Sweet Delights! Your Gluten-Free Guide To Classic Christmas Treats

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Men

Fun and easy to make, these gluten-free Yuletide favourites can be brightened up with gluten-free confectionary or multi-coloured or classic white gluten-free icing. They’re irresistible either way!    

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour
1 cup arrowroot
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp xanthan gum
75g softened butter
¼ cup castor sugar
½ cup dark molasses
1 tsp vanilla extract
Gingerbread man cutter
Extra rice flour, for dusting
Icing, for decoration

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line two large baking trays with baking paper, or lightly grease.

2. Sift rice flour, arrowroot, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, baking soda and xanthan gum into a large bowl.

3. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer or food processor, beating on high speed for 3–5 minutes, until light and fluffy.

4. Add molasses and vanilla and beat until combined.

5. Slowly add dry, sifted ingredients to butter mixture and beat until a stiff dough forms.

6. Place dough between two sheets of baking paper. Roll out to 2–3mm thick.

7. Cut out gingerbread men and transfer to prepared trays. If the dough gets too soft while you’re working with it, place it in the freezer for about 5 minutes.

8. Bake for 10 minutes. If your cookie cutters are small, the cookies will only take about 5 minutes.

9. Have fun decorating your Christmas gingerbread men with icing, using a piping bag, a plastic bag with a small hole cut in a corner, or coloured icing tubes from the supermarket.

Shop Ovens

Chef 60cm Electric Oven Stainless Steel

Bosch 60cm Double Oven Black

Westinghouse 60cm Electric Oven

Gluten-Free Scottish Shortbread

Enjoy these melt-in-your-mouth Christmas staples with your afternoon coffee break – or, even better, dunked in a cup of milky tea before bedtime (sorry Santa, none left for you!).

Ingredients:

320g maize cornflour
100g fine rice flour
75g soy or besan flour
120g pure icing sugar
250g softened butter
Caster sugar, for sprinkling

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 150°C.

2. Combine cornflour, rice flour and soy or besan flour in a large bowl. Add sifted icing sugar and stir to combine.

3. Rub butter into flour mixture with fingertips until well combined. Take your time – it will come together into a workable dough.

4. Roll out dough between two sheets of plastic or waxed paper to about 1.25cm thickness. Peel off top layer of paper and cut dough into two 2.5cm. x 7.5cm strips. Lift strips onto a baking sheet, allowing space between them so they can spread a little.

5. Bake until faintly tinged golden around the edges (about 45 minutes), sprinkling with caster sugar 10 minutes before the end of cooking time. Cool and store in an airtight tin.

Gluten-Free Christmas Pudding

When it comes to pulling off a truly traditional Christmas feast, the proof is always in the pudding! And the secret to nailing this rich and fragrant gluten-free pud? A mighty stand mixer!

Ingredients:

200g dried mixed fruit
50g mixed peel
1 cup dark rum
250g butter, plus extra for brushing
250g sugar
5 eggs
125g gluten-free plain flour, plus extra for dusting
Pinch of salt
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp bicarb soda
125g gluten-free breadcrumbs
Custard and/or cream, for serving

Method:

1. Combine dried mixed fruit and mixed peel in a bowl. Add rum and stir to combine. Cover and stand overnight.

2.  Brush a 1.8L-capacity pudding bowl with butter, line base with a circle of baking paper and dust with gluten-free flour.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, then slowly beat in eggs, one at a time.

4. Sift flour, salt, spices and bicarb soda together into a separate bowl. Add to butter mixture in batches, alternating with soaked fruit mixture. Stir through breadcrumbs.

5. Pour mixture into prepared pudding bowl and top with another circle of baking paper. Cover with two layers of foil and tie with string.

6. Place pudding into a large saucepan with a wire rack or tea towel lining the base. Fill with enough water to come halfway up the side of the bowl. Cover and simmer for 4 hours, topping up water when necessary.

7. The pudding may be made ahead and cooled in a bowl. Reheat in a large saucepan of simmering water for 2.5 hours, then serve warm with custard and/or cream.

Shop Stand Mixers

Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL White

KitchenAid Design Series Stand Mixer Evergreen

Smeg 50’s Style Stand Mixer Slate Grey 

Make Your Own Gluten-Free Ice Cream

We all scream for ice cream in the summertime! But sometimes store-bought ice cream just won’t cut it when you’re on a gluten-free diet because of the surprising number of potential allergens, such as wheat and other starches, that can make their way into the mix.

“If you’re gluten intolerant, making your own ice cream at home is your best option because you can control all the ingredients – and  you will always have a safe treat to hand in the freezer," says Maria Said, CEO of Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia.

Why not pop an ice cream maker under the tree so you can enjoy naturally delicious, gluten-free ice cream at home this Christmas (and all year round)! Ready for some festive flavour inspo? How about cranberry and vanilla (you’ll love its sweet tartness!)? Peppermint crunch for a punchy palate cleanser? Or go all in with a decadent eggnog ice cream, laced with rum, cream, nutmeg, cinnamon and a hint of orange? Yes, please!

Shop Ice Cream Makers

Breville The Smart Scoop Ice Cream Maker

Cuisinart Ice Cream & Gelato Maker

Ninja Creami Ice Cream Maker 

Cooking For People With Allergies

If you have food allergies or are preparing food for someone with food allergies, check the ingredients of every recipe every time to ensure you are excluding food they are allergic to.

If you’re unsure of any ingredient listed on a store-bought product or ingredient, contact the manufacturer for further details or omit it from the recipe. For more information on food allergy management, visit allergyfacts.org.au.

You’ll find everything you need to make your gluten-free Christmas a sweet success at The Good Guys. Visit us in-store or online to explore a huge range of small kitchen appliances and high-performance ovens, as well as expert advice.