The Perfect Basic Loaf

I was talking to a friend this morning who wanted to try my other bread recipe, but was waiting on some ingredients before she tried it.  My thoughts consumed me.  My first recipe was created completely health consciously and of course with many ingredients that the average Gluten Free kitchen does not have.  Many people who would like to try my recipe may not be motivated to buy the rare ingredients.  I needed to simplify.  So I decided to create a loaf for the average Gluten Free individual.

For the creation of this loaf I went back to the basics using only the bare necessities to conserve the quality of the loaf.  I have removed the honey, the wild rice, and coconut cream.  I was going to remove the flax and the fruit/vegetable puree, but there would be a tremendous compromise of texture & flavor which is critical in gluten free bread.  So all in all this loaf would be similar to a loaf of bread made with both white and whole wheat flours.

Basic GF Bread

1 1/3 cups Sorghum

1 1/3 cups Oatmeal

2/3 cups Tapioca

1/3 cups Flax

1/3 cup Sugar

1 TBSP Xanthan Gum

2 tsp Gelatin

2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

2 tsp Baking Soda

*  *  *  *

4 tsp Yeast*

2 TBSP + 1 tsp warm water

2 tsp sugar

*  *  *  *

2/3 cups Butter

2/3 cup Rice milk

1/3 cup Water

2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Egg + 1 Egg white, beaten

*  *  *  *

2 2/3 cups Puree (Pumpkin, Butternut Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Applesauce, Bananas, Mango, etc)  

1) Combine all dry ingredients (1 st group) in medium bowl

2) Combine 2nd group of ingredients (for yeast mixture) in a small cereal bowl or cup

3) Combine all wet ingredients (3rd group) in a large bowl.

4) When yeast mixture becomes bubbly and thickens, combine groups 1 and 2 along with the fruit/vegetable puree in with the wet ingredients (if you use applesauce remove 1 TBSP of liquid per 1/2 cup used).

5) Divide dough and place in 2 greased 9 x 4 inch bread pans and let rest in warm place for 1/2 hour

6) Bake 375 for 35-40 minutes. Then cover with tinfoil and bake for 10-15 minutes longer.


*If you prefer not to use yeast use 1 1/3 cups starter. Just remove the yeast along with 2/3 cup liquids and 2/3 cup flours.  I recommend that you remove some of several flours rather than removing just 1 type of flour.

Tres Leches Cake

I recently made a Tres Leches Cake for a party my husband and I were going to.  It is a dessert I enjoyed making (and eating) before we learned about Dairy allergy. Then I got to thinking about how my kids would never taste the delight of a Tres Leches Cake. This was the only motivation I needed to conquer the seemingly impossible task.  To top it off, there is very little difference of flavor between a gluten and dairy free Tres Leches Cake and the 'real thing'.  

It may seem fancy, but this is my choice for the gluten and dairy free birthday cake.  Its flavorings take a completely different route than your typical birthday cake, which seems to remove the judgement comparison that gluten free usually endures.  The most important piece of this puzzle is flavor, as is usual in most baking.  


A Tres Leches Cake is built around subtly sweet flavors, which greatly limit your choices in milks.  Almond and soy milks are 2 very common milks and many times prefered in the world of milk allergy or dairy free living.  I strongly advise against using either of these milks in this cake.  Both of them have distinct flavors in them that will be too powerful for the cake, not to mention that they are not used in Latino cultures.  Coconut milk is a very good match to this cake and one that I highly favor; I included it in my recipe even before the elimination of dairy. The milk that I have chosen to preserve the subtle sweetness of the original cake is rice milk.  Rice milk is a similar resemblance to the Mexican drink Horchata (a rice drink flavored with cinnamon), which is very prominent in Mexican living, so in my opinion, it is a perfect replacement for milk.  Of course for the purpose of this recipe, there is no cinnamon.  

Tres Leches Cake

1 cup Coconut Milk or Cream

1 1/3 cups rice milk

1 1/4 cup cold sweetened condensed milk substitute
2 TBSP Melted Butter or Coconut oil

* * * *

Your favorite gluten and dairy free Yellow Cake Recipe baked and cooled and still in its 13 x 9 inch pan.

1 container of dairy free whipped cream

1/2 cup coconut flakes

2 TBSP finely chopped pecans

2-3 large strawberries (or 2 tangerines/mandarines and some marachino cherries)

1) Using a fork poke as many holes as you possibly can in the cake.  You cannot have too many; this will assist with even absorption of the milks, so don't skip this step.

2) In a large bowl mix all the milks together. (Make sure the coconut milk is at room temperature so that it is not separated and there are no clumps of fat.  If not set unopened can of coconut milk in a warmed (but off) oven for a couple hours before starting.)

3)  Pour the milk mixture over the cake (still in its pan) and and let it sit on the counter until most of the liquids are absorbed, then move it to the refrigerator and let it stay there for at least 4 hours.  If your cake is a dense cake (in comparison to a boxed mix) let it sit at least 6 hours.  Overnight would be ideal.

Spread whipped cream over cake like frosting. Sprinkle coconut over top evenly.  Spinkle on chopped pecans.  And decorate with strawberries.  This cake should be kept in the refrigerator.

Sugar Cookies

These are not your typical gluten free sugar cookies.  I think if any gluten free item is 'sold cheap', it is definitely sugar cookies.  Why do I say this?  The flavors in sugar cookies rely heavily on basic ingredients; flour, butter, sugar-- not much to mask any 'off' flavors. Every gluten free individual who was not brought up eating gluten free, probably knows exactly what I am talking about. Gluten free flours have such distinctive tastes to the non-native they can give any  item, that relies on typically simple tastes, a bad wrap-- making its partakers cringe at the simplicity of the cookie.  

This is a gluten free take on the recipe that I used at the beginning of my baking journey as a young girl-- Good ol Betty Crocker. It is a bit different than most.  Rather than relying on flavors of flours that the average mouth is not accustomed to, I have created a mixture that not only makes the cookie melt in your mouth, but also allows the familiar flavor of oatmeal* to guide the senses as familiar spices take over. 

Through the years of school I have taken these cookies to Valetines Day and Christmas Parties for my kids.  Each year the kids respond to them in amazement because they are 'real' gingerbread cookies.  The wonderful brownish color and the spice flavorings.   I LOVED seeing the kids reactions as they ate them.  Did they even know they were 'weird' gluten free cookies??  It was sort of refreshing to see that my kids really were not so different after all.  

To those of you who thought that your sugar cookie days were over at the first taste of cardboard, step back into the party, 'cuz it aint over honey!!

Sugar Cookies

1 egg

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup butter

- - - - 

2/3 cup sorghum

2/3 cup tapioca starch

2/3 cup ground dry oatmeal*

1/2 cup rice

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp guar gum

3/4 tsp ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg, rounded

*Some of you may go on high alert at the thought of oatmeal, because of intolerance.  You can buy Gluten Free Oatmeal here

1) Cream together the first 4 ingredients; be sure to make sure they are at room temperature before starting.

2) Using your coffee/spice grinder, grind your oatmeal in increments of 1/3 cup at a time and then mix all the dry ingredients together in their own bowl. (If you are lazy like me and do not like to decorate the cookies, add 2 teaspoons of colored sugar and 2 teaspoons of colorful sprinkles to the dry ingredients for a simple and festive decor)

3) Mix the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture 1 cup at a time.

4) Divide in three parts and refrigerate over night.

5) Roll out to a 1/4 inch thick, cut cookies, place on greased tray

6) Bake 375 for 6-8 minutes