Practice makes Perfect

This week has been a bit like a country song, my car broke down, my kid got sick and my poor dog died! However, we got through it all to be here to write today.

This week I got a request from a client to try to make croissants. Her son has autism, is gluten free and he loves croissants so I said I would try. I researched various recipes and chatted on line to a number of bakers and their advice was basically, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again.

The first batch was terrible, a total disaster! They didn't rise and the dough was totally unmanageable. The second batch was more successful but they had a crescent roll texture rather than a croissant texture. But I feel that I know what might have gone wrong and I am looking forward to trying again tomorrow.

The problem with experimenting with gluten free breads is that it can be expensive! The flour and other ingredients cost a lot and you hate to throw food away. However, how do you ever get good at something unless you practice?

I have a couple of things that I do with failed breads. Of course, you can always turn your failure into breadcrumbs, dry in the oven and keep in the cupboard for meatballs and meatloaf recipes. You can make croutons for your salads by cutting the bread into cubes, sprinkle with herbs or garlic salt and again dry out in the oven. Store in sealed bag. Both of these methods are great for using up old bread or baking disasters. However, this week I had enough croutons and breadcrumbs (a sign of a humid baking week) so I looked for other ways to use up my croissant experiments.

The first batch was turned into a bread pudding. Nothing tastes bad when it has been soaked in a tasty custard and because it was croissants I added chocolate chips to the pudding and it was delicious.

The second batch was turned into stuffing for a roast chicken and also into a very handy recipe I have for an orange cake. We had it for dessert tonight and it was delicious.

You need to practice your baking when you are gluten free. It rarely works out properly the first time but it is nice to know that you don't have to throw out the results of your efforts and can make some nice desserts from your failures!

In fact, you can take this a little further. We have all had experiences of buying gluten free breads and cakes that turned out to be dry and flavorless. The first impulse from your initial disappointment is to dump it in the trash. Don't do it! Transform them yourself into something you can enjoy!

It is important when you are gluten free to feel that you are in control. When you can use all the food you buy and bake, that is how you feel and it is good!