Jason and Amanda Joy Wells were thirty-something newlyweds who, two weeks after tying the knot in spring 2009, moved into their first home, a beautifully preserved 1949 one owner home filled with charming character (and lots of potential)...not to mention the giant workshop and all the fruiting trees and bushes in the back yard. This site is meant to document the evolution of this house into their home as well as all of the events, occasions and happenings in and around it.


Monday, November 19, 2012

A new culinary challenge


Hubby thinks that maybe he is allergic to gluten...which has been a bit of a mourning process.  For me, it is an awesome new challenge!  Can I replace the bread, biscuits and pancakes with something that is more than a shallow facsimile of the real, glutinous treats?  I think I can. I've been reducing my gluten for the last few months anyway.

My first attempt?  Cheesy garlic biscuits...like the yummy, buttery ones from Red Lobster.  I want to make these for Thanksgiving, so I made a mini test batch.

Before diving into the recipe, I should share a bit about gluten free flours...it's a blend.  After a week of looking for the perfect AND simple GF all purpose flour blend, I found it.  The only tricky part is:  YOU NEED A DIGITAL SCALE.  Trying to mix by volume is a recipe for disaster. SO, here is the Gluten Free All Purpose Flour recipe by weight (in grams and ounces):
200 g/7 oz sorghum flour
200 g/7 oz millet flour
300 g/10 oz sweet rice flour
300 g/10 oz potato starch

There is a catch.  Since these flours don't have gluten, adding xantham gum is what gives the flour that stretchy feel.  The amount is different for what you are baking
Cookies need 1/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Cakes and pancakes need 1/2 teaspoon per cup of flour
Muffins, biscuits and quick breads need 3/4 teaspoon per cup of flour
Breads need 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons per cup of flour
Pizza dough needs 2 teaspoons per cup of flour

So, onto the biscuits.  Except for the cheese, they are vegan.  If you want to go all the way, substitute with a 1/2 cup of shredded Daiya cheese.  So here's the recipe:

Sift together:
1 cup of GF All purpose flour
3/4 tsp. xantham gum
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. baking soda
Pinch of sugar
Pinch of salt

Cut in:
1/4 cup butter (I used Earth Balance vegan spread)

Stir in:
6 tbsp.  milk (I used unsweetend almond milk)

Fold in:
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Drop small spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 425 for 10 minutes
Brush on melted butter and bake for another 5 minutes, or until golden brown.


Hubby tried them...THUMBS UP :)  I will definitely be making these for Thanksgiving.


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