Bestest Friend and I are doing a blog project. Each day we will write a blog post on a pre-determined theme chosen by a random noun generator. The theme for the thirty-first day of the month is "Activity."
**********************
At my book club meeting last month, we determined that our next meeting would be on the same day as one of our member's birthdays. She requested champagne and lemon bars, and since I'm hosting, I feel obligated to make sure she gets those things. I requested someone else get the champagne because I wouldn't have the foggiest idea where to start with that and I started Googling gluten-free lemon bar recipes right away. My friend doesn't need it to be GF, but I can't have regular wheat flour in our kitchen, so here we go.
Dr. BB had his own book club to go to last night, so once I came back from yoga at the community center, I ate some yogurt and granola and called it dinner and got to baking. I first made some chocolate chip cookie dough because if I'm going to get baking material out, I'm going to BAKE. Then I gathered up all the necessary ingredients and got started.
The recipe I used calls for a slight variation on my regular flour mix, so I made up a small batch just for this recipe and if it works out well enough, maybe I'll make a larger batch and try using it with non-cookie recipes. My flour mix is really only good for cookies. I've used it with some success on zucchini and pumpkin breads, but it hasn't been successful with scones, muffins, cakes, or even crusts for bars like lemon bars, so I need another alternative if I'm going to break out from cookies.
But do I need to break out from cookies? I really like cookies and there's a huge variety of types of cookies you can make. Outside of special circumstances like someone requesting lemon bars for their birthday, it's rare I need to make a baked good outside of a decent cookie. I don't know. Maybe the search for the perfect lemon bar will invigorate my creative spirit and I'll branch out more.
Meanwhile, I have no idea how this recipe actually turned out because it called for sitting in the fridge overnight. If it's good, I'll let you know. If you don't hear an update, it's because I'm pretending I didn't spent $7 on eggs for a failed recipe.
UPDATE:
They are mediocre. The custard part is quite good and lemony, but the base is stodgy and it's a bit gritty (maybe I didn't incorporate the granulated sugar well enough?). I took the big container to a meeting this morning and people took extras home, so they're definitely edible. The six in the small container are for me and Dr. BB. I don't think this is a winner, although I wouldn't be embarrassed to serve these to a friend.
Have you tried any new baking recipes recently? How did they turn out?
Ah good times. I love trying out new recipes but the reality is that my family is perfectly happy with chocolate chip cookies and/or chocolate chip cookie cake so I've learned not to stray too far.
ReplyDeleteYes, most people are so happy with homemade cookies that I feel like I don't *need* more in my arsenal, but I'm a woman in my 40s and I do feel like I should have wider baking skillz.
DeleteNo, you have to give us an update either way! As someone who constantly bakes using substitutions, I'm curious to hear they came out.
ReplyDeleteUpdate added. They're perfectly mediocre.
DeletePlease - we need an update!
ReplyDeleteI modified a ginger cookie recipe to become a peanut butter jam thumbprint recipe. I despaired because the dough was waaayyyy too dry, so I added milk, and then I despaired because they seemed to be too dry after baking. But after sitting overnight they are PERFECT and I have eaten way too many cookies over the last 48 hours.
Ginger to peanut butter? I feel like I need more information because those do not seem like matching flavors to me!
DeleteMy dear friend in Virginia is a GF activist, group leader, and recipe developer. She has a terrific blog and offers this recipe on her website in case your recipe for lemon bars didn't work. Her blog is a great resource for everyone who is GF. Whenever I visit her, I eat what she eats and always enjoy my meals with her.
ReplyDeleteThe last thing I baked was a chicken pot pie. I gave up on making my own pie crust ages and ages ago and now use Pillsbury's premade, which are actually quite good. Previous to that, an apple crisp. You bake way more fun stuff than I do.
Hm, that link doesn't work for me, but I'd love to have it. This recipe is fine, but didn't blow me away, so I'd love to try another version!
DeleteWell, it didn't work for me either. Sigh. Her website is https://glutenfreeeasily.com/ and she has a link to all her recipes on a searchable tab. In case, for some reason, that web address doesn't come through, her website is called gluten free easily. Sorry about that.
DeleteIf cookies make you happy, make cookies!! Do brownies/blondies count as cookies with your flour mix? And I agree with Jenny - an update either way! I love lemon squares. The base is just a cookie, right? So maybe you can make a different kind of cookie base?
ReplyDeleteI've been on a bit of a baking kick lately since I'm home more these past few weeks. I've made the SuperHero muffins from the Rise and Run cookbook (they use almond meal and oat flour instead of all purpose flour - would that work for you/Dr. BB?) They are not very sweet, and a little dense and have zucchini and sweet potatoe in them, so I can pretend they are healthy even though I loaded them with chocolate chips.
And... exciting, I have a loaf of sourdough bread in the oven this morning... fingers crossed on that one.
I don't care much for brownies and there are a million great GF brownie mixes, so I've never tried brownies. I've never tried blondies, either. Hm. I imagine my flour mix wouldn't work on those because they're more cake-like than cookie-like.
DeleteIf something has sweet potato AND zucchini, you're basically eating a superfood and it's definitely healthy. ;)
I'll be curious to see how these turned out! I make a flour blend, too - but mine is slightly different. I use the flour mix recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I do use it for everything, though, including zucchini bread, cakes, brownies, you name it. I mostly make cookies, though, but until recently, Paul only liked cookies. I prefer cookies to cakes, too, and I have a good recipe for a cookie cake that I've made for both boys' birthdays. But it sounds like Paul might want cupcakes or a cake for his 5th birthday... I'm hoping he'll accept store-bought cupcakes as his school bday treat (they can only bring store bought and he doesn't appear to have a gluten intolerance) and then we can have cookies or a cookie cake at home.
ReplyDeleteI just ordered the How Can It Be Gluten Free cookbook from the library. I've heard very mixed stories about it, but I'm not averse to trying new things. If there's a flour mixture that works as an all-purpose replacement, I'm on board!
DeleteI do know that different flours can behave differently, so I can see how the flour mix works better for some things than for others. I've been playing around with the flour ratios in my bread and the results are interesting.
ReplyDeleteI'd love to hear how the lemon bars turned out. They surely were edible! ;)
They turned out okayish. I think I can do better, though.
DeleteI adore all things lemon so I know those are delicious. They have to be, they're lemon! How's that for logic?
ReplyDeleteI 100% agree with your assessment, Ally.
DeleteThey do have a lovely lemon flavor, so they do have that going for them.
DeleteI always add in a new recipe or two for my copious Christmas baking (I am with you on the 'cookies are enough' - I enjoy my mom's squares, but for me cookies are really where it's at). The Salted Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread cookies were honestly not MY favourite, but a few people absolutely raved about them. My favourite were the Chewy Gingerbread Cookies with Lemon Glaze - my husband's favourite too.
ReplyDeleteSalted butter chocolate chip sounds delicious to me!! I made a lovely spiced chocolate chip cookie this year that I think will make the regular rotation.
DeleteI don't bake very often, mostly just cookies around Christmastime! I do usually end up making a few desserts here and there throughout the year for some occasion like Mother's Day or 4th of July or something. I don't dislike baking, but I mostly just don't really want all that stuff in the house for me to eat!! Because I do like eating baked goods, especially if it's something I have made that I chose to make and really like. Danger zone. haha. The boys will make brownies out of a box every so often- I find the boxed fudge brownies to be sinfully good, so I guess I never feel motivated to make them from scratch, if the boxed option seems delicious to all of us! lol.
ReplyDeleteYes, I feel that way about brownies, too. The GF brownie mixes are fine, so why do I need to fiddle around with homemade?!
DeleteI love to bake, although the results of my various attempts are all over the board. The most recent baked good I made was some banana muffins, for my kid. I hate bananas.
ReplyDeleteFor some reason, I feel Very Invested in the success of your lemon bar project! Probably because I adore lemon bars. I think it's a really good sign that the custard worked so well for this one! But a stodgy crust is super disappointing. I notice that your "baking mix" doesn't have almond flour -- are you unable to use almond flour? I feel like almond flour crust would be amazing with lemon custard -- or coconut flour crust. Please try again and keep us posted, I am on the EDGE of my seat.
I can use almond flour or coconut flour crust. I honestly just went with this recipe because it had so many good reviews and it was just luck that the flour base was similar to what I usually bake with. I'll dig around and see if I can find a recipe that doesn't necessarily rely on white rice flour so much! This experiment is not over.
DeleteI used to bake GF for my friend, and I usually just used bob's red mill gf flour with some extra xantham gum. It was pretty great. The Whole Foods store brand blend is pretty great for most things, too.
ReplyDeleteI've found that Bob's general mix is rather lackluster when it comes to anything cake-like. I will use it in a pinch, but I've not really had luck with any all-purpose GF substitute. That being said, I've heard excellent things about the King Arthur blend and I haven't been able to find it in any of my usual grocery haunts (Costco and Woodman's), so I haven't tried it yet.
DeleteAlas! No one in this house really bakes. There was a time when Sue did more, but that time has passed.
ReplyDeleteMy husband doesn't eat much of my baked goods, so I basically only bake for other people at this point.
DeleteI don't bake much, even though I do love baking. But now that I have a stand mixer (!!), I feel compelled to try baking more recipes. Doing everything by hand was annoying, so I never made the attempt. I love a good lemon bar, but I'm sorry to see that these didn't turn out as great as you were hoping. Maybe the next attempt will go better!
ReplyDeleteI'll keep working at it! It WILL get better.
Delete