by Helen Dujardin of Tartelette

Baking gluten free may sound an oxymoron to most bakers out there when you know that it is the gluten in flour that gives kneaded dough its elasticity, allows leavening and contributes chewiness to baked goods. However, there is a growing part of the population faced with the dilemna of baking gluten free because they have been diagnosed with having Celiac disease. Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the lining of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. The disease is triggered when consuming gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, triticale, kamut, spelt, durum semolina and rye. What better time to talk about gluten free baking since October month is Celiac Awareness Month?!

My dad is celiac and so are other family members and a handful of our dear friends. Sharing my love and care through foods should not mean leaving aside my loved ones because of an allergy they canít control. Years ago, not only was the disease difficult to diagnosed and often left untreated but it was like playing a game of rubikís cube trying to come up with satisfying quality baked goods that would equal their gluten-full counterparts. Thankfully as the awareness of the disease grew, so did the numbers of bloggers posting delicious recipes for all the items people thought they would have to give up.

First, I cannot but steer you to read these three essential posts: Shauna from Gluten Free Girl lays out the basics of gluten and gluten free in this article “What the heck is gluten anyway?” Natalie from Gluten Free Mommy gives a thorough explanation on gluten free flours and how to use them best in Gluten Free Grains 101. Carrie from Ginger Lemon Girl came up with a foolproof master blend of gluten free flours that I have successfully used many times and that keeps very well in the freezer.

The first that worried my father was not to be able to eat bread anymoreÖone great source of gluten and grains. How was he going to eat his cheese after all?!! I did my best to create brick after brick of gluten free breadÖkidding! Well, just a little, if you donít respect the tips outlined in the posts above, it is easy to start a new career in masonry. I would have loved to have Marcelaís, from Pip In the City, Chipas, a Paraguyan specialty or Gluten Free Mommy Whole Beer Bread to go with my motherís cheese fondue. I was very impressed the first time I tried Multigrain Miracle Breadby Gluten Free Bay. It is perfect for any meal or sandwiches, even your morning toast. If it is a sweet bread you are in the mood for then head over to Kate’s Gluten Free Gobsmacked blog for this scrumptious Gluten Free Banana Bread. Finally, if it is a little nosh you are seeking, check out these Gluten Free Lavash Crackers I made during the last Daring Baker’s challenge.

My dad always struggles with breakfast foods so I was thrilled to forward this recipe for Buckwheat Almond Pancakes by Natalie of Gluten A Go Go. Don’t let the name fool you, buckwheat is actually a wheat free grain and paired with almonds, it provides great texture and nutrition for this staple breakfast fare. He also thought he would have to forget about eating waffles for breakfast, one of his favorite Sunday morning fares. I am also very excited at trying my hand at making these Zucchini Carrot Muffins and Gluten Free Old Fashioned Donuts by Jeanine from Baking Beauties. I am already wishing it were Saturday breakfast so I can dip these perfect rounds of dough in cinnamon sugar! A breakfast chat would not be complete without a little waffle talk wouldít it?! Well, Karen from Family Style Food put her own spin on tasty Gluten Free Almond Waffles.

If you are more in the mood for cakes and cupcakes, gluten free baking has never looked so tempting! Fall being upon us, Bea from La Tartine Gourmande is making the perfect use for freshly picked apple in this delicious Apple Cake. Let’s not forget that a great chocolate cake would be perfect during the upcoming holiday season, and Jen from Use Real Butter has just the perfect Flourless Chocolate Cake and Jeanine from Baking Beauties showcases a delicious Nutella Cake to get us in the mood. If you are more into chewy-chocolatey, you can’t ever go wrong with Karina’s Dark Chocolate Brownies from Karina’s Kitchen. If you are like me and still thinking about Summer, then I suggest you put Shauna’s from Gluten Free Girl, Plum Clafoutis into your recipe box for next year. Naomi from Straight Into Bed Cake Free And Dried offers the perfect Lemon Meringue Cupcakes for those who thought they had to say goodbye to all tiny little bites of goodness.

When I first started baking gluten free for family and friends, I thought I would have to forget about making pies and tarts and serve only fruit salad. I love my tarts! It was with great relief that I stumble upon Bea’s, from La Tartine Gourmande, Passion Fruit Curd and Chocolate Crust Tartlets. Perfect for Valentine’s Day wouldnít you say? When planning Thanksgiving dinner this year, I realized that one couple was gluten free and I got concerned about not being able to adapt this quintessential American classic: pumpkin pie. Well, Naomi from Staight into Bed Cake Free and Dried, came up with a gorgeous version, Vanilla Pumpkin Pie with a nutty crust. Now another take on a great classic, very dear to my lemon loving heart comes from Susan at Fat Free Vegan with a tempting Calamondin (or Lemon) Pie.

A growing number of children suffer from food allergie from mild to severe and a growing percentage follows a gluten free lifestyle. Now if you are a kid, in any part of the world, the first thing you crave is…Cookies! Elana from Elana’s Pantry has the basic gluten free Chocolate Chip Cookie dilemma solved by using ground nuts instead of flavors and they are naturally sweetened to boot! Another cookie I have enjoyed making gluten free thanks to Gluten Free Bay’s recipe is the wonderful Hamantaschen. I was so excited to see this version that I brought a double batch to a friend of mine! French macarons are also great little gluten free cookies to share with friends over a cup of tea or coffee. I sure bake my share on a regular basis but two flavors I especially loved making were Saffron Pumpkin Macarons and Red Berry Macarons. If you are more in the mood for bar cookies, I strongly suggest baking a batch of these Blueberry Crumb Bars that Aran from Cannelle and Vanille made to help a friend come up with sweet treats for her son. One another recipe that I have already bookmarked to make in a few weeks is Karina’s, from Karina’s Kitchen, Brown Sugar and Spice Pumpkin Bars. The only thing missing is one on my plate right now!

Now, a lot of baked desserts are naturally gluten free, like custards (made with cornstarch), creme brulees, flan, creme caramel, baked fruits, etc..Two of my favorite gluten free fares to serve guests are Creme Brulees, especially when I bake and plate them in their own egg shells and Rice Pudding, which my grandmother would make when I was feeling sick. In the creamy department, letís not forget that baked fruits taste quite nice with a crispy flavorful crust. Shauna from makes an incredible Blueberry And Apricot Crumble, I have made it twice since she posted the recipe and everybody still raves about it. Apron Thrift Girl makes a scrumptious looking Blackberry Crumble with a topping or rice and nut flours. This is definitely bookmarked for next blackberry season!

It is hard to do justice to all the wonderful gluten free recipes out there, and the list is by no means exhaustive, so by all means, look at the blog mentioned here for inspiration and make sure to look at their sidebars to find out even more great blogs making incredibly tempting and delicious gluten free baked goods.

You can also find thousands of gluten-free recipes on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Helene Dujardin is a classically trained pastry chef working for various individuals, restaurants and caterers in South Carolina where she moved 12 years ago. She also teaching Pilates on her free time and is currently writing her first pastry cookbook. Her blog Tartelette, showcases a mix of plated and more casual desserts and pastry reflecting what she creates for patrons and friends.

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 12th, 2008 at 9:53 pm and is filed under Recipe Roundup. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.