Cookies With Baking Mix?

[LisaJ]

Hey all you baking experts -

I want to use an old (not gluten-free) recipe to make my favorite cookies. I was just going to substitute some Arrowhead Mills gluten-free all-purpose baking mix for the flour my recipe calls for, but I was looking at the gluten-free flour mix, and I see it already has baking soda and baking powder in it . . . and the recipe I have calls for both baking soda/powder - so do I still add it or not?? Or am I better off just using plain old rice flour??

Thanks a bunch! I am making these for work and don't want to screw them up

[kbabe1968]

Is it a sweet bread?

I have used white rice flour so far with my sweet quick bread recipes and it's worked just fine. Worked for pancakes too.

i wouldn't use a baking mix for the reason you mentioned (and it's hard to know how to adjust the baking soda/baking powder) in order to make it work.

hope this helps

[LisaJ]

nope, not sweet bread - I am making cookies. I think I better just stick to rice flour - don't know what I am going to use that baking mix for though, other than if I make one of the three recipes on the back . . . Wish I would've paid more attention to that before I bought it!!

[larry mac]

From the Arrowhead Mills website I got this info:

Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix

Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Mix provides the very best ingredients for your biscuits, waffles, breads and cookies -- wheat and gluten free!! Easy to use and so delicious, this convenient mix is made from a base of flavorful brown rice flour.

Ingredients: organic whole grain brown rice flour, organic potato starch, tapioca starch flour, baking powder (monocalcium phosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch), fava bean flour, sea salt.

Now I'm no gluten-free baking expert, but I have made plenty of cookies, and it does say cookies right on the label. I'll bet you can use it for your recipe and just omit any additional baking powder, soda, and salt. Is there a cookie recipe on the back? How about posting your recipe and lets take a look see. Besides, you do need to use that stuff up.

I've made two batches of chocolate chip cookies lately, one just last night. I'm using a recipe from the King Arthur Flour Cookie Companion, and substituting the four gluten-free flour blend I've been using for bread. The recipe is Classic Crunchy Chocolate Chip Cookies (with pecans). Both times I've had to add more gluten-free flour than the recipe called for, probably 1/4-1/3 cup. That may be because my mix is half starches. I only used 1/4 tsp X-gum per 2+ cups flour last night. They came out pretty good, but it is a little tricky.

lm

Hey all you baking experts -

I want to use an old (not gluten-free) recipe to make my favorite cookies. I was just going to substitute some Arrowhead Mills gluten-free all-purpose baking mix for the flour my recipe calls for, but I was looking at the gluten-free flour mix, and I see it already has baking soda and baking powder in it . . . and the recipe I have calls for both baking soda/powder - so do I still add it or not?? Or am I better off just using plain old rice flour??

Thanks a bunch! I am making these for work and don't want to screw them up

[Sophiekins]

Lisa,

Go ahead and use your mix to substitute for the flour in your cookies (remember to add 1 and a half teaspoons of xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour!). Omit the baking powder from the original recipe (there's already baking powder in your mix) but add the baking soda (these are two different leavening agents, if the recipe calls for both it has a good reason). Increase the quantity of baking soda you use by about a third (gluten-free baked goods have less stretch and so need more oomph to rise the same amount).

Make those changes and your cookies should work just fine.

[LisaJ]

Lisa,

Go ahead and use your mix to substitute for the flour in your cookies (remember to add 1 and a half teaspoons of xanthan or guar gum per cup of flour!). Omit the baking powder from the original recipe (there's already baking powder in your mix) but add the baking soda (these are two different leavening agents, if the recipe calls for both it has a good reason). Increase the quantity of baking soda you use by about a third (gluten-free baked goods have less stretch and so need more oomph to rise the same amount).

Make those changes and your cookies should work just fine.

Great!! THANK YOU

[LisaJ]

Have you tried making cookies without Xantham gum?? I don't have any . . . maybe I better go back to the store! But my recipe only calls for 1 1/4 cups flour, so that would be a pretty tiny amount of it anyway . . .

[Sophiekins]

If you don't have any xanthan gum, you can substitute unflavoured gelatin powder (same quantities), or replace a tablespoon of fat (the oil, butter or margarine in your recipe) with a tablespoon of applesauce. If you haven't got any applesauce, peel and dice an apple (Granny Smith is best, but any one will work, just cut back the sugar a bit), toss it in a very small pan with a teaspoon of sugar and a little water and cook over low heat until soft and thick (stir constantly so it doesn't burn, or add more water and drain when you are finished). If you don't have time to make applesauce, add one extra egg white to your recipe. . .beat it vigorously into your oil (if you use it) or milk/water (if you use margarine or butter). Cookies without any of these "fixes" will be very very crumbly.

Let me know how they turn out!

ooh. . .one more thing. . .unless your recipe calls for peanut (or some other kind of nut) butter, and then you will be okay without a "fix"

[LisaJ]

If you don't have any xanthan gum, you can substitute unflavoured gelatin powder (same quantities), or replace a tablespoon of fat (the oil, butter or margarine in your recipe) with a tablespoon of applesauce. If you haven't got any applesauce, peel and dice an apple (Granny Smith is best, but any one will work, just cut back the sugar a bit), toss it in a very small pan with a teaspoon of sugar and a little water and cook over low heat until soft and thick (stir constantly so it doesn't burn, or add more water and drain when you are finished). If you don't have time to make applesauce, add one extra egg white to your recipe. . .beat it vigorously into your oil (if you use it) or milk/water (if you use margarine or butter). Cookies without any of these "fixes" will be very very crumbly.

Let me know how they turn out!

ooh. . .one more thing. . .unless your recipe calls for peanut (or some other kind of nut) butter, and then you will be okay without a "fix"

Wow! You are a baking pro! Thanks for all the help. The cookies do have peanut butter, but I better get some xanthan gum for future use anyway. I'm making them tomorrow for work on Monday - cross your fingers for me - I am not the greatest baker to begin with