The last several times I've visited Whole Foods, I've noticed a box sitting on the shelf in the baking aisle that catches my eye. It's a baking mix for Gluten Free Dutch Chocolate Cake.
The difference between this baking mix and the many other gluten free chocolate cake baking mixes that line the shelves is that this mix uses imported Italian chestnut flour!
I finally decided to buy a box and try out this chestnut flour! Instead of baking a Dutch Chocolate Cake, I made a tray of cupcakes. The mix is extremely easy to put together and takes little time to prepare. It also comes with 2 pouches: one with the flour blend and the other containing the organic evaporated cane juice crystals. This gives you the option of deciding how much sweetener you want to add or if, in fact, you want to substitute it with a non-sugar sweetener. I chose to use what they provided.
The cupcakes turned out to be absolutely delicious! They are moist and not thick as many gluten free cupcakes can be. I definitely plan on using Italian Chestnut Flour in more of my baking.
Dowd & Rogers currently has several products, all gluten-free, including:
*Dark Chocolate Brownie Mix
*Dutch Chocolate Cake Mix
*Dark Vanilla Cake Mix
*Golden Lemon Cake Mix
They also sell specialty gluten free flours including:
*Italian Chestnut Flour (low in fat and has a low glycemic index)
*California Almond Flour
Dowd & Rogers products are available at many health food stores. You can also purchase them online at Ms. Celiac's Market!
For more information, please visit their website at www.dowdandrogers.com!
Also, if you want to find out about more gluten free recipes you can make using chestnut and/or almond flour, check out the recipe section of their website at www.dowdandrogers.com/recipes.html