APPLE AND LEMON CURD TART
APPLE AND LEMON CURD TARTServes 6
The outstanding lemon filling in this tart balances perfectly with the slight crunch of the apple.
1 × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter*
2 tablespoons lemon juice
finely grated rind of ½ lemon, optional
1 cooking apple, peeled and cored
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat the oven to 200°C. Grease an 18cm pie dish.
Roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour. Press into the prepared dish and trim the edges. Transfer to the fridge while preparing the filling.
Place the eggs, sugar, butter and lemon juice and rind, if using, in a bowl and beat until smooth. Pour into the pastry case.
Coarsely grate the apple and distribute evenly over the lemon filling. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the top. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 20–30 minutes, or until the filling is set. Cool for 15 minutes before cutting into slices to serve. This tart can be served warm or cold.
Tip: Wrap any left-over pastry in cling wrap and return to the fridge to use another time to make kiss biscuits (page 225) or lemon cream tarts (page 230).
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine.
APPLE CRUMBLEServes 6
8 cooking apples, such as Granny Smiths or Sturmers
½ cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sugar, to taste
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Crumble
1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
⅔ cup firmly packed brown sugar
80g butter*
cream, gluten-free ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream* (page 204)
Heat the oven to 170°C.
Peel and core the apples and cut into even-sized pieces.
Place the apple in a large saucepan, add the water and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring often, for about 15 minutes, or until the fruit is almost cooked. Mix in the sugar and cook for a few minutes more. Pour into a 20cm casserole or pie dish. Sprinkle on the allspice.
To make the crumble, combine all the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor with the chopping blade fitted. Process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Alternatively, you can rub the butter into the flour and sugar with your fingertips until it resembles breadcrumbs.
Evenly sprinkle the crumble over the top of the apples. Bake for 30 minutes, or until the crumble is crisp and brown.
Serve with cream and gluten-free ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.**
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine.
** Substitute gluten-free soy yoghurt.
Serves 8
1 × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
1¾ cups tinned or homemade stewed or bottled sweetened stewed apricots, puréed
5 teaspoons powdered gelatine
200ml hot water
250g cream cheese, softened
½ cup pure icing sugar
juice of 1 lemon
1 × 375ml tin evaporated milk, chilled
Topping
1¼ cups tinned sweetened stewed apricots, puréed
2 teaspoons powdered gelatine
100ml hot water
Chantilly cream (page 15), mascarpone or vanilla ice cream (page 204), to serve
Heat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin.
Roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour. Trim to form a 20cm disc and press into the base of the prepared tin. (Wrap any excess pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for later use.) Prick pastry several times with a fork. Bake for 12 minutes, or until just cooked through. Cool in the tin.
Place the apricot purée in a bowl. In a separate bowl sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water and whisk to dissolve the gelatine. Mix into the apricot purée, cover the bowl with cling wrap and transfer to the fridge for about 30 minutes, or until half set.
Whisk the cream cheese and icing sugar until smooth, then whisk in the lemon juice.
Pour the chilled evaporated milk into a large bowl and beat until thick. Gradually whisk in the apricot purée mixture, then whisk in the cream cheese mixture until combined. Pour over the pastry base in the tin and place in the fridge for 2 hours, or until set.
To make the topping, pour the apricot purée into a bowl. In a separate bowl, sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water and stir to dissolve. Mix the gelatine into the apricot purée and pour over the set filling. Return the mousse cake to the fridge for about 30 minutes, until the topping is set.
Serve with Chantilly cream, mascarpone, gluten-free ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.
BANANA FRITTERSServes 4—6
Make the batter for these fritters immediately before using.
1 egg white
½ cup maize cornflour
½ teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
pinch of bicarbonate of soda
¼ teaspoon salt
canola oil, for deep-frying
4 bananas
½ cup brown sugar, approximately
vanilla ice cream *(page 204), to serve
Whisk the egg white in a bowl until soft peaks form. Sift in the cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt. Whisk in just a little cold water if necessary to make a smooth batter of coating consistency.
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium–high heat to approximately 180°C. Peel and cut the bananas in half lengthways. Dip each half banana in the batter, shake off the excess, then immerse in batches in the hot oil and deep-fry for 2 minutes, or until the batter is crisp. Drain briefly on a crumpled paper towel.
Sprinkle with a little brown sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream on the side.
Instead of bananas, peel and core 2–3 apples. Cut into rings 8mm thick, dip in the batter and deep-fry as for the banana fritters. Serve sprinkled with a little cinnamon and caster sugar.
Alternatively, use drained rings of pineapple. Serve sprinkled with a little brown sugar or drizzled with maple syrup.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free soy yoghurt.
BLACKBERRY MERINGUE PIEServes 6—8
Each year our friend Richard saves us the trouble of picking blackberries (something I loathe doing) by searching out prime spots around the Tasman peninsula and spending hours picking large bucketfuls for his wife Lesley and me. Robert also picks his share whenever he comes across them in his travels, so between the two of them there are always jars of preserved blackberries—as well as jams, jellies and cordial syrups—lining my pantry shelves.
500g fresh or frozen blackberries
½ cup sugar
4 teaspoons maize cornflour mixed to a paste with ¼ cup cold water
1 × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
1 egg white
Meringue
4 egg whites
¾ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon boiling water
Chantilly cream (page 15), gluten-free ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream (page 204)*, to serve
Bring the blackberries to the boil in a saucepan over low heat. Simmer only until the berries are soft and the juices are flowing. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Bring back to the boil and thicken, stirring constantly, to a custard-type consistency with some or all of the cornflour paste. You may need a little more cornflour paste but use with care—too much will mean losing that wonderful berry zing. The mixture will by its very nature thicken as it cools. Cool for 20 minutes.
Heat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 20cm pie dish.
Roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour. Press into the prepared dish and trim the edges. (Wrap any excess pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for later use.) Brush with the egg white and bake for 15 minutes, or until pale golden brown. Cool, then spoon the blackberry filling into the pastry case.
Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C.
To make the meringue, whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar and boiling water and whisk until thick and glossy.
Spread the meringue mixture evenly over the blackberries, right over and onto the pastry crust edge. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is set and light golden. Stand for at least 20 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with Chantilly cream, gluten-free ice cream or homemade vanilla ice cream.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute with a little gluten-free vanilla or berry soy yoghurt.
Serves 4—6
3 slices gluten-free bread
3 teaspoons softened butter
½ cup currants or sultanas
3 eggs
2 cups milk
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons softened butter, extra
Heat the oven to 140°C. Grease a 20cm casserole dish.
Spread the bread with the butter, cut into 2.5cm squares and place in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the currants or sultanas evenly over the top.
Whisk the eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Pour evenly over the bread mixture. Sprinkle with the nutmeg and dot with the extra butter.
Place the casserole dish into a large baking dish filled with enough water so it is 3cm deep around the casserole dish. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 1–1½ hours, or until the custard is set.
Serves 6
1½ cups sugar
pinch of cream of tartar
¾ cup cold water
4 rounded teaspoons powdered gelatine
½ cup hot water
5 teaspoons instant coffee granules mixed with 1 tablespoon hot water
1 × 375ml tin evaporated milk, chilled
Chantilly cream (page 15) and gluten-free grated chocolate, to decorate
Combine the sugar, cream of tartar and cold water in a small saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes.
Sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water in a small bowl, mix well and allow to stand for 1 minute, then stir into the sugar mixture. Cool, but do not allow to set. Mix in the cooled coffee and water mixture.
In a large bowl whip the evaporated milk until it is thick and creamy. Gradually beat in the cooled gelatine mixture. Pour into a large serving dish or individual serving dishes, place in the fridge and allow to set.
Decorate the top with Chantilly cream and grated gluten-free chocolate.
CUSTARDMakes 750ml approximately
1½ tablespoons maize cornflour
2¼ cups milk*
2 eggs, lightly beaten
¼ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon sugar, extra (optional)
Whisk the cornflour, ¼ cup milk and eggs together until well combined.
Combine the sugar and the remaining milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and whisk in the cornflour mixture until thickened but do not allow it to boil. Mix in the vanilla and extra sugar if needed. Serve immediately over a hot dessert, or on its own.
Tip: A nice simple dessert I enjoyed as a child was this custard minus the eggs, so technically a blancmange, spooned into a bowl with a dollop of raspberry jam in the middle.
VARIATION
Custard Powder Custard
Makes 700ml
Mix the custard powder with ½ cup of the milk to make a smooth paste.
Combine the sugar and the remaining milk in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Whisk in the custard powder paste until thickened.
Note: If the custard is not to be used at once, dust the surface with a light sprinkling of sugar, or cover with cling wrap to stop a skin forming on top.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free soy milk.
** Check packet label to ensure no traces of dairy are present in the custard powder.
FREE-FORM SUMMER FRUIT PIEServes 4—6
250g mixed summer berries (such as raspberries, strawberries, blueberries)
¼ cup water
3 peaches or nectarines
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
½ cup sugar, approximately
1 tablespoon maize cornflour mixed to a paste with ½ cup cold water
Pastry
125g butter*
⅓ cup sugar
1 egg
4 heaped tablespoons gluten-free plain flour
2 heaped tablespoons gluten-free self-raising flour
gluten-free vanilla ice cream** (page 204) or Chantilly cream (page 15), to serve
Combine the berries and water in a saucepan. Peel the peaches, and remove the stones, then cut the peaches or nectarines into eight wedges and add to the pan, together with the apple. Mix in the sugar, bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in some or all of the cornflour paste until the mixture thickens. Add extra sugar if needed.
Heat the oven to 170°C. Grease a deep-sided 18cm pie dish.
Meanwhile, to make the pastry, melt the butter in a small saucepan, remove from heat and whisk in the sugar, then whisk in the egg. Stir in the combined flours to make a soft dough.
Spread two-thirds of the pastry on the base and sides of the pie dish. Pour in the hot fruit, using only enough to come to the edge of the pastry.
Between slightly damp hands, press the remaining pastry into rounds and place over the top of the fruit. You needn’t be fussy about this—the top of the pie generally has a mosaic effect with some of the fruit showing which is very attractive. Bake for 30 minutes, or until pastry is crisp and golden. Cool in the dish for 30 minutes before serving—this allows for easier cutting. Serve with Chantilly cream or gluten-free vanilla ice cream.
Tip: Keep any left-over stewed fruit to serve with yoghurt or ice cream.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine.
** Substitute vanilla or lemon gluten-free soy yoghurt.
Serves 8
This gluten-free pastry is not like regular puff pastry. I prefer this version for its crispy shortness and buttery flavour. Alternatively you could use the Sweet Shortcrust Pastry on page 27, or instead you could use a sheet of gluten-free puff pastry, available at many supermarkets in the freezer section.
Pastry
180g gluten-free plain flour
1 tablespoon pure icing sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
90g butter
1 egg
3 teaspoons lemon juice
Filling
4 cups milk
1 cup sugar
½ cup gluten-free custard powder
¾ cup maize cornflour
4 egg yolks
Topping
1½ cups pouring or thickened cream
2 teaspoons pure icing sugar
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
To make the pastry, combine the flour, icing sugar and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter with the fingertips (or process in a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and lemon juice. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture. Mix with a metal spoon until the dough just comes together (if this is proving awkward, use your hands). Shape the dough into a round, wrap in cling wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat the oven to 190°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.
Roll out half the pastry to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour, pull the dough together if it tends to crack a little. Trim to form a 20cm square and press into the base of the prepared tin. (Wrap any excess pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for later use.) Bake for 8–10 minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool.
To make the filling, combine the milk, sugar, custard powder and cornflour in a saucepan and whisk until smooth. Bring to the boil, whisking constantly, and simmer until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and whisk in the egg yolks. Pour over the pastry base, cover with clingfilm and allow to cool.
To make the topping, whip the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Spread over the cooled custard and sprinkle with the nutmeg. Cut into squares to serve.
Tip: If the tin is lined with a double thickness of baking paper, overlapping the sides, then it is possible to use the paper as handles to lift the slice out. Best of all to use is a 20cm square spring-form tin.
VARIATION
Vanilla Squares
Make as for French Vanilla Squares and add another layer of pastry on top. Roll out the excess pastry to form a 20cm square. Place on a baking paper-lined baking tray, prick several times with a fork and bake at 190°C for 8–10 minutes. Cool. Carefully place the pastry on top of the hot custard filling. I find it is good to use the baking paper to assist with this. If the pastry breaks, don’t worry, it’s going to be covered with icing anyway.
1 tablespoon softened butter
3 cups pure icing sugar
2 tablespoons boiling water, approximately
3 teaspoons gluten-free cocoa powder
Mix the butter and icing sugar with a little boiling water in a small bowl until a thick, spreadable paste forms. Using a hot knife, spread all but 2 tablespoons of the icing over the top layer of pastry.
Stir the cocoa and a few drops of boiling water into the reserved icing to make an icing that is the same consistency as the plain icing. Spoon into a small zip-lock bag, snip a tiny hole in one corner and pipe parallel lines 1cm apart over the plain icing. Immediately pull a skewer across the lines to form a feather pattern, again at 1cm intervals. Allow the icing to set before cutting the slice into squares.
FRUIT FLUMMERYServes 4—6
An oldie but a goodie that’s a great way to get children to eat fruit.
85g packet lemon jelly crystals
1 cup boiling water
1 × 420g tin fruit salad, drained, or 1 cup of cold stewed fruit
fresh fruit salad, to serve
Combine the jelly crystals and water in a bowl, stir to dissolve. Place in the fridge and allow it to half set. Beat with electric beaters until light and fluffy, then fold in the fruit. Pour into a serving dish and chill for 1 hour or until set.
This is particularly nice served with fresh fruit salad, and gluten-free yoghurt.*
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free fruit soy yoghurt.
Serves 12
250g butter, chopped
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
1 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons brandy
180g gluten-free dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
3 eggs
¼ cup gluten-free cocoa powder, sifted
1 cup gluten-free plain flour
1 cup gluten-free self-raising flour
Grand Marnier sauce
300ml pouring or thickened cream
300g gluten-free dark chocolate, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
Chantilly cream (page 15), to serve
Combine the butter, sugar, orange rind and juice, brandy and chocolate in a saucepan over medium heat and stir until the chocolate and butter have melted. Cool for 15 minutes.
Heat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm round cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Grease again.
Whisk the eggs into the chocolate mixture, then add the cocoa and combined flours and continue to whisk until very smooth. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave to stand in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out on a wire rack, remove the baking paper, invert and cool.
To make the Grand Marnier sauce, place the cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Mix in the Grand Marnier.
Serve the warm sauce over slices of the cake with a little Chantilly cream.
The cake is delicious served warm. You can also simply reheat slices for about 10 seconds on High in the microwave.
LATTICED PLUM TARTServes 6—8
700g plums, stones removed
⅓ cup water
½ cup sugar, approximately
4 teaspoons maize cornflour mixed to a paste with ⅓ cup water
1 × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
1 egg white
2 tablespoons pure icing sugar
Chantilly cream* (page 15), mascarpone, gluten-free ice cream or vanilla ice cream* (page 204), to serve
Place the plums and water in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the plums are soft. Add sugar to sweeten to taste. Thicken to a custard-like consistency with some or all of the cornflour paste. Leave to cool completely.
Heat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 23cm pie dish.
Remove one-third of the pastry and set aside. Roll out the remaining two-thirds to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly dusted with gluten-free flour to fit the base of the prepared dish. Press into place (if the pastry breaks during this process, just patch it back together in the dish). Brush all over with the egg white. Fill the pastry case with the cooled plum mixture.
Roll out the reserved pastry to 3mm thick. Cut the pastry into strips and arrange in a lattice pattern over the plum mixture. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the lattice is pale golden brown. Stand for 30 minutes. Sift the icing sugar over the tart, then cut into slices. Serve with Chantilly cream, mascarpone, gluten-free ice cream or vanilla ice cream.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free lemon or vanilla soy yoghurt.
Serves 8—10
½ × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
250g cream cheese, softened
1 × 395g tin sweetened condensed milk
½ cup pouring or thickened cream
juice of 3 lemons
3 teaspoons powdered gelatine
¼ cup hot water
Berry coulis
500g mixed raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, blueberries
90g sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Chantilly cream (page 15), to serve
Heat the oven to 160°C. Grease a 20cm round springform cake tin.
Roll out the pastry to 4mm thicknes on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour. Trim to form a 20cm disc and press into the base of the prepared tin. Prick several times with a fork and bake for 10 minutes, or until just cooked through. Cool. Wrap any scraps of pastry in clingflim and place in the fridge for later use.
Combine the cream cheese, condensed milk, cream and lemon juice in a bowl and whisk until smooth.
Sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a separate bowl and stir until dissolved. Whisk into the cream cheese mixture. Allow to stand for 5 minutes, then pour over the cooled pastry base. Place in the fridge for about 2 hours to set.
To make the berry coulis, combine the berries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan over low heat, bring to the boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Press through a sieve and cool.
Drizzle the berry coulis over slices of the cheesecake and serve with a little Chantilly cream.
Serves 6—8
1 × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
1 × 395g tin sweetened condensed milk
½ cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
4 egg yolks
Meringue
4 egg whites
¾ cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon boiling water
Chantilly cream (page 15) or gluten-free vanilla ice cream (page 204), to serve
Heat the oven to 190°C. Grease a 20cm pie dish.
Roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour. Press into the prepared dish and trim the edges. (Wrap any excess pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for later use.) Prick the pastry in several places with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cooked. Cool.
Whisk the condensed milk, lemon juice and rind and egg yolks in a bowl until well combined and smooth. Pour over the pastry case. Return to the oven, reduce temperature to 150°C and bake for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the meringue, beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the sugar and boiling water and beat until thick and glossy.
Reduce the oven temperature to 120°C.
Spread the meringue evenly and decoratively over the lemon filling, making sure it reaches right to the edge of the dish. Return the pie to the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is set and light golden. Stand for 20 minutes, then cut into slices to serve.
Serve with Chantilly cream or gluten-free vanilla ice cream.
LEMON SAGOServes 4—6
90g sago (tapioca seed)
600ml water
90g sugar
juice and finely grated rind of 1 large lemon
1 generous tablespoon golden syrup
gluten-free vanilla ice cream* (page 204), to serve
Place the sago and water in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes, or until the sago is clear. Remove from heat, stir in the sugar, then mix in the lemon juice and rind and golden syrup. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free lemon or vanilla soy yoghurt.
Serves 8
300ml pouring or thickened cream
350g gluten-free dark chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 tablespoons brandy
½ × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
1 egg white, lightly whisked
1 cup pouring or thickened cream
1½ teaspoons pure icing sugar
250g strawberries, hulled
Pour the cream into a saucepan and bring to the boil. Remove from heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Mix in the brandy. Cool, but do not allow it to set.
Grease a 20cm tart tin.
Roll out the pastry to 3mm thickness on a surface lightly floured with gluten-free plain flour. Press into the prepared tin and trim the edges. (Wrap any left-over pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for later use.) Brush with the egg white, prick all over with a fork. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat oven to 200°C and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until pale golden. Cool.
Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the pastry crust. Place in the fridge for about 2 hours to set.
Meanwhile, beat the cream and icing sugar in a bowl until soft peaks form. Spread the cream over the chocolate filling and decorate with the strawberries.
MERINGUE NESTSMakes approximately 18
These take only a few minutes to beat, and are then put in the oven to cook very slowly, without needing any attention to speak of. When completely dried out, they can be cooled and stored unfilled in an airtight container for several days at least. They are excellent to have on hand to make into a quick dessert or afternoon tea for visiting friends.
2 egg whites
1 cup caster sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons boiling water
Chantilly cream* (page 15) and fruit, to serve
Heat the oven on to 120°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl and beat until very thick and glossy.
To form the base of the nests, pipe 8cm rounds, allowing a little space for spreading, onto the prepared trays. Then pipe around the outer edge of each base to form the wall of the nest. Place in the oven, immediately reduce temperature to 100°C and bake for 30–45 minutes, or until completely dry.
To serve, fill with Chantilly cream and top with fruit. Berry fruits are especially nice. Try a little sweetened strained fruit purée on the side.
To make meringue discs, draw circles on baking paper using a cookie cutter or glass as a guide. Place the paper upside down on baking trays and pipe the meringue mixture over the circles. Bake for 15 minutes, or until dry. Cool on a wire rack. Sandwich 2 discs together with Chantilly cream** 15 minutes before serving.
Add a little red food colouring while beating the meringue mixture, then pipe small mounds onto baking paper-lined baking trays and bake for 15–20 minutes. When cold, join the pretty pink meringues with a little Chantilly cream flavoured with jam or berries.
After beating up the mixture, my grandmother used to pipe half the mixture as white meringues, then colour the other half of the mixture pink and pipe the rest. Once cooked and cooled, she would sandwich one white and one pink meringue together with a little Chantilly cream.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free vanilla soy yoghurt.
** Cannot use a soy-yoghurt substitute to join the meringues.
MINI STICKY DATE PUDDINGS WITH BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE AND CINNAMON CREAMMakes 15
1½ cups chopped pitted dates
1 cup sugar
1 cup water
1½ tablespoons butter*
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
3 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour
1½ teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
Butterscotch sauce**
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
150ml pouring or thickened cream
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
60g butter
Cinnamon cream***
1 cup pouring or thickened cream
2 teaspoons pure icing sugar
½–1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Heat the oven to 170°C. Grease fifteen ½-cup capacity muffin tins.
Combine the dates, sugar, water and butter in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Cool for 10 minutes, then mix in the eggs, flour and baking powder with a metal spoon. Fill the prepared muffin tins until two-thirds full. Bake for 15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of a pudding comes out clean.
To make the butterscotch sauce, place all the ingredients in a saucepan, bring to the boil, stirring, and simmer for 5 minutes.
To make the cinnamon cream, whip the cream and sugar until soft peaks form. Whisk in the cinnamon.
Serve the puddings warm with the butterscotch sauce and a little cinnamon cream.
Tip: Left-over puddings make good lunch box treats.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine.
** Not suitable for conversion to dairy-free.
*** Substitute with cinnamon yoghurt by mixing 1 cup gluten-free vanilla or fruit soy yoghurt with ½–1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
NEVER-FAIL PAVLOVAServes 6—8
I have never, ever had this recipe fail, nor has anyone to whom I have given it. This pavlova has a lovely marshmallow filling and a snow-white, crispy crust.
3 egg whites
cups caster sugar
1½ teaspoon cider vinegar (not malt vinegar)
1 teaspoon maize cornflour
2 tablespoons boiling water
Chantilly cream* (page 15), fresh berries and seasonal fruit, to serve
Heat the oven to 130°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper.
Place all the ingredients except for the cream and fruit in a large bowl and beat until very stiff peaks form. Test by slowly turning the bowl upside down—the mixture should not move. Pile the mixture onto the prepared tray and shape into an 18cm round. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 90°C and bake for 45 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray.
Serve topped with Chantilly cream and fresh berries and seasonal fruit.
Dairy-free option
* Instead, spread the pavlova with gluten-free fruit or vanilla soy yoghurt.
PINEAPPLE MERINGUE PANCAKE PARCELSServes 6—8
1 batch pancakes (page 24)
Filling
60g butter*
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 × 450g tin crushed pineapple in natural juice, undrained
1 tablespoon maize cornflour mixed to a paste with ½ cup cold water
Meringue
1 egg white
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon boiling water
gluten-free vanilla ice cream** (page 204), to serve
Heat the oven to 120°C. Line two baking trays with baking paper.
To make the filling, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Mix in the lemon rind and juice and pineapple. Bring to the boil, thicken with the cornflour paste and simmer for 2 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes.
Place the pancakes on a board and spoon about 2 tablespoons of filling into the centre of each pancake and fold, enclosing the mixture, to form a parcel. Transfer the parcels to the trays, allowing ample room between the parcels.
To make the meringue, place all the ingredients in a bowl adding the boiling water last, and beat until stiff peaks form.
Cover each pancake parcel with an even coating of the meringue and swirl decoratively with a knife or spatula. Bake for 10 minutes, or until the meringue is set and pale golden. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute dairy-free margarine.
** Substitute with gluten-free lemon soy yoghurt.
RASPBERRY AND BLUEBERRY MUFFINS WITH BERRY COULISMakes 15
3 eggs 1 cup sugar
1 cup milk*
2 cups gluten-free self-raising flour
finely grated rind of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
125g butter**, melted
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
Berry coulis***
1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar
1 cup pouring or thickened cream
Heat the oven to 180°C. Line fifteen ½-cup capacity muffin tins with paper cases.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until well combined. Add the milk, flour, lemon rind and juice, baking powder and butter and mix well. Gently fold in the berries. Spoon into the paper cases until two-thirds full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until cooked through. Stand in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
Meanwhile, to make the berry cream, place the blueberries, lemon juice, water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes by which time the berries will be softened. Cool. Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then fold in ½ cup of the cooled berry mixture. Strain the rest of the mixture through a sieve to make a berry coulis.
To serve, cut a slice from the top of each muffin, fill with 2 teaspoons of the berry cream, then replace the lid. Drizzle a little of the berry mixture over and around each muffin.
Dairy-free option
* Substitute gluten-free soy milk.
** Substitute dairy-free margarine.
*** Instead of making berry cream, mix ½ cup berry mixture through 1 cup of gluten-free lemon soy yoghurt. Serve to the side of the muffins rather than filling them.
Serves 6—8
6 eggs
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons gluten-free cocoa powder
2 tablespoons gluten-free self-raising flour
1 tablespoon hot milk
125g gluten-free dark chocolate, melted
Coffee hazelnut cream
1 cup thickened or pouring cream
3 teaspoons pure icing sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules mixed with 2 teaspoons hot water
½ cup hazelnut meal
sifted pure icing sugar, to serve
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm × 30cm Swiss roll tin, line the base and sides with baking paper and grease again.
Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl until pale and thick. Sift the cocoa and flour together and fold into the egg mixture. Drizzle the hot milk down the inside of the bowl and fold in with the melted chocolate. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 12–15 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Meanwhile, place a piece of baking paper slightly larger than the tin on a large board. Turn the hot roulade out onto the paper-lined board. Peel off the baking paper from the roulade and discard. Quickly roll up the roulade, incorporating the new piece of baking paper. Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and place on a wire rack to cool.
To make the coffee hazelnut cream, whisk the cream, icing sugar and coffee liquid until soft peaks form. Mix in the hazelnut meal, check for sweetness and add extra icing sugar, if desired.
Unroll the cooled roulade, remove the baking paper and spread the coffee hazelnut cream evenly over the inner surface. Re-roll and sprinkle with the sifted icing sugar.
VARIATION
Substitute ¼ cup strained berry jam for the coffee, and replace the hazelnut meal with fresh berries.
Serves 6—8
¾ cup raisins, chopped
3 tablespoons rum
5 eggs, separated
1 cup sifted pure icing sugar
2 teaspoons golden syrup
1¾ cups pouring or thickened cream
1½ tablespoons gluten-free cocoa powder
pinch of powdered gelatine
Combine the raisins and rum in a small bowl, cover and stand for 2 hours or overnight.
Beat the egg whites and icing sugar in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and golden syrup until well combined. In a third bowl, whisk the cream, cocoa and gelatine until soft peaks form.
Whisk the egg yolk mixture and the cream mixture into the egg white mixture, then fold in the rum and raisins. Pour into ice cream trays, cover with cling wrap and place in the freezer (set to coldest temperature) for 6–8 hours.
Tip: At serving time, allow to stand at room temperature for 5–10 minutes to slightly soften.
Serves 6—8
1 × 85g packet gluten-free red jelly crystals
1½ cups boiling water
8 tinned or bottled apricot halves, juice reserved
6 slices Swiss roll (page 244)
2 tablespoons sherry
2¼ cups milk
3 tablespoons gluten-free custard powder
¼ cup sugar
1½ cups pouring or thickened cream
2 teaspoons pure icing sugar
30g gluten-free dark chocolate, grated
Combine the jelly crystals and water in a heatproof bowl and stir until the crystals are dissolved. Place in the fridge for about 40 minutes to cool and half set.
Drain the apricots, reserving ¼ cup of the apricot juice, and slice.
Line the base and sides of a 4-cup capacity serving bowl with the Swiss roll slices. Sprinkle with the sherry and ⅓ cup of the reserved apricot juice. Arrange the apricot slices on top, then pour on the half set jelly. Place in the fridge for 40 minutes, or until set.
Meanwhile, to make the custard, bring 2 cups of the milk to the boil. Mix the custard powder with the remaining milk and whisk into the boiling milk until the custard thickens. Stir in the sugar until dissolved. Taste and add extra sugar if desired. Remove from heat, cover the surface of the custard with cling wrap and leave to cool completely. When cool, pour the custard over the set jelly.
Whisk the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks and spread over the custard. Sprinkle the chocolate over the top and place in the fridge until serving time.
VARIATIONS
Tinned or bottled peach slices can be used instead of the apricots.
Use more or less sherry to taste, or if making the trifle for children, substitute the sherry with the equivalent amount of fruit juice.
Top the trifle with chopped seasonal fruits or berries in place of the chocolate.
SOYCCINO MOUSSE WITH WHISKY SAUCEServes 4—6
Mousse
1¼ cups sugar
1 cup water
1½ tablespoons powdered gelatine
½ cup hot water
1 × 375ml tin evaporated soy milk, chilled
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
Whisky custard
1½ cups soy milk
¼ cup sugar
4 rounded teaspoons gluten-free custard powder mixed to a paste with ¼ cup soy milk
1 tablespoon whisky
¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg
To make the mousse, place the sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 4 minutes. Sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water and stir to dissolve. Mix into the sugar mixture. Cool. Place evaporated soy milk in a bowl and beat for 5 minutes with an electric beater, then beat in the cooled sugar and gelatine mixture together with the coffee powder.
Place in the fridge for 30 minutes or until set.
Remove the mousse from the fridge and beat with electric beaters until the mixture thickens. Pour into a serving dish or individual serving glasses, and return to the fridge for about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, to make the whisky custard, combine the soy milk and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Thicken with the custard powder paste, test for sweetness and add more sugar, if preferred. Stir in the whisky. Place cling wrap over the surface of the custard (to prevent a skin forming) and allow to cool to room temperature.
Spoon the whisky custard over the soyccino mousse and sprinkle with the cinnamon or nutmeg. Place in the fridge until serving time.
SUMMER PUDDINGServes 6—8
12 slices gluten-free bread, crusts removed*
800g mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, loganberries
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
Chantilly cream (page 15) or mascarpone**, to serve
Cut each slice of bread in half diagonally. Line the base and sides of a 20cm casserole dish with two-thirds of the bread triangles.
Place the berries and water in a saucepan over low heat and bring to just below boiling point. Mix in the sugar, adding more if needed, then stir until the sugar dissolves. Strain some of the mixture through a sieve into a jug until you have 1 cup of liquid and set aside. Return the rest of the mixture to the saucepan.
Spoon the berry mixture into the dish to cover the bread. Place the remaining triangles of bread on top, then pour over the reserved berry liquid. Cover the dish with cling wrap and place in the fridge for several hours or overnight.
Serve with sweetened whipped cream or mascarpone.
Dairy-free option
* Use dairy-free gluten-free bread.
** Substitute gluten-free berry soy yoghurt.
SWEDISH PANCAKESMakes approximately 12
3 eggs
1½ cups milk*
2 teaspoons lemon juice
125g gluten-free plain flour
¼ teaspoon salt
90g butter, melted**
30g butter extra, for greasing***
500g berries (any sort)
¼ cup water
½ cup sugar
¼ cup pure icing sugar, sifted
gluten-free vanilla ice cream (page 204), to serve
Combine the eggs, milk, lemon juice, flour, salt and melted butter in a bowl and whisk until very smooth. For ease of handling, pour the mixture into a jug.
Grease the base of a large frying pan, heat over medium–high heat and pour in about 2 tablespoons of the batter. Tilt the pan to spread the batter to form a thin pancake about 8cm in diameter. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown. Flip over with a broad spatula and cook briefly for about 1 minute on the other side. Repeat with the remaining batter. Stack pancakes one on top of the other on a plate and keep warm.
Meanwhile, combine the berries and water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the sugar, stir, then simmer for 5 minutes.
Place a pancake on a serving plate and spoon some of the berry mixture over half, fold the other half over so the berries are enclosed. Place another pancake on the serving plate and repeat, so that there are two pancakes for each serve. Drizzle a little extra berry mixture around the pancakes, sprinkle with the icing sugar and serve with a dollop of gluten-free vanilla ice cream.
VARIATION 1****
To make a simple canapé, mix 250g softened cream cheese with ½ cup cream or crème fraîche, 3 teaspoons lemon juice and 1 tablespoon finely chopped dill. Spread this mixture over the cooled pancakes, top with a slice of smoked salmon, roll up, Swiss roll style, and cut into 2cm slices. Arrange, cut side up, on a tray, and garnish with a little cream cheese mixture, a sprig of dill and some salmon roe.
VARIATION 2
For a delicious sweet snack, drizzle the pancakes with a little lemon juice, sprinkle with sugar and roll up.
Dairy-free options
* Substitute gluten-free soy milk or half soy milk and half water.
** Substitute dairy-free margarine.
*** Substitute gluten-free soy yoghurt.
**** This variation is not suitable for conversion to dairy-free.
Serves 8—10
½ × quantity sweet shortcrust pastry (page 27)
300g golden syrup
150ml pouring or thickened cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ cups fresh gluten-free breadcrumbs
⅔ cup almond meal
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Chantilly cream (page 15) or mascarpone, to serve
Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease a 20cm pie dish.
Place the pastry on a surface that has been lightly dusted with gluten-free flour and roll out to a 3mm thickness. Press into the prepared dish and trim the edges.
Melt the golden syrup in a saucepan over low heat. Whisk in the cream and then the egg. Fold in the breadcrumbs, almond meal and lemon juice. Pour into the unbaked pastry case.
Bake for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 160°C and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until the filling is set. Serve with Chantilly cream or mascarpone.
Makes approximately 850ml
4 eggs, separated
1 cup pure icing sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons golden syrup
3 drops vanilla essence
1¼ cups whipped cream
Beat the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. Add the icing sugar and beat until thick and glossy.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks, golden syrup and vanilla until pale and thick. Fold into the sweetened egg white mixture, then fold in the whipped cream.
Pour into ice-cream trays (or a 2L plastic ice-cream container), cover surface of ice cream with clingfilm and freeze until set.
VARIATION
Berry Ice Cream
Bring 1 cup of strawberries or raspberries and ⅓ cup sugar to the boil. Thicken with 2 teaspoons of cornflour mixed to a paste with a little cold water. Cool completely. When the vanilla ice cream is almost set, swirl in the cooled berry mixture and return to the freezer. Any type of berry or a combination can be used.