It’s October, and in October, all sorts of clever, colorful Halloween-themed treats abound. These were entirely a mistake – made because I discovered that if I blitzed up freeze dried berries, I got something akin to berry powder that could easily be subbed in for a bit of flour and which lends brilliant color to anything oven-bound. The chocolate caps on these tiny raspberry drops just happen to look a bit like the Harry Potter sorting hat or other seasonal costumes, so I’m dubbing them a fine entry into the spooky sweets category. They’re a bit of an oddball: deep dark chocolate ganache (or something akin to ganache) with a surprisingly tart base dyed deep fuchsia with powdered raspberries. Not your typical mini-muffin, which is why we’re going with the term drops.
These are the perfect size for any sort of Halloween cocktail party or for a spooky afternoon tea – along with finger sandwiches and ghostly meringues. They’ll make for a tangy complement to other smoother, sweeter treats (these are just sweet enough but not overbearing). In fact, we might do just that tomorrow after a few more baking adventures. Currently, we’re enjoying sharing these little sorting had cupcake things with a lovely family friend who requested baked goods as payment for letting us stay with her in Fort Collins, Colorado this weekend. Word to the wise: if you’re traveling with multiple large containers filled with toffee and raspberry drops, freeze them first so they’re less likely to squish or smear in your checked bag. They’ve (nearly) all arrived safe and sound.
A tip for these bite-sized beauties – eat them fairly soon after making – preferably still slightly warm. You can always pop them in the oven or microwave for a few seconds as well to get the best result. And as always, this recipe is a starting point! You can forego the chocolate topping or top them with buttercream or whipped cream instead! Or swap in pulverized freeze dried strawberries instead of raspberries for a sweeter twist – or any other freeze dried fruits you wan to try.
Gluten Free Raspberry Drops with Chocolate Caps
Equipment
- Mini cupcake pan
Ingredients
For drops:
- 1/2 Cup melted salted butter
- 1/3 Cup white sugar
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 Cup gluten free flour 1-1 mix with xanthan gum
- 1/4 Cup almond meal/flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 Cup powdered freeze dried raspberries blitz up a pouch of freeze dried raspberries until powdery, about 1.3 oz bag will do the trick
For the chocolate:
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 1/3 Cup good cocoa powder
- 1/3 Cup white sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/4 Cup whole milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Grease two 12-cup mini muffin tins with butter or cooking spray and set aside. In one large bowl, whisk together the butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs. Until thicker and fully blended. Add in the lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and flour and whisk until combined. Blitz up the freeze dried raspberries and dump in the powder. Using a spatula, fold in the raspberries until fully combined (it will be quite thick).
- Spoon the batter into the mini muffin tins – about a scant tablespoon per cup. Bake for 13-15 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch. Once done, remove from oven and let cool.
- While the drops are baking, make the chocolate. Using a large, non-stick frying pan, melt the butter on medium-low heat. Add in the cocoa powder and stir constantly with a whisk. While still whisking, add the sugar and salt. Whisk continuously for about 2 minutes, then add the milk and stir quickly until fully blended (it will thicken instantly). Take off heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. You can spoon the chocolate on top of the cooled drops, or spoon chocolate into a pastry bag and get creative with decorating your raspberry drops. Voila!
Tag @sisterssansgluten on Instagram if you snap a photo of your drops!
Food photography and styling by Amelia Farber
