Gluten-Free Baking with Rowie Dillon

December 5th, 2011

Ovens & Cooking

Are you or is anyone you know gluten intolerant?

Ten years ago coeliac disease (a condition that occurs when the immune system reacts abnormally to the gluten protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats) was not very well known. But in recent times more light has been shed on coeliac disease and other forms of gluten sensitivity and wheat allergies.

This is evidenced by the broader range of gluten-free options that are now appearing on supermarket shelves and in cafés.

Even so, gluten can be tricky to avoid. It tends to feature in all our most popular foods including bread, pasta, pizza, cakes and pastries. And unfortunately people tend to commonly confuse being gluten intolerant with being a health freak, assuming that it’s impossible for gluten-free food to also taste good.

Certainly, the word ‘indulgent’ is an adjective rarely used in conjunction with gluten-free cooking. That is, until Rowie Dillon came along.

A former ad agency creative, Rowie was diagnosed with gluten intolerance after noticing that she always felt tired and bloated after eating bread, pasta or other wheat products.

During her first Christmas of gluten-free eating, she was responsible for making the dessert. Instead of making a traditional pudding, she invented a rich orange and almond cake which was free from wheat, dairy, yeast and gluten.

This breakthrough success inspired Rowie to pursue a different path in life. She established Rowie’s Cakes in 2001 – a kitchen that bakes wheat, yeast, dairy and gluten free cakes that are arguably more delicious than their traditional counterparts.

Rowie’s Cakes has grown to the point where they now produce thousands of sweet treats per day, delivering gluten-free goodies to cafes, businesses and stores throughout Australia.

”I want to bump the bland out of gluten-free and have everyone eat it, not just people with intolerances or allergies,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald.

This year Harper Collins published Rowie’s gluten-free cookbook Indulge, which is packed full of sweet and savoury recipes.

And the great news is that Appliances Online will be giving a free copy of Indulge to every customer who purchases an oven from us in December*.

The team at Appliances Online can personally vouch for the tastiness of Rowie’s recipes after cooking these delicious Lemon and Coconut Macaroons:

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
a pinch of salt
105g (1 ¾ cups) shredded coconut
1 teaspoon potato starch

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place the egg whites, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a bowl and stir to combine.

Toss the coconut mixture to the egg white mixture and mix well.

Using an ice-cream scoop, place 12 rounds of the macaroon mixture about 2cm apart on the prepared tray. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the tops are light golden brown.

Eat them up, yum!

*Your copy of Indulge will be mailed out after delivery of your oven has been made. Offer valid while stocks last.