Gluten Free Baking

We have not done any baking this week due to a horrid stomach bug.  The kiddos are on a Gatorade and popsicle diet and I am washing towels and sheets way more than I had planned to this week. Yet the blog must go on so I thought I would talk about how I bake gluten free for B since some of you have asked.

When we first found out B needed a gluten free diet due to Celiac Disease we already knew that she was allergic to milk and eggs.  Trying to bake without butter, eggs and gluten was unreal!  Everything that I tried to make just did not work so I turned to mixes.  

I have been very happy with Cherrybrook Kitchen.  We have made their gluten free brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies as well as their sugar cookies.  While we have been happy with the end product there is no doubt that it is gluten free and egg free.  Cherrybrook Kitchen's mixes produce a good but crumbly product since there is no "glue" but I will take crumbs over a trip to the ER any day of the week!

In 2008 B outgrew her diary allergy and then in 2010 she outgrew her egg allergy.  I can not tell you how overjoyed we were even though I don't think she will ever sit down and eat an egg.  But at least I could start baking with eggs again and I personally feel like that really helps if you are using gluten free flour.

I have found that you can follow most baking recipes by replacing regular flour with gluten free flour.  The only catch is that you have to also add xanthan gum.  I have found that for every one cup of gluten free flour a recipe calls for I have to use 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum.  This is the same "formula" I used when making my banana bread recipe gluten free as well as the chocolate chip cookie dough truffle recipe.  The only recipe that I have not been able to "tweak" is rolled sugar cookies.

I know that it is silly but it saddens me that I have not be able to make B a cute shaped cookie.  But I am hoping that that will change!  Over Christmas a wonderful family friend told me all about Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour and how she baked with it and no one knew it was gluten free.  I ordered some last night so look for a review soon friends...