Gluten-Free Raisin Rolls

Around Easter time every year we are inundated with recipes for Hot Cross Buns. I decided to take a look at one and try a gluten-free version. Wow! There is a lot of sugar in those things! Over half a cup of sugar, plus candied fruit, plus butter drizzled on, and then topped off with MORE sugar icing. Geesh, people. Not everything has to taste like candy.

So with pencil in hand, I edited that recipe beyond recognition. I can't even call them Hot Cross Buns anymore. What I ended up with tastes great and is far more healthy (and gluten free). They look a little lumpy and wrinkly in this picture, but that's just the camera... and maybe my photography skills.

Gluten-Free Raisin Roll

Ingredients

1½ c chickpea flour
½ c arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
¾ c tapioca flour
1 c brown rice flour
⅓ cup sugar
5 t yeast, or 2 packages
½ cup powdered milk (soy, rice, moo)
1 T xanthan gum
1 t salt
1 T cinnamon
¾ - 1 c warm water
¼ c canola oil
3 eggs, lightly beaten, or 3 flax seed "eggs"
1 t vinegar
1 c raisins
½ t dried lemon peel
1 t dried orange peel

Steps

1. Lightly grease a 10-inch cake pan.

2. Mix flours, sugar, yeast, powdered milk, xanthan gum, salt and cinnamon together in the bowl of your mixer.

3. Add water, oil, eggs and vinegar and beat for 5 minutes.

4. Mix in raisins and dried fruit peels.

5. Scrape dough out onto a floured plate (rice flour). Cut the dough into 8 equal pieces and gently shape each into a ball. Place one ball of dough in the center of prepared cake pan. Loosely arrange the remaining balls around it, leaving room for buns to rise. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 30 minutes.

6. Preheat the oven to 375°. Place buns in preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a rack.