Gluten-Free Baking

Image Gallery For those on a gluten-restricted diet, baking is usually the most difficult culinary obstacle to overcome. Gluten-Free Baking provides 70 easy recipes for cakes, breads, cookies and sweet and savory snacks that are tasty enough to try whether or not you have a gluten intolerance.  COVER: TARA FISHER (FIREFLY PUBLISHING)

The following is an excerpt from Gluten-Free Baking by Phil Vickery (Firefly Books, 2011). Brimming with inspiration, this book opens up a whole new world of delicious treats —all completely gluten-free — showing you how to face every meal of the day with a selection of delicious recipes that may have seen impossible for gluten-intolerant diets. You can find beautiful photos of each of the recipes below in the Image Gallery. 

Soft Pine Nut Cookies 

Makes: about 20 cookies

Preparation: 15 minutes

Baking: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:  

1 3/4 cups (7 oz) slivered almonds 

1 scant cup (3 ½ oz) pine nuts 

3/4 cup (3 ½ oz) rice flour 

1 cup (8 oz) superfine sugar 

Zest of 1 lemon 

2 large egg whites, at room temperature 

Pinch of cream of tartar 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

1/2 tsp almond extract 

Cinnamon and sifted confections’ sugar, for dusting  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Place the almonds and pine nuts on the lined sheet, and brown them well in the oven for 8-10 minutes; the almonds will brown slightly quicker. Once browned, remove from the oven and cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees. 

Once cooled, place the almonds and rice flour in a food processor, and blitz until you have a fine mix. Place in a medium mixing bowl, add the pine nuts, 1/2 cup (4 oz) of the sugar and the lemon zest, and mix well. 

Whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar until light and foamy, then add the remaining superfine sugar and whisk until creamy and glossy, but do not overbeat. Fold the nut mixture into the egg whites, along with the vanilla and almond extracts. 

With a wet teaspoon, drop the mixture into small oval mounds, and place on the lined sheet (you will need to bake these in batches). Flatten each mound slightly before baking. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until they turn light golden, keeping an eye of them, as they brown quickly. Remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool. 

Spring with cinnamon and confectioners’ sugar. 

• To store: Store the cooled cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
• To freeze: Freeze the cooled cookies before dusting with the sugar and cinnamon – wrap well, and store in an airtight container. Defrost for 30 minutes, then heat through a 350 degree for 2-3 minutes to soften again and dust with the sugar and cinnamon.