I always think of myself as a connoisseur of gluten-free flour mixes, since I never have enough time to make my own from scratch.  The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) tipped me off about 1-2-3 Gluten Free, Inc., a mother-daughter company that makes multipurpose gluten-free flour mixes as well roll, pancake, cookie, pound cake, devil’s food cake, brownie, muffin, and cornbread mixes, to name a few! In addition, all of their products are produced in a dedicated gluten-free facility, also free of wheat, dairy, casein, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts and soy.  If you still had any concerns, they are certified gluten-free and Kosher Parve.

1-2-3 Gluten Free got its start when owner Kimberlee, already diagnosed with celiac disease, learned her nieces and nephews also have celiac disease.  Kimberlee felt like the sacrifice of gluten foods was not a big deal to her, but to see her family members mourn the loss of those goodies motivated her to take action.  She began creating food that was enjoyable and edible for individuals with celiac disease and their non-celiac friends alike.

I decided to test 1-2-3 Gluten Free Olivia’s Outstanding Multi-Purpose Flour Mix, which as I learned is as easy to use as saying 1, 2, 3!  Most gluten-free food has not been fortified like many of its gluten counterparts, but not so with 1-2-3 Gluten Free!  Not only does the mix contain rice flour, potato starch, tapioca starch and xanthan gum, but it is also fortified with niacin (vitamin B3), reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), and folic acid (vitamin B9).  I decided to try this enticing mix in three different baking experiments to see how it tested overall.

I made buttermilk pancakes with and without blueberries, lemon squares/bars, and banana muffins.  In each testing round, I weighed the flour instead of using its equivalent cup measurements, since gluten-free flour is generally denser than gluten-containing flour and usually requires a bit less of it in baking products.  In all three cases, I had several people of the gluten-friendly world sample the products as well.The buttermilk pancakes came out beautifully, browned on the top and bottom with white fluffy edges.  They felt light in your hand and equally light in the mouth.  Somehow, the buttermilk flavor was not as strong in these, but didn’t seem to deter us from eating them.  They were of a marginally chewy consistency, different than I am used to, but not bad.  I did detect a slight aftertaste, which I would guess was due to the extra vitamins in its fortification. My daughter didn’t complain once, and devoured the whole plate before more could come off the griddle!  We even tried throwing some blueberries in, which added a burst of sweetness.  We thought the pancake batter would easily accommodate your choice of fruit or even gluten-free chocolate chips. And of course, what are pancakes without maple syrup?

Next, I made my mom’s amazing lemon square recipe that never fails.  There is a bit of flour in the lemony filling on top and the bottom layer is dough made up of lots of flour.  The end result was gorgeous.  I certainly could not tell a difference between these and the one my mom makes.  The lemony filing coated my mouth with a tangy and sweet jelly, while the crust crumbled along with it.  The taste was brilliant, but my testers and I wished the crust held together a bit better, and my mouth also had that aftertaste feeling.  Still, it makes an excellent dessert or snack at any time of day!

The final test was my banana mini-muffins to which I also added a bit of shredded carrot and squash.  The flour rose splendidly and did not deflate once the muffins were removed from the oven.  There was a light, sweet, moist taste to them.  Though the overall taste was great, that chewiness that I experienced in the pancakes, I also experienced in the muffins.  It gave them a gum-like quality that while was not bad, was not necessarily what I was expecting.

Overall, the products cooked out flawlessly and the taste was terrific.  Only the consistency wavered a bit from what I remember of the old-fashioned gluten days.  Thank you to those as 1-2-3 Gluten Free for the opportunity to test and review their product!

-Annsley

Share on Facebook

I started with a recipe I found on Betty Crocker’s official site for Gluten Free Cheese Garlic Drop Biscuits. Since I wanted the younger members of the household to be able to try them I left out the garlic powder, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. It is only a tiny bit more complicated then the standard directions for drop biscuits, so it was not very hard to make. Nor did it take very long. In less than a half hour the biscuits were done and ready to taste.

The finished product did not look exactly like traditional drop biscuits. I partially credit this to trying out a new recipe.  In addition the flour mixture, a combination of rice and potato flour, was much finer than the original. They did not taste exactly like traditional drop biscuits either. To me they tasted too much like potato. However everyone else in the house liked them. Even though I didn’t enjoy the flavor as much as everyone else, I was pleased with how fluffy and moist they were.

Since the cheesy drop biscuits had a potato after taste I was concerned the pancakes would as well. I couldn’t have been more wrong. In addition to being fluffy and moist they tasted exactly as pancakes, gluten-free or not, should taste.

Though I do not agree that Bisquick Original or Gluten-Free is the right choice for a pizza crust or maybe not even a pie crust, it is amazingly handy for early morning pancakes and dinner biscuits.  Especially when you are short on time. Unfortunately, as is often the case, the gluten-free consumer has to pay a bit more for this convenience. For a 16 oz box of Gluten-free Bisquick I paid $4.99, while the same size of Original Bisquick was only $2.29.  On the positive side, individuals diagnosed with celiac disease may be able to receive tax deductions for expenses associated with gluten-free foods in instances were the cost is higher than that of regular items.  To learn more on how this works check out Celiac Central’s Tax Deduction Guide for Gluten-Free Products.

If you would like to learn more about Betty Crocker’s Gluten-Free Bisquick as well as get great recipes and more visit www.bettycrocker.com.

Share on Facebook

I’m not a big fan of breakfast foods. Pancakes and waffles are the breakfast food I eat least, mostly because the heavy feeling after eating either. However, occasionally I do get hungry for a nice fluffy pancake with just the right amount of syrup. Since it is such a rare occasion not just any pancake will do, it has to be tasty. A great cure for this craving is to have a box of Maple Grove Farms Gluten Free Pancake Mix and a bottle of Maple Grove All Natural Fruit Flavored Syrup on stand by. Both products are delicious and gluten free.

The Gluten Free Pancake Mix makes nice fluffy, great flavored pancakes that are simple to make. If you are in the mood for something extra special you can make simple additions such as chocolate chips, nuts, or fresh fruit to spice up. Either way this product is a simple cure guaranteed to fix any pancake craving you have.

Maple Grove Farms makes several gluten free syrups including pure maple. But I prefer the naturally sweet taste of fruit flavored syrups. The fruit flavored syrups Maple Grove Farms are all natural and come in five great flavors, Apricot, Blueberry, Raspberry, Strawberry and Boysenberry.

To get full product details and information on how to purchase these great products visit www.maplegrove.com .Maple Grove Farms makes many gluten free and sugar free products so their site is a great place to visit even if you are not in the mood for pancakes.

Share on Facebook