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Gluten-Free No-Toaster Pastries with Frosting (decorated by my father-in-law)
It’s still comfort food month. Trying to find foods that are comforting that are safe is kind of hard. In the long, long ago before food allergies, I ate a lot of PopTarts. I ate them when I was too tired, too sick or too aggravated to cook. I ate them for breakfast frequently so that I didn’t have to get up early enough to plan or deal with breakfast. Half the time I didn’t even toast them, but just nuked them in the microwave on a paper towel. And I pretty much only ate the strawberry with frosting PopTarts, which are pretty much the devil for me now, given the wheat and the number of corn ingredients in them. Since I made a lot of jams and preserves during the apple apocalypse harvest here, I decided to use some to make a No-Toaster Pastry, as I has already worked out frosting and pie crust in earlier posts. I picked out some jams and fruit butters, made pie crust, rolled everything out and got them stuffed and ready, and then my oven died. So we ended up at Shawn’s parents to use their oven and I got help from my father-in-law with decorating.
You need to make them in the oven, hence the name, as the generic version of PopTart is toaster pastry, and that doesn’t work because you can’t warm them up in the toaster because of the frosting. So yeah, a bit of a misnomer, so I fixed it. You can use whatever jam or fruit butter you prefer. We used apple butter, apple plum butter, and Nankin cherry jam that I had made.
Using a canning ring to cut the bottom crustThe bottom crust in the canning ring as a tart panAdding the filling (apple plum butter)Adding the filling (apple butter)Some completed pastries and adding the filling (Nankin cherry jam)Gluten-free No-Toaster Pastries ready to bakeGluten-free No-Toaster Pastries with Frosting (frosted by Denise)Our new chief decorator, Brian, Denise’s father-in-lawGluten-Free No-Toaster Pastries with Frosting
Gluten-free No-Toaster Pastries with Frosting
Print Recipe
A homemade version of the ubiquitous toaster pastry, except not using the toaster.
8ounce jarjam, preserve, or fruit butter of your choice(jellies don’t work as they leak out)
Pink Royal Frosting
1 1/4cups powdered sugar(if you are allergic to corn, you can make your own with 2 cups of sugar, a tablespoon of tapioca starch, and a blender)
1/2teaspoon vanilla extract(I make my own with vanilla beans and vodka made from potatoes, as most commercial extract contains corn)
1Tablespoonaquafaba
1teaspoonbeet puree(To make puree, either use canned or fresh cooked beets and puree them in a blender with a bit of cooking liquid)
Equipment
12wide mouth canning rings
Servings: pastries
Instructions
Making Crust Dough
In a large bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, the cassava flour, arrowroot starch, millet flour, and salt, until they are thoroughly mixed.
Using a pastry blender or a fork, cut in the lard or vegetable shortening until the mixture looks like crumbs.
In a small bowl or glass measuring cup, mix the aquafaba (1/2 cup and 1 Tablespoon), apple cider vinegar, and psyllium powder together until it is well blended. Add the liquid mixture to your flour mixture and stir until it comes together to form a dough.
Shape the dough into a smooth ball, and put the dough ball into the freezer to chill for 30 minutes before rolling it out.
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Using some of your other flours (I used sorghum) dust the surface of your rolling space. Roll out the crust to about a quarter of an inch thick on a rolling mat. Make sure you use plenty of dusting flour so that it doesn’t stick to the rolling surface or parchment paper.
Making the Pastries
Once you have rolled out your crust, use a wide mouth canning ring to cut a round of crust out, and flip it over to so that it the pastry forms the bottom of the ring, and place it on your cookie sheet. Using a bit of water and your finger, wet the outside edge of the bottom of the crust to promote sealing.
Place a tablespoon of the jam, preserve, or fruit butter of your choice in the center of the ring.
Using another wide mouth canning ring cut another round of crust out, and place it over the top of the bottom crust in the first wide mouth canning ring, pressing down around the edges to seal. Repeat these steps until all pastries have been made.
Bake at 400°F for 30-40 minutes. Wait until cool and then frost, after making the frosting below.
Making Frosting
Place powdered sugar, vanilla extract, aquafaba, and beet puree in a bowl and using a stand or electric mixer, beat ingredients until completely combined. If frosting is not firm enough, add additional powdered sugar by the teaspoon until it is.
Can I admit I punted on this one? My big plan for Comfort Food month was set back in August. I was going to do MY best comfort food, potatoes, and then one from my neighborhood — I was going to learn to make ramen. There is a line of gluten-free ramen noodles that I quite like, made from different types of rice. I got a book on the history of ramen, and a cookbook. I can highly recommend both. But what I learned is that those lines outside restaurants making authentic ramen are well-deserved. Ramen is a complicated (if worthwhile) process, with a soup base that must be made before preparing a broth that then becomes soup to which you add noodles and toppings. Definitely try it — with all the variations, it’s likely you’ll find some that suit your allergies. But it was not my next recipe.
So ANYWAY, that’s why Jack made this recipe. And from here on out, it’s all him. As a note, this is why we use #allergyfriendly instead of “allergy-free” on the blog — this recipe uses boxed gluten-free penne pasta and commercial vegan cheese (and we tend to use a jarred sauce), so it is likely not suitable for some allergies (corn). But if it works for you, it’s a great Sunday meal that also makes Monday’s lunch. We probably eat this recipe at least once a month, and while pasta is Jack’s comfort food, I definitely see the appeal. –MaryKate
Pasta Bake — gluten-free and allergy-friendly
Hi there! I’m Jack, and I live with MaryKate, so I feed her from time to time. This pasta bake has emerged as one of her favorite comfort foods – which is lucky for me, because it’s one of the few dishes I can make without checking every step of a recipe twelve times. (According to her, I declared on our first date that “I don’t cook”, which I don’t really remember but would have been reasonably accurate at the time as a statement of bare fact, if not general philosophy or intent.) (He said that. I was there. — MK)
The pasta bake began as a gluten- and lactose-filled attempt at baked ziti. It has made the transition to allergy-friendly status quite well, thanks mostly to the pasta and cheese alternatives on the market, and also thanks to MaryKate’s suggestions of what else to add. Feel free to omit veggies and/or meat, and use the sauce, pasta, and cheese brands of your choice. We’ve even mixed in some almond ricotta from Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner for a creamier, lasagna-like texture.
For me, pasta is comfort food. We had it at least once a week when I was a kid, and it’s quick and easy to make while also being warm and filling. I’ve even come to like the vegan cheese. The easiest version of this is pasta, sauce, and cheese, but adding zucchini and mushrooms gives it great texture, and the sausage adds more flavor and protein.
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1mediumzucchiniquartered lengthwise and sliced every 1/4 inch
8ozmushroomssliced, we like baby Bellas
8ozground sausage or beefoptional — leave out or use vegan sub for a vegan casserole
36ozgarlic pasta sauce
12ozvegan mozzarella cheese substitutewe love Miyoko’s Kitchen vegan moz
oregano to taste
Servings: large servings
Instructions
Brown and drain meat.
Boil penne until it’s just barely soft, about 4 minutes.
Drain and rinse pasta.
Put half the penne in a 9″ x 12″ baking pan. Layer on 1/2 of the zucchini and mushrooms, then 1/2 of the sausage or beef, sauce, and mozzarella. Sprinkle generously with oregano.
So, it’s warmer here in New Hampshire than it normally is. There’s been no hard freeze. So I still have apples on trees that are usable. Therefore, the apple apocalypse continues. Since I am drowning in apples, guess what? I decided to incorporate apples into comfort food month. Fried food is also in the pantheon of my comfort food personal universe. So what else could I do, but try to fry some apples?
I added some pie spices to the batter to make the batter less like an onion ring, and dusted them with powdered sugar, because it’s reminiscent of another comfort food, fried dough (still haven’t managed a safe recipe that’s edible). I use a cast iron wok to fry them because it uses less oil. If you make a big batch and have leftovers, they warmed up well in the oven at 350°F for about 20 minutes after being in the fridge overnight, so I imagine they would freeze well also.
Peeled, cored, and sliced applesBatter for frying applesApples being deep fried in oilFried Apple Rings
3-4applesuse apples best for baking pies for the best flavor
2Tablespoons powdered sugar(if you are allergic to corn, you can make your own with 2 cups of sugar, a tablespoon of tapioca starch, and a blender)
Batter
1/4cupcassava flour
1cupgarbanzo or besan flour
1/2teaspoonsalt
1/2teaspoonsugar
1/2teaspoon ground ginger
1/2teaspoonground cinnamon
1/4teaspoonground nutmeg
1/4teaspoonground cloves
3/4cupwater
Frying Materials
safe for you oil for frying
stainless steel pot, cast iron dutch oven, or cast iron wok
thermometer
tongs or a spider
Servings: people
Instructions
Peel, core, and slice apples to about quarter of an inch thick.
Place all dry batter ingredients in a bowl and mix together until well combined. Add water and stir until well combined.
Add safe oil to stainless pot or cast iron dutch oven. Heat oil to 400°F over medium heat.
Dip apple rings in batter and deep fry in oil turning until golden brown. Place on rack over paper towels or a plate with paper towels to cool a bit before serving.
Once the fried apples have cooled a bit, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Back in January when Denise and I outlined our year, I knew that “comfort food month” would include potatoes. My absolute go-to whenever I want comfort food is some form of potato. For me, the fries at 5 Guys are safe, so on a road trip, I’m likely to hit them up. I have made meals out of mashed potatoes, potato patties, tater tots, and any other form of potato you can think of. We have a lot of potato recipes! And they aren’t even all mine.
But what I eventually landed on were baked potatoes. So this isn’t really a recipe. You’ve probably baked a potato — you have, right? Maybe you loved it, maybe it was just okay. But if you bake a perfect baked potato and top it with enough stuff, you have a great dinner — warm and hearty and satisfying. And then you can eat the skin, like a reverse appetizer.
So I went looking for the “best” baked potato recipe and found that cookbooks and internet writers had SO MANY different ideas on what makes a perfect baked potato. Now almost none of them describe the intended results, so it’s hard to know what they see as perfect. For me, the perfect baked potato is soft and fluffy on the inside, with a tender and crispy skin.
People suggest a lot of different temperatures, but 350ºF and 425ºF come up more often than 375ºF and 400ºF, so I stuck with those two. Most recipes tell you to scrub the potatoes and poke holes in the skin with a fork, though the old Joy of Cooking has you poke holes only halfway through baking. While this makes some sense, the joy of baking potatoes is that, though it takes a long time, you don’t have to DO anything during that time. Try it if you want, but I’ll never remember to do that again. Coating the outside of the potato is also popular — wrapping it in foil, oiling the skin, oil and salting the skin, buttering the outside. My mom never did any of that, so I never did, but I’ve now tried them all.
So here’s my verdict:
First off, I think Alton Brown’s recipe worked the best for me. I think that 350ºF produces the fluffiest potatoes, but it takes 20 minutes longer than 450ºF. I think that lightly coating the skin with olive oil does actually produce a fluffier potato, but with a slightly less crispy skin than no coating. Vegan margarine will produce an even tenderer skin. I do not want to foil wrap my potatoes as it seems wasteful, so I didn’t try that. I think poking holes in the potatoes with a meat fork (long tines) makes a fluffier center than using a dinner fork. Two stabs with the fork seem to be enough; 4 stabs (2 per side) didn’t make a noticeable difference to me.
If you don’t have 85 minutes to wait for dinner (assuming 5 minutes of prep), a good compromise is to microwave the washed and stabbed potatoes for 10 minutes and then bake them at 425ºF for 20-30 minutes. I know this doesn’t save a bunch of time, but it is half. I do not coat the potatoes with anything when I do this, and I use the toaster oven because my big oven won’t heat up in 10 minutes. This is not AS good, but it is good.
Perfect (Uncooked) Potatoes — standard ballpoint pen used for scale
As for topping the potato, here are just a few of my thoughts:
butter, vegan margarine, or a margarine that’s safe for you
cashew sour cream, tofu sour cream, or dairy sour cream
chives, salt, pepper
bacon
broccoli
any form of cheese or cheese substitute that is safe for you
any combination of the above that sounds good to you
anything else in the fridge that seems like it would taste good
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Wash and scrub potatoes, being sure to remove any patches of dirt.
Dry the potatoes. Poke 1-2 times per side with a long-tined fork (as in one for serving meat) or a small paring knife — holes should go at least 1/3 of the way through the potato if possible.
Rub potatoes with the oil of your choice — olive oil will yield a slightly crunchy skin, vegan margarine gives a more tender skin. Alton Brown claims that the oil will help hold in more steam, making the potatoes fluffier, and my skepticism at that is now cured. It seems to work. Add a sprinkle of salt if you want it.
Place potatoes in oven, directly on the rack. Bake for 80 minutes. If you’re impatient, you can check them at 60. Using a pot holder, squeeze the potatoes to see if they give easily. If so, they’re done.
The way my mother taught me to open a potato gives you a good container for stuffing it full of fillings. Cut a slit lengthwise in the top of the potato, but leave 1/2 inch or so from either end. Push in at either end sort of “pop” the potato open. Pop the sides and the ends again if you need to — you should get a solid base and a wide open potato.
Stuff it with everything you love. When you’re finished with that part, add some margarine and salt and pepper to the skin and eat that, too.
Feel the potato joy.
Recipe Notes
I tend to buy potatoes that fit solidly in my hand. I like a nice regular oval shape, same thickness throughout. Buy the appropriate size for the part of the meal — I like them big because they ARE the meal. Potatoes should be firm, with no soft spots, irregular ends, eyes growing out of them, and no green hue to the skin. Use those for something else where you can cut away the questionable bits.
The potatoes in the photos above just have some vegan Earth Balance margarine and chives on them.
Guess what? This month we’re doing comfort foods as our theme. And I had all these big plans about what I was going to make. But harvest season in New Hampshire has been driving me insane, since just had our first frost and now I am trying to get things (apples, kale, etc.) processed before the first hard freeze. Frankly, I’m having trouble keeping up with things.
So in trying to think about what would be comforting and since the weather has been a bit nippy, I thought about hot chocolate. And the fact that hot chocolate isn’t really that simple for me any more. I used to get Mayan Drinking Chocolate at the Dancing Lion in Manchester, New Hampshire, but I don’t seem to be tolerating it as well anymore. (If you can tolerate it, seriously, order some now, but we have no affiliation, etc.) I think my sensitivity to my allergens has increased. After thinking about it, I decided having a quick hot chocolate mix would be comforting. This mix is reminiscent of the Mayan Drinking Chocolate in flavor profile, but since it doesn’t have any cocoa butter in it, I made it with my homemade cashew milk so it would have some body. You could try it with water as well and I likely will, I just haven’t had the chance. If you aren’t sure you want the little kick the cayenne gives the mix, you can leave it out. Enjoy!
Hot Chocolate Mix before blendingHot Chocolate Mix, Vegan and Gluten-FreeHot Chocolate Mix mixed with nondairy milk
Hot Chocolate Mix, Vegan and Gluten-Free
Print Recipe
Hot chocolate mix to use with non-dairy mix in the cold weather with a bit of a kick.
For try something new month, I was intrigued by the number of shrubs and bitters and other odd old revival drinks out there. I’m not a big soda fan anymore, but sometimes I do want something more interesting than water. Shrub sounded like a good way to dive in and also finally get into Infusing Flavors, a cookbook I bought this winter and haven’t really used yet.
Now, if I’m honest, I’m cheating her. “Infusing” isn’t really a new technique for any of us. Ever made tea? You’ve infused. Congrats! But adding more flavor to oils, vinegars, sugars, and salts is a great way to expand my kitchen, and learning to make syrups, gastriques, and other sauces is the easiest way to liven up a quick weeknight dish. Here’s my issue with “real” infusing — it takes TIME. Shrub takes maybe 15 active minutes to make, but 5-7 days to infuse. Even tea takes time, but not a week. I’m not that great at planning that far in advance. The shrub is tasty, though, and worth waiting to drink.
A shrub is a “drinking vinegar,” in this case apple cider vinegar infused with pear, cloves, and nutmeg. This recipe makes a syrup that you then mix with water, carbonated or not as you please. I chose the pear shrub because if the subtle spicing and the fact that it’s pear season. This is not an original STFAA recipe, but maybe you’ll decide to try a shrub — and then try infusing some more flavors into your ingredients?
AGAIN, A NOTE: THIS RECIPE SHOULD SIT IN YOUR FRIDGE FOR A WEEK BEFORE SERVING.
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Pear Shrub from Erin Coopey’s Infusing Flavors
Print Recipe
This recipe is very mildly modified from the recipe in Erin Coopey’s Infusing Flavors (2016). I made it more suitable for most vegans by substituting agave syrup for the honey in the original recipe.
THIS RECIPE TAKES 1 WEEK TO MAKE
This recipe is very mildly modified from the recipe in Erin Coopey’s Infusing Flavors (2016). I made it more suitable for most vegans by substituting agave syrup for the honey in the original recipe.
THIS RECIPE TAKES 1 WEEK TO MAKE
Combine the sugar, syrup, vinegar, and cloves in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Stir occasionally.
Let cool, then pour over diced pears in a non-reactive bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Strain and store in a sterile jar. Refrigerate for 5 to 7 days before serving.
Recommended dilution: 2-4 Tablespoons shrub syrup to 8 oz water. This is a good starting place, but I like it a little stronger, about 2T to 4 oz., so about double.
So it’s still “try a new cooking technique” month here on the blog. This is kind of a hard one for me because the corn allergy has forced me to try a lot of stuff. But one of the ones that I hadn’t tried was flambeing. All my friends had a heart attack about it because I’m fairly well known for maiming myself on a regular basis. But I lived, and there was no setting on fire things that I actually didn’t intend to set on fire. I’m not sure how safe the butane torch is for those with corn allergies. I’m going to go out on a limb and say it isn’t, although it’s fun to play with. I’ve had to make this recipe twice and both times my chest got a little tight afterwards. You could try a long matchstick or light the end of bamboo skewer too.
I used apples, because I’m still in the midst of the apple apocalypse. I’ve been foisting them off where I can, but still, 18 trees with a bumper crop is no freaking joke. I can’t use Bourbon for obvious reasons (distilled from corn), but I do okay with Rhum Barbancourt Reserve Speciale. If you’ve got a safe alcohol that works for you, you could give it a try.
You can use this on desserts, ice cream or even use it as a pancake or waffle topping for special occasions.
I made a video of the flambe going on because I want proof that I didn’t hurt myself out there:
Apples Flambe
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Apples Flambe
Print Recipe
Use for dessert or to top pancakes or waffles for a special breakfast.
2largeapplescored, peeled, and sliced, about 1/8 inches thick.
1tablespoonlemon juicefresh squeezed
2 Tablespoonsnondairy spread(I used my Homemade Margarine recipe (http://adultfoodallergies.com/homemade-margarine-new-and-improved/) but if you are vegan and you are not allergic to corn, you can use Earthbalance.
2Tablespoonsbrown sugar
2Tablespoons rum(Be very careful, as many alcohols can have corn and wheat/gluten. I do well with Rhum Barbancourt Reserve Speciale.)
Servings: people
Instructions
Place apples and lemon juice in a bowl and toss apples to coat with lemon juice.
Melt the nondairy spread in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the apples and cook, stirring and turning frequently, until they are tender, but still crisp (about 10 minutes).
Add the brown sugar and stir until dissolved.
Add the rum or other safe alcohol, and ignite, shaking the skillet gently until the flame subsides.
Serve over the dessert or breakfast item of your choice, or if you have a safe ice cream, top your ice cream with it.
So given that we’re trying new cooking techniques this month, one of the ones that jumped out at me was kinpira, a Japanese technique involving a quick stir-fry followed by a braise, most commonly used on root vegetables. Now, I’ve likely done something like this at some point, but not on purpose as a technique. Since the technique itself seemed pretty simple, I thought I’d amp it up a bit and also find a new-to-me vegetable: enter burdock root.
Burdock root is an odd root to work with, at least in this experience. It’s rather slimy when slicing, so be careful and use a sharp knife. I think that likely explains why you then soak the “matchsticks” (try as I did, my knife skills weren’t quite up to perfect julienne this weekend) before cooking them. In this recipe, the burdock is mixed with carrot, which seems common. The recipe is a quite complex-tasting vegetable side dish, which surprised me given how simple it was. But the seasonings let the vegetable flavors come to the forefront (behind a bit of saltiness from the tamari or faux soy) and they are quite good. And that is generally my experience of Japanese food — all techniques and seasonings seem designed to remind you why the main ingredient is a wonderful flavorful part of the world.
As the technique and root were both knew to me, this is not an original STFAA recipe. It is very slightly modified from a recipe at JustBento.com, a site which is inspiring lunchbox shopping needs like you would not believe. The original kinpira gobo recipe is here.
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Kinpira Gobo
Print Recipe
This is a very slightly modified version of the Kinpira Gobo recipe at JustBento.com. All photos, opinions, and modifications are mine.
1Tablespoonsesame oilif you can’t use sesame, rice bran, canola, or other high temp safe oil is good
1/2-1teaspoonred pepper flake
1Tablespoonsugar
1Tablespoonmirin
2Tablespoonstamarior soy sauce or other soy sauce substitute
2Tablespoons water
Servings: servings
Instructions
Wash, peel, and chop burdock root and carrots into matchsticks or julienne.
Soak the burdock root in cold water for a few minutes, rinsing and changing the water once or twice.
In a cast iron skillet, heat up the sesame oil or other high smoke point oil over medium heat.
When oil is hot, add burdock and stir well. Let cook for 1-2 minutes, then add carrot and stir well.
Add other seasonings. Stir well and cook another 1-2 minutes.
Add water, if needed to coat the bottom of the pan with a shallow layer. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
