When Sue mentioned a post on Gluten Free I hesitated. While that is the diet I have to eat I am certainly no expert on it. However I can and will pass along the recipes I have tried that have worked for me. For breading, thickening sauces and gravies I have had good luck just subbing in GF All Purpose flour any brand though I do use King Arthur as it is the brand I like the best of the ones I have tried. However, if you are going to try baking Gluten Free you should always use the flour brand called for in the recipe. Every Blend is different. They can and do use different ingredients and different amounts of ingredients. Gluten Free Flours are not cheap and you want to not waste them. I do keep rice flour on hand but not all rice flours are Gluten Free. Cornmeal is Gluten Free so you can use it just not with regular flour added. READ THE LABELS!
What I won’t and don’t do is keep and mix my own flour blend. Maybe if I still had kids and teenagers with Celiac I might. My daughter is also Celiac but she has her own household so it is not something I have to worry about.
If the baking recipes I post are Gluten Free it will be with King Arthur flour and usually their recipe. If you don’t use the flour called for the results could be quite different.
There are many items in the stores that are Gluten Free and all fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts are GF. Most Chocolate Chips are, read the label. No need to buy that expensive bag of Chocolate Chips from the GF shelf. Cornstarch, Arrowroot and UltraGel are Gluten Free and Argo Corn Starch has recipes on their web site that are Gluten Free, usually no flour involved. Another place to check on what you are buying is your Grocery Store’s web site.
There are many items in the stores that are Gluten Free and all fruits, vegetables, fish, and nuts are GF. Most Chocolate Chips are, read the label. No need to buy that expensive bag of Chocolate Chips from the GF shelf. Cornstarch, Arrowroot and UltraGel are Gluten Free and Argo Corn Starch has recipes on their web site that are Gluten Free, usually no flour involved. Another place to check on what you are buying is your Grocery Store’s web site.
I have bought mixes to try, the cake mixes I don’t recommend unless you have to bake a cake in a hurry. They are heavy and grainy. Pancake mixes on the other hand seem to work well with most brands. However not all syrups are GF. Johnsonville Smoked Brats and Hormel all beef hot dogs are safe and Hormel has a list on their web site.
Get creative and try a new recipe or an old recipe you have and making it GF. Just don’t do it with baking. I have found that most of the flours have recipes on their web sites that work well using their brand as that is what they are designed for.
I'm glad that GF is one thing I do not have to worry about. I do have to watch my sugar and fat. That is hard enough for me to do.
ReplyDeleteNot along with watching sugar and fat. That would not leave a whole you could eat.
DeleteYou are so right about the difference in the GF flours. I do not like to use coconut, too sweet, or almond, too gritty. I do mix my own with a combination of 4 GF flours and it works as a substitute for all regular flour recipes. Good luck on your GF journey!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I decided not to mix my own flour as cooking for one I don't use it as much as I did. The premixed flours last me a long time and cornstarch makes a good substitute.
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