What Should I Bake First?

[chrissy]

anyone have a suggestion as to a good gluten free baking recipe for me to start out with----something that is more likely to work out for a first-time gluten free baker? i hate to discourage myself right off the bat with a baking failure.LOL!! i have "the gluten free gourmet bakes bread" and "the gluten free gourmet cooks fast and healthy" and my sister loaned me "gluten free 101".

christine

[tarnalberry]

unless you think of pancakes as baking, I would suggest muffins - flavorful ones - or quick breads. and realize that baking has its quirks - even if it wasn't gluten-free, it may not go perfectly.

[nettiebeads]

anyone have a suggestion as to a good gluten free baking recipe for me to start out with----something that is more likely to work out for a first-time gluten free baker? i hate to discourage myself right off the bat with a baking failure.LOL!! i have "the gluten free gourmet bakes bread" and "the gluten free gourmet cooks fast and healthy" and my sister loaned me "gluten free 101".

christine

I wouldn't worry too much. Even failures can be reused as bread pudding or trifles. Quick breads and muffins are usually pretty safe.

[Guest nini]

Chocolate Chip Cookies were my first baking foray in the gluten free world and all I did was use the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag (for Tollhouse cookies) and substituted all gluten free ingredients... (my mom had the recipe on a card...) I bought Tropical Source Chocolate Chips, Rice Flour, Flavorganics Vanilla Extract... I can't remember what else. It was really really simple and we LOVED them... my hubby even ate a bunch.

Now for chocolate chip cookies I use the Gluten Free Pantry's chocolate chip cookie and cake mix... I think they turn out so much more tasty.

[lpellegr]

The easiest recipes to have come out "normal" are the moist sweet breads like zucchini bread, or the muffins. Start with those - the muffins usually freeze well so you can microwave a couple for breakfast.

These are recipes from the "GFG Cooks Fast and Healthy" that worked for me:

Velvet Brownies - taste good, but texture is kind of strange. But hey, it's chocolate! And easy.

Onion Crackers - lots of work, and you ought to cut the salt down to 1/4t, but the crackers were really good.

Easy Pizza - the best gluten-free pizza crust recipe I've found.

I just made the Caraway Rye bread from the GFG Bakes Bread, and it was wonderful, but I've been trying various recipes for a year - some work, some fail, you learn something each time. If one recipe doesn't come out right, don't give up, just try another one. And a Kitchenaid mixer is a huge help - you can't mix the xanthan gum doughs by hand very well once you add the water - they just seize up. The 4-flour mix does make a better bread than the original gluten-free flour mix, but most of the breads I've tried have been at least partially successful. And all leftovers are keepers for crumbs for breading or meatballs!

Also get the original "Gluten Free Gourmet" and "More from the GFG" if you want even more breads to try but I think the GFG Bakes Bread is the best so far. Santa brought me a bag of sorghum flour and some garfava flour, so I've been trying them out!

[jerseyangel]

My first try at gluten-free baking was to just substitute rice flour for the regular flour in a coffee cake muffin recipe that we liked. Big mistake--they were hard and crumbly. I soon learned about xanthan gum and potato starch, tried it again and they were really good! Whatever you try, just know that gluten-free baking has its own quirks and you will get the gist of it the longer you're at it. Kind of like learning to bake all over again. There are so many good mixes out there (my fav. is The Gluten Free Pantry mixes) that are foolproof.

[wherehawksfly]

Chocolate Chip Cookies were my first baking foray in the gluten free world and all I did was use the recipe on the back of the Nestle chocolate chip bag (for Tollhouse cookies) and substituted all gluten free ingredients... (my mom had the recipe on a card...) I bought Tropical Source Chocolate Chips, Rice Flour, Flavorganics Vanilla Extract... I can't remember what else. It was really really simple and we LOVED them... my hubby even ate a bunch.

Now for chocolate chip cookies I use the Gluten Free Pantry's chocolate chip cookie and cake mix... I think they turn out so much more tasty.

Sorry, I'm a newbie to Celiac. What does the "GFG" abbreviation stand for?

[jerseyangel]

In this case, I believe its Gluten Free Gourmet.

[Rae]

anyone have a suggestion as to a good gluten free baking recipe for me to start out with----something that is more likely to work out for a first-time gluten free baker? i hate to discourage myself right off the bat with a baking failure.LOL!! i have "the gluten free gourmet bakes bread" and "the gluten free gourmet cooks fast and healthy" and my sister loaned me "gluten free 101".

christine

Hey Christine,

Just made brownies using Gluten Free Pantry Chocolate truffle brownie mix and it was easy and delicious! Taste like the real thing. I actually made my family pillsbury and gluten-free brownies and asked them to taste both to see if they can tell the difference and they couldnt! Gluten free pantry baking mixes can be ordered online or you can buy them in whole foods, Mrs. Greens, or my stop-n-stop even had the mixes. They are eazy to make and delicious. Heard the ch/chip mix is good too.hope you try -n- enjoy