Wednesday, March 7, 2012

You Asked for It .... Gluten-free Poticia (nut-free, vegan)


A while back, I asked if you had anything that you missed that you wanted me to try to make Welcoming Kitchen-friendly.  Molly contacted me asking me to try to make poticia. 

Vegan gluten-free Poticia


First I had to find out what poticia is.  I looked around on the Internet, and it seems like poticia (or poviticia) is a traditional Slovenian bread that is rolled out thin, filled with walnuts, honey and raisins, and then rolled up jelly-roll style.

This offered a whole bunch of challenges.  First, I have never tried poticia.  I had to go by several descriptions.

Next, I wanted to come close to the experience Molly missed, while using ingredients that would be safe for everyone.

Finally, I didn't want it to be so difficult that other readers would not want to give it a try.

What we ended up with is a cake instead of a bread.  The cake is not very sweet, though, but it is easier to work with then a gluten-free yeast bread.  I used apple cider vinegar and sparkling water to give it some lightness.

Instead of rolling it up (a challenge for gluten-free dough), I baked it thin, and then layered it together like a torte.

For the filling, toasted pumpkin seeds and agave stand in for the walnuts and honey.

I'm not sure if this will live up to Molly's memory, but I can tell you that it's really tasty and slightly exotic!  It also was easy to make, but looks impressive with lots of layers.

I thank Molly for pushing my limits a little. 

I shared this with Allergy Free Wednesdays, Allergy Friendly Monday and Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays.

Poticia
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

For cake:
1 1/2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour (I used King Arthur brand)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted, soy-free Earth Balance
1/2 cup vanilla-flavored coconut milk beverage
1/4 cup sparkling water
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

For filling:
1 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
1 cup raisins
1/4 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preparation:


Preheat oven to 375.
Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum and sugar with a whisk.  Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine melted Earth Balance, coconut milk, and sparkling water.
Mix dry ingredients into wet.
Thoroughly mix in vinegar.
Spread batter on parchment forming a 10x14-inch rectangle.
Bake 7-10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cake cool on a wire cooling rack.


To prepare filling,
Lightly toast pepitas in a dry skillet.  (Approximately two minutes, or until just starting to turn light brown.)
In a food processor, chop pepitas.
Add raisins, agave nectar and cinnamon to pepitas.  Process until thoroughly combined.


When cake is cool enough to handle, cut into 6 equal rectangles.  Remove to cooling rack.
Place one rectangle down on the parchment-covered baking sheet.
Spread filling on top of cake.
Press another cake rectangle on top of filling.  Spread filling on top of that one.
Continue until all the filling is used and top with last rectangle.  Press down.
Return to 375-heated oven for 10 minutes.


Happy Cooking!
Kim

Find more tasty recipes in Welcoming Kitchen: 200 Allergen and Gluten-free Vegan Recipes.

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