My Cookies Crumbled

[Cin]

Hello,

I am not much of a baker to begin with but now that I am gluten-free, I feel compelled to find good tasting foods to eat. I just tried making cookies and substituting one to one on the flour with Bette Hagmans gourmet flour mix and adding 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. My cookies tasted great but you had to scoop them with a spoon.(My daughter said they were great over vanilla ice cream.) Any suggestions? As I said, I dont bake and used vegetable spread instead of butter or margarine. Could this change the consistency as well. They were pretty soupy before I put them in the oven.

Thanks Cindy

[I-am-silly-yak]

Hello,

I am not much of a baker to begin with but now that I am gluten-free, I feel compelled to find good tasting foods to eat. I just tried making cookies and substituting one to one on the flour with Bette Hagmans gourmet flour mix and adding 1/4 tsp xanthan gum. My cookies tasted great but you had to scoop them with a spoon.(My daughter said they were great over vanilla ice cream.) Any suggestions? As I said, I dont bake and used vegetable spread instead of butter or margarine. Could this change the consistency as well. They were pretty soupy before I put them in the oven.

Thanks Cindy

Hi Cindy,

Add a teaspon more baking powder and another 1/4 tsp. of Xanthan Gum. Betty Hagman is great.Try also Carol Fenster's "Gluten Free 101"

silly yak

[penguin]

I would reccommend that you NEVER substitute vegetable spread OR margerine for butter. I'd bet money that it was the vegetable spread, it's not good for baking.

Personally, I don't believe that vegetable spread or margerine is good for anything, but that's just me.

Especially doing it gluten-free, butter is important. Butter flavored shortening can be used, however, if you can't have dairy.

[lonewolf]

I agree that you need to use real butter or margarine - not vegetable spread. Also, you probably need to use at least 1 tsp. of xanthan gum to help them stick together better. I use at least 1-1/2 tsp. for my cookies and they don't crumble.

[jerseyangel]

My money would be on the vegetable spread, too. For cookies, either butter or shortening is best for consistancy.

[skoki-mom]

This is no doubt a stupid question, but what is vegetable spread??? I (used to) bake a lot and I've never heard of such a thing. Is it the same as shortening?? I'm all for butter too. Soft margarine never turns out (too much water content) and hard margarine is worse for you health wise than butter. Besides, now that wheat flour is out of the question, I figure I may as well have the butter. Something has to kill you.......

[plantime]

Did you use stick spread or bowl spread? Bowl spread is too soft for baking, but you can use stick spread in place of real butter. Using bowl spread would make your cookies runny, not crumbly. If they were too crumbly, then you need to use more xanthan gum. I think the formula is 1/4 tsp gum for each 1 cup flour. Personally, I am allergic to eggs, so I use ground flax instead of eggs and xanthan gum.