Cornmeal Pastry (for Savoury Tarts)

This makes a slightly thick, crisp and crunchy tart pastry that I used for a yummy roasted tomato and goat cheese tart. Adding the 1/2 an egg or egg white seems to help - add the rest of the egg to an omelet, I guess!

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup sweet rice flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp dried herbs (if desired)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice
1 tbsp beaten egg white or whole egg (about 1/2 an egg)
2-3 tbsp ice water

Whisk the dry ingredients. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter to form smallish crumbs.Whisk vinegar and egg together. Pour into the batter.Add just 2 tbsp ice water to start - stir the dough quickly together with a fork.Test if the dough will hold together. If it is still too dry, add one more tablespoon of water.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Allow to warm up at room temperature for 10 minutes, then roll to fit a 9” tart pan. Prick the surface of the dough with a fork, all over, and bake at 400F for 18-20 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Cornmeal Pancakes

These are light, thin pancakes of the kind I tend to prefer. I've never liked the thick, gluggy, stodgy kind of pancake from a mix. This recipe is adapted from the Fannie Farmer Cookbook. It strikes me these pancakes could be used as thick crepes. For instance, I think an oblong cornmeal pancake (with reduced sugar) could be wrapped warm around a gluten-free breakfast sausage and topped with onions, relish, or sauerkraut in place of a bun.

1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup boiling water
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup melted butter
1 large well-beaten egg
1/2 cup milk

In a large bowl, pour the boiling water over the cornmeal. Stir well. Pour in the dry ingredients followed by the wet ingredients and beat well, until the batter is thoroughly mixed.

Heat pan to medium-high heat (less hot than for some other pancakes) on a lightly greased pan. Use about 2 tbsp of batter per pancake. As for other pancakes, cook the first side until bubbles on the top break but do not fill back in, then flip and cook until lightly browned on the other side. Drizzle with molasses or maple syrup or fruit sauce to serve. These freeze and re-toast well in a toaster oven.

Golden Cornmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies have a lovely buttery taste, like chocolate chip cookies should, but they also have a hint of corn flavour that is very pleasant. Corn flour, which is like very fine cornmeal, is best; cornmeal is a little grittier, though equally nice in flavour. This is a great recipe for someone who is baking for a celiac friend and usually has cornmeal and other baking goods in supply -- the only "special" flour is the rice flour. The parchment paper is absolutely necessary, unless you have a silpat nonstick baking mat.

6 tbsp butter (1/3 cup)
1/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup rice flour
3/4 cup fine cornmeal or corn flour (very fine cornmeal)
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.

Prepare cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, cream sugars and butter until light. Beat in egg. Stir in dry ingredients. Mix well, then add chocolate chips.

Form into cookies by the tablespoonful. Place on the parchment paper-lined pan about 1 1/2” apart. Cook about 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool on pan before transferring to a rack.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Gluten-Free Cornbread (Johnnycake)

You may use 2 cups cornmeal instead of the amaranth flour/corn flour/cornmeal combination, but if you do, the cornbread will be a bit grittier, and you’ll have to be more careful testing for doneness to make sure the centre is cooked through — cornmeal won’t cling to a toothpick like wheat flour will, and it’s easy to think the bread is done before it really is.

It is definitely worth separating the eggs to give the bread a bit of lightness.

If you like cornbread as a savory, this is also delicious if you leave out the sugar and grate in some zesty cheese or some diced pickled jalapeno peppers -- or both.

1 cup cornmeal (medium “normal” cornmeal)
1/2 cup corn flour (like fine cornmeal)
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
2 tbsp potato starch
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs, separated

1 tsp xanthan gum
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease an 8” square baking pan.

In a large bowl, stir together corn flour, cornmeal, flaxseed, potato starch, sugar, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry.

In a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, xanthan gum, buttermilk, baking soda, and vegetable oil. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients. Stir until just moistened. Fold in beaten egg whites. Pour into prepared pan.

Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cornbread tests done in the centre and in any cracks on its surface.

Makes 9 pieces. In Canada, johnnycake is traditionally served with butter and maple syrup or molasses.