‘paleo baking’ (and a cookie recipe) with elizabeth barbone
HER PROFESSORS at the Culinary Institute of America wondered aloud: Why would Elizabeth Barbone, born with severe food allergies, want to train as a professional chef, working with ingredients she couldn’t eat? To Elizabeth, the answer was obvious: so that she could create smart, satisfying and delicious recipes for herself and others facing such challenges.
Mission accomplished, I can say after sampling the result—especially a four-ingredient cookie of almond flour, maple syrup, baking powder and vanilla extract that took about 3 minutes to prep (recipe below, plus a recipe for homemade baking powder, since commercial brands generally contain grain, I learned).
I don’t have to follow a restricted diet, but the widening shelf of ingredients at the local food coop like almond and coconut flours (not to mention all the other-than-wheat grain flours, and ones from beans and such) has caught my attention. Out of curiosity, I went to a book signing and baking demonstration by Elizabeth at Hillsdale Home Chef, a nearby cooking store with classes, in the Hudson Valley (NY)-Berkshires (MA) region.
Elizabeth was talking about her new book “World’s Easiest Paleo Baking”—meaning not just gluten-free (the subject of two previous cookbooks) but also grain-free, dairy-free and with no refined sugars.
I’m now officially fascinated, and going back February 6 for a full workshop on baking without gluten.
Meantime, I asked Elizabeth if I could share her recipe for those cookies—and bought an extra signed copy of the latest book to share. Besides cookies, cakes and pies, there is also a savory chapter, including things like focaccia, naan and tortillas, plus pizza dough and even pasta.
Again: fascinating. Which is why I also invited Elizabeth to tape a radio show soon together, so I can learn more. Details to come!
more about elizabeth barbone
- Elizabeth’s February class at Hillsdale (NY) Home Chef (details and tickets)
- Elizabeth’s website, GlutenFreeBaking, with more recipes
- Elizabeth Barbone’s gluten-free page on Facebook
- Buy Elizabeth’s new Paleo book (Amazon affiliate link)
world’s easiest cookies
(from Elizabeth Barbone’s “World’s Easiest Paleo Baking,” copyright Elizabeth Barbone)
active time: 5 minutes
bake time: 12 minutes per pan
yield: 16 cookiesingredients
- 170 grams (1 1/2 cups) finely ground almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, homemade (see recipe below) or grain-free
store-bought- 100 grams (1/3 cup) dark maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
steps
Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.Whisk the almond flour and baking powder together in a medium mixing bowl. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir until a sticky dough holds together.
Drop dough by the tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 2 inches apart. For crisp cookies, press down the dough lightly with the at bottom of a drinking glass or measuring cup. (If the glass sticks to the dough, lightly wet bottom of the glass.) For softer cookies, don’t press down the dough.
Bake until the edges are golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Allow the cookies to cool on the pan for about 3 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Allow the baking sheet to cool, and repeat with the remaining dough.
grain-free baking powder
MOST COMMERCIAL baking powders contain a grain-based starch. Thankfully it’s easy to make your own!
active time: 2 minutes
yield: about 6 tablespoons
- 1/4 cup cream of tartar
- 2 tablespoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon tapioca starch
Whisk the cream of tartar, baking soda, and tapioca starch together in a small bowl.
Store in the pantry in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.
(from Elizabeth Barbone’s enter to win the ‘paleo baking’ book
I BOUGHT AN EXTRA signed copy of Elizabeth Barbone’s new “World’s Easiest Paleo Baking” to share with one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter is answer this question in the comments box at the very bottom of the page (scroll down, after the last reader comment).
What ingredients do you steer around, or heavy up on, in designing your home cuisine and own diet?
Me? I’m a vegetarian for about 40 years, eating a couple of eggs each week and a little dairy, mostly from goat milk. My primary interest is in whole food, and knowing the source of all my ingredients. In my 20s I practiced macrobiotics for more than five years, which stresses two ideas that are in vogue today: eating local, and in season.
No answer, or feeling shy? Just say something like, “Count me in” and I will, but a reply is even better. I’ll pick a winner at random after entries close at midnight Thursday, January 28, 2016. Good luck to all.
If I can grow it myself to eat, I will, or will try, because it tastes better!
I’m an organic back yard gardener, and there’s nothing I avoid. However, I attend monthly dinners where there’s always someone allergic to something. Right now, there’s a person allergic to gluten, another who’s diabetic, and one who avoids artificial food colorings.
I’m in love with Kale, trying with poor success to avoid white flour, and having done success with almond flour. Any good pancake or waffle recipes out there for almond flour?
I am an all-organic eating/gardening gal and 2 yrs. ago switched to using non-gluten flours. While I don’t feel I’m allergic to gluten, do feel I have a sensitivity to it. Feel so much better
I eat everything. I think that if you wait till you’re hungry, and stop eating when you’re full, you’re fine. Of course I like to eat a lot from my garden: I eat six cups of vegetables (measured raw) every day. This is to keep me “regular.” ;-)
I avoid corn syrup.
I like the “easiest” on the title.
Hi! I’m an avid backyard gardener, but my husband and I have been working on drastically reducing our added sugars and refined grains. I’d love to get my hands on a copy of her cookbook, as I feel it would be a great resource for our new lifestyle! Thanks for the chance to win!
Would love to win the cookbook for my brother who is allergic to gluten.
The cookies look good! Thanks!
I’m totally off added sugar this month, so I’ve been depending on coconut oil, sweet potatoes and vanilla to make things sweet in my baking! I would love to get a copy of this book!
Sounds like a great book!
I’m always conscious of simple carbs, so looking for wheat free ingredients is automatic when baking.
Would so love to win this cookbook!
A couple of years I ago I gave up dairy. Cheese was the hardest, and yogurt, but I’ve stuck with it and try to be creative about getting enough calcium. The result has been that my cholesterol numbers and relationships to each other have plummeted back into normal ranges after having been really high for years. My doctor is amazed and happy, and so am I. (I also gave up refined sugar and red meat at the same time, but those weren’t nearly as hard to lose as the dairy deliciousness.)
I am happy to see such a simple recipe! While I am not gluten-free or paleo, like you, I like using some of the alternative ingredients. Almond flour is a particular favorite. But I find that many gluten-free recipes, especially those that are trying to convert a recipe to be gluten-free, have so many ingredients that it puts me off. It is refreshing to see recipes that are designed around the gluten-free ingredients that are used instead of those that seem to start with a recipe first and then try to substitute in gluten-free alternatives.
I was vegetarian for about 20 years; been following a paleo diet for about 6. Thank goodness I found it! I can’t do almonds, but I can easily sub cashew flour in this recipe. Would love to check out the rest of her book. Who has time for baking when I’m making everything else from scratch….but the boyfriend and “step” kid always want the baked stuff.
Count me in! I love to bake.
Smoothies in the morning with fresh kale from the garden, salad for lunch with nuts and dried cranberries, dinner is fish and local veggies. Then I loose control and bake something…boo..this book would help keep me on track with healthier baking! Love your posts.
I bought and froze garbanzo bean flour 3 years ago, with the plans to do something good. Well, I never did, mostly because I couldn’t figure out what to do with it. My husband still wonders why it’s in the freezer taking up space!
This is timely for me. My mom has celiac, and I want to try to avoid gluten because my stomach seems to be upset after I eat as my mom’s always was. No more pain for my mom since she was diagnosed and avoids gluten religiously. This looks like a great book.
I try to avoid high fructose corn syrup, added sugars, white sugar, processed foods and red meat. Natural sugars, more veggies and fruits, and more homemade/home cooked foods. Cookbook sounds GREAT!
Not gluten free, but have friends who are so I would love a copy of the book so I can make mroe treats for them.
Liz
I am vegan and prior was vegetarian for 29 years and we maintain a clean, whole foods diet in our household. We grow our own organic garden every year and always eat tons of fresh veggies and fruit. We have multiple food allergies and Celiac disease in our household unfortunately so we are gluten, dairy, tree-nut, sesame and egg free. We love all of Elizabeth’s cookbooks and I have used her resources since the start of her business!
gluten and dairy both make me sick, also some random things like green beans and bananas. None of this has stopped me from loving to bake. Almond flour offers some great options, and has the bonus of being much more filling and satisfying than grains.
I’m like you..no foods I need to avoid…but I enjoy the challenge of making things for friends who do have food sensitivities. Haven’t really tried baking gluten free yet but I think I would with this book….am definitely going to try the cookies!
I’m a 30 year vegetarian. We grow a lot of our vegi’s and fruit, and have chickens for eggs. I don’t avoid any foods for myself, other than the obvious meat and gelatin, but my partner has some odd allergies… ginger, turmeric, black pepper, beef and possibly more, which can make for interesting cooking at times. I have a couple of friends that are gluten free, and think that in general I’d be better off with less gluten. I brought holiday treats in for my massage clients in December, one of which is gluten free. I made peanut butter cookies for her, but having a few more recipes would be lovely. The cookie recipe you shared sounds very good!