Dear Eric: Regarding your West Coast Trail Cookies, I鈥檓 wondering how those could be made gluten-free. Would it just be a simple matter of replacing the all-purpose flour and whole-wheat flour with a gluten-free flour?
Kathy
The recipe Kathy is referring to was published back in April.
As I noted then, these sustaining, oat-, fruit- and seed-rich cookies are named after the West Coast Trail, a rugged 75-kilometre path on the southwestern coast of听91原创 Island.
It has taken me a while to answer Kathy鈥檚 question because I had to do a fair bit of testing to听adapt my recipe to make it suitable for her.
Why?
Well, that鈥檚 because making this cookie gluten-free wasn鈥檛 simply a matter of replacing the听all-purpose and whole-wheat flours with gluten-free flours.
Before I could even think about what to replace those flours with, I first had to make sure the rolled oats I used were gluten-free, as they are a key ingredient.
I recalled that oats, although technically gluten-free, were not recommended for those trying or needing to avoid gluten. That鈥檚 because they are produced in the same places as grains that do contain gluten, such as wheat, rye and barley, and could become contaminated.
To confirm that, I went to the听91原创 Celiac Association website, celiac.ca, a national voice for people who are adversely affected by gluten. That association says that according to various studies, including one by Health Canada scientists, most of the commercially available oats in North America are indeed contaminated with gluten.
However, the 91原创 Celiac Association says we are fortunate in Canada and the U.S. in that specially produced, uncontaminated oats have been available in the marketplace for many years. For today鈥檚 recipe, I used a 91原创 brand of certified gluten-free rolled oats called Only Oats sold by Avena Foods (avenafoods.com) in Regina.
The 91原创 Celiac Association provides in-depth guidelines on the consumption of oats for those with celiac disease. No room to note them all here, but the quickest way to find them is to Google 鈥�91原创 Celiac Association new guideline on oats.鈥�
With my gluten-free oats in hand, I then had to come up with something to replace the gluten-rich flours also called for in my original recipe.
Gluten is a strong, stretchy protein that gives baked goods structure, helping them hold together and stand up when cooked.
Flours without gluten do not have that power, so you can鈥檛 simply sub one in for the all-purpose and wheat flours. I know, because I tried that and my West Coast Trail cookies, when baked, were听flat, sticky and not at all appealing.
To change that, I needed to add another gluten-free ingredient that would help hold the oats, gluten-free flours and other ingredients together. I chose cornstarch, and it worked wonderfully. My cookies were very similar to the ones that contained wheat flour, and would be great to take on a hike.
When purchasing the other ingredients for the recipe, such as the dried fruit and seeds, check the product label or company website to make sure they are gluten-free and/or were packaged at a gluten-free facility.
听Gluten-free West Coast Trail Cookies
The blend of oats, garbanzo- and fava-bean flour, fruit and seeds in these rich cookies should provide an energy boost during a hike or other outdoor activity.
听
Preparation: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 12 to 13 minutes
Makes: 12 cookies
听
1 1/4 cups gluten-free large-flake rolled oats
1/2 cup garbanzo- and fava-bean flour (see Note)
1 tsp cornstarch
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 cup shelled, unsalted pumpkin seeds
3 Tbsp unsweetened medium coconut flakes
2 Tbsp sesame seeds
1 Tbsp flax-seed meal (see Note)
1/2 tsp gluten-free baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup packed golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a听large, 18-x-13-inch baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside (see Note).
Place the first 13 ingredients in听a large bowl and thoroughly mix to combine.
Place the butter and brown sugar in a second large bowl or bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat the butter and sugar until well combined and lightened. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix the oat mixture into the wet mixture until very well combined.
Roll the dough into 12 equal balls (each will be about two inches round) and place on baking sheet, spacing balls about three inches apart. Now press each ball into a 1/2-inch-thick disc. Bake the cookies for 12 to 13 minutes, or until light golden and cooked through. Cool cookies to room temperature, and then store in a tight-sealing container until ready to enjoy.
Note: If you don鈥檛 have a large baking sheet, divide cookies between two smaller baking sheets and bake them in two batches.
Garbanzo- and fava-bean flour and flax-seed meal, also called ground flax seed, are sold in bags in health food stores and some supermarkets. You could also grind your own whole flax seeds to get the amount required in the recipe.
Eric Akis is the author of eight cookbooks. His latest is The Great Rotisserie Chicken Cookbook (Appetite by Random House). His听columns appear in the Life section Wednesday and Sunday.
