Photo by Hannah Rose Hughes
I have had this book in my own personal cookbook corner (a double-stack bookshelf carved out of the corner turn in the staircase and painted hot pink, where all new books are placed on arrival) for some time now, and I’ve been just itching to bring it to you. Now, its moment has arrived: How to Bake Anything Gluten Free, while a must-have for coeliacs and all the many others who have banished gluten from their diet, is also a boon to those of us who find ourselves cooking for them — which I would think is all of us. I have been a longtime admirer of Becky Excell’s: you can find my review of her first book, How to Make Anything Gluten Free on this link; I gladly gave a quote for the cover of this one; and whenever I receive queries on social media as to how to adapt a recipe to be gf, if I can’t answer from tried-and-tested experience myself, I steer them her way. What I love about Excell’s books — and you should also check out her blog glutenfreecuppatea.co.uk — is that her expertise is matched by her enthusiasm and delight-driven enjoyment of food. I should imagine she’s of particular comfort to those who have only recently learnt they must forgo gluten forever, as her you-can-do-this spirit and clearly written recipes are just what’s needed to replace panic with confidence.
And the “anything” of the title truly does not seem an exaggeration: there are riches in abundance. It’s hard to know which recipes to pick out for your delectation, as leaving any out feels like neglect, but I will do my best to give you a proper taster: I shall start with the fabulous three-tiered, pink, yellow and white Angel Cake Slice; then I can’t fail to draw your attention to the Salted Caramel Cake; Millionaire’s Shortbread; Viennese Whirls (and fingers); Choc Chip Biscotti; NYC Triple Chocolate Cookies; Real Deal Doughnuts (filled with jam, custard or apple); Tiramisu Crêpe Cake; Coffee & Cream Eclairs; Cinnamon Rolls; English Muffins; Super Seeded Sandwich Loaf; Tiger Bread; Pizza Dough; Cornish Pasties; and Mini Beef Wellingtons. And do I have to remind you that these are all gluten free? But it’s the Christmas chapter that will be solving a lot of problems over the next month, with recipes including Sausage Rolls; Turkey and Ham Pie; those spicy German Christmas Cookies, Lebkuchen: Christmas Pudding and Cake; Gingerbread People; and Stollen Bites. And it’s from this chapter that I have chosen the recipe to share with you: Deep-Filled Gluten Free Mince Pies to keep everyone happy!
How to Bake Anything Gluten Freeby Becky Excell (Quadrille, £20).
Photography by Hannah Rose Hughes.
