I can’t keep this recipe to myself. Yes, I took time off from blogging but I need to share this recipe. CARROT CAKE was one of my (many) pregnancy cravings, I made it and it worked out so well that I will make it again in the future. I wanted to create a ‘healthy’ recipe but in the end I made it pretty ‘sugary and caloric’ by adding almond paste and creme fraiche to ‘decorate it’. Nevertheless, the recipe has a huge potential to be called ‘healthy’ if one skips a couple of additives (marmalade, almond paste, creme fraiche) and substitute the refined dark sugar by honey or dates. I couldn’t help myself this time but next time I will make the guilt-free version.

You can make it

• grain free (just substitute all purpose GF flour by e.g. coconut flour)
• refined sugar free (just use honey or dates instead of brown sugar)
• dairy free (assuming you won’t spread creme fraiche on top of it)
• added fats free (without creme fraiche on top)
• pretty much Paleo (if you implement all above modifications)

Ingredients

• Almond flour (or other ground nuts) – 250 g
• Rasped carrots – 250 g
• *Cinnamon – 1 tea spoon
• *Vanilla extract – 1 tea spoon
• Gluten free flour (all purpose or coconut flour) – 4 spoons
• Baking powder – 1 tea spoon
• Eggs – 4
• Brown sugar (or other sweetener: honey, dates) – 100 g
• Lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
• Lemon juice (from half a lemon)
• Salt – a pinch

*Cinnamon and vanilla can be replaced by 2 tea spoons of mixed spice/koekkruiden. The koekkruiden can be bought at Dille&Kamille here.

Optional (for decoration)

• Almond paste (Dutch: amandelspijs). I rolled it on a baking paper to make a layer of about 0.5 cm and placed it between two layers of the carrot cake. The carrot cake can be successfully sliced only after it cools down.
• Marmolade or other frosting on top

And so I did :-)

Preparation steps

1. Spread baking paper in a baking form
2. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
3. Peel and rasp carrots (use small holes on your grater)
4. Mix together in a small bowl: gluten free flour, baking powder and spices (cinnamon with vanilla or koekkruiden)
5. Combine together in a big bowl: almond flour, carrots and mixed GF flour (with spices and baking powder – from step 4)
6. Separate egg whites and yolks.
7. Mix yolks with sugar thoroughly. Then add lemon zest and lemon juice and keep mixing until well combined.
8. Add the yolk mix to the rest of ingredients and mix together.
9. Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using a mixer (the highest speed).
10.  Gradually add egg whites foam to the rest of ingredients and slowly mix.
11. Place the mixture to the baking form and bake for about 45-50 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
12. Baked cake needs to be cool before slicing/decorating.
13. Cold cake cut half and spread almond paste in between two layers of cake.
14. Decorate the top with a frosting of choice or home-made marmalade.

Wishing you delicious carrot cake!

Kati xxx

• Refined sugar free
• Dairy free
• Gluten free
• Soy & corn free

Using oat flour together with flax seeds, apple fibers, banana and dadels makes the ontbijtkoek rich in dietary fibers. It is truly satiating without increasing the blood sugar too rapidly. It is sweet but it doesn’t contain simple, refined sugars – you can enjoy it every day without compromising your well being.

Needed appliances

• Oven
• Kitchen bowl
• Spoon
• Fork or/and kitchen processor
• Baking form
• Baking paper

Ingredients

• Bananas – 2 small
• Dadels – 4 big
• Honey – 1-2 spoons
• Mixed spice/koekkruiden (I used Het Blauwe Huis from EkoPlaza) – 3-4 spoons
• Broken flax seeds – 5 spoons
• Apple fibers Le Poole – 4 spoons
• Oat flour (I used Provena) – 200 g <The best alternative to oat flour: almond flour or quinoa flakes>
• Baking powder – 3 spoons
• Almond milk – 200 ml
• Egg – 1
• Optional: nuts and dry fruits

Preparation steps

1.  Mash banana and dadels – I used fork and then kitchen processor
2. Add honey, spices, flax seeds, fibers and mix using a spoon
3. Add flour, baking powder, almond milk and an egg and mix thoroughly together using a  spoon
4. Place the dough in a baking form lined with baking paper
5. Bake at 160-170 degrees for about 45-50 min (control it with a wooden toothpick)

I really like this breakfast cake. It is nicely moist and its texture is so light.

Do you have tips how to improve the recipe? Please share!

Cheers,

Kati xxx

Oat is a bit controversial grain in a gluten free diet. Often, oats and wheat are grown on the same fields. Farmers use the same machines to harvest and to transport both grains and thus contaminate the oats with wheat. Flour mills used for grinding oats can’t be used for grains containing gluten. This is why it is important to buy only certified gluten free oats.

But that’s not all. Some people with celiac disease express the same reaction towards the storage protein Avenin in oats as to gluten. Some research suggests that oats are not safe for anyone with gluten intolerance; other studies concluded that oats cause reaction at about 1-20% of people with celiac disease. Unfortunately, there is no consensus (or certainty) in science on this matter which makes us laboratory rats   :-/

According to The Canadian Celiac Association adults can consume safely up to 70 g of (gluten free) oats and children up to 25 g per day. 

Nutritional facts

• Very good source of manganese, selenium, vitamin B1 (thiamin), magnesium and phosphorus
• The bran and germ of oats remain after hulling process making them rich in fiber
• Contains more soluble fiber than any other grain, resulting in slower digestion, a feeling of satiety and suppression of appetite
• Higher in protein than other grains
• Help stabilize blood sugar, making it easier to keep blood sugar levels in control throughout the day
• One type of soluble fiber in oats, beta-glucans, has been proven to lower cholesterol
• Lowers LDL(“bad”) and total cholesterol possibly reducing the risk of heart disease
• Rich in fat (10%)
• Oats are so-called warming food
• Restores nervous and reproductive systems
• Helps renew the bones and connective tissue
• Reliefs itching and heals/beautifies skin

Gluten free Oat Flours

These are the flours I know of: Bob’s Red Mill, Provena and Piec Przemian.

Baking tips 

• 1 cup of oat flour = about 120 grams
• It belongs to whole grains ‘heavy’ flours
• Adds taste to baked products (slightly sweet flavor)
• Adds texture and structure to cookies, bread and other baked products
• Oats gain their flavour after the roasting process which takes place after harvest
• Oat flour contains natural antioxidants which prolong shelf life of bread
• To make your own oat flour, you can simply grind gluten free oat flakes in a kitchen processor

A homemade fresh flour has different taste and acts quite differently when cooked than the shop bought flour. Yeast feeds better on fresh flour and leads to higher fermentation activity. This might influence your recipe but it should only improve it.

• Store it in a tightly sealed container in a cool, dry place (like fridge) or freeze to extend the shelf life. Oat flour goes rancid fairly quickly due to the high fat content.
• Before using, bring it to the room temperature.
• It can be used in all recipes but should be less than 30% of a flour blend (for optimal baking properties)
• Could be substituted by almond flour or quinoa flakes
• Oat flour is supposed to lighten the heavy texture of bran muffins, carrot cake and zucchini bread if you replace 25 % of a gluten free flour blend with oat flour
• It’s absorbent and light, which results in light and fluffy cakes
• You can use slightly more baking powder when you bake with oat flour
• Oat flour used alone in a recipe produces a dense, gummy texture. Mix it with other flours e.g. rice flour.
• I read that a 50% oat/50% rice flour works well in drop cookies* (such as banana, zucchini and pumpkin), wholesome muffins, and quick breads. To lighten the texture you can add 1-2 spoons of tapioca starch or potato starch per each cup of 50-50 flour mix. Half spoon of xanthan gum per cup of flour will make the final product crumble less. Make it 1 spoon for bread and pizza recipes.

*Drop cookies are made from a relatively soft dough that is dropped by spoonfuls onto the baking sheet. During baking, the mounds of dough spread and flatten. No kidding!

Applications (flakes & flour)

• porridge (my recipe for oven-baked porridge)
• cold cereals like muesli and granola
• a variety of baked goods, such as pastry dough, oatcakes, oat-muffins, oatmeal cookies and oat bread (my recipe for oat flakes-cookies)
• oat flakes can be used as a thickener in soups
• in several different drinks – breakfast smoothies or in brewing beer
• oat water (a drink obtained after simmering 1-2 spoons of oats in water for 30-120 min)
• roughly ground flakes can be used as bread crumbs

Click on a picture for a recipe with gluten free oats

Soaking

Ideally, oat flakes should be soaked before cooking/using for 6-8 hours (e.g. overnight). Soaking can make them more digestible and help assimilate all the nutrients. It also reduces boiling time significantly and improves the consistency after boiling.

Where to buy gluten free flours (in NL)

• Online in Albert Heijn (link)
• Webshop Glutenvrijemarkt.com (link)
• Webshop Glutenvrijewebshop (link)
• Webshop Winkelglutenvrij.nl (link)
• Webshop Glutenvrij Le Poole (link)
• EkoPlaza
• De Tuinen
• Other Gluten free shops/Special assortment shops
• If you know other place, pls comment below.

An oat-based product in a spotlight

Gluten free oat bread mix from Provena

If you have some tips & tricks on how to use oat flour, please share/comment. Perhaps you want to share your recipe with oat flour/flakes? Feel free to drop a link!

Cheers,

Kati xxx

The cake is wonderfully moist and soft. The texture does not fall apart or does not crumble. It has a typical (for the poppy seeds cake) gorgeous flavor.

Ingredients

• Poppy seeds – about 200 g of dry seeds (after soaking and draining water – it needs to be at least 400 g)*
• Nuts – 200 g (I used walnuts and almonds 100g +100g)
• Plant based margarine – 250 g
• Eggs – 8
• Sugar – I used ½ cup but the original recipe called for 1 full glass (my cake wasn’t very sweet; just the way I like it)
• Hot water – a couple of liters, for washing the poppy seeds

*On the pictures you can see 400 g of dry seeds being soaked =)

Necessary utensils

• Kitchen processor or grinding machine
• Pre-heated to 180ºC oven
• A kitchen bowl(s) and spoons/spatulas
• A cotton kitchen cloth
• A kitchen mixer
• A kitchen balance

Preparation steps

1. Soaking of poppy seeds

Place dry poppy seeds in a big bowl. Pour about 1 liter of boiled water on top of the poppy seeds and let it soak for 5-10 min. Afterwards, drain the water from poppy seeds and repeat the procedure two more times. Let the soaking seeds stand in the water for about 12 hours (I let it soak overnight). After soaking the poppy seeds, I drained them very thoroughly using a cotton kitchen towel. The poppy seeds will remain wet. The total weight you need to add to the cake is 400 g. Before adding the poppy seeds to the cake, they need to be ground first.

2. Grinding nuts. I used one of the kitchen machines to grind nuts. They became fatty and moist but it is okay. They don’t need to be ground very finely.

3. Pre-heat the oven to 180 ºC
4. Mix the ground poppy seeds and nuts together.Melt plant based margarine in a pan and let it cool down.                                                          
5. Now it is time for eggs. Separate egg whites from yolks. Beat the yolks with sugar using a kitchen mixer.
6. Beat egg whites very well. The better beaten egg whites the higher the cake will raise.
7. Add cooled margarine to the beaten egg yolks and mix together.
8. Next, add the poppy seeds with nuts to the mixed yolks.
9. In the end, very gently add beaten egg whites to the rest of the ingredients. Slightly mix all together using a spoon. Try not to destroy the network formed by egg whites.
10. Place the mixture in the baking form (or as I did it – to the glass dish with a baking paper on the bottom of it) and bake at 180ºC for about 45 minutes. Keep watch (mine was done after 35 min)!

Tips

• If you share oven (it is used for dishes with and without gluten) you can use a glass dish with a glass cover. I used a closed dish and my cake still became nicely golden brown on the surface.
• If you don’t have a machine in which you can grind nuts, you can use already milled nuts or one of the nuts flours, for instance almond flour.
• You can modify the amount of sugar or replace it with some other sweetener. I wanted to use honey but I was afraid that my cake won’t rise as it is made without baking powder or baking soda.
• The traditional poppy seeds cake contains raisins. You can add raisins (or cranberries) to the poppy seeds.

The original recipe comes from HERE

I wish you fun baking and a delicious treat after!

Cheers,

Kati

This year, I made my own gluten free kruidnoten (so called Spice Nuts) (which will be further referred to as pepernoten becauce everybody calls them like that). Actually, it is the first time ever that I made any pepernoten! Honestly, I never even liked the pepernoten from supermarket before my diagnosis unless they were surrounded by a thick layer of chocolate. But Oh! How was I surprised when I tasted our homemade gluten free version of these cookies. Lovely crunchy and smooth at the same time texture guaranteed the melting in my mouth feeling.   

Ingredients

1. Schar Mix C – 200 g
2. Brown sugar – 125 g
3. Vanilla extract – 1 spoon
4. Baking powder – 1 spoon
5. Speculoos spices* (Cook kruiden) – 2 spoons
6. Egg – 1
7. Butter – 100 g
8. Almond milk – 1.5 spoons

*Spices used in speculoos are cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cardamom and white pepper. 

Necessary appliances

• An oven pre-heated  to  175ºC
• A baking tray and baking paper
• A bowl – to mix all ingredients
• A fridge (~4ºC) – to cool the dough
• Optional: a board and a knife to cut/shape the pepernoten

Preparation steps

1. Place the flour (I used Schar Mix C), sugar, vanilla extract, baking powder, cook kruiden in a bowl and mix together.
2. Add one egg and cold butter (cut in small pieces) to the dry ingredients and knead it well with your hands.
3. If the ingredients are too dry to form the dough – add the almond milk (in my case one and half spoon of liquid was enough). Knead until the dough is developed.
4. Put the dough in a plastic bag and cool it in the fridge for a couple of hours until it is really hard (I left mine in a fridge for 4 hours).  Before placing the dough in a fridge – shape it in a way that it is easy to cut in smaller pieces when it is cooled and hard.
5. The hard dough is easy to cut in squares of desired size. I didn’t make round pepernoten because I wanted to keep the dough as cold as possible. Forming round shape with my hands would warm up the dough and I really wanted to avoid it.
6. Place the cookies on a baking tray (on a baking paper) and bake for about 15 minutes at 175ºC.
7. Cool the pepernoten before serving.

Tips

• If you want your pepernoten round, you could try to shape them first and then cool them in a fridge.
• If the dough is shaped in long rolls it is easier to cut it into pieces after cooling (they will be round then as well).
• The Shar Mix C can be replaced by another GF flour (the texture will be different though and I really liked the mouth feel here).
• It is possible to put the cooled pepernoten in a chocolate bath to further spoil your palate.
• Butter can be replaced by plant based fat (margarine) to make 100% glutenfree and dairyfree pepernoten.
• The almond milk can be replaced by dairy milk or other liquid (sweet water)
• It is popular to use buckwheat flour to make GF pepernoten.
• I bought my cook kruiden in EkoPlaza from Het Blauwe Huis (koek kruiden).       

Enjoy baking your own gluten free Pepernoten/Kruidnoten,

Kati

I’ve read many stories about failing to reproduce a recipe from a cook book or to replace one ‘rice’ flour with another ‘rice’ flour. There is one main reason why it is happening. The flours have different properties and therefore they can’t just replace one another in a recipe without a couple of adjustments first.

In my previous post (First Step Towards Glutenfree Baking) I mentioned that the gluten free flours are derived from various foods

• Starchy vegetables /roots
• Beans
• Nuts
• Gluten free grains
• Seeds
• Fruits
• Even dairy

Each of these flour sources has different composition. The presence and the ratio between the individual compounds (like protein, carbohydrates or fats) present in the flour source are responsible for the final behavior of the flour during baking.

It gets more complicated. There are thousands varieties of e.g. white potatoes (starchy vegetable). They contain different types and amounts of e.g. proteins and carbohydrates. These differences have consequences in the quality of the final flour; they create certain properties/functionality of the flour. What is more, these grains/nuts/beans/vegetables are being processed into flours. To make flour its source is subjected to different steps, like e.g. wetting, drying, and milling. These processes modify the structure and in a consequence the properties of the starches, proteins, fats and fibers (to name a few). Food industry is very advanced in modifying the flour constituents and can create flours with wanted properties, like e.g. high/low viscosity, high/low solubility. Besides, each brand fractionates their flours on their own production line and according to their own refinery process.

The properties of flour will depend on

• The source of the flour (almonds, amaranth grains etc.)
• The type of the source (there are more than 1000 different types of white potatoes; there are three types of lupine species cultivated: yellow, white and blue – each has different composition)
• The environment in which the flour source was grown (amount of sun it was exposed to, quality of the soil etc.)
• The composition of the flour source (presence of e.g. starch and fat, amount and ratio between the individual components like proteins and carbohydrates, etc.)
• The structure/properties of the individual compounds (different types of proteins and dietary fibers)
• The manufacturing process (dry fractionation/wet fractionation, drying technique, but also induced chemical reactions)

Some of the flour characteristics

• Water retention
• Dispersibility/solubility
• Viscosity/elasticity
• Aggregation/gelation
• Foaming
• Emulsification
• Particle size
• Smell and taste

Considering all the above points, we can’t fully predict flour behavior during baking/cooking. Knowing flour source and the composition can give us some ideas on what is the best application for the particular flour. But the rice flour from the brand X will always (more or less) differ from the rice flour from the brand Y. The only way to find out flour properties is to start experimenting with it. Now, there are cook books available on the market where the recipe will call for 100 grams of e.g. buckwheat flour. A big chance is that (unless the brand of the flour used is provided) your final effect will differ from the expected result. Of course, the oven quality and the quality of all the other ingredients used will contribute to the differences but when it comes to the flours – they are a key ingredient in most of the baking recipes.

There are some general guidelines on how to use the gluten free flours but to be able to create a reproducible product some more details on the flour properties are needed.

Generally, nut flours will most likely be used in sweet recipes and bean flours (due to their distinctive smell) will most likely be applied to the savory recipes. Flours rich in starch are great to thicken things e.g. sauces/puddings. Soy flour, as it contains no starch, has a huge potential to form strong protein network and they are actually quite well known for its aggregation properties. They already proved to work very well in gluten free breads and buns. Or, any flour that has high fat content (almond flour) will be expected to create rather crumbly texture, such as in cakes.

Instead, I am absolutely amazed by these peanut butter cookies. They are perfect!

• Soft
• Don’t crumble
• Not too sweet
• Without flour
• Without added refined sugar
• Free from dairy
• Free from gluten

Ingredients

• Peanut butter – about 300 ml (I used the bio pindakaas from AH)
• Egg – one small
• Banana – one small
• Baking soda – 1 spoon
• Vanilla extract – ½ spoon
• Optional: oat flakes (I used about 3-4 spoons)
• Optional: chocolate chunks (I used the pure choco chunks from Heel Holland Bakt)

Needed appliances

• A bowl – to combine ingredients
• A mixer or spatula and strong muscles
• A baking tray
• Baking paper
• Pre-heated oven (180ºC)

Tips

• It is possible to add less or more peanut butter. The amount is not really strict.
• I added the oat flakes for extra fibers and I believe it added some volume to the cookies.
• Adding banana was a bit spontaneous. I wanted to add sweet flavor to my cookies. Perhaps grinded dates would work even better. Something to try next time.
• I combined everything using mixer but spatula and strong muscles would do too.

Preparation steps

1. Start heating the oven (180ºC)
2. Cover a baking tray with a baking paper
3. Beat/mix in a bowl: one egg, baking soda and vanilla extract
4. Add to it one small banana (or a couple of dates) and peanut butter, then mix everything together slowly for 1-2 min until smooth
5. Optional: add oat flakes, chocolate chunks (or sugar) and combine all together
6. Spoon the blended ingredients on the baking tray and flatten into cookie shape
7. Bake in pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes
8. Remove the cookies from the oven when golden brown and let them cool down

I love them. My family found them not sweet enough. If you don’t mind sugar or like your cookies extra sweet, you can add honey (or sugar) instead of banana for the sweeter taste.

Enjoy making your own cookies,

 Highlights

• Gluten free, lactose free, soy free, refined sugar free
• Suitable in the vegetarian diet (who eat eggs) and the Paleo diet
• Breakfast/Lunch/Snack/Dessert
• Easy to make

Ingredients

• Almond flour – 150g (or any other gluten free flour(s))
• Bananas – 3 (the best are the really ripe ones)
• Eggs – 3
• Honey – 5 spoons
• Desiccated coconut – as much as you like (I added 5 spoons)
• Nuts – as much as you want (I used ½ of a cup of walnuts)
• Baking soda – 2 tea spoons
• Salt – a pinch
• Optional: chocolate pieces, raisins, dates or other dry fruits, cinnamon, vanilla.

Tips

• You can use kitchen processor to blend bananas with eggs or you could also first -beat the eggs with a fork, and then – mash bananas with a fork and in the end- combine them together.
• It’s possible to substitute almond flour partly or fully with another gluten free flour(s) of your choice.
• To sweeten the bread – you can use honey but also dates or other sources of sugar.
• Sift baking soda into flour using a small sieve; this way it doesn’t form any clumps.

Needed appliances

• A bowl and a spatula (to mix all ingredients)
• A tea spoon (to measure baking soda etc)
• A kitchen processor (to chop nuts and blend bananas with eggs)
• A baking form
• A baking paper
• Optional: a pan to melt chocolate (for a topping)
• A pre-heated to 170 degrees oven
• Optional: kitchen balance

Preparation steps

1. Switch on the oven – 170 ºC.
2. Prepare a baking form; spread baking paper if necessary.
3. Chop nuts into smaller pieces and put them aside.
4. Place bananas and eggs in a kitchen processor and blend until smooth consistency.
5. Pure the bananas-eggs dough into a bowl and add to it other ingredients: flour(s), baking soda, salt, coconut, nuts, honey.
6. Optional: you can add other ingredients like pieces of chocolate, dry fruits and spices.
7. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and pure it to the baking form.
8. Bake your banana bread for about 40 minutes at temp 170ºC (the duration depends on the oven).
9. Afterwards, when your bread cooled down a bit, you can spread a topping on it. I used chocolate and almond flakes.

This bread-cake is amazing! I fully recommend it :-)

Cheers,

I encourage you to try this easy and quick recipe for homemade cookies/snacks made of buckwheat flakes with fruits. They are absolutely tasty-licious!

Highlights

• Glutenfree & lactosefree
• No refined flour and sugar
• No oats
• Without eggs, butter, dairy
• No unnecessary additives
• Preparation 25-30 minutes
• Breakfast/Lunch/Snack/Dessert

Ingredients

• Buckwheat flakes – 2 ½  cup
• Banana – 1 or 2
• Apple pure (apple sauce) –  1 ½  cup
• Nuts – 1 cup
• Berries – a small cup or half
• Apple – 1
• Optional: powdered sugar to sprinkle the cookies

Tips

• Pre-heat the oven before you start mixing all ingredients
• No need to be very strict with the recipe; it is not a problem if you add more/less of just about anything in the recipe

Needed appliances

• A bowl
• A spoon
• A baking tray
• A baking paper or muffin forms
• A preheated to 180ºC oven

Preparation steps

• Preheat the oven to 180ºC
• Prepare baking tray and muffin forms

•  Mix all ingredients together

• Fill the forms (I use the ice scoop and it works like a charm)

• Bake the cookies for 20-25 minutes in 180ºC.

• Leave the cookies to cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional)

Enjoy,

Since I know that I have coeliac disease, I see cakes, donuts and muffins and cookies everywhere around me. Everyone seems to snack something that I can’t; half of the shop’s space is occupied by shelves with pastry!

And the worse of all, I have missed the unforgettable day of my life: the last day of eating ‘with gluten’! Somehow, when I have heard that I have celiac disease, the news froze me and I couldn’t take even one bite of ‘gluten’ anymore. Gosh, was I a silly sausage. So many good things to treasure for the last time: a crunchy French baguette, a warm croissant, a spongy donut, a thick slice of bread with a crunchy crust. When I was a kid and mum send me to the bakery for bread, I would eat almost the entire crust from the loaf on the way back home :x

But also, as a woman I can not imagine a house that doesn’t know the smell and taste of home baked goodies. They contribute to the ‘home’ feeling. I have so many memories of home made cakes made by my grandmother that tasted like nothing I tasted before or after. Every woman needs to have her own secret recipe to pass on next generations! Well, I never thought that in my case it will be gluten free recipe but alright, I will pass further the gluten free recipe ;-) And you know what? It is going to taste special and be unique. My family and friends will associate it with me, forever :-)

Reasons to learn gluten free baking

1. It allows you to control the content of your flour mix (in case of allergies or avoiding of some ingredients)
2. It allows you to control which baking additives to use (if you don’t tolerate e.g. gums well)
3. You can modify the taste of flour mix by adding your favorite flours (some are sweet, some are savory)!
4. You decide how much starches or fibers you want in your diet (whole grain flours, more starchy flours)
5. You can design your secret recipe which will be remembered by generations! (Ahh, that grandma’s cake that tastes like nothing else!)
6. You might want to teach your daughter how to bake one day

Side-effects

1. You will gain a new skill
2. You might gain a new hobby
3. You might become good in something new

All told, I am super motivated to master the gluten-free baking skill. Before I run to the kitchen, a short overview:

WHAT WE ALREADY KNOW ABOUT {GLUTEN FREE} BAKING?

• Wheat flour is unique. I could write a couple of pages to explain why it has such exceptional properties but in the end it all goes down to gluten and its rich functionality.

• Functions of gluten in baked goods

1)   Forms an elastic network

• which after baking and cooling holds the bread (or a cake) together
• which is responsible for chewiness, creates elasticity, makes it possible to stretch the dough (property required in bread, not needed in cakes, pasta or cookies)

2)   Traps the carbon dioxide gas that is produced by yeast during dough fermentation. This gas causes the gluten network to expand and loosens the structure of bread so it is not dense (rising, formation of air pockets)

3)  Absorbs and retains moisture. It can absorb up to 200% (2 times its own weight) water

• There are 4 types of wheat flours:

1)   Cake flour mix

• Contains little of gluten 6-8%
• It is bleached which weakens protein vitality
• Main function: to keep the structure together

2)   Bread flour mix

• Highest in gluten flour 12-14%
• Not bleached, vital gluten
• Main function: to form network and rise (trap gas)

3)   All – purpose flour

• Contains 9-12% gluten
• Cheaper than the ‘baker’s bread flour’
• Suitable for home baking

4)   Pastry flour

• Gluten content 9-12%
• Less starch than in all-purpose flour

• Gluten substitutes suitable to form a network

(*some ingredients require specific environment/conditions) (required for bread, pizza dough)

1)    Gums like xanthan gum, guar gum
2)    Alginates (e.g. Sodium alginate)
3)    Whey protein* (link)
4)    Soy protein
5)    Casein– milk protein*

• Some of the gluten substitutes listed above can cause gastrointestinal symptoms (especially when consumed in large amounts)

•  Gluten substitutes suitable to induce ‘binding’/gelation/water-retention

(required for cakes, cookies, pasta)

1)    Eggs
2)    Soy protein
3)    Gellatine
4)    Pectin
5)    Flax seeds
6)    Psyllium seeds
7)    Chia seeds
8)    Whey protein
9)    Starches (e.g. potato starch, corn starch, tapioca starch)
10)  Fats (after cooling; too much might cause crumbling)
11)  Sugar
12)  Carrageenan and locust bean gum
13)  Agar-agar
14)  Glutinous rice flour (sweet rice flour)
15)  Glutinous rice (sweet rice)
16)  Rice flour (absorbs more water than wheat – add extra water)
17)  Dietary fibers
18)  Methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose
19)  Coconut
20)  Fruit puree /banana
21) Konjac Glucomannan

•  Combination of few substitutes is usually the most effective in mimicking gluten property

•  There are many gluten free flours

1)   Gluten free whole grain flours (considered ‘heavy’ or ‘medium’)

• buckwheat flour
• corn flour
• millet flour
• oat flour
• quinoa flour
• teff flour
• sorghum flour
• brown rice flour
• mesquite flour
• montina flour (made of rice grass not grains)

2)   Gluten free starch-based flours (considered ‘light’)

• tapioca flour (cassava flour)
• corn starch
• potato flour
• potato starch
• arrowroot flour
• glutinous  flour (sweet rice flour)
• white rice flour
• sweet potato flour
• kudzu starch (kuzu root starch)

3)   Gluten free bean – derived flours (considered ‘heavy’ or ‘medium’)

• chickpeas flour (garbanzo bean  flour)
• soy flour
• peas flour
• lupine flour
• fava bean flour

4)   Nut flours (considered ‘heavy’)

• Almond four
• Coconut flour
• Chestnut flour
• Hazelnut flour

• Due to the various content – the gluten free flours have different properties and not all are suitable for the same applications.

There is more information that I want to collect before I start my baking experiments. I can save myself many mistakes and wasted ingredients by understanding the properties of the flours a bit more. If you like to learn baking together with me or you are already good in gluten free baking but you are curious about my approach, stick around for more posts!

You can also read: The Second Step Towards Glutenfree Baking

Cheers,

• Gluten free
• Lactose free
• The same procedure as making bread
• It is so simple, everybody can do it!

Ingredients

• Brown flour mix – 500g  -I used 3 different mixes : 200g of Doves Farm ‘Brown bread’,200g  of Finax ‘Coarse flour mix’,  100g of Vers van de molen ‘Quinoameel’
• Oil – 4 spoons
• Warm water – 450 ml
• Dry gist – one small bag
• Salt – a pinch
• Sugar – a pinch
• Pumpkin seeds – a cup
• Egg white – from 1 egg  (to coat buns)
• Optional: Sesame seeds (to decorate buns)

Tips

• If you have open bags with bread mixes containing leftovers after bread making, this is perfect time to use it and make free space in your kitchen shelf. You can just mix them all
• It is possible to mix white and brown mixes together
• Instead of oil, you can use other fat e.g. melted butter or coconut oil
• Oil can be used instead of egg white to coat the buns
• Sometimes I use sunflower seeds instead of pumpkin seeds or both
• You can add olives or herbs to buns instead of seeds, it gives a wonderful flavor
• Keep experimenting and improving the recipe. Your kitchen – you are the boss!

Needed appliances

• A kitchen balance
• A small bowl to weigh your ingredients in it
• A bowl to mix dough
• A cup/ bowl to mix water with gist
• A spoon to mix water and gist (I use a wooden sushi stick)
• A baking plate and baking paper
• Optional: a kitchen brush to coat the buns with egg white
• A pre-heated oven to 200ºC

Preparation steps

• Measure 450 ml of warm water (can be warm tap water)
• Dissolve gist in water
• In another bowl measure flour mixes
• Add sugar, salt and oil to the flour and mix it
• Add the pumpkin seeds to the dough
• Form buns with wet hands (make them as round as possible)
• Place the buns on a baking plate (covered with baking paper)
• Coat the buns with egg white and sesame seeds
• Place the buns in a warm place (or just somewhere aside) and cover all with a kitchen towel
• Let it rest for about 30 min
• Place the buns in the preheated to 200 ºC oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes (mine were brown already after 20 minutes but I left them for 5 minutes in the switched off oven)
• Cool the buns

Enjoy your meal,

• luten free & dairy free
• No sugar added
• No blender required
• ~15 min preparation + 18 min baking

Ingredients (for 12 muffins)

• 2 bananas
• 1/3 cup of honey
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup of melted coconut fat
• 200 g oat flour
• 1/3 cup of cacao
• 1/4 cup coconut flour (I used coconut crème powder)
• A pinch of salt
• A teaspoon of baking powder (or baking soda)
• Optional: vanilla extract, pieces of chocolate, walnuts, etc.

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Tips

• Instead of oat flour you can use almond flour or any other gluten free flour
• Instead of flour you could use oat flakes or buckwheat flakes
• You can probably skip the coconut flour
• Instead of coconut fat you can use another fat or avocado!

Needed appliances

• An oven pre-heated to 175 ºC
• A muffin forms
• A bowl and a spatula to mix the ‘wet’ ingredients
• A second bowl to mix the ‘dry’ ingredients
• A pot to melt the coconut fat in it
• Optional: a kitchen balance

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Preparation steps

• Pre-heat oven to 175 ºC
• Take a bowl and smash two pilled bananas in it
• Add honey, eggs and melted coconut fat to bananas and mix well
• Take a second bowl and weight 200g of the gluten-free flour
• Add the rest of the ‘dry’ ingredients: coconut flour, cacao, pinch of salt and baking powder to the g-f flour and mix together
• Mix all the ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ ingredients together
• You can add chocolate pieces or other optional ingredients (nuts etc.)
• Fill the muffin forms and bake the muffins for about 18 minutes.

For a version with chocolate frosting – ala cupcakes: melt glutenfree chocolate with a couple of spoons of butter and decorate your mini-cakes.

Enjoy your meal,

I make these cookies very rarely. Only because they are so tasty that we eat them within one day! And they are not the best choice for my inflamed intestine. The above picture was made last Xmas :)

• 3 ingredients!
• Delicious!

Ingredients

• Almond flour – 125 g
• Butter – 80 g
• Brown sugar – 50 g
• Optional: chocolate to coat cookies

Tips

• You can use any gluten free flour instead of almond flour (but it won’t taste as good!)
• Perhaps you can skip sugar and coat the cookies in dark chocolate instead to make it more healthy (I must try it once)

Needed appliances

• Pre-heated oven to 170ºC
• Baking plate
• Baking paper
• Bowl and spoon to mix ingredients
• Fridge to cool the dough
• Knife to cut the dough
• Optional: kitchen balance

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Preparation steps

• Weigh almond flour, sugar and butter
• Mix flour with sugar in a bowl (you will see on a picture a different technique but that is because it was made by my fiance..men and baking ;-))
• Add butter to the dry components and mix well (use your hand)
• Place the dough on a baking paper (aluminum foil/plastic foil – whatever you have) and roll it in a kind of a ‘sausage’
• Place the dough in the fridge for at least 30 min to cool it down
• Slice the dough (cut 0.5 cm slices)
• Bake the cookies for  10-15 minutes at 170ºC
• Cool the cookies
• If you fancy – coat cookies in chocolate and let them cool!

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Enjoy,

• Only 3 main ingredients!
• Good source of protein, fiber and vitamins!
• No added sugar (enough of it from fruits)!
• Suitable for breakfast, lunch or a sweet tooth break!
• No blenders, no mixers needed!

Ingredients

• Gluten free oat flakes – 150 g
• Apple puree – 175 g
• Banana (you can replace it with two spoons of almond pasta and optional: some sugar)
• Cinnamon
• Optional: piece of fruits, dry fruits, dark chocolate pieces, nuts or seeds

Tips

• Instead of oat flakes you could use other gluten free but relatively large flakes like buckwheat flakes (quinoa and amaranth might not be the best choice here, their flakes are rather small)

Needed appliances

• Oven pre-heated to 180ºC
• Baking paper
• Bowl to mix ingredients
• Fork to smash banana
• Spoon to mix ingredients
• Optional: balance to weigh ingredients

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Preparation steps:

• Heat the oven to 180ºC
• Peel banana and smash it using a fork
• Weigh 150 g of oat flakes and place it in a bowl
• Weigh 175 g of apple puree and add to the flakes
• Add banana and cinnamon and mix all together
• Spoon ‘cookies’ on a baking paper
• Bake 30 min in 180ºC

Below a version of cookies made of buckwheat flakes with banana, apple pure, pieces of apple, blueberries, three types of nuts and sprinkled with sugar:

• Only 2 ingredients!
• Preparation time ~ 20 minutes with baking!
• Easy, quick, allergy-friendly and tasty!
• Gluten free, lactose free, even Paleo friendly (Some say that quinoa as a seed from a broad-leaf plant and not a grass-leaf plant is allowed on Paleo diet – in case you do care ;-)

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of puffed quinoa grains
• Pinch of salt
• Pinch of sugar

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Needed appliances

• Oven pre-heated to 180ºC
• Baking plate
• Mixer to ‘beat’ eggs
• Bowl to mix ingredients in it
• Spoon to mix ingredients

Preparation Steps

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (It will take longer to heat the oven than to make your buns’ mix!)
2. Mix well 2 eggs with a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar using a mixer
3. Add two cups of puffed quinoa grains to the eggs
4. Mix quinoa with egg
5. Spoon the ‘buns’ mix’ into the baking plate
6. Bake the buns till brown-ish (In my oven it took 15 min)

[See image gallery at glutenfreelady.nl]

Inspired by ‘Amarantus smacznie i zdrowo’ by G.Koninska and W.Sadowski (you can find it here)

Enjoy,