Thursday 4 January 2018

Gluten Free Puff Pastry at home




Be sure to check out this video for additional advice, and for visuals of how the dough should look at each stage.

Let me start by telling you, I resisted using a scale in my baking.  I didn't want to.  I bake more like a cook (often measuring by sight).  I can tell you, this recipe took me months and multiple trials to get it.  Weighing the ingredients was key to making it work.

Also, the suggestions regarding plastic wrap/waxed paper have saved me from accidentally over rolling or tearing the dough and having the butter "peek" out.  I have tried to make this recipe as user friendly as I possibly can.  These tips are to help you have the best chance at success in your own kitchen.  If you have other advice or suggestions, feel free to let me know.  Gluten Free Baking is not easy, but it is possible.

I have frozen this dough for a week, defrosted it in the fridge, then let it come to the appropriate temperature/texture on the counter top to roll it out and use it.  It worked wonderfully.  Again, when rolling it out, be sure to surround the dough.  When I'm rolling it out for use, I roll it out on parchment paper so I can transfer the finished product onto a cookie sheet or a baking stone.  
Ingredients
  • 1 pound gluten free flour (about 3 1/4 cups), plus more for dusting
    • Need to measure to ensure accuracy.  1lb=16oz=458 grams
    • Flour blend is:
      • 2/3 parts garfava flour
      • 1/3 part sorghum flour
      • 1 part constarch
      • 1 part tapioca starch
  • 1 pound (4 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.  European style butters work great for this recipe – higher fat content. 
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Directions
Measure your flour into a separate container, and be sure to blend it well before beginning to weigh it.  

Weigh the flour accurately. For this recipe, you need to weigh your ingredients.  This is one recipe that can’t simply be measured in cups. 

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the flour. This is okay to measure out with a half cup. Mix until smooth. Scrape this dough into a flat square about 1 inch thick, it should measure about 5 inches by 5 inches. Check out the video to see how to use the plastic wrap to help shape this butter square.  Wrap well in plastic, and chill for up to 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, combine remaining flour with the salt and put into the bowl of a mixer. While the mixer is running, gradually add the cream and mix until a rough, shaggy dough is formed; it should not be sticky (see video for visual example). Do not over mix. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 12 by 7 inches, wrap in plastic, and chill, about 30 minutes. You want the butter and the dough to be the same consistency.  

Remove the flour dough from the refrigerator.  For rolling out my gluten free puff pastry, I use a piece of plastic wrap on the bottom, and a sheet of waxed paper on top.  Lightly dust the plastic wrap with flour, or lightly flower the dough, lay it on the plastic wrap. Do not flour the top side of the dough.   

Place the butter square at the bottom edge of the rectangle, and fold the flour dough over to completely encase the butter, sealing the edges by pinching them together and forming tight hospital corners at the edges (see video for visual of this step). Wrap well in plastic and chill for at least 30 minutes. You want to be able to press about a quarter inch indentation into the dough.   
If it’s too hard or too soft it won’t work.  

Remove the dough from the refrigerator. On a lightly floured piece of plastic wrap (I use a fresh one each time I roll out the dough), gently pound the dough all over in regular intervals with a rolling pin. Working in only one direction (lengthwise), gently roll the dough under a piece of waxed paper into a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, squaring corners with a bench scraper and your hands as you go. Be sure the dough is rolled on top of plastic wrap, and under waxed paper or plastic wrap throughout this process.  You will also want to lightly dust the dough with flour to keep it from sticking to the wax paper.  (See Suggestions for working with plastic wrap below).  Using a dry pastry brush, sweep off excess flour. With a short side facing you, using the plastic wrap to help fold the dough,  fold the rectangle in thirds like a business letter, aligning the edges carefully and keeping each edge square. Turn the dough a quarter-turn clockwise, so the flap opening faces right, like a book. You will need to turn the dough on the plastic wrap or this step.  Be sure to lightly flour the bottom of the dough before placing it back onto the plastic wrap.  

This completes the first turn. Pound across the dough, again in regular intervals, and roll out again to a 20-by-9-inch rectangle, rolling in the same lengthwise direction. Fold dough again into thirds. This completes the second turn. Wrap dough in plastic and refrigerate until well chilled, about 1 hour.


This image is of my dough, immediately following folding it into thirds.  It is hard to see in this image, but it is folded into thirds. There is no visual butter.  If you can see blotches of butter, the dough is not likely to turn out.  Keeping the dough and butter chilled is key to preventing the butter from peeking through the dough.  At this point, I need to remove the dough from the plastic wrap, lightly dust the bottom of the dough, and turn it 1/4 turn to roll it the next direction.  

Repeat the rolling, turning, and chilling process for a total of six turns; always start each turn with the opening of the dough to the right, and always make your trifold in the same manner, that is, by starting from either the top of the dough or the bottom each time. By the sixth and final turn, the dough should be very smooth, with no lumps of butter visible. Use as little flour as possible for the rolling, and brush off any excess before folding the dough. If the dough becomes too elastic or too warm to work with, return it to the refrigerator until firm.

Wrap the finished dough in plastic and refrigerate until ready to use, at least 2 hours after your final turn, or freeze for future use.


Suggestions for working with plastic wrap
Using a damp cloth, wipe the counter top so it is damp.  You can then stretch the plastic wrap onto this surface and press it down.  The plastic wrap will adhere to the counter top, so that it does not shift around while you roll dough on it.  When you fold and turn the dough, be sure to wipe the counter underneath the plastic wrap again if needed to help it adhere to the counter top. 

Sunday 12 November 2017

Gluten Free Chocolate Pecan Pie






Ingredients
Chocolate Pastry
1 cup 250ml cold butter
1 2/3 cup 400ml Gluten Free All Purpose flour blend
1/2 tsp 2ml Xanthan Gum 
2/3 cup 150ml Cocoa Powder
3/4 cup 175ml icing sugar
1/4 tsp 1ml salt
water
Filling
4 eggs
1/2 cup 125ml granulated sugar
3/4 cup 175ml brown sugar
1/2 tsp 2ml salt
2/3 cup 150ml corn syrup
2/3 cup 150ml whipping cream
1 tsp 5ml vanilla extract
1/3 cup 75ml milk
1/4 cup 50ml melted butter
1 1/2 cup 375ml pecan halves
Topping
1/2 cup 125ml whipping cream
4 oz 110g chopped semi-sweet chocolate
1 TBSP 15ml corn syrup

Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
  2. Chocolate Pastry: Combine the butter, flours, cocoa, icing sugar and salt in food processor until crumbly and beginning to clump together. If the dough does not begin to form a ball in the food processor, add the water 1 TBSP at a time, and combine until the mixture holds together. Press into a 10” x 1 ¼ “ (25 cm x 3 cm) flan pan with removable bottom. Chill for 30 minutes. Line pastry with foil and pie weights or beans.
  3. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes until firm. Remove the foil and continue baking for 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling.
  4. Filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (180°C). Mix the eggs, sugars, salt and syrup in large mixing bowl until combined but not frothy. Stir in remaining filling ingredients and pour into prepared crust.
  5. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until filling is set. Cool completely.
  6. Topping: Cook the cream over medium heat in medium saucepan until bubbly. Remove from heat, stir in the chocolate and let rest for 10 minutes. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth, and allow to cool. Mixture will be slightly thickened.
  7. Assembly: Dot the topping over the cooled pie and swirl decoratively. Serve at room temperature or slightly cooled.
    Adapted from:
    http://www.robinhood.ca/Recipes/Pies-Pastries/Pies/Black-Bottom-Chocolate-Pecan-Pie

Sunday 21 February 2016

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Mocha Buttercream Icing

I had to come up with a wonderful tasting sugar free icing to go with my Sugar Free Brownies.  Here it is:



Gluten Free Sugar Free Mocha Buttercream Icing
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp gluten free vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
  • Blue Rose Icing Sugar Replacement – I started with ¾ cup
  • 4-6 Tbsp water
With a hand mixer, beat together the butter, cocoa powder, vanilla, espresso powder and icing sugar replacement. When well blended, taste and see if you want to add more icing sugar replacement – In the end I added about 1 cup of Icing Sugar Replacement.   Slowly add enough water to reach desired consistency. You want the frosting to be stiff enough to hold its shape, but soft enough to easily spread over the cake.



the image is a sample of Sugar Free Brownie with Sugar Free Mocha Buttercream Icing