LITTLE ROCK — Editor’s note: This story explores gluten-free cooking. For those not sensitive to gluten, there is no nutritional or health benefit associated with a gluten-free diet.
There are many reasons to be interested in gluten-free cooking.
For some it is curiosity and a desire to experiment with different eating styles. Others may have a severe allergy to wheat or even gluten sensitivity. Still others have celiac disease, and a gluten-free diet is the only dietary option. For those with celiac disease, a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the lining of the lower intestine, it’s simple: If you don’t want to hurt, you don’t eat gluten.
Gluten is great stuff if you can tolerate it. It thickens your gravies and keeps your cookies from crumbling. Gluten is the flap in your Sunday morning flapjacks. It is the stuff baked goodie dreams are made of.
If you are an avid consumer of baked goods, learning that gluten, and specifically, all-purpose flour, is being taken off of your list of possibilities can be devastating. The future may seem like a breadless, cookieless, cakeless wasteland, a dessert desert. It is not.
With some diligence and willingness to experiment, as well as a trip down the gluten-free product aisles at stores like Drug Emporium (this store is amazingly well stocked with gluten-free products), Whole Foods, Wal-Mart, Kroger and natural foods stores such as Ozark Natural Foods in Fayetteville, Mary’s Natural Foods in Springdale, and Good Earth Natural Foods in Hot Springs, you’ll discover there is life after gluten.
Yummy chocolate chip cookie and pancake life. Soup and rolls life. If you’re new to gluten-free living, don’t despair. In fact, prepare to be surprised. The following recipes have been chosen because they use readily available ingredients, including flour blends that are easy to make or find in your local grocery.
These recipes, hopefully, will help relieve any anxiety you may experience about missing out on what the rest of the gluten-eating world is taking for granted.
Gluten-free is easier than it sounds. Read your labels, be adventurous and enjoy!
Purchasing all of the ingredients to make this gluten-free all-purpose flour blend is expensive, but not as expensive as buying brand-name blend.
Look for the specialty flours called for in this recipe at natural food stores or on the natural foods aisle at the grocery. They can also be purchased online. We used this blend in the chocolate chip cookie recipe and in the pizza crust recipe with great results.
Mock Cup4Cup All-Purpose Gluten-Free Flour Blend
60 grams gluten-free nonfat dry milk (see notes)
180 grams superfine white rice flour (see notes)
145 grams gluten-free cornstarch
85 grams tapioca starch/flour
80 grams superfine brown rice flour
20 grams potato starch
10 grams xanthan gum
In a blender or food processor, grind the nonfat dry milk into a fine powder.
In a large bowl, combine the dry milk with the remaining ingredients and mix to thoroughly combine. Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container until ready to use. Store at room temperature.
Makes a generous 4 cups.
Notes: Because precise measurements are crucial for this recipe to be a success, we are only including weight measurements. The recipe calls for superfine brown rice flour and grinding the nonfat milk into a fine powder. We used standard brown rice flour and did not grind the milk and the recipe still turned out a fine product.
Recipe adapted from glutenfreeonashoestring.com
When making these chocolate chip cookies, make sure the butter, vanilla and sugars are thoroughly creamed before adding the eggs. The creaming is the most crucial step. If the creaming is neglected, your cookies will be flat, greasy, pitiful things. Cream correctly and you have a cookie to rival the best gluten filled cookie on the market.
Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar (see note)
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 ¼ cups gluten-free all purpose flour such as Pamela’s Artisan Blend or Mock Cup4Cup (see recipe)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Lightly grease or line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugars and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well; set aside.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt.
Gradually beat flour mixture into butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using). Drop by rounded tablespoons, spaced 2 inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until edges start to brown.
Let cookies cool slightly, then use a spatula to transfer cookies to wire racks to finish cooling.
Note: Dark brown sugar will produce a richer flavor, but light works just as well.
Makes about 48 cookies.
Recipe adapted from Pamela’s Products
The gluten-free version of Bisquick is one of the most versatile convenience products to have on hand in a gluten-free kitchen.
Gluten-Free Bisquick Pancakes
1 cup Bisquick Gluten-Free mix
1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or to taste
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling griddle
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk, or as needed
Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat or to 375 degrees.
Coat griddle or skillet with a light coat of vegetable oil, if necessary.
In a large bowl, stir together the baking mix, sugar, vanilla, vegetable oil, egg and milk.
If mixture is too thick, add a little more milk for the desired consistency.
For each pancake, pour slightly less than ¼ cup batter onto hot griddle. Cook each pancake until bubbles form on top and the edges are dry. Turn and cook the other side until golden brown.
Makes 10 pancakes.
Gluten-Free Cheese Garlic Biscuits
2 cups Bisquick Gluten-Free mix
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ cup butter or margarine
2/3 cup milk
½ cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 eggs
Topping:
¼ cup butter or margarine, melted
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Heat oven to 425 degrees.
In medium bowl, combine Bisquick mix and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder. Cut in ¼ cup butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Stir in milk, cheese and eggs mixing until soft dough forms.
Drop dough by 10 mounds onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Mix ¼ cup melted butter and ¼ teaspoon garlic powder; brush on warm biscuits before removing from cookie sheet. Serve warm.
Makes 10 biscuits.
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker One of the most difficult things to master when going gluten free is a decent pizza crust. The majority of the crust mix offerings out there leave one with a soggy, squishy, flavorless crust. Even some of the passable recipes require what seems like complicated bizarre voodoo magic to reach anything close to pizza crust consistency.
This recipe is one we adapted using the Mock Cup-4-Cup flour blend. The dough, does not stretch or rise like traditional wheat dough nor does it have the chew factor of traditional dough, but it produced a firm crust that was crispy on the edges with a good flavor.
Gluten-Free Pizza
For the crust: 2 teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ cup warm water, divided use
4 cups Cup4Cup gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ cup olive oil
Cornmeal, for dusting
Pizza sauce (recipe follows)
Shredded cheese and other toppings as desired
In a small bowl, combine the yeast and sugar with ¼ cup of the warm water. Stir to moisten, then set aside for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, stir together the flour blend and salt. Add the yeast mixture, olive oil and the remaining warm water and stir with a fork until the mixture forms a ball.
Cover and let rest 20 minutes.
The dough will not rise like traditional dough.
Grease the bottom of a 14- inch pizza pan and dust lightly with cornmeal. Press dough into the pan.
Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and top pizza with sauce and desired toppings (we used about 60 slices of pepperoni, 1 cup chopped fresh green bell pepper and 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese). Bake an additional 20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and toppings appear done. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes. Cut and Serve.
Makes 1 (14-inch) pizza.
This sauce is easy to make and has a surprisingly fresh taste.
Super-Quick Pizza Sauce
1 (14 ½ -ounce) can of Hunts diced basil, oregano and garlic canned tomatoes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
Combine tomatoes, sugar and salt in a blender and process until smooth.
Makes about 1 ¾ cups.
Some foods have ‘hidden’ gluten
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
Because these grains are often used to make other foods and drinks - beer, for example - gluten could be lurking in unexpected places. If you must avoid gluten, it is important to read labels and familiarize yourself with foods that may contain “hidden” gluten such as dry-roasted nuts, seasoned french fries, luncheon meats, meats that have been injected with “flavor solutions,” seasoned tortilla andpotato chips and imitation seafood. Sources of “hidden” gluten include maltodextrin, some modified food starches, soy sauce, malt, autolyzed yeast and some food colorings.
To further complicate the matter, there are many varieties of wheat-durum, farina, graham, Kamut (Khorasan), semolina, triticale, spelt - all of which contain gluten.
Grains that do not contain gluten include rice, corn, millet, sorghum, tapioca, quinoa and amaranth. Oats are also gluten-free, but they are sometimes contaminated with gluten in processing. Look for specifically labeled “gluten-free” oats.
Speaking of labels, while many companies choose to label their products, there is no federal regulation that defines the term “gluten-free” and there are no mandated regulations requiring labels.
Sources: Mayo Clinic and www.fda.gov
Food, Pages 34 on 02/27/2013