Gluten-Free Makeovers (19 page)
Read Gluten-Free Makeovers Online
Authors: Beth Hillson
These freeze nicely. Reheat in a single layer in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.
Dairy-free
A version of
this recipe first appeared in my “Perils in the Pantry” column in the magazine
Living Without
several years ago. It makes delicious, pliable wraps that can also be used for roll-ups and flatbreads. The wraps will keep for two days in a plastic bag and remain soft and pliable. They may be eaten at room temperature or warmed slightly. These wraps are reminiscent of the wheat-filled Indian flatbread, roti and chapati. They freeze well.
3 cups Bread Flour #1 (page 15)
½ cup chickpea or other high protein flour
2¼ teaspoons instant active or active dry yeast
1 cup plus 3 tablespoons warm water
3 large eggs, or flax gel (see Simple Substitutions, page 268)
¼ cup vegetable oil or olive oil
3 tablespoons honey
Mix together the flour blend, chickpea flour, and yeast in a large mixing bowl. Combine the water, eggs, oil, and honey in a separate bowl and add to the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth.
Coat the surface of a piece of aluminum foil with vegetable spray. Scoop about ¼ cup of dough onto the center of the foil. Cover with a piece of oiled plastic wrap and press into a thin circle of dough without creating holes in the dough.
Lightly oil the surface of a griddle or skillet and preheat on medium heat for 2 minutes. Remove the plastic from the dough and flip onto the center of the griddle. Press gently so that all of the dough is touching the hot pan. Remove the foil after 1 to 2 minutes of cooking. Continue to cook another 2 minutes or until lightly browned, then flip and cook 2 minutes longer. Remove to a platter and repeat with the remaining dough.
Start with a good blend such as the Self-Rising Flour on page 16 and make over any mainstream recipe for muffins, scones, or quick breads by replacing the flour plus baking powder with an equal amount of this blend.
• Ingredients should be at room temperature.
• Blend the dry ingredients carefully so that the baking powder and baking soda are evenly dispersed.
• Stir the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients only until the flour is moistened. Overbeating can cause muffins to rise unevenly.
• Have the pans ready and the oven preheated before starting.
• Use a ¼-cup scoop to scoop the batter into muffin papers or oiled muffin tins. It’s the perfect amount for a 2½- to 3-inch muffin cup.
• Once the ingredients are combined, bake immediately as the baking powder starts working when the liquids are added.
• To test for a muffin’s doneness, insert a wooden pick into the center of a muffin that is in the center of the pan as they bake slower than the outer ones. If the toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs (not clean) clinging to it, the muffins are done; if underbaked, they can fall flat when cooling.
• To make the muffins dome, preheat the oven to 425°F. As soon as the muffins go into the oven, reduce the heat to whatever the recipe says.
MUFFINS
A Basic (Not-So-Ordinary) Muffin Formula
MAKES 12 MUFFINS
Imprint your own
personality into this no-fail formula by adding dried or fresh fruit, nuts, or chips. These can also be frozen before baking, putting a fresh muffin within reach anytime (see Batter’s Up below).
2 cups Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs or 4 egg whites
5 tablespoons vegetable oil
¾ cup buttermilk, applesauce, or milk of choice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup raisins or 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen (unthawed)
Additional granulated sugar for dusting, optional
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Grease a twelve-cup medium muffin tin or line with muffin papers and spray the insides with vegetable spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, both sugars, and baking soda and blend well. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, oil, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and stir with a fork or wooden spoon, just until the dry ingredients are moistened. Fold in the raisins or blueberries.
Scoop the batter into the muffin tins. Sprinkle the tops with additional sugar, if desired. Place on the middle rack of the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 375°F. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes away almost clean.
• Add ⅓ cup chopped candied ginger to blueberry muffins.
• Use orange juice and add 1 tablespoon grated orange rind in place of the buttermilk. Omit the vanilla.
• In place of the blueberries or raisins, fold in ½ cup chocolate chips and ⅓ cup chopped dried cherries.
Batter’s Up:
Muffin batter can be frozen before baking. Scoop into muffin tins that have been lined with muffin papers. Freeze in the muffin tins. Remove the filled muffin papers from the pan, place in a zip-top bag, and return to the freezer. When ready to serve, place one or more frozen muffins in a muffin tin and bake in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. Lower the heat to 375°F and bake 15 minutes longer or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
MAKES 16 MUFFINS
The tempting combo
of bananas, chocolate, and coconut called to me from the pages of an old
Chocolatier
magazine and I could not resist. I originally used a muffin mix and added the trio of magic ingredients, but I prefer the delicate texture of this from-scratch rendition. It’s pure ambrosia.
7 tablespoons butter or non-dairy buttery spread, softened
1½ tablespoons organic shortening, such as Spectrum brand
½ cup packed light brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
⅞ cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 medium bananas)
1½ cups plus 1 tablespoon Self-Rising Flour (page 16)
¼ cup buttermilk or rice or soy milk mixed with ½ teaspoon cider vinegar
¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips
½ cup sweetened or unsweetened flaked coconut
Confectioners’ sugar for dusting, optional
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease sixteen muffin cups or line with muffin papers and spray the insides with vegetable spray.
