New flour mix 2014, no starch, no gums & Carrot Cake

I love having energy and no being wiped with allergies. Getting lots done, writing and cooking. I'm especially thrilled to have carrot cake back in my life. We decided that frosting was unnecessary sugary distraction, so we skipped it.

Carrot Cake

Packed with fiber, good oils, with a light yet luscious topping.

2 ½ c flour or GF flour mix

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp soda

1 ¼ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg

1/8 tsp cloves

½ tsp salt

1 lb carrots, peeled

2 c brown sugar

4 large eggs

1 ½ c vegetable oil

1 ½ c chopped nuts, optional

1 c raisins, optional (if using both raisins and nuts, increase cooking time by 10-12 minutes)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with nonstick spray.

2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and spices in a bowl, set aside.

3. In a food processor fitted with a shredding disk, shred carrots. Add carrots, nuts and raisins (if using) to bowl with dry stuff and set aside.

4. Switch to the metal blade in the food processor. Process eggs with sugar until frothy. Slowly pour in oil, allowing eggs time to incorporate it all. It’s going to look a lot like mayonnaise, and is going to keep the cake from having a soggy bottom.

5. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing until just combined. Pour into a baking pan. Bake a 350 F 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool before frosting.

New flour mix:

1 c rice flour
1/2 c sweet rice

1/2 c toasted bean flour

1/2 c  toasted brown rice

1/4 tsp pectin

I’ve been through several flour mixes since the gel test experiment, and finally settled on the American Gluten Free flour mix. It has no starch, no soy, no gums and is very affordable. It also is a one for one exchange in recipes calling for regular wheat flour.

                                                                                                                     

This is the flour mix used in this book:

American Gluten Free flour mix:

1 c white rice flour

1/2 c sweet rice flour

1/2 c brown rice flour, toasted

1/2 c bean flour, toasted

1/4 tsp pectin

Multiplied by 8:

8 c white rice flour

4 c sweet rice flour

4 c brown rice flour, toasted

4 c bean flour, toasted

2 tsp pectin

This mix works because the white rice adds bulk, the sweet rice binds, the brown rice adds a lovely toasty flavor, fiber and vitamins, the bean flour makes a complete protein and helps with the structure of the baked goods and the pectin binds. Pectin also does other health related things. Available in most groceries in the canning section; I use the low acid stuff.

                            

Toasted brown rice is simply rice that’s been pan toasted until it browns slightly before being ground. This greatly improves the flavor, making a good cookie excellent.

Glutinous rice, aka sticky rice, sweet or waxy rice, is especially sticky when cooked. It is called glutinous rice, because it sticks, even though it contains no gluten. Go figure. I use it as a binder.

Beans are any kind of bean, such as pinto, kidney and navy. I use small white beans because I toast my beans before grinding and it’s easier to see how the color is coming along. They also go through the flour mill easier. Toasting removes the raw bean flavor that would otherwise make your baked goods taste funny. Bear in mind, the darker the bean, the darker the flour and resulting baked good.

Toasted bean flour is made from oven toasted beans and takes away the raw bean flavor that would not be welcome in a cookie or cake. Toast the beans on a cookie sheet at 350 F until browned, cool and grind.