Gluten-free baking question (Gluten Free - General Guidance)
I hope this isn't a dumb question but I'm not all that familiar with gluten-free vegan baking.
Could I easily substitute brown rice flour in this brownie recipe without any problem?
I want to bake for someone I work with who eats gluten-free, and preferably low fat. The brown rice flour is the only gluten-free flour I have in my cupboard right now.
http://www.fatfree.com/recipes/brownies/fudgy-brownies
These are so incredibly chocolatey and rich that you won't need icing.
Fudgy Brownies
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 egg whites ( egg replacer for 2 eggs )
1/2 cup applesauce
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 Tbsp kahula
1 Tbsp peanut butter
walnuts (Lorraine's recipe called for them, I didn't use them)
Spray 8 x 8 pan w/ Pam. In medium bowl, sift together cocoa, flour,
baking powder & salt. (measure ingredients before sifting)
Combine peanut butter with kahlua warmed in the microwave. It
will be kind of gluey.
In large bowl, mix kahlua/pb with sugar. It will be kind of
crumbly and won't mix entirely.
Wisk in egg , applesauce & vanilla.
Combine flour mixture w/ egg mixture. (Add nuts, if using them)
Bake 35-40 minutes @350!
NOTES: I had success with EnerG egg replacer.
Also, this time I replaced 1/4 cup of the flour with
the same amount of the King Arthur White Wheat.
(Didn't want them to be too heavy)
kwvegan vegan
I've never made a gluten-free baked good but I do know that this website has a lot of tips on gluten-free baking which might help you. Here's the link: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
I'm not that much of a help but I hope that helps!
There isn't much flour in this recipe, so you probably could, but it won't have exactly the same texture as the regular recipe. I am a celiac and cook GF always so I would probably go ahead and measure out the brown rice flour, but then remove 2 tablespoons of flour and use 2 tbls of cornstarch, which is GF and will help in lightening the heaviness of the rice flour.
There isn't much flour in this recipe, so you probably could, but it won't have exactly the same texture as the regular recipe. I am a celiac and cook GF always so I would probably go ahead and measure out the brown rice flour, but then remove 2 tablespoons of flour and use 2 tbls of cornstarch, which is GF and will help in lightening the heaviness of the rice flour.
Thank you. I don't know much about gluten-free baking but am interested in trying new recipes. I will remember that cornstarch tip.
You might also want to try finding one of Bette Hagman's books on GF baking. Her first is called the Gluten Free Gourmet. The recipies aren't vegan, but has great tips on GF flour substitutions in regular recipies. The biggest trick is to use a combination of flours, not just one, for the best texture.
NessaRata, I checked out glutenfreegoddess.com website you recommended. Very good, especially the chocolate cake photo ... and very seasonal too! Thank you.
GFVegmom, thank you for the cookbook recommendation. Although it's not vegan, I think I will check it out for the great tips you suggested.
I notice some gluten-free recipes call for xanthan gum, which I seem to have a hard time finding. Is that easy to substitute?
Xanthan gum is mainly used as a stabilizer in GF foods. It helps make them less fragile and crumbly. I tend to use it when I make bread or cookies, but skip it in waffles, cakes etc. You can also use Guar gum, a similar product. If you can't find it, you could most likely skip it with no problems. I have been able to find it many places, but it can be expensive. That being said, I keep it in the freezer and one bag tends to last me months, and I cook GF and Veg for a family of 5.
PS have know some that say xanthan gum can have a laxative effect, or the opposite. Never noticed anything from my family, but sometimes people react weird to stuff.
GF Vegmom,
I had my first success baking gluten-free brownies thanks to you!
I followed your advice replacing two tablespoons of brown rice flour with cornstarch. (The brownie recipe I used called for Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour which has a strong, unsavory taste).
My coworkers loved the brownies. They were perfectly sweet, moist with a lovely brownie top. After two disappointments with gluten-free baking and expensive ingredients, I almost gave up. Now I can chalk this up as my first gluten-free baking success. Thanks again for your help.
Great news! Its always nice to have some kick a** recipies in your arsenal to use around omnis and non GF folk. I use them on my father in law; I'm not sure which scares him more, GF food or vegan food. Hmm, better not tell him its both! Ha.
Once you make more and more GF recipies, the substitutions get easier and you can just go with your gut most of the time.
I've never made a gluten-free baked good but I do know that this website has a lot of tips on gluten-free baking which might help you. Here's the link: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/
I'm not that much of a help but I hope that helps!
NessaRata,
After my brownie success, I'm moving on to cookies that call for larger volumes of flour. Found this flour mix, via your link, that I am interested in trying.
Do you or anyone else out there know if this is a good mix for chocolate chip cookies or raspberry oat bars(I was able to find gluten-free oats)?
Also. I just bought sweet rice flour because it was on sale. Could I use that instead of the brown rice flour? Thanks for all your help. I'm doing some gluten-free baking for our Vegan Bake Sale this Thursday.
Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix
Combine:
2 cups rice flour*
2/3 cup cornstarch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
*Notes:
Brown rice flour is a whole grain and has more nutrition. It works well in recipes if balanced with lighter flours. You could try: 1 cup brown rice flour and 1 cup white rice flour.
Ditto with buckwheat flour- my new favorite. It's higher in protein and fiber and has a nutty taste. It adds structure, too. (And no, buckwheat is not akin to wheat- it's actually a fruit related to rhubarb!) Start with one cup and mix with lighter flours.
Subbing denser flours such as almond, buckwheat, coconut or quinoa will result in a heavier, denser product. Start with a third of a cup. Experiment and find the formula and texture you like best.
Read more: http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/01/cooking-baking-gluten-free-tips-for.html#ixzz0JDekITC8&C
Saskia-
Yes you can sub rice flour, BUT it is very important to make sure you also add 1 tsp of xanthum gum per 1 cup gf flour substitute. Because gluten free flour has no gluten, there is no binding agent. Gluten is what holds the baked goods together. Xanthum gum is a gluten free binding replacement. With out it your brownies would fall apart. Xanthum gum can be kind of pricey. I would recommend buying a gf baking mix that already has the xanthum gum added if you can find one.
Saskia-
Yes you can sub rice flour, BUT it is very important to make sure you also add 1 tsp of xanthum gum per 1 cup gf flour substitute. Because gluten free flour has no gluten, there is no binding agent. Gluten is what holds the baked goods together. Xanthum gum is a gluten free binding replacement. With out it your brownies would fall apart. Xanthum gum can be kind of pricey. I would recommend buying a gf baking mix that already has the xanthum gum added if you can find one.
I did not know that. Thank you so much. I bought a bag of xanthan gum because the gluten-free baking mix, Bob's Red Mill I think, I bought was kind of gross when I baked with it.
The xanthan gum was a little more expensive than I thought but then again, if you only need a teaspoon per cup it's really not that much. I appreciate your help. :)