life after gluten

I am such a fan of the magical properties of wheat flours that I am probably the last person in America to experiment with gluten-free baking. But so many people are asking for gluten-free baked goods that I decided it was my duty to drag my head out of the sand and spend the afternoon in a wheat-free kitchen.

It turns out that the author of one of my favorite pastry blogs, http://www.cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com/ has been trying to get wheat out of her diet, so I turned to her for some recipe inspiration.

Her Chocolate Chip Cookies, made with a gluten-free baking mix instead of wheat flour, were so crispy and delicious that my kids (who didn't realize they were guinea-pigs-for-a-day) said they were the best chocolate chip cookies they'd ever tasted.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

4 oz non-hydrogenated shortening

4 oz brown sugar

2 oz sugar

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

8 oz Gluten Free Baking Mix (such as Bob's Red Mill)

1/2 tsp xanthan gum

5 1/2 oz chocolate chips

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the shortening and sugars until well combined. Add the egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Dump dough on a lightly floured surface and shape into a log that is about 3" in diameter. Wrap in parchment or plastic and refrigerate at least an hour.

Cut the log into 1/2" disks and bake at 375F about 12 minutes, until edges are brown but center is slightly soft.

One of the things that really interests me about this "alternative" baking is the history of the flours themselves.

The Lemon-Pistachio Cupcakes here are made with millet flour... a grain that originated in China 5000 years ago. I ground pistachios to a fine meal in a food processor for this recipe, which was like a delicious, moist tea cake.

The Chocolate-Banana Cupcakes were made with teff-- a grain I had never heard of! Turns out it's another ancient grain, a favorite in Ethiopia. I couldn't find teff flour, which the recipe called for, so I ground my own flour in my spice grinder--very easy. The kids gobbled up the chocolate cupcakes, but were lukewarm on the lemon. Both cupcakes were so sweet that a sprinkling of powdered sugar seemed a better option than icing.

Most of these flours are packaged by Bob's Red Mill, an Oregon company that specializes in whole and organic grains. I can find the largest selection at Whole Foods, but many are available at markets like Safeway.

Finally, I made Lemon-Lime Meltaway Cookies with amaranth (from pre-Columbian Aztec days...), sweet rice, sorghum and almond flours. They had a lovely flavor and a slightly sandy texture, which I didn't mind.

I won't be giving up my beloved wheat flours anytime in the near future.... but it was interesting and delicious to take a walk on the gluten-free side!