In today’s day and age, new culinary inventions are taking hold all the time. Baking and pastry students can take advantage of these creations by incorporating them into their own desserts. Flour is just one ingredient that has evolved over the years. People can find more than just regular white and whole-wheat options in their grocery store today. Here are some alternatives that will raise your desserts to the next level:
Add a sense of sweetness with coconut flour
One of the benefits of different types of flour is the ability for those eating a gluten-free or Paleo diet to ingest their favorite sweets. The coconut variety offers a high fiber content as well as a fruity flavor to the creations that contain it. Coconut flour can be a finicky ingredient, making desserts dense and a little dry, according to Nourished Kitchen. It’s also important to note the substitution rate is not one-to-one when compared to regular flour. Bakers will only need one-third or one-fourth cup of coconut flour compared to one cup of grain flours.
MyRecipes shared a delicious treat, pina colada cheesecake bars. These sweets combine butter, oil, water, graham cracker crumbs, coconut flour, turbinado sugar and ground ginger to form a crust. After baking for 10 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, add the topping – mixing cottage cheese, sugar, cream cheese, grated lemon rind, lemon and pineapple juice, vanilla extract and salt – and put back in the oven for another 30 minutes. Serve the bars cool, after refrigerating for a few hours.
Go for protein with almond flour chocolate chip cookies
Almond flour is not only high in protein, but provides vitamin E and fats good for heart health, according to Self magazine. As a result, this ingredient pairs well with flavorful desserts like chocolate chip cookies.
Gourmande in the Kitchen’s recipe will only take 30 minutes to make, giving baking and pastry students more time to play around with alternative flours. Don’t forget to fold in chocolate chunks to incorporate even more flavor into this grain-free mixture.
Think international with buckwheat flour Russian tea cakes
Don’t be confused by the name; buckwheat flour is unrelated to wheat itself. This ingredient gives recipes a nutty but delicious taste that won’t be forgotten anytime soon. Incorporate buckwheat flour into this recipe for Russian tea cakes by Food52.
The little treats are perfect for hosting guests, as they are small and easy to munch on. The recipe makes 36 to 40, so feel free to grab more than one to satisfy your tastebuds.
Alternate flours offer baking and pastry students the ability to experiment with their ingredients and creations. Since many of these items are gluten free, tasters with more restrictive diets can join in on the fun, too!
