Any suggestions for gluten-free dessert recipes?

[AlexR]

Hi,

My wife has an allergy to gluten and we do have a couple of specialized cookbooks, but I wondered if there's anyone else on the forum with firsthand experience in making cakes, pies, cookies and other desserts with gluten-free flour.

The ultimate goal is to make desserts that don't *taste* as though they were made without wheat flour.

I suppose that a major factor is the type of flour you use. We live in France, so I doubt that we can find the exact same ingredients.

However, any hints (do's and don'ts) would be much appreciated.

For instance, I might suprise my wife half to death by making her a gluten free cake. This would win me an unthinkable amount of Brownie points .

My wife became allergic after the birth of our second child. This was a cruel blow because she is a gourmet/gourmand, and especially likes desserts. So, it would be great if anyone with the same problem could share their experience.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[Ishbel]

I have a friend who has coeliac disease. Here in the UK this means she can get the stuff laughingly known as 'bread' on prescription, also some flours and other products! They are all awful, in my opinon.

For a Christmas treat, she uses my Eyemouth Tart recipe, substituting one of the special Coeliac flours available in our supermarkets and pharmacies.

You could thicken puddings like blancmanges with cornflour, you could use gluten-free biscuits as a base for cheesecakes and thicken stewed fruits with a little cornflour to top the cheesecakes.

Here's the thread with the tart recipe.
Eyemouth Tart (sometimes known as Borders tart)

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Several items come to mind. Most puddings are made with corn, or tapioca starches. Custards are thickened with eggs and contain no flour. There are also shaved ice deserts, Itallian ices, ice crea products, gelatine deserts. flan, and a host of others. And by using dairy products and starches, you can make a host of deserts ranging from extravagant parfaits, to a simple bowl of jello. You can add fruits to gelatin, or serve fruits with fine cheese, or serve poached fruits or candied fruits, etc. And don't forget shakes, sorbet, sherbert, hot-mulled-apple cider, baked apples with caramel, strawberries, either on there own, or diped in chocolate or whipped cream. Then there are a whole bunch of fruit salads, and desserts made with creamed cheese (who says cheese cake has to have a crust? I've succesfully baked one without any kind of crust whatsoever. I just lined the springform pan with parchment paper and served the baked custard without the crust). And don't forget yogurt and cottage cheese as a base for poached pears with chocolate sauce.

The list of deserts made without flour products is staggering. Just get the cakes, pastries, quickbreads, and pies out of your head and start thinking other things. You will have no trouble. And the other desserts can be as simple or extravagant as you want to make them.

Seeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[Piccolina]

Hi all, one thing to watch for is hidden sources of glutten which can sometimes be found in such things as baking powder (this is a UK source for glutten free baking powder http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-...il/471146.html) and other straches.

Almond cake with sweet orange sauce

• 3 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/4 cup rice flour
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds (almond meal)
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon grated orange zest
• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 egg whites

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 10 inch springform pan with cooking spray, and dust with rice flour.
2. In a large bowl, whip egg yolks with 2/3 cup of sugar until thick and pale using an electric mixer. This will take about 5 minutes. Stir in the rice flour and orange juice, then fold in the almond meal and cinnamon.
3. In a separate glass or metal bowl, whip 3 egg whites until they can hold a stiff peak. Fold into the almond mixture until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan, and spread evenly.
4. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Run a knife around the outer edge of the cake to help remove it from the pan.
5. To make the orange sauce, cream together the butter and 2 cups of white sugar in a medium bowl. Stir in the cream, and place the dish over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir in orange juice and zest. Whip 4 egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into the orange sauce. Spoon over the cake and serve immediately.

~Enjoy~

[AlexR]

Many thanks to Ishbel, Jessica, and Goodweed.

I have forwarded these to my dear wife, who is the dessert cook in our household.

All the best,
Alex R.