<p>So I am EBF and my little man has sensitivities to gluten, dairy, and soy. I already cooked quite often but do it even more so now. I need help and suggestions in the flour dept. There are so many GF options but it seems like some are good for some types of foods and not others. I also live in an area where the varieties are not readily available. The two main things I want to be able make are bread and cookies. The GF bread is $5 a loaf! If I buy the premade mix it's $7 for one loaf. The cookie recipes all contain some sort of butter or soy margarine. I have been using vegan soy free shortening in my pot pie crust but I can't imagine that would be good in cookies. Any help would be appreciated! I have managed to convert quite a few of my "staple" recipes but these have me stumped. The fewer ingredients the better.</p>
gluten, dairy, and soy free baking
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
Joined
·
2,898 Posts
<p>Unfortunately the alternative ingredients are pricey even if not premade or in a mix. My personal primary baking flour is mostly almond flour with rice flour, tapioca, and sometimes xanthan gum and I get the ingredients separately. Nuts and nut flours are generally $6.00/lb or more and even rice flour isn't as cheap as wheat. The most rice flour I'll use is 50/50 with almond. I mail order Honeyville Farms almond meal in five pound bags and it lasts a month but is pricey--but I wouldn't hesitate to do the same for rice flour/xanthan gum etc. if we couldn't get them here. We can get almond meal locally but it is not finely ground enough for replacing flour.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Coconut oil and/or grapeseed oil? Possibly combine that with the palm oil shortening? I've seen cookie recipes that call for shortening so why not try it? IME with cookies as long as the basic texture of mostly flour and oil are right (you can tell just by feel/appearance) then they cook up just fine. Elana cooks GF with grapeseed oil and almond flour and I might use her recipes if I wanted to try any liquid oil:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Try <a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/" target="_blank">http://www.elanaspantry.com/</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hers all use agave-- which I don't use for sweetener-- but I can use honey or even sugar so far in her recipes I've tried without a problem. It's hard to do sandwich bread but quick breads/muffins are easier. Flour mix as above, plenty of egg, and oil plus some fruit--maybe some xanthan gum--and keep it small so it cooks through. If I were working really hard to add more baked goods, I'd probably build on the muffin as a sandwich base instead of making loaves. Cornmeal could make that cheaper also. (You can actually find all-cornmeal cornbread recipes occasionally. Also, masa harina which is made from hominy is possibly healthier than regular cornmeal.) Crackers are not too hard to make--like a drier cookie dough with no sweetener. Rice cakes are popular enough with our kiddos too to fill in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We are gluten but not dairy free and I have not use any premade mixes because I couldn't stand the pricing. I do not buy any GF pasta because it's so pricey for so few nutrients. We eat pasta sauces on cauliflower instead. The muffins and the "breakfast cake" I make are my own inventions. We eat dairy so our recipes use melted butter for the oil. I wouldn't hesitate to try with coconut oil if avoiding dairy. I improvise a lot because it just seemed like a lot of recipes had ingredients that weren't quite what I wanted. We are low grain but not grain free--usually almond flour was being used in completely grain free recipes instead of with rice like I do. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Coconut oil and/or grapeseed oil? Possibly combine that with the palm oil shortening? I've seen cookie recipes that call for shortening so why not try it? IME with cookies as long as the basic texture of mostly flour and oil are right (you can tell just by feel/appearance) then they cook up just fine. Elana cooks GF with grapeseed oil and almond flour and I might use her recipes if I wanted to try any liquid oil:</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Try <a href="http://www.elanaspantry.com/" target="_blank">http://www.elanaspantry.com/</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Hers all use agave-- which I don't use for sweetener-- but I can use honey or even sugar so far in her recipes I've tried without a problem. It's hard to do sandwich bread but quick breads/muffins are easier. Flour mix as above, plenty of egg, and oil plus some fruit--maybe some xanthan gum--and keep it small so it cooks through. If I were working really hard to add more baked goods, I'd probably build on the muffin as a sandwich base instead of making loaves. Cornmeal could make that cheaper also. (You can actually find all-cornmeal cornbread recipes occasionally. Also, masa harina which is made from hominy is possibly healthier than regular cornmeal.) Crackers are not too hard to make--like a drier cookie dough with no sweetener. Rice cakes are popular enough with our kiddos too to fill in.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>We are gluten but not dairy free and I have not use any premade mixes because I couldn't stand the pricing. I do not buy any GF pasta because it's so pricey for so few nutrients. We eat pasta sauces on cauliflower instead. The muffins and the "breakfast cake" I make are my own inventions. We eat dairy so our recipes use melted butter for the oil. I wouldn't hesitate to try with coconut oil if avoiding dairy. I improvise a lot because it just seemed like a lot of recipes had ingredients that weren't quite what I wanted. We are low grain but not grain free--usually almond flour was being used in completely grain free recipes instead of with rice like I do. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm going to think about this for a while and see if I can come up with something better...I'm vegan, and my dad and brother are gluten-free, so I feel like I should be able to come up with something!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But for now, what about 3 ingredient peanut butter <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/three-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">cookies</a>? I made them all the time before going vegan and they're great.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But for now, what about 3 ingredient peanut butter <a href="http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/three-ingredient-peanut-butter-cookies/Detail.aspx" target="_blank">cookies</a>? I made them all the time before going vegan and they're great.</p>
<p>Back with more. <span><img alt="tiphat.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/tiphat.gif"></span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>These have a GF flour blend that might end up being pricey, but they probably taste most like SAD cookies.</p>
<p>Chocolate chip <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/07/dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html" target="_blank">cookies</a></p>
<p>Oatmeal chocolate chip <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/04/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html" target="_blank">cookies</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Have you searched GFCF (gluten free, casein free) recipes yet? That will at least give you recipes without gluten and dairy, and then you can work around the soy ingredients.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My other idea for the cookies was to look into raw vegan cookie recipes. If you use those, you can avoid the expensive flours, but you might have to figure out what cocoa nibs are. <span><img alt="winky.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/winky.gif"> These chocolate chip <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2009/05/03/raw-chocolate-chip-cookies/" target="_blank">cookies</a> look good.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>These have a GF flour blend that might end up being pricey, but they probably taste most like SAD cookies.</p>
<p>Chocolate chip <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2009/07/dark-chocolate-chunk-cookies.html" target="_blank">cookies</a></p>
<p>Oatmeal chocolate chip <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2010/04/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-cookies.html" target="_blank">cookies</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Have you searched GFCF (gluten free, casein free) recipes yet? That will at least give you recipes without gluten and dairy, and then you can work around the soy ingredients.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>My other idea for the cookies was to look into raw vegan cookie recipes. If you use those, you can avoid the expensive flours, but you might have to figure out what cocoa nibs are. <span><img alt="winky.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/winky.gif"> These chocolate chip <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/2009/05/03/raw-chocolate-chip-cookies/" target="_blank">cookies</a> look good.</span></p>
<p>Awesome thanks! I will look for the almond flour online. I already looked in the store. I will have to just jump in I suppose! Been trying to avoid xanthan gum as it's REALLY expensive. We'll see! Thanks for all the help and ideas <span><img alt="joy.gif" src="http://files.mothering.com/images/smilies/joy.gif"></span></p>
Joined
·
2,637 Posts
<p>Try these cupcakes, they were great: <a href="http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/12/allergy-friendly-chocolate-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/12/allergy-friendly-chocolate-cupcakes.html</a> .</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm experimenting with cookies right now, but a 50/50 mix of your favorite gluten-free baking flour mix and almond meal with 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum works well in this recipe: <a href="http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html" target="_blank">http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html</a> , though you may find that you need to add 1-2 Tbs more water.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I'm experimenting with cookies right now, but a 50/50 mix of your favorite gluten-free baking flour mix and almond meal with 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum works well in this recipe: <a href="http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html" target="_blank">http://catnip13.blogspot.com/2010/11/chocolate-chip-cookie-recipe.html</a> , though you may find that you need to add 1-2 Tbs more water.</p>
Joined
·
8,750 Posts
Here's a bread recipe that I've been using recently. I have to cook it a little longer than the recipe calls for (which might be just because my oven temp is off), otherwise it falls a little. But it's really good!<br>
<a href="http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2007/02/gluten-free-bread-that-just-might-make.html" target="_blank">http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2007/02/gluten-free-bread-that-just-might-make.html</a><br><br>
There's a recipe thread in the allergy forum too. Or there used to be... I think maybe it's in a wiki now; not sure where everything went with the new format.
<a href="http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2007/02/gluten-free-bread-that-just-might-make.html" target="_blank">http://glutenfreebay.blogspot.com/2007/02/gluten-free-bread-that-just-might-make.html</a><br><br>
There's a recipe thread in the allergy forum too. Or there used to be... I think maybe it's in a wiki now; not sure where everything went with the new format.
Joined
·
1,705 Posts
<p>Personally, I've found that the gf foodies tend to go a bit nutso with the xanthan gum and flour mixtures. I've been gluten-free baking for years, and never used xanthan gum. My results may not always be gourmet, but they aren't bad, either 
Keep in mind that in a lot of baked goods the goal (when working with wheat flour) is to *not* develop the gluten, and things like this often translate well without really needing a whole lot in the way of added binders.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Take cornbread, for example. If you search for gluten-free cornbread, you find a bunch of examples with a mix of different non-wheat flours plus xanthan gum. Meanwhile, the <a href="http://dinneranddessert.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/southern-cornbread/" target="_blank">Southern Cornbread recipe from Joy of Cooking</a> is gluten-free by default (and cf as well, if you use a non-dairy milk, which works just fine. I normally use half coconut milk and half water, with a tablespoonful of vinegar), without any unusual ingredients.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I agree with the other poster about cornmeal and masa harina being readily available and low cost. I tend to not like the flavor of masa harina used plain, but find it works well mixed with regular cornmeal to lighten the texture.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Grinding your own flour can help reduce costs. I ground almonds and flax seeds in a plain old coffee grinder, and I've seen instructions for making rice flour and bean flour. Really, if you think about it, these are considered the dirt cheap staples, and flours made from them shouldn't be crazy expensive!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've used ground flax seed to replace about a quarter of the flour (with some other non-wheat flour for the other 3/4) to serve as a binder. I'm not sure how this actually compares cost-wise with xanthan gum, though. An extra egg (or anything commonly used to replace egg in vegan recipes) may also do the trick.</p>
Keep in mind that in a lot of baked goods the goal (when working with wheat flour) is to *not* develop the gluten, and things like this often translate well without really needing a whole lot in the way of added binders.</p><p> </p>
<p>Take cornbread, for example. If you search for gluten-free cornbread, you find a bunch of examples with a mix of different non-wheat flours plus xanthan gum. Meanwhile, the <a href="http://dinneranddessert.wordpress.com/2008/02/20/southern-cornbread/" target="_blank">Southern Cornbread recipe from Joy of Cooking</a> is gluten-free by default (and cf as well, if you use a non-dairy milk, which works just fine. I normally use half coconut milk and half water, with a tablespoonful of vinegar), without any unusual ingredients.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I agree with the other poster about cornmeal and masa harina being readily available and low cost. I tend to not like the flavor of masa harina used plain, but find it works well mixed with regular cornmeal to lighten the texture.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Grinding your own flour can help reduce costs. I ground almonds and flax seeds in a plain old coffee grinder, and I've seen instructions for making rice flour and bean flour. Really, if you think about it, these are considered the dirt cheap staples, and flours made from them shouldn't be crazy expensive!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I've used ground flax seed to replace about a quarter of the flour (with some other non-wheat flour for the other 3/4) to serve as a binder. I'm not sure how this actually compares cost-wise with xanthan gum, though. An extra egg (or anything commonly used to replace egg in vegan recipes) may also do the trick.</p>
Joined
·
2,618 Posts
<p>We're sort of in the same boat as you, so I understand how hard it can be. I'm dairy-free with nursing, my DD is gluten-free, and we choose to be soy-free.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The nice thing with xantham gum is that although it is expensive, most recipes only call for 1-2 tsp of it, so it lasts forever. It really does make a difference in the quality of your baked goods.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">website</a> has been a lifesaver for us. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>All the recipes are gluten-free and many are vegan, so that would take care of the dairy issue as well. She doesn't seem to use soy much either. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>The nice thing with xantham gum is that although it is expensive, most recipes only call for 1-2 tsp of it, so it lasts forever. It really does make a difference in the quality of your baked goods.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This <a href="http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">website</a> has been a lifesaver for us. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>All the recipes are gluten-free and many are vegan, so that would take care of the dairy issue as well. She doesn't seem to use soy much either. </p>
1 - 9 of 9 Posts
Join the discussion
Join now to ask and comment!