Gluten-Free Recipes

By Wendy Gordon

Gluten-free cooking is getting a lot easier. Most natural food stores carry a wide variety of gluten-free flours and other foods, and bookstores and the Internet are chock-full of gluten-free recipes. Here are three I like, courtesy of the Celiac Sprue Association:

Applesauce Pancakes

• 1 1/2 cups rice flour
• 3 T cornstarch
• 2 T potato starch flour
• 1 1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 3 T canola oil
• 1 cup applesauce
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Mix together flours, starches, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix the remaining ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into wet and stir to remove lumps. Cook on a griddle as usual.

Almond Cake

• 3 eggs, separated
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup potato starch, sifted
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups ground blanched almonds

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is thick and fluffy. Beat in the potato starch and orange juice alternately. Add the almonds and cinnamon; mix well.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry; fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture.

Grease an 8-inch springform pan and dust with potato starch. Pour in batter and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This cake is good with diced fruit.

Gluten-Free Banana Bread

• 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1/4 cup potato starch flour
• 1/4 cup tapioca flour
• 1 tsp xanthan gum
• 1 T gluten-free baking powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9x5 loaf pan.

Blend bananas with sugar and oil. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Blend both ingredients together, mixing well. Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 40 minutes or until test toothpick comes out clean.