From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

The original wheat version of this recipe came from Darbštuolė – a Lithuanian recipe magazine similar to Pillsbury Monthly. The recipe states it is from Laima Andrijauskaitė.

The original has one making an unsweetened dough, that is chilled, grated (presumably by hand like potato pancakes) and then baked to make a crunchy mix. I tried this and it was pretty awful, but it did stay very crunchy for several days in the creamy mix. So in my wheat flour days, I used a very neutral shortbread cookie ‘Sandies, simply shortbread by Keebler.’ They also boiled the can of condensed milk as we used to, to make a caramelized condensed milk. That is now available as Nestle – La Lechera – Dulce de Leche about $3 in the Goya/Mexican food aisle. Make sure you buy the right can, they also do ordinary condensed milk that looks the same but isn’t caramelized. My friend and I agreed that we had to add some rum. And then I used my chocolate ganache of cream and real chocolate melted as a topping, rather than cocoa, milk and sugar. It is very rich, so it could be cut as a small candy rather than sliced as a dessert.

Gluten-Free No-Bake Nut Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 x 7.25 oz (206g) packet of Pamela’s gluten-free butter shortbread, broken into large pieces. This is quite a soft shortbread but it doesn’t turn to mush.
• 1 x 380g (13.4 oz or thereabouts) of Nestle Dulce de Leche caramelized condensed milk
• 2 cups, (8 oz, 250g), nuts, coarsely chopped and toasted in 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. I used almonds and pecans. Walnuts would have been more available.
• ½ stick (2oz, 56g) butter melted
• 2-4 tbsps (30-60 ml) rum, brandy or chocolate liqueur. Or go for orange or almond liqueur to your own preference. I used 4 tbsp Myers dark rum. 2 tbsps give a nice flavor, 4 tbsps you can notice the alcohol. Plain rum should be naturally gluten-free, it’s the flavors added that are the dangers.

Topping/glaze:

• 1 c (8 fl oz, 224ml) heavy or whipping cream
• 1 c (6 oz, 168g) gluten-free semi sweet chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar
• 2-4 tbsps (30-60 ml) rum, optional

Directions:

1. Open can of dulce de leche and empty into 4-6 c (1-1+1/2 ltr) microwave safe bowl. Add solid butter and microwave for a short time, stirring, until milk softens and butter is melted.

2. Stir in some of alcohol to give a smooth even mix.

3. Stir in nuts and shortbread. Now taste and decide if you want some more alcohol. Remember strength of flavor develops and you’ll be adding rum to topping/glaze.

4. Spoon mix into 9-10” spring form pan (for a fancy dessert) or 8×8” brownie pan to cut into candy pieces. OR line star, christmas tree or heart shape pan or other designs with plastic wrap and press mix into all the corners so design turns out crisp. The mix is ‘lumpy’ so won’t press into detailed design mold.

Smooth out as much as possible and then take a piece of plastic wrap, press onto surface of cake and press out even more to smooth top and compress mix and prevent too many air bubbles.

5. Refrigerate for several hours until firm enough to cut. I had originally tried this with cream instead of butter, but butter firms mix up more.

6. While mix is chilling, heat cream and sugar together, add chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth and creamy, it should look like a cross between condensed milk and Hershey’s syrup – no lumps. Stir in alcohol and chill. I usually use an immersion blender to make it smooth.

7. Remove ‘torte’ from fridge, remove from spring form, remove plastic wrap and place on decorative plate. Pour about half of chocolate mix over top of cake and allow to start dribbling down sides. If the mix is too runny when you stir once you remove from fridge, then beat it slightly with electric mixer so it doesn’t ‘run’ so easily.

8. Beat remainder of chocolate mix with electric mixer until consistency of whipped cream and then pipe around top/bottom of cake. Finish with nuts, or any decoration you want.

This lasts for several days in fridge, easily made in advance of summertime parties, but will soften too much if left out in sun during party. Still delicious, but spoonable not cutable after sun.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

Gluten-Free Caramel Sauce

I have only seen a few brands of caramel sauce actually labeled gluten-free, but with far more ingredients than this recipe. Too many ice cream/sweet sauces are based on corn syrup and flavorings.

Summertime, parties, BBQ’s – what’s easier than your favorite brownie, pound cake, sliced with selection of sauces and ice cream or just ice cream sundaes. Everyone loves that!

Ingredients:

• 3/4 c sugar (6 oz, 180g)
• 1/4 c (2 fl oz, 60 ml) water
• 1 c heavy cream
• 2 tbsp (30 ml. 1 oz) butter
• 1 tsp (5 ml) gluten-free vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Put sugar in 8″ skillet with water, cover and bring to slow boil while sugar melts. Swirl pan to dissolve all sugar or sugar crystals will form.

2. Once sugar is totally dissolved, remove lid and boil syrup swirling pan as syrup changes color. You want a nice golden brown color, not dark brown. It only takes a few minutes so don’t walk away. The syrup browns at different rates so swirling pan gently mixes it all together. If pan starts smoking, it’s overcooked. Undercooked is tasteless.

3. Add cream and stand back as caramel will spatter, boil up and solidify in places. Stir to dissolve caramel. Add butter, vanilla and salt and stir all together.

4. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

Dairy-free Option: Make with Asian style coconut milk and add coconut butter.

For Adults: To sauce add 1/4 c toasted chopped pecans and 1-2 tbsp rum or other alcohol. Serve with grilled pineapple rings or grilled halved peaches and ice cream, match made in Heaven.

Warning: Don’t make caramel sauce with kids or animals underfoot, sugar burns are really dangerous, plus if you’re distracted, sugar over cooks rapidly and burns, so you have to throw it out.

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Gluten-Free Raspberry/Berry Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 x 12 oz – 16 oz (375 – 500g) bag of frozen raspberries or bag of frozen mixed berries
• ½ c (4 oz 125 g) ordinary sugar
• 1/2 c (120 ml, 4 fl oz) water
• ½ c (120 ml, 4 fl oz) Seedless raspberry jam or jelly for extra oomph of flavor
• Raspberry liqueur, Amaretto, brandy, rum for adults.
• Choose different jams and alcohols that match the fruit

Directions:

1. Melt sugar and water together, add raspberries (or other fruit), and simmer for just a few minutes. Stir in raspberry jam until it melts. Depending on ripeness of raspberries and your personal taste you might want to add more sugar.

I like to buy baskets of fresh raspberries in season and freeze them. Somehow they don’t break up nearly as much as bought frozen raspberries when they are simmered in sugar and water.

You can sieve the sauce and make it a ‘couli,’ so there are no seeds.

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Gluten-Free Chocolate Ganache

Melt together 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream and 11 oz bag of Tollhouse semi-sweet chocolate or with Sodelicious vanilla or hazelnut creamer mixed with gluten-free chocolate. I use an immersion blender to make sauce totally smooth. Thicken as it cools, very runny when hot. Add some sugar if too ‘dark’ for kids.

This can also be used as a dipping sauce for fruit.

 

 

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

I’ve eaten some gluten-free lemon squares, and tried out some recipes and really didn’t like the topping, mainly because to me the texture was like a gluey custard. Then, by chance, I read someone saying they made a lemon curd topping instead. I make lemon curd frequently in the microwave (and lemon curd means lemon butter not anything cheese), and I’m happy with my gluten-free shortbread pastry dessert base, so went from there. Tanginess will depend on size of lemon you zest and juice. I like it tangy but not sour and just quote number of lemons to use, not teaspoons of zest (honestly, how do you accurately measure teaspoons of zest or grams on a scale) or amount of juice. No flour or cornstarch (cornflour in UK) needed in lemon top.

I have made these with Earth Balance for the base and coconut oil for the lemon curd. Obviously not the flavor of butter but still tasty.

Ingredients:

Shortbread base

• 1 c (4 oz, 112g ) my gluten-free flour mix (see below)
• ½ c (2 oz, 56 g) gluten-free almond flour (ground almonds in UK)
• ½ c (2 oz, 56 g) powdered sugar (Icing sugar in UK)
• 1+1/2 sticks (6 oz, 168g) butter, hard from the fridge and cut into 1 tablespoon slices
• ¾ tsp (4 ml) xanthan gum

Lemon curd toppings

• 2 lemons, washed, zested, squeezed of juice and strained of pips. (approx ½ c 120 ml juice)
• 1+1/4 c (8 oz, 224 g) sugar
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz (112g) unsalted butter at room temperature
• Powdered sugar to finish when cold

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350*F (180*C). Put flours, sugar and xanthan gum in food processor. Add cold hard butter and run food processor until mix resembles fine breadcrumbs.

2. Grease 8×8 (20×20 cm) baking pan. Sprinkle in shortbread mix, spread evenly and press down.

3. Bake in preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes. You do want the base to be light golden brown all over now or it doesn’t taste cooked enough.

4. Put lemon juice, sugar and lemon zest in 4 cup (1 ltr) jug and microwave until sugar is melted.

5. Remove from microwave, add butter or coconut oil and stir until butter/coconut oil melts in hot liquid. This also cools liquid so eggs don’t scramble.

6. Using an immersion blender, add eggs one at a time with blender running. This mixes eggs in really well, no white bits of egg white showing and chops lemon zest even further so no need to strain the mix at all.

7. Pour lemon mix onto baked shortbread base. Cook in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. There should still be a wobble in the custard and slightly wet in the center. Don’t cook it until it’s set all over, then it tastes rubbery and looks scrambled. This is an egg custard. It might be risen slightly around edges, popped air bubbles showing.

8. Cool totally then dust heavily with powdered sugar to hide any air bubbles. I don’t find the powdered sugar dissolves into top. The base might have some crumbs, but it’s a shortbread. Keeps well covered in the fridge. I cut it up and transfer to covered container.

My Gluten-Free Mix

I use for one cup of gluten-free mix:

• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ c tapioca starch from Asian market or Goya or Yoki brand in supermarkets.
• 2 tbsp amaranth or millet flour: Bob’s Red Mill (millet is roughly one third the price of amaranth, is not so nutritious, but is more readily available.)
• 2 tbsp sorghum flour: Bob’s Red Mill.

From Chef Oonagh Williams of Gluten-Free Cooking with Oonagh

Everything’s better with chocolate isn’t it? Except for my one girlfriend who doesn’t like chocolate, I call her (to her face) a genetic mutation as a female. But she loves my other desserts, particularly those with liqueurs. This is based on my original wheat flour almond tart, one of the first recipes I adapted to gluten-free since it’s a favorite with our son. Then I added melted chocolate to the cake part; my husband thinks it’s like a lava cake. To me it’s a ooey, gooey brownie truffle cake.

This cake is easy to make for Valentine’s Day, even for just two of you. Dad can make it with the kids, treat them for Super Bowl – I have to say ‘Go Pats,’ living in New Hampshire and with a son who was a student football manager at university.

You can watch me make this on New Hampshire’s ABC WMUR on Friday, February 16, airing during noon news, then posted on Facebook and my website.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Almond Raspberry Tart

Ingredients:

Makes 2 – 6 oz. cups

Ingredients:

• 1/4 C. Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chips
• 3 T. sugar
• 1 1/2 T. cocoa powder
• 1/8 t. vanilla
• 12 oz. rice milk (or milk alternative of your choice)

Directions:

Microwave Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Heat in microwave for 30 second, stir. Continue heating and stirring until boiling.
3. Let cool to your desired temperature and enjoy.

Stovetop Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Stir constantly, heat over medium/low heat until boiling.
3. Let cool to your desired temperature and enjoy.

Optional Recipe Variation: Top with marshmallows or whip-cream. If you love chocolate, dribble a few Mini Chips on top for an extra chocolatey taste!

 

Makes about 16 large bars

Ingredients:

For the brownie mixture:

• 1 box Enjoy Life Foods Brownie Mix
• 3/4 C. cold water
• 2 T. mild olive oil or grapeseed oil

For the pumpkin mixture:

• 1 1/4 C. mashed pumpkin
• 1/4 C. pure maple syrup
• 1/4 C. Enjoy Life Foods All-Purpose Flour
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. vanilla extract
• 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
• 1/4 t. ground ginger
• Pinch ground cloves
• Pinch salt

For the topping:

• 1/4 C. Enjoy Life Foods Mini Chips
• 2 t. mild olive oil or grapeseed oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375˚F. Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
2. To make the brownies, put the Brownie Mix in a large bowl. Add the cold water and oil. Stir until well mixed.
3. Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, smoothing evenly. Bake for 15 minutes.
4. While the brownies are baking, prepare the pumpkin mixture. Put the mashed pumpkin, maple syrup, All-Purpose Flour, cinnamon, vanilla extract, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt in a large bowl. Briskly whisk until well combined.
5. After the brownies have baked for 15 minutes, remove from the oven. Dollop the pumpkin mixture onto the par-baked brownies, swirling throughout the batter.
6. Bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean, and the pumpkin portions are firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for at least 1 hour.
7. To prepare the topping, put the Mini Chips and oil in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 15 seconds and stir. Repeat in 10 second intervals until melted and smooth. Drizzle the chocolate mixture over the top of the brownies.
8. Carefully remove the brownies from the pan, then cut into squares.
9. Serve, storing leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and any other leftovers to the freezer.