Kiki’s Corner: Getting creative with gluten-free baking, cooking
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All these years that I have been into baking and cooking I can't recall hearing much about gluten free recipes and diets till the past few years.
All of a sudden it seems people are restricted from wheat flour and how do you tell a child they cannot eat their birthday cake because it has gluten that they are allergic to … Or how to tell an adult that likes beer that they can no longer drink beer? How many people that love pasta and different breads are no longer permitted to consume them. Thank goodness they have came up will all kind of gluten free foods like spaghetti, breads, sweets, and many other items. The downside to the gluten free items is that they are very very expensive but I recently realized when I went to get something for a friend and noticed the positive aspect that there are numerous items to choose from that are gluten free.
We are fortunate for so far no one in our family is allergic to gluten but one is allergic to pistachios, cashews and of all things horses. (I wish I was allergic to sweets to help me avoid them) LOL.
I like gardening but found out this year I have to be very careful around poison ivy and oak which I found out the hard way that poison ivy is three leaves and poison oak has five leaves. I finally ended up having to take antibiotics and three additional pills prescribed by my doctor to get rid of the blisters and itchiness. So my advice in case you do not recognize poison ivy and oak is to go online and see what it looks like so that you will be able to avoid them.
Getting back to the gluten free and think about it the people who must be careful use two or three different flours. If you find out you are allergic to gluten products it becomes a very difficult task and adjustment to re-adjust from ordinary foods to gluten free foods. It takes an extra effort and control when you are the only one in the family that must avoid foods that contain gluten and also hard for the person preparing your foods.
I understand that celiac disease is much more common than most people realize with millions of individuals affected so be sure to have your doctor check it out if you have any symptoms such as bloating, stomach pains, skin rash or teeth discoloration.
As for an update on my tomato plants -- So far I am up to 20 red tomatoes and they look so good I hate to pick them.. The best move I made was planting them in five-gallon buckets and don't have to worry about weeds … LOL. Me and weeds do not get along.
Remember !!! -- I will be the Celebrity Chef at the Blennerhassett Hotel restaurant the entire month of September for their evening dinner.
Till next week
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GLUTEN-FREE BANANA BREAD
Gluten free flour mix
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 bananas, ripe and mashed.
Mix the dry ingredients of gluten-free flour mix, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the eggs, milk, vanilla extract oil and sugar in a large bowl, combined the wet and dry ingredients, mash the bananas then fold into the batter. Pour into a pan covered with baking spray and parchment, bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
PS. Xanthan gum is the substance you are looking for on the ingredient list which helps to thicken baked goods if you happen to simply have gluten-free flour then add 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum per cup of gluten free flour in the recipe.
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GLUTEN-FREE PIZZA CRUST
1 cup warm water about 110F
1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
1 1/2 instant yeast,
1 1/4cups gluten-free 1:1 baking flour (210 grams )
1/ 4 cup almond flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
2 tablespoons olive oil.
Combine the warm water and sugar in a glass measuring cup, whisk to combine. While the yeast is proofing for 3 to 4 minutes, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and psyllium husk powder in the bowl of a stand mixer. With the mixture running on low, slowly add the yeast mixture and oil. Increase the speed to medium -high and beat for 3-4 minutes. Using an oiled spatula press the dough off the sides into a ball ,cover and let it rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 425F. Oil a 12 inch round pizza pan. Using oiled or wet hands, press the dough into the pan. The dough will shrink slightly as it bakes so press the dough as thin as you can to cover the pan. Let it be rise for another 10 minutes. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, remove from the oven and add desired toppings, bake for another 10-15 minutes depending on toppings, let cool for a few minutes before slicing.
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OREO CAKE
(This is not a gluten-free recipe)
2 sticks (one cup) unsalted butter room temperature
1 3/4 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg whites
1 1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk (I use skim)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup crushed Oreos.
Oreo Frosting
2 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup finely blended Oreos
To top the cake Oreo crumbs and mini Oreos
Preheat the oven to 350F, spray a 9 x 13" pan with nonstick cooking spray. In the mixing bowl combine the butter and sugar beat using an electric mixer 1-2 Minutes until fluffy. Add in the egg whites with a mixture about 30 seconds. Add in the sour cream milk and vanilla extract. Beat lightly with the electric mixer. In a separate mixing bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients a few teaspoons at a time. Add in the crushed Oreos. Mix until just incorporated. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a few moist crumbs remain on a toothpick when inserted into the center. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting. I baked my cake in a glass pan which is slower to heat up, Meaning the baking time for a glass pan it would be longer than it will be for the metal pan. Remember every oven and pan is different.
Oreo Frosting. In a mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer until fluffy, add in vanilla extract. Begin to add the powdered sugar about 1 sugar cup at a time mixing by hand. Continue adding powdered sugar until the frosting no longer looks wet and tastes good to you. Add in the finely blended Oreos. Then I use my electric mixer one last time to make sure the powder sugar is really incorporated and ready to go. If the frosting becomes too thick add a dash of milk or heavy cream. Spread the butter cream on top of the cake, be sure to reserve some butter cream for swirls to top the cake if you would like. For an extra fancy presentation after I evenly spread the cookies and cream buttercream over the cake, I lightly sprinkled Oreo crumbs on the top and then I add mini Oreos.