Since I first posted this, I’ve started a keto bakery and have gained a lot of experience in this special kind of baking.

If you’re not new, you know that I will test and retest a recipe, especially the keto friendly desserts, because I want to know what the possible pitfalls are. Baking with alternative flours is only tricky because it’s fairly new. The gluten free recipes were figured out years before the grain free recipes.

The Paleo recipes (where you could use honey or maple syrup) were ground breaking, but often dense and falling short. Now people are looking for grain free, sugar free dessert recipes either for their diet, a new healthier way of eating, or because they have Diabetes.

Read here article below discussing the differences between eating gluten free, paleo and keto. This is a confusing topic, but I’ve made it simple to understand.

Most of my dessert recipes, which are keto friendly, will naturally be gluten free and paleo, but gluten free and paleo desserts are not necessarily keto or low-carb.  It has to do with the sugar and carb content.

This keto angel food cake is low carb, grain free and gluten free, but you will not feel deprived or compromised. This is one fluffy, substantial, good tasting cake.

Let me take the time to answer some questions you may have.

What is angel food cake?

We all know it’s that white spongy cake at the grocery store, which I never liked. An angel food cake made from scratch is so much better. It’s a cake made from a dozen egg whites, sweetener (in my case swerve),  cream of tartar, flavoring, (vanilla, almond extract, or lemon zest), and flour. I use four to one ratio almond flour to tapioca starch.

Why Do I Use Cream of  Tartar in angel food cake?

Cream of tartar (amazon) is an acidic salt that stabilizes egg whites. It helps them to hold water and air.

How Many Carbs are in Keto Angel Food Cake?

One slice is 5 grams of protein, 80 calories, and 4 carbs. Ideally, serve with a curd or budino made from the left over egg yolks with this stabilized whipped cream to up the fat for appropriate keto macros. I’ve received a few emails objecting to the use of tapioca flour. Each serving contains 2.3 carbs  of tapioca flour, and 1 net carb of almond flour. If you have issues with the tapioca starch, you can try to make it without it. I can’t promise what the results will be like.

Why did my angel food cake collapse?

There a few things that could have happened.

• You touched the cake. For example, unwisely, I took a knife around the cake when it came out of the oven. Do not touch cake until it is completely cool or it might deflate.
• You didn’t turn the cake upside down right away.
• You whipped your egg whites too stiff. You want soft, fluffy peaks.
• Your pan wasn’t dry. You want a dry pan. No grease or cake will not crawl up when baking.

More Strawberry Desserts from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Strawberry Biscuits
• Keto Muffin Cake
• Keto Strawberry Cake
• Sugar Free Strawberry Sauce
• Keto Shortcake for Strawberries
• Keto Strawberry Cheesecake

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Keto Angel Food Cake

Keto Friendly, grain free angel food cake, and all the tips you need to know.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Calories 80kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 12 egg whites
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 3/4 cups Swerve Confectioner’s Sugar
• 3/4 cups almond flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• 
  Kitchen Tools
• angel food cake pan
• kitchen aid mixer

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Mix almond flour, tapioca flour together. Sift. Add lemon zest if using. Set aside.
• Separate egg whites. Save yolks for other recipes (see post end for ideas).
• Make sure the white is not contaminated.
• Once you have all your egg whites in mixing bowl, beat until frothy. Then add cream of tartar.
• Half way through add the Swerve.
• At this point, add in vanilla, almond extract, stevia glycerite.
• Continue beating on high until soft peaks form. You don’t want stiff peaks.
• Fold in dry ingredients in three batches.
• Pour batter in and smooth out.
• Bake for 50 to 60 minutes until golden brown.
• Once you take out of the oven, DO NOT touch the cake or it will collapse.
• Immediately turn it over. You can place it over a bottle, but make sure it’s even.
• Wait until it’s completely cool to turn back over.
• Cut with fork or serrated knife.

Video

Notes

When separating eggs, separate one at a time in a bowl. Place each new egg white in the bowl you’ll be mixing and begin again. I like to break the entire egg in a small bowl and lift out the yolk
After many different ways to separate eggs, this is the easiest.

After making three angel food cakes, I prefer the almond flavored, followed by the vanilla. I wasn’t too fond of the lemon.

Important: Angel food cake is tricky. I advise you to real the full blog post, as I share all the tips, and mistakes I don’t want you to make.

Save the yolks for this lemon budino recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 80kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g

The post Keto Angel Food Cake with Video appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Not to be confused with my most recent sourdough focaccia, many of you have asked for a gluten free version. This is a repost of the best ever gluten free focaccia. 

Please don’t let the gluten free description put you off. This focaccia is amazing. It disappears within minutes of coming out of the oven, and once you make it, you’ll make it again tomorrow. I promise.

You all know me by now. I will not put out a gluten free baking recipe I haven’t tested and retested. This went through the Spinach Tiger test kitchen six times.

This amazing gluten free focaccia bread recipe was the result of a beautiful accident.

I was making this amazing gluten free french bread recipe. I accidentally added in some olive oil and I changed baking vessels.

The bottom became crunchy and golden, the top remained not as crunchy and the bread was bouncy. Bouncy like focaccia.

I put it in my oval dutch oven and put the lid on for the first 15 minutes. I believe it’s the cover that keeps the steam in and gives it the bounce it deserves.

This is one of the few gluten free products that is best served right out of the oven, because it’s not gummy and doesn’t need that usual cooling off period.

It’s not dense like this gluten free artisan bread.  It’s, fluffy, bouncy, more like a focaccia bread or deep dish pizza.

You can go ahead and bake it until the top is very crisp if you’re in the mood for that. I’ve made this many ways. It’s something you can make your very own, adding any kinds of toppings you like.

If you don’t have a dutch oven with a lid that’s okay. You can steam by using tin foil. I keep the foil on for the first 15 minutes and then bake at least another 25 minutes.

You can Vary your Ingredients with a Gluten Free Focaccia

I have baked this many ways taking in and taking out various ingredients to see what would happen.



Here’s the good news with this recipe. No matter what I did, I got a great result that was eaten quickly. The texture may have varied, but none of the textures were bad, just different, ranging from springy to flatbread when I used a rectangular baking stone.

If you’re used to the gluten free grocery store choices, you’ll be singing and dancing around the kitchen once you eat a hunk of this bread. You’re only problem is going to be stopping!

How to Season the Gluten Free Focaccia

Our preference is simply fresh rosemary and a little sea salt. Add some chopped rosemary to the flour, and reserve some to use when it comes out of the oven.

We also played around with adding cherry tomatoes.  Roast them first and add them in once the bread starts forming (about half-way).  In one version, I added mozzarella during the last ten minutes of baking.

We also discovered that this gluten free focaccia recipe is useful for making something similar to a deep dish pizza. You have to bake it all the way first, then do the toppings and bake until the cheese is melted, placing it on the top oven rack.

If you love this, you’ll love the gluten free french bread.

More Gluten Free Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Italian Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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The Disappearing Focaccia Bread Recipe, (Gluten Free)

Italian Gluten Free Focaccia, a spring bread made from rice flour and tapioca flour, topped with olive oil and fresh rosemary.

Course Bread

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings 10

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice flour
• 1 cup tapioca flour
• 3 tablespoons non-fat dry milk
• 2 tablespoons golden flax meal optional
• 3 tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary divided
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 110 degrees F.
• 2 tablespoons rapid rising yeast
• 1 tablespoons softened butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
• 3 egg whites beaten slightly
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• sea salt for garnish
• cherry tomatoes optional topping
• fresh mozzarella optional topping

Instructions

• Mix together flour, non-fat dry milk, golden flax meal, xantham gum, 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary salt in a mixer fitted with a paddle.
• Warm water to 110 degrees F.
• Add yeast and sugar.
• Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, add to flour mixture.
• Mix until incorporated.
• Add vinegar to egg whites.
• Add egg whites mixture, butter.
• Mixture will be very sticky. That's okay.
• Place batter into vessel you will be using. It is recommended that you use parchment paper that has been lightly greased on both sides.
• Poke holes with finger all over.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Allow to rise for 25 minutes.
• Before baking, you can brush with egg wash or melted butter if you desire.
• Bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. This will depend on your baking vessel.
• Cover for the first 15 minutes with lid or foil.
• Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before cutting.
• Brush with olive oil.
• If you are using cherry tomatoes, roast those separately, and add during last 10 minutes.
• If you are adding fresh mozzarella, add at the last 10 minutes.

The post The Disappearing Gluten Free Focaccia Bread Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am always amazed at how much I still have to learn about food. How is it that as a ten year plus food blogger, I’ve never had a French cookie/cake, financier. Scroll down for recipe which is in light blue block. 

Thank heavens for the latest edition of Southern Living, which posted a financier recipe I had to try. This week I baked five different versions until I developed a financier recipe I could share with you that was sugar free, keto friendly.

What is a financier?

Thomas Keller calls it a cookie. I call it a cake that has cookie elements. Made from nut flour and browned butter, it’s like a soft cake with a crispy golden brown edge. It’s perfect alone and often served with lemon curd and fruit.

It’s like a little tea cakes made with almond flour, sometimes a little hazelnut flour, and browned butter. It is typically shaped like a small bar and you can buy financier pans (amazon), or you can use muffin pans, or mini tart pans. I baked one batch in my whoopie pie pans, which will resemble more of a cookie, while the ones in mini muffins pans are naturally more like muffins.

The Financier Recipe

I tried three different recipes from three very qualified bakers; Southern Living Magazine, David Lebovitz, Thomas Keller.

Southern Living made their financier recipe with a mix of hazelnut, almond and all-purpose flour. I took a stab at making my own hazelnut flour and these turned out very tasty.

David Lebovitz makes his in mini muffin pans. He did not use baking powder. Thomas Keller makes the traditional bar shape, and shows a proper way to brown butter.

I learned something valuable from all three recipes and allowed them to morph into my own grain free, sugar free, keto friendly financier recipe.

How to Brown Butter for Financier Recipe

I followed Thomas Keller’s method for browning butter. Start with medium heat and keep stirring. The butter will bubble. Turn to medium high heat, continue to stir and as the bubbles lessen and when the butter turns a bit amber colored, its done. Immediately pour into a bowl.

Allow to cool, while gathering the rest of the ingredients. When you eventually pour the butter into the batter, which is the last step in this recipe, a dark sediment remains in the bowl. Pour that in too.

This Financier Recipe is Grain Free, Keto Friendly

I substituted the all -purpose flour with tapioca flour, and the sugar with Swerve’s granulated  (powdered erythritol).  Tapioca is high in carbs at 26 per 1/4 cup, but this, if you use the mini-muffin pan and make 12, the financier recipe is 4 net carbs per muffin.

Mistakes I made While Developing this Financier Recipe

I share my mistakes so you don’t have to make them.

• Adding baking powder to a wet batter. No one does this, but I did and it’s a long story why. It was actually baking soda and it caused my cookies to have a lot of holes. The taste, however, was still great.
• Adding too much swerve (powdered erythritol). I never put the full amount in the recipe. I hold back a tablespoon or two. Then I microwave a tablespoon of the batter and taste for sweetness. Eventually I discovered 1/2 cup was plenty.
• Using silicone to bake. Metal pans are better. IF YOU DO use silicone, bake for much longer because you want very browned edges.
• Forgetting to add fruit after a few minutes of baking. You have a small window and then it’s too late. When I made the mini muffins, I stuck the fruit in after about 3 minutes in the oven.
• Not browning the butter properly. You must stay at the stove and stir the butter or it separates and does not come back together. Patience in this step pays off.
• Making my own hazelnut flour. If you do want to make your own hazelnut flour, don’t bother to blanch. Just put in processor or Vitamix with skins on. I also found that roasting gives a taste I didn’t like. You can also order hazelnut flour here.
• I like the financier recipe using only almond flour just fine. If I happen to have a little hazelnut flour to mix in, I’ll do that (maybe 1/4 cup) but since hazelnut flour is expensive, I’ll stick to almond flour.

The Good News: Kitchen Tested Financier Recipe

I found the perfect recipe on my 5th try. Every recipe tasted good, but I needed a solid texture that I could count on and you could count on.

I use a full cup of almond flour, 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/2 cup swerve, 4 extra large egg whites, 100 grams of browned butter, baking powder and a little vanilla. Sticking fruit into the mini muffins is delightful. This will be a good breakfast treat or perfect for an afternoon tea.

I was able to get 12 mini muffins, or 6 small tarts. The small tarts make for a very special dessert as it’s gluten free, paleo and keto friendly and sugar free. Use the left over yolks for lemon budino. Add budino to financier and add fruit. Truly Special.

You will have yolks left over, which is why financiers are often served with lemon curd. You can use this meyer lemon curd recipe and adjust to 1/3 of the recipe for 4 egg yolks, use lemon juice in place of meyer lemon juice.

Please follow me on instagram to get all the fun stories, behind the scenes kitchen escapades.

More Keto Friendly Recipes from Spinach Tiger You Might Like

Grain Free Lemon Cake

Keto Shortcake Biscuits Recipe

Meyer Lemon Curd

All Spinach Tiger Keto Friendly Recipes Here

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Financier Recipe, The Little French Cookie Cake (Paleo, Grain Free, GF)

Keto Friendly, Paleo Raspberry Financier made into mini-muffins

Course Desserts

Cuisine French

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Calories 93kcal

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 100 grams browned butter see how to make below
• Baking spray
• 1 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour ORDER HERE or use more almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup Swerve granulated ORDER HERE
• 4 extra large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract ORDER HERE
• 12 raspberries

Optional Toppings

• Lemon Budino Recipe here (use yolks)
• Raspberries or Strawberries

Kitchen Tools

• mini muffin pans
• small tart pans

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375.
• Prepare pans with baking spray

Browned Butter

• Place butter into small sauce pan on medium heat. Using a wire whisk continue to stir. Once you see large bubbles, increase to medium high heat. Continue to stir until you see an almost amber color. Remove to a bowl to cool.
• Mix almond flour, tapioca flour, salt, swerve (or sugar) in bowl.
• Make a hole in flour. Add egg whites.
• Whisk together gently.
• Add in butter and vanilla. Mix.
• Spoon into the vessels of your choice.
• Bake for approximately 13 minutes until golden brown.
• That can be a mini muffin pan, financier pan, whoopie pie pan or mini tart pans.
• You will get 12 mini muffins, etc. and six using mini tart pans.

Nutrition

Calories: 93kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g

This site contains amazon links which earn a small commission but does not affect price.




The post Financier Recipe, The Little French Cookie Cake (Paleo, Keto, Gluten free) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy is reborn in this easy, paleo friendly recipe, flavor boosted with mushrooms, onions and beef broth, and tenderized by swissing the meat.

It has nothing to do with Switzerland, but about technique in meat preparation. Swissing the meat means tenderizing the meat, either rolled, pounded or  taken through a tenderizer.

In this case, my butcher cut a tough rump roast into slices and took them through the tenderizer. They come out looking like cube steaks (which are “swissed” steaks).

You can purchase already cubed steaks or have your butcher do it for you. Ask for a bottom round or rump roast and they can do the rest.

Swiss Steak is a Retro Dish (circa 1915)

A printed recipe for swiss steak dates back to 1915, and was clearly an economical dish, using cheaper cuts of meat (rump roast, bottom round).

I am a fan of the retro redo, because we know more today than back in 1970 about food preparation and how to make a dish better for us. This is a paleo and gluten free version.

Instead of dredging in wheat flour (which you could still do), I used tapioca flour, which turns the beef broth into it’s own delicious brown gravy. The prep for the swiss steak with brown gravy takes about 10 to 15 minutes and the slow cooker  will do the rest. You can cook this in a dutch oven for a few hours if you’re going to be around to watch it.

I let the mushrooms and onions get a slight browning or caramelization with olive oil to boost more flavor and used plenty of fresh thyme. I added about a half of an orange bell pepper that I happened to have. Next time I might add a whole pepper, because I like how it flavors the meat, although you could leave the pepper out.

The tapioca flour on the meat served to also thicken the broth and there was no need to actually make a gravy.

A Word About Brown Gravy

I didn’t have to make gravy. The meat was dredged with tapioca flour and browned. The broth got nice and thick and gravy like. If you like a super thick gravy, take some flour (you can use tapioca flour) and shake with cold water in a jar and slowly add to the broth at the end. I don’t see the need to do this and I didn’t want to water down the amazing flavor I had.

We loved this dish, and I did my best to make it attractive with lots of sprinkled parsley.

A Word About Tapioca Flour

Tapioca flour is not a grain; it comes from Cassava plant and is often used in gluten free flour mixes like this one here.   If you want to further thicken the gravy, mix one tablespoon tapioca flour and one tablespoon cold water together to form a paste and add to the sauce.

What to Serve with Swiss Steak and Brown Gravy

There’s really only one answer here. No Lump Mashed Potatoes or Mashed Cauliflower. It sops up the gravy mixture and should accompany every bite of the meat.

When the twins came over after school, they wanted to know what was in the slow cooker. Long story short, they each ate two pieces, which was somewhat celebratory because they don’t venture out as much as they could.

If you like this dish, you will probably also like this burger steak recipes with sour cream mushroom sauce

More Easy Dinners from Spinach Tiger

More Beef Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy and the Process of Swissing (Paleo)

Swiss Steak with brown gravy, an easy, economical, flavorful meal, best served with mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower.

Course Entree

Cuisine American

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 pounds rump roast cubed (see notes)
• 1/2 cup tapioca flour
• salt pepper
• 1/4 cup olive oil for frying used as needed
• 4 cups baby bella mushrooms sliced
• 2 onions sliced
• 1/2 to 1 bell pepper sliced (optional)
• 4 cups beef broth
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce or Tamari Sauce if need gluten free
• handful fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried
• Parsley and thyme for garnish
• Kitchen Tools
• Large Frying Pan
• Slow Cooker or Dutch Oven

Instructions

• You can get your butcher to slice and tenderize a rump roast or bottom round. Tell him you want "swissed" steaks or cubed steaks, or you may find cubed steaks packaged in store.
• Season steaks with salt and pepper.
• Heat enough oil in pan to fry steaks, to medium high.
• Dredge meat in tapioca flour.
• Brown meat on both sides. You may need to do this batches.
• Remove meat to dish.
• In same pan, add more oil and saute mushrooms and onions. Onions should have a little bit of golden color.
• Transfer meat and vegetables to slow cooker.
• Add pepper, broth and Worcerstershire or Tamari sauce.
• Taste and season as needed.

Notes

You can have this ready in two hours if doing in a dutch oven.
You can do it on low in crock pot all day or choose four hours at high.
You may need to add in a little more water (or broth if it's reducing too much.

The post Swiss Steak with Brown Gravy, Mushrooms and the Process of Swissing (Paleo) appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

If you know me for my gluten free biscuits (which are wildly loved by my readers) and popular with google, you will know I take my gluten free recipes seriously. I tested those ten times before I was happy.

This recipe has almost been through as many rigorous tests.  I started with the basics of a  recipe I saw on line. I liked it, but it didn’t rise enough for me and I knew I could improve it. The crust was too a little too hard and it spread out so flat.

Here is a video to make it easy for you.

I love crust, so I’m not really complaining. I’m that person who takes the inside of the bread out and mostly eats the crusty outside.

I tried a couple ways to solve the problem, and finally ordered this  this French bread baking pan,. I  played a little more with my recipe. I decided to do four smaller loaves instead of two larger loaves. this was a good call, because they also make great sandwich loaves and you can freeze them easily.

This pan is perforated and is the very best way to bake this bread. It will not stick. You don’t need spray or corn meal. You will need to spread the loaves out with an offset spatula but not all the way to the end.

You are supposed to use a bread lame to score the bread.  I use my sharpest boning knife, and cut from beginning to end, wiping off the dough/batter each time. Since this is a very “batter” type dough, it’s not easy.  The scoring lets out steam and the bread has less risk of being gooey, often a problem with gluten free bread.

I’ve made this gluten free French Bread at least ten times now, testing various ingredients including non-fat dry milk, golden flax meal, and psillium husk, ingredients I’ve used in this gluten free artisan bread.  The bread that tested best for flavor and texture was the bread with the non-fat dry milk and golden flax.

This recipe can be used to make an Italian Gluten Free Bread.

The addition of one egg yolk and sesame seeds makes this bread seem similar to an Italian bread from Sicily.

This gluten free bread can be baked in cast iron pans, and dutch ovens or baked like a flat bread.

You may be scared away by the dough that is not really dough but more of a batter or think you’ve done something wrong. You will pour it into the bread molds. It will rise, but it will also spread out a bit.  It will bake beautifully and taste great.

You can also play around with vessels. You can bake this in a cast iron frying pan, but you will need to use parchment paper that has been buttered or oiled.

Gluten Free French Bread is Great for Sandwiches

I was excited to finally sink my teeth into a big fat BLT with Avocado with this bread. I’ve also made cheese steaks and Italian subs, something I didn’t think I would be eating again.

This  gluten free French Bread recipe is a “go to” recipe for us. I can tell you that it’s gone the hour it’s made, unless we get it into the freezer. The best thing about this recipe is that its easy and versatile. I use this basic recipe to make focaccia, which has the bounce I didn’t think I could get.

I also used it to flat bread pizza and deep dish pizza, so please so you won’t miss these recipes then when post.

More Gluten Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

Gluten Free Southern Biscuits

Gluten Free Pizza Crust

Gluten Free Tart Crust

Gluten Free Focaccia

Grain Free Gluten Free Tortillas

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Best Tasting Gluten Free French Bread

Gluten free french bread that is crispy on outside and airy on the inside.

Course Bread, Gluten Free

Cuisine French

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4 small loaves

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups white rice flour Order Here
• 1 cup tapioca flour Order Here
• 3 tablespoons non-fat dry milk
• 2 tablespoons golden flax meal optional
• 1 tablespoon xanthan gum
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 cups lukewarm water 110 degrees F.
• 2 tablespoons rapid rising yeast
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 3 egg whites beaten slightly (see notes)
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sesame seeds optional

Instructions

• Warm water to 110 degrees F.
• Add yeast and sugar to the warm water.
• Mix together flour, non-fat dry milk, golden flax meal, xanthan gum, salt in a mixer fitted with a paddle.
• Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, add to flour mixture.
• Mix until incorporated.
• Add vinegar to egg whites.
• Add egg whites mixture, butter.
• Mixture will be very sticky. That's okay.
• I use this french bread pan and the bread does not stick. If you don't have this, make sure you use parchment paper.
• Place batter into vessel you will be using. It is recommended that you use parchment paper that has been lightly greased on both sides, unless you use the perforated french bread pan I recommend above.
• Top with sesame seeds if you are using at this time.
• Using a lamè or very sharp knife, make diagonal slashes. Go from beginning to end and wipe batter off each time.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Allow to rise for 25 minutes.
• Before baking, you can brush with egg wash or melted butter if you desire.
• Bake for 25 -30 minutes or until golden brown. If you make one large loaf in a cast iron pan or you make two loaves, you will have a longer baking time.
• Allow to cool for at least ten minutes before cutting.

Video

Notes

If you are using a gluten free flour that does not have xantham gum added in already, add 3 teaspoons.

The post Gluten Free French Bread from Scratch in Sixty Minutes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I can’t say enough kind words about America’s Test Kitchen. I purchased their gluten free baking book and let it sit around for a very long time, which is unfortunate. The recipes work well, but I especially like this shortbread tart crust.

Gluten Free Flour Mix

I usually use a store bought gluten free flour mix and I make sure it has xanthan gum, which is important. 

You can get the ATK gluten free flour mix here. 

Gluten Free Lemon Tart

Mr. Spinach Tiger says, “this isn’t just good for gluten free. It’s good compared to any tart crust and stands alone.”

I have to agree. The only adaptation I made was reducing the amount of brown sugar suggested.

If you want to use their recommended flour mix, I posted that recipe here. However I made the tarts, with both their recipe and with a store bought gluten free flour and both flour blends worked equally well. 

Here are a few tips when making this gluten free tart crust recipe.

• Use a food processor or kitchen aid type mixer.
• Freeze the butter for 15 minutes.
• Refrigerate dough for about 15 minutes or longer before rolling out.
• Roll out between plastic wrap or parchment paper.
• Once place inside the tart pans equipped with removable bottoms, use scraps as needed to make sure there is a half inch of dough on the rims.
• Use a fork to make steam holes on bottom.
• Freeze tart crust. At this point, you can save for a later time, or bake frozen.

My Recommended Baking Supplies Here (amazon)

There are two ways to make a fruit tart with the gluten free tart crust recipe.

• You can pre-bake tart crust and then fill with fresh fruit as I did with the below strawberry tart.
• You can make baked fruit tarts, (much like little pies), as seen here with the cherry berry tart.

Old Fashioned Strawberry Pie/Tart

Use this gluten free tart crust recipe for any of your favorite tarts.

More Tart and Pie Recipes from Spinach Tiger

Gluten Free Baking Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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America’s Test Kitchen Gluten Free Tart Crust Recipe

Gluten Free Tart Crust that is sweet and will stand up to any filling. Varied baking times.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 7 ounces Gluten Free Flour blend Recipe Here
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar ATK uses 1/2 cup (see notes)
• 1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter frozen for 15 minutes
• 1 large egg yolk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ice water

Equipment

• Food Processor or Kitchen Mixer
• Plastic Wrap
• Rolling Pin
• 9 inch Tart Pan with Removable Bottom
• Parchment Paper and Pie Weights if baking unfrozen
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

Instructions

• Mix together flour, xanthan gum, salt, sugars in food processor or mixer.
• Add butter pieces and mix until incorporated. I usually pulse or mix about 10 seconds.
• Mix egg wth vanilla.
• Stream in egg mixture.
• Add cold water 1 teaspoon at a time until dough forms.
• Turn dough onto sheets of plastic.
• Flatten, wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
• Once you are ready to roll, take out and, if necessary, let it sit out on counter to soften a little.
• Roll into a 12 inch round. Don’t worry if it’s not perfectly round.
• Put dough in tart pan and reserve scraps to press in.
• Place prepared tart pan in freezer for for about 15 minutes, prior to baking.
• Bake and fill as needed for recipes.
• If you need to bake completely without filling (for a fruit tart for example), bake for 25 minutes at 375 degrees F.
• Cover with Parchment paper that has been greased or sprayed with a baking spray.
• Fill with pie weights (or dried beans). Make sure to cover edges so they don’t burn.
• Cool completely before filling.

Notes

If the gluten free flour blend you are using does not have xanthum gum, add 1 teaspoon.

Regarding brown sugar, you can use white sugar if that’s all you have.

The post Gluten Free Tart Crust Recipe appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I’ve talked about the American Test Kitchen’s Gluten Free Baking Book many times now.

The recipes work and most of the time I don’t use a “from scratch” gluten free flour, as I use Bob’s Red Mill One to One Flour.

However, last week, I made the flour from scratch to make this strawberry tart. I ordered all of the various flours necessary,  which is something a blogger will do, but I’m still not sure a home cook will want to pursue.

If you do want to make your own gluten free flour mix, this fares well, as do all the recipes I’ve tested so far from the cookbook.

The ATK book is very instructive is telling us why they use each ingredient.

Here’s What America’s Test Kitchen says about their Gluten Free Flour Mix

White Rice Flour  

Brown Rice Flour

Potato Starch – is necessary for tenderness and binding, however you can replace with sweet rice flour for cookies, cakes, quick breads or substitute with arrow root flour or powder in yeast breads.

Tapioca Flour  lends elasticity and structure.

Non-Fat Dry Milk, which adds to flavor, browning, structure and tenderness, while tempering starchiness. Also encourages hydration of starches and proteins.

Xanthan Gum– helps with structure and stability. It is NOT part of the recipe, but will be needed in most recipes. They left it out in order to customize the quantity.

Here’s What Spinach Tiger Says about this Gluten Free Flour Mix

If you are going to make your own gluten free flour mix, you may save a little money, but you will make an initial big investment and need to find room to store all the various flours and starches in your pantry.

You will still need to purchase the following products for various gluten free baking recipes:

Xanthum gum, used as a binder, and in almost all recipes.

Psyllium husk powder, especially good in bread recipes, creating an open and airy crumb,  used in many of the bread recipes.

Golden flax meal, used in many of the recipes and adds structure.

Baking Powder, may be added to recipes like the gluten free pizza.

Baking Soda is alkaline and used when other acidic ingredients are used such as buttermilk, or sour cream.

Instant or Rapid Rise Yeast.

Some Gluten Free Baking Pantry Ingredients Need to be Stored in Refrigerator.

• Xanthum Gum
• Almond Flour
• All Rice Flours
• Golden Flax

The Good News When Baking Gluten Free

You may choose to order all of these flours or go with a store bought brand. I found the Bob’s Red Mill One to One flour fared just as good, but I did add in a teaspoon of non-fat dry milk to many recipes.

Weigh Your Ingredients

You MUST weigh your ingredients to make this mix. I use a scale like this.  The ATK recipe is stated in ounces. I like to weigh in grams.

I’ve been baking gluten free for a few years now, and have some very successful recipes. You can use this flour made from scratch or the Bob’s Red Mill one to one for any of my gluten free recipes.

The most popular here and on youtube is my gluten free biscuits and the feedback has been amazing.

More Gluten Free Baking from Spinach Tiger

Print

ATK Gluten Free Flour Mix

How to Make Gluten Free Flour, adapted from America's Test Kitchen.

Course Gluten Free Flour

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 712 grams white rice flour 24 ounces
• 200 grams brown rice flour 7 1/2 ounces
• 208 grams potato starch 7 ounces (see note for sub)
• 85 grams tapioca starch 3 ounces
• 3 tablespoons non-fat dry milk
• Tools Needed for this Recipe
• Food Scale
• Products Needed for Most Gluten Free Recipes
• xanthan gum will be needed in recipes
• Psyllium Husk will be needed in recipes
• Golden Flax some recipes

Instructions

• Mix white rice flour, brown rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, non-fat dry milk.
• Measure each ingredient using a food scale for complete accuracy.
• Store in cool dry place.

Notes

You can substitute potato starch as follows:

Use sweet rice flour for cookies, cakes, quickbreads.
Use arrowroot powder for yeast breads.

All products can be ordered below, where Spinach Tiger receives a small affliliate referral fee.

Note: Spinach Tiger receives a small commission as an Amazon Affiliate.

The post How to Make Gluten Free Flour Mix from Scratch appeared first on Spinach Tiger.