Vegan Baking Help - Please! =)

[jayhawkmom]

So, I tried making a vegan sugar cookie for my kiddos this evening. and they didn't turn out quite like they should.

Here's my question/problem.

I used Arrowhead Mills gluten-free flour blend, and that blend has baking powder in it. The recipe called for baking powder... so I added it. Do you think that could be why my cookies didn't turn out??

Basically, they spread out really far, to more than twice their size....and were really really thin. They didn't hold up.

The recipe was NOT a gluten free recipe.... but I did add teaspoon of Xanthan gum, thinking it would be necessary. I just don't know.

Can anyone help??? I'd surely appreciate it.

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I have been trying to make good gluten-free vegan sugar cookies. Mine turn out puffed up and not very cookie like. I can make peanut butter and chocolate chip. However, I have noticed that if my ingredients for any cookie are too warm and/or mixed too smoothly, the batter spreads and the product is poorer than I'd like. I always chill the batter between batches to help.

My boyfriend and I will be making these tomorrow:

Open Original Shared Link

I will be using apple sauce instead of the butter and probably tofu instead of fake sour cream cheese. No telling how they will turn out, but I will post back!

[jayhawkmom]

By all means, let me know! I'm going to try baking them at a higher temperature to encourage quicker "setting up" - and I'll see how that works. If that helps, I'll let YOU know! =)

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Okay, so the first batch I baked until edges were brown but they tasted too puffy. Second batch I made thinner and let brown all over = yummie! I bet if I had used Earth Balance butter they'd bake a little different. I also stuck mine in the freezer for an hour and started with all my ingredients cold, this worked out very well. How'd yours turn out?

[candrews]

Here's my favorite sugar cookie (can be cut out too!) recipe. It uses Jules' Nearly Normal flour and is the recipe from her cookbook "Nearly Normal Cooking for Gluten Free Eating". I've had great success with it!

1/4 cup shortening

1/4 cup canola oil

2/3 cup granulated cane sugar

2 egg yolks

2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup Nearly Normal All Purpose Flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3 Tbs. water (as needed)

food coloring (optional)

colored sugar or frosting

Cream shortening, sugar and oil until very fluffy. Add egg yolks,

vanilla extract and food coloring. Mix in the dry ingredients, adding

in tablespoons of water as needed to keep the dough together and avoid

dryness. Pat the dough into a ball, cover tightly and refrigerate the

dough until very cold, at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lightly flour a clean rolling surface with cornstarch or Nearly Normal

All Purpose Flour. Roll the dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness

and dust cookie cutters before using to cut out shapes.

Place cookies onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and decorate with

colored sugar, if desired. Bake approximately 8-10 minutes, or until

they begin to lightly brown at the edges. Cool on a cooling rack and

frost with gluten-free icing, if you want.

[Juliet]

I've always wanted to try this recipe for vegan sugar cookies since it uses both almonds and coconut flour, but I would maybe substitute the soymilk, myself (not a fan of soy).

Open Original Shared Link

[lizard00]

I have another question to add:

I'm assuming that your vegan baking does not include eggs...

I'm allergic to egg whites, so I can't bake with them. Do any of you find that when you make things like cupcakes or muffins, the inside stays really gooey. I bake them longer than the recipe calls for, until the tops are starting to look really dried out.

Do you think this is caused by the egg replacer, or is it a bad recipe? Usually, I can bake just about anything, but a few times recently, the inside just seems to never cook. No matter how long I leave them in the oven.

THanks

[MySuicidalTurtle]

Right, vegan baking involves no eggs. I always use an egg replacer mix or flax seed and do not have the gooey problem. What is the recipe you are using?

[lizard00]

I don't have the recipe in front of me, but one of them was a cupcake from Carol Fenster's cookbook. Her flour mix is sorghum, tapioca and potato starch. The insides were just a little strange, and I let them bake longer than the directions. Recently, I tried to make muffins using coconut flour and they were brown on the top, but like batter in the middle. I know coconut flour is tricky, and it was my first time using it, but I thought it had a tendency to be drier, not the other way around.

Maybe the egg ratio is off. I don't know, I'll keep experimenting.

How do you use flax seed as a replacer; as in measurements? I've read about it, but haven't tried it yet. Does it greatly affect the taste of the food?

[MySuicidalTurtle]

I have never worked with those flours. It depends about the taste, I don't notice it in most stuff but my Mother swears she does. I boil the water and for 1 egg do 1 tbs flax seed with 3 tbs water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. When using box egg replacer I add the dry and wet all to the mix. I do not mix them separate and then add them to the mix.

[lizard00]

I have never worked with those flours. It depends about the taste, I don't notice it in most stuff but my Mother swears she does. I boil the water and for 1 egg do 1 tbs flax seed with 3 tbs water and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. When using box egg replacer I add the dry and wet all to the mix. I do not mix them separate and then add them to the mix.

Thanks! I'm going to try adding the mix and the water to the mix rather than mixing first. Maybe that's what causing it to be gooey. I'll definitely try the flax seed, maybe first in a muffin or bread or something along those lines.

[JNBunnie1]

So, I tried making a vegan sugar cookie for my kiddos this evening. and they didn't turn out quite like they should.

Here's my question/problem.

I used Arrowhead Mills gluten-free flour blend, and that blend has baking powder in it. The recipe called for baking powder... so I added it. Do you think that could be why my cookies didn't turn out??

Basically, they spread out really far, to more than twice their size....and were really really thin. They didn't hold up.

The recipe was NOT a gluten free recipe.... but I did add teaspoon of Xanthan gum, thinking it would be necessary. I just don't know.

Can anyone help??? I'd surely appreciate it.

Side note- please keep in mind that Arrowhead Mills does NOT have a dedicated facility, their gluten-free stuff is made in the same place as all their gluten stuff. This may not be an issue for you, I know I can't use it. Just wanted to mention!

[RiceGuy]

Side note- please keep in mind that Arrowhead Mills does NOT have a dedicated facility, their gluten-free stuff is made in the same place as all their gluten stuff. This may not be an issue for you, I know I can't use it. Just wanted to mention!

I think I've started reacting to their stuff I haven't had problems with it before, but lately something has been getting me, and the Arrowhead Mills flour is my prime suspect.