Non-wheat flours

[momoreg]

in my brief experience with spelt flour, I found that it is a lot like cake flour, but I did have to add a touch more flour than usual. The final product was delicious.

[CompassRose]

However, spelt IS a relative of wheat. Friend of mine has wheat sensitivities, and went mad on spelt; she now reacts worse to it than she does to wheat.

It also does have gluten, IIRC, so could only be used in cases of specific wheat allergies, not gluten intolerance.

It is nice though. Hildegard of Bingen has plenty of good things to say about spelt.

[Suzanne]

I thought she was a composer. She wrote songs about food??

[CompassRose]

She was a mystic and visionary, and appears to have been something of a polymath. She composed, painted (there is a theory that her "visions" may have been severe migraines, based on some of the images and patterns in her paintings), and wrote quite a lot. Many of her writings are just about spirituality and what she thought about that, but she also wrote extensively about food, medicine, herbs and diet, tying that as well into theories about the relation of spirit and body. (Which is where the spelt came in. She had some notion that it was somehow purer than other grains.)

She's enjoying a sort of revival right now, mostly among "spiritual wimmin," and reprints of her books are cropping up all over the place, mostly from various New Age publishers. It's quite interesting stuff, when you consider the time during which she lived and wrote. Unusual woman.

[Suzanne]

Didn't know all that. Thank you!

[Isa]

Bella

Could you please share a chocolate or vanilla cake recipe that is gluten free?


Thanks!

[Ruth]

i agree with the comment that all those groovy flours are for adding to,not solo. a white wheat,as in spelt is a good start. also if you try your hand at a fresh yeast. one ijn which you would soak fruit usually grapes in water ferment that and go from there you can make gr8 artisian breads. the bread book "la Brea" is a good solid bible for bread.

[Bella]

CompassRose, I agree that people with wheat sensitivities should probably avoid spelt as it is a cousin to wheat. I know if my son gets too much spelt in a few days, his personality changes.

Isa, you asked for a gluten free chocolate or vanilla cake recipe. How about a sponge cake recipe? The chocolate cake recipe I use has spelt in it so it would not be gluten free.

For the Gluten Free Sponge Cake (taken from Carol Fenster's book that I mentioned above.

1/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice 1/4 C Sugar
1 Teas. grated lemon peel 1 C Potato Starch
9 Ex-Large Eggs 1/4 teas. cream of tartar
1 C Powdered Sugar 1 teas. GF Vanilla Extract
(gluten free)

Oven 375

Mix lemon juice and peel. Separate 7 of the eggs into two bowl. To the egg yolks, add the remaining two whole eggs. Beat until lemon colored and foamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and granulated sugar Add vanilla.
Sift Potato starch into the yolk mixture, alternating with lemon juice and peel. Mix on low speed.
Beat whites until stiff peaks form. Add cream of tartar. Pour yolk mixture over whites and fold in.
Pour into an ungreased 10" tube pan with removable bottom. Bake on center shelf for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven and invert cake on rack to cool for an hour. Remove cake from pan.

I have not made this recipe yet, but it doesn't sound too hard. I will keep looking for a chocolate recipe that does not use gluten flour.

Another website to check out is www.dadamo.com. It is a site which has a great deal of recipes for food sensitivities. You may find something there.

Let me know how the cake turns out if you make it.

[Isa]

Thank you so much Bella. I'll give it a try next week and will share the results with you..

[Bella]

Isa,

I was visiting Borders bookstore the other day and found another Cookbook for Gluten Free Baking. I wanted to pass on the title and one of the recipies that my kids just loved. I have to admit it tasted really good. The cake was dense--like a corn bread,(it did not raise as high as a regular cake, but the light vanilla flavor was perfect. We ate it without frosting and it was gone in a few bites.

The name of the book is Gluten Free Baking and authored by Rebecca Reilly. She is a professional baker who has children that need a gluten free diet. I can't wait to try more recipies this weekend.

Butter Cake (makes 1- 8inch round cake)

2/3 C brown rice flour 1/4 tsp Xanthan gum
1/3 C potato starch 1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbls. tapioca starch 1 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp. Egg Replacer * 1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp gluten free baking powder 2 eggs
1/2 tsp gluten free vanilla
2 to 3 Tbls. milk

Preheat oven to 350. Butter and line your cake pan.
Mix together the brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, Egg Replacer, baking powder, xanthum gum, and salt.

In another bowl, beat the butter until it lightens in color. Add sugar and beat until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. If mixture appears to be curdled, add 1 Tablespoon of the dry ingredients. Stir in remaining dry ingredients and the vanilla and milk.

Pour batter into pan and bake 15-20minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack.

*Egg Replacer is a powder that can be found in many health food stores. I used margarine instead of butter and it worked just fine.

This book is a great find. So many things are explained about gluten free baking.

Have fun
Bella

[Isa]

Thank you for the information Bella.


I was looking for gluten free recipe because a friend who can not eat gluten is coming for dinner this week. In the end I decided to take the easy way out and go with flourless chocolate cake or pablova.

[Kimmie]

IS GLUTEN FREE!

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