- 1
Ingredients
- Spelt flour
- Coconut flour
- Almond flour
- Amaranth
- Arrowroot Powder
- Brown Rice flour
- Buckwheat
- Gar Gum
- Millet
- Oats
- Quinoa
- Tapioca Starch
- Xanthan Gum
Preparation
Step 1
Spelt flour: It can be used to replace any recipe with white flour. The recipe will still rise
Coconut flour: I found it works best to mix it with oat flour as they compliment each other in baking. It also cuts the coconut flavor in a recipe that you do not want it to be overpowering. They do tend to make things a little more on the heavy side like a muffin texture but remain VERY moist and don't rise much.
Coconut flour: I found it works best to mix it with oat flour as they compliment each
other in baking. It also cuts the coconut flavor in a recipe that you do not want it to be
overpowering. They do tend to make things a little more on the heavy side like a muffin
texture but remain VERY moist and don't rise much.
Almond flour: It works great if you are trying to make something flaky, like pie crust or
biscuits. It won't rise much. Also works great for shortbread cookies and scones!
Amaranth:
Amaranth tastes slightly sweet and nutty. It is a cream-colored flour, ground from the seed of the ancient amaranth plant. It has a high moisture content, browns quickly and forms thick crusts. Amaranth works well in recipes that do not contain large amounts of liquids. Use amaranth flour as a portion (up to 25%) of total flour ratio in all purpose gluten free flour mixes and recipes for bread, pancakes, muffins, cookies and pizza dough. Amaranth is also an excellent thickener for roux, sauces and gravies.
Arrowroot Powder:
Arrowroot is a powdery white starch ground from the root of the tropical herb Maranta. It is an excellent thickener in sauces, adds body and texture to gluten free backed goods and works well as a batter coating or breading for chicken, fish and vegetables. It can be used in place of cornstarch in recipes.
Brown rice:
Brown rice and wild rice flours add fiber and nutritional quality. Wild rice flour is a light brown, flecked flour with a pleasant, nutty flavor. Brown rice flour is neutral-flavored, somewhat gritty and make dry, crumbly baked goods. Use rice flours in combination with other gluten free flours for better texture and nutritional quality.
Buckwheat:
Buckwheat is a strong, earthy-flavored flour, available in light and dark varieties. Use light-colored flour for best results in gluten free recipes. Despite its' name, buckwheat does not contain wheat- it's a relative of the rhubarb family. Buckwheat flour adds protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals to gluten free recipes and can be used to make delicious pancakes.
Gar Gum:
Guar gum comes from the seed of bean-like (legume) plant, sometimes referred to as the Indian tree. It is high in soluble fiber. Like xanthan gum, measure carefully when using guar gum in gluten free recipes or you may end up with heavy, stringy baked goods. Guar gum is a high fiber product and has been associated with gastrointestinal upset in some people.
Millet:
This tiny grain is thought to be the oldest grain consumed by humans. Millet is an important source of easily digestible protein, vitamins and minerals for millions of people in Africa, Asia and India. Fresh ground millet looks like yellow cornmeal and adds a light, sweet flavor and somewhat crumbly texture to baked goods. Cook whole grain millet like rice, for a nutritious grit-like breakfast cereal or as a substitute for rice and barley in pilaf and tabbouleh recipes. Add small amounts of millet flour to gluten free baking recipes to improve nutritional quality.
Oats:
Oats, with nutty taste and chewy texture, add protein, soluble fiber, vitamins and minerals to gluten free recipes. Use gluten free oats and oat flour in bread, pancake, muffin, cookie, cake, granola and muesli recipes. Museli is a hearty Swiss breakfast cereal.
Quinoa:
Quinoa is a high-quality source of protein. This ancient grain was a major food source for the Inca civilization thousands of years ago. Quinoa is available as a whole seed, flakes and flour. The seed can be used to replace rice and barley in pilaf, couscous and soup recipes. Quinoa flakes can be used as a substitute for rolled oats. Quinoa flour has a somewhat strong, bitter flavor, can be used in small amounts in gluten free mixes and baking recipes to improve nutritional quality. Prior to cooking, whole seed quinoa should be thoroughly rinsed in cold water to remove bitter "saponins", a natural coating found on quinoa seed.
Tapioca Starch:
Tapioca starch is ground from the root of the tropical cassava plant. It's used extensively in commercial gluten free products and recipes. It is a flavorless, high carbohydrate starch and, like other starches used in gluten free cooking, it is very low in nutrients. Use it as a portion- up to 50% of total flour ratio, in all purpose flour mixes and recipes to lighten the texture of baked goods. It is also used in batter coatings and breading recipes for crisp, golden crusts. Tip:Combine nutritious gluten free flours with high starch flours to improve the nutritional quality of gluten free cooking.
Xanthan Gum:
Xanthan gum is a corn-based, fermented product. It is used extensively in the food industry to make products thicker and it's a common ingredient in gluten free recipes.
If you use too much xanthan gum in a recipe you may notice a heavy, gummy or even "slimy" texture in your baked goods- so measure carefully when using xanthan gum.
People with allergies or sensitivity to corn may be advised by their physician to avoid xanthan gum. Also, xanthan gum generally costs almost 3 times as much as guar gum.