Gluten-Free Fridays: Caramelized Leek-Parmesan Popovers #glutenfreecheatsheet #sponsor

Last week I introduced you to a brand new cookbook from Perigee-Penguin: THE GLUTEN-FREE CHEAT SHEET: Go G-Free in 30 Days or Less, written by gluten-free maven April Peveteaux, author of the blog Gluten is My Bitch.

Thank you to Perigee-Penguin for inspiring this series of posts. This is my second Gluten-Free Fridays post. Don't forget about your chance to win a copy of the book.

One of my biggest challenges, when cooking for my GF friends, has been baking.  Sometimes a crust will be as dry as the Sahara Desert. Sometimes it's rubbery. Like Flubber rubbery. Yuck. I should probably blend my own GF flour more regularly to create some consistency and predictability. When I'm in a pinch, I use Trader Joe's gluten-free blend. I have tried Bob's Red Mill GF flour, but I am sensitive to fava flour. Ugh.

Excerpted, with permission, from The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet: Go G-Free in 30 Days or Less by April Peveteaux, © 2015

   Gluten-Free Techniques

Cooking gluten-free is just like cooking everything else . . . sometimes. To be specific, preparing naturally gluten-free foods is not an issue, but once you start experimenting with alternative flours, things can get weird. I have a few tricks to make your transition much smoother, and your cookies much tastier. The best advice I’ve ever heard, and given, is to keep experimenting in the kitchen.

And to continue my Gluten-Free Fridays...I'm sharing a recipe for Caramelized Leek-Parmesan Popovers. I ended up making this recipe twice. The first time I followed the recipe to a 't'; it ended up more dense than my usual popovers. The second time I added milk and an additional egg because the batter was too thick the first time; those were beautifully risen and tasty.

Caramelized Leek-Parmesan Popovers

Adapted from The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet: Go G-Free in 30 Days or Less by April Peveteaux, © 2015
I folded in caramelized leeks for added flavor...and the batter seemed too thick to me, so I added some milk and one more egg.

Ingredients

• 1 C all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used the Trader Joe's brand GF flour)
• 1 t organic granulated sugar
• 1/2 t freshly ground sea salt
• 1 C organic whole milk
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 C shredded parmesan + 2 T for sprinkling on top
• 3 T caramelized leeks, thinly sliced
• 1 T butter, cut into 6 cubes

Procedure

Preheat oven to 400ºF. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk until bubbles form around the edge of the pan.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Temper the eggs so they don't scramble or curdle. Whisk constantly until the eggs and milk are completely combined. Fold in the flour and salt until just combined. Then stir in the parmesan and the caramelized leeks.

Place the popover pan in the oven for 10 minutes to preheat. At the end of 10 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, and add a pat of butter to each cup.

Once the butter has melted, pour the batter into the cups, filling each about three-quarters of the way. Top with the shredded parmesan.

Bake the popovers for 20 minutes at 400ºF. Reduce the temperature to 300ºF and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the popovers from the oven and serve immediately. As they cool, they will deflate.

*If you can’t find a popover pan locally, you can order from Amazon. I've included an affiliate link above. If you are uncomfortable using the link, feel free to go to amazon and search "pop over pan" on your own! This is the exact pan I use.

Enter to win a copy of the book!

One of my lucky readers - US and Canada only! - can enter to win a copy of  THE GLUTEN-FREE CHEAT SHEET: Go G-Free in 30 Days or Less by April Peveteaux, courtesy of Perigee-Penguin. Giveaway runs from July 3rd till August 3rd at 6 o'clock PM, Pacific time. Please see terms and conditions in the rafflecopter widget below. Many thanks to Perigee Books. You may find Perigee: on the web, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway *Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of THE GLUTEN-FREE CHEAT SHEET: Go G-Free in 30 Days or Less by April Peveteaux to review plus the opportunity to give a copy away. Opinions are my own. I received no further compensation for my posts.