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Showing posts with label GF BAKING. Show all posts
Showing posts with label GF BAKING. Show all posts

Tuesday, March 5, 2019

MY SECRET GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear
   
    Over many years of baking gluten free I have tried different flours and countless mixtures of various flours. Finally, I am getting the perfect texture, fluffiness and moisture that I love in my baked goods.  People often ask if my baked goods are gluten free (even though they know I do not eat gIuten) and comment that it doesn’t taste different from those made with wheat flour.  
     I decided to make up a batch of my perfect blend and use it cup for cup wherever flour is needed in a recipe.  This blend is great for baked goods such as cakes, cookies, pies, biscuits, scones, streusel, etc.  It is notthe go to mix for breads, which  I am still working on.  
    It is so convenient to measure out one type of flour for each recipe instead of three or four different ones. It makes gluten free baking so much easier.  I do not know why I didn’t do this a long time ago.  
    Xanthan gum can be added to each recipe as needed.  I do not put it into the flour mixture as different baked goods require varying amounts.  Some recipes for pancakes, crepes etc don’t need any, cakes will need ¾ tsp - 1 ½ depending on the cake, while cookies only need about ½ tsp.
    Today I am sharing my secret flour blend recipe with you.  I make up several bags of it at a time for convenience as I do a lot of baking. Each batch weighs 1lb. 14 oz. or 865 gm. 
    It is best touse a kitchen scale to weigh out a precise amount of flour.  If you do not have a scale, spoon the flour blend into a measuring cup and then level it off.  Do not scoop out a measuring cup of flour directly from the container as it will be too compacted and measure out much more flour than the recipe calls for.  
     Enjoy!



 BRYNA’S SECRET GLUTEN FREE FLOUR BLEND
Makes 1lb. 14 oz./865 gm./about 8 cups
3.7 oz/105 gm. per cup

Sorghum Flour
4 cups/500 gm
Tapioca Flour
2 ½ cups/240 gm
Chickpea Flour
½ cup/60 gm
Coconut Flour
½ cup/55 gm

DIRECTIONS
Add all of the flours to a bag or container.  Seal and shake to mix well.

Its best to use a kitchen scale to weigh out a precise amount of flour.

If you do not have a scale spoon the flour blend into a measuring cup and then level it off.  

Do not scoop out a measuring cup of flour directly from the container as it will be too compacted and hold much more flour than the recipe calls for.
A bag of my secret gf flour blend.


Wednesday, January 23, 2019

GLUTEN FREE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES with DAIRY FREE Directions



Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

    Yum!  These Cheesecake Brownies are to die for!  I love the texture of the brownie layer and the how delicious it is with the cheese layer. I got the recipe from a friend and I have made them several times to rave reviews.  My usual reply to someone who wants the recipe for something I bake is “the recipe is in my blog”, but it wasn’t there!  So, by popular demand, I am posting the recipe today.
    It is easy to make.  No xanthan gum is needed and there is just one gluten free flour:  tapioca.  You can make the recipe dairy free by replacing milk and cream cheese with dairy free milk and cream cheese.  

GLUTEN FREE CHEESECAKE BROWNIES


INGREDIENTS

CREAM CHEESE LAYER
8 oz.
Cream Cheese (for dairy free use dairy free cream cheese)
½ cup
Sugar
1 large
Egg - at room temperature
1 tsp.
Vanilla Extract


BROWNIE LAYER
6 oz./1 cup
Chocolate Chips (for dairy free use dairy free chips)
½ cup
Sugar
1 tsp.
Vanila Extract
2 large
Eggs - at room temperature
3 Tbs.
Tapioca Flour
1 Tbs.
Dutch Cocoa Powder
1 ½ tsp.
Baking Powder
⅛ tsp.
Sea Salt
3 oz./½ cup
Chocolate Chips (for dairy free use dairy free chips)
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat oven to 350.  Prepare an 8”x8” square baking pan by lining it with parchment paper.  Brush the paper with a light tasting oil.
  2. In a small bowl beat cream cheese, sugar, egg & vanilla until well combined, soft and smooth. Set aside.
  3. In a medium sized microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and melt it in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after every interval until the chocolate is melted.  You can also melt the chocolate the by putting the bowl over a pot of hot water, stirring until it is melted.
  4. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat 30 seconds with an electric hand mixer.
  5. Add one egg and beat 30 seconds.
  6. Add the second egg and beat 1 minute until smooth.
  7. Add the tapioca flour, Dutch cocoa, baking powder and salt and mix until combined, then scrape down the sides and mix again.
  8. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
  9. Pour the chocolate mixture into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
  10. Dot the top of the chocolate mixture with spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture.  Run a knife back and forth across the pan to marbleize the cream cheese into the chocolate mixture.

  11. Bake 50 minutes.
  12. Cool in the pan until room temperature.
  13. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for several hours or overnight before slicing into squares or bars.
  14. Store leftovers in the fridge.

Monday, October 22, 2018

GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON ROLLS with Dairy Free Instructions



Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear
     I love cinnamon rolls!  Every time I enter a mall there is that wonderful smell of Cinnabon rolls.  Why don’t they have gluten free Cinnabon rolls at the mall?  If I want to eat a cinnamon roll I must bake it.  I found this recipe on the Recreating Happiness blog.  It is great.  Delicious, soft and gives you an experience that is absolutely equal to wheat cinnamon rolls.
     I made these a few times. The first time as written, then I switched up the flours. I just don't like using rice flour in baking.  Sweet rice flour is fine, but regular rice or brown rice flour makes the end product odd after it is a day old. When I say odd I mean the texture changes from ‘“I can’t believe this is gluten free” the first day to “This is definitely gluten free” the next day.  I find that substituting either sweet rice flour or sorghum for rice flour in a recipe produces good results. Most of the starchy flours like potato starch, tapioca, arrowroot, corn starch, etc. are usually interchangeable.  I tend to use tapioca since I have a lot on hand for making batches of Brazilian Cheese Rolls or Yeast Free Bagels.  I use the coconut flour in place of almond flour because some people I know have nut allergies and it is also less expensive.  You do need one or the other in the recipe to make the rolls soft and fluffy.  I made them with and without the cream cheese frosting and actually prefer them plain.  The cream cheese frosting makes these rolls a Cinnabon copycat.
     Best eaten the same day, leftover rolls eaten after the first day will be better if reheated.  Enjoy!



GLUTEN FREE CINNAMON ROLLS
Makes 8 rolls

INGREDIENTS
DOUGH
cup
Milk
for Dairy Free use non dairy milk of choice.
1 Tbs.
Butter
for Dairy Free use margarine or oil or vegan butter
2 ¼ tsp./1 packet/7gm
Yeast
¼ cup
Sugar
¾ cup
Tapioca Flour
¼ cup
Coconut Flour
½ cup
Sorghum Flour
½ tsp.
Baking Soda
1 ½ tsp.
Xanthan Gum
2 ½ tsp.
Baking Powder
½ tsp.
Salt
1 large
Egg
¼ cup
Vegetable oil with milk taste such as sunflower or canola
½ tsp.
Vanilla Extract


FILLING
cup
Butter - soft
for Dairy Free use vegan butter, margarine or ¼ cup oil
½ cup
Brown Sugar
2 Tbs.
Cinnamon


FROSTING
3 Tbs.
Butter-soft
for Dairy Free use use vegan butter or margarine
2 Tbs.
Cream Cheese-soft
for Dairy Free use vegan or dairy free cream cheese
¾ cup
Powdered Sugar
½ tsp.
Vanilla Extract
pinch
Salt


DIRECTIONS
1)    Preheat oven to 350℉.  Grease and lightly flour a pie pan or 9” round cake pan.
Greased and floured pie tin.
2)    In the bowl of a stand mixer mix the yeast and sugar.
3)    Place the milk and 1 Tbs. butter or oil in a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup and heat to 110-115℉ and add to the yeast mixture.  Stir and allow to proof for 10 minutes.  The yeast mixture should ‘foam up’. If the yeast doesn’t  foam up check the expiration date on the yeast.  If it is fresh you may have killed the yeast by using milk that was too hot.  Try to proof the yeast again being careful about the temperature of the milk.  If the yeast is not fresh you will need to get fresh yeast before proofing again.
4)    While the yeast is proofing add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt & xanthan gum to a medium bowl and mix well.  Set aside.
5)    When the yeast has ‘foamed up’ add the egg, ¼ cup oil & ½ tsp. vanilla extract and mix well.
6)    Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture in the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat 2 ½ minutes, scraping down the bowl after the first ½ minute. The dough should be smooth and like a thick cake batter.
Dough all mixed.
7)    Place plastic wrap on the counter and, using a pastry brush, brush the plastic wrap with oil.
8)    Use a large silicone spatula to scrape the dough out onto the plastic wrap.
9)    Cover the dough with another piece of plastic wrap and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a rectangle (approximately)10”x13”. 
Dough rolled into a rectangle between two pieces of plastic wrap.
The bottom plastic has been brushed with oil to prevent sticking.
10) Remove the top piece of plastic wrap and discard. 
11) The Filling: Gently spread out the filling butter or vegan butter or margarine or oil over the dough, leave a ½” border all around the edges.
12) Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle evenly over the dough leaving a border around the edges. 

Dough with filling. 
13) Use the plastic wrap to help lift the long edge of the dough.  Still using the plastic wrap lift and roll the dough until it is rolled into a long log.
Dough rolled into a log and sliced into 8 pieces.
14) Oil a long knife and use it to cut the dough into 8 slices.
15) Gently lift the slices into the prepared pan.  Place one in the center and the other slices around the edges of the pan.  To make it easier to transfer the pieces you can grease a spatula lift the slices.
Raw rolls in pan.
16) Cover the rolls with a dish towel and allow to rise for 15 minutes.
17) Bake 22-27 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
Baked GF Cinnamon Rolls.
18) If using the frosting:  While the rolls are baking beat all the frosting ingredients together until smooth.  Spread over the tops of the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven.
Frosting.

Frosting put on most of the rolls right out of the oven.
I left some plain to see how they were.
I actually prefer them unfrosted.

Frosted warm GF Cinnamon Roll!

Best if eaten the same day.  Reheat any leftovers eaten after the first day.


You can prepare the rolls a day ahead, cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake.  Allow the rolls to rest at room temperature for at least 25 minutes before baking.