This is my recipe for soft and fluffy gluten free, vegan Chinese Steamed Buns (BAO) These buns were a regular feature of my childhood. On treat days, my Mom would bring them home with her after work in a box also filled with pastry and cake! In Trinidad and Tobago we call them POWs and the filling would usually be chicken or pork. There was a time when we could buy these from a street vendor. Now we have Chinese Food Restaurants at almost every corner (seriously, there are about 5 restaurants within 2 minutes from my home)! The ones I grew up with are smooth all around, not pinched or styled ..read more

Are all types of yeast the same? Are they all gluten free? The answer to both of those questions may seem obvious. No for the 1st question and yes for the 2nd. But I would not be writing this post if it was that simple. There are 4 main types of yeast, active dry, instant, fresh and wild (sounds like a catch phrase in a deodorant ad). Each type works differently, is stored differently and has it's own shelf life. Only 2 matter to the home baker, active dry and instant (unless you work with sourdough in which case you will be using wild yeast). Active dry yeast needs to be "activated" before a ..read more

In general a good gluten free bread recipe follows this basic formula: Gluten Free Bread Recipe = Gluten Free Flour Blend + Binder + Fat + Protein + Liquid Your flour blend should have a mix of higher protein flour and starches. Buckwheat and Oat flour are higher in protein in comparison to the Rice flour and together they give the bread structure. The starches help to keep the bread somewhat light and should account for at least 10% of your flour blend. In this recipe psyllium husk powder or xanthan gum does the binding, the oil is the main source of the fat, the non gluten protein is contrib ..read more

I love chocolate, bananas and cookies so this recipe was meant to happen. There is nothing super amazing about it. This is simply a delicious, ready in minutes cookie. It's also a good way to use over ripened bananas. The recipe is easily personalized. You can add nuts, rolled oats, cacao powder or dried fruit if you want to make this as a "power cookie". In that case, the liquid will need adjusting but you really cannot go wrong if you choose to experiment. As always message me if you need my help. Hope you enjoy the recipe, salud! Gluten Free, Vegan Banana and Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe I ..read more

There are many "best brownie" recipes around. You may even have a favorite already. So why write another recipe? This recipe is different enough to stand out. It's made with cassava and buckwheat both of which are better for you than traditional GF recipes using rice flour. Brownies are also the perfect vehicle for cassava and buckwheat. Cassava is naturally somewhat fudgy and for the most part so are brownies. The strong earthy taste of buckwheat compliments the chocolaty goodness of brownies. There is just no downside to this pairing. There is still a fair amount of sugar in the recipe, so i ..read more

This is a recipe for my gluten free and vegan garlic breadsticks served with a dairy free roasted pimiento and cheese dip As a child I loved making dips. So naturally I needed to make something to go with the dip. Fried wanton wrappers was a favorite as were any kind of “chips”. Pizza type breadsticks was another favorite. Of course it got easier to simply buy breadsticks than to make them, at least until I went gluten free Getting “fresh” gluten free (and vegan) breadsticks to buy is almost impossible. My solution? Make my own, et voila, this recipe This recipe is fried then baked which make ..read more

Barfi can best be described as a sweet milk based soft somewhat crumbly fudge. It is very popular in Trinidad and Tobago, frequently used during religious prayers and festivals like Divali. Other popular varieties here in Trinidad include Coconut Barfi. The real stars of Barfi are the spices. The hint of ginger and cardamom makes this sweet treat a dream. To make it extra special top the Barfi with sprinkles, nuts, shredded coconut or edible gold/silver leaf. This version, is perfect for anyone who loves traditional barfi but cannot tolerate dairy. Follow my recipe notes about texture and you ..read more

There are times when you just want something indulgent to eat. Baked donuts (doughnuts) are awesome and I have a few recipes for those (below). Fried donuts though may not be great for the waistline but they just taste so good! When I was younger I would buy a box of donuts almost every week. Sure I could and I did make them at home every now and then but I loved the convenience and the taste of these donuts. The outside was lightly crisped and the inside was somewhere between a cookie and a cake, just fluffy enough. These donuts are the closest I've come to replicating that taste and texture ..read more

Cassava Pone is a popular sweet dessert among many of the Caribbean islands (the "one" in the word "Pone" is pronounced like the "one" in phone). The recipe varies from island to island, but the main ingredient is always the Cassava root (also called manioc, yuca (not the same as yucca) or manihot esculenta). Pone is dense, chewy and sweet, heavier than a pudding. The starches from the Cassava contribute to the “gummy” texture, while the pumpkin, coconut, milk and spices like cinnamon, give it the signature delicious taste. Oh and the pumpkin gives it a nice golden color, the overall finish re ..read more

How much liquid (hydration) does your gluten free bread dough need? The simple answer is gluten free bread dough needs more hydration than wheat dough (or any dough with gluten). There are of course several factors that determine how much hydration is optimal. For example, a gluten free baguette will not need the same hydration as a gluten free sandwich loaf. The final structure and feel of the crumb and to a lesser extent the type of crust determines how the bread dough should be prepared. Hydration percentages also differ depending on the type of gluten free flour that is used. As a compari ..read more