wheat-free baking

I have recently had to cut wheat and rye, among other things, out of my diet for health reasons. (It is not to avoid gluten - but rather the sugars (fructans) in wheat that can exacerbate other types of sugar malabsorption.) Of course I miss eating bread, and living in the plateau neighbourhood of Montreal, the boulangeries every few blocks offer abundant temptations. But what I missed most was the ability to take out flour, sugar, eggs, butter, and make something. The act of baking is so calming, and is what I was craving most of all.

The first few forays into gluten-free baking were disasters. You cannot simply substitute other flours in for wheat flours - I learned this the hard way! More recently I have found some recipes that, while different from the wheat-based classics, are also delicious.

Yesterday I made the chocolate and hazelnut financiers from Béa of La Tartine Gourmande. I substituted almond flour for hazelnut flour, and sorghum for amaranth, and the results were delectable. Now I am even more enticed by the new Tartine Gourmande cookbook!