Kate wrote it perfectly, "But this rally? This one is for YOU. That little part of you that is fearful of getting in to the kitchen and trying your hand at baking again. It is intended to quell the little voice of doubt in your head that prevents you from just tossing what you have into a bowl and making breakfast for yourself and your loved ones without fear of failure or the sense of disappointment." For me this really struck home. I have been afraid...afraid to bake. I used to bake all the time, trying different recipes and sending Justin to work with goodies for his co-workers. It has been months since they have received something. I don't know much about the various flours that are out there. I'm not a box baker either, I find satisfaction in making it from scratch.
I make excuses saying I don't have enough time to try baking GF, but the truth is I'm avoiding it. It's scary to try to bake something and have it flop. It sucks when you bake for hours and then the cookies doesn't taste even close to the ones I used to make with wheat flour.
I began taking my first steps after reading the entry on March 2. I went through my pantry to rid myself of my wheat containing flours. Back in September, after being diagnosed I went through the closet and gave many items to my brother-in-law. But why did I keep my flours? I guess I thought I would still bake with these items. I don't like having any gluten in the house period, but yet I had these flours still...
You may have noticed I haven't blogged about baked goods. I still have not taken that first step to get back in the kitchen. My sister Kristen even bought me The Almond Flour Gluten-Free Cookbook, but no baking yet.
This weekend, brought the idea back into my mind. So what did I bake? Well I did not bake anything, I bought some amazing baked goods from The Little Aussie Bakery.
A vanilla cupcake that was light, moist, and airy.
Doesn't it look like a regular cupcake? My only critique would be that the frosting was a little tasteless. I'm not usually a big frosting person either, but I think a little more would have made the cupcake even more enjoyable.
Vanilla Mocha Cake, another hit. It was also moist and tasty. There was a hint of coconut, which I don't usually like but it seemed to compliment the mocha exquisitely.
Chocolate Ganache Cake
Justin requested I buy some type of chocolate cake. He even responded, "I feel like we're cheating." These cakes were that amazing, that you couldn't even tell they were gluten free.
I'm changing my mind set. I've become inspired to learn to bake GF.
I completely understand the baking dilemma. I had to learn new recipes or modify old recipes when Bud was diagnosed with heart disease 20 years ago. Bud likes his sweets.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was diagnosed with diabetes, I decided just NOT to bake for me. I do still bake (probably twice a month) for Bud which means he eats all of the dessert himself...which is not something he needs to do. I did like the chocolate cake with almond meal I made. I gave you the recipe. Maybe next time we are in Wimberley together we can make it.