Gluten-Free Cream Puffs

Adapted from Fannie Farmer for benefit of those who cannot have gluten.

Pastry:

½ cup butter (1 stick)

1 cup water

1 cup Pillsbury gluten free flour

4 eggs, at room temperature (very important)

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Combine water and butter in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan, and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon. Return to moderate heat and stir constantly until the dough leaves the sides of the pan and forms a ball. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating hard until the dough is smooth. Place rounded spoonfuls or pipe onto an ungreased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for 30 minutes or until the puffs are golden. Do not open the oven to check them!

Chocolate Filling:

1 cup milk

2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour

⅛ teaspoon salt

2 egg  yolks, slightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla

Place the milk and chocolate in a large microwave safe bowl. Heat 30 seconds at a time until the chocolate is melted. Stir. Add sugar, flour, and salt. Cook on high in the microwave for three minutes, stopping and stirring in between each minute, until the mixture is very thick and smooth. Add eggs and cool. Add vanilla. 

To assemble: slice off the top of the puffs and spoon the filling mixture into the puffs. Chill. 

Laura

Buttermilk Biscuits

This recipe is originally from Mountain Measures but anyone who has cooked with me knows I like to take short cuts and find ways to create the least amount of dirty dishes possible. So I've adapted this to suit my cooking style. This method also requires less fancy cooking tools. 

¾ cup buttermilk
1 stick butter (or ½ cup shortening)
2 cups flour
2¼ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Pre-heat the oven to 450°F.

Put the buttermilk in the freezer while you are working with the other ingredients, but leave it there at least 10 minutes. Melt the butter in the microwave, setting it for a 20-30 seconds at a time.

Traditional: If you are using shortening, you can't do this shortcut and you'll have to do the normal cutting in with the dry ingredients and the shortening. Don't put the buttermilk in the freezer.

Mix the dry ingredients. Take the buttermilk out of the freezer. Using a fork or whisk, whip the melted butter into the partially frozen buttermilk until the butter makes tiny balls. Pour this mixture into the dry ingredients and combine all.

Traditional: If you are using shortening, cut in to the dry ingredients with a biscuit cutter or two knives until the mixture resembles small peas. Pour in the buttermilk and combine all.

Shape the dough into a ball and put on a floured board. Knead lightly. I don't roll mine out; I just flour my hands and pat it to the thickness I want. But you can roll it if you really want to, about ½ inch thickness. Use a floured biscuit cutter, or if you don't have one of those, flour a knife and cut the dough into squares or triangles.

Put on a greased baking sheet and brush the biscuit tops with melted butter.

Bake 12 to 15 minutes. Makes about 16-20 biscuits. Serve hot with butter, jam, or honey.

Gluten Free Biscuits

1. Substitute the flour above for Pillsbury Best Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour, King Arthur 1-1 Gluten Free Flour, or Red Mill 1-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
2. Use a full cup of buttermilk

Mix the ingredients as above. You will not be able to knead or roll this dough. Instead pinch off a good quantity of dough and shape into a biscuit shape, place on the baking sheet. The recipe should make the same amount of biscuits as normal. Bake the same amount of time.

Laura

Brownies

1 stick butter
2 1-ounce squares baking chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
Optional: 1/4 cup chopped nuts, powdered sugar as garnish

Melt butter and chocolate together over low heat; add sugar and mix well. Remove from heat and add eggs one at a time, beating well between each. Add flour, salt, and vanilla. (Add nuts if you prefer). Pour into greased 7x11-inch pan (I don't own this pan, so I use a pie pan) and bake at 350º F for 20 minutes. Cut into squares or pie slices.

Gluten Free Brownies

Simply substitute Pillsbury Best Gluten Free Multipurpose Flour for the wheat flour and proceed as normal.

Laura