Shops where the heart is Boroondara’s local love

Serves: 2 | Time: 45min and fry until the fat begins to 12cm pastry circle. Transfer this Ingredients: brown, then add the leek and to a pie dish and gently push 1 quantity of gluten-free chicken. Fry for 3–4 minutes the pastry in leaving a little shortcrust pastry chilled for until the chicken is sealed. overhang. Trim off any excess. 25 minutes Add in flour and mix until Form the leftover pastry scraps 1 egg, beaten evenly coated, then add the back into a ball and re-roll out Handful of poppy seeds stock and rosemary, and to a 3mmin thickness. Place Rose-vanilla bath melts (optional) For the filling: season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer your second pie dish face down onto the rolled-out pastry and 250g boneless, skinless chicken thigh fillets for 10 minutes or until the gravy has thickened. Remove trace around it with a knife to create a lid. Repeat with the 100g diced smoked streaky bacon from the heat and, after 5 minutes, stir in the cream and other half of your dough and second pie dish. 90g leek, chopped leave to cool. Divide your pie filling between 2 tbsp gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour 400ml gluten-free chicken stock Preheat oven to 200°C fan/ 220°C. Remove pastry from the fridge. Don’t handle your dough excessively as this will the pie dishes and brush the overhang with egg. Place your pastry lids on top and pinch the edges together. Sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped warm it up and make it more fragile. Cut the ball of pastry Brush each pie with beaten egg and sprinkle with poppy seeds. 2 tbsp double (heavy) cream in half and lightly flour your rolling pin. On a sheet of nonLastly, make a small hole in the very middle or each lid with a Salt and pepper stick baking parchment, roll out sharp knife. Cook in the oven Method: Cut the chicken into one portion of the dough to a for 30 minutes until golden, 2cm strips. Place a large pan 3mm thickness. then serve with mashed potato, over a medium heat, add bacon For a 10cm pie dish, cut out a veggies and my lazy glutenfree gravy.

This is an edited extract from How to Make Anything Gluten Free by Becky Excell published by Quadrille RRP $39.99 and is available in stores nationally from 17 February 2021.

Pop tarts

Makes: 5 | Time: 45 minutes Ingredients:

1 quantity of gluten-free shortcrust pastry, chilled for 25 minutes Gluten-free plain (all-purpose) flour, for dusting 1 egg, beaten with 2 tsp milk For the jam filling: 150g / ½ cup raspberry jam 1 tbsp cornflour 1 tsp lemon juice For the icing: 1½ cups icing sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract Multi-coloured sprinkles (ensure gluten-free) Method: Preheat your oven to 160°C fan /180°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. In a small bowl, mix the jam, cornflour and lemon juice until well combined. Set aside. Remove your pastry from the fridge. Lightly flour your rolling pin. On a sheet of non-stick baking paper, roll out the dough to a rectangle, 2mm thick. Cut as many 10 x 7.5cm rectangles out of your pastry as you can. Use a knife to gently place them to one side. Re-roll your pastry scraps to cut out more rectangles. Brush around the border of half of your rectangles with some beaten egg mixture, then add a tablespoon of your jam mix and spread, leaving a 1.5cm clear border around the edge. Using a fork, prick some holes in the remaining rectangles (which will allow steam to escape when baking). Place these rectangle lids on top of the ones with jam on and gently press the edges down so they stick together. Then, using a fork, press down on the edges all the way around to crimp together. Transfer to the baking tray, brush the top of each pop tart with a little more beaten egg and bake in the oven for 20–22 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and carefully transfer to a wire rack and allow to fully cool. For the icing, grab a mediumsized mixing bowl and add your icing sugar and vanilla. Mix together, gradually adding a few teaspoons of water and mixing until it reaches a smooth, slightly thick and spreadable consistency. If your icing is too thin, it’ll dribble off the pop tart! Once the pop tarts have fully cooled, spoon a dollop of the icing onto the centre of each and neatly spread up to the crimped edge. Add a few sprinkles and repeat until you’ve decorated all of your pop tarts. Allow to set and enjoy!