What in Bob’s Red Mill Is Coconut Flour?

Do you ever hear some people talk about different kinds of flour, new seeds, or see a word on a menu that you have no idea what it really is? Sometimes when I walk into the “natural foods” section of the grocery store, I see things that look pretty cool, but sometimes just keep walking because I’m not sure what they are or how I’m supposed to use them. I just wonder “What in the world is that? And how am I supposed to use it?” When I heard about coconut flour, that was exactly how I felt, except for this time, with Bob’s help, I have done some research, experimented with some recipes, and feel like I know a little more about coconut flour. Hopefully I can share what I’ve learned with you so that you can add it to your shopping list and add a little healthy touch of coconut to your family’s diet instead of walking on by.

What is coconut flour?

Coconut flour is a soft, flour like product made from the pulp of a coconut. It’s actually a by-product made during the coconut milk making process. When making coconut milk, you have to soak coconut meat. That pulp is then dried out and ground into this powdery flour.

What are the health benefits of coconut flour?

Many people look to coconut flour to help create gluten free baked goods. Gluten free is definitely a great reason to use coconut flour, but that’s not all it has to offer. Coconut flour is also extremely high in fiber with almost double the amount found in wheat bran. In just 2 tablespoons of coconut flour, there are 5 grams of fiber (20% of the recommended daily value) and 8 grams of carbs. Mayo Clinic says a diet with plenty of fiber can help keep you regular, help maintain weight, and lower your risk of diabetes and heart disease.

How do you cook with coconut flour?

Cooking with coconut flour can be a little tricky. I have had a couple of recipes completely bomb. Once you get the hang of it though, it’s a super easy way to add nutrients and fiber to a ton of dishes. There are two things to keep in mind when working with coconut flour. Since it is so high in fiber, it requires a ton more moisture. There is also no equal substitution when working with coconut flour. You can usually substitute about 20% of the flour in a recipe for coconut flour and add at least 20% more liquid. My personal experience also says that when working with baked goods, you should also add about 3-5 eggs for every cup of coconut flour you are using. You can also add a tablespoon or two of coconut flour to sauces and gravies. It is a little clumpy so take your time when adding it in. Coconut flour has a naturally sweet flavor that can really add a nice little something extra to dishes.

Honestly, when you’re beginning to bring coconut flour into your cooking, stick to already established recipes. Once you start to get a little more comfortable, you can begin to experiment. I speak from experience… botched recipes can be costly and a little disheartening. Practice with some great recipes online first. You can even check out my first great coconut flour recipe success: Whole Wheat Coconut Blueberry Muffins.

Resources for More on Coconut Flour

-          Mayo Clinic article on benefits of high fiber diet

-          Nourished Kitchen: A great blog with tips on baking with coconut flour

-          Livestrong article on the benefits of coconut flour

-          Bob’s Red Mill coconut flour facts

-          Bob’s Red Mill Hangout on Google+: Tips for Baking with Coconut Flour

About Ashley – Ashley is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, and friend working to navigate through the mysterious world of Mommyia. Read more about her adventures at Momicles and follow her @Momicles2010.

Who doesn’t love a good brunch? Easter and Mother’s Day are classic brunch holidays, but you could really put together a brunch any time and people would enjoy it. Easter seems like a wonderful reason to break out of the mold and try something new. We’ve pulled together some of our favorite brunch recipes to inspire you. These are all delicious, fairly easy to prepare and make use of whole grains. Cheers!

Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake (GF) from the Queen of Quinoa, Alyssa Rimmer

Caramelized Banana & Chia Pancakes

Raspberry Oatmeal Dumplings

Sweet Potato, Kale and Black Bean Breakfast Pizza (GF) from Cara Lyons of Cara’s Cravings

Chocolate Cherry Scones from Diane of Created by Diane

Whole Grain Cornbread Quiche from Julia of The Roasted Root

Vanilla Berry Whole Wheat Couscous Breakfast Pilaf from Faith of An Edible Mosaic

Sesame Ginger Spelt Waffles from Lorna Sass

Join us on March 27th at 12 pm (EST) for a chat about baking with coconut flour. Jeanette Chen, of Jeanette’s Healthy Living, will be discussing the ins and outs of this unique flour with several top food bloggers and our very own Sarah House. Come join the fun and ask questions (we’re also giving away some fun prizes)!

RSVP and get event info here.

If you’re not on Google Plus, it’s very easy to sign up- all you need is a Google account. If you can’t make it, we’ll post the complete hangout video after the chat.

This is our third post in our series on the different flours we produce. Week one was wheat flours, week two was low carb flours. 

Baking without gluten can be a little bit tricky, but with the right combinations of flour and starch, baked goods can be just as delicious as their gluten-filled counterparts. Our guide is not going to tell you which flours to combine when, but it will help you understand what each flour is made out of and what it brings to the table. Even though they aren’t true flours, we’ll also cover a few starches. We will be covering bean flours next week, even though they are gluten free flours.

Some notes:

• Gluten free flours are best combined with starches for baking.
• Different baked goods require different combinations of these flours. Here are a few well-known combinations that will work in a pinch: Gluten Free Girl’s Blend, Karina’s Basic Flour Blend, Art of Gluten Free Baking Blend, and, of course,  our Gluten Free All Purpose Mix.
• When we state “you can replace up to X% of the flour in your recipe” it refers to replacing white flour, however, those rules are a good place to start when creating your own flour blend.
• Adding Xanthan Gum or Guar Gum is important when combining flours, although some people have found other alternatives to the gums.

Almond Meal: Almonds are notoriously healthy nuts providing a good amount of manganese and vitamin E , as well as a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. Not only do almonds have a healthy boost of protein, they are also very low in carbohydrates and naturally gluten free. Replacing 25% of the flour in your baking with almond meal will add wonderful texture and flavor while reducing the total carbohydrates.  Although it has a lightly sweet flavor, almond meal can also be used in savory applications. Use almond meal in place of bread crumbs in meatballs, or as a coating for chicken and fish. Browse recipes for almond meal here.

Amaranth Flour: Amaranth flour has a pleasant, nutty flavor and can be used for up to 25% of the flour in your baked goods. Amaranth flour is a source of complete protein—it contains all the essential amino acids, including lysine, which is lacking in most grains. High in fiber and a good source of magnesium and iron, Amaranth flour is a spectacular addition to your diet. Browse recipes for amaranth flour here.

Arrowroot Starch: Arrowroot Starch is also known as arrowroot flour or arrowroot powder. This starch comes from the root of the plant Maranta arundinacea. Used in combination with other gluten free flours, arrowroot provides some thickening and stability to gluten free baked goods. It can be used in place of corn starch one for one. It is best to add arrowroot starch at the end of the cooking process because extended exposure to high heat will cause it to lose its thickening abilities. Browse recipes for arrowroot starch here.

Black Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Buckwheat Flour (not produced in our gluten free facility): Buckwheat flour is milled from the pyramid-shaped groats of the buckwheat plant. The dark color of buckwheat flour comes from having additional hulls of buckwheat milled alongside the creamy groats. It is high in magnesium and fiber and has a  unique flavor that lends itself to pancakes and breads. Buckwheat flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. Buckwheat flour is naturally gluten free, but we do not produce it in our gluten free facility. Our buckwheat flour is raw.

Coconut Flour: Organic coconut flour is a delicious, healthy alternative to wheat and other grain flours. Ground from dried, defatted coconut meat, coconut flour is high in fiber and low in digestible carbohydrates. A single 2 Tbsp serving of coconut flour delivers 5 grams of fiber. The light coconut flavor allows coconut flour to blend seamlessly into sweet or savory baked goods. It makes a wonderful coating for chicken, fish or other proteins in place of regular flour or cornmeal. Because of its high fiber content, baking with coconut flour is a unique experience. Coconut flour requires an equal ratio of liquid to flour for best results. Coconut flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in a recipe, but you will need to add an equal amount of liquid to compensate.  We recommend following a recipe designed for coconut flour when getting started. Luckily, we have many recipes to experiment with in our recipe section. Coconut flour is unsweetened and does not contain sulfites.

Corn Flour: Milled from high quality, California corn, our whole grain corn flour has a mild, sweet flavor perfect for all kinds of gluten free baking. We produce a regular and a gluten free version—be sure to check the label for our gluten free symbol. Use corn flour for tortillas, breads, muffins, cakes and cookies. The fine grind, allows corn flour to blend seamlessly into baked goods. Corn flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. Browse our corn flour recipes here.

Fava Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Garbanzo Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour Blend: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Masa Harina: Masa Harina is a very special type of flour and we now offer it as gluten free (be sure to look for our gluten free symbol). Milled from corn that has had the germ removed and been soaked in lime (calcium oxide, not lime juice). This flour is ideal for making tortillas, but can be used the same way as our regular corn flour.

Green Pea Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

Hazelnut Meal: Bob’s Red Mill Hazelnut Meal is ground from whole Oregon hazelnuts, or filberts. Hazelnuts are often overlooked for their nutritional value, but these healthy nuts provide a good amount of vitamin E and a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. You can replace up to 30% of the flour in your baking with hazelnut meal to add wonderful texture and flavor.  Hazelnut meal will bring a rich, buttery flavor to your baking while adding an enticing aroma that can only come from high quality hazelnuts. Hazelnut meal can be used in savory applications, as well. Use hazelnut meal in place of bread crumbs in meatballs, or as a coating for chicken and fish.  Our hazelnut meal is not blanched.

Millet Flour:Millet flour has a light, mild flavor, making it perfect for sweet or savory baking. Replace up to 25% of the flour in your recipe with millet flour for added nutrition. Millet is an excellent source of fiber, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium. In our opinion, millet flour is often overlooked in gluten free baking—it adds whole grain nutrition and has a mild flavor, not something you find often with gluten free flours. Browse our millet flour recipes here. 

Oat Flour: Oat flour is another overlooked, but incredibly nutritious gluten free flour. We produce a regular and a gluten free version—be sure to check the label for our gluten free symbol. Made from pure gluten free oats, our gluten free oat flour has the subtle sweet flavor of whole grain oats. Oat flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. Oat flour is perfect for pie crusts, pancakes, muffins and more. Browse our oat flour recipes here.

Potato Flour: Now here is a tricky flour. Potato flour is NOT the same as potato starch. Potato flour can be used to give baked goods a moist crumb, but it is not really the most ideal baking flour. It is made from dehydrated Russet potatoes. Potato flour has a stronger potato flavor than potato starch, but will still work well to thicken sauces and soups. This flour is best left for potato soups, potato bread and other savory items. Browse our potato flour recipes here.

Potato Starch: Potato starch is an incredibly versatile starch used in many gluten free recipes. With no potato flavor, potato starch can be used to thicken in place of corn starch (use 1-1/4 Tbsp potato starch for 1 Tbsp corn starch) or added to baked goods to help retain moisture and give a better crumb. Potato starch will thicken at higher temperatures than corn starch, which makes it great for pie fillings and sauces. Browse our potato starch recipes here.

Quinoa Flour: We’re going to just say it up front- quinoa flour has a little bit of a, well, quinoa taste to it. Earthy is a good way to describe it. That does not make it a bad flour to bake with, just one that you want to use in savory applications or with other strong flavors, like chocolate or lemon. Quinoa is very high in protein and is a great way to increase the protein of your baked good. Quinoa flour will also improve the moisture of your baked good and help produce a good crumb. You can replace up to 25% of your flour with quinoa, although some people find it to be a great stand alone gluten free flour for particular recipes (like this one for quinoa tortillas). Browse our quinoa flour recipes here.

Brown Rice Flour: An absolute staple in gluten free baking, brown rice flour is incredibly versatile. You can thicken sauces with it and use it for coating fish and other proteins, as well as produce breads, cakes and noodles. Our brown rice flour is stone ground from whole grain California brown rice. Some people find brown rice flour to be slightly gritty, but many find it preferable to bean flours. Browse our brown rice flour recipes here.

White Rice Flour: The refined version of brown rice flour, white rice flour can be used interchangeably with brown rice flour. White rice flour can be used to bake cakes, cookies, breads and more, as well as thicken sauces and coat fish and other proteins. Our white rice flour is stone ground from California white rice. As with brown rice flour, some people find white rice flour to be slightly gritty, but many find it preferable to bean flours. Browse our white rice flour recipe here.

Sweet White Rice Flour: Increasing in popularity, sweet rice flour is excellent for thickening sauces and coating proteins, like white rice flour. But don’t let that fool you- this flour is much higher in starch than regular white rice flour. This flour is used more like a starch in baking, adding moisture to baked goods. It is not sweet, despite its name, but it is often used for desserts and is the main ingredient for making the Japanese dessert, mochi. We find that people are using this more and more in gluten free baking to help bind the baked goods. Browse our sweet white rice flour recipes here.

Sorghum Flour: Sorghum flour is one of our favorite gluten free flours. It is probably the closest to approximating a wheat-like flavor and texture of the gluten free flours. It has a light flavor and can be used for every kind of gluten free baking. Use in combination with other gluten free flours for delicious, whole grain baked goods. Browse our sorghum flour recipes here.

Soy Flour: (not produced in our gluten free facility): Our soy flour is milled from whole, raw soy beans. This flour is a great source of complete protein, as well as a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. You can replace up to 30% of the flour in your recipe with soy flour. Soy flour is naturally gluten free, however we do not produce it in our gluten free facility. Baked goods made with soy flour tend to brown more quickly, so it is best to use a recipe designed for soy flour or to keep a close eye on your baking when using it.

Tapioca Flour: Milled from cassava root, our tapioca flour can be used interchangeably with tapioca starch. Tapioca flour is an excellent thickener in sauces and can replace corn starch (use 2 Tbsp tapioca flour for each 1 Tbsp corn starch). Tapioca flour helps bind gluten free recipes and improves the texture of baked goods. Tapioca helps add crispness to crusts and chew to baked goods. Use in combination with other gluten free flours for best results. Browse our tapioca flour recipes here.

Teff Flour: Like quinoa flour, teff flour has a distinctive teff flavor. Earthy and nutty, teff flour makes an excellent addition to baked goods and is the main ingredient in the Ethiopian flat bread Injera. Teff flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in your recipe. It is an incredibly nutritious flour, so adding a small amount to your baked goods will boost nutrition while providing a unique, slightly sweet flavor. Browse our teff flour recipes here.

White Bean Flour: Bean flours will be covered next week.

{Giveaway}

We’d like to give one lucky reader a set of our gluten free flours- brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, sorghum flour, oat flour, corn flour, tapioca flour and potato starch. To enter, simply follow the directions in the app below. We’ll pick a winner at random from all who enter by 12:01 am on 03/27/13.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This is our second post in our series on the different flours we produce. Last week, we covered wheat flour, read all about it here.

When you think of Bob’s Red Mill, the words “low carbohydrate” do not often spring to mind. If you took a look at our product line, you might think all we make are carbohydrates, but as anyone who follows a low carb or paleo diet will tell you, we have quite a few low carb options.

Whether you follow a restricted carb diet for health reasons or simply want to lose a few pounds, these flours are essential for  keeping your sanity and enjoying some of the foods you miss the most on a low carb diet. Here are our most popular low carb flours and some ideas for what to do with them.

Almond Meal/Flour: Almonds are notoriously healthy nuts providing a good amount of manganese and vitamin E , as well as a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. Not only do almonds have a healthy boost of protein, they are also very low in carbohydrates and naturally gluten free. Replacing 25% of the flour in your baking with almond meal will add wonderful texture and flavor while reducing the total carbohydrates.  Although it has a lightly sweet flavor, almond meal can also be used in savory applications. Use almond meal in place of bread crumbs in meatballs, or as a coating for chicken and fish. Browse recipes for almond meal here.

Coconut Flour: Organic coconut flour is a delicious, healthy alternative to wheat and other grain flours. Ground from dried, defatted coconut meat, coconut flour is high in fiber and low in digestible carbohydrates. A single 2 Tbsp serving of coconut flour delivers 5 grams of fiber with only 8 grams of carbs. The light coconut flavor allows coconut flour to blend seamlessly into sweet or savory baked goods. It makes a wonderful coating for chicken, fish or other proteins in place of regular flour or cornmeal. Because of its high fiber content, baking with coconut flour is a unique experience. Coconut flour requires an equal ratio of liquid to flour for best results. Coconut flour can replace up to 20% of the flour in a recipe, but you will need to add an equal amount of liquid to compensate.  We recommend following a recipe designed for coconut flour when getting started. Luckily, we have many recipes to experiment with in our recipe section. Coconut flour is unsweetened and does not contain sulfites.

Hazelnut Meal/Flour: Bob’s Red Mill Hazelnut Meal is ground from whole Oregon hazelnuts, or filberts. Hazelnuts are often overlooked for their nutritional value, but these healthy nuts provide a good amount of vitamin E and a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. You can replace up to 30% of the flour in your baking with hazelnut meal to add wonderful texture and flavor.  Hazelnut meal will bring a rich, buttery flavor to your baking while adding an enticing aroma that can only come from high quality hazelnuts. Hazelnut meal can be used in savory applications, as well. Use hazelnut meal in place of bread crumbs in meatballs, or as a coating for chicken and fish.  Our hazelnut meal is not blanched. Find recipes for using hazelnut meal.

Soy Flour: Our soy flour is milled from whole, raw soy beans. This flour is a great source of complete protein, as well as a good source of fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus. You can replace up to 30% of the flour in your recipe with soy flour. Soy flour is naturally gluten free, however we do not produce it in our gluten free facility. Baked goods made with soy flour tend to brown more quickly, so it is best to use a recipe designed for soy flour or to keep a close eye on your baking when using it. Find recipes for using soy flour here.

Giveaway

We’d like to give one lucky reader a set of our low carb flours- almond meal, coconut flour, hazelnut meal and soy flour To enter, simply follow the directions in the app below. We’ll pick a winner at random from all who enter by 12:01 am on 03/20/13.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

It’s terrible, I know. I just couldn’t help myself. Nut flours have been very popular lately on blogs and recipe sites. We’ve noticed that almost everyone is trying almond meal these days, although what they’re doing with it is pretty varied. Some people are making decadent desserts, like French macarons and frangipane, while others are using it to cut back on carbohydrate consumption. Still others are trying to mix it up a bit and use it as a more nutritious alternative to bread crumbs in their cooking. Recipes using almond meal.

Coconut flour has also become very popular with bakers and low-carbers, alike. It’s a little more tricky to add into your baking, but that isn’t stopping people from experimenting. From lighter versions of favorite baked goods to savory cooking applications, coconut flour is bringing new inspiration into kitchens. Due to its high fiber content, coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid. Older recipes using coconut flour often call for obscene amounts of eggs. As more bloggers and recipe developers experiment with it, the recipes are changing to call for alternative liquids and not relying so heavily on eggs. Recipes using coconut flour.

Did you know we also make hazelnut meal? It can be used in the same way as almond meal, but will give you a different flavor profile. Unlike almond meal, hazelnut meal is ground from whole hazelnuts with the skins intact. It might not be as light and pretty as almond meal, but it’s equally as tasty. Recipes using hazelnut meal.

Whether you just want to try something new or are trying out a diet, these flours are a fun way to get creative in the kitchen. To celebrate these wonderful ingredients, we’re giving away three gifts sets containing one each of Coconut Flour, Hazelnut Meal and Almond Meal. All three of these flours are gluten free, but can be enjoyed by everyone.

To Enter:

In the comments, tell us what you do with Almond Meal, Hazelnut Meal or Coconut Flour? Never used it? Tell us what you want to do with it. Be sure to use the Rafflecopter app below to enter. Leave a comment and click on “I did this” in the app. We’ll select three winners using this app from all those who enter by 12:01 am on Tuesday, January 8th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you resolved to have a healthier, happier 2013, consider adding some (or all) of these nutritional powerhouses to your diet. For recipe inspiration, check out our recipe collection on our website.

1. Flaxseed Meal: Flaxseeds are packed with omega-3 fatty acids, delivering a whopping 2400 milligrams in each 2 Tbsp serving of Flaxseed Meal. Ground flax also delivers 4 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein per serving. Seeds should be ground to reap the benefits of flax, however, whole seeds make a wonderful addition to breads and other baked goods. Bonus: Flaxseed Meal makes a great egg substitute in most baking. See below for directions.
   
   

   Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Meal

2. Hemp Seed: Like flax, hemp seeds are chock full of omega-3 fatty acids, delivering 880 milligrams in each 2 Tbsp serving. Unlike flax, these seeds do not need to be ground to enjoy their nutritional punch. Hemp seeds are creamy and nut-like in texture and flavor. Larger than a sesame seed, but smaller than a sunflower seed, these little babies are a great addition to hot cereal, salads and baked goods. A 2 Tbsp serving will deliver 5 grams of protein, making them a perfect addition to breakfast or a post-exercise snack. Bonus: Hemp is a complete protein! This makes it ideal for vegetarian and vegan diets.
   
   

   Hemp Seeds

3. Chia Seed: Chia is the darling of nutritionists these days and it’s easy to see why. Like flax and hemp, chia is a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and protein. Each 1 Tbsp serving delivers 2900 milligrams of omega-3, 5 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein. Chia does not need to be ground to enjoy its health benefits, but some people find it easier to digest chia gel. See below for making chia gel. The seeds can be added to hot cereal, baked goods, smoothies and all sorts of wonderful dishes. Bonus: The fiber in chia has the ability to thicken, making it ideal for refrigerator jam, thickening sauces or using as an egg in baking.
   
   

   Chia seeds

4. Almond Meal: Almonds are notoriously healthy nuts providing a good amount of manganese and vitamin E, as well as a healthy serving of monounsaturated fats in each 1/4 cup serving. Not only do almonds have a healthy boost of protein, they are also very low in carbohydrates. Eating whole almonds is terrific, but did you know that adding almond meal to your baking and cooking can bring the health benefits of almonds to your diet, as well as cutting back on carbohydrate consumption? Replacing 1/4 cup of white flour in your baking with almond meal will add wonderful texture and flavor and reduce the carbohydrate load. These days, baked goods using exclusively almond meal can be found all over the web for those that need to watch their sugars. Bonus: Almond meal makes a great coating for fish and chicken in place of flour or cornmeal.
   
   
5. Coconut Flour: Once consigned to the category of nutritional no-no’s, coconut has seen a resurgence in popularity due to new studies that have found it to be a highly nutritious food. While everything made from coconut may not be good for you, some coconut products are very good for you. Coconut flour is one of these mind-bogglingly nutritious foods. A single 2 Tbsp serving of coconut flour delivers 5 grams of fiber! The light flavor allows coconut flour to blend seamlessly into sweet or savory baked goods. Like almond meal, coconut flour has a low carbohydrate load, making it ideal for people who must manage their carbohydrate intake. Coconut flour is gaining in popularity, but it is still a tricky flour to bake with. We recommend starting with some recipes to get the hang of it, as it requires an unusual amount of liquid to balance out the high amount of fiber. Adding 2 Tbsp to a protein rich smoothie is a great way to get a little more fiber into your diet. Bonus: Like almond meal, coconut flour also makes a wonderful coating for chicken, fish or other proteins in place of regular flour or cornmeal.

What super foods would you add to this list?

Using Flaxseed Meal as an Egg Replacement:

Flaxseed meal makes a great egg replacement for muffins, quick breads and other baked goods with a heartier texture. It does not work as well for recipes with a lighter texture such as a white cake or sugar cookies (it will likely work, but the texture will be different and some visual appeal may be lost). It also does not work very well in egg-heavy dishes such as quiches, stratas and frittatas. Use this formula to substitute for one egg. Double for two eggs, triple for three eggs, and so on…

1 Tbsp Flaxseed Meal
3 Tbsp Water

Combine flaxseed meal and water and allow to sit for about 5 minutes. Add this ingredient to your recipe as you would the eggs.

Making Chia Gel:

2 Tbsp Chia Seed
1 cup Water

Combine chia seed and water and allow to sit for about 15 minutes.

These delightful little donuts come from Anna of Blondie’s Cakes and Things. We love them because they’re cute and delicious, of course, but also because they use coconut flour- a high fiber, gluten free flour. Don’t be scared of all of the eggs, coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid and eggs allow the baked good to come out fluffy and delicate. Of herself and her blog, Anna writes, “I started my blog, Blondie’s Cakes, a few years ago just so I’d have a place to catalog all my kitchen exploits. By then it’s been years since I started hovering over the shoulders of my friend’s aunts and grandmas, taking notes and watching them taste taste taste, sneaking in my spoon or sticking my finger in the sauce when I could. All along I’ve been hoarding up the recipes for some distant day in the future when I could pull them out and share them with someone, and through my blog that “someone” has turned into my readers. Along the way I’ve started writing and taking pictures and I like that my blog is pushing me to keep trying new things. I hope I never stop learning.” Enjoy!

Mini Gluten Free Choco-Coco Donuts

makes ~3 dozen mini donuts
recipe adapted from Comfy Belly @ comfybelly.com

• 1/2 cup of Bob’s Red Mill Organic Coconut Flour
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp Baking Powder
• 3 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Carob Powder
• 6 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Honey
• 1 Tbsp Vanilla
• 1/2 cup Coconut Oil, slightly warmed
• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 3 Tbsp Cherry Juice, Milk or Amaretto

Special equipment: Baking pan with mini donut shapes, though you can also bake these into cupcakes if you like.

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine all ingredients (except for powdered sugar and juice) in a bowl and whisk either by hand or a mixer until completely blended. Scoop into a plastic zippy bag.

3. If your donut pan is non-stick you are good to go, otherwise lightly grease it with a bit of vegetable oil.

4. Snip the corner off of your plastic bag and pipe the batter into your donut mold, about 1/2 full if you want true donut shapes and 3/4 full if you don’t care so much and just want thicker donuts (I chose the latter route).

5. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. If you have a regular donut size pan or if you’re making cupcakes, your baking time will double, so keep that in mind.

6. While the cupcakes are cooling, mix together the powdered sugar and your liquid of choice to make the icing. Once the cupcakes are cool, dunk them in and decorate as you like.

Note: These keep really well in a tightly sealed container in the fridge and get even more tender/moist by the 2nd day….if they last that long.

Greetings from the West Coast

I would like to introduce myself.  My name is Joy and my blog is Joy’s Misadventures.  I take life one adventure at a time but in my case, Misadventures is more appropriate description.  I enjoy sharing my successes, frustration, mistakes, and failures. 

A little background on me, I have/had allergies since childhood.  Between myself and my brother there was always an awareness of our surroundings and restrictions on what we were able to eat.  I vividly remember one occasion when my little brother ate a strawberry at a local restaurant.  Then all a sudden we had to leave and get medication into him because his throat started to close.   Since then, he never ate another strawberry.

Unfortunately, my daughter inherited similar allergic reactions from my side of the family.  I have always been aware of other people’s allergies but my daughter made me very cautious when choosing foods she is able to eat. 

At an early age, we found that she was allergic to seafood and nuts.  We walked into a pizza parlor that had peanut shells on the floor and within 5 minutes after order, she turned bright read and started to itch uncontrollably.  From that point on, I tried to find alternatives to foods I would think she would enjoy.

When I first started to experiment in making macarons, I felt bad telling her she couldn’t have any.  I would always feel bad when I would have to deny her of anything, especially food.  I started to experiment in making alternatives ingredients for the little cookies. 

My first attempt to a nut free macarons, it came out quite stiff and chalky.  I substitute coconut flour for the almond flour without altering the amount.  I had a feeling the coconut flour would work I needed to adjust the amount used.

According to the package 20% of the original amount in the recipe would be appropriate when using coconut flour.  For example, if it required 100 grams of almond flour then 20g of coconut flour could be substituted.  This is due to the dryness of the coconut flour.  After quite a bit of experimenting, I came up with this recipe.

Coconut-banana Macaron with a Key Lime-White chocolate Ganache

Coconut-Banana  Macaron

Meringue

• 175 Grams (3/4 + 1/8 Cup) of Sugar
• 67 Grams (2 Large Egg Whites) of Egg Whites

Flour Mixture

• 68 Grams (1/2 Cup) of Ground Banana Chips
• 20 Grams (1/4 Cup) of Coconut Flour
• 150 Grams (1 ¾ Cup) of Powder Sugar
• 67 Grams (2 Large Egg Whites) of Egg Whites

Directions

1. Take the 1^st set of egg whites into a large metal bowl and add the sugar.  Let it sit for 5-10 minutes until the sugar is absorbed by the egg whites.
2. In the meantime mix the coconut flour, powder sugar, and grounded banana chips.  I used a food processor.
3. Place the mixture into a bowl and set aside.
4. Whip the egg whites until it becomes medium peaks.  Slightly stiff but still glossy.  Set this aside.
5. Take the flour/powder sugar mixture then stir in the other set of egg whites.
6. Fold in the whipped egg whites into the flour mixture until it is well incorporated.  The consistency resemble marshmallow but a little bit runnier.  You should be able to make an indent in the mixture and it may hold the shape for a couple of seconds before it starts smoothing out.
7. Place the mixture into a piping bag and pipe out 1 inch discs on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  Separate the cookies an inch apart.  You will notice the cookies will keep the shape while starting to spread slightly.
8. Let the cookies rest for an hour or two until a film is formed over the cookies.
9. Pre-heat the oven to 300F.  Place another cookie pan inside of the oven while it pre-heats (this helps when creating feet).
10. Place the cookies on the first cookie sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.
11. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool completely before removing from the pan.
12. Match up the cookie according to size.
13. Make the Filling

Key Lime and White Chocolate Ganache

• 11 Ounces of White Chocolate
• 1 Cup of Heavy Cream
• 3 Tbs of Key Lime Juice

Directions

1. Place the white chocolate and key lime juice in a medium bowl.
2. Pour the cream into a medium sauce pan and heat over a medium heat.
3. Once it starts to bubble, remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate.
4. Let it sit for a couple of minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.
5. Stir the chocolate until it is melted and smooth.
6. Let it cool to room temp.  This may take an hour.
7. Once it is cooled, whip the chocolate at a low then a medium speed until it because fluffy.

Assemble

1. Spread the filling on one of the cookies.
2. Place the matching side on the other side to form a sandwich cookie.
3. Serve

One of the items on special this month on our website and at the Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store is Organic Coconut Flour. The bakery whipped up these Cheese Crisps to celebrate this special flour. They are delicious bite-size cheddar, coconut flour crackers, specked with brown flaxseeds for an extra crunch. If you can’t get by our store to pick some up, here’s the recipe so you can make them at home. Not sure what to do with coconut flour? Check out our great collection of recipes featuring this unique, gluten free ingredient.

Cheese Crisps

Ingredients:

• ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Coconut Flour
• ½ cup Bob’s Red Mill Brown Rice Flour
• ¼ tsp Salt
• ¼ cup Butter (melted)
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tbsp Water
• 3 cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese, shredded
• 2 Tbsp Bob’s Red Mill Flaxseeds

Directions:

Heat convection oven to 250°F (275°F for conventional oven).

In a food processor blend all ingredients except flaxseeds together.

Once dough comes together, mix in flaxseeds and turn out onto floured surface.

Roll to desired thickness and cut into bite size pieces. We suggest 1/16-inch thickness.

Distribute pieces onto a parchment covered cookie sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes turning in at 10 minutes (25 minutes for conventional oven, turning at 12 minutes). Crackers will be brown and hard when done.

Yield: 50 bite size crackers