I really hate to post another flour blend. I mean, how many flour blends to we need?

But I came across a gluten-free blend that is specifically for pastries, and I really like it.

It’s not the healthiest of blends, but it’s for pastries, so they aren’t healthy anyway.

I wish I could find one really perfect (and healthy) flour blend for all things, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case. So  far this has been the best blend for pie crusts.

Pastry Flour Blend

I use all Bob’s Red Mill Brand flours/starches for this blend.

• 2 cups white rice flour
• 2/3 cup potato starch
• 1/3 cup arrowroot starch (or you could use cornstarch or tapioca starch if you prefer)

1. In a large resealable bag or container with a tight-fitting lid, combine all ingredients and shake to combine.

Gluten Free Basics gluten-free pastry blend

It’s no secret I love King Arthur Flour. Their products are great, their catalog is like a Christmas Wish Book for the home baker (and it comes multiple times a year!), and their recipes are reliable.

So when they came out with gluten free products I was so excited. They have numerous recipe on their website and although they sell a gluten-free flour blend, they also offer a recipe for a flour blend that can be used in it’s place.

This is the ratio to make your own Brown Rice Flour Blend (I strongly dislike the taste of tapioca starch so I use cornstarch or arrowroot starch in it’s place). I especially like this flour blend for pizza crust and flat breads.

Brown Rice Flour Blend

• 6 cups (32 ounces) brown rice flour
• 2 cups (10 3/4 ounces) potato starch
• 1 cup (4.5 ounces) cornstarch or arrowroot starch

1. In a resealable bag or bowl, combine all ingredients. Seal container/bag and shake to blend thoroughly.

Gluten Free Basics brown rice flour blend

I thought it would be fun to wrap up the year by having a Top 10 list. Initially, I thought I would list my most memorable food disasters. You know, when gluten free baking goes awry. Things like cookies that you can see through, loaves of breads that could be doorstops, cakes that had volcanic activity when placed in a hot oven…the list goes on and on. However, I decided it best to end the year on a positive note. I looked at my site statistics and these are my Top 10 Most Popular posts of 2010.

10. Jam Thumbprints

9. Hash brown Quiche

8. Apple Muffins with Crumb Topping

7. BBQ Baked Potatoes

6. Tequila Marinated Grilled Chicken

5. Slow Cooker Pepper Steak

4. No-Boil Lasagna Noodles (a soaking method that works!)

3. Refrigerator Dill Pickles

2. Homemade GF Playdough

…and a drum roll please

1. Pumpkin Cake Balls

Gluten Free Basics

For those of you looking for some new gluten free Thanksgiving ideas, author and gluten free guru Jules Shepard has another free e-book available. Just click this link and use the code  thanks10 (case sensitive) at the checkout before October 14.  It’ll be absolutely free!

Jules has some really easy and delicious recipes, and she is very generous with the free e-books, many of the recipes come from her previously published cookbooks (which are also quite nice). Although her recipes use her special flour blend, she gives away the original recipe (I think she has changed it a little) in her cookbooks and I have the proportions listed here. So, although she is trying to promote her own line of products, you can still make her recipes, you’ll just have to whip up a flour blend.

Jules’ recipe were the first gluten free recipes that I tried that didn’t end up in the garbage. And when getting together with others to enjoy holiday meals, it is really important to have reliable, gluten free foods that everyone can enjoy. I have no affiliation with Jules, in fact I’ve never even spoken to her, but I find her inspiring; she has such a can-do attitude towards baking and entertaining gluten free.

Happy gluten free baking!

Gluten Free Basics, Holidays & Special Occasions

Even though I do enjoy baking, I am like any ordinary mom with hectic, busy days and sometimes I need to get a meal or a dessert ready in a hurry. So, in the 9+ months we’ve been gluten free I have tried my fair share of mixes….and it hasn’t been pretty.

First of all I must ask, who are the kitchen staff, taste-tester, recipe contributors etc that actually tastes these products and states “hey, this is so good we should package it and sell it?”

Seriously, someone tasted this stuff and thought it was delicious. I think not. Overall, gluten free mixes are disgusting, bland, and just plain weird.

Truthfully, I think people in business suits sit in a board room and say, “how can we make a killing in the gluten free market.” And proceed to simply put together anything edible that might sound appealing to consumers.

So, like all other picky gluten free bakers I must find a solution to this dilemma. Thankfully for me I picked up Gluten Free Baking Classics and read how the author suggest you make up your own mixes with the dry ingredients. BRILLIANT!!!!!

I have been trying to list my recipes with the dry ingredients separate from the wet ingredients so making up mixes will be easier; however, you can also do this to many of your favorite recipes.

I find it easiest to store the dry ingredients in a resealable plastic bag with the recipe name and date marked on it.

A couple things to keep in mind. Yeast should always be added with the wet ingredients. And recipes that require creaming butter/shortening with the sugar are typically not suited to breaking down into mixes, for this reason, I choose not to make cookie mixes.

Here are some of my favorite recipes to make mixes out of: Hamburger Buns, Banana Muffins, Banana Bread, Pizza Crust, Sandwich Bread, Cornbread, Pancakes, Chocolate Cake, Pumpkin Cake, and Hummingbird Cake.

I think spending a little bit of time in advance really helps my gluten free kitchen run smoother during my busy weeks. I hope making up mixes at home saves you time and money too! Happy gluten free baking.

Gluten Free Basics, Kitchen Essentials making gluten free mixes at home