Beyond Our Sky

Gluten-free Monte Carlos

This is a gluten-free version of one of my favourite Arnott’s biscuits, the Monte Carlo. It consists of two shortbread biscuits sandwiched together with a vanilla buttercream and raspberry jam.

This gluten-free biscuit recipe is similar to one I posted previously for these Tim Tams. It involves quite a few ingredients, and I hope to develop a simpler recipe in the future which uses less flours.

Notes for the Biscuits:

  • This biscuit recipe uses the classic creaming method. To yield a light biscuit with a tender crumb, the butter and sugar needs to be creamed on high speed until pale and fluffy.
  • The classic Monte Carlo biscuit recipe uses golden syrup. You can subsituite the golden syrup with honey if you don’t have it on hand.
  • In addition to the golden syrup, feel free to flavour the dough with lemon zest and nutmeg, or whatever additions you like.
  • As mentioned previously, this recipe involves numerous flours and starches. This includes white rice flour, brown rice flour/buckwheat flour, potato starch and tapioca starch. I hope to simplify this in the future, but this is the only combination I find works.
  • When rolling the dough, don’t be afraid to dust the surface generously with rice flour if it feels too soft and sticky. For these Monte Carlo biscuits, I prefer the dough slightly thicker than usual (about 5mm) as it needs to withstand the weight of the buttercream and jam.
  • I find that most gluten-free biscuits cook very quickly, so just keep an eye on them whilst they’re baking if the bottoms are turning too brown. You may have to reduce the oven temperature.
  • When you take them out of the oven, the biscuits will feel quite soft if you touch the surface gently. This is perfectly fine as the residual heat from the tray will harden the biscuits.

Notes for the Buttercream:

  • The butter should be at room temperature, just softened but not melted. It is important to beat the butter on high speed for at least five minutes until it becomes pale yellow, almost white. This will incorporate air and yield a light and fluffy buttercream.
  • The icing sugar is added in batches and mixed well in between each addition. This will further ensure that light texture.
  • When assembling the biscuits, I like to transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle and pipe the frosting onto the biscuits. Then, using an offset spatula, I create a little divot for the jam. Alternatively, you can simply spread the frosting onto the biscuit.

Notes for the Jam:

  • You can use store-bought raspberry jam if you prefer, but homemade jam makes all the difference.
  • I like to use frozen raspberries rather than fresh raspberries to make the jam, as they are much more accessible and inexpensive.
  • To test if the jam is ready, you can spoon a little bit of the jam onto a cold plate. It should wrinkle and if you run your finger through it, the jam should not fill the gap. Alternatively, if you have a thermometer, the jam should be heated to its setting point of 105°C.

I hope you have a great week, and let me know if you have any questions about the recipe!

 

Gluten-free Monte Carlos

Gluten-free Biscuits

  • 150g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 150g caster sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 90g white rice flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 80g brown rice flour or buckwheat flour
  • 70g potato starch
  • 35g tapioca starch
  • 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on high speed until light and pale in colour, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and vanilla bean paste, and beat on medium speed until well combined.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, desiccated coconut, xanthan gum and baking powder. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, and mix on low speed just until a soft dough forms.
  3. Divide the dough into two equal portions, and place each onto a piece of cling film. With the help of the cling film, shape both portions of the dough into a disk, then wrap tightly in the cling film. Refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. If not using the dough immediately, it can keep refrigerated for up to 3 days.
  4. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  5. Dust a piece of large piece of parchment paper generously with white rice flour. Place one portion of the dough (the other can be kept refrigerated) onto the floured parchment paper, and sprinkle more rice flour on top of the dough. Roll the dough until it is around 5mm thick, and use a 4cm circular cookie cutter to cut out the biscuits. Using an offset spatula, transfer the biscuits onto the prepared baking trays leaving 1cm gap in between each.
  6. Bake in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven, and allow to cool completely on the tray.
  7. Repeat with the remaining portion of dough.

Raspberry Jam

  • 250g frozen raspberries
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the raspberries, caster sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occassionally until the jam is boiling and raspberries haved released their juices. Continue to cook until the raspberries have broken down and jam has reduced, about 7-10 minutes.
  2. To test if the jam is ready, spoon a little bit of the jam onto a cold plate. It should wrinkle and if you run your finger through it, the jam should not fill the gap. Alternatively, if you have a thermometer, the jam should be heated to its setting point of 105°C.
  3. Transfer the jam to a bowl or sterilised jar, and allow to cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate the jam to cool completely (can be stored in thre fridge for up to 3 weeks).

Vanilla Buttercream

  • 180g unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 300g icing sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tbsp milk
  1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until light and pale in colour, about 5 minutes.
  2. Add the icing sugar gradually, about a half cup at a time, mixing well in between each addition. Add the vanilla extract and 2 tbsp of milk, and beat on high speed for a further 5 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting is too thick, simply adjust by adding a tablespoon or two of milk.
  3. Transfer the buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.

Assembly

  1. Pair similar sized biscuits together. Pipe a generous amount of vanilla buttercream onto one half, and then create a little divot for the jam using an offset spatula.
  2. Spoon about a teaspoon of cooled jam onto the divot and sandwich the biscuits together.
  3. I recommend leaving these at room temperature for a few hours to allow the buttercream to set and harden before serving them. These Monte Carlos can be stored at room temperature; however, the moisture from the jam may cause te biscuits to soften slightly. Alternatively, you can store them in the fridge to retain their crunch.