Pie Crust Wheat/Gluten Free

My hubby has been mentioning that he'd love to have a cherry pie.  I'm partial to crumbles and crisps, but it sounded like a worthy adventure.  So I grabbed a recipe that is gluten free, wheat free and starchy flour free!  Little did I know what a strange trip it was going to be!

This was my first ever pie crust so I can't compare it to making regular pie crust.  All in all, I think it was pretty freakin' easy!  I'm trying to be frugal as much as possible so you know what is coming... I substituted some garbanzo bean flour in place of some almond flour.  Sorry, but I'm not paying $10 for a tiny little bag of that stuff!  I know I could have used almond meal, but since the recipe called for a flour I wanted to go with something finer and closer on my first attempt.

As I sat down to type up the recipe, in the grip of a Benadryl induced haze, I realize that I might not have followed the recipe exactly as it was written.  Whoopsie!

Ok, it looks kinda pitiful and patchworky, but it is my first one ever!  

It is so ugly it is cute, yeah... let's go with that!

Basic Pie Crust

1 cup walnuts
1 cup almond flour, divided (I used 2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour + 1/3 cup almond meal)
2/3 cup ground golden flaxseed (I used golden flaxmeal)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon guar gum
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 egg
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 tablespoon water

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the walnuts until chopped.  Add 1/2 cup almond flour, the flaxseeds, baking powder, guar gum, xanthan gum, and salt.  Pulse until well blended.  Add the butter and pulse 10 times.  Add the egg, vinegar, and water, and pulse until just combined.  The dough will be wet.

Dust a work surface and your hands with some almond flour.  Place the dough on the work surface.  Knead the remaining almond flour into the dough.  Form into a disk.  Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Sandwich the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper that has been dusted with almond flour.  Roll out with a diameter of 10".  Peel off top paper and place a 9" pie pan upside down on top of the dough.  Turn dough onto the plate and gently peel off parchment paper.  Trim overhang and crimp edges.  Chill until ready to use.

To prebake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Bake for 23 minutes, or until the crust is golden and no longer moist to the touch.

In my Benadryl haze, I really think I added 2/3 cup flour to the food processor and then kneaded in the 1/3 cup later.  I really thought I was following things exactly.  Crazy what medicine can do to your mind!  Why the heck didn't I DIVIDE the flour instead of breaking it up the way I did is totally beyond me!  Perhaps I should have called this post "Trippin' with Pie Crust"????!!!!

A Taste of Fall!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins from Wheat Belly with an improvised cream cheese icing.

About 8 months or so ago, I improvised a pumpkin muffin.  It was fabulously mild when it came to the pumpkin flavor and my husband enjoyed it right along with me.  He is not a big fan of the pumpkin pie or breads, usually.  I wouldn't have called it a "sweet treat" but more like something to eat along with a fall meal.  Anyway, I've been chasing that "pumpkin dragon" for a while trying to figure out WHAT recipe I altered.  

Well, the following recipe is not the one I improvised, but it is a good recipe!  Making this recipe has brought me closer to the elusive one... I think it jared some memories.  Next time I post a pumpkin muffin recipe I hope it will be the one!

If you like things a little more sweet and not concerned with sugar, don't use sweetener!

This is a wheat and gluten free recipe.  I think it will work with Paleo diets as well.

All the dry stuff

 All the wet stuff

All mixed up.  See how they stay "scooped" in the muffin tin??  I think next time I might try these little guys out on a cookie sheet to see what happens!

 Ok the improvised icing is a bit on the thick side, but it was good!

Pumpkin Spice Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups almond meal

1 cup chopped walnuts ( I didn't have any to spare so I skipped them)

1/4 cup ground flaxseed ( I used milled flaxseed)

SWEETENER equivalent to 3/4 cup sucrose

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg ( I subed more cinnamon )

1 teaspoon baking powder

DASH fine sea salt

1 - 15 oz. can unsweetened pumpkin puree ( I used 16 oz. )

1/2 cup sour cream or coconut milk

2 large eggs

1/4 cup walnut oil, melted coconut oil, or extra light olive oil  ( I used coconut oil )

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Grease a 12 cup muffin pan, or use liners.

Stir together the almond meal, walnuts, ground flaxseeds, sweetener, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, baking powder and sea salt in a large bowl.

Stir the pumpkin puree, sour cream, eggs, and oil in another bowl.

Stir the pumpkin mixture into the almond mix thoroughly.  Spoon batter into the muffin cups filling them half full.  Bake until toothpick comes out dry.  About 45 minutes.  Cool muffins for 10-15 mins then turn onto a rack to cool.

Bakers Log Stardate 1092013
OK... HOLD UP!!!
1. I'm here to tell you that if you fill those tins up half way you will get MORE then 12.  I used the regular sized muffin pan too and yes there was that extra ounce of pumpkin puree.  So just count on possibly getting more then 12.
2. If you fill them to the top like I did it also seemed to take FOREVER to get the inside cooked!!!  yeah, yeah... I know, I over filled them!
3. I also realized, after the fact, that with the texture of the muffin mix that you MIGHT be able to scoop out some on a baking sheet and bake that way.  Just for kicks, I may do this in the future.

IMPROVISED Cream Cheese Icing

1 bar cream cheese
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
sweetener/sugar to taste

Mix together.  This might seem a bit thick to you and if you have some whipping cream you can add a little at a time to get it to the consistency you prefer.  Enjoy!

Coconut Bread

I found a recipe for Coconut Bread that I wanted to try.  I was really hoping it would work out.  The recipe calls for Coconut FLOUR, but all I had was something labeled Coconut Powder... it isn't fine like flour and a little course with a meal-like texture.  It is a less expensive alternative.

I turned on some Jimmy Buffet music and soon I was prepping things whilst in a kitchen in Margaritaville.  I could almost taste the salt air, especially when I was opening the sea salt and it went everywhere!  It kinda added to the beachy feeling underfoot and I wont tell you where I found a few grains of salt later!

Coconut Bread

Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/2 cups ghee (or butter)
1-2 tablespoon honey, depending on taste
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup coconut flour*

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350. Whisk it all together, or blend in a food processor until all lumps are gone. Grease a bread pan with butter or coconut oil and pour your batter in. Bake for 40 minutes.

*I used coconut powder which is finely chopped coconut, but it is NOT as fine as powder!!!  

My Ingredients

Mixing things up in the food processor

Right out of the oven.  Lookin' promising!

 Even though I buttered the daylights out of this pan, it stuck!

The middle didn't cook up as well as the ends.

It was a tad eggy and VERY buttery (from my butterfest trying to keep it from sticking to the pan?).  BUT I HAD AN IDEA!!!

The next morning I warmed up a chunk, drizzled it with honey and it tasted pretty good!

I don't know if I'll make this again, we will see in time. I try to be thrifty and I'm not so sure about purchasing Coconut Flour, the coconut "powder" I buy is VERY affordable.  If I do make this again I'll do it in some whoopie pie pans or muffin tins to help cook the middle more evenly.  :-)

Chocolate Cupcakes!

YES, I'm on a Chocolate Mission!!!!
I found this online and it is a very promising recipe.
The texture is GREAT and just like a cake/cupcake!!!!
My only thing is, it seems to be a bit dry on its own, I wish it was a tad moister. Although this isn't enough to stop me from making the same recipe again, but I would probably add something to moisten it up... Chocolate chips?  Applesauce?  Something!  We'll see!

My husband and I LOVE cake and ice cream together, but it had been a long time... it's so hard to do when you are wheat AND starch free in baking.  This is our answer - Oh yeah!!!

Chocolate Cupcakes (makes 30)

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cups garbanzo bean flour, sifted twice
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup boiling water
• 
  

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
2. Mix in eggs, vanilla, olive oil, and milk until just combined.
3. Mix in water.
4. Fill cupcake liners just halfway.
5. Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes or until the top bounces back when lightly touched.

This blended up beautifully!!!

I should have had 4 extra cups beyond my 2 12 cup tins, so I put liners in some aluminum foil cupcake tins to bake! 

I was so happy to break this open and see a "real" cupcake!!!  Oh the possibilities!

Mother In Laws & Split Chickpea Flour/Cheddar Biscuits

I found this draft that I never posted, it dates back to last year!

Ok.  Here is the scoop.  I've been using a flour made out of a split chickpea, it is also known as gram or besan flour.  It is fairly inexpensive coming in at LESS then $1/lb where I get it.

I've tried it in various recipes and no doubt some of you have read about them in earlier postings.  I've posted about the pancakes but I'm not so sure I posted about the Cheddar Biscuits yet.  I found a recipe that called for GARBANZO bean flour, but I used my split chickpea (besan) flour instead.

The basic recipe was ok.
Well... I kinda overcooked my first batch which seems to be a repetitive theme with my baking adventures.  Here at the apartment I do not have a love affair with my stove and never really know how long to leave stuff in because it will fry the daylights out of things in a short amount of time.  So I've learned to leave things in for shorter periods then recommended, but then when I do that somehow it is like the stove knows what I'm doing and changes its strategy and then it takes FOREVER to bake anything.  But I roll with it.

Alright I do want to say that the basic cheddar biscuits (made with split chickpea flour) might not be appealing to everyone.  Yeah, that was a realization that hit me when my mother-in-law and I made some together (oh and by the way they didn't burn because we were at my brother-in-laws using his stove).  She was not a fan of the basic recipe and couldn't have hid it if she tried because her face scrunched up and did that thing like when you taste some bad cough syrup!  She didn't care for the flavor of the pea in the flour.  But she was a trooper and onward we went into battle to tweek and improve armed with The Pampered Chef's Italian Seasoning Mix.  We came up with the Italian Style which I REALLY LOVE sooo much better then the basic. I'm not so sure how she felt about it, she did say it was better, but I think her tastebuds were still traumatized.  Hey... if your not into pea's, your not into peas!

Out of the wheat eaters that tasted them... 2 dislikes and 1 like (actually the person said it reminded them of cheese biscuits from Red Lobster so I'll count that as a like).

Out of the non wheat eaters (hubby & me) 2 likes

Cheddar Biscuits w/Split Chickpea Flour
(Use GARBANZO BEAN FLOUR for a milder taste)

Ingredients:
1 cup Split Chickpea Flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/3 cup skim milk

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees
spray oil on baking sheet

In a mixing bowl, combine flour & baking powder.
Cut in butter (you can also freeze your butter then grate it with a cheese grater) till it looks like little course crumbs.
Stir in cheese & milk.
Mix with fort until the dough comes together and forms a ball. (boy does it ever!)
Drop large spoonfuls onto cookie sheet.
Cook 15 mins. or until golden brown.

Cheddar Biscuits Italian Style

Same as basic ingredients as basic recipe except with these additions:
2 tablespoons Pampered Chef Italian seasoning (if using GARBANZO BEAN flour then you might not need or want so much seasoning)
Double the cheese
Use Whole milk
1/2 cup (or just under) Sun Dried Tomatoes

Instructions:
Same as basic recipe

I'M SORRY I DON'T HAVE PHOTOS this time around!!!

Second Star To the Right

My mission log has been fairly silent for a while.

I have been dealing with the loss of my mom as well as some other family tensions at the same time.  Things got pretty heavy for awhile and it had been difficult finding the desire to share kitchen adventures.  It was like I had crossed over to a parallel universe where everything is turned on its head.  You know, like that Star Trek episode mirror universe where Capt. Kirk and his party got beamed into bizzaro evil parallel universe.  Well, kinda like that.  Ok... that actually sounds like it would have been some good posts, had I the ability mentally to do it!

So I'm back and trying.  As Captain James T. Kirk once said in response to what the course heading would be... "Second star to the right and straight on till morning."

Vanilla Cupcakes!

When I started this wheatless thing, I knew I wouldn't miss eating things like pizza crust, breadsticks, bread, cake and cupcakes.  My first attempt at wheatfree and starchfree bread was flop, literally.  My expectations were that it would almost be an exact replica of bread but taste maybe a little different.  Well my bubble got burst very quickly and I told myself that baking was too much work and just not worth the results.  I could live without anything similar to those items I swore off.

Let's face it, most people like to have something different texture-wise other then veggies, meat, cheese and etc.  Weather it be the texture, taste or just out of habit it is a hard habit to break indeed.  So... I have found myself trying out wheatfree and starchfree alternatives and eating some tasty things as well as my very own words!

I cracked open my Wheat Belly Cookbook by Dr. William Davis to the Bakery Section.  I decided to make the Vanilla Cupcake recipe.  I didn't make the frosting that was listed because I didn't have the ingredients needed. Following is the recipe I used first and then below I'll shared some tweaks.  I always like to tweak a recipe to see if I can slide by on a cheaper alternative to almond meal or almond flour by using chickpea flour.

Vanilla Cupcakes

2 cups almond meal/flour

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup ground golden flaxseeds ( I use milled flaxseeds )

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda ( I didn't have soda so I used 1 tbs of additional baking powder )

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

2 eggs, separated

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter, melted ( I used butter )

1/2 cup Xylitol

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Place 10 liners in a 12 muffin cup pan.

Whisk together all dry ingredients (except Xylitol) in a medium bowl.

Whisk together egg yolks, oil/butter, Xylitol, buttermilk, and vanilla.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form with an electric mixer on high.

Fold the egg whites into the egg yolk mixture.  Then fold the egg mixture into the flour mixture until well combined.  Basically it will eventually look like a big dough ball.  I use a Pampered Chef scoop to divide among the muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

I liked this recipe, but I'm sure it would have been a lot better with the recommended icing.

Of course I tweaked and used Chickpea (garbanzo bean) flour the second time around to see if it would be a good cost effective alternative.  I liked it as well although they were different!

The main differences were of course coloring and the slight nutty taste from the almond meal and texture.  They were both dense and very filling.  The original batch seemed crumbly as the second batch didn't seem so much.  You will not get light, fluffy and barely there cake with this recipe and I don't mind that at all!  I will be making these again both ways!

I do think I will try this recipe and use the whoopie pie pans from Wilton instead of my regular muffin pan and paper cups. I think putting two together with icing in the middle would be awesome!  Kind of like Whoopie Pies or as I like to call them Moon Pies!

Below are pictures.  Enjoy!!!!

Folding in the egg mixture (1st batch with almond meal)

Finished 1st batch with a cream cheese/cinnamon icing.  The icing wasn't much to brag about and something I threw together that is why I didn't include the recipe!

The second batch with Garbanzo Bean flour.

Second batch with a closeup. You can see I overfilled the cups and they domed up.  Also notice the difference in color by using the Garbanzo Bean flour instead of Almond meal.  I topped it with Jiffy's Chocolate Hazelnut spread. Yummy!!!