mizchef

Archive for the ‘health issues’ Category

This week at the Natural Gourmet Institute, we had wheat-free baking. Wheat allergies/sensitivities seem to be a growing issue around the world; consequently, wheat-free products are part of a booming industry, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to wane anytime soon.

I personally know people who are affected by wheat sensitivities and I have been experimenting with different grains and flours for a while now. I probably would be doing it anyway because I just love using different products in my cooking, but it was nice to learn more about wheat-free baking in an official forum.

We had different flours at our disposal, such as chick pea, white rice, potato and tapioca starch, sorghum, and arrowroot, and we also made flour out of almonds. We made cookies, cakes, macaroons, scones, and tartlets.

I personally made currant scones with chick pea flour, aka garbanzo flour, bean flour, besan, and gram flour. This type of flour is very popular in Italy, but is essential in Indian cuisine. So, it can easily be found in any Italian or Indian market, and probably well-stocked supermarkets these days. A traditional dish in Italian cuisine that utilizes chick pea flour is panelle, which are blocks of chick pea flour mixture, baked or fried, and eaten with sauces or in a sandwich with ricotta and grated cheese. In fact, I have a recipe for it in my cookbook, What, No Meat?

Right now, though, I’m going to share with you the recipe for Currant Scones with chick pea flour. Enjoy!

Wheat-Free Currant Scones

Copyright © Natural Gourmet Institute

Yield: 10 tiny scones

1 cup garbanzo flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 Tb maple crystals
2 Tb cold butter*
1 egg
2 Tb + 2 tsp cream
1 Tb orange or lemon zest
1/4 currants

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and maple crystals.

3. Cut butter into dry mix to form coarse crumbs.

4. In another bowl, beat eggs, cream, zest, and currants together.

5. Add wet to dry until just combined.

6. Fold out onto table and form a semi-flattened log.

7. Cut log into triangles and bake on parchment for 10 minutes.

8. Serve warm.

*If found that 2 Tb of butter was not enough. The dough was dry and I had to more than double the amount of butter until it was moist enough. When the butter is cut into the dry ingredients, it should stick together lightly when you pinch a little between your fingers. If it looks dry and “flour-y” instead of like coarse crumbs, add more butter, a tablespoon at a time, until it’s the right consistency.