I just found this topic today and am delighted to see it. There is only one thing I like as much as cooking/baking and eating good food, and that's reading and talking about it.
I have a particular interest in gluten-free baking. Anybody else here avoiding gluten, whatever your reason? I have a few good recipes for GF breads and even Christmas cookies to share.
Please,please, please! I have recently discovered that a lot of physical issues that I deal with are lessened if I stay away from gluten. This time of year is soooo hard to do that! I think others in my family are probably also sensitive so am trying to find new recipes to switch all of us over to gluten-free. My daughters love to bake, but really haven't tried any gluten-free baking. Sometimes, the recipes found in magazines, etc look good, but lack in the taste area. I would welcome recipes real people have tried & liked.
Hi, Jeanette!
I'm baking today, just bread and sandwich buns, but while the batter rises, I'll post that recipe for you. Some easy cookie recipes tomorrow.
What GF baking supplies do you already have in stock? I have recommendations to make, based on three years of GF trials and errors, but I don't want to make assumptions about what you know or have already found for yourself. There are few hard and fast rules about GF baking, but those few are crucial to success, I think.
I had read and been told so many horror stories about GF cooking, I was thoroughly discouraged by the idea of adopting such a restrictive diet. I had been tested and firmly diagnosed as having celiac disease, so there was absolutely no choice for me but to eliminate gluten entirely.
I am the daughter and granddaughter of professional bakers and cooks. I grew up in the kitchen. I baked a lovely loaf of bread before I was 15. I also have a severe congenital sweet tooth; I never met a sweet treat I didn't fall in love with. No more gluten? No bread? No onion rolls? No more cakes or cookies? GAH!!! How does one live that way??
Of course, that's hysterical drama. It's nowhere near that unpleasant. First, only foods with gluten - those containing wheat, barley, or rye, are verboten. That leaves everything else as "legal". Unless you have always been a picky eater, like me, you might not even miss the forbidden foods. In my search for a new way of life in the kitchen, I've discovered all kinds of foods I would never eat before. My diet in general has improved, my weight has stabilized and much of the time, I feel better than I have in years. My adventures and misadventures with gluten have turned out to be no less than life-saving for me.
Jeanette, you are probably onto something with your observations about yourself and your family. I would love to help you make the transition to fun in the kitchen without gluten.
Gotta get the bread rising. BBL with recipes.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." -Mary Anne Radmacher
Debra GCID Granny Debs
My dragons love sharing the party wealth with new friends, but all the gems are spoken for. New friends are welcome, but no gems are left to shar
I would hate to go without gluten. Bread and those gluten meat substitutes are some of my favourite foods. I don't know why, but even when we go to a nice restaurant, my favourite part of the meal is always the bread. We also have an absolutely superb bakery jusy next door to us.
Please,please, please! I have recently discovered that a lot of physical issues that I deal with are lessened if I stay away from gluten. This time of year is soooo hard to do that! I think others in my family are probably also sensitive so am trying to find new recipes to switch all of us over to gluten-free. My daughters love to bake, but really haven't tried any gluten-free baking. Sometimes, the recipes found in magazines, etc look good, but lack in the taste area. I would welcome recipes real people have tried & liked.
Hi, Jeanette!
I'm baking today, just bread and sandwich buns, but while the batter rises, I'll post that recipe for you. Some easy cookie recipes tomorrow.
What GF baking supplies do you already have in stock? I have recommendations to make, based on three years of GF trials and errors, but I don't want to make assumptions about what you know or have already found for yourself. There are few hard and fast rules about GF baking, but those few are crucial to success, I think.
I had read and been told so many horror stories about GF cooking, I was thoroughly discouraged by the idea of adopting such a restrictive diet. I had been tested and firmly diagnosed as having celiac disease, so there was absolutely no choice for me but to eliminate gluten entirely.
I am the daughter and granddaughter of professional bakers and cooks. I grew up in the kitchen. I baked a lovely loaf of bread before I was 15. I also have a severe congenital sweet tooth; I never met a sweet treat I didn't fall in love with. No more gluten? No bread? No onion rolls? No more cakes or cookies? GAH!!! How does one live that way??
Of course, that's hysterical drama. It's nowhere near that unpleasant. First, only foods with gluten - those containing wheat, barley, or rye, are verboten. That leaves everything else as "legal". Unless you have always been a picky eater, like me, you might not even miss the forbidden foods. In my search for a new way of life in the kitchen, I've discovered all kinds of foods I would never eat before. My diet in general has improved, my weight has stabilized and much of the time, I feel better than I have in years. My adventures and misadventures with gluten have turned out to be no less than life-saving for me.
Jeanette, you are probably onto something with your observations about yourself and your family. I would love to help you make the transition to fun in the kitchen without gluten.
Gotta get the bread rising. BBL with recipes.
Very nice of you to share your knowledge with us. As for me, please assume I know nothing, so anything you can share would be terrific. Thank you!
I've become kind of evangelistic about it, Shirley. I got so little useful advice at the beginning. People loved to tell me their personal horror stories about falling ill, being tested and diagnosed, but nobody had anything to say when I asked about re-stocking my kitchen. Nobody offered recipes.
My doctor, whom I love for helping me start to get well, teases me by saying his wife has a dynamite method for making a GF pastry-style pie crust, but never remembers to ask her to share it. Or maybe he just likes to tease.
I can't live like that. If I know something that you don't know about making life better, easier, more fun, more convenient, I can't wait to tell you about it. I really don't want to come off as a know-it-all, or have anyone think that it's my way or the highway. If you know a better way to get the same result, please tell me.
I try not to be preachy or stuffy, but I am aware that I often come across that way. I'm a published medical technical writer and instructor, I love words about as much as I love food, and my writing style shows it. Not too popular on the 'Net, I know, but it's how I roll. I don't want to just post recipes, I want to tell you why they work. Kitchen chemistry is one of my big interests, now that I have time to read and experiment to my heart's content in retirement.
A caveat about these recipes: I live at high altitude, over 8000 ft. All of these recipes work at high altitude. Some of them have been tested at sea level and work there as well. I won't post untested recipes. The adaptations to GF flours can be complex enough that the issues surrounding dough or batter which needs to rise can be daunting. Salt, baking powder, baking soda, yeast all take somewhat different roles in GF baking. Obtaining volume in baked products is the biggest challenge in GF baking.
And, with that, I'll post the first recipe in a new post.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." -Mary Anne Radmacher
Debra GCID Granny Debs
My dragons love sharing the party wealth with new friends, but all the gems are spoken for. New friends are welcome, but no gems are left to shar
My daughter is very careful about what she puts into her mouth, she suffered way too much to be tempted by anything that may contain gluten. I was shocked at how many things contained gluten, like Soy Sauce! It is always a challenge to serve food she can eat that the rest of the family will enjoy also. She loves my spaghetti, loves the sauce but obviously can't have the noodles. She ladles the sauce over kale leaves and is happy as can be. I tried it, and although it isn't "spaghetti" it was pretty darned good. She gave up trying to find substitute baked goods and decided to just be happy eating what was available to her. She seems to do very well, is happy and very healthy. Such a change from the daughter who was sick and unhappy all the time.
About GF Flour There are a multitude of grains, grasses, beans, and more exotic plants which can replace all-purpose wheat flour. It can be hard to find one flour with all the qualities of wheat flour. Blends of different flours usually work better in GF baking. Their unique qualities can mimic wheat better when combined.
Commercial GF flour blends are available on-line and in some supermarkets in the US. They tend to be expensive, but they are convenient and reliable. I've used several, and I like King Arthur best.
I like to play in the kitchen, so I have acquired a variety of flours and blend them to get what I want. I'll present the recipes with my own flour blends, but know that you can substitute GF all-purpose flour, unless the recipe specifies otherwise.
You will notice that some of these recipes are high in fat and egg content. Fat and egg both carry flavor extremely well. Both can help bind dry ingredients and produce a good crumb. These are important in GF baking. Some recipes may not be suitable for all diets. Some are designed to be made without fat, dairy, or egg, and will be useful to folks with a variety of dietary needs.
Most GF baked products don't develop that deep, golden crust you see in breads containing gluten. GF cookies may not brown on the edges, or they might brown excessively before the centers are done. Watch the first batch carefully and base cooking time on that. Brushing the tops of breads and rolls with egg beaten with a little milk or water is a useful technique for getting a more 'done' look.
Allergic to nuts? Leave them out, unless the recipes demands them, as in a crushed nut pie crust, which you would obviously not want to bake. Some recipes use nut flours, almond being the most common. Watch out for those.
Gluten Free Everyday Bread
I use this for loaves to slice and toast; sandwich rolls and buns; focaccia; pizza crust. Also good for croutons and bread crumbs. I have shaped this batter into baguette form to slice and toast for bruschetta or to top French onion soup.
2 cups brown rice flour 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour 1/4-1/2 cup buckwheat flour 1/4 cup sugar (optional, for sweet breads; I don't use it for savory breads) 2 tsps sugar 3 tsps xanthan gum 1/2 tsp salt 2/3 cup warm water 1 cup warm water 1 1/2-2 Tbs yeast 4 Tbs melted butter (margarine or oil are ok, too) 1 tsp cider vinegar 4 eggs (or equivalent Eggbeaters-like product) Optional: Sautéed onions Sesame or poppy seeds Herbs 1 egg + milk or water, to brush on to assist in browning
Combine dry ingredients, except 2 tsp sugar, in large bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer. Dissolve the 2 tsp sugar in the 2/3 cup of warm water, add yeast; let it sit until frothy. Combine melted butter with 1 cup warm water and cider vinegar. On low speed, blend the dry ingredients. Slowly add the butter/water mixture, increase speed and combine. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each one until the mixture resembles a very stiff cake batter. Add the yeast mixture and blend. Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.
Cover the bowl with oiled cling film; put it in a warm place and let rise for 45-60 minutes, or until it doubles.
Return the bowl to the mixer and beat on highest speed for three minutes. Now is the time to add optional onions and herbs.
Pre-heat oven to 450°F for all variations in shape.
Loaf: Grease a loaf pan; fill 2/3 full with batter. Gently brush on egg wash. Cover with cling film and let rise 30 minutes. Bake for 45-60 minutes. Recipe makes 1 loaf.
Baguettes: Lighten the recipe a bit by replacing the buckwheat flour with tapioca flour. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the batter onto the paper, shaping it with a spoon, or moistened hands, into 2-3 baguette shapes. Cover with cling film and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 20 minutes.
Focaccia: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spoon the batter onto the paper, shaping it into flat oblong or oval shapes. Brush with the egg wash. Sprinkle on herbs, sea salt, cheese, tomato slices, whatever you like. Cover with cling film, let rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Recipe makes 2-3, depending on size.
Pizza crust: As for focaccia. Spread with sauce, add toppings of choice, cover, let rise, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Keep pizza crust to 'personal' size and make 2-3. This is moderately fragile stuff and the bigger you try to spread it, the more likely it is to break apart. I usually make 3-4 crusts at a time, bake them for 10 minutes, then let them cool and wrap them tightly and freeze them. When I want a pizza, I take one out, put it in a 450° oven for 5 minutes, then put on the toppings I want and bake it another 10-15 minutes. No, it isn't Sicilian deep-dish, but it is superior, IMHO, to anything available in the GF freezer case.
Buns: Use a parchment-lined baking sheet. Drop large spoonfuls of batter onto paper. Shape into round mounds. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sesame or poppy seeds, if you wish. Cover, let rise, bake for 20 minutes. This is where I use the sautéed onions. Makes about a dozen burger buns or long 'French' rolls. They dry out fast; keep them in the freezer for up to 3 weeks, wrapped very tightly.
What are people's julafton or holiday menu like? Here is ours so far. Bröd Äppelkaka Köttbullar Laxrulle Ostpaj Grönkål Julskinka Potatis Prinskorv Revbensspjäll
I have to start the night before to have all done!
What are people's julafton or holiday menu like? Here is ours so far. Bröd Äppelkaka Köttbullar Laxrulle Ostpaj Grönkål Julskinka Potatis Prinskorv Revbensspjäll
I have to start the night before to have all done!
Bliss, I was able to translate some of these dishes into English, but not all. Could you tell us what these are?
What are people's julafton or holiday menu like? Here is ours so far. Bröd Äppelkaka Köttbullar Laxrulle Ostpaj Grönkål Julskinka Potatis Prinskorv Revbensspjäll
I have to start the night before to have all done!
Bliss, I was able to translate some of these dishes into English, but not all. Could you tell us what these are?
oups, sorry about that. I didn't think about it.
It is baking some bread appelcake meatballs with associated sauce salmonroll with caviar cheesepie which is like a quiche, I think, with a swedish cheese called västerbottenost a green leafy dish with some creme and bitter tastes jul ham potatoes prinskorv is a type of sausage(?) that are typical for a holiday dish ribs
I assume my motherinlaw will bring the sill which is a fish thingie.
Deb, thank you so much for doing this! Like Pixie's daughter, I feel so much better without gluten. I've not been formally tested for celiac disease, but figure there is no real need to be--I know how I feel eating gluten & how much better I am without it. Before I attempted to eliminate it from my life, I had become quite obsessed with baking sourdough breads. That was hard to give up! I think it's a real service that you have persisted in developing recipes & really look forward to trying some of them. My husband really misses toast, etc. Have you tried any of your breads in dressing/stuffing or bread puddings?
My daughter is very careful about what she puts into her mouth, she suffered way too much to be tempted by anything that may contain gluten. I was shocked at how many things contained gluten, like Soy Sauce! It is always a challenge to serve food she can eat that the rest of the family will enjoy also. She loves my spaghetti, loves the sauce but obviously can't have the noodles. She ladles the sauce over kale leaves and is happy as can be. I tried it, and although it isn't "spaghetti" it was pretty darned good. She gave up trying to find substitute baked goods and decided to just be happy eating what was available to her. She seems to do very well, is happy and very healthy. Such a change from the daughter who was sick and unhappy all the time.
Looking forward to your recipes.
Shirley, the first time I tried spaghetti sauce over kale, it was a revelation. Seriously, I told everyone I saw for days what I had discovered! lol! I'm so glad your daughter has figured out what was making her sick. I am trying to convince one of my daughters (my biological one) to consider that gluten might be affecting her adversely, especially since I feel so much better without it, but so far, she isn't listening well enough to actually do something about it! That's one reason I'm excited about Deb's recipes-- I'll see if I can offer her a substitute. We also know my grandson is affected by certain foods, really impact his behavior. Interesting, isn't it, how something seemingly so benign like food, can be so difficult for some people. It's not exactly an allergy, but close, I think.
My daughter is very careful about what she puts into her mouth, she suffered way too much to be tempted by anything that may contain gluten. I was shocked at how many things contained gluten, like Soy Sauce! It is always a challenge to serve food she can eat that the rest of the family will enjoy also. She loves my spaghetti, loves the sauce but obviously can't have the noodles. She ladles the sauce over kale leaves and is happy as can be. I tried it, and although it isn't "spaghetti" it was pretty darned good. She gave up trying to find substitute baked goods and decided to just be happy eating what was available to her. She seems to do very well, is happy and very healthy. Such a change from the daughter who was sick and unhappy all the time.
Looking forward to your recipes.
Shirley, the first time I tried spaghetti sauce over kale, it was a revelation. Seriously, I told everyone I saw for days what I had discovered! lol! I'm so glad your daughter has figured out what was making her sick. I am trying to convince one of my daughters (my biological one) to consider that gluten might be affecting her adversely, especially since I feel so much better without it, but so far, she isn't listening well enough to actually do something about it! That's one reason I'm excited about Deb's recipes-- I'll see if I can offer her a substitute. We also know my grandson is affected by certain foods, really impact his behavior. Interesting, isn't it, how something seemingly so benign like food, can be so difficult for some people. It's not exactly an allergy, but close, I think.
In all honesty I think the number of chemicals surrounding us is to blame for a lot of what is happening. Chemicals surrounding us, as well as what we are putting into our bodies.
Shirley, the first time I tried spaghetti sauce over kale, it was a revelation. Seriously, I told everyone I saw for days what I had discovered! lol! I'm so glad your daughter has figured out what was making her sick. I am trying to convince one of my daughters (my biological one) to consider that gluten might be affecting her adversely, especially since I feel so much better without it, but so far, she isn't listening well enough to actually do something about it! That's one reason I'm excited about Deb's recipes-- I'll see if I can offer her a substitute. We also know my grandson is affected by certain foods, really impact his behavior. Interesting, isn't it, how something seemingly so benign like food, can be so difficult for some people. It's not exactly an allergy, but close, I think.
In all honesty I think the number of chemicals surrounding us is to blame for a lot of what is happening. Chemicals surrounding us, as well as what we are putting into our bodies.
Köttbullar we of course know from Ikea Sill is hering, i have some in the fridge with dill of course. I will spend Christmas at my Mum s place, like each year and we have our own traditional meal which is in fact a cold supper as since ever we have decided that the house lady has a right to relax on Christmas, so no long hours in the kitchen! Since years i have taken over and make toasts with smoked salmon (all kind of incl. gravlax), prawns, crab, duck foie gras etc. that is followed by cold lobster with a thousand island sauce. And a nice desert, often mousse of chocolat.
I'm happy my posts are useful, Pixie and mishkasmom.
About stuffings and dressings. I made the most awful faux-cornbread dressing last year. It was dry and hard, did not soak up the broth and melted butter which should have moisturized it. It didn't fool anybody because nobody ate it. Gah! Wretched stuff!
I've tried at least half a dozen recipes for GF cornbread, but not one has worked. I've given up on cornbread from scratch for a while. Pamela's GF Cornbread mix makes very good cornbread and corn muffins. I'm eager to bake a batch to turn into dressing.
Baking cookies today, making some adjustments to the peppermint spiral butter cookies. I'll post the recipe when I'm sure it's a worthy substitute.
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the little voice at the end of the day that says I'll try again tomorrow." -Mary Anne Radmacher
Debra GCID Granny Debs
My dragons love sharing the party wealth with new friends, but all the gems are spoken for. New friends are welcome, but no gems are left to shar
Oh yay, I can repay you a bit. I have made the following cornbread and it is excellent! Even made the blackberry version with berries right out of my backyard and everyone loved them!
Blackberry Cornbread 8-10 servings 2C self-rising white cornmeal 1/2C sugar 5 large eggs 16 oz sour cream 1/2C canola oil 2C fresh blackberries
Can you have dairy if it is in baked goods? Could not find self-rising white cornmeal anywhere, but found if you add 2T cornmeal + 4t baking powder + 1t salt it works great.
Preheat oven to 450°. Stir together cornmeal and sugar in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture. Whisk together eggs, sour cream, and oil; add to cornmeal mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in blackberries. Spoon batter into a lightly greased 12" cast-iron skillet. (I did mine as muffins)
Bake at 450° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, shielding with aluminum foil after 25 minutes to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.
Blackberry Cornbread Muffins Prepare batter as directed. Coat 2 muffin pans with vegetable cooking spray; spoon batter into muffin pans, filling 3/4 full. Bake at 450° for 15-17 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Cool in pan on a wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pan to wire rack. Makes 2 dozen muffins.
My daughter is very careful about what she puts into her mouth, she suffered way too much to be tempted by anything that may contain gluten. I was shocked at how many things contained gluten, like Soy Sauce! It is always a challenge to serve food she can eat that the rest of the family will enjoy also. She loves my spaghetti, loves the sauce but obviously can't have the noodles. She ladles the sauce over kale leaves and is happy as can be. I tried it, and although it isn't "spaghetti" it was pretty darned good. She gave up trying to find substitute baked goods and decided to just be happy eating what was available to her. She seems to do very well, is happy and very healthy. Such a change from the daughter who was sick and unhappy all the time.
Looking forward to your recipes.
Holy wow ladies!!! Wonderful recipes here to try! My niece is gluten intolerant and I will share these recipes with her
For those wanting noodles - Google Spirooli. It won't come up but the equivalent product will. You can make zucchini "noodles" with it. Other veggies can be used as well. Check out you tube for spirooli videos. If you want a more "noodley" texture, salt your noodles and let them drain in a sieve, or just let them sit out at room temperature for a few hours. The salting makes them taste less raw zucchini-ish as well. You can rinse the salt off and squeeze out the excess moisture so your final product isn't too salty. I haven't tried putting my raw, vegan spaghetti sauce over kale, and am looking forward to it.
I have been baking and decorating gingerbread houses lately. This season has me baking at least 5 and decorating at least 7. I do buy kits now and then because they have wonderful candies in them that I haven't been able to find elsewhere. And it would be very frustrating to bake a house from scratch and have a 2 year old Grand Nephew wipe it out in one swing, lol. So, tiny children get the kits and their older siblings and friends of ours get the baked from scratch. This has been a tradition in our house since my 17 year old daughter was 3. We used to decorate them with her class at school and them the school would raffle them off. This went on until she went to a new school starting in 5th grade. After that we morphed it to me baking and daughter and friends making yard art (trees, mailboxes, bushes, sleds, etc.) and me helping. I used to always do them with my Girl Scout troop as well. We started by all of us decorating one house, and then a few days later we would go caroling around one of our girl's neighborhoods (the girls voted whose neighbors won) and then when we were done the girls and their siblings would demolish and eat the house. Super fun to watch kids reach out and take a piece of roof and eat it. Their eyes get soooo big, lol! One year we decided each girl should have her own house to decorate and we went with kits that year. We did, however, use our own bases (tip: use a solid styrofoam base, the hard crunchy kind, as it holds your trees up well and also keeps everything from caving inward towards the house), and boatloads more candies than the kits came with. Some of my girls donated their houses, one to the retirement home her grandma was in. I gave those girls community service hours for that. My GS troop is no more, but the wonderful memories see me through.
I have not thought about trying to bake a GF gingerbread house. Probably won't try it until after the holidays. I have been known to make Valentine chocolatebread houses and chocolate or gingerbread woven Easter boxes in the past. We'll see if I'm up for it when the season is right.
Meanwhile, I made an awesome raw, vegan apple pie for Thanksgiving. BTW- raw, vegan is GF.
Here is a nice raw,vegan holiday recipe for you-
Persimmon Pudding
Meat and water from 1 young Thai coconut (Whole Foods, local health food stores, food co-ops, Oriental stores) 15 dates (I use Medjool dates) 2 very soft, ripe persimmons (not Fuyu, the other kind) dash of cinnamon to taste dash of nutmeg to taste
Put this all together in a blender and whiz it round until it is the desired consistency. Add a dash or two of water if needed to get it blending.
Okay, the roof for the porch is set, so I am back to decorating the gingerbread house. I'll see if I can pop back on here sooner than later, lol.
Lots of warm holiday wishes for all of you and yours!
Just googled the Spirooli and watched a Youtube showing it in action. Wow, is that fun! Really want to try some of the zucchini and yellow squash for "noodles". Think hubby would really like the onion rings, too. Thanks for the tip.
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