Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Gelato Recipe

I believe firmly that  no living thing thrives with deprivation. That is why it makes me so happy to create gluten free recipes for desserts that are rich and indulgent. If I can create a dessert that is not only gluten free but also sugar free and is STILL rich and indulgent then I am not just happy, I am ecstatic!

I just can not think of the words “chocolate” and “deprivation” in the same thought!  Seriously, who is going to punish you by making you eat chocolate? And I am willing to bet that one does not think “gelato” and then think “diet”. And yet one of my fairly guilt-free go-to desserts is Chocolate Gelato!

Did you know that gelato is lower in fat and calories than ice cream? Well, it is. Gelato is traditionally made with milk and typically has between 4 and 8 percent butter fat versus ice cream’s 14 to 16 percent butter fat content (at least in America).

So if gelato is lower in fat and calories than ice cream why does it seem so much richer? First of all the lower fat content of milk vs. cream makes it so that the flavors come through much more vibrantly. If you want a rich and sinful dairy free dessert make this with the dairy free milk of your choice – just make sure the fat content is similar to that of whole cow’s milk.

Secondly, I think the silken texture has something to do with it. In commercial gelato that silken texture is achieved by the use of corn syrup. It does something technical (that I could pretend to understand and explain but don’t and won’t) to the milk. But you can get the same result with agave nectar AND have the added benefit of a dessert that is free of refined sugar. Since agave is non-crystallizing it keeps the gelato smooth and silky without those little bits of rock hard frozen sugar that can ruin a good frozen treat.

So if we combine lower fat and calories with refined sugar free and the health benefits of chocolate which include everything from lowering blood pressure and possibly fighting cancer to preventing tooth decay, this Chocolate Gelato is actually down right virtuous! Isn’t it great to have a dessert that is rich, indulgent and virtuous? I think so.


Gluten Free Sugar Free Chocolate Gelato

Ingredients

3 cups whole milk (or dairy free milk)
1 pinch kosher or fine sea salt
2/3 cup organic raw blue agave
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ tablespoons cornstarch

Directions

Heat 2 cups of the milk with the salt and agave in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to a simmer.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining cup of milk with the cocoa powder and cornstarch. Add the mixture to the heated milk and agave mixture. Raise the heat and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring constantly. Continue to boil and stir for 1 minute. Strain the mixture into a clean bowl and let cool to room temperature. Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold, about 6 hours. (To hasten the chilling process put the mixture in the freezer for approximately 1 hour instead.)

Pour the mixture into an ice cream machine and process for 20 – 30 minutes or according to the manufacture’s directions. Place in a covered container and freeze until hard, about 6 hours. The gelato will keep for a week in the freezer, covered.

A gluten free recipe that makes about 1 quart of gelato.

Simply…Gluten-Free Desserts is now available, with over 135 recipes not featured in my blog.

Available at bookstores including Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powells, Books-a-Million and Amazon. You can get it also HERE.

Resource :
http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/09/gluten-free-sugar-free-chocolate-gelato-recipe.html

Gluten Free Desserts - Gluten Free Chocolate Pistachio Galette Recipe

I like to think of myself as a gluten free recipe teacher of sorts. But not that mean teacher with the grey hair in a bun, sensible shoes and a ruler, which is as an effective weapon as a Jedi light saber. More like the really cool substitute teacher who lets you call her by her first name, wore really (and seemingly too expensive for a substitute teacher’s paycheck) fashionable clothes and possessed a sunny disposition. Of course now that I think about it, the sunny disposition was probably due to the fact that she was finally making a little cash that she could use towards paying off some of the massive credit card bills for all her cool clothes, but I’m digressing.

The point is, the reason I like to think of myself of as teacher of sorts is that I am fond of offering basic Gluten Free Desserts recipes that can be mastered and then elaborated upon.

Take the gluten free pie crust recipe I just posted – it is a great basic recipe and of course, who doesn’t love pie? And better yet, once you master the basic pie crust you can expand your recipe repertoire with something like a galette.

A galette is a sort of rustic, free-form pie where the edges of the crust are partially folded over the filling and no pie pan is used. Usually galettes are made with seasonal fruit and if I were a real gluten-free teacher I would be providing such a recipe right now. But, I’m the cool substitute teacher remember? So instead of the crust edges folded over, how about building then up and forming a wall and instead of fruit, what about a galette filled with sinfully rich chocolate and topped with pistachios and white chocolate curls? Oh…and that basic pie crust – what do you say we make it with chocolate?

Pretty cool right?


Chocolate Pistachio Galette
Ingredients

1 recipe perfect pie crust – chocolate variation
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
2 large egg whites
1/8 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
¾ cup shelled salted pistachios, roughly chopped
1 – 1 ounce square white chocolate, at room temperature
Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Prepare the chocolate version of the perfect pie crust recipe. Following the rolling method in the gluten free pie crust recipe, roll the dough into an oval about 13” by 9” and about ¼” thick. Transfer the rolled dough to the prepared baking sheet. Brush any excess flour off the dough. Roll and fold the edge of the dough over to form a rimmed crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until the dough is fairly firm. Leave oven on.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until most of the chocolate is melted. Alternately place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl and place on a pan with an inch or two of barely simmering water until melted. Stir in the espresso powder and continue stirring until all the chocolate is melted. Let cool slightly.

Beat the egg whites and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until foamy, starting on low speed and increasing to high. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Add the vanilla extract and mix well. Fold the chocolate into the egg whites until the mixture is no longer streaky. Spread the filling over the baked crust evenly, it should be about ½ inch thick. Sprinkle the chopped pistachios over the top. Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until the filling looks a bit dry and has cracked slightly. Let cool on the pan for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Once the galette has cooled, drag a vegetable peeler across the side of the white chocolate square and let the curls of chocolate fall over the top of the galette. Serve slightly warm or cool. Can be made a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge.

Article Source:  http://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2011/10/gluten-free-chocolate-pistahio-galette-recipe.html

Related Blogs: Gluten Free Breakfast