GG Members' General Recipe Sharing & Tips/Hints
Revised December 18, 2006
Sorry!  Generally these recipes are NOT for the insulin challenged although occasionally one might be able to adapt them.  The page is for any recipe that Guai-Support members might like to share with each other.   Some will be for special needs.

Any Guai-Support member can submit recipes to this page.  Click here to send recipes to me or Click here to send them to the mailing list and please include:

• If it suits any particular dietary needs, e.g., low oxalate, gluten free, wheat/dairy/etc free; 

• Permission to use your full name with copyright set at time of publishing (or just first name and initial); 

• If you have questions for the sender of the diet, please send them to the mailing list (this will open your email program with the list address inserted along with the appropriate topic keyword - add subject keywords to suit.)

If you have any administrative type questions related to this page please click here to send them along to me and I'll respond as soon as possible.  Also, I'd like to publish any questions and answers that relate to items on this page so could  you please either send your permission to publish (with your first name, first & last or 'anonymous') along with your Q or A or send permission to publish privately to me.   Not a member yet?  Click here to sign up for the mailing list.

Click here to receive free ZIPPED Irish Cream Bundt Cake Recipe  via e-mail from Bonny.

Sooner or later, most people need an impressive, pleasing, reliable and easy dessert recipe appropriate for guests as well as lunch boxes and freezer fare - and I have just the Bundt cake recipe for you!

Click here to receive free ZIPPED Blackberry Wine Bundt Cake Recipe Recipe  via e-mail from Bonny.

This simple cake and partnered glaze are very sweet and the textures evoke memories of jelly rolls - just a bit sticky, gooey, and luscious! Kids will love it and guests will giggle, because they are a spring-flower PURPLE, and the optional strawberry garnish on the rim or surfaces promises to please and impress.

Carob Chip Cookies (Gluten Free)

In a small bowl, mix well:
1 1/4 cups sweet sorghum flour*
1 c. brown rice flour (I use my own ground mix of 3 part whole grain to 1 part jasmine rice)
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp xanthum gum*

Large bowl:
blend
3/4 c. vegetable oil
3/4 c. fructose*
1 tsp. vanilla
add
3 beaten eggs

Add dry mixture to oil mixture, starting with a small amount until blended.

Add:
1 1/2 c. unsweetened carob chips
1 c. walnuts (opt.)

We like large cookies, baked approx. 8-10 minutes @ 350 degrees, but you can make smaller ones, but watch the timing.

*Notes: sorghum is a slightly sweet flour that better substitutes for whole wheat that I previously used. It is available in whole foods and probably others. (Or from Bob's Red Mill.)

I use fructose because it does not have the same HG reaction in "ME," used in moderate amounts, that sucrose and other sugars do, and my sons won't eat artificial sweeteners, so it is a compromise. If you react to fructose, substitute your sweetener, but you might want to try one
recipe first to see the texture. I have found the artificial sweeteners like splenda and xylitol change the moisture content, so will need experimenting to get the same results.

I used 3 eggs because an earlier version with 2 eggs and no xanthum gum did not stick together well.  Xanthum gum is gluten free but when added in small amounts to flours, creates some of the gluten affect. You can adjust as needed.

This recipe, though somewhat sweet, is not overly sweet, but works well as a substitute during seasons when people tend to eat a lot of non-HG foods around us. i.e. it is a comfort food, but is also reasonably nutritious. Hopefully, you can enjoy them without going off the charts in HG reaction.

I just made a carrot cake for Easter using my old recipe (which is an awesome recipe but not HG, uses some honey) using this flour ratio and xanthum gum and it came out good, so far. Maybe later I will post it after we eat it and find out of it tastes good too.   (This recipe can be made with sugar free syrup replacing the honey for HG people, which I have done.)

Caryn Brady copyright © April 17, 2006

Carob Brownie Recipe (low oxalates)
Ok, so the recipe originally was adapted from one that was in a low fat cookbook for regular brownies.  If you need more fat, you might experiment with coconut oil or milk instead of the plain yogurt. I also used fructose but I am guessing you could substitute splenda.  But I tried doing that in one of my fav carrot cake recipes and it was awful.  So you might want to experiment with sweeteners. This has some flour so not super low carb, but it is fairly low compared to many other recipes and is very rich so you don't eat much at a time, usually.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
oil 9x13" pan

Ingredients:
6 TBSP carob powder
1 1/3 cup sugar/sweetener
1 1/2 cups oat flour for low oxalate (or wheat or your choice. Oat or
rice flours are very moist though and low oxalate whole grains)
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs or egg whites (for low fat/cholesterol version)
1 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla

Handful of walnuts optional (lower in oxalates the other high oxalate
nuts, and if you only use a small amount, doesn't add up to much, but
adds to texture similar to reg. brownies)

1. Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix the wet ingredients in a
separate bowl.

2. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry.

3. Bake in oiled pan for 30 minutes (approx.--check with knife coming
clean)

That's all!

Toppings

One of my sons likes it with cream cheese frosting on top (cream cheese
plus sweetener and vanilla to taste). You could also make a topping
with carob powder and coconut milk, butter or whatever you use. Or use
any chocolate frosting recipe substituting carob, but use less
sweetener because carob powder is sweeter than unsweetened cocoa
powder. Once I made a "milk chocolate" topping with cream cheese and
carob powder.) I like it plain as it is sweet enough already.

Enjoy!

Caryn Brady copyright © April 20, 2005

Pumpkin Spice Cake (Gluten & Dairy Free)

I adapted this recipe for gluten and dairy free diets. It is not low carb, but compared with normal cakes it is--and depending on what you use for sweetener, it can be low GI and works as an occasional seasonal treat. It is a very pleasant yet not too sweet, very moist and nicely spiced cake. Great for this time of year (in the northern hemisphere).

Happy Thanksgiving,
~caryn

1 1/2 C sugar or alt. sweetner--I use fructose (use less if you like it not as sweet)
3/4 C butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened (or substitute what you use)
3 eggs
1 1/2 C canned pumpkin
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 C rice milk
3 cups all purpose gluten free flour combo, such as 1 c. rice flour, 2 c. sorghum if you like it more like whole wheat was. Sorghum (unrefined) is sweet and moist. Sunstitute other GF flours as desired. You can also add some potato flour to replace some of the flour-like maybe 1/2 c. These flours are available from Red Mill if you don't have them locally.)
3 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp xanthum gum (whole foods)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp ground ginger

Frosting: non-dairy or dairy cream cheese frosting is nice. Just bring the cream cheese to room temp. then add some vanilla and sugar free maple syrup to taste.
Sprinkle or decorate with nuts if desired.
Or use a nut topping recipe.

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9 inch cake pans.

• Combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, nutmeg, salt, cloves and ginger in a medium bowl. Set aside.
  Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until creamy.

• Add eggs and beat for 2 minutes.

• Add pumpkin and vanilla.  Mix well.

• Beat in rice milk. Add flour mixture a little at a time and beat well.  Keep adding and beating until all flour is added.
  Spread this mixture into 2 9 inch cake pans.

• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until pick comes out clean.
  Cool for 15 minutes, then remove from the pans and cool.

• Frost (or not) as desired.

Note: this recipe also makes great pumpkin muffins.

Caryn Brady copyright © November 25, 2006

Discussion re above Pumpkin Spice Cake

Bonny: Do you have any particular brands or combinations and proportions of flours you get best results from?

Caryn:  I grind my own rice flour but you can buy Bob's Red Mill flours online I believe. I get sorghum and other flours at whole foods and also at some of the local grocers that carry a health food section. (You could probably ask them to order it.) Sorghum is slightly sweet and moist.

Bonny: Can cow's milk or cream cut 50/50 with water substitute equally for rice milk, or should we use only rice milk for this cake? Would almond milk work well too?

Caryn: Actually the recipe I adapted had condensed milk and water, but I am dairy free so adapted it.

Bonny: If we do want to reduce the sweetener, is there a certain amount that must be used to make the cake "work right", taste aside? I hope to use xylitol or agave syrup.

Caryn: I have not tried any of these yet. I tried xylitol once in a recipe and it was all sticky or something. It didn't make the same consistency. My sons refuse to eat any artificial sweetener, so I use fructose which, for my body chemistry, is not reactive like sucrose. Sucrose is very reactive for me. Of the things you listed, I would try xylitol first. The agave would change the consistency too much. Maybe if you reduced the milk you could try it.

Bonny: Does this yummy thing freeze well or not? I know many gluten-free breads crumble when frozen.

Caryn: Yes it does and isn't "crummy."

Bonny: I have a HUGE bottle of guar gum, but you suggest xanthan gum... and i have read that they are often interchangeable. Is it safe or just plain silly to try guar gum?

Caryn: Is it a powder? Xanthan gum is a powder, so like before, you would need to reduce the liquid somewhat if you used a liquid. I have no idea if it is interchangeable, but worth a try.

Bonny: Yes, guar gum comes in powder form.  I will try it carefully and see if O can get this recipe to work... I enjoy exploring with odd ingredients so my curiosity may help in this situation!

Bonny: Please share any insights you have as you can re: this recipe, Caryn.
Caryn: This makes a nice big cake. You'll be able to share.  Also, there is a wonderful recipe for sweet potato cranberry bread that has become my holiday favorite in the gluten free comfort foods book. It is really moist and yummy. There are several pretty good books on Amazon for gluten free diets. I just bought their new one on baking breads. I am trying to find a good bread recipe because the ones you buy in the health food store are awful. I'll keep you posted.
Bonny: I agree the sliced gluten-free bread sold in health food stores is very awful compared to white sandwich fare... But after a few slices I learned to enjoy it for itself and not expect the textures of "normal" bread. I now like the light tapioca and also light rice versions, that are lowest carb options at 10 carbs per slice. Slices are thick so I often eat one slice with melted or cream cheese or veggie spreads. This $$ bread is not really something to look forward to tho it does somewhat serve a purpose, so I promptly went to the bookstore and bought several gluten-free baking books with the hope that I do better on my own and can also drop the carb counts substantially by substituting alternative sweeteners for the typical sugars and honey.

Angela Taylor: GF Flours: As you said, there is a wide variety out there. Personally, I really like Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Flour. It can pretty much substitute wheat four in any recipe. To make this lower carb, I use a 1:1:1 ratio of the All Purpose with Almond Flour and Hazelnut Flour. You can get both of these nut flours from Bob’s Red Mill. Almond Flour can also be found from many other vendors as well. Lately, I’ve been grinding my own almond flour in my food processor. It seems to be about the same consistency and is cheaper since I get my nuts from Sam’s. The only downfall to this low-carb mixture is that the texture isn’t as smooth as with the GF All Purpose alone, so if you’re making a pie crust or something else where texture matters, I suggest using more of the GF All Purpose.

Sweeteners: I use Splenda. It substitutes beautifully with ANY recipe. I know that there has been some discussion among list members about the safety of Splenda, but I feel that as far as sugar substitutes go, Splenda is about as safe as you can get. Of course, you have to make your own decision. One thing to note, Splenda does tend to make baked goods a little more moist, so keep that in mind. The use of xanthan gum usually offsets this, but depending on the recipe, you might need to do a little finagling.

Guar gum vs. Xanthan gum: As far as I know, these are pretty interchangeable. I think that the only real difference is texture. (I defer to more experienced bakers.) I only use xanthan gum because it’s been hard for me to locate guar gum. A general rule to use when substituting flours, use 1 tsp of xanthan gum for every cup of flour. This should give you about the same elasticity. I will say from experience that if you are going to use xanthan gum as a thickener in soup or gravy, less is more. It is easy to overdue it and it will affect the flavor and consistency if you do.

These are the two top support groups for celiac disease with tons of info.
http://www.lsoft.com/scripts/wl.exe?SL1=CELIAC&H=LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG

http://forums.delphiforums.com/n/main.asp?webtag=celiac&nav=start&prettyurl=%2Fceliac

Bonny: Well thanks for jumping in with all the GF baking tips, Angela! It seems I am not the only fan of purchasing nuts at Sam's Warehouse. Here, the big 2 and 3 lb bags of walnuts, almonds and pecans are usually only sold during the fall and winter, til they sell out. Alas. I missed last year's lots and sulked all year as I looked about time for any humane price on nuts, and was even willing to go with salted tho it is not a good choice for me. As I explained to Michael last week, as I loaded our cart at Sam's, for about $1.50 each bag, you get 2 or 3 lbs instead of 1 lb. This impressed him and eased his concerns as he watched me spend about $85 on 8 bags of nuts that must live in our small fridge/freezer for seasons. That was the bulk of my holiday splurge money, so maybe you can imagine how big his eyes got - but he had been fairly warned for months, and he adores cookies made with ground almond flour and was amazed at the high cost of pre-ground nut flours. As was i. I have telling him about the new research findings, that 1 or 1 1/2 ounces of (any of most types of) nuts per day is a huge boost to many bodily health systems and how these bags were such good investments for so many reasons. And, I bought him a Celtic women holiday music CD to soothe his fretful thoughts :)

This really is a fine savings opportunity, if finances can be spared in the healthy foods area, everyone.

As for the xanthan vs guar gum debate... Yeah, a very wee bit goes a long long way, doesn't it? I had no clue how to use it, yrs ago, and put far too much guar gum in a broth just to see if I could make it "like gravy". By the time I returned from the other room, I had to sorta wedge it out of the pan like bouncy-thick jelly. I found mine at a health food store that does not carry many unique cooking items for low-carb or gluten-free diets, so I guess I was lucky... But I had to ask two people for it, and they then located coconut oil in the hair products aisle. Really.

I did not know Splenda has a tendency to make things more moist than sugar, so this will be fine help for many on GG who bake with it all the time. Just in case you do not know, Walmart grocery stores sell their own brand of Splenda in big baker's bags for far less $$ and it is displayed next to the Splenda bags so it is easy to locate.

I grind nuts into flour with my magic bullet, which is amazingly quick and does a great job without all the hassle and cleanup a food processor usually requires. That is what happened two winters ago, when our old freezer in the cellar died while housing five bags of walnuts and almonds from Sam's :) I freaked and packed it into zipper freezer bags of four cups flour each, and popped them in the back crevices of the fridge. Michael thought it was weird until he saw the red mill flour costs, which I mentioned earlier. Then, he was consoled with what I called "health cookies".

Even though I love eating (mostly) low-carb, I had no idea how lucky on that diet I was till I shopped for a few quick treats in the freezer dept of Kroger the other night. Michael took the lack of gf products as a challenge, and brought me bag after bag of stir-fry and pot roast-n-veggie combinations, and even TV style dinners. Nope, nope, nope... The sauces kicked almost all of the foods out of the basket, and yes - as I am sure you know - most of the sauces are premixed with the foods. I am very glad I taught myself how to cook basics a few yrs ago as I recovered on guai, because I would be in sorry shape indeed otherwise on gluten-free and low-carb diets.

----------oooooo----------

Lactose Intolerance & Dairy Sensitivity

Karen: For those of you dairy sensitive or lactose intolerant: Do you know which milk to use that will work for puddings? I've tried goat milk and soy milk and can't get pudding to thicken with either of them. I'm hoping there's something that will work, but am wasting too much milk trying to find one that thickens like cows milk does.

Bonny:
1. No clue because I made real pudding only 1x, and that was with milk and so awesome and sweet I was miserably sick.  However, maybe try thickeners with the milk alternatives you do not find success with.  Arrowroot is well known for such purposes, as are wee bits of guar gum powder or xanthan powder, and my recipe called for healthy amounts of corn starch which is the classic in this area.  Weird approach maybe, but I know guar gum works impressively in hot liquids.  Proceed mindfully, and read my prior post from earlier tonight re: my first experience with guar gum powder it is a great fiber too, so very good "what ails ya," as my gram sez!

2. I just read some recipes for sugar-free fruit puddings that do not include any dairy. They were thickened with arrowroot or flour or minute tapioca, so perhaps one of these ingredients would help if you are not inclined to experiment with xanthan powder or guar gum powder, Karen. I also know coconut milk is said to make an awesome pudding base. Book said secret to great pudding is to stir, stir, stir because it requires this action to thicken. And to expect the pudding to thicken much more
obviously as it cools. These were dreamy-sounding special diet recipes, that have no dairy at all, so maybe you could follow their lead and find a suitable solution for your pudding.

Caryn: Have you tried rice dream? Or other brands of rice milk? I have used it interchangeably in most recipes calling for milk. I have not made pudding however because I can't use the sugar or the nutrasweet. What is yours sweetened with?

Sol: Rice dream will not work in gravies or soups, the gravy or soup will thicken, at first, but if the liquid gets near to boiling, it will go totally thin again. And in any case, it will be water thin after sitting a while. This has happened to me when using either flour or cornstarch as the thickening agent. I have wondered what is in Rice Dream to cause this. It works fine in baked goods, and it works in pumpkin pie filling, but that is thickened with eggs.

I use Rice Dream all the time for my husband, and have for some years now. he is allergic to cow's milk, and goat's milk also seems to be a problem for him--Rice Dream is the only milk substitute he likes (I can't stand it myself, and it has an ingredient I'm allergic to in any case. There is no more disgusting looking thing that oyster stew made with Rice Dream......but he loves it. Yuck.)

Linn: Just this past Thanksgiving, I started using potato starch alone, and also a combination of potato and tapioca starch flours to thicken gravies. I used approximately 2-3 tablespoons per cup of liquid (you'll have to experiment with what your preferred thickness is) and mix it in the cool liquid first, and then heat it up. If the liquid is already hot, I just mixed it with a little water first, then whisked it into the hot liquid. The gravy turned out marvellously, taste and texture, and thickened up more when cold, and reheated pretty close to a "regular" gravy would. It didn't have that problem of getting thin like the others flours. No, it's not low carb, but is soooo good for a treat. Is should work just fine with almond milk too.

I also make sure to use 1/4th portion of GF flour called in cake recipes as potato starch to help with texture and bounce. In other words, with 1 cup of GF flour called for, I use 1/4 cup tapioca flour, 1/4 cup potato starch powder, and 1/2 cup rice flour to equal the 1 cup of flour . I've not attempted nut flours yet - look forward to that, now that I've just got those tips on getting cheap almond flour . I started using potato starch after noticing it, and tapioca starch flour was part of the ingredients list in all the good GF cake mixes.

All the best,  Linn