The Very Hungry Coeliac: Melanie Persson shares gluten-free dessert recipes from new book Gluten-Free Feasts

Melanie Persson is a Dunsborough-raised former MasterChef contestant who has gone on to become a bestselling author and social media star. She’s also a diagnosed coeliac and Coeliac Australia ambassador and has built up a strong following sharing gluten-free recipes on Instagram (where her The Very Hungry Coeliac account has more than 250,000 followers). Her focus is on demonstrating that following a gluten-free diet doesn’t have to mean enjoying your food any less. Here, Persson shares two of her favourite dessert recipes from her new cookbook. Basic flour blend This is the plain (all-purpose) flour blend I’ve created to be used in most of the recipes in this book. To convert this flour into a self-raising blend, simply add 1 tsp of gluten-free baking powder for every 100g of this mix (this is best added as needed on the day of baking). Note that all starches used in this blend should be the super finely ground variety. This recipe was developed in gram measurements, so I advise you to follow that set of measurements for the most accurate results. Makes 1kg 315g rice flour 250g tapioca starch 250g gluten-free cornflour (cornstarch) 165g potato starch 2 tbsp + 1 tsp xanthan gum Sift the ingredients into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Sift and mix again to ensure the starches and xanthan gum have been evenly distributed into a homogenous flour blend. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. Sticky carrot pudding with spiced butterscotch I love this pudding because it perfectly combines two of my all-time favourite sweet treats — carrot cake and sticky date or sticky toffee pudding. It was actually initially inspired by a traditional North Indian dessert called halwa, which is made by cooking grated carrots in milk with sugar and some mild spices to form a pudding, which is then served with toasted nuts. All three desserts are delicious, so I think it goes without saying that this recipe follows suit! Serves 6-8 180g soft light brown sugar 120g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing 2 eggs 80g ground almonds 40g basic flour blend (page 18) 50g rice flour 1½ tsp gluten-free baking powder ½ tsp salt 1 tsp ground cinnamon ½ tsp ground cardamom 50ml milk 200g carrot, grated (about 3 medium carrots) thick double (heavy) cream, to serve For the butterscotch sauce 100g soft light brown sugar 100g unsalted butter 60ml single (light) cream ¼ tsp salt, plus extra to taste ¼ tsp ground cinnamon ¼ tsp ground cardamom Preheat the oven to 170C fan and grease a 16 x 24cm baking dish with butter. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter with a hand-held electric beater. When light and fluffy, add the eggs one at a time, beating well in between each addition. Sift together the dry ingredients, then fold them into the creamed mixture. Add the milk and stir until smooth, then add the grated carrot and mix it through the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish, smoothing it out into an even layer. Bake for 55-60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean (with only moist crumbs attached — no wet batter). As it bakes, make the butterscotch sauce. Combine the sugar and butter in a small saucepan and set it over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt and sugar to dissolve, stirring with a spatula. When fully combined, add the single cream, salt and spices, and mix well. When the pudding is cooked through, allow it to cool for 15-20 minutes. Reheat the sauce if necessary, then transfer it to a pouring jug. Serve big spoonfuls of the pudding with a generous drizzle of the sauce and some double cream. Creme brulee tart This is a new favourite dessert of mine because it’s relatively simple to make but utterly delicious. It’s also versatile! Although I brulee the top, you can easily opt to top the tart with a dusting of cinnamon and nutmeg instead to make a nostalgic custard tart (just like the typical Aussie bakery ones I loved as a kid!). Serves 8 For the sweet pastry 115g caster (superfine) sugar 60g butter, chilled and cubed 25g egg, beaten (about ½ a large egg) ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract) 150g basic flour blend, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp xanthan gum ⅛ tsp salt 1 tbsp milk (if needed) 1 egg white 2 tbsp single (light) cream For the custard filling 320ml double (heavy) cream 2 tsp vanilla bean paste (or extract) 4 egg yolks 45g caster (superfine) sugar ⅛ tsp salt For the brulee 6-8 tsp caster (superfine) sugar Start by making the pastry. Preheat the oven to 160C fan and grease an 18-20cm fluted tart tin. Cream the sugar and butter in a large bowl with a hand-held electric beater or in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the egg and vanilla and continue mixing until well combined. Sift together the dry ingredients, then add them to the egg and butter mixture. If using a stand mixer, mix a little by hand (to avoid blowing the flour out of the bowl), then switch to a paddle attachment and mix on medium speed until soft and smooth (this will take a few minutes). If mixing by hand, bring the dough together with a sturdy spatula, then knead it by hand until smooth and pliable. If needed, add a little of the milk — just enough for the dough to be soft and workable. Wrap the dough loosely in cling film (plastic wrap) and squash it into a thin disc. Refrigerate for 10-15 minutes. Lightly dust your work surface with flour and remove the dough from the plastic. Dust the dough as well, then use a rolling pin to roll it out until it’s 2-3mm thick. Carefully transfer the pastry to the tart tin, gently pressing it to the base and edges before cutting away the excess pastry. Prick the base of the tart case all over with a fork, then place on a baking sheet and transfer to the oven for 16-18 minutes. This is an edited extract from Gluten-Free Feasts by Melanie Persson, $45, published by Hardie Grant Books.