Determined, I decided to substitute ground flax seed and water for the missing eggs — flax is a useful substitute to know about if you cannot eat eggs. What a revelation! I expected passable pancakes. I got marvelous, velvety pancakes, even better tasting than before.

A few years ago, I had trouble finding any version of cottage cheese pancakes on the web. But, recently, I saw a wheat flour version demonstrated on Nigella Feasts. Nigella Lawson calls her recipe cheesecakelets . (Wish I’d thought of that name first!). Her recipe is quite different from mine, but her sentiment and affection for it are mirrored by my family.

I hope these pancakes are a revelation and a new favorite for your family too!

Update: I have now attempted this recipe without any eggs at all and am happy to report that it works! You will want to make the batter slightly thinner and make certain to cook each side of the pancake well before turning. Hopefully this is good news for those of you who are allergic/sensitive to eggs in addition to gluten.

Cottage Cheese Pancakes

Preheat griddle or skillet on medium heat for cooking pancakes. Brush or spray the surface with oil.

Add all ingredients to blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy. (If too thick, add additional milk and blend.) You want the finished product to have the texture of cultured buttermilk or…house paint…definitely thinner than traditional pancake batter.

Pour batter into individual pancakes (smaller cakes 4 inches/10 cm  across are easier to manage and turn). Allow to cook until bubbles form and break. Turn with a spatula and cook for an additional minute to complete cooking on the other side.

Mom was known for making bread. Big batches of whole grain wheat that she ground herself from hard winter wheat that she purchased in 50 pound bags stored in the deep freeze. Mom was devoted to making wholesome, whole grain bread for our family, friends and neighbors. In fact to this day when I run into friends from those years growing up, they will often comment on how they miss the occasional gift of bread.

Mom had perfected her recipe through trial and error. It was evenly textured, nutty tasting, barely sweet, and as light as one could hope for in whole wheat bread. She allowed it to rise at least twice on Fridays while she cleaned the house in a marathon of effort. I vividly remember the enveloping scent of freshly baked bread and a clean house upon walking in the door after school. Her other hallmark was the fact that she baked her 6-7 loaf batch in greased coffee cans. This often embarrassed us kids when we took sandwiches to school because ours were oddly round shaped.

This recipe for pumpkin bread is a labor of love and Mom would be proud. It is somewhere in between cake and bread because it is sweet enough to pass for dessert and hearty enough to use as a breakfast or snack bread.  This bakes up very moist and with a lovely crumb. I challenge anyone to guess its gluten free origins. I prefer to avoid cinnamon and substitute allspice, but I have written the recipe with the traditional cinnamon included, my substitutions are noted in parentheses below. Please feel free to top with your favorite glaze if you wish to take this in a dessert direction. I also love this sliced warm and dressed with butter.

Enjoy!

Mom’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread/Cake  Recipe

Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C and grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) two 9×5 bread pans. Or you may use one bunt pan for the entire recipe.

In a large bowl whisk eggs together. Add oil and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Add sugar and mix again. Then add vanilla, yogurt, pumpkin puree, lemon juice and whisk together.

In a separate bowl measure flours, flax, salt, baking powder, baking soda, Xanthan Gum, spices, and nuts. Blend dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to the liquid mix gradually and whisk until blended.

Divide batter evenly into 2 bread pans or place all the batter in one bunt pan.

Bake one hour at 350°F/180°C. Turn pans half way through cooking time. Bake until center of loaf reads 195°F/90°C on instant read thermometer or when a toothpick tests clean with slightly moist crumbs.

The following recipe for GF flour tortillas is all about technique. I was determined to have thin tortillas and was disappointed to learn that flour tortillas thicken during cooking. I discovered that I must roll the dough gossamer thin.

I tried my aluminum tortilla press…very disappointing…uneven and nowhere near thin enough. Perhaps a cast iron tortilla press would behave better? Next, I tried hand rolling. Most recipes recommend a lightly floured surface. But, I wanted smooth tortillas without a flour residue. Finally, I tried a technique I have used in the past to make very tender pie crusts:  I rolled out the tortillas between sheets of parchment paper.Worked great!

The next  hurdle, was learning how to remove paper-thin tortillas from parchment without tearing them. Ahhh…the solution was to peal away the top sheet of parchment paper, turn over the paper with tortilla still attached, and place it onto the hot skillet or griddle. When the tortilla hits the pan, it adheres to the hot surface. Peeling off the paper becomes effortless. Success! I love it when experimentation produces a simple, repeatable process.At some point, they can be rolled too thin. But, as you can see when backlit by a lightbulb, this unbaked tortilla is thinner than you might aim for, but it turned out just right. To get it right, note in the recipe the quantity of dough in each ball and the diameter of the rolled out circle.

I used my first half batch of flour tortillas for homemade mu shu chicken. It was the first time our family has enjoyed this dish in years. Last night, I made homemade beef fajitas with all the fixings. YUM! Again, it was a treat my darling has not enjoyed in long time. I plan to prepare a few batches of the dry ingredients and shortening for storage. With a scoop of dry mix and some warm water, we would never be more than a few minutes away from fresh GF flour tortillas.

Gluten Free Flour Tortillas

Makes 12 to  15 tortillas.

Instructions:

Heat a skillet/griddle to 350 degrees F. Add ½ tsp oil and wipe pan with paper towel.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, fiber, baking powder, salt, and mix. Add shortening and work into dough to form course crumbs. Add water and mix until blended well.

Take 2 Tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball between parchment papers to about 8-10 inches across. Remove top layer of parchment paper.

Pick up the remaining parchment with tortilla attached, turn it upside down, and place it evenly onto the heated surface. Begin along one side and remove paper carefully, leaving tortilla in pan. Allow tortilla to bake for about 1 minute and turn it over with a spatula.  Cook for more 30 seconds. Remove to plate.

Use immediately or store in zip top bag in refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave briefly for 10-15 seconds.

These waffles taste of the holidays with warm spice and mellow pumpkin..the additional bonus is that this recipe allows for guests to get up at different times and prep their waffle from the batter…OR the recipe is moist enough that you can make the waffles ahead of time (store in the fridge or freezer)…then just reheat in a low oven, toaster, or in the microwave.

Of course this is also the perfect recipe for a day off or weekend brunch. To make it even more special you can serve with special syrups (homemade or purchased), a selection of fruit toppings, or just a dollop of whipped cream.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Pumpkin Waffle Recipe (Great For Holidays)

Makes 8-12 waffles. (serves 4-6)

Preheat waffle iron to desired heat setting.

Place dry ingredients together in a bowl and combine.

Beat wet ingredients together in a separate bowl with electric hand mixer or whisk. Add dry ingredients to wet gradually. If mixture is too thick adjust by adding additional water.

Grease or spray waffle iron. Load batter into waffle iron using a spoon. Underfill as the mixture will rise and spread (our iron takes about 5 heaping Tablespoons). Bake until golden brown. Makes 8-12 waffles. Serve with your favorite syrup and toppings.

For me there are certain must haves for the dinner table that include Turkey (make mine brined please), mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, and a dinner roll of some sort off to the side (gluten free of course).

Those are the essentials in my opinion…now we typically also have sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, mac and cheese, and at least two different stuffings (corn bread and white bread — Southerners and Northerners are welcome) on the table as well. However if forced to be absolutely minimal I could live happily with the aforementioned short list. Notice that stuffing is not on my short list. I must confess that I am not stuffing’s biggest fan…I eat it…but I could live without it. However since I am guessing that I might be in the minority, I am going to give you a leg up with hints and techniques for transforming your favorite stuffing recipe into a gluten free version for the holidays.

I hesitate to wade in on the stuffing debate. I know that all the various kinds have their enthusiastic proponents. Bread versus cornbread versus rice versus potato versus pumpkin stuffing and all the other minor variations that abound. I will focus these tips on those recipes that call for bread…many of the other versions such as cornbread or rice stuffing are already gluten free or easily convert to gluten free with minor tweaks.

Here are the guidelines:

• When using gluten free breads cut the bread smaller than you would normally. Gluten free breads tend to be denser than typical wheat breads so you will need the extra surface area gained by chopping or crumbling the bread finely to achieve the correct finished texture.
• Be ready to add more stock/broth to moisten than your recipe calls for with gluten bread (if necessary).
• Use stale, dry bread. For a fresh loaf, bake your sliced bread in a low oven (200°) until dry so that it will thirstily soak up the liquid components of your recipe.
• Consider changing the proportion of ingredients to lean more on the vegetable components of the dish. For example, add more onions, celery, carrots, etc. than the recipe originally calls for. Again working toward keeping the final texture moist and delicious.
• Consider making the stuffing the day before and allowing it to soak or rest in the refrigerator overnight. Gluten free flours can often be “harder” than wheat and need extra time to take on moisture. Added benefit is less prep work on the day of.
• Choose your bread well…Ensure that you use a bread that you and your family enjoy in its “natural” state. You might consider Udi’s bread if you have access locally or online (we love the multigrain variety).
• Make careful notes of your changes/tweeks! Trust me you will not remember a year from now or even a month from now. Make notes on what went well and suggestions for the next time you make the stuffing. Remember, you are crafting a legacy recipe that will eventually be a fail safe foundation for future holidays.
• Be fearless. Even if you do not consider yourself completely comfortable with changing a family recipe, consider the possible benefits of having a beloved favorite you and your family can enjoy without gluten.

Here are some helpful links to gluten free stuffing recipe versions:

Perfect Gluten Free Stuffing

 Mirliton (Chayote) Stuffing

Our household is officially sick of zucchini bread. The version you will benefit from here is the last of a several week odyssey…chasing a taste memory from childhood. Our neighbor from across the street occasionally would gift us with a loaf of just the best zucchini bread. I began with a recipe I found on the web…great texture but not quite right..it lacked sweetness and spice. I did get my hands on the recipe from childhood(thank you MB!), but of course that was only the beginning of translation into a gluten free loaf. Multiple batches were necessary in order to achieve the correct level of moistness, spice mixture, texture and oil/flour/sugar/zucchini ratio. A moist loaf with the ability to hold together along with the flavor was an elusive prize. This reincarnation nails the spice, moisture level, and texture. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Zucchini Bread Recipe 

Ingredients:

 Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° and grease and flour (or line with parchment paper) two 9×5 bread pans. Or you may use one bunt pan for the entire recipe.

In a large bowl whisk eggs together. Add oil and whisk vigorously to emulsify. Add sugar and mix again. Then add vanilla, yogurt, grated zucchini, lemon juice and whisk together.

In a separate bowl measure flours, flax, salt, baking powder, baking soda, Xanthan Gum, spices, and nuts. Blend dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients to the liquid mix gradually and whisk until blended.

Divide batter evenly into two bread pans or place all the batter in one bunt pan.

Bake one hour at 350 degrees. Turn pans half way through cooking time. Bake until center of loaf reads 190-195° on instant read thermometer or when a toothpick tests clean with slightly moist crumbs.

Udi Gluten-Free Bread Review 

“This is good bread,” I told my husband. “And, I had wheat bread yesterday.”

“You had gluten yesterday. You didn’t tell me?” he asked.

“So, it’s not like I’ve lost my sense of what good bread tastes like,” I pretended to ignore him.

“You could have told me you had gluten yesterday,” he said now looking at the floor. “I feel like, I dunno, like a bond between us has been severed. It’s like I’ve been…deceived.”

“I have gluten almost every day,” I told him. Now he was shuffling his feet. “But, this is Good Bread!”

“Yeah, this bread is really good!,” he finally agreed.  “And,” smiling graciously he added, “I forgive you,” which was the endplay to our verbal teasing.

Every experience with Udi bread since our first taste, usually includes a comment such as, “This is really good bread” or “This is a good or better than any store-bought wheat bread I have ever tasted.” Notice, not “good gluten free bread,” “good bread.” Period.

The name of my website boasts an audacious claim. As such, I strive to earn your trust. You can take this one to the store:

Udi bakes really good bread! Tell me how much you liked it.

~Jean Ann

When I first made these (and since) for my husband  he sniffed the rolls and tipped his head back in ecstasy. He does know how to encourage me to make them frequently! They do smell amazingly like wheat rolls. He likes to spread butter on them hot from the oven or dip them in melted butter for a better than lobster experience (perhaps only for those who have gone without dinner rolls for some time : )

For our family, the Brazilian cheese bread known in Portuguese as Pao de Queijo (pawn’ juh kay’ joo) are the best gluten-free dinner rolls we have tasted. Bonus: you don’t have to wait for bread dough to proof or rise. This recipe has no leavening agents at all. Pao de queijo are best served straight out of the oven while they are still hot and almost gooey inside. They are addictive–consider yourself warned.

I add soluble fiber to the recipe which is not detectable, but it helps me to believe I have made them more healthful. I am also not opposed to the various mixes out there that make the process of getting these to the table even simpler than the short recipe below. There are days when from-scratch is simply not workable in our schedule or I lack one of the ingredients.

Pao de Queijo

1. Sift flour into bowl. Mix in salt and cheese. Mix in Oil thoroughly.
2. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Simmer milk on the stove or in the microwave (My microwave takes a minute or less). Pour warm milk a little at a time into the bowl with the cheese and flour mix, you may not need all of the milk. The dough needs to be thick enough to roll into balls.
4. Let dough sit for ½ hour. (if possible)
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
6. Shape the dough by hand into 1-inch little balls. Place on a well greased baking sheet (or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper).
7. Bake 17-22 minutes until lightly golden and crackled on the outside.

• Let dough rest after mixing by hand.
• After forming into balls you can freeze the dough on a cookie sheet. Then place the frozen dough balls into a freezer bag.
• Place balls at least 1 inch apart on baking sheet. They will grow to twice their original size.
• Leftovers…if there are any… can be sealed in a baggie and stored in the refrigerator for up to one week. Reheat in microwave for a few seconds.

This is even better than the delicious banana bread I grew up on. The only thing I might add next time is finely chopped pecans. Certainly you might be inspired to add rum soaked raisins, coconut, or chocolate chips etc. For a decadent dessert you might add a couple scoops of ice cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Yum! (Or should I say Eureka!)