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How can I get homemade gluten-free cookies & brownies not to have that unpleasant, gritty, clay aftertaste?
November 82009
I recently found out that I have a gluten allergy, and I’ve been substituting xanthum gum and gluten-free baking flour for regular flour in my cookie recipes. However, they either have a gritty texture (in the case of brownies) or a strange aftertaste that I can only think would taste like dry clay. Is there a way to improve this, or is this just something I’ll have to get used to? Thanks.
Sometimes that happens, especially with brown rice flour. Brown rice flour tends to have a bitter aftertaste, and as a result I tend to avoid using it or eating things that contain it. Not everything that is gluten free has to taste that way, or will taste that way. It really depends what types of flours is being used.
I’ve had some success using Bette Hagman’s flour mix. Have you tried it? I haven’t tried it in cookies or brownies yet, however I did manage to make my great grandmother’s banana bread recipe with it.
To make it in bulk:
6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch flour
1 cup tapioca flour
Use that as a replacement for wheat flours in recipes.
For xanthan gum - per 3 cups of flour use 1 tsp for cakes, and 2 1/2 for breads. Also something to be played with, as it doesn’t seem to be an exact science.
I found all of those flours, as well as xanthan gum, at both mainstream grocery stores here and Whole Foods.
Supposedly, sometimes the order that you add ingredients can make a difference as well so you may want to play with it.
I’ve also had some success with some boxed mixes. If you have a whole foods near you, they have some things there. I haven’t tried all of their stuff yet, but their 365 brand has a good reputation. Betty Crocker also has some gluten free things, I tried her chocolate cake which was very very very good however it uses a lot of butter and eggs and as a result is not a very healthy way of doing things. I tried the 365 brand chocolate cake from Whole Foods and it tasted like normal chocolate cake, especially with icing.
You can also try this site for recipes and advice:
http://www.gluten.net/
http://www.gluten.net/recipes/