Gluten Free

Seems more and more people these days are Gluten free.

I will be posting a selection of Gluten free recipes for you to try…

Where to find Gluten free products: 

Glebe Farm  is a working arable farm near Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire (I’m lucky to have them on my door step). It has been farmed by the Rayner Family since 1970 and Rebecca Rayner currently runs the farm with her brother Philip, an engineer and advisor. They produce a selection of products and have won a selection of awards over the years.

Glebe Farm produce a unique range of:

  • gluten free flours, bread and cake mixes
  • gluten free porridge oats and breakfast cereals
  • organic wheat and spelt flours and bread mixes
  • beers – malted on farm

Awards

Cambridgeshire Business Excellence Finalist 2009
Sustainable Business Award – Winner 2006. 2003
Cambridgeshire’s Local Food Hero! – Top 3 2006
Country Living Magazine Rural Business – Finalist 2004

Doves Farm are organic flour and gluten free flour specialists. They have separate mills for organic and gluten free flours as well as a separate bakery. The Doves Farm story began on there farm near Hungerford in 1978. They make organic and gluten free products including great tasting bread flours, Cookies, biscuits, cereal bars, breakfast cereals, pasta & baking requisites.

Recipes 

 Gluten Free -Lemon Drizzle Cake    Serves 8 – 10 

With a special surprise ingredient, this gluten free cake stays beautifully moist. To everyone’s amazement it’s mash potato!

Ingredients

  • 200g butter , softened
  • 200g golden caster sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 175g ground almonds (to make it nut free see below)
  • 250g mashed Potato
  • zest 3 lemons
  • 2 tsp gluten-free Baking Powder,(Supercook does one)
  • 4 tbsp granulated sugar
  • juice 1 lemon
Method
  1. Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Butter and line a deep, 20cm round cake tin. Beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, then gradually add the egg, beating after each addition. Fold in the almonds, cold mashed potato, lemon zest and baking powder.
  2. Tip into the tin, level the top, then bake for 40-45 mins or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack after 10 mins cooling. Mix the granulated sugar and the lemon juice together, then spoon over the top of the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Let the cake cool completely before slicing.

Using a Potato ricer

If you have one, use a potato ricer to mash your potatoes; it will give a fantastically light and fine texture.

Make it nut-free

If you’d like to make this nut-free, as well as wheat-free, switch the ground almonds for polenta or wheat-free flour.

Orange shortbread 

Ingredients

  • 100g butter , softened
  • 50g golden caster sugar
  • grated zest ½ orange
  • 175g gluten-free flour(try Doves Farm or Glebe farm )
  • ½ tsp gluten-free Baking powder (Supercooks)
Method
  1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Lightly oil a baking sheet. Beat the butter, then cream it with the sugar and orange zest until light. Stir in the flour and baking powder and mix together to form a dough.
  2. Divide the mixture into 10 balls, arrange on a baking sheet. Press each ball fl at with the tip of a round-bladed knife. Chill for 15 mins, then bake for 12-15 mins until light golden. Leave on the baking sheet for 2 mins before releasing with a palette knife. Slide onto a rack to cool. Will keep stored in an airtight container for up to a week.

Chocolate Quinoa Cake    (This is a friends recipe)

 Quinoa is high in fiber and gluten free.  A very moist cake with a wonderful chocolaty flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup  Black Quinoa  pre-washed
1 1/3 cup water
1/3 cup milk
4 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
7 tablespoons butter
1 OZ unsweetened semi sweet chocolate  cube ( melted plus 1/2 teaspoon canola oil )
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups cocoa powder
1 tablespoon Gluten free baking powder 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions. Prepare oven at 350 degrees
Using a saucepan add the water and quinoa in the pan and bring to a boil,  cover with a lid, reduce heat to a low temperature and simmer for 20 minutes.  Turn the heat off and leave the pan on the stove. Set a side.  Fluff with a fork and allow to completely cool before adding to the cake mixture.

In a large mixing bowl add the sugar and eggs mix with an electric mixer. Add the Milk, vanilla and butter. Mix well. Set a side. In another bowl mix the flour, baking powder,  cocoa powder salt.
Combine the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients add the cool quinoa.
Blend in a blender until smooth.

Melt the 1 oz chocolate in a pan with 1 teaspoon canola oil until smooth. Do not over cook it. Cool and add to the cake mixture.

Line the bottom of your greased or oil spray cake pan with parchment paper or just grease and dust with cocoa powder. ( do not dust with flour )

Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the ” test” toothpick comes out clean.

Sprinkle with Icing sugar when cold


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