SATURDAY,OCTOBER19,2019 | THEGLOBEANDMAILO PURSUITS| P5
There is a world of alternatives to regular wheat flours.
Whether you follow a gluten-free diet or just want to
experiment with different textures, these are a boon.
These are the most popular alternative flours, along
with some uses for them.
Almond flour is a natural substitute for wheat flour in
baking, although it is higher in calories and fat. It makes
an excellent flaky dough and is favoured in French past-
ry, combined with regular flour, to make delicate tart
crusts. Substitute one for one with flour, but I find I need
an added egg yolk to help it bind. Almond flour lightly
toasted in a skillet makes a good substitute for bread-
crumbs.
Buckwheat, despite its name, has no wheat in it. It
has an earthy taste and works best in pancakes, as the
perfect match for caviar or smoked salmon. It is good for
quick breads, too. It has a high mineral component and
lots of fibre. Look for certified organic to make sure
there is no cross contamination (with other grains). Mix
it with other flours, such as brown rice, as it tends to be
crumbly on its own.
Spelt is an ancient grain that contains some gluten,
but people with gluten sensitivity may tolerate it. Spelt
pasta is very tasty.
Barley flour is kind of grey in colour so it does not
bake into an attractive loaf. I mix it with other grains, or
tapioca starch to make pancakes or gluten-free quick
breads.
Brown and white rice flours are interchangeable in
recipes but have slightly different tastes. Brown rice
flour tastes a little nuttier. They are both good for thick-
ening soups and sauces and for making crackers. Theyneed to be combined with other flours to work well in
baking cakes and cookies.
Chickpea flour is a staple in Indian cooking, where it is
used to make pakoras and pancakes, as well as other
dishes. It is excellent for baking because it holds air bub-
bles and moisture. It is also the basis of the tasty French
chickpea pancake called socca.
Oat flour is delicious mixed with other flours for bread,
and it can be used on its own to make oatmeal cookies
and biscuits. Of all the alternative flours, oat is one of the
easiest to make yourself; simply grind down whole oats
in a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix. All of these
flours can be made the same way if you are in a pinch.
Buy organic oat flour because it is easily cross contam-
inated.
There are numerous brands of gluten-free flour mixes
available. Cup4Cup was developed by chef Thomas Keller
of French Laundry fame. As the number of people asking
for gluten-free alternatives grew, he spent months devel-
oping his own mix and produces both whole wheat and a
multipurpose. I find the multipurpose excellent for all
baking, subbing it in for the same amount as regular
flour. It’s expensive, but worth it. It does contain some
milk powder for those who avoid dairy (the whole wheat
version does not). Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour makes
good cakes and cookies as well as an okay bread.
–LUCYWAVERMANSpecialtoTheGlobeandMailNeedsomeadviceaboutkitchenlifeandentertaining?Send
[email protected].HowdoI
differentiate
betweenallthese
alternativeflours?
A
s the basil wilts in the garden and the cilantro
goes wispy, I start reaching with increased reg-
ularity for the spice cupboard. Cardamom,
ginger, clove, nutmeg, allspice and cinnamon – all
fragrant and floral – evoke notions of comfort
against the chill outside. One whiff and all feels well
in the world.
What’s more, they spark interest in fall desserts.
Ginger seems to coax out more sweetness from
pears. An apple pie without cinnamon invariably
disappoints. Plums are perfumed with cardamom
in a stout and sturdy almond cake, with the delicate
scent a hard-to-place muskiness that makes all the
difference.
I have found another ideal canvas for these spices- caramel. Whether the chai-masala-infused cara-
mel I pair with the pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving or
the cinnamon and cider caramels I start in Novem-
ber, the burnt-sugar sweetness is the ideal foil to
heady spices. They bloom and round out in the
warm caramel and temper its cloying effect.
Lately, I’m conjuring a sense of season through
spiced caramel popcorn.
I’ve long had a love of caramel corn. From stand-
ing outside the corner store at seven or eight years
old, box in hand, simultaneously munching and
searching for the prize amongst the kernels, all the
way to adulthood when it was one of my pregnancy
cravings. (My go-to at that time was the double but-
ter flavour – a magical buttery toffee – from a mall
kiosk.)
When my children were small, I started making
caramel corn at home; it was a neat party trick for
play dates or to pack up for class parties. It’s easy to
pull together, and since it’s freshly made there’s a
crisp delicacy that is often missing from the uber-
lacquered store-bought variety.
Here, the spices combine into a smoky, deep hum
of fall; dark somehow so the candy has edge and
presence instead of simple sweetness. Cumin estab-
lishes a savoury baseline. A pinch of chili powder
bolsters the amber hue of the coating, one not un-
like that of a maple leaf in late October, as well as
subtle throat-heating buzz. Instead of granulated
sugar, you can use yellow or brown for bolstered car-
amel notes, though I prefer the texture of coatings
made with white alone.
This popcorn clumps into burnished clusters, but
the coating is intentionally inconsistent. Instead of
each puffed kernel fully shellacked with sugar, they
are tortoiseshell-mottled, so the sweetness and heat
capriciously build and ebb. The seeds stick in the
crevices and freckle the kernels, while the nuts have
snap and crunch.
One last thing: Even though I have chucked cau-
tion to the wind and made this popcorn on the rain-
iest of weekends, humidity is its enemy as it will
soften the coating.
After the popcorn cools completely, immediately
transfer to an airtight container for storage. As we
button up for these fall days, do the same for the
popcorn.SPEEDYSPICED
POPCORNINGREDIENTS(MAKESABOUT12CUPS)11 cups popped popcorn (plain, without
seasoning)(^3) ⁄ 4 cup raw, unsalted nuts (peanuts,
almonds, cashews and/or pecans)
Kosher salt, as needed
(^3) ⁄ 4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon ground cumin
(^1) ⁄ 4 teaspoon ground ginger
(^1) ⁄ 8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper,
paprika, or dried chili powder
(^1) ⁄ 8 teaspoon ground clove
(^3) ⁄ 4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
11 ⁄ 2 cup granulated sugar
(^1) ⁄ 4 cup golden corn syrup
2 tablespoons water
(^1) ⁄ 2 teaspoon baking soda
(^1) ⁄ 2 cup mixed seeds (poppy, sesame, pepitas
and hulled sunflower)
Sea salt, flaky or fine, or other finishing salt
Pour the popped popcorn in a large, wide
bowl.
Preheat an oven to 250 F. Line two
heavy, rimmed baking sheets with Silpats
or parchment paper. Spread the nuts
across one of the pans and roast in the hot
oven, stirring regularly, until aromatic and
golden, about 10 minutes. Season with salt,
scatter the nuts onto the popcorn and set
both prepared baking pans aside.
In a small bowl, stir together^3 ⁄ 4 teaspoon
salt, cinnamon, cumin, ginger, black pep-
per and clove.
Scrape the butter into a medium, heavy-
bottomed saucepan. Tip in the sugar, corn
syrup and water. Set over medium heat
and cook, stirring regularly, until the but-
ter is melted and the sugar has dissolved.
Stop stirring and bring to a boil. If any sug-
ar clings to the side of the pan, wash the
crystals away with a pastry brush dipped
into water. Continue to cook the sugar, un-
til golden in colour, around 5 minutes. If
you have a candy thermometer, the syrup
should be about 250 F. While it is bubbling,
carefully swirl the pan now and again to
distribute any dark spots.
Pull saucepan from the heat and quickly
stir in baking soda and half the spice mix-
ture with a heatproof spatula or spoon (it
will bubble up enthusiastically).
Carefully pour the caramel over the
popcorn, turning the kernels with the
heat-proof spoon or spatula to coat. Scat-
ter the seeds on top. Divide the popcorn
between the two prepared pans and
spread into even layers.
Bake the popcorn in the hot oven for 30
minutes, turning occasionally. After the
first flipping, sprinkle the remaining spice
mix unevenly over all so there are dusty,
rusty patches.
Once the full 30 minutes are up, season
with salt, then bake for 5 minutes more.
The kernels should be thinly coated and
shining when ready.
Leave the popcorn to cool completely
on the trays. Break up any large clumps
then transfer to an airtight container for
up to 1 week.
SpecialtoTheGlobeandMail
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Spiceupyourlife
Fallcallsforasweetandsavouryquickfixfordessert
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