The New York Times Magazine was dedicated to food this past weekend. One of the articles was titled “Rules to Eat By,” by Michael Pollan. He had posted an entry on Tara Parker-Pope’s blog, Well, asked people for their tips on healthy eating and received 2500 responses. There are some fairly interesting observations.
But, after reading it, I recalled a conversation I had with a gluten-intolerant friend where she gave me a great tip. She told me that I should replace the liquid in a gluten-free waffle mix with club soda because the carbonation really made the waffles incredibly light and fluffy. I told her I would try it and gave her a baking tip in return. If I want cookies to get a brown, crisp texture, I add almond meal to the mix. Anywhere from a 1/4 cup to a 1/3 cup doesn’t really alter the recipe, but the cookies come out of the oven with the golden brown color often missing with gluten-free flour.
I also thought about my favorite ingredient in gluten-free baking, Greek style yogurt. Shouldn’t every celiac know how adding a rich product like yogurt or sour cream can add moisture and lessen the crumbly texture of some gluten-free flours?
There have to be thousands of tried and true gluten-free baking tips out there and we need to share them! Part of a gluten-free lifestyle is cooking and baking, which is great since we can control the ingredients and substitute healthy ingredients, lower fat content, add different spices and alter the amount sugar or salt. But, it can also be frustrating when you spend time in the kitchen to produce a tasteless pile of crumbs.
I shared three baking tips—who else has baking tips they would like to share? This could be the start of something really helpful to all celiac bakers.
Kendall Egan
4 comments:
Thanks fo rthe tips you posted. I use Pamela's baking mix for pancakes, waffles and muffins. For everything else I use Domata flour (which makes wonderful cookies and brownies as well) My sisters have used better batter which they say is the best they have found. They have made flour tortillas, bread and even cinnamon rolls.
I have to say that I also rely on Pamela for almost everything. However, I do plan to buy the new cookbook with the almond flour recipes. And I highly recommend Mike Eberhart's Gluten-Free and Wheat-Free Gourmet Desserts book. It is a beautiful book, the illustrations are mouth watering. You will want to make everything and even if you make only one thing this book is a gem.
I love to experiment with whole grain gluten free flours. To get aquainted with a new flour, I make pancakes. Using just that flour. That way I learn how it behaves, what color it is raw and cooked, how it tastes. And I haven't invested lots of time or ingredients. Most flours are edible, some are really fine. Only a few made me search for something else to eat. It has all been a useful learning experience.
I think this is a great idea! I was diagnosed last month and am just starting to try baking. Haven't come up with any tips yet.
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