Halloween Doughnuts (Gluten and Dairy Free!)

Takes 30 minutes. Makes 12.

It's spooky season so let's celebrate with some spooky doughnuts. Not only are they easy and quick to make, but they are gluten free, and can easily be made dairy free too with dairy free chocolate!

Ingredients

Most of these ingredients are things you should have in your gluten free cupboard already, gluten free flour, milk, eggs, baking powder, sugar and chocolate. This recipe doesn't even contain xanthan gum! You will need to get your hands on some pumpkin puree however, and depending on where you live this might be a little tricky! In the UK, I have only been able to find it in organic stores, although apparently Sainsbury's does stock it. If all else fails, it's not too hard to make your own - just a little time consuming. For decoration you will need white chocolate, milk chocolate buttons, and gluten free pretzels - I used the ones from Schar.

The only other ingredient that might not be one that you have in the cupboard is Glutinous Rice flour/Sweet Rice Flour. This can be found in health food stores, asian supermarkets, or on amazon. Read more below about glutinous rice flour.

Glutinous Rice Flour

Yes, you read that right! Glutinous rice flour is the special ingredient that make these doughnut extra soft and delicious. But don't worry, glutinous does not mean that it contains gluten. While it comes from the same latin meaning (glue) it does not refer to the protein. Glutinous means like glue in texture; sticky, and that is exactly what this flour is like. It's actually the same flour that they use to make mochi in japan. Using a bit of this in the mixture gives a lovely lightness to the doughnuts, and even helps them last a little bit longer. If you can't get glutinous rice flour, you can substitute is for an extra 30 grams of gluten free flour, but it won't give the exact same texture if you were to use glutinous rice flour. Please note, glutinous rice flour and normal rice flour are not the same thing! They come from different types of rice. Glutinous rice flour is also called sweet rice flour.

Doughnut Mould

The doughnut mould I use for this is a silicon one that can bake 6 medium sized doughnuts at a time. I personally really like using the silicon ones as they are super easy to remove the doughnut from, as well as easy to wash and store. This recipe would also work with a doughnut tin if you don't have the silicon moulds.

I N G R E D I E N T S

• 80 grams gluten free flour

• 80 grams glutinous rice flour

• 60 grams caster sugar

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 150ml milk (or dairy free alternative)

• 100 grams pumpkin puree

• 2 eggs

• 50ml vegetable oil (+1 Tbsp for greasing)

• A couple drops of orange food colouring (optional if you want a more intense orange colour)

To decorate

• 150 grams of white chocolate

• Chocolate buttons

• Gluten free pretzels

• Pinch of cinnamon

M E T H O D

1. Preheat oven to 200° Celsius, bake. Grease the doughnut moulds with vegetable oil.

2. In a bowl, combine the gluten free flour, sweet rice flour, caster sugar and baking powder and mix until combined.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the milk, eggs, pumpkin puree, vegetable oil, and orange food colouring together until combined.

4. Pour in the dry mixture and whisk again until there are no lumps. The consistency would be about the same as pancake batter, but try not to over mix!

5. Pour the mixture into the doughnut moulds. This mixture should be enough for 12 medium doughnuts, so if you are using a mould with 6 doughnut holes, split half the batter across the first 6 and leave the rest for a second batch.

6. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. The doughnuts should have risen nicely and be a beautiful golden colour. If's better to cook these longer than take them out too soon as they might deflate.

7. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before turning them out onto a cooling rack.

8. Melt half the white chocolate in a glass bowl over a pot of boiling water, take off the heat and stir in the other half until all melted.

9. Dip one side of the doughnuts into the melted chocolate and place to the side to set.

10. Once you have dipped all the doughnuts, cut up the pretzels so you have little spiders legs, you should be able to make 3-4 legs from each pretzel.

11. Pop 8 legs around the doughnut and then place a chocolate button on top. If you want the chocolate button to stay securely on the legs, dip one side in the remaining white chocolate and place on top and it will set in place.

12. With the remaining white chocolate, using a kebab stick, dot two eyes on the chocolate button, sprinkle with cinnamon and voila!

13. Leave to set, or eat fresh! Up to you. Doughnuts are best eaten within a 2 days. Keep in a sealed container.