Choc-lavender pound cake, triple choc cookies and peach galette: Gluten-free recipes from Helen Tzouganatos

Helen Tzouganatos

December 22, 2017

Chocolate and lavender make a perfect pairing.Supplied

Four gluten-free recipes from Helen Tzouganatos's new coeliac cookbook Hungry & Fussy.

Chocolate pound cake with lavender glaze

In this simple recipe the fragrant lavender cuts beautifully through the richness of the dark chocolate cake. The addition of boiling water helps to create a unique spongy texture that is super moist and decadently dark.

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

1 cup dutch process cocoa

⅔ cup boiling water

250g softened unsalted butter, softened

1⅔ cup brown sugar

3 eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

160g or 1¼ cups gluten-free plain flour, sifted

1 tsp baking powder, sifted

Lavender glaze

100g white chocolate, finely chopped

¼ cup (60ml) pouring cream

1 tsp culinary lavender

Purple food colouring (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160C.

2. Combine dutch process cocoa and boiling water in a small bowl and mix until smooth.

3. In a mixing bowl beat butter and sugar for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

4. Add eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture and beat until combined.

5. Add baking powder and flour and beat until combined.

6. Pour mixture into a greased loaf tin. Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer comes out dry. Remove from tin and cool completely.

7. To make the lavender glaze, place the white chocolate, cream and lavender in a small saucepan and stir over low heat for a couple of minutes until combined. Add a few drops of purple food colouring to create desired colour. Let the glaze sit for 10 minutes for the lavender flavour to infuse. Strain glaze to remove lavender pieces and then pour over cake.

Variation: Chocolate pound cake with chocolate glaze - replace white chocolate with 70 per cent dark chocolate. Omit the lavender and add 1 tsp vanilla extract instead.

Tips:

Culinary lavender is very strong. A little goes a long way so it's better to be conservative with your measurements.
Dutch process cocoa is darker than natural cocoa so it creates a dramatically dark chocolate colour.

These triple threats are bound for a sweet but very short life.Supplied

Triple chocolate cookies

The triple chocolate threat. Crispy and chewy chocolate biscuit, moreish chocolate chunks and irresistible chocolate drizzle; I can confidently say these are the best triple chocolate cookies you will ever eat.

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

150g unsalted butter, room temperature

1¼ cup or 250g brown sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup or 30g cocoa or raw cacao

1½ tsp bicarbonate of soda

1½ cups or 200g plain gluten-free flour, sifted

200g 70 per cent cocoa dark cooking chocolate, melted

400g 70 per cent cocoa dark cooking chocolate, chopped

To serve

Extra chocolate, melted

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 160C. Line a baking tray with baking paper or prepare a silicone mat.

2. Beat butter and sugar for about 3 minutes until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl.

3. Add egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

4. Add all sifted dry ingredients and melted chocolate and beat until combined.

5. Add chopped chocolate and roll into flat rounds. If the mixture gets too sticky, refrigerate for 10 minutes and roll smoothly between hands.

6. Bake for 15 minutes or until cracks form. Cool on tray then drizzle with chocolate.

Tips:

Flattening your cookie dough when rolling creates more surface area for that all-important chocolate drizzle. Feel free to swap your dark chocolate chunks with milk or white for a little variety.

Bake a batch of bases to freeze, then thaw on pizza night.Supplied

World's best gluten-free pizza

Your search for delicious gluten-free pizza ends here. I guarantee this is the best, tastiest, crispiest most insanely delicious gluten-free pizza you will ever try. The secret is in the unique preparation. Unlike conventional pizza recipes that require you to roll out a stretchy ball of dough to form the base, in this recipe your base will look like thick cake batter. The first step is to pre-bake your bases by spreading the batter onto the pizza trays in a circular motion using a spatula. When the batter hits a hot oven it magically transforms into a beautiful, thin crust ready to be dressed with your favourite toppings.

Makes 4 large pizzas

INGREDIENTS

Dough

520g or 4 cups plain gluten-free flour

2 tbs baking powder

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

750ml water

50ml extra virgin olive oil

Napoletana sauce

700g bottle tomato passata

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

1 crushed garlic clove

To serve

Mozzarella cheese as desired

Basil to garnish

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 200C. Line 4 x 30cm round pizza trays with baking paper.

2. Add flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and xantham gum to a mixing bowl and blend for a few seconds to combine dry ingredients.

3. Add oil and water and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. Your dough will look like a thick cake batter, not a firm ball of dough.

4. Divide batter amongst 4 pizza trays by placing a large dollop of batter in the centre of each tray. Using a spatula spread the batter in a circular motion until a thin round pizza base is formed.

5. Pre-bake bases for 15 min until crisp. Remove bases from oven and cool. At this point you can store extra bases that you won't be cooking in the fridge or freezer.

6. Prepare the Napoletana sauce by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Spread sauce over bases and sprinkle with mozzarella or your favourite toppings.

7. Bake for 10 minutes in a 240C conventional or pizza oven. Garnish with basil to serve.

Tip:

You can store the pre-baked bases in an airtight container in the fridge for one week or freezer for one month. Separate the bases with a sheet of baking paper and thaw as required.
If you don't have four pizza trays just prepare the pizza bases in batches.

So easy to prepare yet it looks like art on plate.Supplied

Peach galette

Delicious served with a scattering of candied almonds and scoop of creamy vanilla ice-cream.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

Gluten-free shortcrust recipe (see below)

Filling

4-5 yellow peaches, sliced with skin on

Juice of half a lemon

½ tsp vanilla extract

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tbs plain gluten-free flour

½ tsp cinnamon

Pinch of ground nutmeg

Extras

Beaten egg for brushing

Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Ice-cream to serve

Candied almonds

2 tbs caster sugar

80g almonds

Pinch of cinnamon

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.

2. Prepare candied almonds by melting sugar over low heat in a frypan. Do not stir, just slightly agitate and swirl the pan to distribute caramelised sugar and promote even melting and browning. Once sugar has dissolved add almonds and cinnamon and toss to combine for about 1 minute until golden. Pour mixture onto baking paper. Cool.

3. To make the peach filling, combine peaches, lemon and vanilla in a bowl.

4. Mix dry ingredients together then add to peaches. Stir to combine.

5. Roll out dough thinly in the shape of a circle. Place peach mixture in centre leaving a 5cm rim. Fold pastry edges over peaches, brush with egg wash and sprinkle entire galette with demerara sugar.

6. Bake in oven for 45 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly before cutting. Serve with chopped candied almonds and ice-cream.

Variation: Rhubarb and blackberry galette - replace peaches with 1 cup blackberries and 1 cup chopped rhubarb.

Shortcrust pastry

Of all the gluten-free baking techniques, pastry making is definitely the most daunting. Do not fear, this gluten-free shortcrust pastry is easy to prepare and far superior to store-bought gluten-free pastry, which tends to be gluggy and full of artificial additives and thickeners.

Serves enough to line and top a 30cm tart tin

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup or 100g gluten-free cornflower; sifted

¾ cup or 100g sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)

2 ¾ cup or 50g sorghum flour

½ cup 90g gluten free icing sugar

1/3 cup 30g almond meal, sifted

125g cold butter; chopped

1 egg

*only half the pastry quantity is required

METHOD

1. Put dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse to combine.

2. Add the butter and egg and pulse until dough roughly comes together. If necessary, add 1-2 tablespoons of water to help form the dough.

3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a flat disc. Wrap in cling film and rest fridge for 1 hour before using.

Variation: Savoury shortcrust - for a savoury shortcrust pastry, omit the icing sugar and add 1 tablespoon of sea salt. At the final stage, add 2-3 tablespoons of cold water and mix to form a dough.