Gluten Free Top 5 Baking Tips!
Invest in parchment Paper!
Use parchment Paper (lightly greased with butter) for a better baked good. It helps for easy cake removal when cool
Always Allow Gluten Free Baked Goods to cool fully before tasting!
YES! This is a little different than what you may be used to with conventional “with gluten” product baking where you absolutely must tear into that warm cookie or cake. With Gluten Free baking, you really need to let the baked good cool, set and get ready for YUMMY approved taste buds. You really need to allow the cookies, cakes and brownies a chance to cool. During the cooling process, the baked good continues to bake, form and get together. It helps to improve the overall and final texture of your Gluten Free baked product
Pay Attention to Baking Directions
When using a mix, make sure you do and follow the directions to a T! If the mix says “hand mix” then hand mix! If it says to mix with a mixer, then buzz away! Why is this important? The way you introduce air into the mix is an important factor! It is important in any baking process, but even more so in Gluten Free baking. In addition, be careful not to under or over mix, otherwise this can cause a baked good to fall in the center (very much like traditional baking, but Gluten Free baking is just all that more sensitive)
Don’t Use Hot Pans
If you are making more than one batch, wait until your pan has cooled before you re-use it. If you do not use a cooled pan, your product will have a different baking experience and the texture will be affected.
Under bake your Gluten Free Cookies
Under bake them slightly. They will look ‘almost done, but not quite’ in the center. Remove them from the oven and let them cook the rest of the way. This creates a much nicer cookie. Remember, don’t remove them from the pan until they are fully cooled off.
_________________________________________________________________
Tips for Choosing Gluten-Free Condiments
An educated consumer now realizes that wheat is in much more than just bread or pasta. Thankfully, so do food manufacturers. They now offer an expanded line of gluten-free condiments.
Mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise, and sauces can all be found as gluten-free products now.
Even though many companies are listing products as gluten free, customers need to be vigilant. What consumers should really look out for is gluten cross-contamination. We have been hearing this term for awhile now: caramel candy bars may be processed with the same machines that process peanut candy bars, which may put those caramel candy bars at risk for peanut cross-contamination. This is a big “may” for those with severe peanut allergies, and the candy bar may still be labeled “contains no peanuts.”
In the same sense, you should read labels for potential gluten cross-contamination. For example, Grey Poupon is manufactured by Kraft, which may manufacture the product using the same equipment that makes its gluten products. They can classify the product as Gluten Free because they may meet regulatory standards at less than 20ppm. That said, for those with severe allergies to gluten, this still may not be enough. You may still need to make sure that the products you are buying to not carry any wheat warning at all on their labels. Look for products that do not say “MAY CONTAIN wheat” or “Processed in a facility that also processes Wheat”. Both of these statements are indicators that while the product may be certifiable as Gluten Free per regulatory standards, the products are being made in the same facility as those products that contain wheat.
To be 100% certain you are eating gluten-free, look for products that are manufactured at a fully dedicated gluten-free facility.