TV favourite and cookbook author Helen Tzouganatos has shared two simple gluten-free biscuit recipes that prove going without gluten doesn’t mean missing out.
Joining The Morning Show on Monday, Tzouganatos whipped up peanut butter and jelly cookies alongside crispy seeded vegan snaps, both designed to be easy enough for home bakers while still delivering on flavour.
The recipes come ahead of the Coeliac Australia Gluten-Free Expo in Sydney this weekend, where Tzouganatos will take to the stage for a live cooking demonstration.
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The event, held at Royal Randwick Racecourse on August 15 and 16, is Australia’s largest 100 per cent gluten-free event, bringing together food brands, cooking demonstrations and resources for people living with coeliac disease or following a gluten-free diet.
Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies
Ingredients
250 g (1 cup) smooth peanut butter
230 g (1 cup) caster sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
105 g (1⁄3 cup) raspberry jam
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (fan-forced) and line two baking trays with baking paper.
2. Place the peanut butter, sugar, egg and bicarb soda in a mixing bowl and mix until just combined. (If you overmix the dough, it will harden and crack.)
3. Roll the dough into 20 balls and place on the trays.
4. Gently press down on each ball to flatten slightly.
5. Using a teaspoon, gently press down in the centre of each cookie to create a cavity (be careful not to pierce the cookie base), then fill each cavity with a teaspoon of jam.
6. Bake, rotating the trays and switching their positions halfway through, for 22–25 minutes until the cookies are golden and crispy.
7. Allow the cookies to cool on the trays for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week; or freeze for up to 3 months.
Crispy Seeded Vegan Snap Cookies (Vegan)
Ingredients
70 g (½ cup) pumpkin seeds
45 g (½ cup) flaked almonds
30 g (½ cup) flaked coconut
80 g (¼ cup) sweetened condensed coconut milk
pinch of sea salt flakes
80 g gluten-free dark chocolate(70% cocoa), melted
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced) and line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Place the pumpkin seeds, almonds, coconut, condensed milk and salt in a mixing bowl and mix to combine. Your mixture will look very loose and dry. (Do not add more liquid!)
3. Spoon 12 tablespoons of the loose cookie mixture onto the tray. Gently press the tops to flatten slightly. Bake for 15–20 minutes until the cookies are golden brown.
4. Allow the cookies to cool on the tray for a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Brush the cookie bases with the melted chocolate and rest upside down on the rack for the chocolate to dry. Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week; or freeze for up to 3 months.
