Someone Left The Cake Out In The Rain, and I’ll Never Have That Recipe Again (MacArthur Park, Richard Harris)

Okay, I never really got what those lyrics had to do with the song, but it did bring to my mind something from one of your comments. Why should someone with gluten allergies have to leave their Birthday cake out in the rain. So I have developed my first tasty and moist chocolate cupcake that can be made into a BD cake!Other flavors are in development, and we will soon have a ”gluten free tasting night” at the cafe. So, before I leave this subject for another, I want to share a usable pantry list, some helpful gluten free cooking tips, and maybe even a recipe or two.

First the tips: When using gluten free products, you may find the doughs rather sticky. To help prevent more dough on your hads than in the bowl, spray your hands with a little vegetable spray (be certain there is no flour in the spray), this will reduce the amount of stickiness. Also, avoid overworking the dough as it will result in a dense and tough finished product. To be sure your dough is mixed enough, work it for two or three minutes, and let it rest for ten minutes before working again. Another oddity with non-gluten products, is how it responds to continued cooking once it is out of the oven. As a rule, food continues to cook for about 15 minutes once removed, (and the same goes with gluten free products), the steam that is created in the process can cause dryness. It is best to remove from the pan, no more than 25 minutes after cooking, and place on a rack to cool. One last tip, when you are searching for recipes, the ones that use a combination of gluten free flours as opposed to only one (rice flour or cassava flour)tend to be tastier and moister.

Now for the pantry: First, remember that flour can easily become airborne, so it is best to keep your pantry or cabinet separate from all other foods. To help keep from driving yourself crazy with costly and hard to find items, there are many all pupose gluten free flour blends. Some are rather good, so go to a reputable healthfood store and talk with the stores representative.

Now, on to the basic ingredients: First, the non flour items, a very important item to have in your pantry is Xanthum gum. This additive will assist maintaining a good texture and overall chewiness of your baked goods. Just one teaspoon is good for most recipes. Guar gum may also be used, but it does have laxative properties. You may also need thickening agents such as arrowroot powder, or potato starch, as well as flaxseed meal, which is a fiberous and nutritious alternative to whole eggs.

Now the heart of the pantry: The various gluten free flours. There are many other flours, but I will cover the most cost effective, easily obtainable, and most commonly used. Almond flour, buckwheat flour, chickpea flour, garava flour(a combo of chickpea and fava), sorghum flour, tapioca (cassava root) flour, and rice flour. These can either be bought or ordered from most healthfood stores. If you have any specific questions feel free to ask.

Hopefully, you can now arm you kitchen for a gluten free culinary experience. I hope this will help you get started so you can experiment with various glutenless (I’m tired of writting gluten free) culinary delights, that you can share with us. I will post some recipes next week. ENJOY! Keith

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