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Authors: Peter Reinhart

The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking (21 page)

BOOK: The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking

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If you have mini loaf pans that are a different size than we call for, don’t fret. Just use them and follow the doneness cues in the recipe below, adjusting the baking time as needed. Smaller loaves will bake more quickly than indicated, and larger loaves will take longer. By the way, this bread makes great toast.

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g)
pecan flour

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) sunflower seed flour

¾ cup Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or 6 tablespoons New Roots Stevia Sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) pecans, raw or lightly
toasted
, chopped

4 egg whites (5 oz / 142 g)

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) unsweetened soy milk or other milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ¾ cups (12 oz / 340 g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 to 3 bananas)

Preheat the oven to 375°F (191°C). Generously mist eight 2½ by 3½-inch mini loaf pans with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the pecan flour, sunflower seed flour, sweetener, baking powder, xanthan gum, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until well mixed. Stir in the pecans. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites, milk, and vanilla together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for about 1 minute. Add the bananas and stir for 1 to 2 minutes to make a smooth, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Spoon the batter into the prepared pans, distributing the batter evenly among them; they should be about three-quarters full.

Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown and springy when pressed in the center. If baking larger loaves, note that they will take longer.

Put the pans on a wire rack and let cool for at least 5 minutes before turning out the loaves. Let cool on the wire rack for at least 10 to 20 more minutes before serving, depending on whether or not you want the bread to be warm enough to melt butter.

Chapter Five

It has been said by more than one baking instructor that if you want to make a living as a baker, learn how to make great cookies and you will always be able to get a job. With that in mind, here are some cookie recipes that, even if they don’t land you a job, will definitely make you very popular at home.

All of these cookie recipes are straightforward and essentially foolproof. Still, we have just a few general tips to help ensure the best results:

•
These cookies don’t spread much during baking, so you can scoop and drop the dough onto the pan for a thick, cake-like cookie, or you can press each one down with your hand into a flatter disk for a thin, crip cookie.

• When making cookies, it’s best to bake just one pan at a time. You can bake each pan sequentially or, for optimum fresh-baked flavor, chill the dough and bake more cookies at a later time. If you do bake them later, just store the batter in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for later use, or go ahead and put the cookies on a pan, cover the pan with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until you’re ready to bake. If using chilled dough, the baking time will need to be increased by a few minutes.

• With these recipes it’s important to transfer the cookies to a wire rack for cooling as soon as they come out of the oven. In our experience, if they cool for even a few minutes on the pan it’s much more difficult to move the cookies without breaking them.

• Although the instructions generally specify cooling the cookies for a certain amount of time, you can also enjoy them warm if you don’t mind a bit of crumbling.

•
Store leftover cookies in an airtight container or resealable bag, with a paper towel underneath to absorb any oil that’s released. All of these cookies freeze beautifully and taste delicious straight out of the freezer, cold and crisp.

Lemon Drops

Butter-Almond Cookies

Coconut-Pecan Cookies

Hazelnut-Vanilla Cookies

Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Seriously Chocolate Pecan Cookies

Nutty Peanut Butter Cookies

Inside-Out Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

Pecan Sandies

Biscotti

Lemon Drops

MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES

These delightful drop cookies are full of refreshing lemon flavor. They’re delicious plain, but we recommend glazing them with the
Lemon Fondant Icing for a flavor boost. You can also dust them with powdered erythritol in the style of Russian or Mexican wedding cookies, as described in the
variation
. One important note: Don’t try to substitute vegetable oil for the butter or margarine in this recipe. It won’t create the same flavor synergy with the lemon juice that you’ll get with butter or a good-quality buttery spread. We highly recommend using an electric mixer for this recipe, because the dough is very thick and sticky and difficult to stir by hand.

3 cups (12 oz / 340 g) almond flour

1½ cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ¾ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 eggs (5.25 oz / 149 g)

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) fresh lemon juice

1½ teaspoons lemon extract

½ teaspoon liquid stevia

Lemon Fondant Icing

⅔ cup powered erythritol, Stevia Extract in the Raw, or Splenda, or ⅓ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Position 2 oven racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Mist 2 baking sheets with spray oil, or line them with parchment paper or silicone mats and then lightly mist the surfaces with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, Splenda, baking powder, and salt and whisk until well mixed. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, butter, lemon juice, lemon extract, and liquid stevia together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a very thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir for 30 seconds.

Drop the dough onto the prepared pans, using about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie; alternatively, lightly grease your hands and roll the portions of dough into balls. Space the cookies about 3 inches apart (measured from the center of each cookie).

Bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans and switch racks and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the cookies are light golden brown and firm to the touch.

Meanwhile, make the lemon fondant icing (which is optional). In a small bowl, combine the erythritol and lemon juice and whisk until thoroughly blended.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for about 3 minutes. While they’re still on the pan, brush the tops with the icing; alternatively, you can dip the cookies into the fondant to coat the tops.

Put the glazed cookies on a wire rack and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving (this also allows the fondant to set up).

VARIATION

Lemon Wedding Cookies:
Omit the glaze and dust the cookies with erythritol instead. (Be sure to use powdered, not granular erythritol; see
Resources
for more information.) Put ½ cup of powdered erythritol in a small, shallow dish. While the cookies are still warm, gently swirl the top of each in the erythritol powder, then return them to the wire rack to cool completely.

Butter-Almond Cookies

MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES

This is a very versatile all-purpose cookie that can be jazzed up in a variety of ways, making a great foundation for experimentation. For example, you could substitute different sweet spices, such as ginger, allspice, or nutmeg, for the cinnamon (as long as the total doesn’t exceed 1 teaspoon). You can also replace the sliced almonds with other chopped nuts, or add some toasted coconut, as in the variation below.

2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) almond flour

1 cup Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ½ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

½ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

⅔ cup (2.25 oz / 64 g) sliced almonds

1 egg (1.75 oz / 50 g)

¾ cup (6 oz / 170 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Position 2 oven racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lightly mist 2 baking sheets with spray oil, or line them with parchment paper or silicone mats and then lightly mist the surfaces with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, sweetener, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and whisk until well mixed. Stir in the almonds. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, butter, and vanilla together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky dough (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Drop the dough onto the prepared pans, using about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie and spacing them about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 9 minutes, then rotate the pans and switch racks and bake for about 9 more minutes, until the cookies are firm to the touch and golden brown. (If you prefer crunchy cookies, leave them in the oven for about 2 more minutes.)

Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

VARIATION

Coconut Butter Cookies:
Add ½ cup (1.25 oz / 35 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly
toasted
, when you add the almonds.

Coconut-Pecan Cookies

MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES

These chewy, macaroon-like cookies have a wonderful flavor harmony from the pecan flour, coconut flakes, and coconut flour. Finely ground coconut flour with the consistency of powdered sugar is best for this recipe. Grind yours as fine as possible.

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g)
pecan flour

1¼ cups (5 oz / 142 g)
coconut flour

1½ cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ¾ cup New Roots Stevia Sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ cup (1.25 oz / 35 g) unsweetened coconut flakes, lightly toasted (see
Tip
)

1 egg (1.75 oz / 50 g)

½ cup (4 oz / 113 g) soy milk or other milk

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) sugar-free maple-flavored syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Position 2 oven racks in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone mats, then lightly mist the surfaces with spray oil.

In a medium bowl, combine the pecan flour, coconut flour, sweetener, and baking powder and whisk until well mixed. Stir in the coconut flakes. In a large bowl, whisk the egg, milk, syrup, and vanilla together until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon for 1 to 2 minutes to make a thick, sticky batter (see
Using Texture as a Guide
).

Drop the dough onto the prepared pans, using about 1 heaping tablespoon of dough per cookie and spacing them about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 6 minutes, then rotate the pans and switch racks, and bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown and firm to the touch.

Let the cookies cool on the pan for 5 to 7 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Tip:
Toasting Coconut

To toast coconut flakes or shredded coconut, put it in a dry skillet over medium heat and cook, stirring frequently, until the coconut begins to brown slightly and release a pleasant coconut aroma. Immediately remove it from the hot pan to prevent burning.

You can also toast it under the broiler. Spread it on a rimmed baking sheet and place it on the lower rack of the oven. Stir the coconut or shake the pan from time to time, and monitor it closely so it doesn’t burn.

Hazelnut-Vanilla Cookies

MAKES ABOUT 24 COOKIES

These basic vanilla cookies have a pleasant flavor reminiscent of gianduja—the ever-popular blend of chocolate and hazelnuts. They are wonderful for any occasion and a nice accompaniment to a cup of hot tea or a mug of hot chocolate (sugar-free, of course).

2 cups (8 oz / 227 g) hazelnut flour

1 cup (4 oz / 113 g) almond flour

1½ cups Splenda or Stevia Extract in the Raw, or ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons New Roots Stevia Sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon xanthan gum

2 eggs (3.5 oz / 99 g)

½ cup (4 oz / 113 g) soy milk or other milk

¼ cup (2 oz / 57 g) salted butter or margarine, melted

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon liquid stevia

BOOK: The Joy of Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free Baking