Wednesday Book Club.

Even if you don't "have to" eat gluten free, the cake pictured on the cover of Gluten-Free Baking Classics may be enough to tempt you into trying a delicious whole-grain cake.  (Yes, really.  Delicious and whole grain.) So many baked goods (or pasta for that matter) made with whole wheat are dry or grainy or imbalanced in flavor.  (I'm not convinced that whole wheat and sugar were ever meant to be together.)

Enter whole grain brown rice flour (extra finely ground, from Authentic Foods, to be precise) and Annalise Roberts' recipe for Lemon Layer Cake (with a lemon curd filling and lemon buttercream frosting).  I have made this cake many times, and all of them before we had our very own celiac in the house.  (It's especially easy if you order the flour blend pre-mixed from Authentic Foods.)  And if the cake seems like too much work, the Vanilla Cupcakes are almost as good -- and maybe the easiest way ever to sneak a little whole grain into a treat.

It's probably a good thing that Annalise Roberts only updates her blog about once a month.  It makes me hunker down with her recipes, rather than rushing on to the next thing.  (But when I do feel like rushing on to the next thing, I have Nicole Hunn's Gluten Free on a Shoestring to fire me up.  Nutella Stuffed Brownies, anyone?)

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Don't forget to send your list for the Summer Reading Program.  I've heard from five readers so far, all of whom I think of as my new BFFs.  Love to read what you're reading!

Comments

[MoniQ in WI]

Thanks for these new titles to check out--I'm been wheat -free but not totally GF for about 5 yrs. And, will you being sharing titles from the summer reading lists with us?

[lettergirl]

Yes, Monica, I'm planning to consolidate all the lists I get and send them out to all the participants. So far, every list has had either a book I've already read or one I've been thinking of reading -- can't wait to share the wealth!

[gisele]

Have you found a good pie crust recipe? I am stumped. What's the deal with gluten free pie crust?

[lettergirl]

My mom has used the pie crust recipe in this book, though I haven't tried it yet. I hear Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour is perfect for a flaky crust -- but spendy, esp. if you had to ship to Canada! On the Gluten Free on a Shoestring blog she has a "hack" for making a mock Cup 4 Cup flour. I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but I'll let you know if I do!