Gluten-free Pancakes with Strawberries, Blueberries and Bananas

Pancakes are delicious at anytime of the year, and with gluten-free flour, everyone can enjoy them. This recipe can be adapted for breakfast, sweet desserts, or savoury lunches and suppers.

You will need:
½ pint milk (See Metric Conversion Chart above)
4oz Doves Farm Gluten Free Plain White Flour
1 large egg
Add 1½ oz caster sugar for sweet pancakes, or a pinch of salt for savoury.

These are the basic proportions of ingredients and will make 6-8 pancakes depending on the size of pan you use and the thickness of the pancakes. If you want to make more, just multiply them up.

I zuzz up the mixture in my food processor, or you can make it the traditional way by tipping the flour into a bowl and making a 'well' in the middle, a bit like the top of a volcano. Crack the egg into the centre, stir it a little with a wooden spoon to break up the white and yolk, then gradually add the milk and sugar (or salt). Beat it well to mix it all together. It is worth noting that batter made with ordinary flour is usually left to rest before using, if you do this with gluten-free flour, it will sink to the bottom! So use it immediately or give it an extra stir before you do.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan until it is hot, swirl it around and then carefully pour out the excess into a heatproof jug; you can use it again for the next pancake. Then pour enough batter in to evenly cover the bottom of the pan. Not too thick or it will be stodgy, and not too thin so it will break up when you try and turn it over. With pancakes, practice really does make perfect!
The pancake should be nearly cooked on the bottom. To check, ease up the edge with a silicone palette knife so as not to scratch the pan. If turning a golden brown, gently slide the palette knife underneath and flip it over, or you can try flipping it in the air!
Keep cooked pancakes hot, stacked on a plate in a warm oven about 110°C until you are ready to eat.

This one is a sweet pancake, topped with maple syrup, blueberries, sliced strawberries and banana, but you can use any softer fruit like melon which tastes delicious with the maple syrup, or of course, simply squeeze on some lemon and sprinkle with sugar. Also try apple stewed gently with raisins and cinnamon, lovely on a cold day!

Savoury pancake ideas include: chopped chicken and ham in a white sauce, or prawns in cheese sauce.

For a basic white sauce you will need:

½ pint of milk

½ onion studded with 2 cloves

1 tbsp cornflour

salt and pepper

Put most of the milk and the onion in a saucepan to heat gently to almost boiling.
Remove from the heat and take out the onion. 

Mix the cornflour with the rest of the milk, then stir into the saucepan.

When completely mixed, bring to the boil to thicken it. Add salt and pepper to taste.

You can also ring the changes by adding chopped parsley, grated cheese, or mushrooms sliced and fried in a little oil.  

All cornflour should be gluten-free, the only problem arising when it is made on the same production line as gluten products. If you want to be sure, you can buy Doves Farm Organic Corn Flour which certainly is. 

I hope that you will enjoy these ideas for tasty gluten-free pancakes.

Gluten-free Orange Shortbread Christmas Trees

It's very easy to make these yummy Gluten-free Orange Shortbread Christmas Trees. I used Doves Farm Gluten Free Plain White Flour and ordinary cornflour, but you could use Doves Farm Gluten Free Organic Cornflour to be sure it really is gluten-free.
Turn on your oven to 170º C, 325ºF or Gas Mark 3, and grease two flat baking trays.
You will need: (see my Metric Conversion Chart on page above)
8oz Butter
4oz Icing Sugar
8oz Plain flour (Doves Farm)
4oz Cornflour
Pinch salt
The grated rind of one orange
Caster Sugar to sprinkle
I made it in my food processor, mixing all the ingredients together, but you could cream the butter and sugar together, then mix in the the flour, cornflour, salt and orange rind, until you have a smooth dough.
Roll it out and cut out the Christmas tree shapes, and place them on the baking trays. Cook for about 20 minutes. As soon as you take them out of the oven, sprinkle with the caster sugar and leave to cool. Keep in an airtight tin, or you can freeze them for Christmas Day.
It's also possible to use lemon rind instead of orange for a change.
I hope that you enjoy them!  

Gluten-free Blueberry Sponge Pudding

At this time of year, when the weather's cold and windy, and the nights are drawing in, there's no better treat than a sponge pudding.
I use this basic recipe where I've substituted gluten-free flour:
2 oz margarine
2 oz caster sugar
1 egg
3 oz Doves Farm Gluten-free Self-raising Flour
3 tbsp milk

This serves 4 people; any leftovers can be frozen.



Mix all the ingredients together with a spoon, electric whisk or food processor, until well mixed and a smooth dropping consistency.
You can also add:

2 tbsp jam to the bottom of the basin

2 tbsp lemon curd to bottom of the basin + grated rind of a lemon to mixture

2 tbsp Golden Syrup to bottom of the basin (the one in a squeezy bottle is easiest)

1 tbsp cocoa to mixture

Or a handful of blueberries (as you can see here) and pour into a greased 1 pint basin. Cover with greaseproof paper with a pleat in the middle to allow for rising, and tie with string.
You can then cook in a slow cooker for about 3 hours, or a pressure cooker for 50 minutes (according to the manufacturer's instructions) or do what I do, and simply pop it in the microwave for 5 minutes whilst I make the custard.

For basic custard you need:
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tbsp sugar
½ pint of milk

Mix the powder and sugar with a little of the milk, then add to the rest in a saucepan and, stirring all the time, bring to the boil.
You can also ring the changes by using cornflour instead of custard powder, and adding 1tbsp of cocoa to make a chocolate sauce, delicious with the chocolate pudding.
Any custard or cornflour should be gluten-free, the only problem arising when it is made on the same production line as gluten products. If you want to be sure, you can buy Doves Farm Organic Corn Flour which is gluten-free, and add the contents of  ½ a vanilla pod, or a few drops of vanilla essence.

I hope that you like this pudding. It is really quick and easy to make when visitors turn up unexpectedly, and of course, it's one that everyone can eat!