GF Communion Bread
Gluten-Free Communion Bread
Original recipe by Reverend Allison R. Cobb
This recipe is pure brilliance. The problem with most gluten-free bread is the freezing/thawing process. Re-heating and eating it warm gives the best texture - it's not as dry and crumbly. However, re-heating is not always possible during a church service - unless one has installed an under-altar microwave. DING! "Come, for the meal is ready."
Pastor Allison's gluten-free "wonder bread" survives the freezing/thawing process amazingly well thanks to molasses and honey. These two ingredients act as humectants - meaning they help retain moisture. We've had excellent results with bread spending four weeks in the freezer. Being able to bake and store ahead is a huge time saver.
This bread has become standard communion bread at St. Stephen's Lutheran, ELCA, Rogersville.
For the first time in the assembly's history, Peggy made this bread to provide an entirely gluten-free communion to the attendees.
Feeding & Equipping Leaders”
East Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA
Synod Assembly 2018
East Central Synod of Wisconsin ELCA Synod Assembly 2019 will be offering this gluten-free bread again for their worship service!
In an effort to increase awareness and expand the knowledge-base, GIG of ECW created The Gluten-Free Communion Guide.
The purpose of this guide is to give congregations the necessary tools to safely make, prepare, and distribute gluten-free hosts to their gluten-free members.
If you are making this bread for gluten-free members of your congregation, it is important that you read this guide.
(including this recipe)
The same rules apply to gluten and gluten-free foods - they must be kept apart.
Even though a recipe may use gluten-free ingredients, the food must be appropriately prepared, so it remains gluten-free. If you are making meals for a gluten-free guest, you must be mindful of gluten cross-contact.”
If you are making this recipe for a gluten-free guest, please read our Guide to Gluten Cross-Contact.
Ingredients:
4 large eggs
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Honey
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Molasses
½ cup water
1 ½ cups Pamela’s Bread Mix – firmly packed (very important to pack)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp gluten-free baking soda (Bob’s Red Mill Baking Soda)
Yield: 8 - 6” rounds (Each round serves about 20 people)
Directions:
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. [Use a dessert plate (about 6” diameter) as a template to draw four circles on the parchment paper.]
Whisk eggs in large bowl. Add and whisk with eggs the olive oil, honey, molasses and water.
Sift dry ingredients together (I use a strainer over a bowl). Add to wet ingredients a quarter at a time. Whisk well after each addition. [Can use a stand mixer to mix ingredient for about 3 minutes].
Spoon 8 equal amounts of batter onto each circle. Spread to about ¼ inch thickness. The dough will rise slightly when baking. (they will not spread while baking – desired size is about 6 inches across)
Bake 14 minutes (may have to add 1 more minute if not done). When done use a spatula to transfer the rounds to a wire rack or a cookie sheet lined with three layers of paper towel.
Wrap cooled rounds individually in plastic wrap. Place 3-4 wrapped rounds in large baggie. Put a piece of paper inside the baggie with date of baking on it.
Store in refrigerator for 1-2 days or freeze until ready to use. If possible, set out for an hour or so before using.
(Note: We created a cardboard circle pattern so bakers could draw eight circles on the parchment paper for size).
Auntie's Cutout Cookies
Auntie's Cutout Cookies
Original recipe by Edna Schwandt
Gluten-Free Adaption by Peggy Klapperich
When using any flours/grains, nuts, seeds, etc - make sure they are labeled gluten-free. Gluten contamination of these products are very likely if they’re not produced in a dedicated facility.
To learn more about this, see Grain-Free for the Gluten-Free
Peggy's Aunt Edna makes the best cutout cookies. Many years ago, Peggy learned how to make them. They continue to be holiday family favorites - except for me.
When I had to go gluten-free, this meant an end to these cookies. Since 2003, Peggy has been trying to replicate these beloved cookies. Many different custom blended and commercial flour mixes have been tried.
While the GF versions of this cookie have been good - they still weren't like Auntie's cookies - until now. These cookies are the closest version yet. They remain crispy on the outside, soft on the inside - even after freezing them.
Step aside Almond Flour Sugar Cookies, there's a new favorite cutout cookie in town.
Cookie Ingredients:
4 cups Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Sprinkle of Salt
Potato or Tapioca starch (not flour) for rolling.
Frosting Ingredients*:
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk or almond milk
*The amounts listed are approximate. Adjust them until it's as stiff or loose as you like.
Directions:
In mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar & vanilla together.
Add eggs - beat until fluffy
Add dry ingredients - mix throughly - at least 2 to 3 minutes.
Chill dough over night (3 hour minimum)
Remove about 1/4 of the dough keeping the rest in the fridge.
Dust counter with starch. Coat dough until it's no longer sticky.
Roll dough to 3/8" thickness. It is best to keep these cookies on the thicker side. They are a bit fragile.
Cut out cookies and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Set scrap aside in the fridge. Do not add rolled dough to fresh dough
Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes - until edges start to brown. Note: cookies brown quickly. Don't let them get too brown.
Remove cookies from oven. Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Place on waxed paper.
Repeat rolling & baking process until fresh dough is gone.
Combine dough scraps, re-roll, cut and bake.
Tip: Do not frost these cookies to far in advance. They will absorb some moisture from the frosting.
Yield: 6 dozen cookies
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Almond Flour Sugar Cookies
Original recipe by Erin of MeaingfulEats.com
When using any flours/grains, nuts, seeds, etc - make sure they are labeled gluten-free. Gluten contamination of these products are very likely if they’re not produced in a dedicated facility.
To learn more about this, see Grain-Free for the Gluten-Free
We have tried a number of sugar cookie/cut out cookie recipes over the years. So far, this is the best one we have found. It’s our gluten-free holiday cookie go-to recipe. Refer to the original recipe for hints and tips for making these.
Cookie Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, ghee, or palm shortening, softened
1/4 cup softened coconut oil
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (Penzey’s)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda (Arm & Hammer)
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour (Honeyville) (scoop and slightly pack it down when you measure it)
1/2 cup coconut flour (Bob’s Red Mill GF)
Frosting Ingredients*:
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk or almond milk
Directions:
Cream together the butter, coconut oil, and brown sugar in mixer bowl. Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract - mix well.
Combine baking soda, salt, almond & coconut flour in separate bowl - mix well. With mixer on low, slowly add flour mixture to wet ingredients 1 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.
Place dough on plastic wrap and form into disk. Wrap dough and refrigerate for 30 min to overnight. Overnight is best.
Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper
Sprinkle coconut flour on clean flat surface. Roll out dough until it’s 1/4” thick. It helps to roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper. If not, coat rolling pin with coconut flour.
Cut cookies with your favorite cutters. Work quickly so the dough stays cold. Use spatula to transfer cookies to baking sheet.
Gather the scraps. Ball, roll, and repeat. If dough gets too warm, refrigerate it again.
Bake for 13-15 minutes - until lightly golden. Baking these longer than typical sugar cookies. This allows the outside to get a little crispy, but the inside will be soft. Cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.
Frosting Directions:
Combine ingredients into mixing bowl. Mix with stand or hand mixer until fluffy.
*The amounts listed are approximate. Adjust them until it's as stiff or loose as you like.
Oatmeal Cake
Oatmeal Cake (a.k.a “Crack Cake”)
The original recipe was designed for baking in a microwave. The directions here are for baking in a normal oven.
Some celiacs will react to the protein found in oats [avenin], just as they react to the proteins in wheat, barley, rye.
If you choose to add oats to your diet, please make sure they are gluten-free purity protocol oats.
To learn more, please read our oats article.
Cake Ingredients:
1 cup of purity protocol certified gluten-free oats (GF Harvest Oats)
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup favorite GF flour blend (Krusteaz Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour Mix)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
Caramel Topping Ingredients:
3/4 cup brown sugar
6 tblsp butter
2 tblspn milk
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Directions Cake:
Cook oatmeal and water uncovered until mixture boils. About 3-4 minutes in microwave. Stir once and set aside.
Blend all ingredients well. Stir in oatmeal mixture.
Grease bottom of glass12x8 pan. Pour into pan.
Bake at 325 for 40-50 minutes - until toothpick comes out clean.
Directions Topping:
Combine all ingredients and heat. When well blended spread over cake.
Topping may be put under the broiler for a few minutes till golden brown.
Carrot Cake
Gluten-Free Carrot Cake
Peggy converted this recipe she got from a co-worker. We served this cake for GIG of ECW's 5th anniversary celebration.
Ingredients
1/2 cup GF coconut flour (Bob's Red Mill GF)
1/2 cup GF sorghum flour (Bob's Red Mill GF)
1 cup gluten-free flour mix (Jules GF Flour Mix)
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan gum (Ener G)
1 tsp double strength vanilla (Penzey's)
4 extra large eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup coconut oil (Dr. Bronner's White Virgin)
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 cups grated carrots
¾ cups organic raisins (Roundy's – nothing but raisins)
1 cup raw, unsalted pecans (Nuts.com - GFCO)
3 teaspoons cinnamon (Penzey's)
2 teaspoons baking soda (Arm & Hammer)
Frosting
4-5 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 tbsp softened butter
3/4 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla (Penzey's)
1 tsp milk
Cake Directions
In mixing bowl cream together eggs, oil & sugar. Add vanilla. Mix in shredded carrots. Add dry ingredients. Mix with mixer for 5 minutes. Fold in nuts & raisins.
Grease two 9” round pans. Add parchment paper to bottoms. Spoon mixture into pans.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 min. or until toothpick comes clean or golden brown and pulls away from sides of pan. Cool in pan on rack for 5 min, then remove cakes from pan and allow to finish cooling on rack.
Frosting Directions
Place ingredients in mixing bowl. With mixer whip ingredients mix for about 5 minutes or until fluffy.
Frost cooled cake. Refrigerate after it's frosted to firm up frosting.
Garnish with chopped pecans.
Note: Due to the coconut oil, refrigeration of the cake will result in it being firm. Best to serve at room temperature, unless you like firm cake.
Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.
Peggy & Al
Peg's Home Econ Banana Bread
Banana Bread
The original recipe is from my 9th grade Home Economics class. I've adapted this version so it's GF. I also modified the GF and the non-GF recipe to reduce the sugar.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Jules Gluten-free Flour Blend
3/4 cup Gluten-free ground flax meal
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup Vegetable Shortening (Earth Balance Baking Sticks)
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
(can use un-sweetened applesauce if not enough bananas)
1 1/2 teaspoon Gluten-Free Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon Penzey's Vanilla Extract
Makes 2 regular sized breads or 6 mini breads.
Directions:
Cream butter, sugar, & eggs together well. Stir in bananas/applesauce. Sift dry ingredients together and mix with banana mixture. Pour into grease 2 bread pans or 6 mini bread pans. Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes. Bread is done when inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy!
Peg
Pumpkin Bars
Pumpkin Bars
While they are called "Pumpkin Bars", it's really more like a cake. The finished product is about 2-3" tall - not flat like a brownie.
They guys are an annual fave around our house and with family & friends. In almost all cases, Peg makes these [the GF version] since they are indistinguishable from the gluten bars.
Ingredients:
4 eggs beaten
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp Penzey's cinnamon
1 tsp Arm & Hammer baking soda
1 tsp Calumet baking powder
1 cup of Jules Gluten Free Flour (GFCO Certified Product)
1 cup of Sorghum Flour (Bob's Redmill)
1 tsp Xanthan gum
Combine all ingredients & mix well. Pour in to greased 11x15 pan.
Bake @ 350 for 25-30 min. 8 x 11.5 pan will work for 1/2 recipe
Frosting:
4-5 oz cream cheese (softened)
3 tbsp softened butter
3/4 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp milk
Mix & beat until fluffy. Spread on warm pumpkin bars.
These will freeze quite well.
Until the next good eats...
Al n Peg
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Lemon Blueberry Bread
It's a cool fall day, so that means baking, particularly when we are on vacation. While I was painting the bathroom, Peg was in the kitchen converting a gluten-full recipe to a gluten-free recipe. The cut loaf shown here didn't last long.
While this might look like a bread, it's more like a cake. Regardless of what you call it, it's darn tasty!
Bread Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar (scant)
3 eggs
2 1/4 cup Jules Gluten free flour blend
3/4 sorghum flour
1/4 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
3/4 tsp double strength vanilla
2 tablespoons tightly packed lemons, zest of
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ounces or so frozen blueberries
Icing Ingredients:
8 ounces powdered sugar (or 1/2 box)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons tightly packed lemons, zest of
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2 - Important: grease and flour two loaf pans.
3 - Cream butter and sugar.
4 - Add eggs and beat until smooth.
5 - Add buttermilk.
6 - Mix dry ingredients together and add to buttermilk mixture.
7 - Blend well.
8 - Mix in lemon juice and zest.
9 - Gently fold in blueberries and only mix until incorporated.
10 - Pour batter into loaf pans.
11 - Bake loaves on the middle rack of the oven for 60 to 65 minutes.
12 - Cool bread 10 minutes, remove from pan and place on a large cookie sheet, top side up.
13 - For icing: Combine icing ingredients in a bowl.
14 - Beat icing with an electric mixer until smooth.
15 - Drizzle icing over the warm loaves.
16 - The icing will harden when the bread cools to room temperature.
I halved the icing recipe and had plenty.
Original recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-blueberry-bread-69730
Until the next good eats....
Al n Peg
Coffee Cake
Peg ran across a recipe in Bon Appetit magazine showing all the variations of a yeast-dough. This set off a firestorm of ideas. She woke up early Saturday in anticipation of making this coffee cake.
Of course it was a wheat-based recipe, so it'd have to be converted.
She thought a pre-existing recipe might work well as a starting point. The recipe she used was that of my favorite flat bread [bread that I use for making sandwiches & buns]
Cake Ingredients
1/4 cup GF brown rice flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 cup GF Sorghum (Bob's Red Mill)
1/2 cup Sweet Rice Flour
1/2 cup Tapioca Flour
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 Tablespoon instant yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 c. water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons melted butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2-3 Tablespoons sweet rice flour (for dusting pan/hands)
Streusel Topping Ingredients
1/2 cup Jules GF Flour
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 cup cold butter
3/4 cup of nuts
Glaze Ingredients
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 cup powered sugar
2 to 4 tablespoons of milk
Recipe makes 2 - 8" round pans
Directions
Mix together all dry ingredients except sweet rice flour (brown rice flour, tapioca starch, sugar, xanthan gum, yeast and salt).
In a heavy mixer, combine wet ingredients (water, vinegar, oil, and eggs).
Slowly add dry ingredients to well blended wet ingredients.
Beat on medium/medium high speed for 4 minutes.
Dust two 8" round cake pans with flour (or oil bottom of pan and lightly dust oiled pan).
Place dough in a warm spot, allow to rest/rise for 35-40 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Mix streusel ingredients in a bowl until crumbly.
Sprinkle on top of dough
Bake for 12-18 minutes or until the top is slightly browned.
Mix Glaze ingredients in a bowl. Add milk slowly as needed - mixing until the desired consistency.
Allow to cool before drizzling the glaze.
Notes:
You could sub-out the flours with your favorite flour blend if you like.
Brownie Bites with Raspberry Chocolate Topping
Peg first made non-GF Brownie Bites for her co-workers. Since they were such a hit, she decided to make a gluten-free version of them.
The outside is slightly crispy, but the inside is moist and chewy - like a...brownie. Kinda funny how that works...
Gluten-Free Brownie Bite Ingredients
4 squares BAKER'S Unsweetened Chocolate
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp double strength vanilla [Penzey's]
2 cups GF flour mix [Jules GF Flour Mix]
1/2 cup GF sorghum flour [Bob's Red Mill]
1/8 tsp xanthan gum
Brownie Bite Directions
Microwave unsweetened chocolate and butter in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add sugar; mix well. Blend in eggs and vanilla. Add flour; mix well. Refrigerate 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle.
Heat oven to 350°F. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; place, 2 inches apart, on baking sheets sprayed with cooking spray.
Bake 8 min. or just until set. (Do not overbake.) Cool on baking sheet 1 min.; remove to wire racks or waxed paper. Cool completely.
Frost Brownie Bites with Chocolate Raspberry Topper (see recipe below)
Peg converted this original recipe.
Chocolate Raspberry Topper Ingredients
1/2 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder
6 Tbsp Ball® RealFruit™ Classic Pectin
4-1/2 cups crushed red raspberries
6-3/4 cups granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. lemon juice
6 (8 oz) half pint glass preserving jars with lids and bands
Chocolate Raspberry Sauce Directions
Prepare boiling water canner. Heat jars and lids in simmering water until ready for use. Do not boil. Set bands aside.
Combine cocoa powder and pectin in a medium glass bowl, stirring until evenly blended. Set aside.
Combine crushed raspberries and lemon juice in a large stainless steel saucepan. Whisk in pectin mixture until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
Ladle hot sundae topper into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight.
Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
Special thanks to Colleen for sharing this original recipe!
German Chocolate Cake
Our friend asked Peg if she could make a gluten-free German Chocolate Cake.
Instead of standard sized cake, Peg decided to make a doz. cupcakes and this mini-cake.
The cake was a hit! Our friend was so excited she dug into it immediately and shared it with a few other gluten-free guests.
Another gluten-free guest headed directly for the cupcake container after seeing the mini-cake.
Peg is becoming quite the Google Master. She found the recipe in a cake baking forum - without any help from me.
After reading through the forums posts, it appears this recipe is from The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free book by Anne Bryn. The premise of the book is to take ordinary [gluten-free] cake mixes, "doctor them up" and make them better! This is one cookbook we don't have.
Here is the cake recipe and frosting recipe
This mini-cake was made in 4 1/2" tart pans. We sliced the top off of the bottom layer to make it flat.
The rest of the batter went to make cupcakes.
Lemond Almond Cookies
by Aneh Mundi
We got this recipe from Aneh in a gluten-free cooking class we took in 2005. Peg finally had a chance to try it out.
Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/3 cup of powdered sugar
3 1/2 cups Almond Meal (Bob's Red Mill)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind (about 1/2 lemon)
1/2 teaspoon GF vanilla (Penzey's!)
Directions
In a mixer beat eggs and sugar
In a separate bowl combine almond meal, baking powder and lemon rind
Add eggs and mix to form soft dough
With oiled hands roll rough into small balls about the size of a walnut.
Flatten out balls in powdered sugar. Flatten some thing smooth (glass, plate, etc)
Bake at 350 for 10-15 min. or until GBD (Golden, Brown & Delicious).
These taste as good as they look!
Peg's Primo Peanut Butter Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup Skippy Peanut Butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon gluten free vanilla (McCormick's or Penzey's vanilla)
3 cups of your favorite GF Flour Blend (Krusteez)
2 teaspoons gluten free baking soda (Arm and Hammer)
½ teaspoon salt
Yield: 8 – 10 dozen
Cream shortening, sugars & peanut butters.
Add eggs and beat well
Sift flours, baking soda, salt – add to creamed ingredients. Mix well.
Refrigerate in a sealed container overnight.
Shape into balls - ½ tablespoon dough
Place on cookie sheet & flatten with fork. Dip fork in sugar first.
Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes. Time may vary depending on your oven.
Peg Notes:
You can use a single gluten-free peanut butter of choice. I happen to like the Natural Peanut Butters.
If you don't live in a 100% gluten-free household, make 100% sure the peanut butter has not been "double dipped". The easiest way to do this is to use an un-opened jar. Crumbs from non-gluten-free bread will contaminate the peanut butter and thus making it off-limits to those following a gluten-free diet. The butter dish is another huge contamination risk - it's best to get out a fresh stick. The same contamination rules applies for the Crisco & the sugars (or any product) as well.
Yes, crumbs matter.
You can also use any gluten-free flour mix you wish. Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Flour Mix is readily available in most grocery stores. This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to the type of GF flours. I use the sorghum flour to slightly boost the nutritional value.
5/7/21 - update recipe