Baking Gf

[clanning]

I have tried baking several items gluten-free, using receipes from people in this forum. NOT ONE HAS WORKED!!! Everything has tasted very bad.

I AM NOT A GOOD COOK to begin with. So that doesn't help.

What gluten-free flour mix do all of you use to make cookies, cakes etc taste normal?

I have Bob's Red Mill gluten-free All Purpose Baking Flour.

Please help, what am I doing wrong!!!!

Charlotte

[Guest imsohungry]

Hey Charlotte! (((HUGS)))

I know how frusterating it is. I'm going through the same thing right now! But I'm holding faith that I can't ruin everything forever

That being said, I've wasted about $100. in ruined food since being diagnosed.

But, I'm hungry, so I'll keep experimenting.

Try this: find a favorite recipe that IS NOT gluten-free. (a basic bread/cake recipe).

I've found that I'm having the best luck just using regular recipes with gluten-free ingredients.

For example, if the cake calls for butter, sugar, and Self-rising flour.

You can add:

Butter, sugar, and gluten-free flour, 1-2 tsp. xanth. gum, and 1-2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

Tips I've heard: It helps to sift gluten-free flour because it is thick (makes the bread/cake lighter if you sift it), x-gum helps it rise, and unflavored gelatin helps it bind/gives it softer texture. Also, partially substituting/adding applesauce will help make the finished product lighter.

Hope this helps! I've been searching the web for two weeks for "tips" on cooking gluten-free. I'm printing them off and making myself a gluten-free cookbook with "tips" inside it!

Good Luck. Many hugs! -Julie

[tarnalberry]

Charlotte:

Two suggestions: start easy - muffins and quick breads are far easier to make without messing them up than yeast breads and pastries. Also, don't expect the same taste as with wheat. You may simply not like the taste of gluten-free flours - my husband hates it - and you may have to experiement with a number of different types of gluten-free flours to find which you like (rice, tapioca, potato, quinoa, sorgum, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, arrowroot, garfava, etc.)

[Guest Lindam]

I have had the best luck using corn starch and potato starch. I bought a cookbook by Roben Roburg (sp) and everything in there that I have made is delicious. I love the carrot cake, the banana bread, the lemon squares, oatmeal cookies, I could go on and on. The only thing that I haven't had any success is with bread. I have tried so many mixes, so many recipes and nothing has been too good. So I just buy the brown rice bread, which is pretty equal to wheat bread, and that has to do.

Good luck!

Linda