Gluten Free Speculaas - or Gluten Free Dutch Almond spice cake

Another of our family traditions is Speculaas.  This almond paste filled cake was easy to make gluten free and tastes just as good.
Gluten Free Speculaas
1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 large egg
2 cups chickpea flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon mace
1/8 teaspoon cloves
almond paste (use store bought if gluten free or make your own - recipe below)
Almond Paste Recipe:
8 oz. ground almonds - I use a fairly fine grind.
1 egg
2 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 lemon rind grated. ( I use about 1-2 teaspoons depending on what I have and how lemony you want it.  I freeze the rest for next time.
Place almond meal in mixing bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well with wooden spoon or hands.  Cover and chill.
Method:
Roll out almond paste about 1/4" thick and to fit the 9 x 13 pan.  I roll out between waxed paper.
Cream butter, sugar and egg together.  Sift remaining ingredients and stir into the butter, sugar egg mixture.
Divide in half.

Grease a 9 x 13 baking pan.  Press half the mixture into the pan. Cover with almond paste. Then on waxed paper cut to the same length and width as the baking pan roll out the remaining half of dough and flip over onto the almond paste.  Brush with beaten egg white and sprinkle with almonds.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes.

hand pressed into pan

dough rolled on parchment then flipped

over onto almond paste

peel off the parchment paper

second layer of dough placed over almond paste

Gluten Free Stroopwafels (Dutch syrup wafers)

A family tradition for as long as I can remember.  My mom brought a stroopwafel iron home from Holland and has been using it for years.  She even made enough of the wafers to serve to our guests at our wedding in 1978.  For years I tried to mimic my mom's recipe and no matter what her's are always best. They taste great and her's were always perfectly formed - something we are still working on!  This year because I was short on butter I used margarine in the dough and butter in the filling.  These ended up being much closer to hers - for some reason the margarine made the wafer part crisper than the butter did.  I have a feeling that is what she used because at home we always baked with margarine as I was growing up.
Gluten Free Stroop Wafels
13/4 cup white rice flour
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
3/4  teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup margarine
1 large egg
1-2 more large eggs
up to 2 tablespoons milk if needed to make dough softer.
Method:
Using a mixer cream the sugar and margarine together.  Mix in 1 egg.  Sift the dry ingredients together and stir in.  Add one more egg.  Mix well. Stir in an additional egg .  Should be like cookie dough.  If required add a little milk to soften the dough.
Syrup
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 lb of butter
2 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon.  Heat and stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.  Cool a little before using.  If it gets too stiff then warm up a little in the microwave.

Mine are not so nice and round so I trim them while hot with a round biscuit cutter

Heat your stroopwafel iron setting the dial to #3.  Once hot place a 1" ball of dough on iron.  Close iron and let cook until the steam stops and the wafer is golden brown.  Quickly slice in half (try not to burn your fingers!) with a sharp thin bladed knife - I use a filleting knife.  Spread about 1 tablespoon syrup on wafer and cover with other half of wafer.  Place on baking sheet.  Freeze on baking sheet and then stack 6 to a pile and wrap tightly in plastic wrap - this prevents them from separating while in the freezer.

As you can see there is a nice layer of syrup in between.

Gluten Free White Christmas Fruit Cake

My mother-in-law always made a White Fruit Cake and my mother always makes a dark fruit cake.  I have managed to make the White Fruit Cake Gluten free with good success.
Gluten Free White Fruit Cake or Gluten Free Christmas Cake - makes 2 loaves
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sweet rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 cup milk
900 grams glace fruit mixture (red and green cherries and other fruits as desired)
200 grams slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins (optional)
1/2 cup flaked dried coconut mixed with 1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup brandy (optional) If not using brandy add 1/4 orange juice

 Soak the fruit in the orange juice/or brandy (overnight is best but can be 1 hour).
Soak coconut in the milk for one hour
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
 Cream butter and sugar until light.  Add the eggs one at a time, beat well until incorporated.  Stir in the flour.  Stir in the fruit, nuts/milk, juice and flavoring. Place in two pans about 8" x 4" x 2.5" that have been lined with foil and then wax paper.  Bake at 250 for 2-3 hours or until done.  Place a pan with boiling water on the rack below the loaf pans.
Tips: to keep fruit separate - coat with sweet rice flour before adding.
Wrap well to store.  Store in fridge as there are no preservatives added.