Friday, June 10, 2011

Gluten-free Mini Cream Cheese Pastry Cups

When we mentioned the story about pies and tarts in our new issue of the magazine on our Facebook page, Tammy Burnham asked if we could post a recipe.

So here is one of the many recipes Food Editor Jacqueline Mallorca includes in her article "Roll Out a Tasty Summer Treat." In the magazine, you'll also find recipes for four basic pie crusts that Jackie says are easier to make than a traditional wheat-flour crust. Who knew!

Jackie does not limit herself to fruit pies in the story. She also includes chicken pie, sweet and savory tarts, and a plum galette. You can subscribe to Gluten-Free Living on our website or look for a copy in stores nationwide shortly.

Mini Cream Cheese Pastry Cups
Makes 24


3/4 cup (3 1/2 ounces) brown rice flour
1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces) cornstarch, plus extra for forming
1 tablespoon sugar (omit for savory cups)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 stick (3 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for pan
3 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
1 large egg yolk


• Grease two 12-cup mini-muffin pans with butter. Combine the brown rice flour, cornstarch, sugar if using, salt, and xanthan gum and set aside. Place the butter in a food processor and pulse until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the cream cheese, and process until well blended. Add the egg yolk and mix well. Add the flour mixture and pulse to form a soft dough. Divide the dough in half and refrigerate one portion, wrapped in plastic, while working with the other.
• Using a 1-inch spring-release ice-cream? scoop, drop 12 little half-spheres of dough into one of the prepared pans. Tamp down with the bottom of a glass spice jar (or something similar) dipped in cornstarch. Spread the dough evenly up the sides of each cup with your thumb and refrigerate the pan for 20 minutes. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Heat oven to 350°F. Bake the shells for about 20 minutes, until golden. (Check half way through, and if any of the interiors have puffed up, quickly deflate with the tip of a long knife.) Remove from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. To unmold, lay a wire rack over one of the pans, feet facing upwards,reverse both together, and the pastry cups will drop out onto the rack. Repeat with the second pan. Let cool before filling. (The cups freeze well in rigid containers, stacked 2 or 3 deep.)

Recipe copyright 2011 Jacqueline Mallorca. For more recipes visit Jackie's website.

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