Gluten-Free Makeovers (97 page)

Authors: Beth Hillson

BOOK: Gluten-Free Makeovers

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There is always
a way to replace ingredients. Can’t have milk, or eggs, or nuts? Look for substitutions here that will impart similar if not the same properties to your baking and cooking.

Start with these easy guidelines for replacing milk, cheese, eggs, sour cream, yogurt, and cream cheese. Use these for all the recipes in this book and for all your other baking.

Dairy

To replace milk use an equal amount of

Almond milk

Coconut milk

Fruit juice

Hemp milk

Rice milk

Soy milk

To replace buttermilk try this easy makeover

Combine 2 teaspoons cider vinegar or lemon juice with any type of milk. Let sit 15 minutes at room temperature before using.

To replace powdered milk use an equal amount of

Ener-G NutQuik or Soy Quik Powder (
Ener-g.com
)

Goat Milk Powder (
meyenberg.com
)

Vance’s Dari-Free, unflavored (
vancesfoods.com
)

Soy Milk Powder (
modernfearn.com
)

Soy Protein Isolate (
modernfearn.com
)

To replace whipped cream use an equal amount of

Cool Whip Imitation Whipped Cream

Healthy Top Dairy-Free Whipped Topping (
mimiccreme.com
)

To replace yogurt use an equal amount of

Lactose-Free Yogurt (
greenvalleylactosefree.com
)

Redwood Hill Farm Goat Milk Yogurt (
redwoodhill.com
)

Ricera Rice Milk Yogurt (
ricerafoods.com
)

So Delicious Coconut Yogurt (
turtlemountain.com
)

Unsweetened Applesauce or other fruit purée

WholeSoy Yogurt (
wholesoyco.com
)

To replace butter use an equal amount of

Blue Bonnet Light Margarine

Coconut oil (
Spectrumorganics.com
)

Fleischmann Unsalted Margarine, contains whey

Natural Shortening Sticks (
earthbalancenatural.com
)

Organic Shortening (
Spectrumorganics.com
)

Smart Balance Buttery Spread, contains whey (
smartbalance.com
)

Vegan Buttery Sticks (
earthbalancenatural.com
)

Vegetable oil (reduce total fat by 2 tablespoons)

To replace sour cream use an equal amount of

We Can’t Say It’s Sour Cream (
wayfarefoods.com
)

Follow Your Heart Sour Cream Alternative (
followyourheart.com
)

Coconut yogurt

Rice milk yogurt

Cow’s milk yogurt

To replace cream cheese use an equal amount of

Puréed silken tofu

Tofutti Soy Cream Cheese (
tofutti.com
)

Follow Your Heart Cream Cheese Alternative (
followyourheart.com
)

To replace sweetened condensed milk use an equal amount of

Cream of Coconut (
cocolopez.com
)

Try this easy dairy-free makeover for sweetened condensed milk

For one (14 oz) can condensed milk: Combine 3 cups vanilla soy, coconut, or rice milk, and ½ cup sugar. Simmer to reduce to 1½ cups. Thicken with 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot mixed with 2 tablespoons additional milk or water. Cool and use in all recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk.

To replace cheese use an equal amount of

Cheddar style, Mozzarella style, and Pepperjack style (
daiyafoods.com
)

Individually wrapped rice milk cheese slices (
galaxyfoods.com
)

Rice Cheese (
galaxyfoods.com
)

Soy Cheese (
galaxyfoods.com
and
tofutti.com
)

Vegan Cheese (
galaxyfoods.com
)

Vegan Gourmet Cheese in Blocks (
followyourheart.com
)

Vegan Parmesan Sprinkles (
galaxyfoods.com
)

Corn

Corn is often found in three key ingredients in gluten-free baking: baking powder, confectioners’ sugar, and xanthan gum (produced from the fermentation of corn sugar).

To replace xanthan gum use an equal amount of

Guar gum

Carrageenan

Carob (locust bean) gum

Gelatin (use in powdered form)

To replace commercial baking powder use an equal amount of

Featherweight Baking Powder (
hainpurefoods.com
)

KinnActive Baking Powder (
kinnikinnick.com
)

Try this easy makeover for corn-free baking powder

Blend together ⅓ cup baking soda, ⅔ cup cream of tartar, and ⅔ cup arrowroot starch. Store in an airtight container for all your baking needs.

To replace commercial confectioners’ sugar use an equal amount of

Corn-Free Confectioners’ Sugar (
allergygrocer.com
)

Try this easy makeover for corn-free confectioners’ sugar

Combine 1½ tablespoons tapioca starch/flour or potato starch and enough granulated sugar to make 1 cup. Process the mixture in a blender or food processor on high speed for 45 seconds or until powdered. Store in an airtight container.

Eggs

Eggs can be replaced in many recipes. The result might be a little denser, but using the following will help to hold baked goods together and make them less crumbly. For best results, replace no more than 3 eggs. Recipes like cream puffs, crêpes, and angel food cakes that are dependent on eggs for most of the lift and texture will be very difficult to convert.

To replace 1 large egg (¼ cup)

Use an equal amount of one of the following plus ½ teaspoon baking powder per egg replaced: ¼ cup puréed soft tofu, ¼ cup soy or other yogurt, or ¼ cup applesauce

Egg Replacer (
ener-g.com
), follow package instructions

Try this easy makeover for eggs using flax meal and water

For each large egg, replace with 1 tablespoon flax meal (
bobsredmill.com
) combined with 3 tablespoons hot water. Stir and let sit 10 minutes or until the mixture has thickened. Do not strain before using.

To replace egg yolks

Separate white and yolk and use 2 whites for each large egg.

People who have a non-life-threatening allergy to eggs can try substituting duck eggs. Beat and measure into ¼ cup increments. (Be sure to check with your health professional before trying duck eggs.)

Nuts

To replace nuts use an equal amount of

Crispy rice cereal

Crushed cornflakes

Pumpkin seeds

Perky’s Crunchy Rice or Flax (
www.enjoylifefoods.com
)

Toasted coconut

Sunflower seeds (use ⅓ less)

2 to 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Oats

Some people cannot tolerate oats, even gluten-free oats.

To replace oats use an equal amount of

Quinoa flakes

Coarsely chopped almonds

Chocolate

Most chocolate contains some dairy. The higher the cocoa content (60% or more), the lower the dairy content. Bittersweet chocolate contains the least and milk chocolate contains the highest amount. Some bittersweet chocolate, especially imported brands, are dairy-free. In addition, soy lecithin can be a problem although many who cannot have soy can still tolerate soy lecithin. (Ask your health professional.)

For dairy-free options, replace with an equal amount of

Dairy-free chocolate chips and squares

Dairy-Free, Soy-Free Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (
enjoylifefoods.com
)

Chocolate Dream Dairy-Free Semi-Sweet Baking Chips (
glutenfreechoices.com
)

Baker’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate Squares

Baker’s Unsweetened Baking Chocolate Squares

Unsweetened cocoa powder and unsweetened baking chocolate do not contain dairy. Replace 1 square unsweetened chocolate with 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

Try this easy makeover for replacing 1-ounce square semi-sweet chocolate with a dairy-free and soy-free option. Mix 1 tablespoon plus 1¾ teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder with ¼ cup hot water. Add 3½ teaspoons granulated sugar and stir to dissolve. Add 1½ teaspoons vegetable oil and stir until well incorporated. Cool slightly before using.

Gums

Xanthan and Guar gum are binding agents used to replace the “stretchy” quality of gluten, add texture, and reduce crumble factor in gluten-free baked goods. Use these sparingly as too much gum will impart an unpleasant chewiness to recipes. (Some cooks find they need to add an additional ½ to 1 teaspoon when using guar instead of xanthan gum. If the texture of baked goods is too crumbly for your liking, add additional gum next time.)

Follow this rule of thumb about using gums:

• Use ½ teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per 1 cup gluten-free flour blend in cakes, cookies, bars, muffins, and quick breads.

• Use 1 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum per 1 cup for yeast breads, pizza, and other yeast recipes.

Pantry

COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS

My pantry is full of safe commercial products that I use in my recipes and every day cooking. Here are some that I mention in the recipes in this book. I list the company websites for further information but most of these products are available in grocery or natural food stores or at one of the many gluten-free mail order company websites.

Ingredients can change so please double-check labels and call the manufacturer with any questions or concerns. Not all products from every company are safe for every dietary need so check carefully before using.

Mail Order Companies

These companies carry a wide range of gluten-free flours, mixes, other baking ingredients, and baked goods.

kingarthurflour.com/glutenfree/

kinnikinnick.com

Cold Cuts

Applegate Farms (
applegatefarms.com
)

Boars Head (
boarshead.com
)