You'll never believe this.... I've given up all the bad carbs for now - which includes bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits etc. That of course means I've also gone low fat and cut out butter and sugar too.
To be honest, now the rubbish is out my system, I feel much better for it too. I just need to get used to drinking loads more water. At the moment I feel like I'm turning into a camel !
Anyway, it won't be the last of me. I'm still baking - but just not eating it. A lucky selected few may receive some random surprise packages by post....
I have been very curious though about baking with gluten free flour, which is something I've never done before.
I bought a bag, which is a mix of Rice, Potato, Tapioca, Maize & Buckwheat to have a play around with and "test" on colleagues amongst others.
I tried an "odd" cookie that had no partner and must say - these little guys are amazing ! They are little expolding cookie bombs. They look really plain and inconspicuous - but will blow you away and explode in your mouth when you bite into them.
The texture is very short and they are very fragile - so do handle and store with care
RECIPE
- makes approx 32 cookies (approx 2" dia baked)
180g salted butter
1tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup caster sugar
15g black treacle / molasses
2 cups (minus 2 tablespoons) of Doves Farm Gluten Free Flour
1 egg
1.5 tsp of baking powder
1/2 a cup of desiccated coconut
Cream butter and sugar together by hand with a wooden spoon. Beat in the whole egg and molasses. When smooth and lump free, mix in flour and baking powder, followed by coconut.
I divided the dough (it will be very soft) into 12gram pieces. Bake these on a plain silicone baking sheet / tray liner, or alternatively a macaron / macaroon mat in a 170degC fan oven for approx 12 minutes until they turn light golden in colour.
NOTE - when you put them on your mat / tray / sheet - flatten with a fork to approx 2" dia and then rough up the surface for a textured finish.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
When cooled, sandwich with chocolate buttercream.
(80g butter, 150g icing sugar and 25g cocoa powder)
Simple and very very easy !
Enjoy !
Sarah-Jane Nash - SiliconeMoulds.com (silicone bakeware specialists) - February 19th, 2013