‘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.
The main character’s wife said she’d order minestrone soup because she’d had so much meat the day before. It sounded so sensible, and my stomach doesn’t always like meat–even chicken. I do heat up commercial soup, but I also make my “open three cans of vegetables, add some stock, and call it soup.”
Trying to cut back on added sugar and eliminate jumk carbs. Count me in!
Mainly fresh veggies, herbs, vegetable soup made with bone broth for breakfast as I am gluten-free, nuts, low-carb although I do have some gluten-free grains once in a while. You can make delicious pancakes with just bananas and eggs – see on Pinterest.
Currently, gluten free for breads, pastries, pizza, pasta, trying to otherwise eat fresh produce,(local and organic) and thinking that protein from soy, eggs, poultry ( organic) and once a week canned salmon loaf constitute a balanced diet for my lifestyle. And, daily salads of kale, arugula, clementines or apples with red onion.
Always looking for body-friendly recipes! My go-to is the beautiful eggs that my 6 little ladies lay for me…organic and free-range…yum!
Oooh! I’m hugely lactose intolerant and have issues with some leavening agents, too. This sounds great!
I’m cutting back on sugar and wheat.
So many gluten-free friends challenges preparing for coffee hour at church! Can’t wait to try the cookies!
There’s always plenty of fruits, veggies, and whole grains at our home. On the contrary, I try to steer clear of heavily processed foods.
I still eat meat but have found it less and less appealing as I am aging, and I eat very little when I eat it at all.
I bake weekly for my quilting group and there are people there with all kinds of sensitivities, so I try to meet their needs by attempting to bake gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar, egg, nut and coconut-free so they can enjoy dessert too. I am always looking for good recipies that avoid these ingredients. More and more people must not eat these things.
I, my daughters and many in my family are gluten intolerant. In addition I avoid dairy and eggs, so gluten free and vegan recipes are always useful. And using more whole foods and less processed is important too.
Count me in….
Fresh and local when possible
Prefer lots of vegetables and fruits, but do eat grains and local meat, milk, and eggs. Buy organic when I can, but local farmers’ market produce, meat and eggs trumps organic. My own garden is organic. My daughter’s new girlfriend has celiac disease so I am looking for GF recipes that everyone in our family will enjoy at gatherings. Count me in!
trying to use more almond flour when possible.
Fascinating is right! Cookies sound delicious.
I try to use organic when possible and purchase very few packaged products. I love to make my own bread! I am now now considering whether I should switch to a Paleo diet for health reasons. This book would be such a lovely treat!
Since my son was diagnosed with Celiac Disease more than 14 years ago, our home has been gluten-free and I have been converting all my favorite recipes and baked goodies to safe alternatives. Almond, cashew, coconut, tapioca, rice, bean, teff, quinoa, and many other types of flours can be so delicious and great fun to bake with. I can’t wait to try baking Elizabeth’s “World’s Easiest Cookie” and hope I am lucky enough to win the book! Thank you for your wonderful website, Margaret.
I have a farm and could raise my own gluten free seeds and grains but with the availability of bulk bins where I shop the time/cost ratio is not worth it.
Here is my daily bread recipe:
Equipment: coffee mill, double boiler or suitable pan and bowl combination to cook over simmering water, measuring scoops and stirring spoon.
measurements are not exact and can be adjusted or substituted to your taste. I use a variety of scoops from different supplement packages saved over the years. The principle is to grind an oily seed with a dry one in proportion so that it comes out neither dusty or gummy in the coffee mill.
Put water on the heat first with more than what will reach the bottom of the bowel that goes in the pan; you will use some to add to the mix before putting the bowel in the pan.
possible combinations placed in the mill together and whizzed up:
Scotch oats pumpkin/seeds with Himalayan salt
Very small scoop of sesame seeds with large scoop of millet [and or chia seeds ]
sunflower seeds with split peas or lentils with turmeric to tolerance for inflammation control
Golden flax with quinoa with cinnamon or pie spice
Add each mill full to the bowl when ground and then stir them together and add cold water until thoroughly dampened to prevent clumping.
Add hot water from the pan and stir in until you have a batter like consistency then set over hot water bath.
Turn heat to lowest simmer while you get ready for the day.
It takes at least 1/2 hour to get the uncooked flavor out and it will probably like porridge.
After an hour or 2 it will become bread like. I often take it in this form for my lunch.
For more variety stir in raisins, other dried fruit and or chocolate wafers or chips.
I am not Vegan or on the Paleo path, but do avoid dairy and prefer using almond or coconut flour when baking. The cookies recipe looks great and the book would be a wonderful addition to my home.
Our remote ancestors ate EVERYTHING they could pick off the trees and bushes, dig up out of the ground or catch (fish and animals). No sweetening, except honey, no processing. Cooking by boiling, or over an open fire, or baking in the ground.
Hunter-gatherers still do this. Do you want to?
But it is nice to have ways to use all the new ingredients now available.
I stay away from refined sugar and most processed food. I would like to be gluten free, but I feel that I can’t afford it. I would love to have this book.
I am going to get almond flour today and make these cookies… sound so good. Thanks for all you do Margaret.
Everything in moderation is what I go with. I eat less and less meat – quality issue of what’s easily available more than anything, have always loved veggies, try to eat much more fruit – have to keep after myself on that. Always, ALWAYS trying to cut back on sweets – sugar is definitely addictive to me. Breads and pasta I can easily balance.
Hello,
My granddaughter loves her chocolate and is restricted to a diet without eggs,gluten,potato and the list is a lot longer. All this because her tummy is inflamed. My husband is restricted to a no sugar and refined sugar diet. Challenges for the cook for sure. A lot of snack foods have some kind of sugar added.
The sensitivities to food is totally on an increase.