Most of the time, when I'm cooking gluten-free, the recipes I use are generally regular-meant for wheat flour recipes; in which I substitute gluten-free flour+xantham gum.
Sometimes this method works; and sometimes it massively fails.
Like this week for example, for or annual cookie decorating-I attempted to make GF roll-out sugar cookies for me and my wheat allergic nephew to decorate and eat.
I measured out all the ingredients just so, substitute the flour and added xantham, and mixed it all together.
Every GF mix I've ever tasted-always tastes excruciatingly nasty-and this batter was no different. I didn't let this deter me however, and started rolling out the dough.
This was were it really went wrong. The dough came up with the rolling pin, and stuck to the board, when cookie cutters were added-the dough was just sticking in three directions-with no illegible shape.
It then got rolled back up and chilled.
Still no luck.
I seriously contemplated just laying out all the dough onto a sheet and cutting out the shaped after it was cooked. Instead, I decided to turn lemons into lemonade, and made ornaments.
How did I do this, you may ask? By making lumps of dough (don't even bother trying to roll it into a ball) and throwing them on a cookie sheet. Next, cover a spoon with flour and repeatedly whack the lumps with quick hard thrusts-then re-flour and repeat.
After cooking, the cookies taste less like dirt, and are a great canvas for your wildest ornament dreams.......
This was were it really went wrong. The dough came up with the rolling pin, and stuck to the board, when cookie cutters were added-the dough was just sticking in three directions-with no illegible shape.
It then got rolled back up and chilled.
Still no luck.
I seriously contemplated just laying out all the dough onto a sheet and cutting out the shaped after it was cooked. Instead, I decided to turn lemons into lemonade, and made ornaments.
How did I do this, you may ask? By making lumps of dough (don't even bother trying to roll it into a ball) and throwing them on a cookie sheet. Next, cover a spoon with flour and repeatedly whack the lumps with quick hard thrusts-then re-flour and repeat.
After cooking, the cookies taste less like dirt, and are a great canvas for your wildest ornament dreams.......
********
A recipe that did work out:
Gingerbread People
*needs to chill overnight
preheat oven to 375F
1/2 cup Shortening
2 1/2 cup GF all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp xanthum gum*
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Molasses
1 egg
1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
In a mixing bowl, beat shortening with an electric mixer on med to high speed for 30 seconds. Add about half of the flour, sugar, molasses, egg, vinegar, baking powder, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon and cloves. Beat till thoroughly combined. Beat in remaining flour. Cover and chill overnight. Divide chilled dough in half, and roll out on lightly floured surface to about 1/8" thick. Cut into desired shapes, and place 1" apart on a greased cookie sheet. Cook for 5-6 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on sheet for 1 minute, then move to wire rack.
After cookies are cooled, slowly whip orange or lemon juice into 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth, and glaze with a pastry brush over cookies. (you want the glaze to be liquidy-but not too thin) Let glaze harden, and enjoy!
*For cookies, you should add 1/2 tsp per cup of flour, but a little less for each additional cup. For example, for 2 cups of flour-you should add 3/4tsp xanthum.
After cookies are cooled, slowly whip orange or lemon juice into 1 cup powdered sugar until smooth, and glaze with a pastry brush over cookies. (you want the glaze to be liquidy-but not too thin) Let glaze harden, and enjoy!
*For cookies, you should add 1/2 tsp per cup of flour, but a little less for each additional cup. For example, for 2 cups of flour-you should add 3/4tsp xanthum.
*********
It seems like most of my cooking lately has been failing. However, lessons have been learned through these failures.
What the moral of the story this week is that GF flour does not always amount to wheat flour. The reason for xanthum gum, is to add elasticity in the dough, that would normally come from gluten. In gluten free recipes, the xanthum's elasticity doesn't really take effect until after cooking. This is why GF doughs are generally a lot soupier than wheat ones.
What the moral of the story this week is that GF flour does not always amount to wheat flour. The reason for xanthum gum, is to add elasticity in the dough, that would normally come from gluten. In gluten free recipes, the xanthum's elasticity doesn't really take effect until after cooking. This is why GF doughs are generally a lot soupier than wheat ones.
