Baking Without Xanthan Gum, I Am.

When I first set foot on this lonely gluten-free road (it was 2001, remember, pre-gluten-free boon; there was nary a gluten-free bagel or wheat-free blueberry muffin in sight), I wrestled with converting my beloved tried and true wheat flour recipes, gamely baking and tossing too many gluten-free hockey pucks and brick loaves to count. Until I discovered xanthan gum- the weirdo secret ingredient that gave gluten-free batter and dough a hint of that elusive stretchy tenderness that gluten once gifted. Xanthan gum was a find.

And it has been a nifty little problem solver for many years.

Until it wasn’t.

After a decade or so of cooking, baking, and eating strictly gluten-free I began to feel- shall we say- less than wonderful after eating something with xanthan gum (or guar gum, or locust bean gum, or carrageenan).

Ingredients my grandmother never heard of. Ingredients I never used to eat. Or bake with.

I had a gluten-free shakabuku.

I was seeing gums and emulsifiers added to everything. From coconut milk to olives, from gluten-free gingersnaps to vegan ice cream.

Then I read this.

And I decided to go back to the way I used to eat- still gluten-free, of course- but- no xanthan gum. No guar gum. No carrageenan.

Guess what?

My tummy is (WAY) happier. My digestion is normal (translation- no pain, no bloat, no kill me now existential ennui).

I’ve been experimenting with baking without xanthan gum. And I’m here to share my blueberry muffin success. I’m using flax seed meal to help the batter a bit. And so far?

So good.

Karina’s Side Note: I baked these tasty little gems in my new Cuisinart Deluxe Convection Toaster Oven Broiler (our new apartment has no oven, so after researching counter top toaster ovens, we ordered one of these from Amazon.com). I love it- it keeps the kitchen cool (gives off very little heat) and the convection baking is super efficient for baking gluten-free goodies. So far we’ve made my xanthan gum free Dark Chocolate Brownies, and the new Blueberry Muffins in it, using the convection method.

Karina’s Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins Recipe Without Xanthan Gum

By Karina Allrich April 6, 2015.

To help the batter behave without gums, I added a tablespoon of Organic Flaxseed Meal.

First:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Ingredients:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 cup Gluten-Free Oat Flour
2/3 cup Gluten-Free Corn Flour
2/3 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
1 tablespoon organic flaxseed meal
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

Beat in:

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light olive oil or Organic Canola oil
2 large organic free-range eggs
1/2 cup warm water

Beat the batter until it is smooth, much like a thick cake batter.

Add in:

1 cup blueberries, patted dry

Stir gently and briefly.

Instructions:

Spoon the batter into lined muffin cups.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 22 minutes if using convection.

If not using convection, bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch.

A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge clean.

Cool the muffin pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Gently pop the muffins out to continue cooling on the rack (it’s always best to cool them out of the hot pan, to avoid soggy bottoms).

These muffins taste simply divine warm from the oven. The convection gives these gems a slightly crusty golden top.

Wrap and freeze cooled muffins for future breakfast treats.

Makes one dozen.

Recipe Source: glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com

All images & content are copyright protected, all rights reserved. Please do not use our images or content without prior permission. Thank you. 

Other Recipes you can read:

• Tonnarelli cheese and pepper San Pietrino style, tastier and creamier ..

  Tonnarelli with san pietrino cacio pepe and courgette flowers they are an intense and enveloping dish. A reinterpretation of the classic Roman cacio e pepe, famous throughout the ..

• Fermentation: Homemade fermented foods – Gordon Ramsay’s version

  The art of fermentation has a long history in gastronomy, with fermented foods ranging from vegetables to alcoholic beverages. This ancient practice has become increasingly popular among cooking ..

• Chickpeas are cereals – AltroFood – Gordon Ramsay’s version

  The question "Are chickpeas cereal?" is more than legitimate in a context in which the correct classification of food is of fundamental importance, not only for food enthusiasts ..