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Tuesday, December 12, 2017

Gluten-free and Great!

We had a cookie exchange over the weekend, and since my sister-in-law has found that eating gluten-free is better for her family's health, she brought gluten-free cookies. I was a little unsure about gluten-free baking (especially cookies!) but she made some that are my new favorites.

I've never been a big fan of biscotti, but I think that may be because the ones I've had before were rock hard. These do have a crisp snap, are perfect for dunking in tea or coffee, all without the danger of chipping a tooth. And the flavor is really wonderful because of the almond flour (which I was surprised and happy to find at Walmart along with arrowroot flour). It never dawned on me that I could control the hardness of biscotti by baking them myself, but an old dog can learn new tricks.




My sil also made some chocolate biscotti that were delicious. She was wary of using xanthan gum, as it can have some unpleasant digestive and other side effects, but her family hasn't had any issues with it in small amounts like the teaspoon in this recipe. She also told me about GF flour. Gluten-free all-purpose flour is a mixture of various GF flours, but she found that each producer makes their own blends and you have to find what works best for you in your recipes. King Arthur GF flour is a mixture of white and brown rice flours, tapioca and potato starch and has worked well for my sil. Pillsbury GF flour is a different blend of rice flour, pea fiber, potato and tapioca starch, and xanthan gum, but when my sil tried it, she ended up with biscotti that were "a pile of glop" (your mileage may vary). 

 I don't know that I'll make the switch to only GF baking, but I do know that I can barely resist the cranberry-almond biscotti. They are gluten-free and simply great!
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17 comments:

  1. AsKatKnitsDecember 12, 2017 at 8:10 AM

    Those biscotti look so good! And, look at all I learned about GF baking! I had no idea about GF Flour composition variances! But, it seems that King Arthur wins!

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  2. CaroleDecember 12, 2017 at 8:50 AM

    I haven't ever tried gluten free baking but I'd learn if I had to - like if Margene came to visit and I wanted to back her a pie!

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  3. VeraDecember 12, 2017 at 9:02 AM

    Those look delicious! I may need to make the cranberry almond ones to take over to Col & Mailing at Christmas. I was surprised that Walmart has almond flour and arrowroot flour! Thanks for including the recipes (the chocolate one sounds really good too!!)

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  4. Vicki KnitoriousDecember 12, 2017 at 10:04 AM

    GF flours have come a long, long way in recent years! That biscotti looks amazing!! I've never made it, mainly because one of my sisters always did.

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  5. KymDecember 12, 2017 at 10:11 AM

    I love baking biscotti -- it's perfect for dipping into a hot cup of tea. I don't need to bake gluten-free, but if I did . . . I'd figure out how to make it work! XO

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  6. Becky R.December 12, 2017 at 1:03 PM

    Thankfully, no one here needs to be GF. These biscotti look fabulous. There is nothing better for dipping and then having a good chew.

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    1. BonnyDecember 12, 2017 at 1:10 PM

      Thankfully, gluten isn't really an issue in our home, because we both enjoy bread. I really love the cranberry almond biscotti because they're just delicious and far easier to make than I thought!

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  7. JanelleDecember 12, 2017 at 2:31 PM

    I will file this for next year's cookie party. This year, we made macarons for our gluten-free guests. They are not super easy to make, but you can make the cookie part in advance and freeze - just don't fill them before freezing.

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  8. kathy bDecember 12, 2017 at 4:23 PM

    I will file this too. My dear friend Abby is gluten free dairy free and good tried and true recipes are sometimes hard to find.

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    1. BonnyDecember 12, 2017 at 5:06 PM

      My sil started making these because her husband also needs to eat gluten and dairy free. I love the almond cranberry biscotti because I think they are simply delicious cookies that just happen to be gluten and dairy free!

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  9. margeneDecember 12, 2017 at 5:51 PM

    OH MY! Yes! Biscotti I could make for me and it's nice to know others would like it, too. King Arthur is my choice for what little baking I do and a non-GF friend said it's her choice to make gravies and sauces (it's silky smooth, no lumps). Your recipes sound super delicious and I'm going to keep them on hand. Thank you, Bonny!!

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  10. JaneDecember 12, 2017 at 8:58 PM

    Thanks for the interesting info about gluten free flour. I didn't realize they varied so much. Biscotti always seems a little rock hard to me too. Maybe I should try making my own. Tis the season for baking.

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  11. Juliann in WADecember 12, 2017 at 9:13 PM

    Almond flour has changed my feelings about gluten free baking!

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  12. MaryDecember 13, 2017 at 10:18 AM

    I'm a huge biscotti fan ... and might just have to try a GF version. Thank you for sharing the recipes and the info on GF flours!

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  13. Jeannie Gray KnitsDecember 13, 2017 at 10:49 AM

    Yum! Cranberry almond sounds delicious!

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  14. PattyDecember 13, 2017 at 1:33 PM

    I love biscotti too and may have to try this as well. I've got a couple of GF people in my world.

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  15. karenDecember 13, 2017 at 4:27 PM

    my sister has celiac disease and boy oh boy does she bake the best things ever!! It's a lot of trial and error in the beginning for her but I benefit as the taste tester.

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