I decided to make the One True Cobbler® for this year’s Spiediefest. Since several of our friends have wheat or gluten allergies, I decided to try a gluten-free (GF) version. This experiment was potentially fraught with peril, but I forged ahead anyway.
The most important thing in baking side-by-side versions of goodies like cobblers or cakes is segregation. I measured all of the GF ingredients for each cobbler into separate bowls, then cut up the peaches and mixed them with brown sugar and lemon juice. While the butter was melting in the individual pans, I stirred together the batters with separate whisks. I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free flour mix for the GF batter. When the butter was melted, I poured the batters into their separate pans and topped the batter with the peach mixture. I started off with the GF pan to prevent cross-contamination from glutenous batter splatters. I used a Pyrex pan for the GF cobbler. I figured the dishwasher would have rid it of specks of gluten from previous baking adventures better than the metal pans that we’d hand-washed.
As I was mixing things together, I noticed on the GF flour bag that, for best results, one should add xanthan gum to batters and doughs. I wasn’t about to run out and buy a separate package of xanthan gum. That stuff is quite pricey for a single use. (I’m not into molecular gastronomy. I like my cuisine to look like the food of its origin.) Besides, the 1:1 ratio of flour to milk in the batter wasn’t going to be much affected by the lack of xanthan gum.
One of my GF friends was intrigued that I’d used the flour mix I had, since she’d had trouble baking with flours high in chickpea before. I was more concerned that the legume flours would add an off-taste to the cobbler. Fortunately, she and the other GF revelers enjoyed the final result. I tried a little myself and was relieved at the texture and taste. It’s amazing what peaches and sugar will do.
Two cobblers. The GF iteration is on the left.
Recent Comments