Sunday, January 10, 2010

Beginning of the year baking

So I started off the year with a bag full of lemons from my Dad's lemon tree. I tried to figure out something to do with them. I found a gluten free version of lemon bars that sounded so good. I had a girls party to go to so I thought I would try to make them for that.

Well, luckily my friend Christy LOVES lemons and wanted some so I decided to do a practice batch. I have never made anything like lemon bars so it was definitely a new experience for me! Well, to make them gluten free was not so different from making them regular. It was a mixture of white rice flour and cornstarch with powdered sugar to make the shortbread for the crust. It actually tasted pretty good but I had some problems with it puffing up so much that it had too much of a cookie taste then lemon bar. The lemon bar mixture used cornstarch as a thickener but had so much sugar in it that the top crystalized like a creme brulee. However, this did create a new texture that was actually kind of cool.

Well, the second batch didn't set up as well and at the girls party we ended up just scooping it out of the pan! haha But, both batches still tasted pretty good. I didn't take pictures of either though, because they didn't look pretty at all! So, even though they tasted pretty good I think I might tweak the recipe next time and experiment or just find a new recipe all together to make use of the lemons!

So, the other day I was online looking for gluten free items and BAM! Betty Crocker is now making gluten free mixes!!! WHAT?!?!?!? Yes, it is true. Betty Crocker is my new best friend. :-) And guess what else? They sell it at Ralph's!! Mainstream grocery stores are selling gluten free cake and brownie mixes! Finally! So, when in the grocery store the other day, I grabbed a box of the Betty Crocker Gluten Free Brownie Mix.

Today I decided to try out the brownies and I have to say....YUM! Best gluten free mix I have tasted so far! I still have to test it out on the non-gluten free folk but it seems pretty promising. I can't wait to try out the cake mix! If the cake mix is anything like the brownie mix then we have a winner. Finally something I can use for my gluten free friends when they want birthday cakes from me. (For those that don't know, I decorate cakes as well).

<-- YUM



The result. YUM YUM YUM!

UPDATE: The vote is in from the non-gluten free eaters. The verdict is still YUM!