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Gluten-free but full of decadence — try chocolate mousse and delicious and crunchy churros

Gluten-free but full of decadence — try chocolate mousse and delicious and crunchy churros
The Reading List
By The Reading List
9 Aug 2024
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In a world where allergies and food intolerances are becoming more and more common, The South African Guide to Gluten-Free Baking will make your time in the kitchen a little sweeter.

Zorah Booley Samaai’s new cookbook will teach you how to seamlessly pivot from “normal” baking to gluten-free baking, so you can enjoy your favourite baked goods and sweet treats without the guilt – or any unpleasant side-effects. 

Samaai is a trained pastry chef, having graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in London. She runs In the Midnight Kitchen, a successful food and baking blog where she shares her recipes with a global readership. Her blog varies from ‘normal’ to gluten-free and allergy-friendly recipes.

As a go-to guide for baking all things gluten-free, The South African Guide to Gluten-Free Baking includes a section on how to stock your pantry for gluten-free baking (including a breakdown of the best gluten-free flours to use, and which combinations work best for different recipes), what ingredients are safe to use for a gluten-free diet, as well as the equipment and tools you’ll need to become an expert gluten-free baker.

Gluten-free baking can seem daunting, but The South African Guide to Gluten-Free Baking will inspire readers to learn how to make their favourite baked goods gluten-free – without being able to tell the difference! – so they can walk into the kitchen with confidence.

Expect recipes for everything from decadent triple-layer celebration cakes, to cute cupcakes and one-bowl brownies, delicious doughnuts, decadent cheesecakes, comforting pies and easy pizzas, South African favourites like malva pudding, as well as a chapter on easy air fryer bakes.

Egg-Free Chocolate Mousse


Serves: 3   |   Prep time: 10 minutes   |   Chill time: 2 hours 

120g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

295ml whipping cream

¼ tsp gluten-free hot chocolate powder

2 Tbsp icing sugar, sifted 

1 tsp cornflour, sifted 

Whipped cream and grated chocolate, to serve

Melt the chocolate and half a cup of the cream in a small pot over low heat, stirring continuously, for 5 to 7 minutes. Once the chocolate is melted, remove the pot from the heat and keep stirring. If the chocolate seizes a bit, that’s okay. Set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the remaining cream on medium-high speed for 5 to 7 minutes, until it reaches soft peaks. You can also do this using an electric hand mixer or whisk, or by hand. 

Combine the icing sugar and cornflour, then add to the whipped cream and whisk on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Use a spatula to fold in the cooled chocolate-cream mixture in two parts. If there are white streaks of cream remaining, that’s fine. The mixture should be thick but pourable.

Place the mousse in serving glasses and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours to set. Serve with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

Notes and Tips


Can I use milk chocolate instead of dark chocolate?

Yes, you can. The texture of the mousse might be a bit grainier than if you were to use dark chocolate, and it will taste sweeter, but still delicious. 

Storage


Once the mousse has chilled in the fridge, cover with cling wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

***



Delicious and Crunchy Churros


Makes 12–14   |   Prep time: 30 minutes   |   Cooking time: 15 minutes

For the churros

400ml vegetable oil, for frying 

230ml water

40g salted butter

¼ tsp salt

135g gluten-free all-purpose flour

1 tsp xanthan gum (omit if flour contains – see Notes and Tips)

1 tsp ground cinnamon 

2 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla extract

Melted milk chocolate, to serve

For the coating 


75g castor sugar

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Add the vegetable oil to a small pot and leave to heat over low-medium heat for now. 

To make the churros, to a large pot, add the water, butter and salt. Let the butter melt and the water come to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Using a heat-proof spatula, stir in the flour, xanthan gum (if needed) and ground cinnamon. The dough will look lumpy and stick to the pan a bit; this is normal. Stir for about 2 minutes, to make sure the flour cooks through. Then, transfer the dough to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a creaming attachment. Leave the dough to cool for about 10 minutes, stirring with the creaming attachment on medium speed, so it cools quickly. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, along with the vanilla extract, and mix on medium speed until combined, scraping down the bowl occasionally, until the dough is light in colour and creamy. It will look like it’s separating, but this is normal when using gluten-free flour. 

Place the dough in a piping bag with a star nozzle (see Notes and Tips). 

In the meantime, heat the oil to 200ºC. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the temperature by piping in a little bit of the batter. When the oil is ready, pipe the dough directly into the hot oil in lengths of 12cm to 15cm. If you have never done this before, be careful; make sure the nozzle is fairly close to the oil so it does not splatter too much when you pipe in the dough. Use a pair of scissors to cut the dough at the base of the nozzle for a clean finish. Fry the churros for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden-brown all over. Remove from the pot, then transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain any excess oil. 

To make the coating, combine the castor sugar and ground cinnamon in a shallow bowl or plate. Roll the churros in the mixture, until well coated all over. Serve with melted milk chocolate.

Notes and Tips


Make sure you add xanthan gum if your flour blend omits it. This will give the churros that chewy, “I added gluten but not” texture. 

What if I don’t have a piping bag?

I like to use a piping bag for my churros because it allows for better control when releasing the dough into the hot oil. However, you can use a Ziploc bag instead. Place the star-shaped nozzle in one of the bottom corners of the bag. Add the dough to the bag and squeeze it down towards the nozzle. Then, use a pair of scissors to snip off the corner of the bag so just the nozzle is exposed. This will give you more control when piping. DM

The South African Guide to Gluten-Free Baking by Zorah Booley Samaai is published by Penguin Random House SA (R380). Visit The Reading List for South African book news – including recipes! – daily.

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