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More G.F.Baking Recipes from Jessica's Oven
	Gluten Free Christmas Mince Pies
	Guilt-Free, Gluten-Free Easy Fruit Cake
	Basic Meringues With A Christmas Twist
	Gluten Free Chive and Feta Muffins
	Low Fat Apple Coconut Muffins
	Gluten Free Ginger Crunch
	Winter Vegetable Frittata

Courgette and Kumara Fritters

This is one of my favourite recipes. I have made it for friends, family and flatmates and everybody loves these fritters (despite some of my fussy friends not usually liking courgettes). Also, this recipe is lactose free and if you want to make it vegan simply substitute the egg for a further 2 tsp of oil.

This recipe makes approx. 15 medium fritters (depending on size). The reason I use potatoes in this recipe is purely economical as it is a good way to stretch the mixture slightly further. However, if you prefer, you can substitute the potatoes for either more kumara or courgette.

Ingredients:

• 2 courgettes
• 1 kumara
• 2 potatoes
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp of oil
• ¾ cup rice flour
• 1 handful of chopped spring onions
• salt and pepper

Method:

1. Grate kumara, courgettes and potatoes into a large bowl and mix.
2. Break egg into the bowl and mix into grated mixture using a fork.
3. Add oil and rice flour and mix thoroughly.
4. Add spring onion and salt and pepper to taste and mix again.
5. Put oil in a frying pan on a medium heat and mould patties from mixture. Cook three at a time, cooking them on both sides until golden brown. Once fritters are browned on both sides place in the oven and bake for approx. 20mins on 100-150 degrees Celsius until fritters are cooked through.

Serve layered with sour cream, sweet chilli sauce, lettuce and tomato. Fritters are also easy to freeze so you can double the mixture and then freeze and serve cold or warm in school lunch by themselves or with salad.

Enjoy!

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Gluten Free Christmas Mince Pies

You have two options when it comes to making your own Christmas Mince Pies, depending on your level of confidence with gluten free ingredients. If you are relatively inexperienced you can buy gluten free pastry. However this recipe is pretty straightforward so if you are game I will include how to make your own gluten free pastry for Christmas Mince Pies. Also you can choose to buy a pack of Christmas Mince from the supermarket or just follow the homemade Christmas Mince recipe below. Good luck pioneer pastry chefs and enjoy!

I love this recipe and think it is worth the effort to make everything from scratch. The pies look beautiful and friends and whanau will appreciate the effort.

Homemade Christmas Mince:

(This makes plenty, so make sure you use a large bowl). Half mixture if you only want to make 12 pies and (use one lot of pastry). If you are going to be spending the day doing Christmas baking you can use left over fruit mince in a Christmas cake.

Ingredients:

• 400g sultanas
• 250g mixed peel
• 250g raisins
• 200g currents
• 2cups brown sugar
• 4tsp cinnamon
• 4tsp mixed spice
• 3tsp brandy essence
• 500mL orange juice

Method:

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix together.
Cover with cling film/ glad wrap and leave in fridge over night.

Gluten Free Pastry:

This makes enough for 12 Christmas mince pies, so I suggest you make two lots, so there is enough for the Christmas Mince mixture. I would not recommend doubling mixture.

Ingredients:

• 5 cups rice flour
• 175g butter (soft)
• 1 free-range egg yolk
• Cold water approx 1/8 cup

Method:

1. Chop semi soft butter into the flour
2. Rub the butter into the flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs or flakes. Alternatively you can use a blender/ magic bullet to get the same consistency.
3. Add the sugar and egg yolk, then mix with a wooden spoon, drizzling in cold water a little at a time until dough forms.

I suggest you also make this the night before, leave uncovered in the fridge for an hour and then cover and place in the cupboard.

The Next Day to finish off Christmas Mince Pies:

1. Flour a breadboard and rolling pin and roll dough until it is about 1cm thick.
2. Use round cookie cutter to cut out pastry circles then press these into a greased muffin tray
3. Use remainder of pastry by cutting out (either with a knife or cookie cutter) stars.
4. Fill pastry cups up with about two dessertspoons full of fruit mince.
5. Place stars on top.
6. Bake in oven at 150C for 20-30mins or until golden brown.
7. Leave to cool (as with gluten free baking it is a little crumbly) then take out of tin and dust the tops with icing sugar.

For a home made ice-cream recipe that you could use to accompany your Christmas Mince Pies, check out the December recipe in the Weekly News regular features.

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Guilt-Free, Gluten-Free Easy Fruit Cake

So it’s that time again, when you whip out your red and green reindeer apron, Santa earrings and begin your Christmas baking. This month I have included two fool-proof ‘Gluten-Free Christmas Specials’, an easy to make fruit cake for those of you who want an authentic Christmas experience and for those of you who the replacement of gluten just won’t do is one of my favourite recipes for Christmas Meringues.

In the December Issue, I will give you my recipes for gluten free Christmas Mince Pies and Vanilla Ice cream

Ingredients:

• 2 cups rice flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp mixed spice
• ¾ cup castor sugar
• ¾ cup oil
• 2 free range eggs
• 4 Tsp milk
• 1 tsp brandy essence
• 3 cups dried fruit (I’ve used 1cup each of currents, raisins and chopped dried apricots but you can adjust these to suit your taste or fussy guests)
• Zest from 2 organic oranges (I know that organic produce can cost a bit, but I recommend using it in this recipe as the skin soaks up most of the pesticides used and you don’t want that in your body! Also I think organic produce tends to have more flavour).

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius
2. Sift all dry ingredients into a medium sized bowl
3. In a larger bowl mix eggs, oil, brandy essence and milk together
4. Add dry ingredients into the wet mixture (this makes it easier to mix and to clean up afterwards).
5. Mix thoroughly
6. Add dried fruit one cup at a time, mixing as you go and then add the zest.
7. Put into a square tin lined with baking paper and pop in the oven.
8. Bake for half an hour at 150 degrees Celsius then lower heat to 100 degrees Celsius and cover with baking paper. Bake for a further half hour until knife comes out clean.

This is pure unadulterated magic I hope you enjoy eating it as much as I do.


Basic Meringues With A Christmas Twist

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs whites
• 1 cup castor sugar
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp corn flour (make sure this is gluten-free flour)
• 1 tsp of either vanilla or brandy essence depending on what you want your meringue experience to be like.
• 2 lines of chopped Cadbury Fair-trade Milk Chocolate
• 100g (1/2 packet) of sliced almonds
• 2 tsp cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150C
2. Line a baking tray with baking paper
3. Now here’s where the fun part comes in. I’m a bit old school and prefer to beat the egg whites by hand so last time I made this recipe I invented what I call a “whipping party” where you get some friends over to have a few drinks and take turns at mixing. It’s a great excuse for a get-together or a catch up with old friends whilst still being productive. So beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks
4. Beat in sugar 2tsp at a time
5. Add vinegar and corn flour and continue to beat
6. Fold in vanilla or brandy
7. Now add in chopped chocolate, almonds and cinnamon
8. Spoon onto tray and lower temperature to 120 degrees Celsius and bake for one hour
9. Serve with hand whipped cream (add 2tsp of cinnamon and 2Tsp of icing sugar to mixture for a Christmas flavour)

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Gluten Free Chive and Feta Muffins

Don’t make the same mistake I did. I have been spending around $6 for 400g of rice flour from the supermarket, but recently discovered my local dairy sells inexpensive gluten free flours It may take a little time and effort to find somewhere where you can source bulk gluten free flour from but it is most definitely worth it. Not only are you saving yourself money but you will also be saving on packaging when there is already enough plastic clogging up our homes and environment. You can use the money you save on treating yourself to something a little more luxurious such as these feta and chive muffins.

The great thing about this recipe is it makes 18 muffins, which you can keep in a container in the fridge and simply cut in half, smother with butter and heat to perfection.

Ingredients:

• 50g melted butter
• Two free range eggs
• A pinch of salt
• 2tsp of cracked pepper
• Rosemary to taste (fresh or dried)
• 2 handfuls of freshly chopped chives
• 1/2c Edam cheese (grated)
• 3tsp gluten free baking powder
• 1 1/2c of rice flour
• 1/2 a packet on feta (chopped into small cubes)
• 1/2c trim milk

Method:

1. While butter is melting use a fork to whisk the eggs together and add salt, pepper and rosemary to the mixture.
2. When melted butter is cooled add to egg mixture and stir.
3. Add chopped chives and edam cheese and mix
4. Then add baking powder and flour
5. Mix until combined then add milk slowly and mix until the mixture turns from a paste into a thick sauce consistency
6. Finally add your feta and mix through
7. Half fill greased muffin trays with mixture and pop in the oven at 150C until the tops turn golden brown.
8. Serve warm with lashings of butter and enjoy!

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Low Fat Apple Coconut Muffins

I'd like to start by offering one of the many pros of gluten free baking. I feel too often we talk about how hard it is being gluten free so I wanted to turn that little fallacy on its head. My favourite part of gluten free baking is that because rice flour is so finely ground there is no need to sift it (yay less dishes!).

Low Fat Apple Coconut Muffins (makes 12 large muffins)

Ingredients:

• 2 free range eggs
• 3/4 c of brown sugar
• 4 grated granny smith apples
• 1 grated braeburn or red apple (to take off the sour edge)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1tsp gluten free baking powder
• 1c of rice flour
• 1 1/2c of coconut

Method:

Begin by breaking the eggs into a bowl and whisking then gradually fold in sugar until it makes a thick mixture.
Grate the apples into the mixture and add cinnamon followed by other dry ingredients
Mix then pour batter into a greased muffin tray. Don't be too worried if the mixture is quite wet and runny, this is often the case with gluten free baking which is why it is cooked on a lower heat than most baking.
Bake 150 degrees celcius for around 20 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
That's all there is too it
Serve with some whipped cream or yoghurt and cinnamon and enjoy! After all, you deserve it.

Jessica Ward
If you have any questions about gluten free baking send Jessica an email to info@tstnz.com 

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• 125g butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 cups rice flour (you can buy this at most supermarkets)
• 1tsp of gluten free baking powder (Edmonds has just bought out a gluten free baking powder which works well)
• 1-4 tsp of ground ginger (I prefer to add a lot of ginger but the icing is quite rich so adjust to suit your own taste)
  
  Icing:
• 75g butter
• 3/4 c icing sugar
• 2 Tsp golden syrup
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• chopped walnuts or crystalised ginger (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. (For best results Gluten Free baking is done at slightly lower temperatures).
2. Cream butter and sugar.
3. Sift dry ingredients into the same bowl and mix to combine.
4. Continue mixing with hands until it stops feeling flaky and combines.
5. Press into a 20cm square tin.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
7. When there is 5 minutes of cooking time left start to prepare the icing.
8. Put all ingredients into saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Stir rapidly during this time.
9. Pour icing over hot slice (add chopped walnuts or chopped crystallised ginger).
10. Leave for about 10 minutes then mark and cut.
    
    Then eat and ENJOY!

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Winter Vegetable Frittata (good anytime you want to feed any number of troops nutritiously without too much washing up or breaking your weekly budget).

• G.F. and no dairy except eggs.
• An inexpensive easy to make alternative to pies for the tuck shop or canteen.
• Can be easily modified to make more than 12 slices.

Today's recipe is a Vegetable Frittata Recipe that you can easily make and serve as a slice with tomato or sweet chilli sauce, in fact it is delicious with any sort of chutney or pickle and my personal favourite is basil pesto.

Ingredients to make 12 slices but may only serve 6, as everyone will want seconds!

- 2 medium (or one large) potato
- 2 medium (or one large) kumara
- 2 medium (or 1 large) carrot
- About a quarter of an average sized silver crown pumpkin.
- 2 or (1 large) red onions or leeks.
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
- 6 eggs
- Your favourite sauce/ chutney/ pesto (or all three).
- Salt and pepper

Method:

1. Peel the potatoes.
2. Scrub and partly scrape off the kumara and carrot skins.
3. Cut the potatoes, kumara and carrot into thick round slices and start cooking in a steamer.
4. Peel the pumpkin and also cut into thick slices and then add to the top tier of the steamer or place on top of the already steaming vegetables.
5. Steam all for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Gently heat the oil in a large frying pan and add two minced cloves of garlic and keep the heat low.
7. Meanwhile peel and chop either the onions or the leeks finely then add to the frying pan and continue to cook on a low heat so that the onions or leeks soften rather than brown. Once soft remove from heat.
8. Whilst the onions and other vegetables are cooking grease a medium roasting pan or two shallow baking dishes.
9. When they are cooked season all the vegetables well and tip into a large bowl then gently combine before spreading carefully into the roasting pan or baking dishes.
10. Allow the vegetables to cool for 10 minutes and whilst waiting turn on the oven to 180C and beat the 6 eggs in a large mixing jug seasoning well.
11. Pour the egg mixture over the vegetable mix and bake in the oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch.
12. After removing from the oven leave in the baking dish to cool and set properly before cutting into slices and serving with your favourite sauce, chutney or pesto.
    
    Enjoy!