Hi foodies and hello October! We have just returned from a week away in one of our favourite spots, beautiful Knysna. We spent the week in a cosy wood cabin overlooking the Knysna River Valley and it was just the break we needed. Plenty of time spent on our balcony listening to the birds, lots of fresh air, reading, beach time and nature walks – bliss!
Speaking of traveling, this recipe was inspired by a trip that my husband and I took many years ago to Bruges in Belgium. I cannot eat a cheese croquette without thinking about that weekend when a scrumptious plate of croquettes provided welcome sustenance during a busy day of sightseeing! The recipe is adapted from one that I posted on the blog in 2013 – I hadn’t made them in ages and had a craving, but wanted to create a gluten free version. I replaced the plain flour with a smaller amount of cornflour and used a combination of almond and oat flours instead of breadcrumbs. The croquettes have a slightly nuttier flavour as a result, but a gorgeous crispy shell and a gooey melted cheese centre that will have you reaching for another one, and another and another!
I know many of you are always on the look out for new gluten free recipes and I hope you will enjoy this one! You can find the original recipe that I based it on here.
Cook’s notes:
- you can buy oat flour but I made my own by blitzing gluten free oats in a high speed blender. It’s inexpensive and only takes a couple of seconds to make!
- how you serve your croquettes is completely up to you. I love mine with a dash of sweet chilli sauce, but you can use any sauce you like – or skip that idea and serve your croquettes with some crunchy greens.
GLUTEN FREE CHEESE CROQUETTES
For the filling:
- 50g butter
- 60g cornflour
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper
- pinch of nutmeg
- 200g grated mature cheddar cheese
- 1 large egg
For the coating:
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tbsp milk
- ½ cup almond flour
- ¾ cup gluten free oat flour
- ¼ cup cornflour, for dusting
- vegetable oil for frying
- gluten free sweet chilli sauce or tomato sauce to serve (optional)
1.) To make the filling: melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the cornflour and whisk to form a thick paste.
2.) Gradually add the milk to the saucepan and whisk until smooth and thick. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in a pinch of nutmeg.
3.) Add the cheddar cheese. Stir over a very low heat until the cheese is incorporated. At this stage the mixture should be very thick.
4.) Take the saucepan off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Add the egg and whisk the mixture well until everything is combined. Transfer the filling to a greased plate or small tray. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until cold and stiff.
5.) Halve the cheese filling mixture, then divide each half into 12 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into balls so that you end up with 24 in total.
6.) For the coating: whisk the eggs and milk together. Combine the almond flour and oat flour in a small bowl. Dust the cheese balls in cornflour, then dip each ball into the egg mixture and roll in the almond and oat flour mixture. Dip each croquette into the egg mixture then the almond flour mixture again so that each croquette is coated twice.
7.) You can fry the croquettes immediately but if time allows I like to put mine in the fridge to chill and set before frying. Heat 1cm of vegetable oil in a frying pan. Once hot fry the croquettes in small batches for a few minutes until just golden and crispy on the outside. Drain on a piece of kitchen towel, then serve immediately with some sweet chilli or tomato sauce if using.
Wow your blog is perfect for me. I’m gluten and lactose intolerant and I love baking and middle eastern food.
I would be super happy if you could read my blog http://www.swedishtraveler.com
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Thanks Ulrika, I’ll check it out.
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These look fabulous!
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Thank you so much! 🙂
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I have added this recipe to our new blog.
You are invited to post your favorite recipes to our Recipe Party!
http://therecipeparty.blogspot.com
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These look delicious 😍
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Ah, thank you! 🙂
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