Posts Tagged ‘amaranth flour’

Updated Gluten-free Flour Recipe(s).

Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
amaranth

amaranth... naturally gluten-free, essential to our flour blends

I don’t believe there has been one moment in the last several years, that our gluten-free flour blend recipe has not been in a transition. Trying to create a blend of flours to be an all-purpose substitute for the one thing you aren’t using… gluten. It get’s tricky. But, if only….

My conclusion is that one flour blend is not enough! Little by little, we abandoned the idea of one working blend to achieve a wide variety of results and textures. We currently use three  distinct formulas for different final results.

We are also conscious of that almost omnipresent gritty texture, commonly found in gluten-free baked goods, which we believe we successfully avoid or exploit in some cases. For example, brown rice flour is uniquely well suited to making gluten-free shortbread!

I encourage people to be very skeptical when they encounter recipes that suggest you substitute a gluten-free flour blend 1 for 1 to make a gluten-free version”.  For one thing, the amount of liquid absorbed by various gluten-free flours is going to effect recipes differently. Perhaps your results will be edible, but will they be exceptional? If your going to take the time to gather ingredients and bake, shouldn’t you feel like what you make is good, not just good enough. Or, worser, good for gluten-free!!!

BROWNIE BLEND

This a dense blend we use in our brownie recipes. The blend itself has flours that absorb moisture and make a nice fudgy brownie. The brownies also use buckwheat flour to reinforce that fudgy  texture. This blend is perfect for brownies, but little else.

  • 7.5 ounces garfava flour
  • 6 ounces brown rice flour
  • 6 ounces potato flour
  • 4.5 ounces tapioca flour
  • 4 ounces amaranth flour

LIGHT BLEND

This is an ultra light whole grain flour blend we use for more cakey muffins, layer cakes, cookies and tarts. This blend is super light and fluffy. It has the most neutral character of all our flour blends. In changing to this flour, I find I need to use a little more xanthan gum and a little extra flour. I am using maybe an extra 1/2 ounce per 8 ounces of flour. The results bake light and maintain their rise.

  • 6 ounces amaranth flour
  • 10 ounces garfava flour
  • 5 ounces brown rice flour
  • 12 ounces  tapioca flour
  • 12 ounces sorghum flour

HIGH PROTEIN FLOUR BLEND

I stumbled upon this recipe a few years back when I was researching our Irish Soda Bread recipe. The recipe referred to this blend as high protein, so we call it that.  We love this in cornbread and quick breads and breadier muffins. It bakes a little bit denser than the light blend and is really nice used in a 50/50 combination with the light blend.

  • 10 ounces garfava flour
  • 10 ounces arrowroot flour
  • 10 ounces tapioca flour
  • 10 ounce millet flour
  • 5 ounces amaranth flour

In addition to selecting the appropriate blend for each recipe, in most recipes, we add different flours, depending on the character of the final item. Some of the flours we use this way are quinoa, almond, coconut, oat flour…

So you see… this idea that you can take a cup of gluten-free flour and use it for a cup of “regular” flour in a “regular” recipe, is kind of an irresponsible statement. Experiment carefully. And beware of recipes that tell you to just use a cup of any gluten-free flour blend.

The key to successful gluten-free baking, in my experience, is finding a way to hide the characteristics of the flours you use in a way that produces a treat that tastes like what you remember. A challenge for sure!!

I hope my experiences help you! I love the challenge of getting to know and use all the different gluten-free flours that are available to us these days. Feel free to share your favorite flour stories.

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in gluten-free, gluten-free baking, gluten-free flours | 3 Comments »

Sweet Potato Cornbread (vegan and glutenfree)

Saturday, March 19th, 2011

... fluffy, with a nice light crumb and a little bit of cornmeal texture ... add in the sweet potato sweetness ...

Today over at One Green Planet I have published an article on veganizing baked goods. As an exercise, I took a butter milk Cornbread recipe from Allrecipes.com and made it vegan.

I thought I would share my allergen-free version of that recipe here. It took me three trials to get the numbers right. I used a lot less gluten-free flour than wheat flour and added a good amount of liquid. That is a function of all the starches used to replace the gluten in the wheat.

I find there are far fewer rules and guidelines to follow in getting the gluten out of a recipe than there are for veganizing one. I pretty much have developed an instinct that I go with. Even then, I almost always have to re-work recipes multiple times to get results I am truly happy with.

In this recipe I used the Gone Pie flour mix, the Hi Protein flour mix (mentioned in the Irish Soda bread recipe), corn flour and millet flour. This was my first time using corn flour and am not exactly sure what it did. More experimentation to come with it! The Hi Protein mix was the final touch I added to get a nice light crumb.  I have posted the recipe for it at the end of this recipe again.

All the yellow grains and the orange of the sweet potatoes give this cornbread a truly amazing color! It’s so tasty too!

SWEET POTATO CORNBREAD

  • 3 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
  • 3 tablespoons millet flour
  • 2 tablespoons corn flour
  • 1/4 cup Hi Protein Mix*
  • 5/8 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Sift the dry ingredients together and set them aside.

  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup organic vegan sugar

Combine cornmeal and sugar in mixing bowl and set aside.

  • 3/4 cup vegan sour cream or So Delicious PLAIN coconut yogurt
  • 1/2 cup So Delicious coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 3/4 cup sweet potato

Puree in food processor until smooth and creamy.
Pour into same bowl as cornmeal and combine well.
This makes the cornbread nice and light.

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons maple syrup

Fold into cornmeal mixture until evenly mixed.
Now add dry ingredients and mix until blended.
Do not over mix.

Dough will be very light and fluffy. Pour it into an 8 x 8 inch square pan. I prepare my pan with oil and a dusting of cornmeal. Smooth the dough with wet hands.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 – 45 minutes. When it is done, it will be firm to the touch in the center.

*Hi Protein Flour Blend:

1 cup garfava flour
1 cup arrowroot starch
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Recipes, gluten-free, gluten-free baking, gluten-free flours, vegan baking | 6 Comments »

Irish Soda Bread Muffins (vegan and gluten-free)

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

With a little cross and everything. Sorghum flour on top.

I recently saw this recipe for Irish Soda Bread and I immediately remembered little Irish Soda Breads I made a loooong time ago. The flavor and texture and the smell of them baking! I must have caraway seeds and cardamom perfectly blended in a doughy slightly sweet bread. With plump little currants.

I did it! I did it! I love it! I love it!

The original recipe I found and made (with the addition of cardamom) is here.  They use a flour blend which resulted in a whole meal kind of bread. The bread really didn’t hold together well enough for my purposes.

Irish Soda Bread, as I recall it, is unabashedly white bread. I re-did the recipe a few times adding some of my flour blend and making a few other changes. The final result is super simple to make, once you gather all your ingredients.

I am playing with my version of their flour blend in other recipes. It makes a very different crumb when baked. The blend recipe is at the end of the post.

GLUTENFREE IRISH SODA BREAD

  • ½ cup currants, soaked/drained or well rinsed

  • 1 cup gluten-free  Hi Protein Flour Blend*
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • 6 tablespoons gluten-free flour blend
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sorghum flour
  • 3  tablespoons vegan sugar
  • 1 tablespoon  baking powder
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt

  • 6  tablespoons coconut oil

  • 2  tablespoons apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup So Delicious PLAIN coconut yogurt or vegan sour cream
  • 1 cup So Delicious organic coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice

  • 1 Tablespoon caraway seeds
  • 1/8  teaspoon cardamom

Combine the wet ingredients and set them aside.

Put all the dry ingredients in your mixer bowl.
Turn it off and on a couple of times to blend them.
Add coconut oil by the tablespoon to the flour mixture.
Let the coconut oil break up in the flour mix until you have
a fairly uniform almost cornmeal like mixture.

Add the cardamom and caraway seeds.

Add the liquid ingredients in two stages. Mix minimally.
When almost evenly mixed, add the drained currants.
Mix just until the dough is blended.

The dough gets firmer as it sits.

I made 12 muffins. I’m sure it would make a nice little loaf too.

This is a lovely, slightly starchy, dense dough. I flattened the muffins with wet hands. Then I sprinkled on some sorghum flour and cut crosses in them. The dough was extremely easy to work with.

Bake muffins at 375 degrees for 20 – 25 minutes.

If you made muffins like I did, you could be eating hot Soda Bread now!

I made a loaf too! It was possibly even more delicious. I did the loaf with coconut yogurt so it was soy free.

Hi Protein Flour Blend:

(This is my version of the original blend. You can see the original blend in the original article.Original….)

1 cup garfava flour
1 cup arrowroot starch
1 cup tapioca flour
1 cup millet flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Holiday specials, Recipes, gluten-free, gluten-free baking, gluten-free flours, vegan cooking | 7 Comments »

Gluten-free Lemon poppyseed cake – updated

Friday, June 18th, 2010

Bathed in sunlight, lemon poppy and chocolate spice mini-cupcakes

Since I first posted this recipe, I have learned a few good tips that have made this recipe far superior to the earlier version.  I definitely used WAY too much xanthan gum originally.  And guess what?  The original recipe also had palm oil!  Yup.   I, too, had to learn of the evils of palm oil.

Here is the recipe again.  This time, I believe it is nearly perfect!

I make this recipe in a mixer.  Here is the most organized way I have found to make a semi-complicated recipe.  It is actually quite simple, if everything is organized properly.

1)  Process the following ingredients until extremely smooth and well aerated, then set aside.

  • 1/2 cup So delicious coconut milk (unsweetened)
  • 1     cup soured non-dairy milk
  • 1/2 cup silken tofu
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup lemon rind
  • 1T1t vanilla extract
  • 2T lemon extract
  • 2T lemon juice

2) Put the mixer bowl on top of a pot of hot water – double boiler style and combine these ingredients.

  • 1/4  cup coconut oil
  • 1/4  cup mild oil
  • 1 3/4 cup vegan white sugar

3)  Combine and sift dry ingredients.  Then add in poppy seeds.

  • 2 1/2 cup gluten-free flour mix
  • 2T quinoa flour
  • 2T coconut flour
  • 2T amaranth flour
  • 2t baking powder
  • 1/2t baking soda
  • 1/2 t salt
  • 1/2 t xanthan gum
  • 1/2 cup poppy seeds

4)  Take melted oils and sugar and whip them until they are homogeneous.  Add a small amount of the tofu liquid – again whipping until everything is well incorporated.  The mixture should be smooth and light.

5) Alternately add dry and remaining wet ingredients, scraping bowl well and often.  Do not over mix.  Once all ingredients are added, remove bowl from mixer and give it a good mix by hand to make sure the batter is evenly blended.

6) I made adorable tiny cupcakes, but you can bake this in any shape you like.  Scoop into your chosen mold, flatten the batter with wet hands and bake at 350 degrees.  The mini-cupcakes baked 25 minutes.  A larger mold will require longer baking.  The final product is firm to the touch.

I glazed the cupcakes with lemon and sugar and they were quite a hit!

Happy baking!

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Recipes, gluten-free baking, gluten-free flours, palm oil, vegan baking | Comments Off

The evolution of my glutenfree baking/flour choices

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Cassava root, the source of tapioca flour

Cassava root, the source of tapioca flour

Gluten-free/vegan baking is a very unique process!  Those that have tried their hand at it,  know I have said a mouthful right there!

It seems to me that the biggest challenges arise in selecting what flours to use for what items.  This is the challenge for all gluten-free baking, but is a somewhat more pronounced problem when baking vegan as well.  For the most part I have settled on a blend of flours that works in most recipes.  It contains enough *carrier* flours and *functional* flours to yield good results. I have tried to avoid making it a blend of nutritionless white starches and flours – a common problem in gluten-free flour blends.

GLUTEN-FREE BLEND

  • 2 cup brown rice flour
  • 1 1/4 cup garfava flour
  • 1 cup potato flour
  • 3/4 cup tapioca flour
  • 1.5 cup sorghum flour

    • Why these flours?

    Rice flour: Rice flour was the first gluten-free flour I started experimenting with 10 years ago so I am kind of attached to/used to using it. When used in combination with other flours, it has great baking properties. On its own it is pretty gritty and. in my opinion, dreadful! I have, at times, substituted millet flour for all or part of the rice flour very successfully.

    Garfava flour: Garfava flour, I love you. You are light, not too beany and super fun to say. If you avoid beans, a combination of quinoa and amaranth can be substituted here.

    Potato flour: Potato flour is a not so secret, secret passion of mine. When used in combination like this it gives a very unique lightness to everything.  I first encountered it in French chocolate cakes.  That’s a little bit of knowledge that has served me well for years!

    Tapioca flour: Tapioca flour is where most of the *glue* in the mix is coming from. In this blend it is well aerated by the *carrier* flours. Tapioca is a root starch derived from cassava.

    Sorghum flour: Sorghum flour has a very neutral flavor and adds lightness to the blend. The blend also works just fine without the sorghum. If you opt to use it this way, you will use less in a recipe and can add the sorghum as part of your other flours in the recipe.

    I like to use this blend for 1/3 to 1/2 of the flour in a recipe. I use more in cookies and brownies than cakes. The most common flours I use along side the mix are buckwheat, coconut and additional sorghum. I like quinoa and amaranth as well. It is kind of up to you, how many different flours you want to keep around. Sorghum is by far the most neutral, but too much leads to a pasty texture. I like coconut a lot. It has a sweet flavor and is very light – both in color and in texture. It has to be used carefully or everything will taste like coconut. Buckwheat has a great almost nut-like flavor, but is very dark and can effect the color of your final product. Quinoa and amaranth have distinct flavors and can overwhelm if not used moderately.

    It is often a good idea to increase the flavoring in a given recipe to mask some of the flavors. For example, increase the lemon, vanilla, spices, etc. After texture, flavor is the biggest drawback to many gluten-free flours.

    …… and don’t forget the xanthan gum!

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
    Posted in gluten-free, gluten-free baking | 2 Comments »

    The never ending search for the perfect gluten-free flour blend

    Sunday, December 6th, 2009

    Sweet sorghum growing

    Sorghum growing

    THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED HERE

    For the most part, in gluten-free baking I have settled on a blend of flours that works in most recipes. It contains enough *carrier* flours and *functional* flours to yield good results. I generally use this blend for about 1/2 to 3/4 of the flour in a recipe and combine a few favorite flours for the balance of the flour. I find myself using a lot of buckwheat, additional sorghum, coconut, quinoa, amaranth and oats in various combinations, as suits the recipe.  The decision of what to use is based on the desired texture and flavor of the final product.  Most of these flours do not have flavors you want peaking through in your baked good.  Coconut flour in moderation, buckwheat flour and sorghum flour are the obvious exceptions.  Both coconut and buckwheat add a great flavor element to a recipe.  Sorghum is fairly neutral in flavor, while giving a great lightness of texture.  Introducing these flours into a recipe also enhances the nutritional value of gluten-free baked goods, which with lots of starches can be quite low.

    In some cases, I find the flour mix without the sorghum is preferred. The choice is really just a way to vary textures in the final products. Often in recipes with this blend, I add sorghum in on its own in larger quantity than in the sorghum mix. Sometimes I use the concentrated starch properties of this blend in combination with other “carrier” flours to carry out a recipe.

    So here for your consideration are the two gluten-free blends I have been using. I keep some of each made up at all times. I use far more of the second blend which is really just a sorghum enriched variation of the first.

    GLUTEN-FREE BLEND #1

    • 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
    • 1 cup white rice flour
    • 1 1/4 cup garfava flour
    • 1 1/4 cup potato flour
    • 3/4 cup tapioca flour

    GLUTEN-FREE BLEND #2

    • 1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
    • 1 cup white rice flour
    • 1 1/4 cup garfava flour
    • 1 1/4 cup potato flour
    • 3/4 cup tapioca flour
    • 1.5 cup sorghum flour

    And don’t forget the xanthan gum!

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
    Posted in gluten-free baking, gluten-free flours | 2 Comments »

    An exercise in expanding on a recipe

    Monday, October 5th, 2009


    We are so proud of this recipe we had to share it and how it came to be. If you want to try our version, you can order them here (for a limited time only).

    Once upon a time, a small vegan bakery had a cookie order to fill. When the vegan baker arrived at work on the baking day she realized she had committed a big baking sin. She had not inventoried her ingredients the night before. And this led to the development of this recipe for… THE ULTIMATE VEGAN AND GLUTENFREE PUMPKIN COOKIE.

    This recipe provided the basis for a little early morning Gone Pie magic. Here it is with a little discussion of the changes we made and why. At the end of that is the new recipe.

    This is the original recipe:

    1/2 c. shortening
    We substituted 1/4c coconut oil and 1/4c mild vegetable oil
    We did this to omit the shortening, which contains palm oil. We do not consider palm oil vegan. (See this recent post on veganism to read more on that.) Coconut oil is deliciously rich if used in moderation. Vegetable oil (we used sunflower) is used to add a bit more oil for texture.

    1/2 c. granulated sugar
    1/2 c. firmly packed brown sugar
    We also added some brown rice syrup, which is great for making cookies more chewy.

    1 c. 100% pure pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
    More pumpkin please!

    1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
    1 c. chopped, toasted pecans

    2 c. all purpose flour
    In selecting flours to use, we wanted to consider the properties needed for taste and texture. The goal was a hearty gluten-free cookie and so we selected some really substantial flours. The usual Gone Pie gluten-free flour blend is a good base to build on. We added buckwheat and amaranth to make a heartier cookie. We added coconut for a background richness of flavor and tapioca for chewiness.

    1 tsp. baking powder
    1 tsp baking soda
    We cut both of these ingredients for less rise amd more chew!

    1 tsp cinnamon
    1/2 tsp. ginger
    We cut the ginger because the baker is obsessed with crystallized ginger and wanted to add some.

    1/4 tsp. nutmeg
    1/8 tsp. cardamom
    We messed with the spice quantities and types a bit.

    pinch salt
    We added more salt.  Pumpkin recipes NEED salt.

    That is it for adapting the recipe. But then to make it a bit more Gone Pie, we added some pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, chopped apricots, crystallized ginger and more spices.

    This is the final recipe:

    1/4 cup coconut oil
    1/4 cup vegetable oil
    1/2 cup vegan white sugar
    1/2 cup vegan brown sugar
    1 t vanilla

    Combine this in a mixer until smooth and creamy.

    1 1/2 cup pumpkin
    1/2 cup brown rice syrup

    Combine these two ingredients.

    3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend
    1/2 cup sorghum flour
    1/2 cup buckwheat flour
    4T tapioca flour
    2T amaranth flour
    4T coconut flour
    1/4 tsp ginger
    1 tsp cinnamon
    1 tsp nutmeg
    1/8 tsp cardamom
    1/8 tsp mace
    1/8 tsp allspice
    3/4 tsp baking powder
    3/4 tsp baking powder
    1/8 tsp salt
    1 t xanthan gum

    Combine all the dry ingredients.
    Add the remaining liquid and dry ingredients alternately.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 14 minutes. Our yield was 20 BIG cookies.
    Fold in nuts and fruits and seeds and whatever you want. Now make it yours!

    I think it is nice to start with a recipe as a point of departure. From there, have some fun and express yourself!!!!

    Tags: , , , , , , ,
    Posted in Recipes, gluten-free baking, gluten-free flours, vegan baking | 1 Comment »

    Nutritional facts on two more gluten-free flours

    Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

    As has become apparent on this blog, I am currently exploring gluten-free flour options.  Here are two more flours to consider.  I have chosen these two for their nutritional characteristics. I use such flours as an addition to a recipe.  Almost all of my recipes use the same  gluten-free flour blend as their base.

    Buckwheat is a non-grain alternative that is derived from a plant and is not actually a grain.  Despite its somewhat deceptive name it is not a form of wheat, but is a cousin of rhubarb.  It has a strong, somewhat nutty flavor and a high fiber content.  It is also a good plant source of protein.

    Ingredients: Buckwheat flour

    NUTRITION FACTS
    Serving Size 1/4 cup (30 g)
    Calories 110 Calories from fat 15
    Amount Per Serving – % Daily Value
    Total Fat 1.5g – 2%
    Saturated Fat 0g – 0%
    Trans Fat 0g – 0%
    Cholesterol 0mg – 0%
    Potassium 175mg – 5%
    Sodium 0mg – 0%
    Total Carbohydrates 20g – 7%
    Dietary Fiber 6g – 24%
    Sugars less than 1g
    Protein 5g
    Vitamin A 0%
    Vitamin C 0%
    Calcium 0%
    Iron 6%
    Thiamine 2%
    Riboflavin 4%
    Niacin 6%

    Amaranth, like quinoa,  is a plant with tiny grain like seeds.   It too contains a good amount of protein and fiber as well as dietary minerals.

    Ingredients: Amaranth flour

    NUTRITION FACTS
    Serving Size 1/4 cup (30 g)
    Calories 110 Calories from fat 18
    Amount Per Serving – % Daily Value
    Total Fat 2g – 3%
    Saturated Fat .5g – 1%
    Trans Fat 0g – 0%
    Cholesterol 0mg – 0%
    Sodium 0mg – 0%
    Total Carbohydrates 20g – 7%
    Dietary Fiber 3g – 12%
    Sugars 0g
    Protein 4g
    Vitamin A 0%
    Vitamin C 2%
    Calcium 4%
    Iron 12%

    As I work with these flours I will post more on how they effect the final product.

    Tags: , , ,
    Posted in gluten-free flours | Comments Off