Two Wheat-Free/Gluten Free Cookie Recipes, Revisited and Revised

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One of the things I hope to do from time to time on this blog is to share with you revisions I make to recipes when I attempt them again. Every time I recreate an old recipe, my hope is that I can find a way to make it better than ever. I originally posted a recipe for wheat and gluten-free raspberry gems in December 2010. The version I’m offering today contains walnuts rather than almonds and sunflower seeds, and additionally, I’ve slightly increased the amount of flour, vanilla and cinnamon, and adjusted the baking time and temperature. I first posted a recipe for wheat and gluten-free coconut-peanut macaroons in March of 2011, but last week I made these cookies again, with some revisions.  I’m convinced that the gluten-free versions of both these cookies taste as good, if not better, than the more conventional one. After the jump, you’ll find my updated recipes for both these cookies.  Let me know how you like them.

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Photos: Top--Wheat and gluten-free raspberry gems. Above--Wheat and gluten-free peanut-coconut macaroons.

Wheat-Free/Gluten-Free Baking: The Secret of These Rich, Dense Brownies? Sweet Potatoes

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Most of us agree that brownies are a delicious treat, but can they actually be good for you? Since “good for you” is a relative term, I’d guess that compared to a platter of steamed kale, even these brownies don’t rank too high.  But compared to conventional brownies, these are down right sin free. I’ve learned that most people prefer their brownies rich and dense, rather than light and cake-y, so that’s what I’ve aimed for. Sweet potato puree makes these brownies nutritionally rich and keeps them moist, but balancing the natural bitterness of unsweetened chocolate requires a good bit of maple syrup, so serve in small portions. As an experiment, I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free all-purpose baking flour which contains garbanzo, tapioca, sorghum and fava flours as well as potato starch, but in the future, I think I’d use a combination of half brown rice flour and half quinoa flour. While I enjoy this sort of challenge, it may be a bit of a fool’s errand: people highly concerned with nutrition may think these brownies too decadent, while lovers of traditional brownies will likely find this recipe too spartan. Oh well. If this project intrigues you, make this recipe and let us know what you think. Recipe after the jump.

Wheat Free/Gluten-Free Baking: Walnut-Apricot Muffins For Breakfast Or Anytime

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You know that something has gone mainstream when The New York Times begins writing about it. Yesterday, the Times reported that gluten-free baked items have gotten good enough that you might want to eat them even if you don’t need to. “Gluten-free baked goods have become tastier as demand for them has risen, ” Melissa Clark writes. “More Americans — about 6 percent of the population, according to the Center for Celiac Research at the University of Maryland — have found that gluten, in wheat, barley and rye, causes health problems. What had been a niche market has become mainstream.” All in all, it’s an informative article with half a dozen recipes and a slide show with links to many more.

Because it sounds like something I’d want to eat, a recipe for apricot-walnut muffins caught my eye. Based on one by Shauna James Ahern who blogs as The Gluten Free Girl, it looks good, but shares a problem I find with many similar recipes: it contains ingredients I try to avoid, like sugar and milk. My response was, of course, to go into the kitchen and see if I couldn’t come up with a recipe that is not only gluten-free, but also free of dairy and refined sugar as well. After the jump, you’ll see my recipe. It may not be the final answer, but I’m satisfied with it for now.  I used quinoa flour as the base, and added flax seeds for nutrition and texture. You can substitute flours and other ingredients, of course, but if you are serious about gluten-free baking, you’ll want to take a look at Ms Ahern’s blog, which is full of good information. For now, why not whip up some gluten, dairy and refined sugar-free muffins?

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These Coconut Date Bars Will Satisfy Your Sweet Tooth, Naturally

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It seems to me that dates, coconut and rolled oats just plain go together. These not-too-sweet bars will satisfy your sweet tooth, and leave you  feeling that you’ve eaten something nutritionally sound. Even in vegan and vegetarian cookbooks, that combination can be hard to come by. If you want to make these bars gluten free, substitute quinoa flakes for the rolled oats and brown rice flour for the whole wheat pastry flour. It’s a simple recipe–if you try it, let me know how you like it. Recipe after the jump…

Trail Mix Cookies: Two Recipes, One Gluten Free, One Not

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Trail Mix Cookies, (left), Gluten Free Trail Mix Cookies, (right).

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I’d always assumed that trail mix was a creation of the back-to-nature hippie movement in the 1960’s.  Apparently though, it goes back a little bit further than that, as Jack Kerouac mentions it in his classic 1958 novel, The Dharma Bums. Whatever its origin, trail mix gets its name because it’s a light weight, easy to store, nutritious food to take along while hiking or camping. And wouldn’t it be even easier to eat if it came in cookie form?  Now, it does.  Seeds, nuts, dried fruit, cereal–everything you want in a trail mix can be packed into a cookie. I’ve also come up with a version which replaces rolled oats and wheat flour with quinoa flakes and brown rice flour, making it gluten free. Friends who came around for tea gave the gluten free version a hearty thumbs up–in fact it they wouldn’t have noticed the difference if I hadn’t told them. Both regular and gluten free recipes are after the jump…

Wheat Free/Gluten Free Baking: Coconut-Chocolate Chip Cookies

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It used to be that nearly all cookie recipes called for wheat flour as the ingredient which kind of held everything together. While that’s often still the case,  now we have not only a variety  of flours such as millet, corn, soy, rice and quinoa to choose from, but also a growing number of people sensitive to wheat and gluten. So, in the last year or two I’ve been experimenting with wheat and gluten-free baking.  I’m learning how to substitute other flours and still achieve a slightly different, but still excellent result.  As I experiment, I’m sharing these recipes with you if they turn out reasonably well (total disasters I will keep to myself!). I’m learning as I go, so consider these recipes provisional, and check back for updates when I find ways to improve them. Today’s cookie, a coconut chocolate chip, won’t win any beauty contests, but I think it tastes pretty darn good, though serious chocolate lovers may want to add more chips. So,  consider this recipe provisional too–I hope to return to it and make it better as my knowledge of gluten-free baking develops (click here for more of my wheat and gluten free recipes). Full recipe after the jump…

Latin Flavors: Wheat and Gluten Free Peanut Macaroons

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On the theory that you can never have too many cookie recipes, here’s another, which happens to be wheat and gluten free. I was inspired to make these cookies by a menu I put together with a Latin American theme. The cultivation of peanuts, you might be surprised to learn, began seven or eight thousand years ago in Paraguay or Bolivia, and when the Spanish arrived in Mexico  in the 1500’s, they found them for sale in the marketplaces of what is now Mexico City. Moist in the middle, slightly crunchy on the outside, if you love the taste of peanuts combined with coconut, I think you’ll like this cookie (my recipe for coconut macaroons is here). See my peanut macaroon recipe after the jump…

Great Food Fast: Poppadoms–As Much Fun to Eat As to Say!

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Find poppadoms (spelling varies) dried in packages at Indian and well-stocked natural food markets (these are flavored with black pepper).

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I’m not sure why, but the word “poppadom” just puts a smile on my face. The word is so ridiculously fun to say. They are also ridiculously easy and fun to make and to eat. So what are they? Poppadoms are a thin, crisp cracker made of chickpea, urid lentil, rice or potato flour which trace their origin to India.  Sometimes flavored with chili, cumin, garlic or black pepper, they can be eaten instead of bread with a meal, or served as an appetizer or snack with various toppings, dips or chutneys. Who doesn’t like something crisp and slightly salty to nibble on? Find them dried in packs of 10-14 in Indian or well-stocked natural food markets. Preparation takes just a few minutes. Heat an inch of light vegetable oil in a large skillet. When the oil is very hot, but not smoking, using a tongs, dip one poppadom in the oil for 2-3 seconds, turn it over and fry the other side for 2 seconds more, remove from the oil, shake off the excess oil and drain on paper towels.  Continue until they’re all fried. That’s it.  The poppadom expands magically and is in the oil so briefly it doesn’t have time to soak up very much. Kids will enjoy watching poppadoms being made, but because of the hot oil involved, the younger ones should probably remain spectators. Cucumber raita would be an apt accompaniment, as would any saucy dish.

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Fry poppadoms in an inch of oil and the result is a crisp cracker. (photo by Charles Haynes/via Flickr)

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Indian-in-Inspiration Saffron Sesame Crunch Bars

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A month ago I posted a recipe for the Pumpkin Seed-Sesame Crunch Bars which were a hit at my New Year’s open house. For some reason, I can’t stop playing around with this recipe! My goal is to make the bars firmer and crunchier.  Today’s bars stray quite a bit from last month’s, although the concept is the same: a crisp, candy-like bar, full of seeds, and modeled on the halvah made from sesame seeds which is popular in the Balkan countries and parts of the Middle East. Today’s version is inspired by an Indian treat called gajjak, which is flavored exotically with saffron, cardamom and rose water.  Like the original recipe, today’s version is a snap to make (the only hard part is the shopping). Rose water is a common ingredient in sweets from the Middle East, particularly Iran, and east to India. You’re most likely to find it in stores specializing in foods from those regions, although a well-stocked gourmet foods store also should have it.  If you do find it, it’s not expensive and has a long shelf life. In any case, it’s an interesting addition to this recipe, but not essential–so don’t drive across town just to buy some.  Let me know how you like this version (recipe after the jump).

Menu of the Week: Welcome to My New Year’s Day Open House

Frank Melanson, my design adviser (and sous chef for the weekend), prepares red potatoes for roasting.

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Many years ago I noticed that those of us who have little-to-no interest in football didn’t have much to do on New Year’s Day. That realization inspired me to invite friends over for an open house, and I’ve been doing it annually ever since.  It being my open house, it’s very much centered on food. Sometimes I do an ethnic theme, sometimes an assortment of dishes I’ve enjoyed making during the year, and sometimes my friends are guinea pigs for culinary experimentation.  Thirty to forty people drop in to my cozy abode during the afternoon, and it is the only large-scale entertaining I do at home all year. In order not to be stressed, I like to plan the menu a week to ten days ahead, to do the shopping two days ahead, and to do nearly all the prep and cooking a day ahead. I began by using paper and plastic, but I’ve since acquired all the plates, silver, glasses and napkins I need, so nothing gets thrown away. As my friends are an eclectic group, I have vegetarian and vegan dishes, and usually at least one involving fish or fowl. When I’m in the middle of a mountain of prep, I typically wonder if it is worth all the work, but later, seeing so many people I love gathered in my home, I just feel happy.  And the warm, energetic afterglow lingers on for hours after the final guest has departed.  As for the work,  some good friend always steps forward to pitch in.  So, to all those who’ve helped, and to all those who’ve attended my open houses, I say a deep “thank you.”  Menus for my 2011 and 2010 open houses and a recipe for pumpkin and sesame seed crunch bars appear after the jump…

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Pumpkin and Sesame Seed Crunch Bars (wheat and gluten free), recipe after the jump.