Making 8 different trials, the taste testing was beyond countable.

Take a bite, think.  Take another bite of the same one, think again.  Jot some notes down.  [...]]]> If you asked me how many sticks of mandel bread I’ve eaten in the past 3 days, I can only tell you that I have no idea.

Making 8 different trials, the taste testing was beyond countable.

Take a bite, think.  Take another bite of the same one, think again.  Jot some notes down.  Repeat for all trials, then add, take 1 bite of trial X, then take one bite of trial Y, and compare.  Then multiple all that by 10, because there is no way I only took 3 taste test bites of each batch.

The good thing about all 8 trials was that none were inedible.  Not even close!  I have a HUGE pile of mandel bread, sealed in containers on my counter.  They’re also perfect for the freezer, which is where they’ll be headed shortly.  Actually, they taste great right from the freezer!  No thawing necessary.  And now I have a stockpile big enough to last for the next month.  

The end result of trial 8 left me completely satisfied and surprisingly, not sick of baking or eating these cookies.  The color, taste + texture were about as close as they’re going to get, to their all-purpose flour counterparts. 

While it took me 8 trials to perfect, this is actually an extremely easy cookie to make!  Especially if you’re a newbie baker.  The only thing you really need to watch for is the end thickness of the dough.  You want it fairly stiff, but spreadable with a knife.  You don’t want it as stiff as chocolate chip cookie dough, that can be rolled into balls, but you don’t want it pourable either.  Right in between!

They hold together + crunch just like the original version and have a nice, light, nutty flavor.  While I had experimented using tapioca starch, I concluded it to be unnecessary for these cookies. 

There was no need for a thickening agent, and no need to make them chewy, which is what tapioca starch is typically used for.

I also concluded that sweet rice flour is quite different from brown rice flour.  Mostly in texture.  Sweet rice is ground much more finely than brown rice flour and is also much starchier.  Brown rice flour can leave baked goods slightly gritty, while sweet rice flour has never had that affect in my recipes.  If anything, sweet rice flour can tend to make a baked good too starchy in texture, which is another reason why I eliminated the tapioca starch.

Round TWO flour combinations:

1. 1/2c + 3T GF oat flour + 3T sweet rice flour + 6T almond meal [slightly off]
2. 3/4c GF oat flour + 1/2c almond flour + 3T tapioca starch [bland]
3. 3/4c GF oat flour + 1/4c almond meal + 1/4c sweet rice flour + 2T tapioca starch [too starchy + bland]
4. 3/4c GF oat flour + 2T sweet rice flour + 6T almond meal [winner!]

Mandel Bread [v. 8] yields ~48-60, 1” wide cookies

• 2 1/2c GF oat flour
• 6T sweet rice flour
• 1c + 2T almond meal
• 3 large eggs
• 1c pure cane sugar
• 3/4c sunflower oil
• 1.5t vanilla extract
• 1.5t baking powder
• 3/4c walnuts, chopped

1. Preheat your oven to 350* and very lightly grease [or line with parchment] 2-3 cookie sheets.
2. Sift the oat flour + sweet rice flour together in a bowl, then gently fold in the almond meal.
3. In a large bowl, stir the eggs together with a spoon.
4. Stir in the sugar.
5. Stir in the oil.
6. Stir in the vanilla.
7. Stir in the baking powder.
8. Add about 3/4 of the flour mixture and stir until just combined, then add more as needed to thicken the dough.  The texture should be spreadable with a knife, so it can be formed into a large oval on the pan.  Not as thick as chocolate chip cookie dough, but not pourable. 
9. Gently fold in the walnuts, then portion out into 3 equal piles of dough on the baking sheets. 
10. Shape the dough into an oval, with a knife or spatula, approximately 1/2” thick, 5-6” wide, and about 8-9” long. Leave about 2-3” in between.  *refer to photograph below.
11. Bake for ~30min, until the edges are golden brown.  The middle will feel slightly soft to the touch.
12. Carefully [very hot!] slice down the center, and then cut about 1-1.5” slices going the other way. 
13. Turn up on their sides and bake for 5 minutes.
14. Let rest for 5min, then transfer to a cooling rack and eat once cooled.

tips/substitutions:  For high altitude, set your oven to 365* and use 1 1/4t baking powder.  As mentioned, all of the 8 flour combinations worked, so feel free to use any of them if you have those flours on hand.  These freeze extremely well [for months!] in freezer bags.  No need to tightly wrap with anything else.  If you leave out the walnuts, you may need to add 1T extra oat flour, since the walnuts soak up some of the moisture.  If your dough is not thick enough, add 1T more oat flour at a time.  Try not to over stir.

[from last year]

Sidenote:  You may notice these look much lighter in color than the batches earlier in the week.  With the first trials, I was using sucanat sugar [evaporated sugar cane juice].  I ran out and it’s much more expensive than pure cane sugar [more finely ground, evap. sugar cane juice] which is what I used for the 2nd day of trials.  You are more than welcome to use sucanat, but realize it is drier than pure cane sugar and therefore will not need quite as much flour.  I suggest mixing together the full amount of flour and then start by adding 3/4 of the flour mix and then slowly add more until the batter is nice + thick.  It will probably require about 3-6T less flour total.

Did you really think I stopped at version 8?

Of course not.  There was a version 9 + TEN!

Chocolate Mandel Bread yields ~48-60, 1” wide cookies

• 2 1/2c GF oat flour
• 3T sweet rice flour
• 1c almond meal
• 6T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4c chocolate chips
• 3 large eggs
• 1c pure cane sugar
• 3/4c sunflower oil
• 1.5t vanilla extract
• 1.5t baking powder
• 3/4c walnuts, chopped

1. Follow directions above, adding the cocoa powder in with the baking powder, and the chocolate chips at the same time as the walnuts.
2. For high altitude, keep the oven at 350*, or they may burn around the edges.

So what was version 10?

Mandel Bread VEGAN + gluten free! yields ~48-60, 1” wide cookies

• 2 1/4c GF oat flour
• 6T sweet rice flour
• 1c + 2T almond meal
• 3T ground flax
• 1/2c + 1T milk
• 1c pure cane sugar
• 3/4c sunflower oil
• 1.5t vanilla extract
• 1.5t baking powder
• 3/4c walnuts, chopped

1. Directions are all the same, except in direction #3.  Instead of adding the egg, add in the 3T flax + 1/2c + 1T milk [I used unsweetened almond, any should work] and stir until well mixed.  Proceed with directions from that point.  Baking time will increase by about 3 minutes. 

I will also tell you about my high hopes to use this dough as a soft cookie recipe.

I took 1 cookie worth of dough from the chocolate batch and plopped it on parchment, into this little baking dish.  After 15min I took it out of the oven to let it cool.

While the texture was incredibly soft + chewy, the taste was too bland. 

Way more bland then the fully cooked version above!

While I’ll continue to munch on + bake more mandel bread, I think the recipe trials have come to an end.  I’ll leave it to you guys to get creative with the mix-ins.

Can’t wait to take these to the family, to hopefully get the seal of approval!

Enjoy!

Ashley

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I’ve been missing cookies like crazy lately, [...]]]> You know how sometimes I go on baking sprees?  Like with my zucchini breads 1, 2, 3, 4 + 5?  Testing out different versions of a recipe to get them juuuust right?  I did this before going gluten free, but now that I’m GF, it happens even more.

I’ve been missing cookies like crazy lately, and what better month to start baking cookies then December?

Last year, I was on a mission to perfect mandel bread, a Jewish cookie similar to biscotti.  Traditionally, it’s made with sugar, white flour, eggs, oil, baking powder, vanilla + walnuts.  It’s a very simple recipe, but for some reason it was giving me issues.  I blame the altitude! 

I made a few changes to compensate for the altitude + also came away with a vegan version as well.

Well today, I was back at it again.  I’ve missed this crunchy cookie for the past year!  I am determined to perfect a gluten free version. 

Today, I made a list of 4 different versions to try.  First, I cut the recipe down to only 1/3.  It calls for 3 eggs, 3c of flour and other easy measurements to change.  Why have 4 full-sized batches around, when I don’t know how they’ll turn out?  I threw together 4 trials in about 20min or less and was on my way.

Here are the flour combinations I tried:

1. 1/2c + 2T GF oat flour + 1/4c rice flour + 1/4c almond meal
2. 1/c + 2T GF oat flour + 1/2c rice flour + 3T tapioca starch
3. 1/2c + 2T GF oat flour + 1/2c sorghum flour + 1T tapioca starch
4. 1/2c + 2T sorghum flour + 1/2c almond meal + 2T tapioca starch

*tapioca starch = tapioca flour – A common starch used in baked goods, which acts as a thickening agent.  You’ll commonly see this called for in pies.  It blends really well, unlike some other starches, which can ball up + become gelatinous.  Different starches are good for different types of recipes.  I’ve read this is a great addition to GF cookies because it helps give them a chewy texture.  I wasn’t looking for a chewy texture with these cookies, as they are crunchy, but it’s good to know tapioca starch can help.

Before baking, I numbered the different batters in pencil, on the parchment paper.  The worst thing about baking multiple batches at once is getting them mixed up!

Just like with biscotti, these get double baked. 

They all held together perfectly!  This is a slightly crumbly cookie to begin with, and then trying to make it gluten free, could have caused disasters.  Since there is no gluten in GF flours, baked goods don’t hold together nearly as well and their textures are noticeably different than baked goods using white, wheat + spelt flour.

Gluten helps bind ingredients together + creates an elastic, doughy texture, typically difficult to mimic with gluten free flours.  Often times, you’ll see gluten free baked goods with extra eggs, added starch, or xanthan gum.  These are ingredients that help bind everything together and give them better texture.

This was my first time baking with sorghum flour + tapioca starch.  [I’ve uses tapioca starch, but only in pies.]  Sorghum flour has 120 calories, 3g fiber + 4g protein, per 1/4c serving.  It’s described as a sweet flour, which can commonly be found as an ingredient in cereals.

1. 1/2c + 2T GF oat flour + 1/4c rice flour + 1/4c almond meal
• The combination of flours provided great flavor.  The cookie is traditionally light in flavor, which is what made me think to use oat flour.  The rice flour doesn’t have much flavor impact, and I thought the almond meal would help to richen it up a bit.  The rice flour was definitely detectable in texture.  It was a bit too grainy for my liking, even though it was a very finely ground.
2. 1/c + 2T GF oat flour + 1/2c rice flour + 3T tapioca starch
• This recipe used the most starch, and you could definitely tell in the end result.  It was the lightest cookie in texture.  Not quite as hearty as the original.  It was also slightly bland from the starch and not including any almond meal, like trial 1.
3. 1/2c + 2T GF oat flour + 1/2c sorghum flour + 1T tapioca starch
1. The flavor of this was almost spot on, but the sorghum flour actually made this batch too sweet.  Also, the sorghum flour made the cookie have a slightly mealy texture, similar to the rice flour.
4. 1/2c + 2T sorghum flour + 1/2c almond meal + 2T tapioca starch
1. This was by far the best texture, which I attribute to the 1/2c of almond meal.  The sorghum flour was still detectable in texture however and the flavor needed to be a bit more mellow.

Findings:

• Sorghum flour adds a mealy texture when too much is used.
• Sorghum flour can also make things too sweet and give a slightly malty flavor.
• Be careful with almond meal, as it is more heat sensitive and can burn.
• Too much tapioca starch will cause these to be airy + light.
• Brown rice flour has a noticeably grainy texture.
• Amount of eggs, oil + sugar will remain the same. 

Now what?

• First, I will use sweet rice flour, instead of brown rice flour in baked goods.  I use the sweet rice flour in all of my doughnut recipes, and the graininess is never detectable.  I bought a bag of brown rice flour because it was much cheaper, but the sweet rice is far superior.
• The amounts of sorghum and/or rice flour used, need to be lessoned.
• No more than 2T tapioca starch will be used. [or 6T in the full recipe]

Three more trials coming at you later this week.  While all four of these recipes worked, I think I can get it a little closer to the real thing.

We shall see!  Ohhh, how I love kitchen experiments!

Ashley

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First.

Since posting “Recipes for Mom – Beans,” I’ve had quite a few questions on the topic. 

*Edited to add: The below Q+A is for the crock pot method of cooking beans, which is detailed in the post I linked to above.  [...]]]> Just a few things to talk about for this fine Wednesday morning.

First.

Since posting “Recipes for Mom – Beans,” I’ve had quite a few questions on the topic. 

*Edited to add: The below Q+A is for the crock pot method of cooking beans, which is detailed in the post I linked to above.  Sorry for the confusion on that.  If you boil beans on the stove top it takes 1-2hrs and they should not be boiled over high heat.  Here is a link to the stovetop bean cooking method.

• Do all beans take 5-7hrs of cook time?
• Generally, yes.  So far I’ve cooked: kidney beans, chickpeas, black beans, white beans, pinto beans and they have all cooked within that time frame.  It just depends how “done” you want them.  If you’re using a smaller bean, like mini chickpeas, the cook time will be less.
• If you’re cooking a very large pot of beans [~6c dry] it will take about 1-2hrs longer.
• Can you use the “high” setting to cook them?
• I typically cook them on high for an hour, and then turn them to low for 3-4hrs.  I have never cooked them on high the whole time, but it may work.
• Do you have to soak the beans overnight + then rinse before cooking?
• Soaking isn’t 100% necessary, but I feel it’s a pretty crucial part of the process. 
• cuts down cooking time
• thoroughly washes the beans, because they go through no cleansing process before packaging [who knows what has touched those beans!]
• makes them easier to digest, and decreases their gaseous properties
• Can you cook multiple types of beans together?
• Just tested this on Monday and the answer is yes!  It worked perfectly

I used about 2c of each, dried black beans, kidney beans + pinto beans.  Rinsed them, soaked them, rinsed again, then set them in the slow cooker for about 7-8hrs.  It took a bit longer because this was a hefty load of beans!  My plan was to use this mix for chili and freeze the leftovers.  Which brings me to my next two points…

Second.

As many of you mentioned, you can successfully freeze beans, by freezing them in their cooking liquid!!  This works like a charm!  I have frozen them in freezer bags or tupperware, with the liquid just above the level of the beans.  Freezing them without the liquid, results in a wet, chewy texture after thawing.  The only annoying part is, you need to wait until your cooking liquid cools before putting it in the bag or container you are using.  Do not let the beans cool in the cooking liquid, or they will become overcooked.  To thaw, I just stick the bag or container in the fridge, drain the liquid and rinse the beans.  Like I’ve said before, slow cooking beans [or pressure cooking which takes like 15min] is substantially cheaper. 

Third.

Last February, I created a recipe for Cocoa Chili.  It is my favorite chili recipe to date.  The 1/4c of unsweetened cocoa powder, adds a delectable richness, that will keep you coming back for more.

With cooling temps, I was in the mood for a hearty meal.  We were also having company for dinner, and chili + cornbread are always an ‘”easy to please” meal.  What I discovered today, is that you can cook this recipe in your slow cooker!!!  No messing with sautéing the onion, garlic, + bell pepper, then adding in the seasonings, stirring + adding more ingredients, etc. 

Chop it.  Toss it in.  Let it sit.  Done!

Refer to the recipe for exact ingredients and then follow these instructions.

1. Chop veggies + garlic and add them to the pot, along with the tomatoes, green chilies, beans, broth + spices. 
2. The only ingredient I added to the list was 1/4t coriander, but you’re fine without it. 
3. Then, forget about it for 8hrs on low. 
4. Also, since this wasn’t cooked uncovered on the stove, it didn’t have the change to boil off some of the liquid and thicken.  Instead, in the last 1 hour of cooking, I mixed 1 heaping tablespoon of arrowroot starch + about 1T water, stirred it into the mix.  This helped to thicken the broth. 
5. Bask in the savory, rich deliciousness.

I doubled the recipe, because we’re all about leftovers.  And I already have big plans for them.

[photo taken pre-cooking]

Fourth.

Stay tuned for a recap of my gluten free cornbread baking trials + the resulting “no-fail” recipe!

Happy day in the middle of the week!

Ashley

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Almond meal.

A lot of gluten free baking calls for almond flour, which is ground into a fine flour, from blanched almonds.  Almond flour is pricey, and I didn’t have almonds on hand to grind my own.  However, I did have almond meal in my [...]]]> This recipe marks the discovery of my new favorite ingredient.

Almond meal.

A lot of gluten free baking calls for almond flour, which is ground into a fine flour, from blanched almonds.  Almond flour is pricey, and I didn’t have almonds on hand to grind my own.  However, I did have almond meal in my cupboard, from my last trip home to Ohio.  For some crazy reason, there are no Trader Joe’s in Colorado.  When I’m in Ohio, I stock up on my favorites!  Almond meal was a new find, that I thought I would try.

Speaking of Ohio…I’ll be there in 2 weeks!  Can’t wait!

I had no idea how this recipe was going to turn out.

I expected it to crumble and fall apart.  Almond meal has no holding power at all, and with an already gluten-free recipe, I thought this bread was doomed.

Instead of a thick, hearty zucchini bread, it resulted in a much lighter texture.  Almost cake-like.  If that makes you think, “sounds like it’s probably dry,” think again.  The almond meal keeps this bread so moist it will make your head taste buds spin.

Yes, I use the word moist.  Even the thesaurus doesn’t have a better suggestion.  Unless you want me to call this bread “clammy,” “oozy” or “dampish,” I’m sticking with moist.

It was baked in a 9×9 pan, instead of a loaf pan, but either should work.  For whatever reason, I feel the large square pan, suits this recipe best.

No detection of tasting like a gluten-free baked good.  At all.  Success!

If it was between this recipe and the last, I’m not sure which I would grab first.  Version one is more authentic, but version two is just as flavorful, with a fluffier texture.

I’ll just urge you to try both and get back to me.

Zucchini Bread v.II

• 1/2c raw buckwheat flour [ground from raw groats]
• 3/4c GF oat flour [ground from certified GF steel cut oat groats]
• 3/4c almond meal
• 1T ground flax meal
• 2T sunflower oil [or other]
• 1/4c unsweetened applesauce
• 1c grated zucchini, drained
• 7T brown rice syrup [honey or maple syrup]
• 3T sucanat
• 2t vanilla extract
• 2t cinnamon
• 1/2t salt
• 3/4t baking powder
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2c chopped walnuts
• 3T milk of choice

1. Preheat your oven to 350* and grease + flour or line a 9×9 pan with parchment paper.  To grease + flour, grease all sides of the pan and add 1-2T of flour, knocking it around so all sides are covered.  Turn the pan over your sink and tap all sides, so the excess falls out.
2. In a large bowl combine all dry ingredients, except the walnuts, and mix well.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together then add in oil, applesauce, milk, brown rice syrup, and vanilla.  Whisk to combine.
4. Mix in zucchini to the bowl of wet ingredients.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir gently, until just combined.  Over-stirring will cause a gummy texture.
6. Gently fold in the walnuts and then pour into your pan and spread to even out.
7. Bake centered, on the middle rack for 28-35min.  Test with a toothpick for doneness.
8. Let sit in the pan to cool for 10min, before sliding a knife around the edge to release from the pan.  Cut into squares with a sharp knife, and carefully remove with the help of a fork or flexible spatula.

*high altitude ~5,000ft:  oven: 375* milk: 1/4c baking powder: 1/2t + 1/8t

*Feel free to make this in a 9×5 or 8×4 loaf pan, an 8×8 pan, in mini loaf pans, or even in muffin tins.  Just remember all of those options will vary the cook time.

I reduced the amount of oil from the past loaf because of the almond meal addition.  I figured the extra fat from the almond meal would help keep things extremely moist, so the oil could be reduced.  It worked really well!  The flax was added to help hold the bread together.

Trader Joes carries almond meal for around $4, if I remember correctly.  You can also get it from Natural Grocers for $3.75/lb.  The other option is to make your own almond meal + flour at home!  *Also note – when recipes call for almond flour, it is not advised to substitute almond meal – they are quite different!

I froze about 1/2 of each trial loaf [5 of them] from last week and we’re already digging in to the freezer stash!  Good news, zucchini bread freezes tremendously well, and I’m not even close to getting sick of it.  Bad news…we’re almost out.  I’ll either have to buy another zucchini, or move on to pumpkin bread.  We shall see…

Monday.

Oof.

Ashley

pssst.  I spy the beginnings of my photography website!  More to come soon!

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