Almond Flour

Good news for the gluten-free crowd or anyone like me who is bored stiff of wheat flour: The availability of specialty flours such as almond is growing all the time.

Almond flour – made by grinding up blanched almonds - gives baked goods a great nutty flavor. Try it in tea cakes, pie crusts, sweet breads, muffins, brownies, cookies, crackers, fruit crisps, and even fish breading.

Nutrition perks include tremendous amounts of fiber, heart-chummy monounsaturated fats and the antioxidant vitamin E.

Because there is no gluten in almond flour, don’t try using it on its own in recipes that require a good rise. You can’t knead almond flour, so it’s also not good on its own for recipes requiring a dough formation.

If you can’t find almond flour in stores, you can try grinding your own from blanched almonds in a coffee grinder or, like I do, in the powerful Vita-Mix. Almond meal which often comes from grinding up whole almonds with the skin intact will lend baked goods a darker color and makes them more hearty because of the extra fiber. Some people like this, some don’t.

Bob’s Red Mill (www.bobsredmill.com) is probably one of the best sources for a wide range of alternative flours such as quinoa, brown rice, almond, amaranth and gluten-free baking mixes.

If you find yourself all gaga over wonderful almond flour, you may want to check out the Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam over at www.elanaspantry.com

To get you started with this newfangled flour hear are a couple no-fuss recipes.


Almond Flour Pear Crisp












Topping
1 1/2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
5 tablespoons oil

Filling
6 pears, sliced into thin strips (I usually leave the skin on for added nutrition and because I’m lazy)
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup raisins or currants
2 tablespoons almond flour
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine oats, walnuts, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and cardamom in a medium bowl. Drizzle with oil and stir until evenly moist. In a separate bowl, combine pears, maple syrup, raisins, flour, lemon juice and ginger and mix well. Transfer the pear mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Sprinkle the oat topping over the pears. Bake until the pears are tender and the topping is golden, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting into it.

Berry Almond Tea Cakes













When I made this recipe I used red currants because they were in season but blueberries or raspberries can be used as well.

Makes 6 cakes

3/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour, spelt flour or a gluten-free baking mix
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup applesauce
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 large egg whites
1/2 cup fresh or frozen berries

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a muffin pan, set aside. Mix together almond flour, other flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Stir in applesauce and butter. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer for 4 minutes, or until a soft peak forms. Gently fold egg whites into almond mixture and combine. Fill each muffin cup half full with batter and top with an even number of berries. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, or until edges are slightly browned. Cool 10 minutes before unmolding.