Gluten-Free Desserts for the Holidays

Image via Pixabay, CC0 Public Domain

Here come the holidays, gathering with friends, and sharing some of our favorite dessert recipes reserved for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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If you are sensitive to wheat, as I am, you probably have your go-to dishes for those get-togethers. Here are a few of mine.

Midnight Pumpkin Pie

1-15 oz. can pumpkin
1-12 oz. can evaporated milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ c. molasses
½ c. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp cumin
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. cloves
(1 Tbl. GF baking mix, optional for thickening the filling)

Buy or make one gluten-free pie crust (or divide up the filling into small custard cups)

Combine wet ingredients, in separate bowl combine dry ingredients. Add dry to wet and mix thoroughly. Pour into unbaked pie shell or custard cups. Bake at 450º for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350 º and bake 30-40 minutes longer for pie, 20-30 minutes longer for custard. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with fresh whipped cream.

This recipe can be adapted to your own biscuit and scones recipe. I buy a small bag of Pamela’s Biscuit & Scone Mix and fancy it up!

Date Pecan Scones

1-13 oz bag Pamela’s Biscuit & Scone Mix
8 Tbl. cold butter
1 c. ½ & ½ (or milk, but not low fat!)
½ c. brown sugar
¼ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ c. pecans, chopped loosely
8 oz. bag dates, diced (avoid buying pre-diced dates, they are hard and dry, and often coated to prevent sticking)

Mix together sugar and spices with pecans, set aside. Cut cold butter into baking mix. Incorporate dry ingredients, milk, and dates. The dough will be really stiff and sticky!

Using a large cookie scoop, drop dollops on to buttered non-stick baking sheet (or line with parchment paper). Using a glass with base dipped in sugar; flatten each ball to about 1” thick. Bake 375º 20-25 minutes until slightly browned. Will make about 24-26 scones.

My grandmother would make this wonderful rice custard for Thanksgiving—since somebody else always brought the pumpkin pies. This rice dish tastes nothing like the rice puddings we usually enjoy.

Grandma’s Rice Custard

1 c. rice cooked in 2 c. water. When cooked, place in 4 qt. ceramic baking dish.
¾ c golden (or regular) raisins, steamed (place raisins in about ¼ c. water, simmer for 3-5 minute until plumped and soft, drain off liquid)

Custard:

6 eggs
1 ¼ c. sugar
2 ½ c. milk

Combine raisins into cooked rice, mix in custard. Bake 350 º for 30 minutes, slide out shelf and stir, sprinkle top with a little nutmeg, continue baking for another 45 minutes or longer until knife inserted comes out clean (top will be lightly browned).

May our Lord bless you and all of yours and shower you with peace through this season of grace!

Copyright 2016 Margaret Rose Realy