Had To Share - Baking Success!

[Diosa]

I am so stoked!! I was able to do some baking for Christmas this year. I was a big cookie baker and to me it just wasn't Christmas without a mountain of cookies made. I was able to do gluten-free/dairy-free gingerbread cookies with royal icing (No shapes, just round cookies) and chocolate chip cookies. I bought some of the Bette's Four flour blend and it was fantastic. I made my own flour mix as well, and that's been pretty good as well. I used cornstarch, tapioca, garfava and sorghum. (The flour also worked well for pancakes. )

I just wanted to share my excitement of being able to bake again. Now I'll have to try some bread

[Idahogirl]

Congratulations! It is so nice when something turns out well! Could you post your Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe? I tried some awhile back, and they didn't turn out all that great (and the $7 a bag mix doesn't work well with my budget!)

Thanks!

Lisa

[Diosa]

I honestly didn't do anything special, except used lactose-free margarine (Fleischmenns) and used dairy-free semi-sweet morsels (ghiradeli's are wonderful for this). I added a bit more flour and baking powder so the cookies would rise. The recipe I used was Nestle's Tollhouse cookie recipe.

2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (add more if the dough is a bit runny)

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs (or egg replacement)

2 cups (12-ounce package) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, or dairy free morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (OPTIONAL!!)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts if you are using them. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

[CindyW]

This sounds like something even I would be able to cook

I am so new to gluten free diet I don't know where to start. I got an email from someone today telling me about some kind of club for gluten free diets. Has anyone ever heard of it? I think the website was glutenfreeclub.com or gfclub.com or something like that.

I am desparate to learn as fast as I can.

Can't wait to try your chocolate chip cookie recipe!

Cindy

I honestly didn't do anything special, except used lactose-free margarine (Fleischmenns) and used dairy-free semi-sweet morsels (ghiradeli's are wonderful for this). I added a bit more flour and baking powder so the cookies would rise. The recipe I used was Nestle's Tollhouse cookie recipe.

2 1/4 cups gluten-free flour (add more if the dough is a bit runny)

1 Tbsp baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks, 1/2 pound) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated [white] sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs (or egg replacement)

2 cups (12-ounce package) Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels, or dairy free morsels

1 cup chopped nuts (OPTIONAL!!)

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition; gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts if you are using them. Drop by rounded teaspoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE in preheated 375-degree [Fahrenheit] oven for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

[ShortStuff2309]

Thank you SO much for that recipe, I'll be sure to try it soon, as chocolate chip cookies are my favorite and I haven't had any in sooooooooooo long!!

[nettiebeads]

Congratulations! It is so nice when something turns out well! Could you post your Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe? I tried some awhile back, and they didn't turn out all that great (and the $7 a bag mix doesn't work well with my budget!)

Thanks!

Lisa

I know exactly how you feel!! I finally decided to do pie crust. The first try wasn't too great, but did manage to do up a passable one. (by my standards. I'm a perfectionist when it comes to pie crusts). But the family couldn't tell the difference. Apple pie and pumpkin pie after 9 years!! I was in heaven! (and put on some weight, but I'm dealing with that now) There is no reason to fee deprived on the gluten-free diet. There are so many things that can be eaten, and so many substitutes if one gets creative!

Annette

[Diosa]

Totally! I just decided over Christmas to get creative and see what happens. I'd be in a much easier place to do that if I could tolerate dairy or rice or soy flour (or rice or soy milk for that matter). You can buy commercial gluten-free all-purpose flours fairly cheaply, but most are rice flour based. But if you can have it, go for it as it really does help "structural integrity", at least in my opinion. If you can't, I was using a bit more sorghum flour (garfava is great, but a bit "beany" in my taste so I try to use as little of that as I can get away with)

[jerseyangel]

What brand of sorghum flour do you buy? Is it difficult to find? Thanks

[Diosa]

I think it was Bob's Red Mill, but I can double check. It wasn't hard to find at all. Whole Foods had it, and I bet any of the gluten-free online stores would carry it.

[jerseyangel]

Thanks--one more question, Do you use it alone or mix it with other flours? Could it, do you think, be used alone? That was 2 questions, I know . The reason I ask is I've cut rice out-at least for now-and I'm sensitive to soy and tapioca. I can use potato starch flour.

[Diosa]

I mixed it with other flours. Unfortunately, one of them was tapioca. It was 3 cups cornstarch, 3 cups tapioca flour, 2 cups garfava flour (it's a combination of garbanze beans (chickpeas) and fava beans and a cup of the sorghum flour. You might be able to replace the tapioca with Teff. Teff is used for Ethiopian breads which I *love*. I've never tried to make it, but I might just have to give that a try someday. Another option for you might be Amaranth, but it is a strong tasting flour. Maybe just try experimenting with cornstarch, garfava and sorghum only in a 3, 2, 1 ratio? I don't know if it could be used alone or not. Might be worth a shot. This is just like in gluten baking - every failure brings you that much closer to success!

[jerseyangel]

Thanks Beth--using your ideas, I'll bet I can come up with a mix that I can use

[Diosa]

Let me know how it goes.