Holiday Baking

Thanks to the holidays, I have been baking a lot more than I usually do (which is pretty much not-at-all). My experiences with gluten-free baking in the past have not been all that great. To be honest, there's a bit of a love-hate relationship between me and gluten-free baked goods. "Love" when someone else makes it and "hate" when I do. Also,  I have to contend with not only being gluten-free, but also being yeast-free as well --double whammy!

Anyway, this holiday season, I decided I would plan ahead and make my own gluten-free treats to take to holiday parties so that I wouldn't just go and have to watch everyone eat all the delicious food. I'll be trying to post more recipes as I go, but here's a synopsis of my current holiday favorites (which actually isn't all baking, but oh well!):

1) Chocolate Coconut Pie - Found this recipe on Pinterest and was surprised to see that it was a) relatively easy and b) completely gluten-free without any modifications whatsoever. I made two of these for Thanksgiving and I was pretty happy with the results. I will say that I'd like to try my hand at making this recipe a little lighter since it was so incredibly rich. Also, the crust was a little difficult to cut if you weren't careful.

2) Bob's Red Mill Shortbread Cookie Mix - I actually tossed these together last night after I got home from work. They were really quite simple and delicious, but (as with most gluten-free items) a bit on the dry and crumbly side. It may be heresy to do this to shortbread, but I'm thinking about adding a thin frosting (maybe a lemon glaze?) on top to add a little zing. Also, I found out last night that I don't own a rolling pin. I might need to remedy that. Last night I was rolling out cookies with the salt container...

3) Lastly, pumpkin pancakes! Yes, I know. It's not baking. BUT it was a fantastic holiday morning treat (especially after completing my first ever Turkey Trot). I modified Katie's recipe to toss out some delicious pumpkin pancakes that were just about perfect. They were a little too cakey for my taste, but future modifications can remedy that.

Happy Holiday and good luck on your gluten-free holiday baking adventures!

"Gluten-Free" Wolves in Sheep's Clothing!

These are the wolves in sheep’s clothing! It’s tough to get used to reading all the labels of everything you eat, but it’s worth it as there are many things that we think are gluten-free that really aren’t.

Soy Sauce -- Soy sauce is actually made with wheat as well as soy. Stick to Tamari, soy sauce’s gluten-free cousin.

Morning Star brand freezer goods -- Most of their products actually include gluten, even though you would never think it.

Buffet items that appear gluten-free -- Just last week, I started to pick up some barbecue ribs from the buffet at Whole Foods, but there it was plain as day: “wheat” written under the ingredients section. There was also wheat in the chicken, the potatoes, and the fish.

French Fries -- Depending on the fast food chain you visit, some of their fries are coated in flour and those that aren't coated in flour are usually cross-contaminated because of being fried in the same oil as other gluten-filled items. Be careful!

Wings - Often, just like french fries, these are dredged or even battered before frying.

Spelt Bread -- This is advertised as a great option for people with wheat allergies, but it still contains gluten, so steer clear of spelt.

Soups -- Many soups (particularly cream-based) are thickened with flour

Vegan/Vegetarian options -- I can’t begin to tell you how many well-intentioned people have tried to introduce me to vegan or vegetarian options that are not gluten-free.