October 4, 2005

• Gluten-Free Pancake and Muffin Mix

  Three events coincided recently, and the result was a big tub of
  pancake mix.  First, I had been getting tired of eating muffins
  all the time.  Greyfox found a big old (maybe older than I am) octagonal
  griddle that works on a single burner on the stovetop, where my old
  griddle is oblong and requires two burners.  Also, cooler weather
  had arrived.  It wasn’t cold enough to warrant constantly stoking
  the woodstove and having a roaring fire, but just cool enough that a
  fire in the evening was nice, and the house was uncomfortably cool in
  the morning until solar energy took over.  Getting the griddle hot
  and making pancakes is enough in such times to get us through a chilly
  morning.

  In warmer weather, a batch of muffins in the freezer to be microwaved
  when needed saves time and energy, but last month I was in the mood for
  pancakes.  At no time does it ever make sense to me to mix up
  small batches of batter, with all the attendant fuss.  I combined
  enough flour, Splenda, salt, baking powder and other dry ingredients to
  fill a large yogurt tub and that mix lasted me for a few weeks. 
  When it ran out, I was ready for muffins again, but this time when I
  started combining ingredients, I decided to mix up more dry ingredients
  than I needed for muffins and keep the surplus for pancake mix.

  The following measurements are approximate — I seldom really measure
  for this type of baking.  My usual method is by guess and by golly.

  5 cups sorghum flour
  3-4 cups masa harina de maiz (corn flour)
  2 cups garbanzo bean flour
  1 cup tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
  4 cups nonfat dry milk
  1 cup granular Splenda (that measures cup-for-cup like sugar)
  2 Tbsp. salt
  3 Tbsp. double-acting baking powder
  2 Tbsp. baking soda
  2 Tbsp. xanthan gum (to make the gluten free products hold together)
  1 Tbsp. cinnamon
  2 tsp. Chinese five spice

  These ingredients need to be whisked together thoroughly and kept in a
  tightly-closed container until used.  It doesn’t hurt to freeze
  them; they keep better that way.  This time when I was done making
  the mix, I had two yogurt tubs full.  No problem and no regrets
  about that.  The resulting products have been good, so I have a
  reliable source for more of the same for weeks to come.

  For muffins, I combined:

  6 large beaten eggs
  1/2 cup vegetable oil
  3 cups plain yogurt (I prefer Mountain High Original Style, made with whole milk because low-fat yogurt is too glycemic for me.)
  1 1/2 cups cold water
  1-2 tsp. vanilla extract (to taste)

  Mix 4 cups of the pancake mix with 1 cup almond meal, then stir in the
  liquid ingredients and any nuts or dried fruit you care to add (this
  time I added raisins).  Bake at 425 degrees F, for 12-15 minutes
  or until browned.  This makes about 3 dozen muffins using 1/2 cup
  batter each.

  For pancakes, I put what looks to be a sufficient amount of mix in a
  bowl, make a well in the center and pour in enough water to make a
  batter that’s not too thick and not too runny.  Experienced cooks
  can do this by sight; others probably should rely on the suggested
  proportions in a recipe or on a Bisquick box.  Then I add an egg
  or two, depending on how many pancakes I’m making (more if you’re
  cooking for a crowd), a proportional amount of vegetable oil, and a
  tablespoon or so of bottled lemon juice.  The lemon juice provides
  the acid to activate the baking soda for leavening, which is provided
  by the yogurt in the muffin recipe.  It tastes good and has
  vitamin C, too.

  Whip the liquid ingredients in the “well” a few strokes to break the
  egg yolks and combine them, then stir around the edges and combine the
  dry ingredients, taking care not to overbeat.  It’s okay if there
  are small lumps of flour.  Be sure the griddle is hot before you
  spoon the batter onto it, and wait until some of the bubbles in the
  center of each cake break and stay open before you flip it.  Enjoy.
  

  • 4:28 pm
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