I know I haven't posted in a while, but now that things have sort of calmed down (holidays, roommate issues...) I am planning to go back to my weekly posting schedule!
Which brings me to today's topic...
My philosophy on being gluten free!!
I have had my share of both baking and cooking experiences in the gluten free department over the past few years, and for some reason, I never had that infamous "rock cookie"/"card board cake" experience that so many fellow GF bakers have bemoaned encountering time and again in their early GF days.
This isn't because I am just naturally more talented at gluten free baking than these other bakers, and it's not because I had some secret ingredient that magically replaced gluten. It's because of my one, simple philosophy when it comes to GF baking:
The less flour in the recipe, the better.
I live by this mantra in the kitchen, and I am able to produce delicious goodies that taste just as good, and look just as appetizing, as their glutenous counterparts! These types of recipes are already mostly gluten free, so you will have less to substitute, and less to gamble.
Now, you might be thinking "Wait a minute, you're telling me that if I want to bake successful gluten free goodies I have to forget about the flour?"
No!
That's not what I'm saying AT ALL. I'm just saying that recipe that have a naturally lower ratio of flour to other ingredients (like banana bread) are pretty much guaranteed to come out better than recipes with a high flour ratio (like sugar cookies).
When you bake things that require less flour, the dough/batter relies less on the gluten to help it stick together, and the rest of the ingredients rely less on the gluten to react during baking in the way they should.
Makes sense, right?
Of course, if you can find recipes that just happen to be gluten free (English toffee, any one?), then that's even better! Recipes like this are a gluten free girl/guy's best friend because we don't need to change any part of them to fit our needs, and they obviously already taste pretty good seeing as how they are enjoyed by the glutenous community at large on a regular basis.
So, finally, here is a list of ideas for you all! You'd be surprised how many delicious deserts and baked goods are already gluten free, as well as how many are only a step or two away from being substituted into gluten free land!
Mostly Flour-Free (you only need to substitute a small portion of these recipes with a GF flour mix):
Banana Bread- recipe: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/banana_bread/
(substitute the flour in the recipe for your favorite GF flour mix- I recommend the Trader Joe's all purpose GF flour mix in the pink packaging)
Cheesecake- recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/the-ultimate-cheesecake-recipe.html
(substitute the graham cracker crust with GF graham crackers! You can find them at Whole Foods, at some smaller health food stores, or definitely on amazon!)
Pecan Pie*- http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/pecan-pie-recipe.html
(I recommend buying a pre-made GF crust if you have a GF bakery near you, or else using this recipe: http://glutenfreegirl.com/2009/11/gluten-free-pie-crust/)
*If you want to substitute this for another pie, a pie with an open top (like pumpkin pie, lemon meringue pie, etc. will be your best bets! An they will come out delicious! I can vouch for those 3 flavors, because I have tried them and loved the results!)
Naturally Gluten-Free Favorites (Nothing you'll need to substitute in these tried-and-true recipes!):
Bûche de Noël - recipe: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Buche-de-Noel
Flan- recipe: http://www.marthastewart.com/346406/flan
(variation) Pumpkin Flan- recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/pumpkin-flan-recipe.html
Meringue Cookies- recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/vanilla-meringue-cookies
English Toffee- recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/english-toffee-33357
Peanut-Butter-Chocolate-Chip Cookies- recipe: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/recipe/emerils-gluten-free-peanut-butter-chocolate-chip-cookies-17943009
Coconut Macaroons- recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/coconut-macaroons-recipe-00100000096584/
Parisian Macaroons- recipe: http://www.giverslog.com/?p=1089
Mini Cheesecakes- recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cheesecake-Cupcakes/Detail.aspx?evt19=1
And, here's a more obscure, but seriously delicious one...
"Angel Food Candy" (AKA "meteorite candy")- recipe: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Angel-Food-Candy/Detail.aspx?evt19=1
If you would be interested in seeing a post of "Naturally Gluten Free Cooking?!", leave a comment down below, and I'll make it next week's blog post!
Good luck!!
xo,
Abby
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