Genius!

The store in Ferguson is open on Saturday and amply stocked with loads of gluten free baked goods.  Baby baguettes, focaccia bread (best bread for sandwiches), pita bread, cupcakes, brownies, cookies, banana chocolate chunk scones, pumpkin scones and many more delights are ready for purchase.  Bonus: beautifully decorated bags and coloring pages are still available, thanks to the artists-in-residence. Enjoy your breads and sweets any time by storing frozen and defrosting in the microwave.

What’s baking this weekend?

That would be chocolate chunk cookies. Focaccia bread will be baking, too.

Find Free Range Cookies at 425 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson, a northern suburb of St. Louis, MO that’s near the airport.  If you need directions, this map on Google is brilliant. Not in the STL area?  Visit the online store here or stop by the next time you visit St. Louis.

-Linda 

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Pure vanilla extract is gluten free.

- Linda

Recycle old game cards into business cards

Attach the back of old Monopoly cards to a piece of paper with removable tape (or use an old label sheet) and start printing.

-Linda 

An optimist sees the bagel. A pessimist sees only the hole.

Thanks to everyone who attended the gluten free bagel class at Kitchen Conservatory on Sunday.  Great class!  My only regret is not remembering to take photos of the process and all the gorgeous looking bagels made by students!

Next up on the schedule will be a hands-on bread class on March 11. Learn how to make burger buns, baguettes, pita, and focaccia bread.  And on May 20, the topic is breakfast treats.  We’ll be making muffins, scones, donuts, and pop-tarts.  Classes tend to sell out quickly, so don’t delay in signing up if you want to attend.

Gluten free bagels made with amaranth and mesquite flour

Want to make chewy bagels at home?  Here’s the best gluten free bagel recipe along with a few variations.

Gluten Free Bagels

Blend the liquid ingredients together in a bowl:

1 cup water

2 eggs

2 TB oil

Blend the dry ingredients together first then add to bowl:

3¼ cups flour*

3 TB sugar

1 TB instant yeast (aka rapid rise or bread machine yeast)

1 TB xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

After mixing well, let dough rest in a covered bowl for about 20 minutes.  Use a #10 disher to scoop 8 dough balls, using flour to help shape bagels. Flatten slightly and use your thumb to make a one inch hole in the center. After forming all bagels, let them rest at room temp until almost doubled in size.

And here’s a way to quicken up the whole process  –

Turn oven on to 150 degrees and let the cold bagels rise for about 20 minutes. After removing proofed bagels from oven, turn oven temp up to 400 degrees.

Back to the conventional method -

While bagels rise at room temp (could be an hour, depending on conditions), bring 2 quarts of water to a boil and add 1 TB baking soda. Use a spatula or slotted spoon to place bagels in water.  Boil for about 20 seconds on each side. Let bagels drain on a towel before placing back onto cookie sheet.

After you place bagels in oven, turn oven temperature down to 375 degrees. Bake 22-24 minutes.

Variations –

• Cinnamon raisin bagels: cover 2/3 cup raisins with water to plump, drain excess water, then add 2 TB cinnamon and 4 TB sugar. Fold raisins into dough before shaping bagels.
• Like garlic?  Add some for a savory bagel.
• Refrigerate dough overnight to enhance texture of bread.  Bagels can be shaped before baking the next day.  Unbaked, shaped bagels can also be covered and refrigerated overnight before boiling and baking the next day.
• Pumpernickel/rye style? Use coffee in place of water and add 2 TB cocoa powder to dry ingredients before mixing.  Stir caraway seeds into dough before shaping.
• Make mini bagels for appetizers
• Substituting 3 egg whites in place of 2 whole eggs will make a chewier bagel
• Use dough for pizza crust: drop dough balls into cornmeal or flour and flatten. Bake individual sized crusts (7”) for about 12 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and top as desired. Return to oven and heat until toppings are warm and bubbly (approx. 10 min. at 375-400 degrees). Baked crusts can also be frozen and used as needed.
• Got leftovers?  Make bagel pizzas, slice into thin pieces and dry in oven for bagel chips, freeze and defrost bagels as needed, or just feed the birds.

*A combination of flours gives the best result for gluten free baked goods.  Make your own gluten free flour blend by combining in a large container:

4 cups brown rice flour

4 cups tapioca starch

 2 cups potato starch

 2 cups almond meal

Optional:  ½ cup each amaranth flour and mesquite flour

Amaranth and mesquite flour enhance the flavor, crust, and nutritional profile of gluten free breads.  Because the bagels get a major browning boost from the baking soda bath, amaranth and mesquite flour are not absolutely necessary.  If you have access to these flours and want to add a lovely golden color to your bread, you should include the amaranth and mesquite.

Thanks to Tracy for sending a pic of bagels made by students at Kitchen Conservatory!

- Linda

Discussing the benefits of lifting cookies over weights with Jenn Cloud

Jenn Cloud, an awesome webgeek, stopped by this week to shoot a new video for Young & Free St. Louis. What fun!  I can’t wait to see if Sweet Talkin’ Ken made the final cut.

The store in Ferguson is amply stocked with dinner rolls, burger buns, baby baguettes, focaccia bread (best bread for sandwiches), pita bread, cupcakes, cookies and many more gluten free baked goods.  Enjoy your breads and sweets any time by storing frozen and defrosting in the microwave.

Find Free Range Cookies at 425 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson, a northern suburb of St. Louis, MO that’s near the airport.  If you need directions, this map on Google will work out great.  Not in the STL area?  Visit the online store here or stop by the next time you visit St. Louis.

-Linda 

The store will be open Wednesday and Friday from noon until 6pm and open on Saturday from noon until 3pm.

-Linda

Have a safe . . .

. . . and colorful new year!

-Linda

Custom decorated bag decorated with a secret code by my niece

For those of you who love cookies and/or focaccia bread, Hartford Coffee in St. Louis is now offering goodies from Free Range Cookies.

Isn’t it great to have another gluten free option on the South Side?!

-Linda

But there's always quinoa cookies!

Free Range Cookies is open Wednesday through Friday from noon until 6pm and Saturday, December 31 from noon until 3pm.

Pita bread is sold out but will be return on Saturday.  There’s only one kind of scone available until Saturday – chocolate mint.  They’re really good, but I can already sense your disappointment.  And burger bun stock is extremely limited due to the holidays. Who knew burgers were so popular?!

The store is amply stocked with baby baguettes, dinner rolls, brownies, quinoa cookies, vanilla cupcakes and other gluten free baked goods.  Enjoy your breads and sweets any time by storing frozen and defrosting in the microwave.

Find Free Range Cookies at 425 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson, a northern suburb of St. Louis, MO that’s near the airport.  If you need directions, this map on Google will ring in your new year.  Not in the STL area?  Visit the online store here or stop by the next time you visit St. Louis.

-Linda 

Merry Fruitcakes!

Free Range Cookies is open Friday, December 23 from noon until 6pm and Saturday, December 24 from noon until 4pm!

The store is amply stocked with pita bread, burger buns, baby baguettes, focaccia bread (best bread for sandwiches), cupcakes,  fruitcake muffins, brownies, crinkle cookies and many more gluten free baked goods.  Enjoy your breads and sweets any time by storing frozen and defrosting in the microwave.  Baking at home?  Find my favorite holiday cookie recipes here.

Find Free Range Cookies at 425 S. Florissant Road in Ferguson, a northern suburb of St. Louis, MO that’s near the airport.  If you need directions, this map on Google will keep you merry.  Not in the STL area?  Visit the online store here or stop by the next time you visit St. Louis.

-Linda