Gluten Free Recipes

adapted from Allen and Kearney's "Healthy Gluten Free Eating" book - great book!

Ingredients:

140g butter

3 eggs

150g caster sugar

110g rice flour

50g ground almonds

1.5 tsp baking powder

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp milk (cream also works)

Traditional Victoria Sponge

Heat the oven to 180oC. Grease two circular cake tins, and line with grease-proof paper

Cream the butter, gradually add the sugar and then the eggs one at a time and keep mixing. Sift in the rice flour, ground almonds, baking powder, xanthan gum into the mix. Add the vanilla essence and milk. Mix well.

Divide the mixture between the two tins, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool.

For the filling, either slices of strawberry or fruit jam. Plus either whipped cream or mascarpone sweetened with icing sugar and a little vanilla essence

Dust the top with a little icing sugar

Walnut Cake Surprise

Heat the oven to 180oC

Place the walnuts with the ground almonds in a food processor and blitz until the walnut pieces have turned to a similar consistency to the almonds. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Divide the mixture between two round, 18cm greased and lined baking tins and bake for 25 minutes until golden brown on top. Allow to cool.

Mix the ingredients for each of the top types of icing. Use the Baileys butter icing to sandwich the two sponges and use the mascarpone icing on the top.

Decorate with whole walnut pieces

Ingredients: CAKE

75g walnuts

150g ground almonds

3 eggs

100g melted butter

100g sugar

50ml water or 30ml water and 20ml walnut oil

1 tsp baking powder

Ingredients: ICING

For the middle -

100g unsalted butter

30g icing sugar

1 capful Baileys

For the top -

225-250g tub of mascarpone

15-30g icing sugar (to taste)

1 tsp vanilla essence

Zimtsterne - Cinnamon Stars

2 egg whites

150g icing sugar

200g ground almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

zest of half a lemon

1 tsp rum

rice flour

Heat the oven to 160oC
Whisk the egg whites until really stiff, then add the sugar a spoon at a time

Put to one side 2 tbsp mix

To the rest of the mixture add the almonds, cinnamon and lemon zest and mix well. Add rice flour if needed to bring together into a dough

Roll out the dough until anything up to 5mm thick and cut out shapes (thinner shapes will bake into crisp biscuits, thicker ones will remain soft in the middle. Both are delicious!)

Stir in the rum to the egg and sugar mix you put to one side. Paint this onto the shapes. Bake for 15-20 mins

Mince Pies

The sweet pastry:

150g rice flour

150g ground almonds

2 tsp xanthan gum

pinch of salt

50g sugar

150g butter

1 egg

gluten free mince meat

or jam

Heat the oven to 180oC

Mix the rice flour, ground almonds, xanthan gum, salt and sugar and mix well

Add the egg and butter and mix again. Leave to rest for 30-60 mins in the fridge

Roll out the pastry, using plenty of rice flour to dust surfaces, rolling pins and hands. Cut out circles to fit your tin. Add the mince meat (or jam for those who don't like mince pies)

Brush pastry with a little beaten egg. You can either make little pastry shapes for lids or use a thin cut Zimtsterne for the top (see recipe above)

Bake for around 20 minutes. Allow to cool before removing from the tim

Dust with a little icing sugar on top

Gluten Free Gingerbread Kitties

200g gluten free plain white flour (e.g. Doves Farm)

1 tsp ground ginger

0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

0.5 tsp xanthan gum

0.5 tsp bicarb

75g soft brown sugar

50g butter

2 tbsp golden syrup

1 egg

Heat the oven to 160oC

Mix the dry ingredients together

Gently heat the golden syrup, butter and sugar together in a small pan, until melted together. Add the heated mixture to the dry ingredients and add the egg.

Blend together and chill for 1 hour

Using plenty of plain flour to dust the surface, hands and rolling pin, roll out the dough until about 1cm thick and use cutters to cut out shapes

Place on a greased, lined tray and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Vanilla Kipfurl

100g ground almonds

140g rice flour

vanilla essence (1 tsp)

60g sugar

120g butter

icing sugar and ground cinnamon to dust

Pre-heat the oven to 180C

Mix all the ingredients together to make a dough.

Divide into 16, and shape into crescents

Place on a greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes

Allow to cool slightly before moving to a plate and dust lightly with icing sugar and/or cinnamon

Banana and Chocolate Muffins

1 banana

2 eggs

50g rice flour

75g ground almonds

1 tsp GF baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

50g caster sugar

0.5 tsp ground cinnamon

0.5 tsp ground nutmeg

giant chocolate buttons

dark chocolate chips

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Break the banana into chunks and blend in a food processor with the 2 eggs. Then add the remainder of the ingredients except the chocolate buttons and chips. Blend again until even consistency. Place 9 muffin cases in a muffin tray. Add about one tablespoon of mix into each case. Then add 1 or 2 giant buttons on top, and then cover with another dollop of mixture so that the buttons are covered. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top and bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then scoff :-)

Rock Cakes

150g self-raising gluten free flour

50g ground almonds

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp xanthan gum

75g butter

60g sugar

1 egg

2 tbsp milk /cream

pinch of salt

100g dried mixed fruit

Heat the oven to 180 degrees C. Mix together all the ingredients except the dried fruit in a food processor. Place the mix into a bowl and mix in the dried fruit by hand. Spoon out onto a lined baking tray - this makes 12 cakes. Don't try to make them smooth or perfect - they're meant to be a bit "rocky". Bake for 20 minutes - they'll smell fantastic.

Scones

150g ground almonds

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp xanthan gum

pinch of salt

50g soft butter

70ml milk

1 egg

rice flour

(egg to brush)

Heat the oven to 220 degrees C. Mix all the ingredients together except for the rice flour and beaten egg (I use a food processor), until it makes a vague ball of dough. Add a bit of rice flour if needed, if too sticky (usually necessary!). I also use rice flour when rolling it out. I roll out a quarter at a time, until 2-3cm thick, cut rounds and place on a greased and lined baking tray. Depending on how thick you make them, makes 10-12. Brush with some beaten egg and bake at 220C (HOT!) for 8 minutes. You can add cheese to make these a cheese scone, or some dried fruit to make fruit scones. These plain scones can be eaten either as a savory, or sweet.