Sweet alternatives to regular flour

Chocolate cupcakes
Chocolate cupcakes

The baking aisle has never been so versatile as it is these days. Alternatives to regular wheat flour abound and there’s plenty of choice among sweeteners. For those with gluten intolerances, there are premixed gluten free all-purpose flour blends as well as almond meal flour, quinoa flour, sorghum flour, brown rice flour, tapioca flour and potato starch.  Instead of regular granulated sugar, you can select coconut sugar, low calorie sugar replacements, agave, honey, maple syrup, brown rice syrup or stevia.


Coconut oil chocolate chip cookies

Coconut oil and coconut sugar is all the rage nowadays due to its many health and nutrient properties (most especially related to its fatty acids which turn into ketones). Since it’s solid at room temperature, like butter or margarine, it can be substituted in many baking items, even where creaming is required.  It does have quite a strong flavour so expect some overtones of coconut in these scrumptious, soft on the inside, crisp on the edges cookies.

o 1 cup all-purpose flour

o 2/3 cup large flake rolled oats

o ½ tsp. baking powder

o ½ tsp. baking soda

o ¼ tsp. salt

o ½ cup coconut oil, at room
temperature

o ¾ cup packed light brown sugar

o ¼ cup granulated sugar

o 1 large egg, at room temperature

o 1 tsp. pure vanilla

o 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

Whisk together the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, or using a hand-held mixer, beat the coconut oil for 1 minute. Beat in the sugars until the mixture is thoroughly combined, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the dough. Beat in the egg. Beat in the vanilla. Remove the bowl from the stand.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture, in two additions. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Form the cookie dough into balls, using about 2 tbsp of dough for each one. Place on the prepared cookie sheets, spacing them about 2 inches apart. You should be able to get about 12 balls on a regular-sized cookie sheet. Flatten slightly.

Bake in the centre of the preheated oven until set and lightly browned around the edges, 8–9 minutes. Cool on the pan on a wire rack for 2 minutes. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining cookie dough, cooling the pans slightly before adding unbaked cookie dough to it. (Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days). Makes about 2 dozen cookies.


Gluten-free chocolate cupcakes with chocolate fudge frosting

These moist, soft and deeply chocolate cupcakes come out with a somewhat craggy-looking top. I think it adds to their homemade authenticity. The batter is quite thick but the tops will round out during the baking process.

o ½ cup + 1 tbsp. sorghum flour

o ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

o 1/3 cup brown rice flour

o ¼ cup potato starch

o 1 tsp. xantham gum

o ½ tsp. baking powder

o ½ tsp. baking soda

o ½ tsp. salt

o ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened

o ¾ cup granulated sugar

o 2 large eggs, at room temperature

o 1 tsp. vanilla

o 1 cup sour cream or full fat yogurt

Icing:

o ½ cup unsalted butter, softened

o 2 cups gluten-free icing sugar

o ¼ cup whipping cream

o 2 tsp. vanilla

o 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

o 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled

Preheat the oven to 375. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Lightly spray the cupcake liners with cooking spray. This will help the cupcakes come cleanly out of the liners once baked.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sorghum flour, cocoa powder, rice flour, potato starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter with the sugar, until well combined, about 2 minutes. It won’t ever get light and fluffy since the ratio of butter to sugar is too small. One at a time, beat in the eggs, making sure the first is fully incorporated before adding the second. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla and then the sour cream.

Using a wooden spoon, stir the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, making sure that no streaks of the dry mixture remain. Spoon the batter evenly among the 12 cupcakes liners.

Bake in the centre of the oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a hand-held mixer, beat the butter for 1 minute. Add ½ cup of the icing sugar and beat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 1 tbsp of the whipping cream and beat. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Repeat until all of the icing sugar and the cream are beaten in. Beat in the vanilla and then the cocoa powder. Slowly beat in the melted chocolate.

Transfer the icing to a piping bag fitted with a pastry tip of your choice. Pipe the icing over each cupcake. Serve at room temperature.