanilla, and coconut, and beat with a wooden spoon until thick and creamy.
8. Pour into prepared tray.
9. Repeat steps 2 to 7 with remaining ingredients (adding in the pink colouring at step 7.)
10. Pour pink mix over white mix.  
11. Allow to set.
12. Cut into small squares (each square has one layer of pink and one of white.)

Lactose-Free Chocolate Fudge

2 cups caster sugar

3/4 cup lactose-free milk

1 1/2 tablespoon dairy-free margarine

2 tablespoons cocoa

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

vanilla

1. Line a 30cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place sugar, milk, margarine, cocoa and cream of tartar in a large saucepan.  
3. Stir over low heat until margarine is melted and sugar dissolved.
4. Increase heat and allow to boil until the mix reaches 115 deg C.
5. Remove from heat. Allow to cool slightly.
6. Add vanilla. Beat until thick and creamy.
7. Pour into baking tray and allow to set. Mark into squares when almost set.

Peanut Brittle

2 cups caster sugar

3/4 cup water

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon bi-carbonate of soda

1 cup peanuts

1. Line a 30cm x 30cm baking tray with baking paper.
2. Roughly chop peanuts. Sift bi-carb over peanuts and set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, mix sugar, water and cream of tartar. 
4. Stir over low heat until sugar has dissolved.
5. Increase heat and boil without stirring until toffee is a pale amber colour (brushing down sides of pan as needed.
6. Remove from heat. Add peanuts and bi-carb. (The mix will fizz.)
7. Stir lightly and then pour in to baking tray. Spread with a buttered knife if desired.
8. Allow to set.
9. Break into chunky pieces.