If your anything like me, you enjoy some nice squishy bread or a slice of cake covered with buttercream icing....or even better yet, a cinnamon roll drenched in icing! Yum. (And now I'm officially craving sweets). Oh, how I remember when all of those little treats were just a grocery store or bakery away. Now, not so much. Anything I want (thats not packaged) that is a baked good, is either, super expensive, frozen (which usually isn't too bad) or I have to make myself. I usually will grab a few gf packaged cookies from my pantry to cure my sugar tooth or throw some Pillsbury GF cookie dough in the oven for some faux homemade cookies if I have time. But what I would really love to do is recreate all of my favorite pastry and baked goods that I've given up being gluten free.
My goal is to recreate my moms famous pound cake. I know it sounds like an easy feat, but let me tell you, that its not. 3 years now I have tried to make this cake, and I can't get the flours and xanthan gum equaled out correctly. But I am not giving up, because it will be totally worth it when I get it right. Either its too dry, or too moist or flat as a pancake or it overflows. There is always a mistake somewhere, but each time I try not only do I get closer, but I am refusing to give up on having my old treats just because I am gluten free.
So, here are some tips on how to bake properly gluten free that I have learned......
1.....Make sure you use the proper flours or flours for your recipe. Check online which flours would work best in place of the usual white flour. Sometimes almond flour will work whereas, quinoa flour wouldn't Just do some research. If it doesn't matter, use the one that you like the most. I prefer the quinoa or almond four because of the nutritional values, but everyone is different. Push comes to shove, buy all purpose gluten free flour. King Arthur makes an amazing flour and so does Bobs Red Mill.
2....Xantham or guar gum. These are a must! This is what makes things spongy and moist like in gluten filled items. If your mixing your own flours, make sure that you use one or the other of these. With some all purpose flours, its not necessary, but you still need to double check. Without one of these (or too much of these) your pastry item will not be what you expected. Trust me!
3.....Have realistic expectations. We all remember, at least to a certain degree, what gluten filled items taste like. I know for a fact that I can s recall quite vividly what a Cinnabon cinnamon roll tastes like to this day and its been over 5 years since I've had one. So I know that recreating a cinnamon roll and it being gluten free, will not be easy nor will it taste the same. And you know what.....thats okay. Just because it tastes different doesn't mean it isn't as good. You may in fact find that things taste better, especially since its homemade and your not suffering afterwards.
4.....Follow the recipe. Sounds pretty simple, but baking is so precise. But baking gluten free requires even more precision. Don't let this sway you though, because the payoff is worth every single moment of tiptoeing around the kitchen.
5.....Enjoy and share your creation. Creating a gluten free item regardless if its a cupcake or a lasagne, is something that you should not only enjoy but congratulate yourself on for doing. Its not easy to replace items and it still come out tasting good. So, pat yourself on the back and share your victory with those in your house (if theres enough to around once your done eating your share.....I mean, you did make it, you do get first dibs).
Honestly, cooking and baking gluten free isn't hard. It does require a few more steps and ingredients, but in the end, its well worth the effort. I have perfected mac n cheese, teriyaki (replace soy sauce for Tamari gf soy sauce. fried rice, all types of cookies, breads, cupcakes ( Lemon cake is one of faves) and more. I will not stop. And I promise you, I will perfect my moms pound cake and when I do, there will not be enough to share once I'm done devouring it!
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