Truth be told, I"m a bit of a nerd. When I was a kid, I sometimes took things apart just to see how they worked. I have a degree in Mathematics (for Elementary School Teachers) and I always like geometric proofs because it "proved" why something was true.
Recently
Jules Shepherd was generous enough to send out samples of her gluten free flour. I've always heard great things about her products, but had never tried them. The small sample packet of her flour also came with a blueberry muffin recipe, and it just so happened that I had a huge bag of frozen blueberries to use.
I also happened to have on hand a sample of Pamela's Products Baking Mix, left over from my Send Me Gluten Free box, and I had been playing with the new Krusteaz Gluten Free All Purpose Flour blend.
So I honestly made four mini-batches of blueberry muffin tops, using four different flours. It's all in the name of science, right?
GF Jules - The batter was a bit thick, and I was surprised that it did not spread much in the pan as they baked. While I would be intrigued to make other things with her flours, this was not my favorite muffin.
Pamela's Products Baking Mix- I tried to follow the recipe on their website, which was incredibly similar to the GF Jules recipe. I'm not sure I got all of the rations right when I tried to downscale for the amount of flour that I had. They were a bit dry, and not my favorite, but my non-gf husband liked these best of all four.
Krusteaz- I wanted to try muffins with this flour because it stated that it can be used as a one-to-one replacement for wheat flour. I've been trying all sorts of things to see if they're true to their word. These muffin tops were okay.
Bob's Red Mill- I made a batch with Bob's Gluten Free All Purpose mix for two reasons. 1) When I went gluten free, that was the first flour that I started to use, and 2) I had some in the cupboard that needed to be used up. Out of all of the flours, this is what I liked the best. But at the same time I can't say that I was enamored with any of the four. (My favorite to this day is the
King Arthur Gluten Free Muffin Mix. Oh my, those are amazing!)
If there is anything I've learned in over a decade of being a baker diagnosed with Celiac Disease, no two "tasters" are alike. We all like certain products more than others for a reason. And one company may make one product that's great but another product that I prefer not to eat again.
And you know what, that's okay! It's great that there is so much safe, gluten free diversity out there. As Celiac Disease and culinary techniques improve, we have a lot of options. As far as I'm concerned, if there is a product you use that helps you feel like a successful gluten free baker, that's great! Let's celebrate our successes as we all struggle to live a healthy and truly gluten free diet. :)
Labels: In the kitchen, product review
