Last year at about this time, I found myself bemoaning the lack of options for gluten-free Pagans when it came to ritual fare. Since then I have found myself on something of a mission to make sure that those of us on a gluten-free diet can still enjoy a fully decked out Sabbat celebration as well as any other Pagan/Witchy gathering.
First up was my Imbolc article with an almost completely gluten-free menu.¹ I also want to add recipes of my own that I have used and perfected (more or less). This post is the first. After so many test batches that I think my little one will be forever addicted to “scones”², I give you gluten-free ritual cakes.
GLUTEN-FREE HONEY ALMOND RITUAL CAKES³
You’re going to need two mixing bowls, roughly medium-sized, a cookie sheet, a whisk, measuring cups & spoons, and a pastry cutter. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line your cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
INGREDIENTS
1 1/3 cup of almond flour
3/4 cup of brown rice flour
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of ground flax seed
2 1/2 tsp of baking powder
3 tsp of xanthan gum
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 cup coconut milk
1/3 cup honey
1 egg
Add all your dry ingredients to one bowl, and whisk to blend. Cut in the cold butter with a pastry cutter until you have a somewhat sandy texture with pieces no bigger than a dime. Cover and pop this bowl in the fridge until needed again. This will help to keep the butter cold.
In the second bowl, mix together the coconut milk, honey, and egg. There’s no need to break out the electric mixer for this, the whisk we used earlier will do the job just fine. Once the wet ingredients are mixed together, bring out the dry ingredients bowl, and pour about a third of the mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir gently with a silicone spatula or spoon until all of the wet is incorporated. Repeat until all of the wet ingredients are incorporated.
Don’t over mix! This is usually a really quick process, and if you oven isn’t fully preheated by the time the dough is ready, just put it back in the fridge to sit. The colder the mixture is, the better (you want it cold, but not frozen). When ready, drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the parchment lined baking sheet. Smoosh the rounded balls until you have little circles about a half-inch thick. Try to do this quickly as you don’t want the butter to melt from the heat of your hands.
Make sure that your oven rack is in the middle of your oven, and bake at 400°F for 18 minutes. The time is very fiddly, and for my oven, even two extra minutes will over cook them. Use an egg timer if you have one.
This recipe makes roughly 20 ritual cakes/scones that are soft, moist, sweet, and yummy. They never seem to last past the second day in my house!
A WORD ON GF ALE
It is now possible to find beer that is gluten-free. Many stores in the states carry the brand Redbridge, but they are not the only ones hopping on the gluten-free bandwagon. Many brands use a mixture of GF grains, including sorghum, and it is safe for celiacs to drink. I tend to prefer cider or mead, both are naturally gluten-free. But if you prefer a frothy, hoppy brew, you can enjoy it again without any guilt or worry about how your digestive tract may react.
Happy Feasting!
[1] I will get to that Brigid Bread. I am determined to try it out.
[2] or “goans” as she calls them.
[3] this recipe can be made dairy-free by swapping out the butter for shortening.
A Less Travelled Path 
I’m also a gluten free pagan. If I’m not hosting the ritual, I will bring a piece of fruit (apple slices or grapes) or something to be added to the alter plate & explain to the acting Priest or Priestess my condition. No one has ever refused me :o)
That sounds like a good compromise so long as you don’t need to worry about cross-contamination. We all find our own ways to work around our allergies 🙂
Oh! Thanks for this, the hubs and I are trying to work it out but his health problems cause significant strain on the relationship – after a lot of research I began to think he may benefit from a GF diet. Of course it wasn’t his idea so I knew he’d never go along with it so I made it an experiment for me and he has been willing to go along with it so I will definitely try this. If you are still on the fence about PBP 2013 I would say these ritual ideas with GF food posts are great. 🙂
I’m glad it was helpful 🙂 Thanks for the idea. It may take a bit of work to come up with 26 recipes, but I’ll see what I can figure out.
lol Perhaps, I am doing PBP but this year I’m going to take it much less seriously! Last year I think I just got burnt so this year it’s like “write something, anything” if it fits in with the theme then it fits and it goes there but I felt like the project took over the blog and what I wanted it to be. So yeah, I feel you on your wavering with it but this is an excellent idea and if you don’t have 26 recipes, so what! lol
I had similar feelings. Towards the end, I was finding things to write just to complete the letter, not because it was really something that gave me pause to contemplate.
I think what I may do is see about posting one recipe/tutorial per month. It won’t end up being a part of the PBP, I don’t think. But that way, I can have room for doing all the other things I have planned for this year 😉 Who knows? Last year I didn’t start until 2 or 3 letters in either!