Nigella Lawson has called Becky Excell the "queen of gluten-free baking" so who better to help turn your kitchen into your personal gluten-free bakery? And what's more, one where the food doesn't tastes gluten free!
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Excell has spent years developing delicious recipes and sharing them with her followers on Instagram and via her blog, glutenfreecuppatea.co.uk. Now she's released her book, How to Make Anything Gluten Free.
She is here to show you that a gluten-free life can be exciting and simple, without having to miss out on your favourite bakes ever again. Ever ordered dessert and ended up with fruit salad? Ever walked into a bakery and realised you can only eat the napkins? Or (worst of all) ever experienced the awkward moment of not being able to eat your own birthday cake?! Well, this book is here to change all that - for good.
Banana upside down cake
Now this is a recipe all about how my banana cake got flipped, turned upside down. If you didn't get that reference, just pretend my previous sentence was only a rather strange statement of fact. With sticky, gooey, caramelised bananas on top of an incredibly light and moist sponge cake, packed with chocolate chips, all that's left to do is serve with vanilla ice cream and dig in.
For the topping
50g (3 1/2 tbsp) butter, softened
50g (1/4 cup) light brown sugar
2 to 3 ripe bananas
For the sponge
100g (1/2 cup minus 1 tsp) butter, softened
100g (1/2 cup) light brown sugar
2 medium eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maple syrup
100g (3/4 cup) gluten-free self-raising (self-rising) flour
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
50g (13/4oz) chocolate chips (optional)
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160°C fan / 180°C / 350°F.
- For the topping, grab a medium mixing bowl, add the butter and sugar, and cream together until light and fluffy. Spoon into a 20cm (8in) cake tin (pan) and spread the mixture all over the base and up the sides too. Slice your bananas lengthwise and place across the base - as many as will fit.
- For the sponge, grab a large mixing bowl and cream together your butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Crack in the eggs, then add the vanilla, maple syrup, flour and baking powder and mix until well combined. Lastly, fold in your chocolate chips, if using.
- Pour the mixture over your bananas and spread it out so it's nice and even on top. Bake in the oven for 30-35 minutes until cooked through and golden on top.
- Remove from the oven and allow to sit in the tin for around 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate - it's ready to serve immediately. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream, or enjoy cold.
TIP: You can always switch up your toppings from bananas to canned pineapple or sliced pears.
Serves 8-10.
Mini ricotta fried doughnuts
This is, by far, my easiest and quickest fried doughnut recipe - simply mix up the batter, fry and enjoy, no yeast, proving or dough shaping necessary. Also no, these don't taste like cheese. The ricotta gives these a pillowy soft, light and springy middle, yet with a golden, crisp exterior thanks to the frying process. Roll in granulated sugar for that distinctive doughnut-like finish and serve with jam for dipping.
250g (1 cup plus 2 tbsp) ricotta
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
45g (1/4 cup minus 1 tsp) caster (superfine) sugar
105g (3/4 cup plus 2 tsp) gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
To finish and serve
Granulated sugar, for coating
Raspberry or strawberry jam, for dipping
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, mix your ricotta, eggs, vanilla and sugar together until combined and smooth (I use an electric hand whisk for this).
- In a medium mixing bowl, mix the flour, xanthan gum and baking powder, then add it to the main bowl. Mix until well combined, then chill the batter in the fridge while you heat your oil.
- Half-fill a large, deep, heavy-based saucepan with vegetable oil and place over a medium heat for 15 minutes or until it reaches 170°C (340°F). If you don't have a digital food thermometer, check the temperature of the oil using the wooden spoon test
- Cover a large plate with granulated sugar and set aside.
- Remove the doughnut batter from the fridge. Use an ice cream scoop to transfer a portion of the batter straight into the hot oil - it should gently sizzle. Scoop in as many portions of batter as will comfortably fit into your pan without them touching, and fry for 2-4 minutes, turning regularly until golden and puffy on both sides.
- Remove from the oil using a slotted spoon and place on the plate of sugar to coat all over, then transfer to a wire rack to cool briefly. Repeat with the rest of your batter. Serve with strawberry or raspberry jam as a dip.
Making it lactose-free? Or low FODMAP? Make your own lactose-free ricotta cheese. Simply take 2 litres (8 1/2 cups) of lactose-free whole milk and bring to the boil in a large pan. Once bubbling, add 80ml (1/3 cup) of white wine vinegar and 1 tsp of salt and stir in, then remove from the heat. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove all the solid parts from the pan, transfer them to a colander and allow to drain for 30 minutes. Use in this recipe as directed.
Makes 10-15 mini doughtnuts.
Millionaire's shortbread
If I had my own bakery, gluten-free millionaire's shortbread would most definitely be on sale all day, every day ... unless I accidentally ate all of the stock myself, which is a possibility. This is a reader favourite from the blog that so many of you have tried, tested and loved, so it certainly earned its place here in my second book. Feel free to blind taste test this one on muggles - nobody would ever notice the difference.
For the shortbread base
200g (3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
100g (1/2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
300g (2 1/4 cups) gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
For the caramel layer
185g (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp) butter
35g (3 tbsp) golden caster (superfine) sugar
65g (3 tbsp) golden syrup
1 x 397g (14oz) can of condensed milk
For the chocolate topping
200g (7oz) milk chocolate
80g (3oz) white chocolate
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160°C fan/180°C/350°F. Grease a 23cm (9in) square baking tin (pan) and line it with non-stick baking parchment, leaving a little overhang to help you remove them from the tin later.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together your butter and sugar until light and pale (I prefer to use an electric hand whisk or a stand mixer for this). Mix in the flour and xanthan gum, then use your hands to bring the dough together into a ball - it might be slightly crumbly at this point, but that's fine.
- Press your dough into your prepared tin, pushing it right into the corners and trying to make it flat and even. Prick the top all over with a fork and bake in the oven for 20-22 minutes until slightly golden on top. Set aside to cool.
- For your caramel layer, place all the ingredients in a small saucepan over a low-medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and the sugar to dissolve, then mix well to ensure it doesn't stick to the bottom and is all well combined. Turn the heat up so the mixture starts to bubble a little, and keep stirring continuously for about 5-8 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and developed into a dark, golden colour.
- Pour your caramel on top of your cooled shortbread layer, spreading it so that it's level and even. Place in the fridge to set for at least 2 hours. Once chilled, remove from the fridge, ready to add the final layer.
- In two separate small bowls, melt both chocolates. You can do this in the microwave (mixing in between short bursts) or in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of boiling water, without letting the water touch the bowl, and stirring until melted.
- First, pour the milk chocolate all over the top of the set caramel layer. Spread it out in an even layer, right to the edges. Quickly spoon big dollops of white chocolate on top and use a skewer to create a swirly pattern. It's important to work quickly with the white chocolate as the milk chocolate will begin to set as soon as it hits the cold caramel.
- Place back in the fridge for around 1 hour and 30 minutes, until the chocolate has fully set.
- Remove the millionaires from the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to cut it (to prevent the chocolate top from cracking). Remove it from the tin and, using a large knife warmed in hot water, cut into 9 large or 16 smaller squares.
- Store in an airtight container or freeze for 2-3 months.
Making it lactose-free, dairy-free or vegan? Visit my blog (glutenfreecuppatea.co.uk), search for vegan millionaire's shortbread recipe and your prayers shall be answered.
Makes 9 large or 16 small.
Triple cheese and onion quiche
Once you've made your pastry, you actually only need six simple ingredients to mix together the filling ... and three of those are just different types of cheese. The pastry is light and golden (no soggy bottoms in sight) and the classic combo of cheese and onion won't fail to put a smile on your face.
1 quantity of ultimate gluten-free shortcrust pastry (below)
Gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting
240ml (1 cup) double (heavy) cream
3 large eggs
1 tsp salt
Pinch of ground black pepper
1 bunch (about 130g/41/2oz) spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
50g (13/4oz) extra-mature cheddar, grated
50g (13/4oz) parmesan, grated
50g (13/4oz) comté, grated
Method
- Preheat your oven to 180°C fan/200°C/400°F. Place a large baking sheet in the oven to heat up. Remove your chilled pastry dough from the fridge. If it feels really firm, leave it out at room temperature briefly before rolling it.
- Lightly flour your rolling pin.
- On a sheet of non-stick baking parchment, roll out the dough into a large circle, 2mm (1/16in) thick.
- Transfer the pastry to a 23cm (9in) loose-bottomed fluted tart tin (pan) - I do this by supporting the pastry as I gently invert it into the tin, with equal overhang on all sides. Peel off the baking parchment. Next, use your fingers to carefully ease the pastry into place, so that it neatly lines the tin. Lift the overhanging pastry and, using your thumb, squash 2mm (/in) of pastry back into the tin. This will result in slightly thicker sides which will prevent your pastry from shrinking when baked. Allow the overhang to do its thing - we'll trim it after chilling. Lightly prick the base of the pastry case several times with a fork, then place in the fridge for 15 minutes.
- After chilling, use a rolling pin to roll over the top of the tin, instantly removing the overhang and flattening down the pastry.
- Loosely line the base with a piece of scrunched up baking parchment and fill with baking beans (or uncooked rice if you don't have any). Place on the hot baking sheet in the oven, bake for 15 minutes, then remove the baking parchment and baking beans and bake for a further 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large jug (pitcher), beat together the cream and eggs, then season with the salt and pepper. Stir in the spring onions and grated cheeses, reserving a little cheese for the top.
- Remove the pastry case and the baking sheet from the oven. Work quickly from this point so the baking sheet doesn't lose its heat! Pour the egg mixture into the pastry case, then top with your reserved cheese. Carefully place back into the preheated oven (ensuring you don't spill any), still on the hot baking sheet, and bake for 25-30 minutes, until lovely and golden brown on top, a little risen and not 'jiggly'.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tin and serving warm. Alternatively, allow to cool completely and enjoy at room temperature, or straight from the fridge. Once cooled, store in an airtight container in the fridge, or slice and freeze for up to 3 months (in which case, always reheat from frozen in a moderate oven for 20-30 minutes).
Tips: Feel free to use all extra-mature cheddar instead of the mixture of cheeses. Also, if you can tolerate onion, you can also replace the spring onion with a whole regular onion, sliced and lightly fried.
Serves 8.
Ultimate gluten free shortcrust pastry
This incredibly versatile pastry is halfway between shortcrust (pie crust) and rough puff pastry and absolutely perfect for sweet or savoury baking. Not only is it incredibly easy to work with, but it also has a taste and texture that I never thought possible in gluten-free pastry. It has a flaky quality that instantly livens up any pie, quiche or tart. Best of all, it's tried and tested by hundreds of you lovely gluten-free folks.
- 300g (21/4 cups) gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
- 145g (2/3 cup) very cold butter, cut into 1cm (1/2 in) cubes
- 3 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar (for sweet pastry only)
- 1 tsp salt (for savoury pastry only)
- 2 large eggs, beaten
Method
- In a large mixing bowl, mix together your flour and xanthan gum.
- Make sure your butter is really cold; if not, put it in the fridge or freezer until nicely chilled. Add the cubes to the bowl and mix it into the flour. Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the flour to form a breadcrumb-like consistency. Make sure your hands are cool, as we want to avoid the butter getting warm. (You can also achieve the same result by using a food processor to blitz the ingredients together.)
- If making sweet pastry, stir in the sugar, or if making savoury pastry, stir in the salt.
- Add your beaten egg and, using a knife, carefully cut it into the mixture until it comes together. It should form a ball and not be crumbly - it will be a little sticky to touch but not unmanageable.
- Wrap the dough in cling film (plastic wrap) and leave to chill in the fridge for around 30 minutes before using. You can freeze this pastry for up to 2 months; defrost fully before using.
Tips: Chill! Using cold butter and chilling the dough makes your gluten-free pastry stronger and more workable. Making any type of pastry on an incredibly hot day isn't advisable as the warmer your dough is, the more fragile it will become. However, make sure that, once chilled, you allow your pastry to warm up a bit before rolling, otherwise it can be very hard to work with.
Use for recipes like my lemon meringue pie, Cornish pasties and triple cheese and onion quiche (above), plus loads more.
Makes 560g.
- How to Bake Anything Gluten Free by Becky Excell. Quadrille Books. $39.99.
