Read Gluten-Free Makeovers Online
Authors: Beth Hillson
Gluten-Free Makeovers (91 page)
VARIATIONS: Substitute 6 medium, thinly sliced peaches or peeled and sliced apples for the blueberries. Use cinnamon in place of the nutmeg for the topping. Frozen fruit works, too.
(Graham Cracker–Style Crackers)
Egg-free
It tickles me to bring these to the table. They are adult-tasty and kid-adorable. This recipe was inspired by chocolate graham cracker recipes in the
King Arthur Flour’s Baker’s Catalogue
, an online recipe, and a plain graham cracker formula from
Gluten-Free Baking
doyenne, Rebecca Reilly. Chocolate and cinnamon varieties soften if covered. To make them crispy again, leave them on the counter, uncovered, overnight.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 cups Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup packed brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons honey
4 to 5 tablespoons cold water
Cream for brushing
Sugar for sprinkling
Chill the butter in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, add the flour blend, cocoa powder, brown sugar, and baking soda. Pulse to blend, breaking up any clumps of sugar. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Combine the vanilla, honey, and 4 tablespoons of water and add to the mixture. Pulse until the flour is slightly moist. Add 1 tablespoon additional water in small amounts, if necessary, and pulse until the mixture stays together when pressed between two fingers.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper and knead the dough until smooth. The dough can be wrapped in plastic and refrigerated overnight at this point. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Use a medium teddy bear cookie cutter to cut out crackers or cut into 2 × 3-inch rectangles. If making teddy grahams, form the scraps into a ball and roll out again, cutting crackers until all the dough is used.
Use a spatula or your fingers to transfer the crackers onto the baking sheets. Brush with cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes.
Store the crackers in a plastic container (covered loosely with wax paper) at room temperature for several days.
To make vanilla cinnamon grahams, replace the cocoa powder with ⅓ cup Self-Rising Flour and add 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon. Add more flour while kneading the dough if sticky.
MAKES 12 SERVINGS
Chances are, if you grew up in New England, you will recall this childhood treat. If you are not familiar with whoopie pies, this recipe will introduce you to a whole new category of comfort food. Reminiscent of Devil Dogs, these can also be made egg- and dairy-free. When this book went to press, the Whoopie Pie had been nominated as the official State of Maine dessert.
1¾ cups Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
¾ cup sugar
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup low-fat buttermilk, soy milk, or rice milk
⅓ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter or non-dairy buttery spread, at room temperature
1⅓ cups marshmallow fluff
1 to 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Make the cakes: Whisk together the flour blend, sugar, cocoa powder, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine the buttermilk, oil, vinegar, egg, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Whisk into the dry ingredients until well blended.
Spoon 2-tablespoon mounds of batter about 2 inches apart onto the baking sheets. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of one cookie comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before filling.