Karen Morgan - Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free: 75 Recipes for Irresistible Gluten-Free Desserts and Pastries

75 Recipes for Irresistible Desserts and Pastries

By KAREN MORGAN

Photographs by Knoxy

Text copyright 2010 by Karen Morgan.
Photographs copyright 2010 by Knox Photographics.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available.
eISBN 978-1-4521-0031-9

The photographer wishes to thank: My Godmy soul and my strength; my incredible family, who has given me such steadfast support: my mum, Joy, and my pops, Randy; Esther and Raychel for your rockstar assistance; Phyllis for breathing life into our August shoot; Justin Vernon, whose music provided the soundtrack to this period of my life and work; and Karentruly one of the kindest people I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with.

Chronicle Books LLC
680 Second Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
http://www.chroniclebooks.com

Bobs Red-Mill all-purpose gluten-free flour is a registered trademark of Bobs RedMill Natural Foods Inc. Bonne Maman preserves is a registered trademark of Andros, Inc. Brer Rabbit blackstrap molasses is a registered trademark of B&G Foods Corp. Godiva chocolate liqueur is a registered trademark of Godiva Brands, Inc. Lazzoroni amaretti cookies is a registered trademark of Paolo Lazzaroni & Figli S.p.A. Makers Mark bourbon is a registered trademark of Makers Mark Distillery. Scharffen Berger chocolate is a registered trademark of SVS Chocolate LLC. St. Germain elderlflower liqueur is a registered trademark of Osez Vous? International Spirits.

I would like to dedicate this work to my son, Leo, the bright light that led me back to the lee shore.

In memory of my beloved nephew and friend, Andy Morgan, who left us too soon.
Remember, once is forever.
Andrew Morgan (July 25, 1979 to June 22, 2005)

First and foremost, I would like to thank my mother and my grandmother for filling me with the passion to cook and the magic to make it happen.

I would also like to thank Tim Morgan and the entire Morgan family for their patient palates over the years as my recipes came to life.

In truth, this book would not be a reality without the love and support that I have received from the following people: Lisa Hickey, for giving me that first chance and her years of unwavering support; Dave Marglin, for his guidance, patience, and profound intellect; David and Cindy Price, for that life-changing summer cooking for them in France; Allison Walsh, for reminding me that less is definitely more; my parents, for bringing me into the world; my brothers and sisters, for keeping me company along the way; my editors at Chronicle Books, Bill LeBlond and Sarah Billingsley, for seeing my potential and helping me actualize it; Marcy Posner at Sterling Lord Literistic, for the very same reason; Knoxy, for her vision and photographic brilliance; Joy, for giving birth to Knoxy; Phyllis, for her creative input; Blair Richardson, for her beautiful graphic design work; Hunter Cross, for my Web support; Liz Lambert of the Hotel St. Cecilia, for allowing us to photograph there; Barry of Howl, for his generous spirit; Steve and the crew from Uncommon Objects, for having such fabulous taste; Merritt Loughran Meade, for helping catapult Blackbird Bakery into the consciousness of people; and every single other person I have encountered in the last seven years, as it is from these relationships that I found my true calling.

MY AIM FOR THIS BOOK IS VERY SIMPLE : to provide hope for those who, like myself, suffer from autoimmune disorders like celiac disease, or any other medical conditionsuch as autism, Aspergers syndrome, ADD, and ADHDthat may require a change of diet. The latest research reveals that a growing number of cancer treatments are significantly more effective when the patients are placed on a gluten-free diet.

So how does one make such a radical change in their diet and still find pleasure in food? The act of eating is one of the highest forms of pleasure in the tableaux of human experience. When this aspect of my life was taken from me, I immediately took note. The seemingly simple act of eating became a complex, frustrating task, rather than a moment of pleasure. I set out to reclaim this birthright, and here, in these pages, you will find that life without gluten can be just as good, if not better, than what came before.

At the time of my diagnosis in 2002, the available gluten-free products were so unsatisfactory, I took it upon myself to do something about it. After seven years of loving experimentation and exhaustive research, including living and working in France, launching a food blog, and opening my online bakeshop, Blackbird Bakery, I have compiled this compendium of recipes that are so delicious you will forget that you are eating gluten-free.

Most important, I wanted to find a way to take away that helpless feeling from those who are newly diagnosed, empowering all of us with the knowledge that life is still full of edible pleasure. May this be your road map!

Life is mutable, but our greatest strength lies in our ability to adapt to these changes in an intelligent way. It is my hope that you will find Blackbird Bakery Gluten-Free to be part of the solution to this ever-growing problem.

AT LAST! ENJOY!

BAKING GLUTEN-FREE

In traditional baking, glutenthe protein found in wheat flourexpands and contracts in a series of chemical reactions. These reactions produce the springy texture that creates light, moist breads, rolls, and cakes. So what is one to do when this elastic protein is not present in flour?

Take heart, for gluten-free baking is possible. This book uses the following basic techniques for making your own delicious gluten-free baked goods:

First and foremost, as many whole-grain flours as possible are used in each recipe; these work together to provide both structure and good nutrition. Guar gum is used in combination with the flours to give elasticity to the doughs and batters; this provides the necessary structure to leaven the baked goods.