Cheesie Butteries

I lived in Aberdeen in the north east of Scotland for 6 years on and off and discovered the delights of Butteries, otherwise known as Aberdeen Butteries and Rowies, very quickly!

These were a breakfast treat and hard to find anywhere else in Scotland at the time.

Unfortunatley, being coeliac, Butteries had to leave my life for a while but I think, with this  gluten free option I’m as close as I will get to them!

Think a cross between a scone and buttery pastry with a little added cheese and you have this cheesie delight!

Makes 12

Ingredients

150g glutinous rice flour

75g chickpea/ besan flour

1 tablespoon gluten free baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

75g butter, cubed small

200g Cheddar cheese grated

175-200ml milk

A little extra rice flour to dust with

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Centigrade.

Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, combine the rice flour, chickpea flour, salt and baking powder.

Add the butter and rub in until the mix resembles breadcrumbs.

Mix in the grated cheese and make a well in the centre.

Add 175mls of milk, and gently bring together to form a dough. If it is still crumbly, add  more milk.

Flour your work surface with rice flour and flatten the dough with floured hands until its around 2cm thick. Cut out rounds and repeat, re forming the dough as you go.

Bake in the pre heated oven for 7-10 mins until golden.

Eat as soon as they are cool enough!

 

 

TexMex Jalapeño and Mozzarella Stuffed Meatballs

These are a cross between Texan sausage balls and a stuffed Italian meatballs but it does work, trust me!

These are gluten free as the breadcrumb mix is based very loosely on the American style biscuit mix but using masa lista and rice flour instead, this mix makes a much lighter meatball, as if it is full of wheat breadcrumbs!

The oven has to be hot to ensure the outside of the ball seals before the mozzarella melts!

Makes 20, serves 6.

Ingredients

50g masa lista, Mexican corn flour

75g glutinous rice flour

1 tablespoon gluten free baking powder

50g butter

1 tablespoon smoked paprika

3 tablespoons dried oregano

1-2 teaspoons chipotle chilli powder

salt and pepper

200g Cheddar, grated

1kg minced pork

20 mini fresh mozzarella balls

10 slices jalapeño chilli, pickled or fresh

Method

In a large bowl, measure the flours and baking powder, add the cubed butter.

Rub the butter into the flours until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Add the smoked paprika, oregano, chipotle powder, salt, pepper and grated cheese.

Mix well and then add the minced pork, using your hands, squish the meat through the flour and cheese mix until completely combined.

Divide the meat into 20 portions.

Flatten a portion and stuff with a mozzarella ball and half a slice of jalapeño. Form into a ball ensuring a good seal. Repeat with the remaining meat.

Set the meatballs aside in a fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees Centigrade.

Line a baking sheet with baking parchment.

Bake the meatballs for 20-25mins until golden.

Chocolate Cake with Black Beans

Super moist and very moreish, this cake is a cunningly disguised gluten free cake using black beans to help it hold it’s shape!

I buy black beans dry and normally cook around 500g at a time which means I always have cooked beans in the fridge. Super for all Mexican food, they also lend themselves to GF baking, however, I tend to only use them in chocolate based baking, otherwise the boys would spot the skins!

I don’t ice our every day cakes and this one certainly doesn’t need to be iced so I just sieve a little icing sugar over the top.

If you wanted to serve this as a gluten free dessert or pudding, serve warm with some cream poured over the top or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

150g caster sugar

150g butter, at room temperature

3 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

200g cooked black beans

30g cocoa

100g tapioca, arrowroot, flour

100g glutinous, sticky, rice flour

1 tablespoon gluten free baking powder

100g milk chocolate, broken into squares

1 tablespoon icing sugar, sieved over the top of the cooled cake

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

Grease and line the base of a 20cm cake tin.

Using a food processor, cream the sugar and butter until pale.

Add the eggs a little at a time with the motor running.

Add the vanilla, beans, cocoa, flours, baking powder and chocolate.

Process until the chocolate has been chopped finely.

Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 mins.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10 mins before removing the tin and baking parchment and cooling completely on a wire rack.

 

Peach Frangipane Cake

Peaches are in season again so we have been having them in everything from salsas and salad to cakes and muffins.

This cake is gluten free but looks and tastes like a regular cake I think. By placing the fruit on the bottom I don’t have to worry about it sinking either!

This cake can be jazzed up with a dollop of double cream to make it more of a dessert if desired with maybe a little fruit salad on the side.

Ingredients

150g butter, at room temperature

150g caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

200g ground almonds

80g tapioca, arrowroot flour

80g glutinous, sticky rice flour

1 tablespoon gluten free baking powder

2 peaches, cut in to thin wedges, around 18-20 per peach

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Centigrade.

Grease and line the base of a 23cm spring form tin.

Lay the peach slices on the base of the prepared tin.

Cream the butter and sugar until pale.

Slowly add the egg, followed by the vanilla.

Add the almonds, flours and baking powder, mix well and spoon on top of the peaches.

Level the cake batter.

Place in the oven, middle shelf, and bake for 40mins.

Allow to cool for 20mins in the tin.

Turn over, fruit side up, onto a cooling rack, remove the cake tin base and paper.

Allow to cool completely.

Quiche Lorraine

I love quiche and just because I have Coeliacs I don’t see why I should miss out!

So, gluten free pastry. Basically forget everything you know about regular pastry, I don’t roll this out, it’s too sticky, think more along the lines of a rustic tart, that way any wonky edges can be explained away! As sticky as this can get it does make lovely “short” pastry, I have given it to friends and nobody picked up on it being gluten free.

If you would rather regular pastry use, 175g flour, 100g butter and 1 egg yolk.

I always double this recipe as these quiches freeze really really well, ideal for lunch boxes and picnics at a later date, I even tend to make the spare quiche in a long rectangular tin, the slices fit more easily in the lunch boxes.

Makes one quiche, I use a 23x 3cm fluted edge tin. Serves 6-8.

Ingredients

Pastry

75g glutinous, sticky, rice flour, plus extra

75g buckwheat flour

75g fine corn polenta

150g butter, salted, cubed

1 egg

1-2 tablespoons water

Filling

3 eggs, beaten

150mls cream

200mls sour cream

150g Gruyere cheese, 125g cubed, 1cm,  25g finely grated

200g speck or bacon, cubed, 0.5cm

a little freshly grated nutmeg

salt and pepper

Method

Process the flours and polenta.

Add the cubed butter and pulse until forming breadcrumbs.

Beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water.

With the motor running, add the egg to the flour.

Give it a minute to come together, if it isn’t, add the remaining water.

Allow the processor to bring the dough together a little.

Take a large piece of plastic wrap, lay it on your work surface, sprinkle with a little more rice flour.

Scoop the pastry onto the prepared plastic wrap, sprinkle with a little more rice flour and top with another large piece of plastic wrap, forming the dough into a large disc.

Pop in the fridge for 30mins.

Cook the cubed meat in a frying pan with no added fat, set aside to cool on some kitchen towel.

Remove the pastry from the fridge, break off small pieces and start pressing them into the tin, I tend to do the base first and then work up the sides.

Return to the fridge for 30mins.

Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Centigrade.

You need to blind  bake the pastry first so, line the inside of the pastry, where your filling will go, with a piece of baking parchment and pour on a layer of baking beans or dry rice.

Bake for 15 mins.

Remove from the oven and gently lift out the paper and beans/rice.

Cover the base of the quiche with the cubed cheese followed by the cooked bacon.

In a jug, whisk the eggs, cream and sour cream, add the nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Place the quiche tin on a baking sheet. Move it onto your stove top, so it is nice and close to the oven, less spills!

Fill gently with the egg mixture and top with the grated cheese.

Place in the oven and bake for 25mins.

Remove once golden and puffy, it will sink back down.

Allow to cool a little before serving.

Gluten Free Chocolate and Coconut Muffins

Light gluten free muffins with a little coconut to help them keep their shape!

The boys love them as a school lunch treat!

This recipe makes 12 muffins.

Ingredients

80g tapioca/arrowroot flour

80g glutinous rice flour

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

150g brown sugar

100g desiccated coconut

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

2 eggs, beaten

140mls milk

140mls vegetable oil

Method

Preheat the oven to 170degrees Centigrade.

Line a twelve hole muffin tin with paper cases.

In a food processor, measure in the flours, cocoa, sugar, coconut, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.

Give it a whizz to get some air into it.

Add the eggs and then with the motor running, add the milk and oil.

You will have quite a runny batter! Don’t panic!

Now pour into the prepared cases.

Bake for 20mins until risen.

Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Gluten Free Potato Scones

Tattie scones, as they are called in Scotland.

I have a soft spot for these! Delicious for breakfast with an egg, served with soup or  use as a gluten free base for canapés.

The scones have a very mild flavour but you can zip them up a bit, fresh chopped chilli or some smoked paprika both work well.

Makes 6 10cm diameter scones.

Ingredients

400g mashed, cooked potatoes

80g glutinous rice flour

40g butter, melted

1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder

pinch of salt

Method

In a large bowl mash the potatoes.

Add the flour and baking powder, using a fork mix through, mashing as you go.

Add the butter and salt and mix to form a dough.

Heat a large non stick frying pan over a medium heat.

Line the work surface with a piece of baking parchment.

Sprinkle the parchment with a little rice flour.

Gently, using your hand, flatten the dough to around 1cm thickness.

Use a cookie cutter to cut circles in the dough.

Cook the scones in the dry pan until golden brown.

Keep warm and serve or allow to cool on a cooling rack.

 

Gluten Free Shortbread

It took a fair bit of trial and error to make my favourite shortbread taste like the wheat version.

Normally, egg yolks are not used in shortbread but with the flours here you really need the yolk both to bring the dough together and to add a little colour to the very white flours.

Glutinous rice can be found at Asian food stores and just double check your cornflour is wheat free!

I use salted butter as I would for wheat shortbread.

Makes 24

Ingredients

220g butter, salted, at room temperature

110g caster sugar

200g glutinous rice flour

120g cornflour

2 egg yolks

Method

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Centigrade.

Line two baking sheets with baking parchment.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar and egg yolks until light and fluffy.

Sieve the flours over the butter mix and mix well to form a dough.

Roll into walnut sized balls and place on the prepared baking sheet.

Using a fork, gently press down a little.

Bake in the oven for 30mins.

Allow to cool slightly on the baking sheet, then gently move to a baking rack to cool completely.