A New Year, a new take on gluten free baking

A chapter-by-chapter preview of what's coming in 2015-- 400 pages of unique techniques and richly photographed recipes. No need to add binders and gums, no need to create special baking mixes, and no unusual or hard-to-find ingredients. My goal is to change the way you bake and view gluten-free baking.

the fundamentals of gluten-free baking 

Over 50 easy-to follow introductory pages lay out my baking philosophy—how to use the natural properties of real foods to create baked goods with superior taste and texture. Create the best gluten free baked goods and learn to substitute ingredients with confidence.

traditional breads and flatbreads

hot cross buns 

Old-fashioned warmly-spiced buns with hints of dried fruit. These will become a holiday favorite. Grain-free and nut-free.

pumpernickel rolls

Dark, chewy, and moist rolls perfect for deli sandwiches and substantial enough to hold a juicy burger and all its fixings. Grain-free and nut-free.

potato rosemary bread

New potatoes in this yeasted loaf create a moist, soft crumb that slices easily and cleanly for sandwiches. Pure simple ingredients with no gums or binders. Grain-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.

quick breads, breakfast foods, and muffins

flourless blueberry banana crepes

These moist crepes have only four main ingredients, including a touch of sour cream that pairs well with the fruit and adds a slight tang to the crepes. Grain-free and nut-free.

glazed yeast doughnuts

Melt-in-your mouth and squishy doughnuts. They puff up when fried and are the lightest gluten-free doughnut I’ve ever encountered. Grain-free and nut-free.

sunrise warming muffins

These unique muffins contain all kinds of anti-inflammatory ingredients like turmeric, ginger, rosemary, and green tea. They are sweet and hot and oh so comforting. Grain-free and nut-free.

savories

ravioli with creamy roasted garlic filling

Gluten free fresh ravioli is a rarity, but dairy-free ravioli is unheard of. This dough mixes easily and rolls out without a fuss—a combination of potato starch and mashed potatoes adds elasticity and a wonderful creamy flavor. Grain-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.

cheesy breadsticks

These addictive cheesy and crisp bread sticks can be prepared in minutes. The dough rolls out cleanly and easily. The recipe makes 30 12-inch bread sticks or make the dough ahead of time and bake fresh breadsticks whenever you want. Grain-free and nut-free.

shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée)

Just four ingredients plus salt, this is a piecrust that you can whip up in your food processor in minutes. It is durable enough to hold any fillings and shines as a stand-alone tart shell. Grain-free and nut-free.

cookies and bars

benne wafers

Sesame seeds are the stars in these thin, crispy, melt-in-your mouth wafers. Practically flourless, they are a South Carolina Low Country tradition. One batch makes 80 thin cookies. The wafers stay fresh in a tin for several weeks. Grain-free and nut-free.

fortune cookies

Remember when you used to be able to eat fortune cookies? The batter for these light and airy cookies is surprisingly simple to prepare, and the cookies can be the hit of your next dinner party. Grain-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.

yankee ginger snaps

“Snaps” is a bit of a misnomer with these soft and chewy ginger snaps bursting with flavor and molasses goodness. They also make your kitchen smell divine. Grain-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.

cakes

applesauce cake with brown sugar caramel glaze

This uncomplicated cake is just flour, sugar, oil, eggs, and apple sauce with spices and a little leavening. The creamy caramel glaze takes an ordinary applesauce cake and makes it a truly special dessert. Nut-free.

sponge shortcakes

This fool-proof sponge shortcake is both easy to make—just four main ingredients-- and extremely versatile  for use in many other types of desserts like tiramisu or trifles Grain-free and nut-free.

italian cream cake

This rich cake is studded with toasted pecans and topped with cream cheese icing. Definitely a show-stopper, but don’t be fooled by its looks. It is a easy to make as any traditional cake. Grain-free.

pies and desserts

chocolate lava bonbons

The inspiration for these bonbons was 1994 Pillsbury Bakeoff winning recipe: a Hershey’s Kiss wrapped in a brownie. They are fun to make and so satisfying to eat. Grain-free and nut-free.

fresh pear tart

This Anjou pear recipe with hints of orange and clove works just as well as an open-faced tart or with the crust as shown here. The pastry dough is  sweetcrust pastry (pâte sucrée,) another recipe found in this cookbook. Grain-free and nut-free.

fresh fruit cheesecake tartlets

These coconut-based tart shells are reminiscent of a macaroon with the flavor burst and crunch of cacao nibs. Topped with a light cheesecake filling and fresh seasonal berries, this is the perfect dessert for a summertime picnic or a no-fuss dessert to serve at an elegant dinner party. Grain-free and nut-free.

recipes featuring pre-made breads

blue potato pizza with red pepper confetti

Top an Against The Grain Pizza Shell with tomato sauce, cheese, blue potatoes and diced sweet red pepper or prepare the yeasted rising crust pizza dough (recipe in cookbook) for a colorful and delicious pizza. Grain-free and nut-free.

south-of-the-border grilled flatbread, vermont style

The rising crust pizza dough (recipe in cookbook) or an Against The Grain Pizza shell makes a very satisfying flatbread Panini on the grill. This one is made with Cabot Chipotle Cheddar cheese and local bacon. Grain-free and nut-free.

onion rings

These fried onion rings are battered and breaded with crumbs from Against The Grain Original Baguettes. Or make sourdough baguettes (recipe in cookbook) and save the leftovers for breadcrumbs. These are a plump and juicy treat. Grain-free and nut-free. 

Photography by Jennifer May.

Pre-order at amazon  http://tinyurl.com/k87kean

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Stuffed Spinach and Cheese Butternut Squash

Winter has come very early to southern Vermont. Not only did we have a white Thanksgiving to the tune of 13 inches of snow, we’ve had day upon day of ice. It seems like just yesterday that we were harvesting the last kale, chard, broccoli, and our meager two pumpkins from the garden.  Now it’s time to buy produce again, and we’re fortunate to have a number of local organic squash and root vegetables available. So when the weather looked like this for days upon days,

It seemed like a good excuse to make a hearty meal of stuffed butternut squash. 

This one was a pretty big fellow, and I erred by scooping out the squash too close to the edges, but this stuffed squash was a complete meal and a very satisfying one at that.

Ingredients:

1 medium butternut squash

2 Tablespoons butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 celery heart, finely chopped

½ Against The Grain Original Baguette, finely chopped

1 large egg

¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup fresh baby spinach, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and cut the squash length-wise into two halves. Scoop out the pulp and seeds and place the squash cut side down on the baking sheet. Bake until tender, about 50 to 60 minutes. Leave the oven on.

Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and celery just until tender, about three minutes. Remove from the heat and add the baguette, tossing the mixture until the bread is coated. Set aside to cool.

When the squash is done and cooled enough to handle, scoop out the flesh into a medium bowl, leaving enough of a wall to support the filling. Set the squash boats back on the baking tray, open side up.

When the squash flesh is cooled, add the baguette mix, egg, cheese, and spinach to the squash flesh and blend thoroughly.

Spoon the filling into the two squash boats and sprinkle with a little shredded parmesan. Bake on a medium rack for approximately 30 to 35 minutes until the filling is bubbling and the top becomes crusty.

Ooey-Gooey Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are one of those baked goods that are guaranteed to spark emotions. Like brewing the perfect cup of coffee, bakers like me are always in search of the perfect chocolate chip cookie. What makes a perfect cookie? Depends on who you talk to. NPR’s The Salt just ran a feature called “The Science Behind Baking Your Ideal Chocolate Chip Cookie.” (September 4, 2014) Here are some of the features that the authors deconstructed: ooey-gooey, crispy with a soft center, chewy, thick (not crispy,) and cakey. What they didn’t address was how to attain these attributes without using gluten, or for that matter, no grains at all.

These cookies are gluten free, grain-free, and gum free. How to describe them? Well, they are the closest I have come to perfection in my nine years of gluten free baking. They are definitely crispy with a soft center, and thanks in part to Equal Exchange Semi-Sweet chocolate chips, the ooey-gooey part melts in your mouth.  The small amount of coconut flour adds to the soft center and the hint of cinnamon accentuates the intensity of the chocolate experience. I don’t want to over-sell these; I just want to send you into the kitchen to try them. For me, they are an excellent illustration of “be careful what you wish for!” Being a perfectionist, though, this certainly won’t be my final recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

Makes 3 dozen

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons salted butter, softened

4 tablespoons (56g) coconut oil, room temperature

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut flour

1 ½ cups (180g) light buckwheat flour

½ cup (70g) tapioca starch

½ teaspoon cinnamon

1 cup soy-free chocolate chips (such as Equal Exchange Semi-Sweet)

Directions:

1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, use a hand mixer on high to cream the butter, coconut oil, and sugars until it is light and creamy. Beat in the vanilla and egg until well blended, followed by the baking soda and salt.

3. Beat in the coconut flour, buckwheat flour, and tapioca starch. The dough will become very stiff. Fold in the chocolate chips and use your hands to bring it together into a ball.

4. Roll the dough into 11/2-inch balls and space them about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

5. Bake the cookies for approximately 12 minutes until the bottoms and tops are lightly browned. The cookies will continue to set as they cool. Allow the cookies to cool for 5 to 7 minutes on the pan before transferring them to a cooling rack. The cookies will be soft and fragile when first removed from the oven.

Marble Cheesecake Brownies

Makes 16 Brownies

For years, I was intimidated by coconut flour. In fact, I bought a package, and it sat unopened in my pantry for over six months. Coconut flour is very fibrous, about 36% fiber, which makes it a very different ingredient than other flours. A number of home bakers have suggested that it is hard to work with and produces dry baked goods. Once I started working with it and understanding its properties, I learned to love it. I love the natural sweetness and the tenderness it imparts in bake goods. And, contrary to what others have reported, I find it makes very moist baked goods if you utilize its absorptive qualities.

Coconut flour is dried and milled coconut meat, and it is a byproduct of pressing coconut meat during coconut milk production. It is a beige flour, high in fiber, low in carbohydrates, and 14% fat. Since coconut flour is over 1/3 fiber, it absorbs three to four times the amount of liquid of low fiber flours such as rice flour and tapioca starch. To compensate for this, you must either work with lesser amounts of coconut flour or increase the liquids in a recipe accordingly. For light baked goods, it requires generally twice the amount of eggs you would normally use.

Coconut goes extremely well with cream, so I developed these cheesecake brownies with a few simple ingredients around the coconut flour. In this recipe, the only flour is ½ cup of coconut, flour although the cocoa powder also performs as a flour. Unlike most brownie recipes, this one uses oil, which acts as another source of liquid to counterbalance the absorptive qualities of the coconut flour. The only leavening agent, and also a source of liquid, is the eggs. These are good-looking, moist brownies, for which the cheesecake filling intensifies the dark chocolate notes. It should be noted that the brownies without the cheesecake layer are dairy-free.

Ingredients:
1 cup (200g) sugar
½ cup (100g) canola
½ cup (50g) cocoa powder
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup (56g) coconut flour
Cheese cake filling:
1, 8 oz  package cream cheese, room temperature
1 large egg
1/3 cup (75g) sugar

Directions:
1. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Grease the sides and bottom of a 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan (I used coconut oil.) After greasing the sides of the pan, line the pan with parchment paper, allowing a flap to extend over two sides.

2. By hand, blend the sugar, oil, cocoa, eggs, and vanilla. Then using a hand mixer, mix on high speed until the batter is thick and thoroughly blended.

3. Gradually add the coconut flour until the coconut flour is fully blended. The batter will thicken as the coconut absorbs the liquid. Let the batter sit for 10 minutes to maximize its absorption.

4. Spoon ¾ of the batter into the baking pan. Use a spatula, to spread the brownie batter to an even thickness. Set aside.

5. Prepare the cheese cake filling: Using a clean hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, egg, and sugar until it is smooth and whipped-cream like.

6. Spoon the filling over the brownie batter and carefully spread it until it is smoothed across the top. Spoon the remaining 1/4 of the batter over the cheesecake filling in small dollops. Use a butter knife to create a marbled effect on the top by dragging the knife through the brownie mix and cheesecake filling.

7. Bake the brownies for 40 minutes or until the center springs back when pressed.

8. Allow the brownies to cool fully, lift them out by their parchment paper handles, and place on a cutting board to cut. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.

Gluten Free Spiral Pasta With Basil Cream Sauce

This past fourth of July, like all the rest of them for the last 13 years, we spent it on the St. Lawrence River. Families flock to the River, some cottages hosting as many as four generations. The fourth begins with a flag raising at the Main dock and a flotilla of non-motorized craft, it features strawberry shortcake on the green, and always ends with swatting bugs while trying to take in fireworks over Boldt Castle or watching firework displays on distant islands. 

This summer for the first time, our community decided to offer organic garden plots to its residents. Not quite sure what to expect, I signed up for one, and was amazed to witness the creation of a large block of raised beds, surrounded by pea gravel.

Never having gardened before in a raised bed—all 32 square feet of it—I prepared my soil with a compost mixture and planted nine tomato plants, six broccoli plants, three kinds of peppers, purple and green basil, red onions, bib lettuce, and musk melon. If that sounds like a lot for a small raised bed, you’re right. With near perfect weather, and heat retained by the pea gravel, my plants shot up and flourished. The same tomato plants that I started from seed in Vermont are now four times the size of the ones growing in Vermont.  And my first experiment with melons surprised me--those things grow everywhere. Without something to climb, they started preying on the onions. Imagine trying to climb up an onion!

My first harvest was basil, both purple and green, as well as a hot cherry pepper (which was really tongue-searing hot.) I decided to make a cream basil sauce for our gluten free pasta, and everyone declared it a success.

Gluten Free Spiral Pasta With Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Fresh hot cherry peppers to taste, minced
1 tsp tapioca
1-1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1 C heavy cream or half-and-half
1/2 C freshly shredded Parmesan
16 ounces GF pasta

Directions:

1, Melt butter and olive oil.
2. Sauté garlic and hot peppers for 3 min or until just browned.
3. Stir in tapioca--it will be slightly pasty.
4. Reduce heat very low.
5. Add cream and stir until blended, and it begins to thicken.
6. Add Parmesan and stir until melted and sauce is smooth.
7. Meanwhile, begin boiling pasta (I prefer Tinkyada)
despite what the package says, I find that the spirals are perfect at 8 minutes.
8. Two minutes before the pasta is done, stir in the fresh, chopped basil.
9. Toss sauce and pasta and serve.