Gluten-free Cooking for Kids

 

Monster Dough Balls & Witches Fingers

Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Egg Free, Nut Free - can be adapted for Dairy Free

Makes about 20 dough balls/witches fingers

 

Ingredients

275 g (9 oz) gluten-free plain flour

1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ tsp xanthan gum

100 g (4 oz) mature Cheddar cheese cut into 6 pieces

250 ml (8 fl oz) crème fraîche

140 ml (5 fl oz) milk

 

For decorating

Black pitted olives – sliced into ‘0’ s.

Red peppers/ green peppers cut into pointy nail shapes or thin strips

Garlic butter

 

Directions

Pre-heat the oven to 200ºC (400ºF) Gas 6.  

Measure out the flour, baking powder, salt and xanthan gum amd place in your food processor.  Pulse briefly to mix everything together. 

Add the cheese and using the pulse button mix until the cheese is finely grated.

Add the crème fraîche and the milk into the bowl.  Mix  until all the ingredients are just well mixed.  You should now have a sticky dough

 

To make dough balls

Prepare a baking sheet with non stick lining paper.  Pinch off pieces of dough and roll into a smooth balls using a little bit of flour to stop them sticking.  Place them on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake in a preheated oven 200 C for about 15 minutes until the balls are just turning golden.  Remove from the oven and brush with garlic butter. Serve immediately.

 

To make witches fingers

Pinch off bits of the dough and roll into a sausage shape.  Press down to make a gnarly witches finger.  Place a piece or red or green pepper on the end  ( or half an olive )and press down slightly to make a gnarly witches finger.

 

 

Buckwheat  Broom Sticks 

Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Egg Free, Nut free- can be adapted for DF

 

Ingredients

60g Buckwheat flour

120g gluten free flour

1 tsp salt

110g cold unsalted butter, cubed (for DF replace with margarine)

70g mature Cheddar Cheese, grated

1 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped

120ml cold water

 

Directions

Preheat oven 220 C or 450 F

In a medium sized bowl combine the buckwheat flour, gluten free flour and salt.  Mix gently with a fork and pour this into the bowl of a food processor. 

Add the butter cubes and pulse briefly until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs.  Pour the mixture back into the bowl and add the grated cheese and rosemary.  Mix through. 

Add the iced water and mix with a fork until the dough comes together.  Knead gently to make a dough, but don't overdo it or you'll end up with a greasy lump of dough. 

Pat the dough out into a circle, wrap with clingfilm and place in the freezer to chill for about 30 minutes.  The dough will be fine in the freezer for a couple of days.

When you are ready to make the dough, cut the disc in half and keep the other half cold in the fridge.  Make sure the oven is really hot. 

Roll out the dough to about 3/4 cm and then cut into 1 cm strips using a sharp knife.  Pinch the dough together and then roll lightly on a lightly floured board.  Place the breadsticks on a baking sheet as you go along and make sure they are all equal in width and length so that they bake evenly. 

Don't worry if the dough breaks up a bit, just pinch it back together and roll it out again.  If the dough starts to get too soft and difficult to work with then put it back in the freezer for a few minutes to harden up.

Bake the breadsticks in a hot oven for about 8-10 minutes.  Leave them to cool before serving.

Makes about 25 broomsticks 

 

 

 

Gruesome Chocolate Gingerbread

Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Nut Free - can be adapted for Dairy Free and Egg Free

 

Ingredients

325g gluten free plain flour

50g cocoa powder

2 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

100g cold unsalted butter, diced (use margarine for DF)

100g dark brown sugar

75g caster sugar

1 egg (for egg free, leave out egg and use a little extra water)

20ml treacle

40ml golden syrup

About 2 tbs water

 

To decorate

Tubes of decorating icing

Icing sugar (combine icing sugar with a little water to make a stiff but pourable paste)

Flavouring (add a little almond essence or peppermint extract to your icing sugar paste)

Glace cherries (entirely optional)

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 C (375 F). Line a few baking sheets with baking parchment or grease proof liners

Combine the flour, cocoa powder, ground ginger, ground cloves, bicarbonate of soda, caster sugar and brown sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine all of the ingredients.

Add the cold butter and pulse until the mixture is like fine sand. Stop before the mixture starts to make clumps.

Add the egg and the treacle and golden syrup and  mix for a few seconds until just combined, adding just enough water to make a dough which will come away in a ball inside the food processor bowl.

If the dough is too wet, add a little more flour until it comes into a ball. If it's too dry and crumbly add a little more water.

Remove the dough from the bowl (it should come away easily from the blade)  and lightly knead until the dough is pliable and holds together adding a little extra flour if the dough is still sticky.

Flatten into a disc and wrap in clingfilm. Refrigerate until ready to use.

The dough is best if left to rest for a day or two in the fridge to let the flavours develop a bit,  but it’s not necessary to do this.  You can use the dough straight away. 

To roll out the dough, dust your work surface with some gluten free flour. Divide the dough into thirds and roll out one third of the dough at a time. You can roll the dough out thin, if you like your biscuits crisp or keep them a little thicker if you prefer the traditional gingerbread texture.

Cut into decorative shapes and place on the lined baking trays. Bake 8- 10 minutes until just set. Leave to cool on a wire rack before decorating.

Note:  because of the chocolate, it can sometimes be difficult to tell if the biscuits are cooked.  To test them, press lightly on the top and there should be a little resistance, ie your finger should not leave an imprint on the surface.  These biscuits can burn quickly so keep an eye on them whilst in the oven.

The biscuits will keep for about a week in an airtight container.