Recipe Box: Traditional Pão de Queijo (Brazilian Cheese Bread)

The best part about this recipe is that it comes gluten-free straight out of the box, no adaptation necessary.  These are made with tapioca flour, and so have a chewy texture (like mochi) that not everyone will love.  If you do, however, then your dinner roll problem is solved forever!

I posted another recipe earlier for a quick Pão made in the blender. This version is infinitely tastier, but it does take quite a bit longer.

This recipe makes about 2-3 dozen depending on how large you make them.  The larger the roll, the chewier the texture.  They do fridge well, but you'll want to re-heat them in the oven or toaster oven. You will want a stand mixer for this, or really impressive biceps.  I've included directions for hand-mixing.  As the dough gets really thick, it could burn out a cheap mixer.  My heavy duty Kitchenaid even groans a bit and slows down. 

Tapioca flour is also sold as tapioca starch.  Bob's Red Mill makes a certified gluten-free starch.  We use Erawan brand from the local Korean grocery, which is half the price.  It isn't certified gluten-free, but my partner is sensitive below 20ppm and we have not yet had a problem.  You'll want to do your own risk assessment.

Adapted from a recipe at http://www.thekitchn.com

 1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter, cut into chunks
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups tapioca flour (also sold as tapioca starch)
2 cups shredded or grated cheese *

*(I use mozzerella or colby, any semi-firm to firm cheese will do.  You could even make it really interesting with cheddar or gorgonzola!)

1.  Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.  
2. Prep:  
• Put milk and butter in a saucepan.  
• Set up tapioca starch, eggs, and cheese in separate bowls, as they will need to be added quickly in their turn. 
• Set out two ungreased baking sheets (I line with parchment paper, but it isn't necessary) and a small bowl of cold water to keep your fingers wet. 
• Set up a stand mixer with a dough hook (use the standard paddle on a Kitchenaid)
3. Bring the milk and butter to a boil over medium heat, stirring
4. As soon as it is at a rolling boil, add the tapioca starch all at once and stir until it is all moistened.
5. Add to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed for at least two minutes, or until you can leave your finger against the dough for 10 seconds without discomfort.  
6. Add half the eggs.  Once the first half is incorporated, add the second half.
7.  Add the cheese, then turn up to medium speed and beat for two minutes or until the dough is even.
• If you don't have a mixer, beat the dough with a wooden spoon in the pot until it is just cool enough to handle.   Beat in the eggs a little at a time, then add the cheese.  At this point it might be most effective to just knead with your hands until it is smooth, but it will be really sticky.
8. Dip your fingers in water and tear out a small amount of dough (approximately 1 tablespoon).  Roll it into a ball and place on the baking sheet.  Repeat until all the dough is used up, leaving at least half an inch between balls.
9. Put in the oven and immediately turn the oven down to 350 degrees
10. Bake 15 minutes, switch sheet positions, then bake another 10-15 minutes until just starting to color.  
11. Serve warm!

Recipe Box: Gluten-Free Crepes

I'm finally posting JD's Gluten-Free Crepes!  This is something he adapted from another recipe to work with the GF flour mix we use (below).   We generally eat them for breakfast, ideally with mascarpone cheese and sliced fruit.   Mascarpone can be found in a lot of food stores that sell specialty cheeses.  It's a very sweet, light, Italian cream cheese that tastes like crème fraîche.  The brand we find locally, Belgioioso, is gluten free.  You can also use regular cream cheese, sweetened ricotta, or Neufchatel. 

Gluten-Free Flour Mix:

4 parts white rice flour
3 parts potato or corn starch
2 parts sweet white sorghum flour  (brown rice flour should work, but we haven't specifically tested it)

Measure parts by pouring into a measuring cup or container and use the same container for each "part".   Mix all the parts together very well (we put it in a big container and shake it thoroughly.  It makes a fairly decent "all-purpose) for unleavened uses). 

Crepes

1/2 cup flour [see above for GF flour mix]
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
5/8 cup milk (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) (should work with non-dairy substitutes)

If possible, use a small round nonstick pan with tapered sides, like an omelet pan.

Preheat the pan on medium heat. Dampen a paper towel with vegetable oil and wipe it on the pan to give it a very thin coating.

 Mix all ingredients together. Whip until well blended. Pour just enough batter into the pan to coat the bottom, tipping the pan to spread evenly.  If it doesn't flow well, add milk by tablespoons until it is thin enough.  

Wait for approximately 1 minute, or until crepe is dry and slides easily in pan.  Flip crepe and cook for an additional 30 seconds.  The crepe should still be light and pliant without browning, but may have brittle edges. 

For the visual learners, here's a Youtube video on how to cook the crepes.  Skip past the mixing of ingredients and use the recipe above, but note the texture of the batter and watch how he pours it to coat the pan.

These unfortunately do not store/re-heat well.  By the second day they are very crumbly.  The batter does keep made for up to three days, however, so you can store a container of it in the fridge and use as needed. 

Kitchen Tips: Protect Your Tools with Oil

It is possible to keep your kitchen tools too clean.  Like your skin, a certain amount of oil can be protective against the ravages of the three W's:  Wind, Water, and Waste.  It keeps air (wind) away from metals, preventing rust.  It repels water, which can swell wooden tools and contribute to rust on metal ones.  It prevents stains (waste) by sealing small openings in wood and stone, creating a better non-stick surface. 

Unless you're working with cast-iron, a light coating of a stable vegetable oil after washing and drying will do the job just fine.  I recommend putting a few drops on a paper towel and rubbing it into the surface.  If it seems too oily, use a clean paper towel to wipe away excess.  Use a heat-friendly, shelf-stable oil like canola, vegetable, safflower, or grapeseed.  Olive oil will go rancid, and both olive and coconut oil will scorch and smoke with high heat. 

If using nut oils, warn guests about allergens before they eat your cooking. 

Wood:

I have ten year old wooden spoons that see daily use and still look new.  The oil keeps the wood from drying out and cracking, and creates a water-repellant surface that prevents staining.  If you're using a pretty wood like olive, it brings out the beauty of the wood grain. 

 Stone:

Stoneware cooking tools such as pizza stones develop a patina over years of use that serves as a non-stick surface.  That patina can be helped along by oiling the stone between uses.  Then the oil settles into the stone and polymerizes with heat, creating a seasoned layer (just as it does with cast-iron). 

Metal:

I have old-fashioned steel cookie sheets and muffin tins that need a little love and care. A light oil coat between washes seasons the surface and creates an airtight layer that prevents rust. 

Teflon:

Back in my early 20s I had the ubiquitous cheap pots and pans with a painted-on layer of teflon that would start to flake and crack after a year.  I found that I could extend the life of these by oiling them after washing.  I believe that the oil would polymerize and create a protective layer that helped the cheap teflon to adhere better to the metal surface, but that is only a guess. The important part is that I could stretch the lifespan of cheap cookware when money was tight. 

Gluten-Free Product Review: Celentano Gluten-Free Ravioli

I have been dreaming of gluten-free fresh or frozen pasta for a while now, so I was very excited to pass the frozen pasta section at our local Publix and spy a whole bunch of new gluten-free options!  The gluten-free cheese ravioli was my first pick to try, and it was a complete win.  I slightly undercooked it because I like al dente.  I only lost two in the cooking, and it was enough (with a small salad) for a meal for two.  The texture and flavor is perfect, and you simply add whatever sauce you choose.  I tried to go back for the meat ravioli, but the case was cleaned out.  I hope the grocery manager takes that as a sign to keep stocking. 

Gluten-Free Product Review: Pillsbury Gluten-Free Refrigerated Pie and Pastry Dough

  The crust is the only real challenge when it comes to gluten-free pie.  While Pillsbury's refrigerated dough gets points for convenience and texture (flaky but sturdy) the taste is where it falls down.  I have never had a pie crust so oily that it sizzled when it came out of the oven.  The flavor is somewhere between soybean oil and salt, and not at all complementary to a sweet pie.  It might work out for a savory pie, but I still believe it would be too salty and overpower the filling. 

Frankly, if I had to choose between this and a crustless pie, I would go crustless.  It's a shame, because I would love the convenience of a good ready-made pie crust. 

Recipe Box: Homemade Chicken Noodle/Chicken and Rice Soup

This was a mainstay comfort food of our childhood, and every Thanksgiving after the carcass had been plucked nearly clean she would get out the stock pot and make gallons of turkey noodle soup for the freezer.

You’ll need:

leftover chicken or turkey with bones
6-8 carrots
6-10 stalks of celery
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
either noodles or rice

Large stock pot with lid.

If you’re making the stock to serve with noodles use 3 stalks of celery. If you’re using rice, use the 5 stalks. As mom put it, “for some reason rice always wants more celery.” Use the whole celery stalk (leaves and all) for best flavor in the stock.

Strip any pieces of meat left on the bones.  Discard any stuffing or herbs still in the cavity.  Otherwise skin, bones, leftover pan drippings and nameless wobbly bits go in the stock pot, meat goes in a separate bowl you stick in the fridge until the stock (broth) is made.

Chop 4 carrots, 3-5 stalks of celery and onion into big chunks (about 1”) and toss into the stock pot with the bones etc. Peel and crush the cloves of garlic and add that as well.

Add water until everything’s covered. Heat to a simmer then cover, turn down to low and let simmer for 3-4 hours. You can also toss everything in the crock pot and let simmer all day or overnight, but you won't get as much stock unless you have a very large crock pot. I make this during the week in stages, first night I make the stock, the next night I make the soup.

Strain through a colander into a bowl. Go through the colander and pick off any additional bits of meat you missed the first time. Toss them in the stock pot, then discard everything else you strained out. Pour the contents of the bowl back into the stock pot or freeze to use later.

Turn the heat back up to medium until the stock is simmering.  Chop remaining celery and carrots into bite-size pieces, and add to pot.  Add the meat you set aside earlier plus noodles or rice, and simmer according to rice or noodle package directions (about 20 minutes for white rice, 40 for wild rice, 10 for rice noodles, 15 for corn/quinoa noodles). Salt and pepper to taste.

Either the stock or the soup can be frozen in freezer-bags. It’ll last longer if you make sure there’s no air trapped in the bag. The stock can be frozen in ice cube trays, then bagged for use in flavoring rice, pasta or sauces.

The traditional chicken soup recipe leaves a lot of room to play with flavors. Try adding artichoke hearts or spinach in the last ten minutes of cooking, or maybe a little lemon juice, black pepper, wild rice and fresh asparagus. Up the garlic content and add cilantro and chili peppers for a cold and flu soup. 

Perfect Gluten-Free, Gum-Free Sugar Cookies (a.k.a. Cut-Out Cookies)

This is adapted from my Grandma Harris's recipe, which was a staple in our household every Christmas.  The kids would get to decorate the shapes any way we liked and we always burned a batch for dad (who still insists that he likes them better that way).

In my lack of advance planning, I found out that I don't actually own any cookie cutters.  I'm not sure how that happened!  It's possible that they were lost in the move, and I haven't attempted a gluten-free, gum-free adaptation for cut-outs since we came to Atlanta.  So these are boring old squares, waiting for yummy frosting!

Ingredients:


1 1/2 cups superfine white rice flour
1 1/2 cups tapioca starch (plus extra for rolling)
1 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For sugar cookies, you will also need 1/2 cup granulated sugar. For frosted cut-out cookies, you will need buttercream frosting (recipe at end of this post).

Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Cut in butter with a pasty cutter, pair of knives, or large fork until it is crumbly.
Add wet ingredients, mix well until smooth dough
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least half an hour
After it is finished cooling, preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

For Cut-Out Cookies:

Dust a countertop and rolling pin with tapioca starch
Roll dough out to about 1/8 inch thickness
Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes
Place on ungreased cookie sheets at least 1/2 inch apart
Repeat until all the dough is used up

For Sugar Cookies:

Put a layer of granulated sugar in a bowl
Roll dough into 1 inch balls
Roll each ball in granulated sugar
Place on ungreased cookie sheet
Use a fork to press dough down in one direction, then again crossways to form a # pattern

For Both:

Bake at 350F for 8-12 minutes (less for softer cookies, more for crisper). Switch sheets after 5 minutes to keep them baking evenly. Baking time will depend on your oven. 

The resulting cookies will still be pale on top, but will be starting to brown around the bottom edges.  They will be more pale than you would expect from the same cookie made with wheat flour, so don't bake them too long and scorch the bottoms.

Let cool for five minutes, then slide a spatula under each to make sure they don't stick to the cookie sheet.  Let cool completely before frosting or handling too much.

Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup softened butter
1/2 cup shortening
4 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk or cream

Optional: Frosting coloring, sold in tiny jars in baking supply and craft stores. 

*for chocolate: 1/4-1/2 cup cocoa powder, to taste

 This is easiest in an electric mixer, but you can successfully make frosting by simply whipping it with a fork.  It will be much fluffier and easier to make in a mixer though.

Mix the softened butter and shortening
Mix in sugar 1/2 cup at a time, waiting until it is all incorporated before adding the next 1/2 cup 
       *tip: slow the mixer down when adding the sugar, or it will explode all over the kitchen
Mix in cocoa powder a tablespoon at a time until it tastes right for you
Mix in vanilla and cream
whip for one minute to fluff
Separate into batches for each color and mix in coloring*

*Use a toothpick to add coloring paste:  dip it into the paste, then run it through the frosting, using a fresh toothpick each time so that you don't contaminate the color.  A TINY amount goes a long way, but it will instantly stain anything else it touches (like counters, clothes, and skin).  You can use regular food coloring for pastel tints.

Frost the cookies at room temperature, but the leftover frosting lasts a week in the refrigerator or nearly forever in the freezer.  Let it return to room temperature before using again.