It's highly likely that, as I write this blog, I will dwell rather heavily on the topic of dessert foods. I admit, I do have a sweet tooth, but before anyone starts thinking that I'm a little piglet who spent all my pre-GF days gorging on sweet stuff, let me assure you, that wasn't the case. The thing is, though, that with a GF diet, most of the sweet stuff we all take for granted is right out the window!
Think of your grocery store. You know that section with the Chips Ahoys, Oreos, Nilla Wafers, and even Animal Crackers? Don't bother stopping there. The baking aisle with the cake, brownie, muffin, and cookie dough mixes? Not for you. How about the refrigerated section with the break and bake cookie doughs? Nope. The bakery's baked goods? Not a chance. Hostess section with its Ding Dongs, Little Debbie Snack Cakes, Honey Buns and Donettes? Don't even look! Freezer section? Can't eat the pies, cakes, eclairs, etc. there.
Okay -- just bake from scratch. Oh wait... you can't use regular (wheat) flour. And unfortunately, as I have discovered, substituting a GF "all purpose flour" blend doesn't always work (example: my Nestle Tollhouse Cookies that melted flat and turned out like "lace" cookies -- FAIL).
So what's left? Luckily, there are some mainstream non-baked sweets I can still enjoy. These include ice cream (as long as I avoid the flavors, like Blue Bell Chocolate, that contain gluten), pudding (Jello brand is safe), and some chocolate bars (Hershey bars and kisses are fine as are Reese's cups, Butterfinger, and Baby Ruth. Milky Way, Twix, Kit Kat and Nestle Crunch, though, are out).
So that's the deal. It's not that I'm wanting to eat them non-stop. It's just that so many of the options are out that I really want to find a way to replace at least some of the basics -- brownies, chocolate chip cookies, cake. This means either finding pre-packaged GF options and mixes or learning to bake from scratch with GF flours (or both).
Stay tuned for updates on this quest!
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I'm just gonna go on record here as saying that I could LIVE off of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream! If that were my only dessert EVER, I would be a happy person!
ReplyDeleteBut, alas...I am NOT a happy person b/c I CANNOT EAT Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla ice cream! Not b/c I am restricted to a gluten-free diet...but b/c I happen to live in a Blue Bell-free STATE! And THAT is just wrong! And unfair!
So...have a pint or two of Blue Bell today, just for me!!!! :-)
I think you only think you could live off BB Homemade Vanilla b/c (a) you can't have it where you live and (b) you don't HAVE to have that as your only dessert. We have it in our house right now and it's good, but even with chocolate syrup on it, it's not the end-all-be-all.
ReplyDeleteBut I do feel bad for you that you live in such a backward place...