Gluten Free Desserts – Some Ideas

People seem to think that going gluten-free means no desserts, or no good desserts, anyway. But it doesn’t really have to be that way…

When it comes to gluten-free desserts, it’s best to stay away from the “Free From” shelves. Well to be honest, pasta aside I would miss them anyway. Most of the products are pretty bland at best and very expensive.

But as far as desserts go, there really isn’t much need for flour, anyway. Hopefully you’ve eaten enough volume in the main course, and the sweet dish is just some kind of codicil, more of a taste sensation than anything else.

So what can you eat afterwards that isn’t loaded with gluten? Here are some suggestions.

First of all, there is nothing better in summer than a fresh fruit salad, and it is very easy to make. You just get a bunch of fruit, cut it up, and add some juice or syrup. The trick is to save the air-browning fruit for last. So include banana and apple chunks, but put them in after you’ve made the liquid that holds it all together. And to be safe, add some lemon or orange juice as well (the acid prevents the reaction from happening).

Cut the fruit into pieces all the same size. If you’re including grapes or cherries (which you’ll probably cut in half to remove any seeds or pips), then aim for that type of size. Obviously, the raspberries and blackberries are left whole, but the strawberries can be cut in half or even quarters, if they are too large. Chinese gooseberries or kiwis should have the skin removed before slicing. The easiest way to do this is by cutting off the end of the stem, then scratching them all the way down and dropping them into a bowl of very hot (even boiling) water for a few seconds, then into another bowl of cold water. After this, the skin should come off quite easily.

For the liquid, you can make a sugar syrup (just dissolve a little sugar in a little hot water and top up with cold water), or better is grape or apple juice. I have a friend who uses fizzy lemonade, but I’ve never been into this. You can also include a can of tangerines and add the juice from that. Serve the fruit salad alone or with a spoonful of cream or another topping, or some gluten-free ice cream and that’s your dessert.

If you have a little more time to prepare, you can make a fruit jelly (jello). This might sound like kid stuff = and it certainly would probably work for kids, but it’s amazing how nice it is and of course there’s no gluten in the gelatin.

You can use fresh or canned fruit. I generally use canned and use the liquid from the can as part of the liquid when I make the gelatin. Simply place your gelatin mixture or cubes in a measuring jug, add the least amount of boiling water to dissolve it, mix well and when all the mixture has dissolved, pour in the juice from the can. You can add water to make up just under the correct amount if you don’t have enough juice. There will still be some juice attached to the fruit, so don’t go overboard with the water!

Put the fruit in the gelatin mold or bowl and pour over the gelatin, then cover and put in the refrigerator to set. It goes great with cream or evaporated milk, gluten-free ice cream or the topping of your choice.

For a more exotic dessert that you will surely want to keep for special occasions, you can make a pavlova. This is nothing more than a huge meringue nest filled with fruit and cream, and it is very tasty. You make the meringue the day before, so it has time to cool down, then you fill it in just before serving. You can also buy frozen pavlovas (remember to check the label). The name pavlova (which arises as a misspelling, although it is correct) comes from the name of the ballerina, Anna Pavlova, for whom the dessert was originally created. I don’t know how often she ate it though, as ballerinas have to watch her weight, and this dessert is definitely not for the weight watchers!

Another idea, a bit outdated, but very nice, is a homemade rice pudding. You need a large saucepan, 1½ pints of breakfast milk (or whole milk), 4 ounces of rice pudding (round grain), 2-4 tablespoons of sugar (depending on your taste) and a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon. If you’re using nutmeg, be careful not to overdo it, or the whole pudding will turn sour and be completely inedible. Less is more with nutmeg, as they say. If you don’t have creamy milk, then add 2-3 little bits of butter.

Optionally, you can add a handful of raisins, but personally, I like my rice pudding plain.

Just put all the ingredients in the saucepan and place it in the oven, either in the middle, or if you’re cooking something else at the same time, near the bottom will do. Turn oven on to approximately 300°F (150°C, gas mark 2). After half an hour, stir it and again 30 minutes later. Cook for another hour and check to see if the rice is nice and soft; Carefully lift off the lovely brown skin so as not to mar it, and scoop some out with a spoon, allow to cool, and taste to see if it’s done. If not, give it another 15-30 minutes.

As you can see, it takes a long time to cook a decent rice pudding. But it’s worth the wait even though the fragrance of the cooking rice pudding is almost unbearably enticing. You can make it before you cook the main course and just set it out for 15 minutes to heat up again while you eat, if you like. If you find there is too little milk in the pudding, pour in a little more before reheating or add a little milk or cream when serving (this also helps to cool it down a bit, which is helpful if you’re serving it to kids). . ). Of course, you can also eat it cold, but if you’re going to, you can also buy a can.

You don’t get that delicious skin in a can though (I’m not sure how nice it would be cold anyway).

Children often like to put a spoonful of jam (jelly) in the middle of their plate of rice pudding (after they have tasted their portion of the skin) and stir it before eating. It makes a nice swirl pattern that the kids really enjoy.

I hope these ideas have been helpful, and remember: when it comes to gluten-free desserts, forget the “gluten-free” shelf.