This Little Pie

Homemade apple pie and fresh produce straight from the farms. We even picked the figs and pears ourselves, and helped wash off these gorgeous red beets! This really is like living in the country, but with the ocean at our doorstep.

From a few farms that we visited, mum and I returned with all that is laid out above, plus a carton of free range eggs from a roadside stand. In fact, it was a roadside cooler with a large sign that read, "EGGS $4.00." And we were sold. Or, the eggs were. Carrying on down the road, with the carton of eggs preciously resting on my lap, and a huge smile on my face from the special egg of the dozen, we came back to our favourite farm in the Sooke area.

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Holiday Pumpkin Loaf; It's Winter Here!

This weekend I continued to pull the dust-covered cardboard boxes from the cupboard underneath the stairs, some cracked and fraying from use year after year, and among them lay a tangled array of forgotten Christmas lights, baubles wound up in the wires like roses caught among the brambles, and finally underneath the mess, small ornaments to be placed on window sills and around the house. Fuzzy white snowmen on a sled, a small figurine of Santa Claus sitting by his fire reading a letter which rolls down onto the floor, and some snow speckled trees carved from wood. We've made a little village atop the large book shelf in the living room from little ceramic buildings that have their windows carved out, and I managed to pull apart the white cob webbing for Halloween to make a simple layer of snow for the buildings to sit on. I also love how as I post this to my blog, a thin layer of snow rests delicately outside along the deck and down into the garden. Sadly, the wind must have blown the thin layer from the trees last night, but I remain happy in this little winter wonderland of my own.

They buildings sit perfectly arranged in a tight oval, and when the yellow Christmas lights are plugged in, the windows shine brightly as if little families sat snugly in their living rooms. The bakery across, not a palm widths more for us, is warmly lit, and the small garage and diner are bright and inviting, both situated around a tall model of an evergreen tree, which I also decorated with mini lights.

I love the comfort of this little village twinkling brightly when no other lights shine, and wish I could leave the village on during the night so I could wake to the warm glow of the miniature village appearing to be bustling with activity and Christmas cheer. But dad repeats that I'll burn down the house with the strand of lights arranged along a wooden bookcase and fake snow.

It's started with cookie swaps and a few Christmas parties filtering into the season, and its already become busy. School doesn't let out until less than a week before Christmas when our house will be full of people and preparations for the friends that come around Christmas Eve and those who return for Christmas dinner the following day. I am determined to cook a gluten-free dessert for the day, and I'm sure I'll be inclined to bake some elaborate cookies.

Because with an everlasting love for the holiday festivities, the season brings about rolling up the cuffs of our sleeves, diving into the pantry to look for our favourite cookie cutter shapes, and with ingredients neatly lined along the counter, we begin baking.

Is there really any better way to awaken that holiday cheer than filling the entire house with the warm and comforting aroma of sweet gingerbread, cardamom and vanilla scents? I'm sure if you haven't already, walking into an aromatic home, counters scattered with ingredients and the sink full of dishes from baking just as a tray of cookies is pulled from the oven, that you'll be tempted to run home and whip up a batch of your own kitchen delight.

'Tis the season for delightful cooking and cheer!

Pumpkin Pie Loaf
Print recipe here.

Again, I have resorted to trying guar gum in this recipe, I actually have found that it helps in the binding of all the ingredients, and makes it so that the loaf slices without crumbling nearly completely apart when I serve it. If you would prefer to use xantham instead of guar gum, the ratio is the same, or if you would rather not use any, the recipe will still work. I only recommend that in your gluten-free flour mix you incorporate starch, whether that be corn, tapioca, potato or arrowroot, as these help with the thickening, and make a nice blend of flours that is easy to use. Otherwise, any mix of flours can be used, I usually stick to any variety of at least three for a reliable consistency.

Ingredients

3/4 c packed brown sugar
1 c pumpkin purée (I used canned)
2 eggs
1/4 c grape seed oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 1/4 c gluten-free flour mix
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp guar gum

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a loaf pan with butter or oil.

In a large bowl combine the sugar, pumpkin purée, eggs, oil, syrup, vanilla and lemon juice, and beat well.

Set this bowl aside, and in a smaller mixing bowl combine dry ingredients; flours, spices, baking powder and soda, salt and guar gum.

Pour into the wet ingredients and mix. The batter should resemble pumpkin purée, although slightly darker and thicker.

Pour into the prepared loaf pan and set it in the oven. Bake for approximately 50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf.

Allowing the bread to cool completely after baking will make it easier to slice, and also let the flavours develop further.

Chocolate Chip Cookies: A Reminder of Memories

I was remembering England today, especially those first few days when the rain poured down day after day, a lot like the weather here these past few weeks. I don't know why I thought of it again, must have been missing the friends I made throughout the summer, as well as the simplicity and the enjoyment I got out of being so free - to do what I wanted, and without stresses and dramas to tie me down.

One of my favourite days in England, when patches of clouds brought heavy waterfalls of rain and then dispersed to short lengths of sunshine scattered on the cobbled streets, my aunt and uncle brought me into London by train, and we spent the entire day exploring museums, having cream tea, and ending with a performance at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.

We awoke early to get ready and make our way to the train station, not too far from their house, which would bring us into downtown London, or the ever-expanding Waterloo Station. Since it was a few weeks before the opening of the Olympics, construction workers hammered and drilled above us, and security personnel milled about, watchful. From the station we went down a few flight of stairs, swept up in the force of commuters hurried by their sense of purpose, and arrived at the platform for the underground. It was all a bit confusing for me; the busyness was overwhelming at times, and everyone looked above each other's heads, oblivious to the people around them and absorbed in the importance of their own world.

On trains men talked loudly on cell phones, shouting above the noise of wheels on the tracks as the train lunged then retreated, as if it were an animal itself. Some read, some stood, and one woman knitted, her bony fingers moving faster than my eyes could follow.

We arrived shortly and made our way above ground with a mob of other people, who quickly dispersed as if they were late for an important meeting. They would not remember many of the faces they had just seen, despite sharing a hand grip or ledge to lean on to prevent tumbling with the movement of the train.

My aunt, uncle, and I made our way along the street, and I gazed at the architecture of the old buildings. We don't have buildings like that here, our oldest have been knocked down to make way for modern structures, or preserved as 'ancient' once they reach one hundred years of age, no where near the history that buildings in London posses. Extremely intricate details line the walls and windows of most buildings, although some have begun to fade from age.

We started in the Victoria & Albert Museum, situated across the street from the National History Museum and among others in the same area. Straightaway, we made our way to the Fashion section inside, weaving among sculptures preserved in glass boxes and explained with small plaques stuck below.

Inside, mannequins wore beautiful ballgowns from as far back as the 1800s, and petite shoes, intricately embroidered, were placed delicately beside, too small to be worn by any woman today. They were extremely narrow, and I have no doubt that they were not worn for comfort, and definitely not for the working class as they would not be suitable for outside wear, and perhaps not even for activity. They are a perfect indication that the phrase, 'beauty hurts,' has been a motto for fashions designers throughout the centuries. Pieces form famous designers were also displayed, such as my favourite, a velvet black jumpsuit designed by Coco Chanel. I loved the simplicity of the garment, and the beautiful detailed put into every aspect of it, including the layering and embellishment of the white collar and cuffs. A perfect antithesis to the black of the jumpsuit.

I love fashion, and was in heaven wandering around the passages lined with ensembles and styles from history, and dresses worn by royal figures, such as a suit worn by Princess Diana - a white skirt and matching blazer, covered in tens of thousands of tiny pearls - or celebrities; created for special occasions by famous designers such as Alexander McQueen, Vivienne Westwood.

I noticed a girl, not much older than me, was sitting beside the dresses from red carpet events and sketching in a thick black notebook. She must have been a student at one of the nearby universities, studying fashion perhaps, or maybe she had a passion for the beauty in clothes. If I had more time, I think I would have enjoyed doing the same.

By the time we had finished the exhibition, we ventured outside and to the courtyard of the museum, where families milled about in the hot sun, now free from behind the clouds. Children splashed about in the pond, and vendors sales of cold drinks must have suddenly risen as people became parched from the rising heat. Eventually, after walking around in earnest for a spot for lunch amidst the crowds, we decided that a hot lunch in one of the ornately decorated rooms inside would be more suiting to our day, where the walls were designed with colourful stained glass windows, drawings and letters of another language, and some lines of Shakespeare, in the centre of the dome-shaped room, a large chandelier hung by a thick chain.

Later that afternoon we came for tea at the same location, venturing into another room that was equally as intricately decorated. At lunch we had been enticed by the smells of freshly cooked scones and clotted cream, and since it was before I became gluten-free, not yet aware of the problems it caused my skin, we indulged in the sweet taste of clotted cream tea, and the perfect tranquility of the rooms in an old English building. It was my first clotted cream tea since my previous time in England - three years or so ago - and I enjoyed every moment of it. From people watching, and listening to the different conversations held within my range of hearing and deciphering the stories of those around me, to the decadent Darjeeling tea in my cup and saucer and the mouth-watering scone in my hand, topped with raspberry jam and cream.

Since it was so late in the afternoon, nearing five o'clock, the museum staff were cleaning up the last remaining dishes and washing floors while one man personally informed each party that we were expected to pack up and head out. Luckily, outside was still warm as the sun still shone as we headed out the grand doors and onto the street. We explored the streets of London for some time, killing time until the doors opened for our performance that evening, "London's 'Best Night Out'", Wicked.

The sets were amazing, and the theatre was packed with all ages, little kids came dressed in fancy clothes, boys in smart pants and collared shirts, and little girls in cute dresses with bows in their hair, and some adults dressed to impress. Lights moved across the stage throughout the performance, parts moved to create new scenes, all automatically, such as bridges and new backdrops.

Wicked is the story of the Wicked Witch of the West from The Wizard of Oz, also known as Elphaba, and is a detailed account of her life, from childhood to her death, caused by Dorothy. My favourite character was definitely Galinda, a friend of the witch's from university, who later becomes the Good Witch. In the musical we saw, she was ditzy and hilarious, drawing huge amounts of laughter from audience whenever she spoke.

At the end of the musical, everyone poured out onto the streets, some hailing cabs while we, and many others, took the stairs down to the underground and traveled back to the train station, and then caught the train back to my aunt and uncle's house, where we suddenly felt the exhaustion from the day, and were suddenly all very ready for sleep. We needed the next morning all to ourselves, where we could lay in bed until about ten o'clock, and later shuffle around the house in pyjamas until the tea kicked in, readying us for another busy day.

I feel that its a lot like that here, on Saturday mornings, when the whole week, and the loss of sleep that comes with such an early start for school, catches up on you. We read, we watch movies, we have a late breakfast, we have tea, and we get a few chores done.

And I bake. My relaxation method, simply at peace I can cook.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Print Recipe.

I was amazed by the page views on my last cookie recipe, Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies, and as the last of the cookies were eaten I missed them extraordinarily. They were always there when I came home, and were the perfect accompaniment to any tea time.

Decadent and sweet, but not overpoweringly so, these little delights are soft and chewy; the perfect recipe for that perfect chocolate chip cookie, they'll remind you of every good childhood memory, in and out of the kitchen.

Makes 12-14 cookies


Ingredients

1/4 c shortening, or vegan shortening
1/4 c butter, or vegan replacement
3/4 - 1 c brown sugar

100g vanilla yogourt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 2/3 c Nana's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4-1/3 c water

2/3 c gluten-free chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together shortening, butter and brown sugar.

Add in the vanilla yogourt and vanilla extract and mix together.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour mix with baking powder and soda, then pour into the larger bowl and stir until all ingredients are well blended.

Add enough water until mixture comes together, but remains moldable and firm.

Stir in chocolate chips.

With your hands, roll small balls of the mixture in your hands, and press onto the baking seet. Repeat with the rest of the mixture.

With a fork, press each cookie down, making a cross-hatched design across the top of each one.

Bake for 16-18 minutes.

When cookies come out from the oven, allow them to cool for 5 minutes before removing from the tray.

Serve to family and friends.

As The Leaves Dropped, She Said "Wha-Fell?"

"Wha-Fell?"

"What fell?"

Leaves, fluttering like feathers, rhythmical swayed back and forth as they descended from the trees this morning -

"Waffle!"

"Waffles for breakfast?"

The leftover pumpkin purée in the fridge has been my topping for everything since Thanksgiving, I've especially enjoyed it with plain yogurt in the mornings as the subtle, indulgent flavours complement added fruits such as apples or bananas. Oh, and don't forget the added serving of vegetables at the same time!

I've been admiring all the pumpkin baked goods at Starbucks, which I don't grab anymore, as I reluctantly pull my eyes away,

Focus on the hot drinks instead.

Except even those drinks don't maintain the true pumpkin taste I crave when the leaves begin to float through the air on their way to the ground, a complement to the cinnamon and nutmeg spices, and delicately embodying what I think fall is about. Comfort. Familiarity. Cherishing the moments.

This morning, my friend and I in oversized university sweaters from our sisters, slippers, and pyjamas, made tea to warm up with as mum and dad woke up and we decided about breakfast.

Fittingly, for the house was chilly when we awoke, I received a text from a friend that read,

'Hey its snowing!'

And in the grogginess of sleep I thought it was from a friend who lived nearby, and the possibility of it never crossed my mind. So, my friend and I leant far out the window with arms outstretched trying to find droplets, rain or snow, and wondering where she had gotten the notion of snow. To our dismay the air was clear of falling crystals, despite grey clouds above, and bundling back inside, tripping over one another to reach our sweaters, I realised the snow was falling much farther north, home to one friend and the source of the text.

It must be around -30° C where she lives, a temperature intolerable for me, as I find myself in sweaters, scarves, a big coat and mittens in the current 10° C and the thought of the inevitable -5° C of our winters frightening. But I will embrace it with a mug of tea in the morning and some gluten-free hot cereal, which I'm working on at the moment. Preparations for winter.

Saturday mornings are the perfect day for a cooked breakfast with family, as are Sundays, when everyone's home and all are ready to relax into a long morning that stretches into an afternoon filled with the repetition of pouring teapots and the flow of chatter at the table. Idle chatter about the week's events, and the island gossip; laughter as we poke fun, but also chatter about what might really be going on underneath the surface of those around us, and why things are always changing pace.

I've learnt time and time again that its best to open up, and never to let things simmer on high as they're bottled. The pot will boil over eventually. And breakfast, even if things aren't said directly, is the perfect time for the presence of those around to become the net to catch words, whether they be good, grieving, or ambiguously embedded and tied up in the need for others to decipher them.

Baking is a lot like watching the formation of secrets, the spices become buried underneath the complex configuration of other ingredients, masked in colour by the whiteness of flours, and hidden by the thickness of the batter. However, underneath each crust, muffin top or pastry shell, we know whats been added, although unknown to the baker are the chemical processes that undergo when heat is applied. The baker's apprentice, the bystander, can't yet understand the effect each ingredient, each addition, every cause, will have on the outcome, and the consequence triggered eventually. And like hurt that's been smothered as if a thick smog blanketed it once before, feelings eventually reveal themselves, all those hidden secrets, and all those forgotten spices come out again.

They give the cake it's name, make the muffin flavourful, desirable, as the secrets reveal themselves from under the shell.

So within these waffles I've added spices and pumpkin, a complementary pair, working heroes together, that make these waffles, and this breakfast, special. Memorable. They've made it what it is.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Print recipe.

The moist and tender waffles can be altered to sport your favourite dried or fresh fruit, such as blueberries or peeled and diced apple, or even chocolate chips. Be happy with your creation.

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

250 g Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 pumpkin puree
4 tbsp grape seed oil
4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs

2 - 2 1/2 c rice or almond milk

Directions

Heat up waffle iron and preheat oven to 180° F with a large plate inside. Combine all flour mix, baking powder and soda, and spices in a large bowl, set aside.

In another bowl, combine pumpkin, oil, sugar, vanilla and eggs.

Make and well in the centre of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredient, stir until mixed.

Slowly pour in rice or almond milk and stir constantly, add enough for batter to become thick and runny.

Spoon mixture into waffle iron and close, following cooking instructions specific to your waffle iron.

Transfer cooked waffles to a plate in the oven until all waffles are cooked.

Serve with maple syrup and slices of fresh apple or banana.

"Pea-Nutter Butter Cookie"

I can't even remember the last I time I had a good, homemade cookie.

Not the crunchy, flaky, type but a real, soft cookie. With the first bite into its moist centre I immediately remember those days mum and I would bake together, me as a little toddler, and my eyes couldn't yet see over the edge of the counter. It was before I became caught up in life outside of the comfort of my home, and the warmth of the kitchen where we baked.

There's one photo from my childhood that a freshly baked cookie, still warm from the clutches of the oven, reminds me of. It's in one of three photo albums from before digital cameras changed the process of documenting life neatly into books, right at the back where other photos of me with chicken pox remain. I laugh now at the contrast of one photo of me painfully lying in the bath tub, covered in red spots and looking extremely unhappy. Next to it, it's of me sitting happily atop the counter with a cookie dough covered spoon in my mouth and round cheeks full of happiness. My little belly full of cookie dough bulges, and flour and other ingredients have spilt around where I am sitting.

I must have loved cooking even as a young child, as another photo rests in my album of me sitting beside a cupboard in the kitchen, a bag of flour spilt across my lap, and an eager smile still gleaming across my face. My pink tights are barely visible under the whiteness of the flour, and it cascades across the floor.

A cookie is packed with love, its not to be unrecognised - it holds so much more than it appears. I mean, you give cookies to new neighbours as welcoming and make lifelong friends, cookies make perfect gifts, and they're always there to comfort and make a good day great. I remember when my best friend and I would spend the afternoon baking together at her house, enjoying the sweet smells wafting from the oven as we sat excitedly waiting for the timer's ring, rocking our feet back and forth as we sat on the counter recounting the first time we met. Biting into a cookie and reading gluten-free cooking blogs this afternoon, as the day became darker with heavy rain, I came upon this perfect quote from Karina of Gluten Free Goddess:

"A good cookie can make you smile, even after a tiresome, irritating day.  Yes, I know it's food not love. But a cookie can be. Love I mean. A kind of culinary hug, when baked with affection.

A good cookie might even bring you a kiss. Or tender arms of appreciation wrapped around your neck. A good cookie might even make you a new friend... A good cookie can make you feel like you belong."

And I did, sitting around the table with mum and dad, our cookies on a small plate in the centre, and mugs of tea in our hands. I felt perfectly relaxed at home. The day had been dark and rainy from the moment we awoke, the pitter patter of raindrops became the soundtrack to the day, a melody for naps in the afternoon and a comforting beat to read lines in our books.

I set to making cookies fearing that I would forget a vital ingredient again, at the very least that they wouldn't rise, or the very worst, not cook at all. However, using My Nana's Gluten-Free Flour Recipe and with a little patience, they came out in perfectly round shapes, even holding the designs on top, and tasting like every girls dream cookie. Every child's favourite cookie, and especially dad's favourite cookie, who recommended peanut butter when I wondered about what to bake.

Never neglect a need for a good cookie, it makes everything so much better. I swear.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter Cookies
Adapted from King Arthur Flour's Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
Print Recipe.

If you want a smoother cookie, use smooth peanut butter, but I quite like the bits of peanuts in mine, they make for little crunchy bits. I'd like to try different types of butters for a different flavour next time too, maybe cashew, hazelnut, almond or a mix of two!

I used half butter and half shortening for this recipe, using all butter will cause the cookies to be crunchier and shortening will result in a much chewier and softer cookie. For a little in between, a soft interior with a bit of crunch, do as I have done below.

Makes between 20 and 24 cookies, depending on size.

Ingredients

40 mL shortening, I used vegan shortening for these cookies
1/4 c butter, or replacement
3/4 c brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 c raw peanut butter

175 g Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper

In a large bowl beat together shortening, butter, brown sugar, egg, vanilla and peanut butter until smooth and thoroughly combined. If the butter and shortening is firm, microwave for 20 seconds to soften before adding other ingredients.

Add the gluten-free flour and baking soda, stirring to cover flour and then beat.

Pinch of small pieces of the dough and roll it into a ball with your hands, pressing it onto the baking sheet. Continue with the rest of the dough. With the edge of a fork press down to create little ridges and flatten the cookies.

Bake the cookies for 12 - 16 minutes, they will begin to brown at the edges but the tops should not. Remove them from the oven, and cool on a rack for 5 minutes.

Rain Grows the Flour

The rain finally fell today.

It's been over a month of dry weather; streams have dried up, and on long walks with my dog she jumps in excitedly at the site of every bed... Only to the thud of her paws on parched stones, and the scraping of her claws against rocks as she glides across them. Despite the lack of water, and to my surprise, there was still mud at the sides of the trails, an oozing dark brown with green skunk cabbages dotted throughout. It ushers dogs in, and their paws end up muddy, like little boots, just as you turn to leave. Its my dog's way of getting a bit more out of our walks.

This week I took my dog, a springer spaniel, and my neighbours two dogs, both cocker spaniels mixed, one with pug and one with springer spaniel. They were tons of fun running around, chasing one another, and jumping in the lake nearby. We ended up staying far too long at the beach, where sticks strewn about were picked up by the dogs to be thrown. My dog, with her huge webbed feet, loves the water, and splashes in jovially kicking off the ground to get height with each jump. The other two, both small and frisky, rolled around in the grass, tumbling over each others backs in play.

I met friends at the beach who were enjoying the bright sun and the peaceful air; squatting on the beach they looked out at the rippling water until the dogs disturbed their rest. Tourists lazed on the beach as well, but their serenity was halted as a wet dog made her way over to nuzzle their faces. Luckily, they didn't become angry, and instead played with the dogs, rubbing their bellies and running around in circles, looking for the excited faces of the dogs to watch in earnest, prized on the stick.

And still the rain fell as the day turned to night, the crisp in the air turned icy, and the drops became heavier, soaking into the parched ground, washing away debris.

It's so cleansing watching droplets run down windows, streaking the glass as if wiping it clean. The air becomes fresh as well, with the heaviness diminishing after each cloud burst.

Although its very different when it rains here compared to England, when the rain feels depressing, somber, and heavy. Rainy days weren't comforting when I visited this summer, however perhaps because I was jet lagged the first week of my holiday gave the wrong impression. It poured continuously as I stayed with uncles, until mum arrived. And from that day on, the sun shone, and I wore shorts and tank tops everyday, even tanning in London!

The freshness of this rain is much needed for the plants, to wear fall clothes (and boots!), and especially to enjoy the comfort of autumn foods. And I remind myself to dress warmly when I awake, when the night still darkens the morning until I leave the house. It's as if I still expect it to be sunny in just a few short hours, wiping away the brisk morning front.

Brisk morning fronts. As if standing atop a Scottish castle, overlooking the moors.

I've got Scotland on my mind, just as I've got my nana on my mind as well. My grandad recently sent me gluten-free recipes that my nana worked on to make a cookbook, although it has not been published. I've only received a couple of recipes, but I hope to try each recipe and post how it goes on here, including pictures to add.

It started in the late 1970's when my grandad first became sick. Initially he was brought to the doctors attention because of pain in his appendix, which transitioned into the discovery of his celiac disease, and the reason for his declining health.

When my grandad explains this story he always jokes about the numerous cakes and pies he ate, in hope of gaining weight, but further compounding the problem with even more gluten.

My nana, as a young woman, trained in the field then known as "domestic science," which included nutrition, diet and cooking, as well as an exploration of the research behind the science of cooking. This knowledge also helped her to make cordials and jams, as well as wine from tea. If only I knew how!

So when my grandad got sick, and was diagnosed as a celiac, my nana enthusiastically jumped at the challenge to help him, including tackling her own recipes. Everything she cooked was formulated by herself, as there was no access to the internet for tips on blogs like today.

Over the years she worked on recipes to help him, and was able to bring my grandad back to full health. Now, I start with her first recipe, a gluten-free flour mix, and the basic element to gluten-free cooking.

Having a strong base to cook with results in an easier time in the kitchen, no mixing flours every time, and packets aren't at risk of spilling across the floor each time you bake when rows of packets precariously line the counter tops.

My Nana's Gluten-Free Flour Mix
Print recipe.

Stir together a large batch of this mix and store in an airtight container in the fridge for later use in any baked goods. It is preferable to use within 3 months.

One thing to note, is that chickpea flour does have quite a strong, earthy taste, which you may not like at all. Recently, I have taken chickpea flour out of this recipe and replaced it with coconut - a sweeter, softer flour. So feel free to mix it up, but the general guidelines are as follows.

Makes 1 kg, however if you bake a lot, double this recipe.

Ingredients

250 g potato flour (not starch)
200 g tapioca flour
175 g rice flour
250 g maize flour
125 g chickpea flour, coconut or sorghum flour can also be used to    
                               replace chickpea flour, or any of the above   
                               flours in the same quantities.

Directions

Combine, and mix well.

Pour into an airtight jar, and store in a cool, dry place.

Add baking powder when called for in recipes.