SPLENDID GLUTEN-FREE, GRAIN-FREE BAKE MIX
So happy to be able to unveil this new breakthrough recipe! This Bake Mix
is for those people who are on a Keto Diet or low-carb diet who are also adverse
to using grains. I do understand the
fear of grains. When I first began
low-carbing, I could not imagine eating any grains. If I did, I would see 2 lbs of water weight
come on, which I didn’t like. All that
meant was that the glycogen stores were being filled again, and glycogen holds
onto water.
I love my
Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 and use it all the time, even when I am dieting
(which is not too often as I’m mostly in maintenance mode). I share recipes using it all the time,
however, some people will always skip those recipes for fear of the small
amount of oat flour in the bake mix. I
am so happy to be able to provide an alternative and a good one at that. I tried quinoa flour and it works wonderfully
but I could not get past the strong taste.
One has to toast the quinoa flour in the oven to get a milder taste and
not many people will go to all that trouble.
Now I am
unveiling an alternative using Anthony’s Buckwheat flour. It has a nice texture and a very mild flavor.
It is a seed; not a grain. It seems to work well in the bake mix with everything I have
tried so far. I’ve made
muffins (they rose!), shortbread pie crust, low-carb crepes, Miracle Dough
tortillas and they turned out great, so I’m fairly confident in suggesting that
the Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Bake Mix will work in loaves, low-carb breads, cookies,
brownies and such. I would be pleased if
you could let me know on our Facebook visitor’s timeline what successes you
have had with it, as I don’t plan on using it much. I will continue to use my Splendid
Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 preferentially, however, I’m very happy to be able to
provide a nice alternative for those who are, by choice, grain-free, even if
only for a period of time during strict diet mode. Most people will be able to advance to my
other bake mix. Meantime this bake mix may be used interchangeably with Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 or my older Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix 1.
Gelatin is
very healthy for the digestive and immune systems and does not cause digestive
distress like xanthan gum can. I had to ditch the first Splendid Gluten-Free
Bake Mix 1 in favor of this one as my husband’s digestive system could no longer tolerate the xanthan gum. Gelatin
helps bind the wet ingredients and dry “flour” components of the bake mix to
prevent crumbly outcomes. For the record, I never weigh the ingredients...ever! It is just not such a sensitive recipe, however, next time I make it, I will weigh the ingredients and put the weights here with the ingredient listing.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUCKWHEAT FLOUR (has nothing to do with wheat...it is a SEED!) - CLICK HERE.
Update: Here is another grain-free, gluten-free "flour" from Anthony's that I intend to test: Tiger Nut Flour. It looks promising and very low-carb actually.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF BUCKWHEAT FLOUR (has nothing to do with wheat...it is a SEED!) - CLICK HERE.
Update: Here is another grain-free, gluten-free "flour" from Anthony's that I intend to test: Tiger Nut Flour. It looks promising and very low-carb actually.
12/3
cups almond flour (400 mL)
3/4 cup Anthony’s® Buckwheat flour (175 mL)
2 tbsp coconut flour, (30
mL)
(Bob’s Red Mill®)
In large bowl, combine almond meal (grind sliced
almonds in coffee bean grinder), OR almond flour, oat flour and coconut flour.
In container with airtight lid, place bake mix and shake well to combine. When
measuring buckwheat flour into measuring
cup, make sure to tap the cup on the counter top and fill to top to get the
correct yield for the bake mix. Keep
bake mix at room temperature for up to one month or freeze or refrigerate for
longer storage.
Instructions for substituting the bake mix in your own flour-containing
recipes: Add 1/4
cup (60 mL) additional bake mix when substituting for 1 cup (250 mL) or more
than 1 cup (250 mL) flour and use 2 tbsp (30 mL) more if substituting for less
than 1 cup (250 mL). Usually add an extra egg in muffins, loaves, cakes
and coffee cakes, except for cookies and brownies, and if bake mix required is
less than or equal to 1 cup (250 mL).
Withhold 1/4 cup (60 mL) of liquid/wet or fat
ingredients (often need half butter or oil); add in as needed. If batter after
processing at least a minute is still too thick, add more of the wet
ingredients, and if accidentally the batter ends up too sloppy, add a little
more bake mix. If all the liquid has been used and the batter is still too
stiff, add another egg (this last scenario is not common with this xanthan-free
bake mix).
Adding Gelatin: Use 1/2 tsp (2 mL) unflavored gelatin for less than and equal
to 1 cup (250 mL) Gluten-Free Bake Mix.
For more than 1 cup (250 mL), use 1 tsp (5 mL) gelatin. For 2 cups (500 mL) or more use 11/2 tsp (7 mL) gelatin. Gelatin is added to wet
ingredients in a food processor or mixer and mixed well. Add dry ingredients
and process until well-combined. That’s
it. It couldn’t be easier!
Applications: Gelatin option
works in muffins, biscuits, brownies, donuts, cakes, scones, loaves, bundt
cakes, cupcakes, squares and cookies. This gluten-free bake mix needs eggs in
almost all applications. Gelatin is not always required; usually it is
self-explanatory - for example, breading, crusts, etc. or simply where I’ve elected
to omit it in a recipe. The other thing,
too, is that many or most recipes will be fine without gelatin. Sometimes I simply forget to add it and the
recipe works! It is meant to prevent
crumbly outcomes.
Cookies
and Brownies: Usually cookies do not require gelatin.
Sometimes it is added to get a chewy consistency. Keep number of eggs called
for in cookie and brownie recipes the same and follow the instructions for
replacing flour with the bake mix. Cookies will sometimes be somewhat fragile
immediately out of the oven. Cool completely
on the cookie sheet and using a thin metal spatula, place cookies in a
container for the freezer or refrigerator (separate with wax or parchment
paper).
Alternatives
for Buckwheat Flour, Almond Flour and Coconut Flour: Note these are not all grain-free ideas. Oat flour and sorghum flour can
be used instead of Buckwheat flour. Other ideas: quinoa flour (a seed not a
grain works very well, however, it may have a strong flavor – try Bob’s Red
Mill®
and Google toasting the flour first to create a milder taste; store in the
freezer), Carbalose® flour, Spelt flour and Einkorn flour, an ancient, healthy wheat (last
three are not gluten-free). I like the health profile of oat flour (it makes up
a small portion of the bake mix and helps our baking taste more normal), as it
lowers cholesterol very effectively. It
has now been ascertained that oats are Paleo.
Stones used to grind oats were found, dating back 32,000 years! Buckwheat
flour instead of oat flour in the bake mix worked in a short pie crust (best
chilled) I made as well as in muffins (they rose!) and my low-carb crepes, so my
guess is it will be great in loaves, muffins, crepes, pancakes, low-carb
breads, etc. Its texture is a tiny bit
off from actual flour, but if you are adverse to oat flour diluted in the bake
mix, then this is a wonderful alternative. Instead of almond flour, use sunflower seed flour
(baking soda will turn baked goods greenish; use baking powder) or hazelnut
flour or walnut flour. Instead of coconut flour, use golden flax seed meal or
possibly oat fiber. You could try
replacing oat flour with half oat fiber (certified gluten-free by Anthony’s®) to further reduce carbs
and introduce more fiber in your baking.
Carbalose® flour (not gluten-free) works well half and half with my bake mixes.
Helpful
Hints: I buy NOW® Brand gelatin from Netrition.com. If substituting this bake mix for some of my
other older more robust bake mixes, 2 tbsp (30 mL) to 1/4 cup (60 mL) more of this bake mix will be required.
Follow same instructions as if substituting for white flour. Double, triple or quadruple the bake mix, for
your convenience of having it on hand whenever you need it.
Note: The carbs are a little higher than Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2, but only by 0.8 grams. The reason is that I used almond flour in the analysis rather than ground almonds (almond meal) which I originally used in my other bake mixes. When one uses almond flour, the yield is also greater. Otherwise the carbohydrate profile for Arrowhead Mills® Organic Oat flour is identical to Anthony's® Buckwheat flour, so if I did the analysis with almond meal (carbs are lower than for almond flour in my analysis program), the carbs would look identical to Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix 1 and Splendid Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2.
Yield: 3 cups (750 mL)
1/4 cup (60 mL)
per serving
119.1
calories
4.5
g protein
8.2
g fat
2.9 g fiber
6.5
g net carbs