Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Corn Free Baking Powder

Most commercially available baking powders have corn starch in them. I did find one at Whole Foods that was corn free, but it was really expensive. So, after doing a little research I realized how easy it is to make my own!

Just mix together 1 tsp of baking soda, 2 tsp of cream of tarter and 1 tsp of tapioca starch (you could probably use arrowroot also).

I tested this out over the weekend and it worked wonderfully! You could leave out the tapioca starch if you need to but be sure to use it immediately. For longer storage, you need the tapioca starch to absorb any moisture.

This is such a great option for those of us that are corn free but also is a great money saver! Most commercially available baking powders have aluminum in them so this is a great aluminum free option.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

I scream, you scream, we all scream for coconut milk ice cream!!

My sweet husband gave me a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker for my birthday and I love it!! I've been wanting one for years, but lately more than ever since we are dairy free. I decided to try a chocolate coconut milk ice cream recipe that I found on The Nourishing Gourmet. Well, it was absolutely delicious!! I followed it exactly and used Whole Foods 365 Brand coconut milk. It came out rich, creamy and was much better than the store bought stuff. Even my husband loved it.

The recipe is:

Chocolate Coconut Milk Ice Cream

3 cups of unsweetened coconut milk (about two cans)
2/3 cup of cocoa powder

6 tablespoons agave syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whisk cocoa powder in a small amount of coconut milk, until smooth. Then add the rest of the ingredients and whisk until well combined. Or dump all ingredients together and blend with a stick blender. Make according to your machines instructions.

I'd also like to mention that The Nourishing Gourmet has some other great recipes. The site is not specifically allergen free, but it does have many recipes that are allergen free and everything is delicious and healthy.