Gluten-free comments

[mmcnealy]

This is just a little bit of a comment/rant I have had floating around for a while. And since its either write an LJ post or go to bed, I decided to write a post.

Gluten-free baked goods are dense, with some exceptions, but mostly they are since the gluten-free flours don't capture the expanding gases from the yeast or the rising agent (baking powder or baking soda) that is used. The exception to this dense rule is baked goods with lots of eggs. Eggs provide fluffiness, fluffiness is GOOD. Eggs also provide flavor and a nice texture.

An ideal gluten-free baked good is one with a lot of eggs, sugar, fat and rising agent, so cookies and cakes work very well made gluten-free. Pies are also good, the pie crust is actually easy to work with and hard to screw up. Bread..... well when I get a good gluten-free thick crust sourdough, then I'll have reached the pinnacle of gluten-free bread baking.


BUT, The absolutly nastiest thing you could ever eat is a vegan, sugar-free, low fat gluten-free baked good.

And what is the most commonly made commercial gluten-free products out there? Vegan, sugar-free low fat gluten-free. These are dense, heavy, grainy and just plain nasty tasting.
ICCCCKKKKK!

Plus, they are usually made in non-chocolate flavors so they don't even have that going for them.

There are some really yummy gluten-free cakes out there. IKEA makes a nice nut based one, then there's always the flourless chocolate ones. But I can't find a non-vegan gluten-free cake at the local health food or Whole Foods store.

I love to bake and cook, but I'd love to be able to just buy a package of cookies too, or a pound cake.

Comments

[gailsedotes.livejournal.com]

i cannot agfree more!

but be careful! the substitution of many processedgluten baked goods use corn starch and not rice or patatoe flour. As a race we find corn based products too rich and over consumption can lead to fatty livers and gout. This applies to corn starch nearly as much as it does corn syrup.

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Most of my recipe books use a combination flour mix that has a combination of rice, tapioca, potato and corn starch. I feel like I should wear a chemists lab coat sometimes and cackle like a mad scientist when I'm cooking.

[dorinda2212.livejournal.com]

My son is allergic to milk, so we're in Einstein bagels and we ask for a soy latte' which they don't have. They assume he's a vegan and give us his bagel sandwich without the cheese, but also without the bacon. =( I shared my bacon with him. I hate the assumptions the world seems to make.

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Yup, I've had that same problem with lattes.

[twe.livejournal.com]

What? You mean just a because a person has one dietary restriction, they have them all?

How frustrating...

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

No, its not like that at all, its just that most of the commercial gluten-free products are put out for and by vegans.

I really shouldn't have dairy, but eggs are just fine.

[roswtr.livejournal.com]

Can you make some suggestions for feast planning, then? When I plan my menus, I always plan on having a couple of people in attendance -- one is a diabetic with some other restrictions, and another is a vegetarian who will still eat eggs & cheese. Does gluten-free only mean no wheat flour? What else should I watch out for?

[mmcnealy.livejournal.com]

Gluten-free means no wheat, oats, barley or rye, or ingredients containing derivatives of those.

Modified food starch is a usual culprit, it could be corn or it could be wheat. Food companies have gotten a whole lot better about labeling what their modified food starch is made out of in the last couple of years.

As far as feast planning, as long as there are dishes without breadcrumbs, there is stuff that I can eat. Having ingredient lists published with the meal is a real help, I've never attended an SCA feast and gone hungry.

[taamar.livejournal.com]

I'm a late-comer here, but as a chef with a celiac friend, I've found some interesting solutions. Nut meal is a big help, and I've learned to check labels on chocolate. I've also been playing with mesquite flour, (http://www.therubyrange.com/) it's got an odd 'smokey' flavour, but that actually works well in the chocolate muffins.

FLOURLESS ORANGE CAKE

2 whole oranges with peel
6 eggs
1 pinch saffron powder (optional)
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon finely chopped candied orange peel (optional)
1 1/4 cups finely ground almonds (almond meal)


Place the oranges in a large saucepan, and add enough
water to cover. Bring to a boil, and boil for 2 hours over
medium heat. Check occasionally to make sure they do not boil
dry. Allow the oranges to cool, then cut them open and
remove the seeds. Process in a blender or food processor to a
coarse pulp.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Grease and flour a 10 inch round cake pan.
In a large bowl, whip eggs and sugar together using an
electric mixer until thick and pale, about 10 minutes. Use a
whisk attachment if available. Mix in baking powder, and
saffron if using. Stir in the pureed oranges. Gently fold in
almond meal, and candied orange peel if using; pour batter
into the prepared pan.
Bake for 55 minutes, or until a small knife inserted
into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in
the pan. Tap out onto a serving plate when cool.