Gluten-free food is an art.
Rest assured, I'm not at all biased.
In all seriousness, when it comes to gluten-free baking, it's not about the exact measurements, but rather it's the proportions that matter. There is a hierarchy in each dish that has kept me entertained for the last few years. Here is what I have learned so far:
Gluten-Free Baking Tips:
*At higher altitudes, gluten-free foods usually require more flour than called for by the recipe.
*Gluten-free recipes often do better with an extra egg.
*Baking time usually ends up being a little longer than with gluten recipes.
*When in doubt, grease the pan.
Some Flour Tendencies (in my experience):
*Oat works well for cakes, cookies, cupcakes, pancakes, and sweet breads.
*Rice works well for cookies, pancakes, breads (sweet and not). **
*Brown Rice works well for cakes and crusts. **
*Potato Starch works well for cakes, crusts, cookies, cupcakes, breads (sweet and not), and Tempura.
*Almond flour works well for crusts, cookies, cupcakes, pancakes, and Tempura.
*Corn Flour works well for pancakes.
*Sorghum flour works well for cakes and cookies.
*Tapioca starch works well for cakes, crusts, and cookies.
*Coconut flour works well for cakes, cookies, cupcakes, and sweet breads.
*I have yet to really experiment with bean flours.*
**Must be ground very finely.
Oat flour, potato starch, and almond flour are my three favorite baseline flours.
Chocolate Chip Cookies
This cookie recipe has been a standard in our house from the very beginning. I have found that it is a fantastic baseline recipe for a variety of types of cookies, as well as a crust for certain kinds of puddings and cheesecakes. One of the best things about this recipe is that you can put just about any combination of flours in the batter and they will still turn out well.
1 Cup unsalted butter (room temperature butter makes the whole process easier)
2 Cups brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbl vanilla
1 Tsp salt
1 Tsp baking soda
1 Tsp baking powder
4+ Cups flour ***
1 Cup nuts (optional)
1/2 Cup toasted coconut flakes (optional)
chocolate chips (to taste ;) )
Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Combine flours and add salt, baking soda, and baking powder to flour mixture and mix well. Mix wet and dry together until well thoroughly combined. Stir in chocolate chips, nuts, and coconut flakes (the latter two are optional). Drop tablespoon sized balls on an ungreased cookie sheet. (If you take the time to roll them into balls, they will turn out more beautifully)
Bake at 350 for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let sit for 1 minute on the cookie sheet before transferring them to a cooling rack. Makes about 24.
***Just to give a taste of the myriad combinations possible, I have included two different flour combinations below.
Flours #1:
2 2/3 Cups gluten-free oat flour
2/3 Cup potato flour
1/4 Cup almond flour
1/4 Cup tapioca starch
1/8 Cup coconut flour (this flour soaks up twice its amount in liquid, so it equals a 1/4 cup)
1 Tsp xanthan gum
Flours #2:
2+ Cups potato starch
1 Cup almond flour
2/3 Cup tapioca startch
1/3 Cup coconut flour
2 Tbl brown rice flour
1 Tsp xanthan gum
At my house, we love the darker, slightly chewier texture of the oat mix. Option #2 is lighter in flavor and fluffier in texture. Here is what they look like in dough form. Notice the difference in color and look.
With oat flour base.
Both mixes will create beautiful cookies. It's really just what you want to make.
With oat flour base.
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