Gluten-free Sandwich Bread

I make this and my children love it way more than earlier attempts at gluten-free bread making.  I am glad to say this tastes good, slices well, and has a good texture.

The dough is soft.

My flour mix (this varies depending on what I have on hand): 
1 part brown rice flour
1 part sorghum flour
1 part millet and buckwheat flour mix 
(I also add amaranth flour and flax meal if I feel like it, or use just millet and no buckwheat.)

Bread:
2 1/2 cups of flour mix
1 cup glutinous rice flour (aka sweet rice flour)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (or guar)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup oil (I use canola)
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup warm water

Smooth the dough with wet hands.

In a stand mixer blend the flours, brown sugar, xanthan gum (or guar), yeast, and salt until combined.  Add oil, eggs, and water and mix on low, then medium high for about 3 minutes.  The consistency is not like bread dough made with wheat flour - it is much softer.  Scoop out into a lightly oiled bread pan and let rise for at least an hour, or until double in size.  Sometimes it takes a long, long time.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes.  Let cool and then slice.  

This slices and freezes well. 

If you have more time, make a sponge first with 2 cups warm water, 2 cups flour, and the yeast and sugar. Mix until smooth and let it sit for at least 40 minutes or up to a few hours. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix with a stand mixer for about 3 minutes. Scoop the dough into pans and let rise and then bake. Making a sponge improves the flavor. 

Here is Laura's variation. It has no rice or millet, more xanthan gum, and is good with cinnamon and raisins.
4 cups sorghum flour
1 1/2 cup tapioca
1 1/2 cup potato starch
8 tablespoons sugar
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 tablespoons yeast
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs
2 1/2 cups warm 

Mix in a stand mixer for 3 minutes.

Gluten Free/Dairy Free Chocolate Cake

This is from the back of the Hershey’s Cocoa box.  With a couple of small changes, it is a great gluten free cake. 

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1 ¾ cups GF flour mix (brown rice, millet, sorghum, tapioca and potato starch make a good mix—about 2/3 grain, 1/3 starch)

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

¾ cup cocoa powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk (coconut, almond, your favorite…)

½ cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Directions:

1.  Heat the oven to 350⁰.  Grease and flour two 9 inch cake pans.

2.  Mix together sugar, flour, xanthan gum, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.  Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla.  Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes.  Stir in the boiling water.  The batter will be thin.  Pour into prepared pans.

3.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until done.  Cool in pans for about 10 minutes or so before removing from pans and cooling on a rack.  Frost when it is completely cool.

Christy and Sarah’s Chocolate Frosting

The cake pictured is frosted with this delicious chocolate frosting.  It is very glossy and pretty.  And easy to make corn free as well!

Ingredients:

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa

½ cup plus 1 tablespoon boiling water

2 ¼ cups butter

¼ cup granulated OR powdered sugar

½ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ pounds semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

1.  Combine cocoa and boiling water.  Stir until dissolved.  Add in butter, sugar and salt and beat until light and fluffy.  Add melted chocolate.

2.  Frost cooled cake, cupcakes, cookies, or whatever sounds good.

Hershey’s Chocolate Frosting

Here is another option for frosting the cake.  There are lots of good choices!

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

2/3 cup cocoa powder

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk (coconut, almond, your favorite…)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Melt the butter.  Stir in the cocoa powder.  Alternate stirring in the powdered sugar with the milk and vanilla.  Beat until it is smooth and spreadable.

2.  Spread over cooled cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.  It makes about 2 cups.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Gluten Free (Flourless) Peanut Butter Cookies

Thanks to Martha Stewart and her amazing cookie recipes.

1 c peanut butter
3/4 c sugar
1 egg (egg replacer works extremely well)
1/2 t baking soda

Mix everything together.
Roll and press with a sugared fork.
Bake at 350 for 14 min.

Additions if wanted:
Chocolate chips
Peanuts

Jicama Salad

Tonight for dinner I experimented with a new vegetable for me, Jicama.  Years ago my aunt shared with me this light and crunchy treat and I have never tried cooking with it until today.

I served this salad with boiled baby red potatoes and grilled salmon.  My family loved it.  They told me that it tasted like summer time.

Jicama Salad

1 medium size jicama
1 cucumber
1 yellow pepper
2 oranges
2 tbs of chopped scallions, just the green part
1 big handful of cilantro
2 walnut sized limes
1/3 cup of canola oil
sea salt, to taste

Peel the jicama and cut it into matchsticks.  Chop up the yellow pepper, the oranges (after you peel them), scallions, and the cilantro.  Put all of the chopped vegetables and fruit into a bowl.  Juice the two limes.  Add the juice, oil, and salt for the dressing. Toss and serve.

Chicken Satay

This is just a really tasty dinner.  I have a decided taste preference for anything Asian. I also like it because it is already dairy and gluten free without any adaptations.  

Chicken Satay:

1 lb chicken breast (or beef steak)
3/4 cup coconut milk
2-3 tablespoon curry paste (just curry power works too, in much smaller quantities)
2-3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce ( I substitute gluten free soy sauce)

Cut chicken or beef into thin strips.  Whisk sauce ingredients together and evenly coat meat. Marinate.  You can skewer the meat or just cook it on a cookie sheet un-skewered (which I always do, less to clean up).  Broil  till done, you may want to stir it once when half done. It doesn't take long. 

Peanut Sauce:

1-2 tablespoon curry paste (or curry powder like 1/2 teaspoon or less)
1 cup of coconut milk (this is the balance of the can from the chicken marinade)
1/4 cup peanut butter (chunky is better, but creamy is fine)
2 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice

Just put all the ingredients in a saucepan and boil, then simmer for about 10 min. This can be served warm or at room temperature.  If you let it cool to room temperature it will settle to a nice creamy consistency.

I always serve this with rice and steamed broccoli.  It is amazingly delicious to dip the broccoli in the sauce, so make sure you prepare lots of it.   

Gluten-Free Cream Puffs

Cream puff filled with strawberry coconut ice cream

Cream puffs are great gluten free because they have so many eggs they hold together well.  They are a good replacement for croissants for sandwiches like with chicken salad sandwiches and are great for dessert with pudding, ice cream and whipped cream. And best of all they are super easy to make. 

1 stick of butter

1cup water

¼ t salt

1cup flour (it is not picky about the type of flour with all the eggs I use my normal mix)

4 eggs

Preheat oven to 425F

Melt butter, add water and bring to a boil.  Turn off unit and add flour and salt all at once and stir with a wooden spoon until it forms a ball.
This is what it should look like 

Add the eggs two at a time mixing well after each addition. 

Drop by tablespoons onto ungreased pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (try not to open the oven so they don't fall).  If they fall right after you taken them out of the oven they are under cooked so you will have to eat them all and make them again to cook them a little longer.    

When the shells are cool fill them with something yummy (I would suggest making pudding from Brooke's coconut pie filling).   
.

The Easiest Granola Ever

And it is really good!! This is adapted from America’s Test Kitchen d.i.y cookbook. It is crunchy, not too sweet, and very flexible. Honey makes the flavor much stronger than the maple syrup. If you can eat GF oats, this is a great recipe. It is simple and much less expensive than store bought GF granola. And you can make it however you like it! 

1/3 cup maple syrup (or honey, agave, whatever) 

1/3 cup packed brown sugar 

4 teaspoons vanilla

½ teaspoon of salt 

½ cup canola oil 

5 cups gluten free old fashioned rolled oats 

2 cups of coarsely chopped nuts, seeds, flaked coconut, etc. 

2 cups dried fruits (if you feel like it) 

 
1. Heat the oven to 350*. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a Silpat mat. Oil a stiff flat spatula.

2. Whisk together the liquid ingredients. Stir in the dry ingredients (but not the fruit) until everything is well-coated. 

3. Spread the mixture on the prepared baking sheet and compress the mixture firmly with the oiled spatula. Bake until light brown, about 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Cool on a rack for one hour and then break into pieces. Add fruit at this point, if desired. Store in an airtight container for up to a month or so.