Gluten-Free Baking: It's Not as Scary as it Seems!

Really, I promise.

Gluten-free baking seems so daunting. There's the xanthan gum, multiple flour varieties and the addition of really odd ingredients like vinegar, dough enhancer, and ricotta cheese. I used to be intimidated by it and avoided baking for myself whenever possible. And that was a shame because I love baking and GF baking isn't as hard as it seems.

I was brought back to my former timid GF baker self by our Thesis Coffee Break this past Wednesday. A few of our thesis writers also happen to be GF, since we were serving coffee, tea and gluten-full cookies and I didn't want anyone to be left out, I promised to bring some GF treats. One of our GF writers remarked she rarely had cookies because she couldn't figure out xanthan gum and usually her Mom baked for her. Now I am all for Mom-made GF goodies, in fact, my Mom makes some awesome GF molasses cookies from my great-grandmother's recipe that I never manage to blog about because they're always gone by the time I think to take a picture! Hey, if Mom can do it, so can you!

I made these Snickerdoodles using a recipe from Betty Crocker which I changed so slightly, I can't in good conscience post it here. But, what I did is a great starting point for the novice gluten-free baker: find a gluten-free flour mix that you like and just substitute it for the flour in the regular recipe. Yes, this is more expensive than mixing your own flours, but it's convenient and takes away the guesswork of using xanthan gum. I recommend Namaste's Prefect Flour Blend or Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix. Once you get the hang of things, they're also super-convenient for quick baking (like when you're making a batch of cookies on a Tuesday night and have a paper due the next day).


Some GF baking tips:

• Embrace xanthan gum. A little goes a long way, most recipes need about a teaspoon. That little bag will last you a long, long time.
• Use a variety of flours. This, actually, is the secret to good GF baking - the more flours, the better the results! Just rice flour is going to result in cookie crumbs. A good standard combination is rice flour and tapioca flour, but don't be afraid to experiment: potato flour, sorghum flour and cornstarch also produce great results. If mixing your own GF flour is too intimidating, find a mix you love and buy it in bulk on Amazon.
• Fat. It has to be there. Xanthan gum and a variety of flours can't make up for the loss of gluten (which is mainly what holds baked goods together). The Snickerdoodles have shortening and butter. Many GF recipes call for a TON of butter. Cream cheese, ricotta cheese, yoghurt and sour cream can also work. You're GF baked goods won't often be healthy. Adopt Cookie Monster's revamped motto, "Cookies are a sometimes treat."
• Experiment! There are so many GF bloggers posting great recipes. Try a few, gain some confidence and starting making your own!

Here's a few GF blogs I follow:
Gluten Free on a Shoestring
Elana's Pantry
Simply . . . Gluten Free
Gluten Hates Me