A new gluten-free flour can be used like regular flour in baking favorite desserts.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFA new gluten-free flour can be used like regular flour in baking favorite desserts.(photo credit: SARIT GOFFEN)
One out of 133 people is diagnosed as being sensitive to gluten.According to the Israeli Celiac Association, there are more than 20,000 people with this condition in the country. But not only people with celiac refrain from eating gluten. A global trend calls for everyone to remove it from their diet for many reasons.But when it comes to baking, gluten plays a major role. Replacing wheat with other flours, while retaining the lightness and flavor of the baked goods, requires expertise and a lot of experience.Karagil flour, a new product developed by chef Einat Mazor and the Eshbal company, is gluten-free. And it contains no soy, sugar, nut, milk or preservatives. The new flour costs less than NIS 20 for 450 gr., and 1 cup of it can replace regular flour in most recipes. It can even be used for making pasta at home. Karagil flour is kosher Badatz mehadrin and is made according to international GMP standards.Here are a few recipes using Karagil flour offered by chef Einat Mazor and Eshbal.CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIESMakes 30✔ 1½ cups Karagil flour, sifted✔ Pinch salt✔ ½ tsp. baking soda✔ 100 gr. butter✔ ½ cup demerara sugar✔ ¼ cup sugar✔ 1 large egg✔ ½ tsp. vanilla extract✔ 1 cup chocolate chips Heat oven to 175°.Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix flour, salt and baking soda in a bowl.In another bowl or in a mixer bowl, cream together butter and sugars, add egg and vanilla extract and mix. Then mix in the dry ingredients and add the chocolate chips.Using a teaspoon, take a small amount of the batter and shape with hands into a small ball. Flatten into a cookie shape and place on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each cookie. Bake 10-12 minutes. Let cool completely and store in an airtight jar.PECAN PIE Makes two 20-cm. piesFor the dough✔ 150 gr. butter at room temperature✔ ½ cup powdered sugar✔ 1½ cups Karagil flour✔ ¼ tsp. salt✔ 2 egg yolks (or 1 egg)✔ 2 tsp. cream For the pecans✔ 2 eggs✔ ¼ cup demerara sugar✔ ¼ tsp. salt✔ 1 cup maple syrup✔ 300 gr. shelled pecans, choppedTo prepare dough: In a food processor, mix together butter and powdered sugar for 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix in pulses.Add the egg yolks and cream and mix only until dough is smooth.Remove from the food processor, shape into a flat round and wrap in plastic wrap.Chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.Grease two pie baking pans.Remove the dough from the refrigerator, cut into 2 equal parts and, using a rolling pin, roll each part until ½ cm. thin. To avoid sticking, lightly flour a clean work surface or roll the dough between two layers of parchment paper.Transfer the dough to the baking pans and push the dough to the bottom and sides of the pans. Remove excess dough. Using a fork, prick the dough a few times and return the pans to the refrigerator for 20 minutes.Heat oven to 175° and partially bake the pies for 15 minutes. Let cool completely.To make the pecan filling: In a bowl, mix together eggs, sugar and salt. Add maple syrup and pecans and mix well.Pour the filling into the partially baked pie shells and bake for 40 minutes or until the dough is nicely browned and the filling is set.Let cool and serve at room temperature.POPPY SEED AND STREUSEL POUND CAKE Makes 1 large tube (bread) pan or 2 small onesNote: if you don’t like poppy seeds, replace them with ¼ cup powdered almonds or ¼ cup Karagil flour.✔ 100 gr. butter, room temperature✔ 1½ cup Karagil flour✔ ¼ cup (20 gr.) ground poppy seeds✔ 2 tsp. baking powder✔ ½ tsp. salt✔ 1 cup sugar✔ 3 large eggs, at room temperature✔ 1 tsp. vanilla extract✔ 2⁄3 cups Rivyon (buttermilk), at room temperature✔ ¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted✔ 6 Tbsp. boiling water For the streusel✔ ½ cup Karagil flour✔ ¼ cup sugar✔ 50 gr. cold butter, cut into cubes Heat oven to 175° and grease the pan.In a bowl, mix together flour, poppy seeds, baking powder and salt.Place butter and sugar in a mixer bowl with kneading arm and mix until light and airy. Add eggs, one by one, and vanilla extract, and mix. Turn mixer speed to slow and gradually add buttermilk and flour, alternating between them.Begin and end with the dry mixture. Mix until smooth.In a small bowl, mix the cocoa with the boiling water until smooth. Add about 1⁄3 of the batter into the cocoa mixture and mix.Transfer about ¼ of the white batter into the baking pan. Top with a little of the cocoa mixture, then another layer of the white mixture and end with cocoa mixture. Insert a knife and move it in circular movements to create a wave of white and chocolate.To prepare streusel: In a bowl, mix sugar and flour. Using your hands, crumble the butter into the dry ingredients to create crumbs. The size of the crumbs should be about 1 cm.Sprinkle the streusel on top of the cake in an even layer and bake for 30-40 minutes.The recipes and photos are courtesy of chef Einat Mazor and Karagil flour. For more recipes, go to www.facebook.com/karagil.
if(catID != 151){
var cont = `Take Israel home with the new Jerusalem Post Store
