Gluten Free Pita Bread

Just out of the oven!

I've been using coconut flour a lot in my baking trying to eat more fibre and less carbs.  I like the way it works and thought I could probably make pita bread with it.  I was pretty pleased with my first attempt - they puffed nicely but were a bit wet inside.  I had put in some sweet rice flour thinking it would give stretch but also kept them too wet. Second time around I used regular rice flour and they worked well.

Gluten Free Pita Bread. - with coconut flour
1 cup water
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
6 tablespoons coconut flour
1 tablespoon xanthan gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons oil
1 egg, large
In mixing bowl place water, yeast and sugar. Measure and mix together the flours, salt and xanthan gum. Add to water and yeast. Add oil and egg and mix well with wooden spoon. Dough will be
sticky but not wet.  Dust counter with rice flour.  Divide dough into 8 balls and flatten out on floured surface until less than 1/4" thick . Dust your hands with flour so the dough will not stick to you.  Cover with dish towel.  Preheat oven to 425 and place lightly greased baking sheet on lowest rack.  Leave in hot oven for 10- 15 minutes.  Open oven and place pitas on baking sheet.  Using a spray bottle mist pitas  and baking sheet quickly with water.  Bake @ 425 for 8 - 10 minutes. They will puff in the first few minutes.  Remove and place on a rack to cool.  Cover with clean dish towel.  When cool slit with a sharp knife.  I use a serrated knife.

Pat out to a little less than 1/4" thick into an oval.

puffed up nicely in the oven

Gluten Free Flour Tortillas

Roll while still warm- then let cool and store in zip lock bag

These wraps are much like store bought flour wraps- sturdy enough to hold a filling.  They are quite a bit stronger than my gluten free low carb tortillas made with pysillium husk.  If making extra store in zip lock bag in fridge.  I roll them in a paper towel to absorb moisture before putting in bag.  Warm slightly in micro wave  to make them roll easier.

Gluten Free Flour Tortillas
1/2 cup chick pea flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons guar gum or xanthams gum
2 tablespoons lard (butter, shortening or coconut oil)
1 cup water
Mix dry ingredients together. Using a fork work the lard into the flour mixture.  Add water a little at a time while mixing with wooden spoon or hands - add enough water until dough is soft but not sticky. Roll out on floured surface into 9" or 10" circles about 1/8" thick or use a tortilla press.  Fry in ungreased cast iron skillet over medium high heat for 1- 2 minutes until bubbles form - flip and do other side.  Do not fry too long or they will not be soft. Remove and roll up - let cool.

Low Carb Gluten Free Soft Tortillas

I wanted a low carb wrap and tested many recipes.  Most are like a crepe or so fragile that they break.  I also didn't want one that was 100% flax meal - even though I like the taste.  I just didn't want to be eating that much flax.  This recipe came about by combining recipes and using my knowledge of gluten free baking.  I wanted the wrap to be soft and bendable with a bit of stretch but also strong enough to wrap around a filling.  I have used pysillium husk and xanthan and guar gums quite a bit over the last number of years in gluten free baking so I added them to my low carb recipes and - success! They are really good - just what I was looking for.
Low Carb Gluten Free Soft Tortillas
1/2 cup coconut flour
3 tablespoons pysillium husks
2 teaspoon xanthan or guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/ 4 cup butter ( you may substitute with shortening, lard or coconut oil)
1 1/2 cup boiling water
Method
Place the dry ingredients into mixing bowl.  Stir with fork until combined.  Place butter on top of dry mixture.  Pour boiling water over butter and mix it all together until a dough is formed.  Cover and let cool.  Divide into 6. Balls and roll out each one on parchment paper until they are thin and about 10" wide.  You may place the parchment and tortilla on a baking sheet and bake at 350  for about 10 minutes.  They will stay light coloured.  Remove from oven and roll up.  I roll. One into a paper towel and lent cool.  I store them rolled in the paper towel and placed in a zip lock bag.  You may also fry them in a greased skillet or crepe pan for about one or two minutes per side until there are a few golden spots.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies - no guar or xanthan gums

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies - old family favorite - converted to GF.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, large
1/2 cup peanut butter - gluten free
1 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Cream butter and sugar together.  Stir in vanilla extract, egg and peanut butter.  Mix the flours and soda together and mix into the butter, sugar, egg, peanut butter mixture.  Form into 1" balls and place on
 baking sheet.  Bake at 350* for 10 - 12 minutes - until light brown.
Optional - add chocolate chips or M & M's.

Mock Oatmeal Cookies - Gluten Free, Oat Free, Gum Free

This recipe has been a favourite for over 30  years.  When we went gluten free I hardly ever made them.  Today I was inspired to try them out again altering the ingredients to make them gluten free but to still have the same texture and taste.





Mock Oatmeal Cookies
1/2 cup margarine or butter softened
1/2 cup cooking oil (or use another 1/2 cup butter or margarine)
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
3 rice cakes (plain, Quaker brand style) - crumbled up by hand
1/2 cup flax meal (ground flax seed)
1/4 cup hot tap water
11/2  cup tapioca flour
1 cup brown rice flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix flax and crumbled rice cakes into a bowl.  Add the hot water and mix together.  Set aside.
Cream margarine, oil and sugars.  Add egg, mix until combined.  Mix the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt together. Add flour mixture, vanilla extract and flax mixture to the margarine, sugar and egg - mix until combined.  Chill in fridge 1 hour.  Shape into 1" balls and place on parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake at 350 until edges turn light brown about 10 - 12 minutes.  Cool 5-8 minutes remove and place on cooling rack.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Free Monster Cookies

Wanted to make Monster cookies for years.  My husband is celiac and will not eat oats.  I've been doing a lot of high fibre, low carb flax recipes this winter and find that flax meal gets "sticky" like oats.  I figured I'd substitute ground flax for oats in my recipe and did a couple of other changes and it worked out well - taste good too!

Flax Gluten Free Monster Cookies
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup softened margarine or butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon Rogers Syrup or Corn Syrup
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/4 cup flax meal
1 tablespoon sweet rice flour
4 tablespoons cream, half and half or milk.
3-4 M & M 's for each cookie - added after being shaped.
Cream Sugar and margarine together.  Mix in egg.  Add remaining ingredients.  Dough will be slightly sticky.
Let sit for about 15 - 30 minutes or chill in fridge.  Make balls of dough and place on parchment lined baking sheet.  Press 3-4 M & M's in each cookie.  Make sure you leave enough space between cookies as these grow quite large.  Bake at 350 for 10 - 12 minutes or until edges get brown.  For a soft cookie do not over bake.

Dough is "sticky".  Chocolate chips have to be added yet.

These are dark looking cookies but taste great!

Best Gluten Free Pie Crust

This pie crust was tested against others and received the best reviews from our family.  In my opinion the one made using Pastry Flour Mix I tasted just like a pie crust should  - crisp and flaky.  Bake your pies on the lowest rack in the oven to make sure the bottom gets done. Also, bake until the filling bubbles and thickens otherwise your pie will be watery.
I usually preheat the oven to 400 then bake the pie for 10 minutes on the lowest rack.  After 10 minutes reduce the heat to 350 and bake for 50 minutes or until crust is golden and filling is bubbling and thickened.

Best Gluten Free Pie Crust
21/4 cup flour mix - see below for pastry flour mix
3 teaspoons guar gum
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup full fat cream cheese
3/4 cup shortening (or lard or butter)
1 teaspoon vinegar
1egg, large
Place all the dry ingredients into mixing bowl.  Cut in the shortening and cream cheese with a handheld pastry blender or pulse in food processor.
Mix vinegar with egg and mix with fork or hands or pulse in food processor  into the flour mixture until dough comes together.  Knead dough a little.  Makes one 9" double crust and one single crust.
Pastry Flour Mix I
1 1/4 cup brown rice flour
1 1/4 cup fine rice flour
1 1/4 cup sweet rice flour
1 1/4 cup tapioca flour

Pastry Flour Mix II
2 cups sweet rice flour
2/3 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch

Gluten Free Soaked Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Yesterday evening I made Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins and converted it to using gluten free grains and flours.  Sadly I did not write it down but did a "bit of this and a bit of that"...I will try it again and write it down as they worked out fabulously!  I had cooked leftover brown rice in the fridge and blended that till smooth with the pumpkin and egg mixture and then added rice flour and tapioca flour to make it the right consistency.  No one knew they were gluten free they were so good!  I also read about soaking grains last evening and came across a really neat blog called "Wholemade" and used her recipe to make Gluten Free Soaked Grain Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins.  I made a few minor changes to suit our tastes but most of the recipe is hers.  I like the fact that these muffins keep well, are not crumbly and use no guar or xanthan gums.  This recipe is gluten free, egg free and if you switch out the 1/4 cup milk for water or a non dairy milk and use non dairy chocolate they will be dairy free.
Gluten Free Soaked Grain Banana Muffins 
1 1/3 cups brown rice - raw, uncooked
1/2 cup millet - raw, uncooked
1/3 cup buckwheat groats - raw uncooked
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Soak the above grains and vinegar in bowl covered well with water.  Soak overnight and drain in the morning.
Next morning add to blender:
Soaked grains (the brown rice, millet and buckwheat)
1 1/4  cups water
1/4 cup milk
1 cup banana -mashed, very ripe (about 3 bananas)
2 tablespoons canola oil or other oil
4 tablespoons corn syrup or honey
1 teaspoon vinegar
1/4 cup flax meal
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
I use a large heavy duty Vita Mix Blender.  If you have only a regular blender I would suggest doing half at a time.  Puree on medium to start and then on high to get it really smooth.
Once smooth Stir in:
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips
Line 2 muffin pans with paper liners.  Fill almost to the top.  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until light brown.  Makes 24.

Gluten Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup applesauce (I used homemade)

1/2 cup canola or other cooking oil

1 cup fine white rice flour

1/4 cup teff flour (or buckwheat or chickpea flours)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg optional

1 teaspoon ground chia seed or 1 tablespoon flax meal (substitute 1/2 teaspoon guar or xanthan gum)

Method:

Put eggs, sugar, applesauce and oil into mixing bowl.  Stir with a wooden spoon about 1 minute. Add remaining ingredients and stir until combined.  Scoop into paper lined muffin cups.  Bake @ 355 for 20-25 minutes or until done.  Makes 12.
This makes a moist muffin...if you like it drier try reducing either the applesauce or oil by 3 tablespoons.