Glutton

Question
Is wheat the only thing that contains glutton or otherwise that would make sick someone who is glutton intolerant? I would like to bake something for someone who has an intolerancy, and am not sure what ingredients beyond wheat flour that I might need to change. If it is only the wheat flour would corn, rice, or coconut flour work just fine as replacements?

Answer
Dear James,

If you type in Gluten free in Google you will get lots of answers. (With your spelling you will get something entirely different!)
In short, avoid wheat, barley, rye. Oats may cause problems in some cases - but with intolerance less risk than allergy. Oat products in shops have often been contaminated by other grains used in production of other products (in the same factory).  Avoid malt for sweetning.

Gluten free are: corn, potato, rice, soybeans, tapioca, arrowroot, carob, buckwheat, millet, amaranth and quinoa.

An extensive list can be found here: http://gicare.com/Diets/Gluten-Free.aspx

Coconut is not a flour and cannot replace flour in most recipes, but you could go for macaroons which use no flour or perhaps some rice flour. Corn (maize) flour has a specific taste (can be bitter in cakes). Nice (Japanese) biscuits can be made with rice flour. Rice flour is mixed with tapioca for muffins. You can make (Russian) pancakes from buckwheat flour (blinis) which have an acquired taste but are nice served with blueberry or cherry compote and savory toppings (or caviar!). Cakes will be of a different consistency without the gluten, more baking powder tends to be added - which means a slightly less refined flavour, but if you choose the right recipe you can add masking flavours (jam, and nuts, or coconut, etc).


Be careful with margarine (never a good product to use in baking anyway). It may contain a wheat derivative. Also chocolate bars may have emulsifiers derived from wheat. Try to find processed/packaged products with few ingredients (organic usually). These tend not to use cheap gluten additives. Again check the extensive list if you can, which details all ingredients that are best to avoid.

You can also go without a flour entirely: e.g. carrot cake (check out BBC Food (Recipe Finder). In fact, you will find 31 recipes for afternoon tea at this excellent site (including American classics)-  http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/(go to Advanced Search options and check the box for gluten free). Some scrumptious treats.


Good luck with the baking!
Evelyn

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