Men, women and children from all of the country are making the switch to gluten-free eating. Some of them are diagnosed with celiac disease; some have issues with ADD etc. In the beginning it may seem like many of your favorite foods like breads, cakes and cookies are now on the forbidden food list. We’ve come a long way since the early days of gluten free living. There are now thousands of products and many thousand gluten-free recipes out there for you to enjoy. This gluten free oatmeal cookie recipe is one of my personal favorites.

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Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup light-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup regular sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cups gluten-free flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 cups gluten free oats
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Soften the butter on the counter so it will be easier to work with. Cream the butter and both the brown and regular sugar with a hand mixer or use your kitchen mixer. The egg and vanilla should be incorporated next. Take your time and keep blending until you have a smooth, creamy mixture.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda, gum, cinnamon and salt. Give those dry ingredients a good stir, then work it into the egg mixture. Add the oats and then the raisins (if you are using them) to the batter and stir until they are well mixed in.

Scoop one tablespoon of batter onto a greased baking sheet per cookie. Keep working until you have your cookie sheet filled up. I like to work with two large spoons to do this, but a melon scooper or small ice cream scooper work as well.

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The cookies will need to bake for about 12 minutes. A golden brown color will let you know that it’s time to take the oatmeal cookies out of the oven. Let the cookies cool for a good five minutes on the sheet, then move them to a wire rack. Store the finished cookies in a zip-lock bag.

This recipe makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Of course you don’t have to bake all your cookies and other gluten-free treats from scratch. You can get all kinds of baking mixes and even finished gluten free products at local grocery stores and online at websites that specialize in gluten-free products. They are the perfect alternative. There are even some premade cookies that you can purchase that taste pretty decent.

In short, you do not have to give up on your favorite treats when you have to switch to eating gluten free.

When you just learn that you have to eat a gluten-free diet and first start trying to bake things without wheat flour, it becomes rapidly apparent that wheat is the best thing in the world to make bread out of. But you can’t use wheat, so you are faced with having to learn what all these other kinds of flours are. Many of these flours are costly and temperamental. With others it can be hard to find a place to buy them. Even worse, it can be hard to figure out which ones are good for what.

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Most of these are used by gluten-free bakers to mix along with other flours into versatile mixes which are put together ahead of time and then kept around for when the person wants to do some baking.

Amaranth – This flour isn’t strong flavored but the flavor is malt-like and can be nutty. It is made from a plant seed and is nutritious with lots of protein. Should be used in mixes.

Arrowroot – A handy substitute for cornstarch, this is a actually a ground up root (as the name would indicate.) When substituting for cornstarch you use it one for one. Arrowroot stores on the shelf and isn’t very flavorful.

Buckwheat – It sounds like it must be wheat, but it isn’t. It is actually made from the ground seeds of a plant related to rhubarb. The flour is flavorful and has a dark color. Works really well for more robust whole grain breads.

Cornstarch – Flour that has been refined from corn. It has almost no flavor, and is used in mixes. It doesn’t go bad easily when stored in a cool dark place.

Garbanzo Bean – A.k.a. Chick Peas, the flour is very flavorful and contains lots of protein. It should be refrigerated.

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Garfava – Fava beans and garbanzos. Like the garbanzo bean flour, it has a strong flavor, but it stores better. You can use this flour as a substitute for rice flour. Has lots of protein. Good for a wide variety of baked goodies.

Millet – An excellent source of protein. Popular for breads. Millet has been cultivated for thousands of years and is a member of the grass family. The flavor is sweet and subtle. Best used in mixes. Works well in breads.

Potato – Popular as a thickening agent for stews, soups, and gravies. Ground dried pototoes. Bob’s Red Mill declares that potato flour imparts a “moist crumb.” Used sparingly in flour mixes. It tastes like potatoes (like one would expect) and stores well. Great for baking. Helps make dough elastic. Has more subtle flavor than Potato Flour.

Quinoa – Ground from seeds of a plant that is related to beets and spinach. The resulting flour is a good source of protien. The flavor is not strong. Works the best in flour mixes.

Brown Rice – Frequently used in breads, and a great flour mix ingredient. It is nutty and imparts a “whole grain” feel to breads. Has more flavor than white rice flour and needs to be refrigerated.

White Rice – One of the few flours on this list that is used alone in baking. It is ground white rice. Is still best when mixed with other flours. Baked goods are spongy and the flour imparts a light texture. Not very nutritious and much less flavorful. Stores nicely.

Sorghum – Has a sweet flavor. Contains B vitamins and protein. Should be used mixed with other flours. Good for all kinds of baked goodies. Easy to store.

Soy Flour – Should be refrigerated because of high protein content. Has nutty tasts. Works very well in mixes, especially when used with rice flour.

Tapioca – Although it isn’t called tapioca starch, it is the same product. Cassava root in ground form. Imparts a chewiness to gluten-free treats. Not very nutritious. Little flavor. Stores easily. Needs to be used in flour mixes.

Teff – Popular in flour mixes for cookies and bread. Very nutritious and contains protein, zinc, iron, calcium, and lots of fiber. Bob’s Red Mill says that teff is the smallest of grains.

Xanthan Gum – Xanthomonas campestris is a bacteria used to make xanthan gum from. Xanthan Gum absorbs moisture and becomes sticky. Handy for replacing gluten in baked goods. Used in very small amounts.

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Of course there are more kinds of flour than this, and more coming every day, but that’s a lot of kinds of flour. It is certainly more than we have in our kitchen. Check here if you are looking for more information on gluten-free diet how to Hopefully this list is useful to others.

If you have celiac (or cook for people who have it) I highly recommend that you try The Gluten Free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam. My family and guests have raved over every recipe that I’ve made from this book. Best of all, almond flour simplifies gluten-free baking by eliminating the need to use a costly mix of unusual flours.

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The book includes chapters on the following topics:

Using Almond Flour

Breakfast

Breads and Crackers

Entrees

Pies, Pastries, and Crusts

Cakes and Cupcakes

Cookies and Bars

Toppings, Syrups, and Sauces

I had never used almond flour before I bought this cookbook and it was a delightful surprise. It’s highly nutritious and has a wonderful taste and texture. I had given up on gluten-free baking because I didn’t want to have to find and keep 10 different kinds of obscure flours on hand and because I wasn’t happy with the results. Almond flour replaces the complex mixtures and makes gluten-free baking a breeze.

All of the recipes are simple, short and easy to make. They call for ingredients you’re likely to have on hand which makes it easy to try a new recipe on the spur of the moment. The first recipe I tried was the herb crackers. I have never seen my family devour a plate of crackers so quickly and with such relish. I now use this cookbook more than any other.

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I’m the only person in my family who has celiac and I greatly appreciate having a cookbook full of recipes that we all like. The recipes are also free of dairy and soy which makes them suitable for people allergic to those foods. But you don’t have to have a food allergy to love this cookbook! Elana Amsterdam has mastered the art of creating healthy, easy, delicious dishes that everyone can enjoy.

I highly recommend The Gluten Free Almond Flour cookbook and I’d also like to thank the author for helping to make our lives healthier and easier!

“CLICK HERE FOR YOUR SPECIAL HEALTHY  OFFER!”

What are gluten free flours?

Here’s a list of the ones that we know of or use regularly, but a form of flour can be made from a variety of dried ingredients so let us know if you’ve created something new!

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* Almond Meal – made from ground almonds
* Buckwheat Flour – made from a pink flower
* Gram Flour – made from ground chickpeas
* Potato Flour – made from ground potato starch
* Rice Flour – made from ground rice starch
* Cornflour – made from ground corn (check for 100% cornflour)
* Tapioca Flour – made from Cassava plant starch

Stay tuned for our upcoming feature, A-Z of gluten free substitutes.
7 tips for working with gluten free flour

1. Weigh Flour
Measure your flour by weight rather than by cups or teaspoons. Some flours are fine while others are very dense which means a recipe could be very different than you intended.

2. Play with your Food
You can learn a lot about how a particular type of flour works by simply taking a few teaspoons, adding a few drops of water and working it into dough. Some flours will simply not become stretchy as this is caused by the protein molecules (gluten) changing shape as the mixture is worked. Try adding a little bi-carb soda or some gluten free yeast and seeing what happens. This simple experiment will give you a physical idea of how each flour works and is an excellent way to learn how to work with them.

3. Deeper Pans
Gluten free breads and cakes don’t generally rise as well or hold their shape so you should consider using deeper pans to avoid a big mess, in particular with cakes, loaves, muffins and cupcakes.

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4. Substitute Practice
Don’t just restrict yourself to browsing gluten free recipes. Look at a variety of recipes then consider which flour or ingredient you could use to substitute. Most supermarkets sell a range of gluten free pre-mixed flours such as ‘self raising flour’ or ‘plain flour’ mix which can be used in place of self raising flour. But it is when you get creative that you will discover the best from your ingredients!
Many of our recipes will offer a gluten or dairy free suggestion in the recipe ingredients or method if we think an easy one is available. Watch for our new label icons coming soon for gluten free and other special diet meals.

5. Moist Ingredients
Make everything slightly moister than you would have before. Use ingredients like grated apple or apple juice to bring more natural sweetness and moisture to the mixture. Add vegetables like zucchini, finely grated, to savoury muffins – provided there’s some cheese and bacon in there we promise the kids won’t notice. Some people suggest adding an extra egg which also increases the protein content.

6. Bake with Flour Blends
If you are using the flour to create a coating for meat, to thicken a sauce or for anything basic you can get away with using a single flour but it is best to use a combination mix if you are going to be baking cakes, cookies, scones, flans or any baking which requires the object to rise. Use a pre-made mix if you can as it makes baking so much easier, but if you have particular intolerances and need to make a custom mix you can experiment to create a flour that works to your own taste buds.

7. Freeze Flour
Store your flour in the freezer if you are not going to use it regularly. In particular flour which is made from nuts or ground legumes can contain a lot of fat and this attracts moulds and bacteria if left in the heat. Airtight freezer containers or glad bags with portions measured can help keep gluten free flour fresh, but always on hand.

Gluten Free Self Raising Flour Mix Recipe

This is a simple recipe to create your own self raising flour mix to use in cupcakes, muffins, cakes or pies.

200 grams white rice flour
75 grams potato flour
Half a teaspoon of gum (guar, xanthin – use roughly ¼ teaspoon per cup of flour)
Half a teaspoon of cream of tartare
1 teaspoon of bicarb soda

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