Crackers, biscuits, cakes and desserts are everywhere at this time of year, but Danielle Cochran is a big believer in ensuring goods baked without gluten or dairy taste as good as the real thing.
In her book Craveworthy Baking, Cochran, who is from North Carolina in the United States and is known on social media as ‘‘the salty cooker’’, re-creates timeless classics whether it be cakes, cookies, breads or pastries that meet her ‘‘test’’.
‘‘Every recipe I share on social media and in my blog must pass the test: ‘‘No-one will know this is gluten-free and dairy-free.’’
Cochran, who has ADHD, only got into baking when she gave up gluten and dairy for health reasons and found her headaches and stomach problems went away. She also discovered there were few gluten and dairy-free options that retained the comforting flavours of traditional dishes.
‘‘I had constant cravings for the foods I was used to. So I decided to experiment in the kitchen, developing recipes that were both gluten and dairy-free. It was a path of trial and error and lots of hissy fits.’’
As a result, baking has become a passion for her, a journey of ‘‘joy and creativity’’.
‘‘I’ve tried to make every recipe in this book as enjoyable and straightforward as possible. I’ve broken down the steps and whenever I could, I’ve used single flours like gluten-free flour or gluten-free bread flour to keep things simple, practical and cost-effective.’’
As she is American, she has included handy conversion tables for New Zealanders’ metric measures. There is also an ‘‘emergency baking substitutions’’ box and a guide to alternative milks and butters and gluten-free flours.
THE BOOK
Images and text from Craveworthy Baking: Delicious Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free Cakes, Cookies, Breads, and More by Danielle Cochran, published by Quarto, RRP $55
Cherry hazelnut biscotti
I’ve always had a great relationship with my mother-in-law, Vicky, and once a year we would do a food tour/class together.
One year, she signed us up for a bruschetta class. We were so excited. When we arrived, we were both shocked it was a biscotti class. We’re both dyslexic and were dying laughing!
So, that day we took a class on how to make biscotti!
Makes 36 biscotti
Ingredients
3 eggs, divided
150g granulated sugar
170g packed light brown sugar
179g vegetable or canola butter, room temperature
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
444g gluten-free flour
104g almond flour
½ tsp (3g) kosher salt
2 tsp (9.2g) baking powder
160g dried cherries
115g hazelnuts, chopped
15ml water
26g raw sugar, divided
Method
Place an oven rack in the centre position. Preheat the oven to 150°C and prepare a large baking sheet with baking paper.
In a small bowl, separate one egg white.
With the mixer off and a whisk attached, add both sugars and the butter to the bowl. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 3 minutes.
Reduce speed to low and add the vanilla and the 2 whole eggs and extra yolk. Blend on medium speed for 3 minutes until the mixture is light and fluffy. Add the flours, salt, and baking powder with the mixer off. Mix on medium just until incorporated; avoid overmixing.
Scrape down the sides. Fold in the cherries and hazelnuts.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface, forming it into two logs about 25cm long and 5cm in diameter.
Place on to the lined baking sheet.
Add water to the reserved egg white, mix well, and brush on the top of the biscotti logs. Sprinkle 1 Tbsp (13g) of the raw sugar over the biscotti logs. Set aside the egg wash.
Bake on the middle oven rack for 45 minutes. Allow the partially baked biscotti to rest for 30 minutes.
For the second baking phase, line two cookie sheets with baking paper. Reduce the oven temperature to 140°C.
Use a serrated knife to cut the biscotti logs into individual slices, each 1cm to 2cm thick. Place on the lined cookie sheets with minimal spacing. Apply the egg wash mixture to each piece, and sprinkle the remaining raw sugar.
Bake each cookie sheet separately for 45 minutes or until the biscotti are firm and golden. Let them cool on the sheet before removing.
Variation
• Try melting some dark chocolate to drizzle over or dip the ends of the biscotti. Ensure the biscotti are fully cooled first.
Champagne Swiss roll with Swiss meringue frosting
Elevate your celebrations with this beautiful Swiss roll.
Its light and airy texture, complemented by a delightful champagne essence, makes it the ideal cake for any special occasion.
Makes 1 swiss roll, 8 slices
For the batter
4 eggs, separated, plus 2 egg whites
1 drop pink food colouring
133g granulated sugar
80ml champagne
1 tsp (5ml) champagne flavour
extract (optional, to intensify flavour)
185g gluten-free flour
1 tsp (4.6g) baking powder
15g powdered sugar (icing sugar)
For the filling
6 egg whites
400g granulated sugar
For assembly
290g fresh berries (your choice)
To make the batter:
1. Place an oven rack in the centre position. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Spray a 23cm × 38cm baking sheet with nonstick baking spray and cover with a sheet of waxed paper.
2. In a stand mixer with a whisk and large bowl, add the 4 egg yolks and pink food colouring. Beat for about 3 minutes until well combined. Continue to beat and gradually add sugar, champagne, and extract, if using. Beat for 3 minutes until the mixture becomes creamy and well incorporated. On low, mix in flour and baking powder until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
3. In a separate large mixing bowl, use a mixer with a whisk to beat the 6 egg whites until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the beaten egg whites into the cake batter. Use a gentle folding motion to maintain the fluffiness of the egg whites.
4. Pour the batter on to the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Sprinkle some icing sugar evenly over the cake. Place a clean towel on top of the cake and carefully, starting from one end, roll the cake and waxed paper along with the towel. Place the rolled cake on a cooling rack to cool completely. This will help it maintain its shape.
To make the filling:
1. In a glass bowl, combine egg whites and sugar and whisk for 4 minutes until well combined.
2. Place a pot of water over medium-low heat on the stove. Set the glass bowl on top of the pot, ensuring that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
3. Whisk the mixture continuously for 5 to 8 minutes until it becomes slightly foamy and the sugar granules are melted. Use a food thermometer to ensure that the temperature reaches 71°C.
4. Carefully remove the glass bowl from the double boiler and pour into a mixing bowl. Use a mixer on high speed to whip for 10 minutes. The Swiss meringue should become glossy and form stiff peaks.
To assemble:
1. Slowly unroll the cake, removing the towel and waxed paper as you go.
2. Pipe a line of filling about 2.5 cm from all sides of the cake. Then pipe in the rest of the area evenly, using about half of the filling.
3. Carefully roll up the cake, starting from one end.
4. Top with the remaining half of the Swiss meringue and fresh berries.
Orange cranberry muffins
Long before the pumpkin spice craze, we had cranberry as a classic autumn flavour. And for me, there’s not much better than bringing some orange zest to go along with it.
I make these muffins as written all the time, but have experimented quite a bit as well.
They are great with a handful of chocolate chips or white chocolate chips, and pecans or walnuts are a classic addition.
Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients
150g granulated sugar
6g orange zest
2 eggs
112g vegetable or canola butter, melted
175ml oat or pea-protein milk
2 tsp (10ml) vanilla extract
296g gluten-free flour
½ tsp (3g) kosher salt
13.8g baking powder
100g cranberries (fresh or frozen)
Method
Place an oven rack in the centre position. Preheat your oven to 200°C and give your muffin tin a quick spray with nonstick baking spray, or use muffin tin liners.
In a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment and a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest gently using your fingers. You will start to smell the citrus goodness. Add the eggs, butter, milk, and vanilla. Mix on high until nicely combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the egg mixture. Mix everything together until the mixture is halfway mixed (you will still see a lot of flour unmixed).
Add the fresh or frozen cranberries to the bowl. Mix them in gently until they’re just incorporated by folding them softly with a mixing spoon or spatula. Be careful not to overmix.
Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared muffin tin. Each muffin tin should be filled three-quarters of the way.
Bake for 18-20 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool for a couple of minutes in the tin before indulging. If there are any leftovers, store them in an airtight container to keep them fresh.
Variations
Chocolate chip: Omit the cranberry and orange zest. Add 263g dairy-free chocolate chips.
Lemon poppy seed: Omit the cranberries. Swap out the orange zest for lemon zest, and add 60ml lemon juice and 16g poppy seeds.
Blueberry: Omit the cranberry and orange zest. Add 220g blueberries.
