THE COOKIE CONUNDRUM

Oh, Cake Baker, Cake Baker, Make Me a Cake!

2009-08-20T16:45:00.000-07:00

The Middle Way Cafe is Anchorage's only destination for vegan and gluten-free baked goodies, and I am their new baker! The Middle Way was founded in 1994 and is based on the Buddhist path of non-extremism also called the middle way. They specialize in wholesome, healthy foods that are natural, whole, and when possible organic. My favorite meal is the Huevos Rancheros made vegan-style with tofu instead of eggs. Crispy tortillas topped with beans and rice, grilled tofu, avocado, Tofutti sour cream, and salsa.

Mid Way (or M. Dub as my friend Kelly calls it) is looking to expand its bakery and its baked goods offerings, so they hired me to experiment with some new gluten-free items, including a yeast bread for sandwiches!

Since I am still learning the ropes, and learning to make the basics, I haven't developed a whole lot of new recipes, but here's a cake recipe I adapted for customer orders. I have prepared this recipe twice for customer parties, once with the bag of chocolate chips as cupcakes for a child's birthday celebration, and once without the chocolate chips as a layer cake for an adults birthday. This cake got rave reviews from a Mid Way customer on Mid Way's un-website.

Make it as cupcakes, 2 round layer cakes filled with frosting or jam, or in a bundt pan topped with vegan powdered sugar!

Vegan Gluten Free Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cake

3 Cups G-F flour mix
1 1/2 Cups cocoa powder
2 tsp G-F baking powder
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt

1 Cup margarine (I use Earth Balance)
1 package Tofutti "cream cheese" (8 oz)
2 Cups vegan brown sugar
1 Cup vegan white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1.5 Cups rice milk
2 Tbl Ener-g egg replacer

1 package vegan, G-F chocolate chips (10 oz)

Combine dry ingredients. Cream together better and cream cheese. Add sugars, then vanilla. Mix egg replacer with milk, then add to sugar/butter mixture. Combine well, then mix in dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a well-greased bundt pan, bake for 2 hours at 300 degrees.

We bake everything at work at 300 degrees. Please adapt to a more convenient time for you!

Citrus-Ginger Banana Bread w/ Lemon Glaze

2009-07-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Quick breads were a staple in my childhood. We ate mostly chocolate zucchini bread, but banana breads and pumpkin breads made their appearances now and again. Somehow I made it to adulthood without a family recipe for banana bread (I do have the zucchini!), so I've been on a search for the perfect recipe.

The natural foods section of a nearby grocery store has these lovely little pamphlets called "Naturally Preferred." Since this is associated with the Naturally Preferred brand and the Kroger grocery chain, I imagine you could find these 30 page gems at many of the Kroger-owned stores. Though I try to shop local when possible, I make it a point of going to this grocer at least once per month to pick up the new (and free) naturally preferred. The articles are interesting and the coupons are useful (coupons on natural products? crazy-talk!), but what I love more are the recipes. A typical issue has between 5 and 10 recipes.

Tucked in one of these mini-magazines, I found a recipe for banana bread that had pretty standard ingredients, but the name inspired me: "Zesty Lemon-Lime Banana Bread with Glaze." A zesty banana bread- what a grand idea!

I replaced the flour with a basic gluten-free mixture, the oats with gluten-free oats, and the egg with flax gel. Then to make the banana bread live up to its name, I added ginger and white pepper. Each time I baked the loaf, I added a little more ginger and pepper, until I thought the loaf was zesty enough. The result was citrusy, zesty, and delightful. This loaf is soft in the middle with a nice crust. The optional glaze, which I thickened quite a bit from the original, gives the bread a dessert quality.

Citrus-Ginger Banana Bread w/ Lemon Glaze

2 C Gluten-free flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Xanthan gum
½ C Gluten-free oats
1 tsp Ground ginger

½ tsp Ground white pepper
2 med Bananas, very ripe
½ C Brown sugar

2 med Limes, zested & juiced

1 med Lemon, zested & juiced
1 Flax egg*
½ C Olive oil
½ C Pecans, chopped

Glaze:

2 C Powdered sugar
1 Tbl Lemon/lime juice
1/4 tsp Vanilla

Preheat oven to 350º. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside. Blend bananas in a food processor (or blender) until smooth. Add brown sugar and puree again. Add zests, ½ cup of lemon-lime juice, flax gel, and oil. Puree till well combined. Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients, then fold in nuts. Pour into an oiled loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. When the loaf is cool, slice. Spread or pipe a little glaze onto each piece and serve.

*To make flax gel equivalent to one egg: Whisk 1 Tablespoon flax meal into 3 Tablespoons warm water. Allow to stand 10 minutes. Any standard egg replaced should work.

Quinoa Cornbread

2009-07-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

This cornbread is so similar in texture and flavor to what I ate as a child, I am almost tempted to give my dad a blind taste test. My family is from Texas, and though I spent the majority of my formative years exploring the wilds of Alaska, Southern staples were still regular visitors to our dinner table. Cornbread, of course, was eaten a few times per week. A standard cornbread recipe has wheat, eggs, milk, and sometimes butter. This recipe uses rice flour, quinoa flour, soy milk, and oil.

This cornbread is moist and dense, but still slightly crumbly with a delightful crust. Serve it warm with Earth Balance, Tofutti cream cheese, or unsulphured blackstrap molasses. Keep leftovers for a traditional Southern breakfast of cornbread in (soy) milk!

I used coarse ground cornmeal (polenta), because I love the texture it gives the final loaf. If you want less crunch, use a more finely ground meal. Polenta soaks up a great deal of liquid, so place your bread in the oven as soon as you combine the wet and dry ingredients.

I simulate buttermilk by combining a milk substitute with vinegar. Add the vinegar to the milk before you get started and let it stand for several minutes. The milk will curdle. Additionally, vinegar help gives a little extra lift to gluten-free baked goods, as it reacts with the baking soda- another reason to get your batter in the oven as quickly as possible.

Quinoa Cornbread

1 C Soy milk
2 Tbl Apple cider vinegar
1/4 C Oil (I used olive)
1 C Coarse ground cornmeal
1/2 C White rice flour
1/2 C Quinoa flour
1 Tbs Baking Soda
1 tsp Cream of tartar
1 tsp Xanthan gum
1/2 tsp Sea salt

1 C Soy milk
2 Tbl Apple cider vinegar
1/4 C Oil

Add the vinegar to the soy milk and set aside. Preheat your oven to 350F. Coat the inside of an 8 inch cast iron skillet with Earth Balance (or oil or cooking spray). If you don't have one, use a standard 9 x 5 loaf pan and cook slightly longer. Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk oil into milk, then add to dry ingredients. Stir just to combine. Pour into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake about 25 minutes, or until it passes the toothpick test. Turn out onto a serving platter and serve warm!

Summer Cobbler

2009-07-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

I receive a daily email from Grist, "environmental news and green living tips from Grist, the most recognizable voice in environmental journalism." It is usually full of wonderful information, news, advice, links, and much more, but occasionally there's a recipe. This was the case last week when the July 9 email featured summer cobbler recipes by April McGreger. She discussed taking advantage of summer fruits during the very short time they are available. This is especially true in Alaska, where we usually never get good peaches. If you find them, you binge. We've eaten about 35 peaches in the last week and a half.

One of April's recipes, the Blackberry-Blueberry Coconut Crisp, was already vegan and had a recommendation for a gluten-free adaptation. I decided to adapt the other recipe, the Sour Cherry & Peach Cobbler with Oat-Cardamom Biscuit Topping, to a vegan, gluten-free diet.

The result was delightful:
The filling was fresh and fruity, without being overly sweet. The biscuit topping had a wonderful flavor and soft, crumbly texture. It was great warm, but also made a delicious breakfast the following morning. My guests could (as usual) hardly believe it was vegan and gluten-free.

Here's my adapted recipe:

Cherry and Peach Cobbler with Oat Biscuit Topping

Fruit Filling-
2 Tbl Earth Balance, softened
4 C Fresh fruit
(I, like April, used 2 cups cherries, pitted and halved and 2 cups peaches, sliced. I used white peaches, as that's what was available.)
Pinch Sea salt
1 Tbl Arrowroot starch
1/2 cup Vegan sugar
1 Tbl Vanilla extract

Biscuit Topping-
3/4 C White rice flour
1/4 C Arrowroot starch
1 C Gluten-free oat flour
1 Tbl Vegan sugar
1 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Cream of tartar
1/2 tsp Sea salt
6 Tbl Earth balance, very cold and cut into small pieces
1 C Very cold soy milk
1 Tbl Lemon Juice
1 Tbl White vinegar
Prep Work:

-Make oat flour. April McGreger suggests making your own oat flour. Since I could not find G-F oat flour, this worked great for me. I placed certified gluten-free rolled oats in the food processor just as April suggested, then pulsed until the oats formed a coarse meal. Brilliant!
-Measure and chill Earth Balance. Measure out 6 tablespoons of “butter” onto a small plate and place them in the freezer. When its time to use it, cut each ball into smaller pieces.

-Make “buttermilk." Measure one cup of soy milk into a container larger than 1 cup. Add one tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Place in the fridge or freezer.

-Preheat oven to 400°. Spread 1 Tablespoon of the Earth Balance over the bottom of a 10-inch cast iron skillet.

Making the Cobbler:
-In a large bowl, toss fruit with salt, starch, sugar, vanilla, 1 Tablespoon Earth Balance. Pour mixture into prepared pan and set aside.

-In another bowl, sift together flours/starches, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt.

-Place the mixture in a food processor. Add the small pieces of butter and process until the flour resembles coarse meal.

-Spoon the biscuit mixture onto the fruit.

-Place in preheated oven and bake 45 minutes.

At Home Celiac Gene Test

2009-07-16T11:10:00.000-07:00

I subscribe to weekly email from Living Without Magazine . This week there are featuring information about a relatively new at-home saliva test, My Celiac ID, which determines whether you have the gene sequence that predisposes you to Celiac Disease. The test is relatively expensive ($329), and tells you if have the likely potential to develop Celiac at some point. If the test is positive and you have symptoms, the recommendation is made that you see a doctor.

Though I certainly understand the importance of this kind of technology, and the desires of some individuals to test in the privacy of their home, $300 seems like a great deal of money to spend, only to learn whether you will have to spend more money at a doctor's office.

If you have a great deal of disposable income and like the idea of testing yourself in the privacy of your home, My Celiac ID is probably great for you. Otherwise, make the appointment with a specialist.

Book Review: Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World

2009-07-15T00:12:00.000-07:00

Isa Chandra Moskowitz has a brand spankin' new cookbook and Moskowitz and Terry Hope Romero have one due in November! Moskowitz's book is Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For, released May 25, 2009. Moskowitz and Romero's joint effort is Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar, and it will be available November of this year.

According to Moskowitz's website, The Post Punk Kitchen, Vegan Brunch “offers revamped savory classics like omelets and scrambles as well as scrumptious waffles, french toasts and pancakes for that morning sweet tooth.” It has many wheat and gluten free “egg” recipes such as omelets and scrambles and potato recipes such as hash and fries, but it also offers up two token gluten-free recipes: Gluten Free Buckwheat Pancakes and Samosa Mashed Potato Pancakes.

Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar is a follow up to 2006's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. From the publisher's website: “From classic favorites to fancy delights, Vegan Cookies Invade Your Cookie Jar features 100 original recipes alongside beautiful color photographs. Chapters include mix n’ drop cookies, biscotti and bars, pipe-out cookies, copycat cookies (veganized versions of name-brands), frostings and fillings, and more.”

I am so excited!!!

In honor of these two new books, my first book review will be of Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World: 75 Dairy-Free Recipes for Cupcakes that Rule .The book is written in an accessible, lighthearted, and often humorous manner. The cover design is bright, simple, and inviting, and the cupcake photos absolutely make my mouth water. The book begins at the very beginning, with ingredients. There's a short section on flour, most of which is not useful for the gluten free chef; however, there is a brief mention of some gluten free options and how to substitute if you're going completely gluten free. The rest of the ingredients section is applicable, as long you are a conscious consumer, and thus aware of the additives that might contain gluten and can sneak into processed food. The next section is about tools and is completely gluten-free friendly! The trouble shooting section not so much, since trouble shooting gluten-free goodies is a completely different ball game. The decorating section, which informs you how to make your cupcakes LOOK awesome also carries over to the gluten-free world.

The recipes are divided in four categories: basic cupcakes, classic cupcakes, fancy cupcakes, and frostings/fillings. There are two gluten free recipes, both in the basics section: Vanilla Gluten Freedom Cupcakes and Chocolate Gluten Freedom Cupcakes. There are some pretty wild and crazy glutenous cupcakes, such as s'mores, banana split, green tea, and pistachio rose-water! I prepared three cupcake recipes and three frosting recipes for the review. Both gluten free varieties made the cut, and I also adapted the Mucho Margarita Cupcakes.

Margarita Cupcakes
(page 133 in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

I actually made this recipe twice, trying to get it just right. I was very pleased with the results, as was the tequila loving birthday girl and her tequila loving guests. The first batch hardly had any tequila flavor, so rather than margarita cupcakes, they tasted like lime cupcakes. Delicious, but not what I was going for. I upped the tequila, reduced the other liquid, and added xanthan gum for a little structure. If you like the flavor of tequila, use the cheapest, stankiest stuff you can find (save the good stuff for the frosting, which does not get cooked). When I made the icing, it was more like soup than icing. The recipe says to add additional sugar one tablespoon at a time, but I added several more cups, and it was still thinner than I would have liked. The second time around, I decreased the other ingredient so there was greater sugar content. The result was a fluffy icing that I spread, but that could have easily been piped.

Margarita Cupcakes w/ Margarita Icing

Recipe: Adapted Mucho Margarita Cupcakes

1/4 C Lime juice
1/2 tsp Lime zest
3/4 C Soy or rice milk (I used soy)
1/4 C Tequila (the strong stuff!)
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
3/4 C Vegan sugar
1/2 C White rice flour
1/2 C Brown rice flour
1/4 C Potato Starch
1 1/2 Tbl Tapioca Starch
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Sea salt
1/2 tsp Xanthan gum

Preheat your oven to 350° and line a muffin tin with papers. I oiled my muffin papers as well. Add the first seven ingredients to a large mixing bowl and beat. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until smooth. Fill papers three-quarters full- I mounded the batter up a little, so the center was the highest point (GF baked goods tend to fall while cooling). Bake 20 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted n the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Margarita Icing

2 Tbl Margarine (I used Earth Balance)
1 tsp Soy or rice milk (I used plain soy)
1 Tbl Lime juice
1 Tbl Tequila (the good stuff!)
1 drop Vegan green food coloring
3-5 C Vegan sugar
Vegan sugar for garnish
Vegan candies for garnish

Cream margarine, then add milk, lime juice, tequila, and food coloring. Blend well. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and blend well. Continue to add sugar, a little at a time, until the mixture reaches a thick-but-spreadable consistency.

When cupcakes are completely cool, frost each one to the edge. Roll the outer edge in sugar, to simulate salt on margarita glass. Decorate with pectin-based fruit or other candies.

Vanilla and Chocolate Gluten-Freedom Cupcakes
(pages 46 – 49 in Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World)

Vanilla Gluten-Freedom Cupcakes w/ Orange Buttercream Frosting
(Front cupcake decorated with orange zest.)

These recipes are essentially the same, but the vanilla cakes use almond or corn flour (I used almond) where the chocolate cakes use chocolate powder. Despite being so similar, the batters were two very different consistencies- the chocolate batter was much thicker. I topped the vanilla cakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting (page 145) and the chocolate cakes with Mocha Buttercream Frosting (page 144). I spread the chocolate frosting onto the cupcakes. For the orange, I beat in more sugar than was called for in the recipe and piped it on.

Chocolate Gluten-Freedom Cupcakes w/ Mocha Buttercream Frosting

I prepared these treats for a dinner party and quizzed my guests on the results (just to get an impartial opinion). Both varieties were very popular. I thought the vanilla cakes were superior and would be preferred by my guests- they were lighter, softer, and more moist. The chocolate cakes were eaten just as quickly. One guests thought the vanilla cakes were a little "oily" (the canola oil perhaps?) and one guest thought both varieties had a "beany" taste. Other than that, all feedback was superb.

Bottom Line: If you enjoy adapting recipes this book is awesome!

Happy Heart Cookies

2009-07-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

These cookies were created to cheer up some vegan, low-gluten friends after a break-up. I originally called them Broken Heart Cookies, but that seemed a bit morose. They were renamed after I decided the break up was better for all involved and that the new name served as a double entendre--these are a little healthier than your standard chocolate chip cookies.

These cookies use olive oil instead of butter and flax gel instead of eggs. The recipe uses pine nuts, so the cookies are safe for those with tree nut allergies; however, other nuts can be substituted.

Recipe: Happy Heart Cookies

¾ cup Rice Flour
¼ cup Tapioca Starch
¼ cup Potato Starch
1 tsp Sea salt
1 tsp Xanthan gum
1 tsp Baking soda
½ tsp Cream of tartar

2/3 cup Olive oil, well chilled
1 Flax gel egg replacer
½ cup Vegan sugar
½ cup Vegan brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla extract

½ cup Vegan chocolate chips
½ cup Pine nuts

An hour and half to two hours before you are ready to bake, measure the olive oil, pour it in a wide shallow dish, and place it in your freezer.

When its baking time, whisk one tablespoon of flax meal into 3 tablespoons of warm water. Let stand at least 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, measure chips and nuts and set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, starches, salt, xanthan gum, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Measure sugars and vanilla into a large mixing bowl. Add flax gel. Remove olive oil from freezer, scrape into mixing bowl, and stir till well combined, making sure there are no brown sugar lumps. Add dry ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in chips and nuts.

Drop dough in heaping teaspoons onto prepared cookie sheet. If you prefer a rounder shape, refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes, then roll into balls with oiled hands.

Dropped cookie on the left, rolled on the right.

Bake cookies for 15 to 18 minutes depending on your preference. I like gooey centers, so in my gas stove 15 minutes is perfect. If you like a well-done cookie, bake them longer. Remove to a cooling rack as soon as you can handle them (or slide the entire sheet of parchment paper with cookies in tow onto a cooling rack). Makes about 16 cookies.
Enjoy!

Tropical Sugar Cookies - A Tasty Twist on the Classic

2009-07-02T17:50:00.000-07:00

An overly squishy mango was the inspiration for this recipe. We don't get overly ripe mangoes in Alaska, just overly squishy. If you let them sit on your counter long enough, they do eventually start to wrinkle. I was going to put the squishy mango in a smoothie, but then wondered if I could successfully add it to cookie dough. A sugar cookie seemed appropriate.

After some daydreaming, I decided to run with the tropical idea and incorporate some other fruity flavors. I used banana as the egg replacer and coconut oil as the primary fat. I decided against pineapple juice, both because it is a thin liquid and because it has such a strong flavor. The coconut oil gives these cookies a rich buttery texture, and the banana, coconut, and mango create a delightful flavor profile. One mango should create just more than enough puree to make the cookies and the frosting. The dough and frosting are almost exactly the same color- don't get them mixed up!
Recipe: Tropical Sugar Cookies

1/4 C Coconut Oil
1/4 C Mango Puree
1/2 Very Ripe Banana, Mashed
1/2 C Vegan Sugar (I used Wholesome Sweeteners)

1 1/2 C All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour*
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1 tsp Baking Soda

Cream together the oil, mango, banana, and sugar. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, xanthan gum salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the oil mixture and stir until completely combined. Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. While the dough is cooling, make the frosting.

*Use my mix (follow the link) or your own favorite. If you don't have a flour mix on hand use 1 cup rice flour and 1/2 cup tapioca and/or potato starch.

Tropical Frosting

3 C Vegan Powdered Sugar (I used Woodstock Farms)
3 Tbl Coconut Oil
3 Tbl Mango Puree

Stir together oil, mango, and 1 cup of the sugar until the mixture is free of lumps. Add remaining sugar slowly, continuing to stir. There should be no dry sugar or lumps of oil.

Preheat the oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove half of the cookie dough from the fridge. Roll it to 1/4 inch thick between two sheets of lightly floured parchment paper. Cut out desired shapes and place on cookie sheet. Bake the cookies about 12 minutes, until the bottoms begin to look crisp and brown. Remove to a cooling rack.

When cookies are completely cool, spread the frosting on with a butter knife. Decorate with vegan powdered sugar or vegan sprinkles. Repeat with other half of dough.

C is for Cookie: It's Gluten-Free Enough for Me!

2009-06-25T09:54:00.000-07:00

Since I decided to call my weblog The Cookie Conundrum, it seems appropriate that my first recipes be about cookies. A soul food for some of us evoking childhood memories, cookies are an easy to prepare, easy to serve dessert. They can be decorated to suit any occasion, and the flavor combinations are endless!

Gluten-free cookies are simple- just replace the flour. Eggs do a great job of standing in for gluten. Vegan cookies can be a little more challenging, but with all the great products available today – like non-hydrogenated margarine, egg replacers, and vegan sugar – we have it much easier than 20 years ago. When you marry vegan and gluten free, the conundrum is the binder. How do you hold it all together when the gluten and the eggs are absent? These cookies use flax gel, one of my most favorite egg replacers.

The first time I set out to make gluten-free oatmeal cookies, I knew I wanted peanut butter in them. I used pretty standard oatmeal cookies ratios, just replaced the eggs, dairy, and wheat. They were the flattest cookies I've made in my life. It was more like cookie fruit-leather. The flavors were good, a little too sweet for me, but then everything's too sweet for me.

So, round two. I removed the margarine, and decided to let the peanut butter stand in as the primary fat. I added a very little bit of olive oil. I took out the brown sugar and substituted a little molasses. The xanthan gum was not forgotten this time around- pretty important in gluten-free baking. And lastly, I upped the oats.

Oats don't usually bother my digestive system; however I do keep some certified oats on hand for when I'm baking for other people with allergies or Celiac. The oats that I used in this recipe are Gifts of Nature, Inc. They are ridiculously expensive (about $5 per pound), but they list 6 reasons right on the label why they are safe for the gluten-allergic to eat!

The second time around the cookies were much better. Very peanut-buttery,* very oaty. Crispy on the bottom, chewy in the middle. Just what I wanted. And yes, this is the cookie pictures above.

Recipe: Peanut-Oat Cookies

2 Tbl Flax Meal
6 Tbl Warm Water
1/2 C Peanut Butter*
1 Tbl Olive Oil
1/2 C Vegan Sugar (I use Wholesome Sweeteners)
1 Tbl Molasses
1 tsp Vanilla
1 C All-purpose Gluten-Free Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp Xanthan Gum
3 C Certified Gluten-Free Oats

Whisk the flax meal and water together and let stand at least 10 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350° and oil a cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper. Cream the 'flax eggs,' peanut butter, oil, sugar, molasses, and vanilla together in a large bowl. Combine all the dry ingredients except the oats together in another bowl. Add slowly to peanut butter mixture. Stir in the oats. Rub a little oil on your hands. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls and place on cookie sheet 3 inches apart. Cook about 12 minutes, or until bottoms are brown and crisp. Remove with a spatula to a cooling rack.

*If you have a peanut allergy, try replacing the peanut butter with sun butter. It is a delicious nut butter substitute made with sunflower seeds that I discovered while living in Georgia last year. I've had good luck finding it in “regular” grocery stores.

Wake Up and Smell the Flours

2009-06-19T21:07:00.000-07:00

There are SO many gluten-free flours available today. The various colors, textures, and flavors enable the creative cook to approximate just about any wheat/gluten based flour. Living Without magazine is a great resource for putting together various combinations of flours such as high-protein, high-fiber, etc.

If you live in a medium to large sized city you can probably find many gluten-free flours at the local market. I live in Anchorage, with a population of around 300,000, so I can find pretty much anything I want. I'm spoiled. This spring while visiting the small east Texas town where my mom lives (Lufkin, population just less than 33,000) I was pleased to find some affordable choices at the grocer and some more specialty items at the Morning Glory health food store downtown. When living in Georgia last year I even found gluten free items in Elberton, a town of 4,500. Nearby in Athens, GA, I found a wide variety of flours at both “regular” and natural markets. As a very smart chef and teacher once told me- the more we demand “health foods” at our neighborhood stores, the less we will have to destination shop at the very expensive health food stores!

In Anchorage, the larger grocery chains have the most affordable selections, but I am a big fan of supporting local. I divide my shopping between the big stores, the Natural Pantry, and New Sagaya. I prefer to shop in bulk, but I have an intolerance NOT an allergy. If you are allergic be aware of cross-contamination issues when shopping in bulk.

I also grind many of my own flours. Potato starch I would have no idea how to even begin to make, but I can throw rice in a wheat grinder with no problems! I have an ancient Magic Mill III which my husband's mom picked up for us at a garage sale for $5. I LOVE this grinder. I'm not sure what I'll do if it ever breaks. If you or someone you cook for has a wheat allergy, make sure you have a designated grinder! I typically make my own brown and white rice flours, as well as millet, quinoa, and oat flours (I put certified gluten-free oats through my flour mill, it worked great). I have tried garbanzo/chick pea, but the beans are too big for the grinder which means I have to pulse them in the food processor a few times first, which means I'm getting two kitchen gadgets dirty for one job. . . I buy my chick pea flour now.

The flours I always have around are:
Brown rice- delicious but has a sandy texture; mix it with a starch.
White rice- softer and more starchy that brown, but I still find it needs to be cut with something.
Tapioca starch/flour- stiff and light, use it to lighten up heavier flours.
Potato starch (NOT flour)- ditto.
Garbanzo/Chickpea- this flour smells and tastes FUNKY before you cook it, but the smell goes away once cooked, and it has a good flavor and lots of protein.
Soy- less flavor than garbanzo flour, so a great way to sneak in some protein.

Recipe: My standard All-Purpose “White” Flour Mix

3 parts white rice flour
3 parts brown rice flour
2 parts potato starch
1 part tapioca starch/flour

I measure everything into a large bowl the way you would measure wheat flour, that is drop lightly into the measuring cup until it is overflowing, scrape with a flat edge. Flours are ideally weighed, but that is not practical for me at this point in my life, and most recipes published in The United States use the imperial measuring system anyway. This method has always worked well for me.

After measuring everything into a bowl, I stir it with a fork or whisk until well blended. Then I sift the mixture into a large tub with a tight-fitting lid, label, and store. Many cookbooks I have read recommend storing flours in the refrigerator. I use my all-purpose flour quickly enough that I don't need to, but my other flours are in the fridge.
(Sometimes my husband labels my flours, so I have funny surprises waiting for for me when I bake. This one says "mullit flower." Its millet flour.)

Other flours I use occasionally are:
Almond- delicious flavor, holds moisture well.
Arrowroot- A starch and binder, lightens up heavier flours, works great for thickening.
Millet- I love the nutty flavor of millet, and millet flour is a great addition to savory baked goods.
Buckwheat- my favorite whole-wheat impersonator; has a funny blue-gray color when wet, so add a little molasses to avoid cement colored baked goodies.
Quinoa- very nutritious, but I think it has a funky flavor, so I always use it with other flours.
Teff- my other favorite whole-wheat impersonator; teff is dark and hearty and has a more “traditional” color.

There are many other flours I haven't used (yet!) Some of these are:
Amaranth
Potato Flour (different from starch)
Sorghum
Sweet rice

The more adventurous I get with my experimental baking, the more I'll break out and begin to use other flours. Stay tuned!