I never was a huge baker before I found out I was allergic to wheat 10 years ago. Afterward, I would occasionally try to make gluten-free cakes and muffins and they turned out okay, but never great. Certainly nothing you'd feed to people who could eat wheat.
When I saw the great reviews this book had on Amazon, I decided to give it a try. I made the lemon cake first. Wow. It was the best thing I've ever tasted. My boyfriend, who can eat wheat, ate both 8-inch cakes in 3 days (yes, I was mad ;-) ). Later he said he had a lemon cake at a nice restaurant and was disappointed because it wasn't as good as the one from this book. My 16 year-old cousin said it was his new favorite cupcake.
After that, I started baking all the time and enjoyed tons of things I haven't been able to eat for 10 years. Carrot cake, ice cream sandwiches, doughnuts, I've made them all. I've also given these to people who can eat wheat and they love them. I make many things dairy free as well, I just substitute rice milk (I find the brands with a creamier texture work best).
I do find, as some other reviewers have noted, that Annalise Roberts likes her baked goods quite sweet, and sometimes oily. I am not watching my weight or sugar intake, I just like the treats better with some small changes. Here is a list of the things I have made with my adjustments:
Carrot cake: I used unsweetened coconut, and I added a cup of (well-drained) crushed pineapple. I replaced 1/4 of a cup of oil with applesauce, and I reduced the sugar by 1/8 of a cup. This was the first gluten free baked treat my roommates tried, and they kept saying for the next few months, "Hey... when are you going to bake again?" Actually, they kept asking until we moved out last September!
Old-fashioned doughnuts: I changed nothing! They are perfect as is. I gave them to my dad and he ate them late at night. The next day he told me, "You know, I was expecting to feel sick after I ate those, or at least neutral. But, after I ate them I felt fantastic!" I felt the same way. I made the chocolate doughnuts too but I liked the old-fashioned ones much better. Next time I'm going to use fresh-ground nutmeg to see if that makes a difference.
Banana muffins: I used half brown and half Roger's organic sugar, and I mashed some banana and put it in the rice milk (her recipe called for chopped banana only). I reduced the liquid by 1 tbs of milk and 1 tbs of oil to compensate. My boyfriend ate 6 right out of the oven. I ate 3.
Chocolate chip muffins. I made these for a pro-D day at my school (I teach elementary school). I also made some morning glory muffins using her basic muffin recipe. They were all gone by 3 pm. ORDINARY muffins don't disappear at my school like that.
Ice cream sandwiches: Fabulous. I was so excited and I told everyone I ate my first ice cream sandwich in 10 years. They are best after they have been in the freezer for 3 or 4 days because the ice cream has time to make the cookie soft.
Coconut cake: I used 1/8 of a cup less sugar and I made this into a 4-layer cake by cutting 2 layers in half. This was for my mom's birthday. Her friend that stayed over said the next morning, "I was dreaming of that cake of yours. I'm having it for breakfast!" My mom did too. Another one of her friends told me about a month later, "I was driving the other day and I was thinking about that cake you made for your mom... will you make it again?" I'm thinking about it right now. Mmm... cake.
Sandwich bread: I had trouble with this bread, it kept falling in the oven. I did some research and realized that since I live in Vancouver, Canada, the moisture in the air is affecting my bread. I reduced the liquid slightly and I added a tablespoon of flour. I put in a little apple cider vinegar to tenderize the loaf. Now it rises beautifully and stays that way. I will post a picture one day if I get the chance.
Focaccia bread. Same as above. Less liquid, more flour and a little vinegar. I also added 1 teaspoon of gelatin. I topped mine with sun dried tomatoes and basil. Yum!
I also made cheese puffs, popovers, fudge cake, the pie crust and challah bread without any adjustments and they were all great. I also think this book helped me convince my dad to go gluten-free too, because it helped him realize the food could be really good. He feels so much better now.
Anyway this book gave me a new pastime and a healthier dad, so I have to give it five stars :-) .
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Top reviews from other countries
J. Simon
Recipes work exactly as stated
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 29, 2012
Constant Bookworm
Bought again for my sister
Reviewed in Germany on November 22, 2017
