Baked Gluten-Free Mini Ring Doughnuts

I’ve been meaning to post this recipe for a long time, I think I may have even promised it to you before! I really sorry it’s taken so long. There were a lot more than this, but it turns out both me and my husband have been ‘secretly’ eating them- for breakfast, lunch, dinner and everything in-between! Haha, yes- they really are THAT GOOD! They take minutes to whip up and are delicious. You will need a silicone mini doughnut pan- I got mine from Lakeland a couple of years ago. I’ve adapted the doughnut recipe they suggest to make it gluten-free and it turns out fab every time! So you thought you’d never have a doughnut again, so did I! Just occasionally I get cravings and this recipe satisfies them. The other great news, is that these are baked, not fried with only 2 teaspoons of oil per batch of dough, plus a little extra for greasing. This quantity made around 30 doughnuts which was plenty for 2! Halve the recipe if you want less, or scale it up for more. I just used the same silicone pan, I didn’t even bother re-greasing between batches although they would be easier to remove if you do add more oil. Ingredients

• 150g/ 5oz gluten-free plain flour (I use Dove’s Farm)
• 1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 110g/ 4oz caster sugar
• 120ml/ 4 1/2 fl oz milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Xanthan Gum (I use Dove’s Farm)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 160C (fan)/ Gas Mark 3/ 325F. Lightly brush your pan with oil.
2. Into a mixing bowl, sift the flour, Xanthan Gum and baking powder. Stir in the sugar and salt.
3. In a measuring jug, measure the milk- add the 2 eggs and whisk lightly. Tip into dry ingredients.
4. Add the oil and vanilla extract and stir until the mixture is all combined and smooth.
5. Using a teaspoon, carefully fill the moulds to 3/4 full. You might find a piping bag makes this less fiddly, but I couldn’t be bothered!
6. Bake for around 10 minutes, until lightly golden brown.
7. Cool slightly before popping out of the mould!

Toppings. I often melt a bar of Basics chocolate and dip the doughnuts into it, before setting them to dry on greaseproof paper. Then shake some sprinkles on top and leave to set. You can simply toss them in sugar- either caster or icing- whilst they are still warm. Let me know if you come up with any other good toppings!

Product Review- Too Good to be Gluten Free- NO.G Vegetable Open Top Pie

We recently moved back to an area where we can receive Ocado deliveries again. They do have an excellent selection of products available, including those I am unable to obtain elsewhere. I spotted these pies whilst browsing their selection and decided to try one. Actually, my first choice was the Bacon and Leek pie but it was out of stock for when I wanted my delivery. So I opted for this one, as it was actually the only one in stock!

Well, it turned out to be a pretty good choice! I popped the pie in the freezer upon receipt of my delivery, since I didn’t want to eat it immediately. I find pies are a good stand-by to have in the freezer, for days when I’m working. I’d checked their Facebook page where they’d advised that although it’s not currently stated on the packaging, you can freeze their pies. You simply need to add 10 minutes to the reheating time. (Apparently they’re in the process of getting their packaging updated). I’m sorry there’s no picture of the actual pie- I was hungry and it disappeared FAST!

This pie is hands down the most delicious I’ve ever tasted! I liked the fact that it was an open-top pie, as I sometimes find lidded pies are too substantial for me to finish. This pie had a delicious creamy sauce, not too thick and flavoured with herbs. Inside the pie were tasty chunks of spinach, butternut squash and pepper. It was beautifully presented and tasted out of this world!

Now at £2.79 these are an expensive meal! However, they’re still 20p cheaper than the Clive’s pies I also like. Although I’d say you get more for your money with Clive’s, as they have a lid and I think are generally larger, with more filling. However, really this pie was very simple- upon reading the ingredients list. So I may be having a go at inventing my own version. When I get it right, I will of course, be sharing the recipe right here on Glutenfreeness!

Meanwhile, should you need a quick and convenient meal- I heartily recommend this NO.G pie and I look forward to trying more from their range. I understand they are also available in some Sainsbury’s stores- although I haven’t seen them near me!