Gluten Free Cheese and Onion Pasties

Making the pastry (1). Gluten free pastry can be tricky. A small amount of xanthan gum and a little time for it to absorb the water can make it a lot easier to handle. The addition of some egg will help too; it will also make the pastry light and flaky. Mix the flour and xanthan gum together in a bowl. Add the butter in small chunks. Rub the flour/gum mixture and the butter together with your fingertips to form "breadcrumbs."

Making the pastry (2). Add 2/3 of the beaten egg to the breadcrumbs and mix. Save the rest of the egg for glazing. Add a little cold water to the mix and work into pastry. You want the pastry to be a little sticky, slightly stickier than conventional pastry as the xanthan gum absorbs water. Wrap it in a plastic food bag and put it in the fridge for an hour.

Making the filling. The garlic is optional but, as it's roasted, adds a lovely extra flavour. Mix the cheese, onion, garlic (if using) and potato.

Assembling the pasties (1). Heat the oven to 220°C (200°C fan) and lightly oil and flour a baking sheet. Take the pastry out of the fridge and put it on a board lightly covered with gluten free or rice flour. Cut into either two or three equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rough round big enough to fold over into a pasty. Spoon the filling into the centre of each round.

Assembling the pasties (2). Brush water round the edges of each pastry circle and fold the pastry over the filling so the edges roughly align. Pinch the edges together and fold them into a thick edge where they meet. Be careful as gluten free pastry is prone to cracking. Use the water and brush to help fix any cracks. Put the pasties on the baking sheet and brush them with the remainder of the beaten egg. Bake for 35-40 minutes. When they come out leave for a couple of minutes then put them on a rack to cool. Eat hot or cold.