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Yesterday, I woke up at 4am, pushed the curtains to one side, and took a quick look outside. It was one of those magical mornings, with whisps of morning mist, and all the signs that it was going to be a sunny day. I went back to sleep, thinking ‘I’ll make a picnic for lunch’. And, yep, the sun shone, the birds sang – and, at last, it was time for summery food!
This cake is an absolute joy to eat. It’s beautifully moist but holds together well. And it’s full of flavours from the pomegranates, almonds and pistachios. I made it with a very simple dairy-free yogurt and honey topping (but, of course, you can do a different frosting if you want a more conventional sugary one!)
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Makes 1 cake Preparation time 25 minutes Cooking time 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 2 pomegranates
- 175g/6oz/scant 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 60g/2¼oz/scant ¼ cup rice flour
- 20g/¾oz/scant ⅓ cup gram flour
- 20g/¾oz/scant ⅓ cup maize flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 50g/1¾oz/½ cup ground almonds
- 100g/3½oz/⅔ cup unsalted, shelled pistachios
Topping:
- 100g/3½oz dairy-free yogurt
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease a deep 20cm/8in springform cake tins with dairy-free margarine. Halve the pomegranates and, holding each half over a large mixing bowl, bash the outer skin with a wooden spoon until all of the seeds fall into the bowl. You’ll need to bash the skin a few times before the seeds begin to fall out, but they will. And you might need to pick a few pieces of pith out of the bowl. Put a quarter of the pomegranate seeds into another dish and leave to one side, covered in cling film, to decorate the cake.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in another large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla extract, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture, add the ground almonds, and fold in. Add the pistachios and three-quarters of the pomegranate seeds and mix in gently. Make sure the mixture is well mixed but take care not to overmix it. Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and level the surfaces with the back of a spoon.
- Bake for about 40 minutes until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and leave to cool completely.
- Mix together the yogurt and honey in a bowl until smooth. Spread the topping over the cake, cover with the remaining pomegranate seeds and serve. Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 2–3 days.
This weekend we went to a street party on my sister’s street. Zoë ran around with all the kids, bouncing on the bouncy castle, eating goodies and zooming into different houses, playing, playing and playing; Peter helped my brother-in-law and sister to cook the BBQ (well, he is Australian after all) and I chatted, ate delicious food, drank wine and had a fine time! The sun shone in the afternoon and we stayed on and on, enjoying the celebrations and the prospect of a four-day weekend. (The following day we got drenched, squashed and freezing cold watching the boats going up the Thames…!)
I made these chocolate brownies the night before. They had a wonderfully crunchy crust and gorgeously gooey centre. I normally use fruit sugar, xylitol or agave syrup when I’m baking but I didn’t have enough left in my cupboards, and didn’t have enough time to go and get any more. So I used caster sugar and perhaps that’s why the crust was so crunchy. (I’ll have to make these again, now, to test whether that’s the reason!) There was nothing remotely red, white or blue or Jubilee about these brownies – but my sister had asked for them because she loves them. If you’re just going to bake one gluten-free thing, bake these because they’re really, really good.
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 200g/7oz dairy-free dark chocolate, with at least 70 per cent cocoa solids
- 200g/7oz/heaped 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 50g/1¾oz/heaped ¼ cup rice flour
- 25g/1oz/scant ¼ cup ground almonds
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ¼ tsp xanthan gum
- 100g/3½oz/1 cup pecan nuts
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Line the base of a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12in baking tin with non-stick baking parchment.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and place in a large heatproof bowl. Rest the bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Gently stir from time to time until the chocolate has melted. Add the margarine to the bowl and continue stirring occasionally until it is completely melted and mixed in with the chocolate.
- Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together in a large mixing bowl until light, fluffy and very pale in colour.
- Remove the bowl of melted chocolate from the heat. Using the electric mixer, beat into the egg mixture, then sift the flours, baking powder and xanthan gum into the bowl and carefully fold in with a metal spoon, making sure the mixture is thoroughly combined but not stirred too heavily, or the air will be lost. Add the pecan nuts and fold in gently.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, spreading it evenly into the corners with the back of the spoon. Bake in the hot oven for 15–18 minutes, depending on how gooey you like them, until risen and almost firm to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Cut into 20 squares.
Cupcakes really are EASY to make. What’s more, they cook very quickly and the frosting doesn’t need to chill in the fridge – so they’re ready very quickly. (Something that Zoe appreciates hugely!) I’ve made these with cocoa powder in both the cupcakes and the frosting, instead of melting chocolate. And I’ve used a mixture of rice flour, ground almonds and buckwheat flour because it’s an excellent recipe to use buckwheat flour in (which is very nutritious). But you don’t need to use buckwheat flour, if you don’t have any to hand. (Just use 75g rice flour and 50g ground almonds, instead.)
I made these with a little helper – Zoe. She was excellent at helping to mix and at putting all the cupcake cases into the bun tin. She kindly licked the spoons to make them clean and helpfully tasted each stage to make sure that it tasted good. Unfortunately, though, once they were made, I heard a crash in the kitchen while I was having a bath. Cries of “Mummy” came from the kitchen, followed by Peter coming to explain that Zoe had tipped the container over and the cupcakes were now squashed. Luckily I’d already taken the picture – and I guess we’ll just have to eat the squashed ones quickly and make some new ones now for Easter day!
Happy Easter! x
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Makes 10 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened
- 150g/5½oz/heaped ¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 50g/1¾oz/heaped ¼ cup rice flour
- 20g/¾oz/scant ¼ cup buckwheat flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup cocoa powder
- 55g/2oz/½ cup ground almonds
Chocolate Frosting:
- 200g/7oz dairy-free margarine
- 400g/14oz/scant 3¼ cups icing sugar, or ground fruit sugar
- 120g/4¼oz/1 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and arrange 10 cupcake cases in a bun tin. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the rice flour, buckwheat flour, gluten-free baking powder, xanthan gum and cocoa powder into the mixture. Quickly fold in the ground almonds, using a spoon and mix well, but take care not to overmix. Divide the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, until well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, make the frosting. Put the dairy-free margarine, icing sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat, using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, until smooth, light and fluffy. (I find that my electric mixer makes the icing sugar cloud up at the beginning, so I use a wooden spoon initially to blend the ingredients together and then I use the electric mixer. Some mixers, though, work fine if you simply add the icing sugar in slowly.)
- When the cupcakes are cooked, remove from the oven and turn out of the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Spread or pipe a little of the frosting over each cupcake and serve.
It’s amazing how delicious raspberries are – and how incredibly versatile. Zoe adores them, so I’ve been making the most of the raspberries available this year, and experimenting with all different types of recipes that use them. This is a lovely cake, full of the taste of summer, no matter what time of the year. You can make this with delicious fresh raspberries but you can also make it with frozen ones, instead. Frozen fruits are a gem – often higher in nutrients than fresh fruit that has been shipped in and sitting around for ages during the distribution process. They’re much cheaper to buy and, of course, you can store them in your freezer and simply take them out when you want to use them.
I’ve used coconut flour alongside the rice flour because it makes baked goods deliciously moist. It’s hard to find but you can buy it from on-line retailers, such as Goodness Direct. And the cake is incredibly moist and moreish, anyway, because of the raspberries in it. Lovely summer-time food – even if it’s chilly and raining!
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Makes 1 cake (10–12 slices) Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 40 minutes
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 150g/5½oz/scant 1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, beaten
- 100g/3½oz/heaped ½ cup rice flour
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup coconut flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup ground almonds
- 350g/12oz fresh or defrosted, frozen raspberries
- 2 tbsp agarve syrup, to decorate
- 2–3 tbsp fruit sugar, to decorate
- raspberries, to decorate
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and lightly grease a deep 20cm/8in cake tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with baking parchment. Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the flours, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture and fold in, then fold in the ground almonds and gently fold in the raspberries. Make sure the mixture is well mixed, but take care not to overmix it. Pour it into the tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cover with baking parchment to prevent the cake from overbrowning. Bake for another 10–12 minutes until firm to the touch and cooked through.
- Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin, transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. Once cooled, spread the agarve syrup over the cake, then sprinkle over the fruit sugar. Top with raspberries and serve.
I’m coming in late to the Pie Party (sorry!) but I wanted to share this because it truly is heavenly. A rich chocolate tart, with soft, sweet pears – and a very gooey middle. In theory, you should bake your tart until the filling is completely set but the rich, oozing middle in this one defies all rules. It tastes too good to cook it any longer!
The pastry can, of course, be made by hand – but I’ve shown how to make it in the food processor, in order to make this super-easy. And it’s still light-textured, holds together, and a little crumbly when you bite into it.
Shauna, I love your idea of the Pie Party. Can we make it an annual event?!
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Serves 6–8 Preparation time 10 minutes, plus making the pastry Cooking time 35 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 pears, peeled, halved and cored
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free dark chocolate, 70% cocoa solids, chopped or broken into pieces
- 50g/1¾oz/¼ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 50g/1¾oz dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 4 eggs, beaten
Pastry:
- 75g/2½oz/heaped ¹⁄₃ cup rice flour, plus extra as needed
- 75g/2½oz/²⁄₃ cup gram flour
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ½ cup ground almonds
- 50g/1¾oz/scant ¹⁄₃ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 80g/2¾oz chilled dairy-free margarine, diced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- To make the pastry, sift the flours and xanthan gum into the bowl of a food processor and blend well. Stir in the almonds and sugar. Add the dairy-free margarine and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and blend for 20–30 seconds until the mixture comes together to form a sticky dough. There should be a little extra moisture at the base of the bowl. If it is too dry, gradually add 1–2 tablespoons chilled water. If too sticky, add a little rice flour.
- Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Grease a loose-based 20cm/8in tart tin with dairy-free margarine and line the base with baking parchment. Liberally dust a chopping board with rice flour and roll out the pastry into a circle slightly larger than the tart tin, to allow enough pastry for the side, then neaten the edge, using a sharp knife. Be careful as the pastry will still be slightly sticky. Put the tin, face-down, on top of the pastry and turn the board over to drop the pastry into the tin. Ease the pastry into place, pressing down carefully to remove any air pockets, then prick the base all over with a fork. Line the pastry case with a piece of baking parchment and cover with baking beans.
- Bake for 8 minutes until just starting to turn golden. Remove from the oven and remove the parchment and beans.
- Meanwhile, make the filling. Put the pears on a chopping board and, using a sharp knife, make 5 slices down each half, starting about 1cm/½in from the top. Leave to one side.
- Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and rest it over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate has melted. Add the sugar and stir in thoroughly, then add the margarine and stir until melted. Add the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in thoroughly.
- When the pastry is out of the oven, put the pears onto the base, fanning them out slightly if there’s room (it will depend on the size of the pears.) Pour the chocolate mixture over, taking care to cover all the pears.
- Bake for about 25 minutes, until just darkening on the top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then carefully put a plate on the top, turn it over, remove the tin and put a serving plate on the top. Turn the tart back over onto the serving plate. Serve hot or cold.
These gluten-free cupcakes are truly indulgent and heavenly! The mixture is incredibly simple – just a combination of rice flour and ground almonds, along with the dairy-free margarine, sugar, eggs, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum. I think you have to be careful when you use ground almonds in baking – that you don’t use too much because I find they dominate and leave a slightly sticky taste at the back of your mouth otherwise. Here I’ve balanced the ground almonds with the same amount of rice flour and then I’ve added raspberries to the mixture – and these add moistness and texture, as well as a lovely berry taste. And then I’ve made a rosewater frosting with soya cream cheese. This is the image used on the cover of my new book, Simply Gluten-Free & Dairy-Free – and I think these cupcakes sum up the book – incredibly simple to make and truly delicious.
gluten-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, citrus-free
Makes 12 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes
Ingredients:
- 150g/5½oz dairy-free margarine, softened
- 125g/4½oz/¾ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 75g/2½oz/heaped ¹⁄₃ cup rice flour
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- scant ½ tsp xanthan gum
- 75g/2½oz/scant ¾ cup ground almonds
- 100g/3½oz/scant 1 cup raspberries, lightly mashed, plus 12 to decorate
Rosewater Frosting:
- 25g/1oz dairy-free margarine
- 75g/2½oz/¹⁄₃ cup soya cream cheese
- 1 tsp rosewater
- 85g/3oz/½ cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and arrange 12 paper cupcake cases in a bun tin. To make the frosting, put the dairy-free margarine, soya cream cheese and rosewater in a mixing bowl and beat, using a whisk or hand-held electric mixer, until smooth. Add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat until light and fluffy. Cover and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed.
- Sift the rice flour, gluten-free baking powder and xanthan gum into the mixture. Quickly fold in the ground almonds, using a spoon, then gently fold in the raspberries. Mix well, but take care not to overmix. Divide the mixture evenly into the cupcake cases.
- Bake for 18–20 minutes, until golden brown and well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Remove from the oven and turn out of the tin, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
- Spread a little of the frosting over each cupcake, top with a raspberry and serve.
I’ve revised my book The Best Gluten-Free, Wheat-Free & Dairy-Free Recipes. I originally wrote the book to cater for people who couldn’t eat gluten plus those who couldn’t eat wheat but could eat gluten – as well as those who couldn’t eat dairy. I know there are lots of people who need to avoid wheat but can eat barley, rye, oats and other gluten products. So I made some recipes that would work for those people and put a gluten-symbol on the appropriate pages – and, in most cases, put a gluten-free variation. But since the book has been published, I’ve received a couple of complaints that there was some gluten in the book – one in an email to me and one on the Amazon site. On top of this, the coeliac organizations wouldn’t endorse the book because there was some gluten in there.
So, now that you can get gluten-free oats, I’ve taken the opportunity to revise the book. I’ve taken out a couple of recipes that used barley or rye and I’ve changed the oats to gluten-free oats throughout. (I’ve also added xanthan gum to the recipes, now that it’s so readily available.) And I’ve put in a new recipe – a Sunflower Seed Bread, instead. Now there’s absolutely NO GLUTEN in the book!
And here’s the Sunflower Seed Bread recipe for you to try.
- 150g/5oz/1 cup rice flour
- 120g/4¼oz/⅔ cup potato flour
- 50g/2oz/scant ½ cup gram flour
- 50g/2oz/scant ½ cup ground almonds
- 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp fruit sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp easy-blend dried yeast
- 50g/2oz chilled dairy-free margarine, cut into small pieces
- 60g/2¼oz/½ cup sunflower seeds
- Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and stir in the ground almonds, baking powder, xanthan gum, sugar, salt and yeast. Using cold fingertips, rub the dairy-free margarine into the flour until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Mix in the sunflower seeds, make a well in the centre and pour in 400ml/14fl oz/scant 1⅔ cup warm water. Gradually draw the flour into the liquid using a wooden spoon, mixing well to form a smooth batter. Cover with cling film and leave to rise for 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas 6 and lightly grease a 450g/1lb loaf tin with dairy-free margarine. Spoon the dough into the tin and smooth the surface with the back of a metal spoon.
- Bake for 45–50 minutes until it is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the base. Transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely before serving.
Christmas pudding is a great part of the countdown to Christmas. Traditionally you make it a few weeks (up to 6 weeks) before and, once you’ve piled all the ingredients into a large bowl, everyone has a good stir and a wish. This year, Zoe’s friend, Emily, came round to stir. We hope your wish comes true, Emily! Here’s the recipe I used – it makes a much lighter, yet still very rich and moist, version of the classic – and all without gluten or dairy. As with the Christmas cake, you can feed it with more brandy while you wait for the day. If you’re making it in advance, leave to cool in the bowl once cooked, then wrap tightly in foil and store in a cool place or freezer. Then recover with foil and steam for 1 hour to reheat.
Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 6½ hours Makes 1 pudding to serve 10–12
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, seed-free, citrus-free
- dairy-free margarine, for greasing
- 750g/1lb 10oz mixture of sultanas, raisins and currants
- 150ml/5fl oz/scant ⅔ cups brandy or apple juice
- 300g/10½oz/gluten-free and dairy-free bread, crusts removed
- 50g/1¾oz/heaped ¼ cup rice flour
- 25g/1oz/scant ¼ cup gram flour
- 50g/1¾oz/½ cup ground almonds
- ½ tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- a large pinch of ground cloves
- a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 175g/6oz/1 cup fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 100g/3½oz gluten-free vegetarian suet
- 50g/1¾oz dried mango, chopped
- 1 small apple, grated
- 30g/1oz/scant ½ cup flaked almonds
- 3 eggs, beaten
- Lightly grease a pudding basin with dairy-free margarine and cover the base with a circle of greased baking paper. Put the sultanas, raisins and currants and 500ml/17fl oz/2 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30–40 minutes until all of the fruit has softened and the water has been absorbed. Pour the brandy in, mix thoroughly, and leave to one side.
- Put the bread in a food processor and blend to make (about 200g/7oz) breadcrumbs. Remove and leave to one side.
- Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and add the ground almonds, breadcrumbs, xanthan gum and spices and mix well. Add in the sugar, suet, chopped mango, grated apple and flaked almonds and stir well with a wooden spoon. (Ask everyone to stir at this point – and don’t forget to make a wish!)
- Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs until frothy. Pour into the pudding mixture and stir in thoroughly. Pour the mixture into the basin and smooth the surface with the back of a metal spoon. Cover with 2 layers of greased foil and tie a piece of string tightly around the basin rim to secure it.
- Put the basin into a large saucepan and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 6 hours, adding more boiling water if needed.
- Leave to cool in the bowls for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and turn out. Serve hot.
I’m so excited about Christmas this year! Zoe is 2 years old, so I think she’ll get it this year. She was only a couple of months’ old for her first Christmas, 2 years ago – and she slept through most of it, including the very loud Mama Mia karaoke my sister had organized! And while she dressed up for the festivities last year, she didn’t understand the concept of presents or Santa Claus. But this year, we’re going to see Santa and I know she’s going to love all the presents, Christmas tree decorations, crackers, party hats etc etc. Can’t wait! Here’s a recipe for a fantastically delicious gluten-free and dairy-free Christmas cake – very rich and moist. By all means feed it with more brandy while you wait for the day. And wrap it tightly in foil, then in an airtight container to store it. I’ve made 2 cakes here, because I wanted one for Christmas day and one to freeze (it freezes brilliantly). But you could always make 1 very large one, instead. Just cook for another hour or so, peering at it frequently to make sure you don’t overcook it.
Preparation time 30 minutes Cooking time 3 hours Makes 2 cakes, each serve 8–10
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, seed-free, citrus-free
- 350g/12oz dairy-free margarine, plus extra for greasing
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz mixture of sultanas, raisins and currants
- 300ml/10½fl oz/scant 1¼ cups brandy
- 250g/9oz/1⅔ cups almonds
- 150g/5½oz/heaped ¾ cup rice flour
- 100g/3½oz/scant 1 cup gram flour
- 100g/3½oz/⅔ cup maize flour
- 100g/3½oz/1 cup ground almonds
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
- 1 tsp xanthan gum
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- a large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 350g/12oz/2 cups fruit sugar or caster sugar
- 6 eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp molasses (I used pomegranate molasses)
- 200g/7oz dried pineapple or mango, finely chopped
- Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas 2 and lightly grease 2 x 23cm/9in springform cake tins with dairy-free margarine. Put the sultanas, raisins and currants and 1l/35fl oz/4 cups water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil over a high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30–40 minutes until all of the fruit has softened and the water has been absorbed. Pour the brandy in, mix thoroughly, and leave to one side.
- Put the almonds in a food processor and pulse until chopped.
- Sift the flours into a large mixing bowl and add the ground almonds, salt, gluten-free baking powder, xanthan gum and spices and mix well.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the dairy-free margarine and sugar together in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well mixed, then stir in the softened fruits, chopped almonds and pineapple or mango pieces, using a spoon. Quickly fold in the flour mixture. Make sure the batter is well blended, but take care not to overmix. Pour the batter into the tins and smooth the surfaces with the back of a metal spoon.
- Bake for 30 minutes, then cover both tins with baking parchment, tucking the ends under the tins securely. Bake for another 1¾–2 hours until browned on top, well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out and transfer to a wire rack. Leave to cool completely before serving.
This pastry is beautifully light and stays a golden colour, even though the tart is in the oven for 50 minutes. For this to happen, you need to add a little more water than normal – so that there is enough moisture in the pastry – making it extremely sticky! Don’t worry – I’ve included step-by-step instructions here, showing how to handle the pastry so you can roll it thinly and still get it into the tin in one piece!
gluten-free, wheat-free, dairy-free, yeast-free, seed-free, citrus-free
Preparation time 10 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling Cooking time 50 minutes Makes enough for 1 x 20cm/8in tart tin or 4 x 10cm/4in tartlet tins
Ingredients:
- 7 nectarines, stone removed and quartered
- 50g fruit sugar or xylitol
- 2 tbsp cornflour
Pastry:
- 75g rice flour
- 55g gram flour
- 20g maize flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 50g fruit sugar or xylitol
- 1 tsp xanthum gum
- 80g chilled dairy-free margarine, diced
- 1 large egg, beaten
- Sift the flours, almonds, fruit sugar and xanthum gum into the bowl of a food processor and blend well. Add the dairy-free margarine and blend until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and and then 2 tablespoons chilled water and blend for 20–30 seconds until the mixture comes together to form a light, very sticky dough.
- Shape the pastry into a ball, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4 and arrange the nectarines over the base of a 20 x 30cm/8 x 12in tart tin. Sprinkle the sugar and cornflour over, covering the fruit evenly.
- Dust a large chopping board with rice flour and gently roll the pastry in the rice flour a little, so that it’s just possible to roll out initially. Roll the pastry to about 3mm thick, large enough to cover the tart tin. When the pastry becomes too sticky to work with (which it will!), cover it with a sheet of baking parchment so you can roll over it. Pick up the baking parchment and carefully lift it and place over the fruit in the tart tin (the pastry will stay stuck to the parchment enabling you to do this). Press down firmly round the sides of the tin to cut the pastry and carefully peel the parchment off the pastry, leaving the pastry on top of the fruit. Using a knife, remove any extra pastry over the sides of the tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes then remove from oven, wrap in baking parchment, and bake for a further 20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown and the fruit is tender (use a skewer to test this). Serve either hot or cold.
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