Gluten Free Cheese and Bacon Bread

Ingredients:

• 75g cornflour
• 75g potato flour
• 45g buckwheat flour
• 10g tapioca flour
• 20g ground almonds
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 1 tsp easy bake yeast
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• warm water (around 100ml)
• smoked bacon (around 5 rashers)
• grated cheese (I used 50g of cheddar)

Method:

• Cook (I grilled it and trimmed off the fat) and cut up the bacon into small pieces and grate the cheese.
• Combine the flours, almonds, yeast, gum, sugar and salt in a bowl so they're evenly mixed.
• Add in the egg and enough water to form a very sticky dough (a wooden spoon should have to be used not your hands).
• Add in the bacon and cheese and mix well.
• Cover the bowl and leave to rise for around an hour.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200C and use wet hands to shape the dough into your preferred shape (it can be made into a loaves, rolls or whatever else you may want).
• Bake until golden brown.

Chestnut Flour Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free)

Ingredients:

• 150g butter (or olive/sunflower spread)
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 100g dark chocolate
• 150g chestnut flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C
• Cream the butter and sugar together.
• Melt the chocolate (around 2 mins on medium in the microwave).
• Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture.
• Add in the flour, baking powder and melted chocolate and mix well.
• Spoon the mixture into cupcake cases in a cupcake pan.
• Bake for around 20mins until the cake springs back to touch.
• Leave to cool before making an icing of your choice.

Gluten Free Cheesy Bread Dippers

These were a bit of an experiment and I genuinely had to stop myself from eating all of them. You can add whatever filling or flavour you want (I left some plain with some salt on top and put some grated cheddar in some).

Ingredients:

• 50g cornflour
• 50g potato flour
• 25g buckwheat flour
• 20g ground almonds
• 1 tbsp tapioca flour
• 3/4 tsp xantham gum
• 1 tsp easy bake yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 egg
• warm water
• sourdough starter (optional)

Method:

• Combine the flours, almonds, gum, yeast, sugar and salt.
• Add in the egg and sourdough if you choose to use it. Add in enough warm water to form an extremely sticky dough (you should just be able to mix it with a wooden spoon).
• Leave to rise for an hour.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200C and line a baking tray with baking paper.
• Use very wet hands to work in any cheese etc and mould into the desired shape.
• Bake in the oven until golden brown.

Gluten Free Poffertjes (Dutch Mini Pancakes)

I first had poffertjes in a pancake house in London and they were one of the best things I've ever eaten. Despite making them gluten free and not having the proper pan for them, everyone ,including the gluten-eaters, loved them.
If you do have the pan then definitely use it but I had no trouble using a normal frying pan.

Ingredients: 

• 1 tsp instant yeast
• 1 tbsp milk
• 100g buckwheat flour
• 100g flour (I used a mixture of potato, corn, tapioca and quinoa) 
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 250ml warm milk
• oil or butter

Method:

• Dissolve the yeast in the tbsp of milk.
• In a separate bowl, combine the flours, eggs, salt, sugar and the milk and whisk until smooth.
• Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for an hour.
• Heat a frying pan and add a small amount of oil or butter. Use a small spoon to spoon the batter into the frying pan in small circles.

• Turn each pancake as soon as the bottom has set.
• Serve hot with your choice of topping (icing sugar, maple syrup, chocolate spread...)

Chestnut Flour Chocolate Cake Recipe (Gluten Free)

This is one of the moistest cakes I've ever had and the chestnut flour gives a great taste and texture. No one I've given it to has been able to tell it's gluten free.


Ingredients for the cake:

• 75g dark chocolate
• 300g softened butter (or olive/sunflower spread)
• 225g soft brown sugar
• 100g chestnut flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 60g cocoa powder
• 60g ground almonds
• 4 tbsp milk
• 3 egg whites

Method:

• Pre-heat the oven to 180C and grease 2 20cm cake tins.
• Melt the chocolate in a small bowl (around 2 mins in the microwave on medium)
• In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together.
• Add in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, gum, cocoa, almonds, chocolate and milk and mix well.
• In a separate bowl whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
• Gently add the egg whites and use a figure of 8 movement with a wooden spoon to fold them in.
• Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake for around 30 mins until the cake springs back to touch.
• Once cool, assemble the cake using your choice of icing.

Boiled Gluten Free Bread Rolls?!

I promise I haven't gone crazy. I was eating one of my freshly cooked bagels and thought how a similar method could lead to great bread rolls.
In the past any attempts at bread rolls had usually involved a tin to get them to keep their shape and the result was always ok or good... considering that they're gluten free. These rolls required no tins, have a great soft texture and have no 'special' taste that you often get with gluten free bread.

It can seem like a strange method if you are not used to it but I promise they won't disintegrate or fall apart when boiling - it actually makes them much firmer. 


Ingredients:

• 75g cornflour
• 75g potato flour
• 50g buckwheat flour
• 2 tablespoons of tapioca flour
• 25g ground almonds
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp easy bake yeast
• 1 tsp xantham gum
• 5 tablespoons of sourdough starter (optional)
• 1 egg
• warm water 

Method:

• Combine the flours, almonds, salt, sugar, yeast and xantham gum. 
• Add in the egg, sourdough (if including) and enough water to form a thick and very sticky dough (you should have to use a wooden spoon for this not your hands)
• Leave to rise for around an hour.
• Pre-heat the oven to 200C and put a large pan of water to boil.
• Use very wet hands to shape the dough into rolls (I made 3 large rolls) on baking parchment (greaseproof paper). Trim the paper around each individual roll (they look like they're on little rafts in the water)

• When the water's boiling carefully lower one roll into the water on a spatula and let it boil for 45 seconds before flipping it and boiling it for 45 seconds again.

• Flip to the right way up and remove from the water. Place on a tray and brush with egg white and add any toppings if you wish. 
• Bake until golden brown.

Just a couple of serving suggestions