Gluten Free Jam Drops

Gluten Free Girl is currently doing posting "one-cookie-recipe-a-day" for Christmas. I haven't had a chance to have a good look at them but for a Christmas party the other day I made these jam drops. They were quick, easy and very, very good to eat. I had loads and loads of compliments on them and no one guessed they were gluten free! I used Orgran All Purpose Plain Gluten Free Flour instead of the gluten free mix they use on the site and no guar gum. I used some ginger marmalade for the jam. You could use any jam that isn't 100% fruit for these to be FODMAP friendly.

Gluten Free Naan

I used to use this recipe for naan, but the naan it produces is more bready than real wheaten naan. Lately I have experimented with my own recipe. The quantities in the ingredient are a bit of a "feel" thing, so be sure to experiment.

Serves 2

• 1.5 cups gluten free plain flour (I use Orgran Brand) plus extra for kneading
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1tsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of dried yeast
• 3 tbsp of greek yoghurt
• olive oil

1. Heat a non-stick baking tray in the oven on the highest temperature you can.
2. Warm the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds so tepid. Add the sugar and yeast and set aside for 5 minutes to allow yeast to activate.
3. Sift the flour into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add the yoghurt and enough of the milk/yeast mixture to make a fairly damp dough.
4. Turn out onto a floured board and using floured hands kneed until a smooth soft dough.
5. Divide the dough into two balls and flatten each one using the palm of your hand. When quite thin, set aside on a greased board. The naan is more fluffy if you set the dough aside in a warm place to prove for an hour, but this is not necessary. If you do this, only turn your oven on to pre-heat fifteen minutes before cooking.
6. Take the hot baking tray and lightly grease with olive oil. Place bread. When the bottoms are browned, turn the bread using a spatula.
7. When browned all over, brush with butter, garlic (optional) and salt. Serve hot.

Tip - if you are having trouble getting a nice crust on your naan but an oven proof bowl full of boiling water in your oven while you cook. 

Gluten Free Chocolate Brownies

Makes about 20 brownies
Cooking time: 1 hour

• 150g butter
• 100g walnuts, coarsely chopped (you could use any type of nuts really)
• 150g dark chocolate buds
• 150g white chocolate buds
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/3 cup almond meal
• 1/3 cup rice flour
• 1/3 cup gluten free plain flour
• 4 eggs

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line the base and sides of a square 23cm (base measurement) cake pan with non-stick baking paper, allowing it to overhang. Spread the nuts over a baking tray and bake in oven for 5 minutes or until toasted. Set aside to cool.
2. Combine margarine, dark chocolate, cocoa and water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 30 secs at a time, stirring in between (it only needs about 1.5 mins in the microwave total). When all melted and combined move on to next step. 
3. Add the nuts, white chocolate, sugar, almond meal and combined flours, and stir until well combined.
4. Use an electric beater to beat the eggs in a bowl for 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Use a metal spoon to gently fold half the egg into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Repeat with the remaining egg. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and bake in oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool on a rack.

This recipe is a modified version of one by Nadia French in Good Taste, Feb, 2006, p. 80 available here.