These days, a high percentage of gluten-free people also have other food sensitivities. In other words, they don’t live with just the challenges presented by avoiding gluten… they also have to be on the lookout for other ingredients. Two of the most often cited “problem” ingredients are dairy and eggs.
If you are a vegan, you already know this.
No Dairy? Easy.
Now, personally, I don’t think it is that hard to omit dairy from gluten-free cooking, even in baking. There are so many wonderful substitutes on the market that you’re sure to find one that’s right for you. Sure, those substitutes have a different taste and texture and, yes…..there is a “palate adjustment” phase as your taste buds adjust but, over time, you will come to accept them as normal.
No Eggs? Not So Easy!
But eggs? That’s another story. I never realized how important eggs are to baking until I started omitting them for my egg-allergic grandson a few years ago. And, I wrote two cookbooks that omit eggs in baking Cooking Free and 125 Gluten-Free Vegetarian Recipes. It was much harder than I thought. And, when you omit eggs… along with gluten AND dairy… well, it’s even harder. Each ingredient has an important role to play and using substitutes undoes all that wonderful harmony and synergy among those ingredients.
Cara Reed’s New Book to The Rescue
That’s why I am delighted with Cara Reed’s new book Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking (Page Street Publishing, 2014). Cara gives us 125 luscious recipes for many sweets and treats, all without gluten, dairy, and eggs. There are cookies, bars, brownies, donuts, muffins, scones, biscuits, breads, pastries, and assorted other sweets such as sauces, toppings, and frosting. Enticing full-color photos show just how yummy-looking these treats really are and make you want to run straight to the kitchen.
Cara has cleverly figured out how to create moist, decadent treats that everyone can enjoy and the absence of gluten, dairy, and eggs won’t matter because everything tastes great! Among my favorites are the Pumpkin Streusel Bread (love the cinnamon) and the Hot Cocoa Snickerdoodles. But you might be tempted by the Easy Vegan Fudge or the Chocolate Almond Biscotti. You can see, I’m drawn to the chocolate choices in Cara’s book!
But one of the easiest recipes is her Nutter Butter Frosting, which can be used in so many ways… on cupcakes, quick breads, cookies, or straight from the bowl in big, heaping tablespoons when no one’s looking.
NUTTER BUTTER FROSTING
Reprinted with permission from Decadent Gluten-Free Vegan Baking by Cara Reed (Page Street Publishing, 2014)
½ c/112 g vegan butter, softened
¼ c/65 g creamy peanut butter
3 c/360 g powdered sugar
3 Tbsp/45 ml nondairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
With an electric mixer, cream the vegan butter on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the peanut butter, and then gradually add in the powdered sugar. Add the nondairy milk and vanilla extract until light and fluffy. Frosts 12 cupcakes or 1 two-layered cake.
CARA’S TIP: If you desire, you can switch to almond butter for this recipe, or if you are allergic to nuts, you can use a nut-free spread like SunButter instead. Cara pairs this frosting with her Peanut Butter Chocolate Cupcakes in the book, but I would use it any way you like.
Thanks you Cara!!
