Question About Flour And How To Manage It

[ciavyn]

I made chocolate chip cookies with Tom Sawyers flour mix, and they came out quite yummy...a little gritty, but I didn't notice it once they were cool. However, there are some other cookies I would like to make: like sugar cookies, that would probably be noticeably gritty with just Tom Sawyers. Several people have recommended cutting it with Sorghum flour, but I don't know ANYTHING about this whole process, having only baked one thing so far. How do you do this? Would it make a significant different? Do I need to add xantham gum? I have 10 lbs of the Tom Sawyers to use up, so I need to figure out how to add or subtract something, not buy a completely different kind.

Thank you for any and all suggestions.

[Roda]

I liked making pancakes with this flour. Cakes and such I thought were to gritty and dense. I did eventually use it up. Then I went to better batter flour. Made horrible pancakes but great cakes that were nice and fluffy. Now thanks to Purple, I found a good blend. It is 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour, 1 1/2 cups cornstarch or potato starch or a mixture of both (I used half arrowroot and cornstarch, next I'm going to try all arrowroot for the cornstarch), 1 cup tapioca flour. I made sugar cookies with this mix and well the were great. My husband liked the mix better because no grit. Thanks again Purple!

[purple]

I liked making pancakes with this flour. Cakes and such I thought were to gritty and dense. I did eventually use it up. Then I went to better batter flour. Made horrible pancakes but great cakes that were nice and fluffy. Now thanks to Purple, I found a good blend. It is 1 1/2 cups sorghum flour, 1 1/2 cups cornstarch or potato starch or a mixture of both (I used half arrowroot and cornstarch, next I'm going to try all arrowroot for the cornstarch), 1 cup tapioca flour. I made sugar cookies with this mix and well the were great. My husband liked the mix better because no grit. Thanks again Purple!

You are welcome...once I started using sorghum mix (Carol Fenster's flour mix), I very seldom use the rice mix (Featherlite-Bette Hagman's mix). Weird about your results

Ciavyn...I read the other day to let your mixed batter sit for a few minutes so the gritty flour can absorb the moisture and will make the out come less gritty. Also what if you use some of each, part Toms and part sorghum mix? You could try it on a batch of muffins or cookies. I have never used any premade mixes except Bob's Red Mill All Purpose.

[ciavyn]

Hey gang - thank you so much for your thoughts!

Purple: that's what I want to try - but do I need to add extra xanthan gum for it? (The darn stuff is 12 bucks at the local store, so I'm trying to figure out if I want it that badly!) TS flour already has it in there. Also, should I do half and half? It's really makes a good cookie...and the grit doesn't bother me, as it gives the cookie texture, which I think most lack...but those around me are bothered by it.

Thank you so much!

[ciavyn]

So, after much research, I added sorghum flour and a dash of xanthan gum to my chocolate chip cookies - basically did a 1:1 ratio of TS flour, and sorghum, and...drum roll please...

Not much difference. I can't say they were more or less gritty - so perhaps that has gone down. Overall, it turned out fine. The cookies have a lighter flavor, though, which I'm not wild about, but they still are good. I used Ghiardelli chocolate chips, which have no milk fat in them...wow, are they tasty. A little pricy, but worth it for a good chocolate chip cookie. Woof...very tasty. Otherwise, no major woohoo moments.

[lizard00]

I use the sorghum/potato starch/tapioca starch mix, too. I love it!!! I rarely ever use rice flour, I found the texture to be unpleasant from day one. I made a devil's food cake a couple of weeks ago that my husband (the gluten eater) swore no one would know was different. (And it makes fabtastic pancakes, too!!

Xanthan gum seems pricey in the beginning, but I bake fairly regularly, and in the two years I've been gluten-free, I'm still on my second bag. And my pizza dough recipe uses 2 tsp So, it's not like you're going to buy it every week.

[freeatlast]

Hey gang - thank you so much for your thoughts!

Purple: that's what I want to try - but do I need to add extra xanthan gum for it? (The darn stuff is 12 bucks at the local store, so I'm trying to figure out if I want it that badly!) TS flour already has it in there. Also, should I do half and half? It's really makes a good cookie...and the grit doesn't bother me, as it gives the cookie texture, which I think most lack...but those around me are bothered by it.

Thank you so much!

Wal-mart has it in the gluten-free section. That's where I buy most of my flour.

[ciavyn]

Wait a minute: WalMart has a gluten free section??

[purple]

Wait a minute: WalMart has a gluten free section??

I find that some of the items I get elsewhere are 50 cents more expensive at Walmart.

[ciavyn]

I asked at WalMart about gluten free, and was told that was only at "Community Marketplace" WalMarts, however, mine is a big ol' hunkin' WalMart Superstore. So I went over the grocery section to buy my usual family staples, and voila - there's the gluten free section. Oy.

I can't say it's huge, but there are definitely some things that are less expensive...and some that are more, you are right, purple. I think I'm happier shopping where I can have more selection - most of what WalMart has is Bob's Red Mill, which only comes in one size, it seems. When I've shopped at other stores, they have other choices with multiple sizes.

[JNBunnie1]

I made chocolate chip cookies with Tom Sawyers flour mix, and they came out quite yummy...a little gritty, but I didn't notice it once they were cool. However, there are some other cookies I would like to make: like sugar cookies, that would probably be noticeably gritty with just Tom Sawyers. Several people have recommended cutting it with Sorghum flour, but I don't know ANYTHING about this whole process, having only baked one thing so far. How do you do this? Would it make a significant different? Do I need to add xantham gum? I have 10 lbs of the Tom Sawyers to use up, so I need to figure out how to add or subtract something, not buy a completely different kind.

Thank you for any and all suggestions.

As regards cookies, pretty much every cookie dough in gluten free-dom responds well to being refridgerated for a few hours. Even a day or two. It allows the flavors to blend and the flours to properly absorb the fluids. Try it with choc chip sometime.

[ciavyn]

JNB: thanks for the suggestion. I always refrigerate for a short time, but I like the idea of having the mix ready to go, and then just bake it a day later.

[NE Mom]

I made the Toll House recipe using 2 cups of the sorghum blend from Carol Fenster, 1/4 cup additional potato starch, 1/2 teas xathum gum, 3/4 cup brown sugar & 1/4 cup white sugar. Tasted amazing--just like "regular" toll house cookies. No one could tell they were gluten free and they didn't have any gritty aftertaste.