Baking

Well, the pumpkin pies are done. My mom had a fit when I insisted on using whole pumpkins (not canned), even though she knew full well that I'd be doing all the work. It's no fun using canned pumpkin. You don't get to rip open the bright orange heads and rip their guts out. Though it's always a chore finding pumpkins the week of Thanksgiving. I suppose most of the people who make it from scratch buy their pumpkins around Halloween... At any rate, I had enough cooked and pureed pumpkin for the pies, plus two cups leftover. So I made pumpkin cookies. I looked at a few recipes (both GF and non) and vaguely followed the GF recipe, except I doubled the pumpkin and added chocolate chips. It's another Bette Hagman GF recipe, and I know from experience that she always lists more flour than is necessary. Sometimes she lists more flour than the amount of liquids can even dissolve. Yes, cookie batter is supposed to be thick, but not THAT thick.

So...what's left... Well, I've got four eggs sitting out so they'll be room temperature by morning. I need to either put out some yeast as well or get all the dry ingredients mixed up with the yeast. I'll make rolls tomorrow, one batch of plain and one batch of cinnamon pull-aparts. My mom actually asked me "Are you going to make rolls this year?" Duh. Yes. I'd like to be able to eat them. Now, it's true I could just make enough for me, but I really, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY don't like to be at the same table as wheat-based food. I've been told I take this too far. I disagree. See, gluten is poison to me. A tiny amount won't do very much. Neither will a small amount of arsenic. So imagine you sit down at a table with a family, and the family is unconcernedly spooning arsenic onto their food, passing it around less than carefully, and seeming puzzled that you won't join them. That's an accurate analogy to my usual situation, and a perfect description of how I feel about having wheat around me.

Some notes on gluten-free baking: most recipes adapt easily. Switch the flour, add a bit of xanthan gum and maybe an extra egg, no problem. Yeast bread does not, and I have yet to find a decent GF white cake recipe; also pie crusts are...problematic (I'm starting to get the hang of them. If you've ever made wheat pie crusts, imagine working with flours that crumble ten times as easily; the trick is to use oil and eggs). Cookies, brownies, muffins, have always turned out for me. As far as tomorrow goes, the bean flour bread worked, but the flavor isn't as good as some of the rice-based stuff I've made in the past, so I think I'll stick with featherlight rice flour this year. It has a nice, sweet flavor. Oh, and I also ought to get the pumpkin seeds cooked. Hmmmm... That may not get done by tomorrow at noon. Oh well. I'm about the only one who likes them anyway.

Update on Dad: he might show up tomorrow (at Grandma's house). Honestly, I'm surprised Mom bothered to invite him again. On the one hand, I don't want to exclude him. On the other, I really don't want him there. Not while Mom is around. *sighs*