Gluten Free baking is tough and Grain Free baking is even tougher without accounting for the COST of gluten free baking. For those of you who don't know what gluten is, it is a protein in wheat (and other things) that binds. This is what makes your bread fluffy without falling apart.
After several Gluten Free Baking Fails I gave up. I figured life would just have to go on without bread and pancakes. I would search out Gluten Free and Grain Free recipes that had reviews and think "maybe some day". The problem I found is that MANY of those recipes called for a ton of eggs. Now I have nothing against eggs or honey. But a pancake recipe that has 5 eggs in it!? Those pancakes tasted like pumpkin scrambles eggs.... there had to be a better way.
For Christmas 2014 I purchased a couple of "cookbooks" for Lulu. She had really been getting into Gluten Free baking, and doing quite well at it.
Then a few weekends ago Thia had a friend over for a sleepover and I wanted to make good pancakes. I made the friend normal pancakes (because she is a super picky eater if it is not white and a sugar/starch she doesn't eat it), but I wanted something for Thia. So I searched the cookbooks and I found a Vegan Pancake Recipe that could be Gluten Free or Grain Free. HAPPY DANCE!
This is MORE than a cookbook, it is "GUIDE". From the beginning intro to the tips in each recipe this book will teach any skill level the ins and outs of Gluten Free and even Grain Free baking. You decide what flour you want to use (or combination thereof) and go from there. This edition is The Essential Gluten-Free Baking Guide: Part 2 Learn How to Use Sweet Rice, Sorghum, Buckwheat, Teft, Cassava and Potato Flour in 50+ Recipes the Authors are Brittany Angell and Iris Higgins. Ms Angell has a website with a ton of recipes on it, and she does a great job of detailing those recipes, but I still think Part 1 and Part 2 are the way to go if you are just starting or in need of some serious help the way I was.
But I digress, back to the Sunday Morning Pancakes.
Since I had failed so many times before at MANY Gluten Free and Grain Free recipes I followed the recipe to a T (confession I did not read ALL of the tips, which you really should before you begin).
For this recipe you choose your flour from the flours suggested. The guide tells you the pros and cons of various types of flours. "Almond flour makes the best pancakes, hands down!" p.144
The recipe also gives the flour and starch measurements in cups and grams. I have a food scale and I had read from a number of sources that weight and not volume was the way to go in gluten/grain free baked goods. Although the Guide has a little something different to say on the matter: "If weight is so important then why do we include volume measurements? It's because we both use volume in our own baking. We keep track of our weight measurements so that we can reproduce recipes exactly from one time to the next. But when we're substituting one flour for another, we have found volume measurements work better for us. We know this is different from what most people will tell you, so let us explain."
The first Chapter is "How to Use This Book" and it discusses different types and brands of flours, as well as sugar alternatives and the things you need to know when using different flours or sugars. This really is a complete guide and is almost like having the authors in the kitchen with you training you.
I chose Almond Flour and Potato Starch because, according to the Guide those were the two to use. I weighed them out. Keep in mind when you work with starch they are very light so they can create a big mess. They also like to stick to the bowl or measuring device so I use a rubber spatula to scrap them into my mixing bowl. While the guide tells you that any mild flavored oil can be used, I used olive oil because that is what I use. I used applesauce and coconut sugar this time around. Since I always spice my pancakes I added freshly grated nutmeg and cinnamon and a dash of clove.
The consistency was nothing like pancake batter. It was stiff and not runny. I used a Pampered Chef large cookie scoop (about 3 Tablespoon size) to measure out my pancakes (because I like uniformity). Once scooped into my pre-heated cast iron pan (which had coconut oil in it) I used the rubber spatula to squish them down a bit.
I patiently nervously waited. I had gotten to this point a number of times before. Everything looks good, but then when you go to flip the pancakes it is a disaster. Either they stick to your well oiled surface or they just fall apart.
These pancakes take time, about 2 minutes on each side to get the crispy outside. The good news is if you under cook these there is nothing in them that is potentially dangerous.
This was the result
A crispy outside and a soft FLUFFY inside! They even tasted like real pancakes. I tried some, Lulu tried some and Thia LOVED them!
I topped them with Chia Chai Apple Compote:
Chop up a couple of apples, I used 4. I peeled my apples because they are cold storage apples which makes for tough skins, but in the fall when they are fresh I would use them skin and all. That is just a preference. Then I added roughly 1 cup of brewed Chai tea and let them cook together for about 10 minutes. As the apples warmed they become soft and let out some of their juices. You could stop there, but I am a super food junkie so I added 1 Tbsp of Chia seeds to the liquid and let that set up. I do not use ground Chia seeds, just whole ones. I also added 1 Tbsp of Coconut Sugar.
This recipe was so good it was requested by Lulu for dinner at Grandmas where everyone else was having pizza (I picked up a Gluten Free/Dairy Free Daiya pizza for Thia and I, but since that has rice flour in it Lulu doesn't eat it).
When I went to make them again for Lulu I realized (as she often does) she ate all the applesauce. Now this is where the confession that I didn't read all the tips and hints BEFORE making the recipe comes in. I had canned pumpkin in the house and I thought it was worth a shot to swap out one puree for another. I now had Pumpkin Spice Pancakes. Lulu loved them and I have made those again for both girls. "For the applesauce you can try using any puree. Banana, sweet potatoes and pumpkin work well." p 145
There was a request to make these chocolaty, so I added 3 heaping tablespoons of cocoa powder and an additional tablespoon of coconut sugar. The first time I made the recipe I used coconut milk (because I had it), the second time I used the left over "water" from a can of coconut cream, and after that I have used water for every recipe. I recommend making this strictly according to the directions before you play with it. It is important to know the consistency of the batter so that when you vary the recipe with say cocoa you can add extra water (which was needed). The chocolate version was simply topped with some coconut oil and heated fruit preserves and everyone has loved them.
This morning I made them with home made almond "flour". This was the remnants of my making almond milk in order to make dairy free egg nog. After I soaked the almonds and the pureed them in the blend the mixture is strained and the pulp is spread out on a sheet of parchment on a cookie sheet. I let that air dry for 2-3 days and then I put it in the oven on warm (175 degree or so) for 4 hours. After that it set out for a week or so more. Then last night Lulu used the food processor to make flour and we put that in the fridge.
I measured that out, but I didn't have enough. I was 30 grams shy. Since these pancakes were for Lulu using the Teft or Sorghum flour I had was not an option. We thought about Quinoa but decided to risk using coconut flour. The guide tells you that coconut flour does not work in this recipe and as a main flour that may be correct. The other change I made was to use coconut flour. I heated it to a liquid state and measured it out, but as soon as it hit the cold pumpkin puree and cold water it solidified and I was not happy with it. I will continue to use olive oil. The coconut oil did not damage the batter, it was just lumpy in the batter. Due to the addition of coconut flour I had to add almost the maximum amount of liquid called for in the recipe. I added water to get the batter to the consistency I knew it should be from previous attempts.
The results were spot on. The resulting pancake was a bit chewier but still crisp outside and fluffy inside. These I topped with butter and pumpkin puree with some coconut sugar (heated to combine) and Lulu topped hers with coconut oil and preserves. Overall a pancake win! I plan on trying some different flours with Thia (but this makes a Grain Free pancake Lulu can have). I also want to play with the starches, try a few different ones and even reduce the starch if possible.
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