Gluten-free Christmas

[WishesAndStars]

Is there any appetite (sorry terrible pun) for a gf christmas thread? I find it the hardest time of year, and usually feel a bit deprived.

I thought we could swap some recipes and tips.

I am going to try to make the Nigella chocolate Christmas cake, but sub out the wheat flour for Dove's farm gf flour. I will probably add a lot little extra booze so it isn't dry.

I have also ordered some things from Baked to Taste to try them out before Christmas. They do lovely looking things like mince pies, sausage rolls, pies and pasties. I will report back when I've had a chance to try things.

My mum managed a pretty good bread sauce last year with Genius bread, so I'll have to ask her how she did it.

Anyone have any other tips for a lovely gf Christmas?

I'd be keen. Dd and dh are both wheat free. Last year I made some delicious cookie dough truffles (lifewithmoorebabies.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/gluten-free-cookie-dough-truffles.html?m=1). And think that this year I will try these (www.mrfood.com/Cookie-Recipes/Holly-Crackles/ml/1). Sorry about links am on phone.

Both recipes are on my Pinterest page- I am topsecret if you want to follow me

I'm not allowed to think about Christmas till after Bonfire Night

marking place for later

I do a gluten free christmas including christmas cake and Christmas puddings every year- nobody seems to like them any less! I have also adapted lots of yummy recipes so although I don't have them to hand now I would love to join the thread and post some of my ideas. I've perfected trifle sponges now too!
Duchy does a nice gluten free chipolata which I like to use for sausages wrapped in bacon- they are normal length so I do an extra twist in the middle and transform them into cocktail sausages!

I tell you where has massively improved for GF stuff over the last year- M and S. They do loads of stuff now which will be useful for buffets and picky christmas food- most (maybe even all?) of their sausages are GF, they do quiches and ready cooked cocktail sausages and scotch eggs, lots of their stuff in general is GF if you just check the package.

yy to M&S

I find gf Christmas gets better/easier every year

the only thing that would REEEALLY improve it: gluten free trifle sponges

go on, someone. Invent em quick

Marking my place

Not very christmassy but nigella's olive oil cake is gluten and dairy free and absolutely delicious. On the BBC website

I usually adapt Delia stuffing to make it GF by skinning some good quality GF sausages (usually wicks manor, as they're the only ones I can get most of the time) and using Genius bread for breadcrumbs. Tastes bloody good

Spring, I always make trifle with madeira cake, so if you can find a GF version of that it would be good. We aren't GF here, but are sympathetic to dietary intolerances/allergies.

Steve, I always make stuffing from scratch as well, breadcrumbs, diced fried onion and bacon, vacuum packed chestnuts roughly crumbled, fresh sage, parsley and thyme, and some hot water to bind it together. Homemade stuffing is far superior to packet mix in texture and flavour, and you can make it ahead and freeze it, just thaw it in the fridge overnight.

Mmm! Marking place! My mum makes me a gluten-free trifle for Christmas Day every year - just no sponge in it - the best thing being it's all mine so there's plenty to have for breakfast on Boxing Day

I tend to just not have the usual nibbles everyone else has, so will definitely be watching this thread to see what's out there.

This is my first gf Christmas so I'm definitely up for a thread. What do you do about mince pies?

This is great! Giraffeski please would you give me your trifle sponge recipe? I miss trifle and tiramisu and it would be great to be able to make those over Christmas.

pushme I've just not had mince pies for a few years after a disastrous attempt to make gf pastry. Does anyone have a reliable and easy gf shortcrust pastry recipe? I am also going to try some from the place I linked to above - I'm hoping their pastry will be nice.

I'm definitely going to go and have a nosy around M&S - I haven't been in a food hall for ages so it is good to hear that there is nice stuff there now.

We cheat - Tesco gf xmas pud, normal custard, turkey breast with stuffing made with gf breadcrumbs, gf frozen pastry to wrap it in, home-made roasties and veg. Leftover pastry makes mince pies. Not great food consumers in this house though - one nice/different meal is enough, we'd not eat more xmas food!

Marking my place too - Black farmer, Duchy and some Co-op sausages are gluten free.

Orgren gravy is GF too if you want a packet one!

Just to tie two threads together, I'm browsing the m&s Christmas food now and the gravy and many of the stuffed turkeys are GF, and they have the GF party selection of snacks to pre order.

I do gluten-free xmas for 9 every year.

I buy from Ocado, M&S and COOK FOOD. I do the minimum of cooking at Xmas - fortunately nearly everything is available ready to go in the oven from COOK - they are my Xmas standby!

Everything is always yummy. Not thanks to me :)

Gluten free trifle sponges: also dairy free. Lovingly perfected by Giraffeski personally. I normally pipe these into thick lines but I have bought a Madeleine tin and plan to try that out this year!

Zest 1 lemon OR 1 tsp vanilla extract dependent on flavour required (I prefer lemon)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
4 eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
extra caster sugar for dusting (important!)

Preheat oven to 200 C
Line trays with parchment paper or grease Madeleine tin
Sift flour, Xanthan gum and baking powder into small bowl.
Beat egg whites till frothy
Add 2 tsp sugar, continue beating until eggs reach soft peak stage.
Beat egg yolks with remaining sugar in different bowl, add lemon zest or vanilla as required.
Fold 1/2 egg whites into yolks
Fold in flour, followed by remaining egg white
Transfer batter into piping bag (If using a Madeleine tin I guess just spoon the batter in and away you go!)
Cut 1/2" slit in bottom of bag
Pipe batter into 5" sticks, sprinkle generously with caster sugar.
Bake for 8 mins or until lightly golden.

Fail proof savoury shortcrust pastry: (also dairy and egg free)
300g GF plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Xanthan gum
2tsp No-Egg powder
75g lard
75g dairy free spread

Blend everything in food processor and then add cold water slowly until it comes together in a ball (perhaps a few tsp, that's all)

GF (and dairy and egg free) mince pies

150g Gf plain flour
1tsp xanthan gum
100g dairy free spread (or butter if you don't need dairy free). I use Pure Sunflower.
50g ground almonds
2 tbsp icing sugar
Few drops vanilla extract
1tbsp cold water
Icing sugar to dredge
Mincemeat
Almond milk for brushing (or can use milk or egg wash if don't need dairy/egg free)

Preheat oven to 180 c
Grease a 12 hole fairy cake tin
mix flour, Xanthan gum and dairy free spread into breadcrumb texture, easier in food processor.
Stir in ground almonds and icing sugar.
Add vanilla and just enough cold water to bind.
Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 mins
Roll out dough between 2 layers of cling film
Cut out and assemble mince pies
Pierce tops, brush with almond milk and bake for 12-15 mins until golden brown.
Dust with icing sugar to serve.

Thanks for this thread. This is my first Christmas on a low-gluten diet and I was concerned that it mght be pretty horrible. Your thoughts and recipes have buoyed me up.

Just thought I'd give this thread a bump.

I quality-controlled some mince pies from Waitrose the other day, and they were really nice. I'll get some more closer to Christmas.

I wasn't that impressed with Baked to taste so probably won't get anything from there.

I asked my Mum about the gf bread sauce she did last year, and she said it was this Delia recipe.

How is everyone else getting on?

I like the iced gf mince pies from Sainsburys. Also the gf christmas tree shaped shortbread biscuits from Tescos are lush.

I do trifles with a plain sponge of the weight of eggs in sugar, flour and fat type recipe. It freezes well, so I make a big tray in advance.

I saw a couple of 'Gluten free Christmas' magazines recently (in WHSmith maybe?) if that is of interest/help to anyone.

Thanks for this thread, I hadn't realised that m&s do so many gf items! They're chipolatas are really tasty and a good price so I'm planning to use them for pigs in blankets.
Knorr stock pots are nice and gf too for gravy.
Does anybody know if I can get frozen roast potatoes that are gf? I'm getting excited now about trying out some gf stuffing recipes, I haven't had any for about 5 years