Snacks Made with Alternative Flours

by
Louise Mikesell-Wireman

Louise Mikesell-Wireman offering alternative baked goods for tasting at CIFT headquarters.

A plate of brownies, a bar cookie and peanut butter cookies don’t sound or look innovative, however each was modified with functional ingredients through an effort at the Center for Innovative Food Technology (CIFT).

A television program on the History Channel talked of teff flour; a tiny seed from a grass that grows in extreme conditions.  It can grow in either too much water or hardly any. The program showed how the seeds were ground into flour that was used to make flat bread in Ethiopia. After some exploration at specialty food stores it was discovered in whole or ground fashion. The package contained a recipe for peanut butter cookies. They look a little different than the usual cookies, but tasted just as good. Further digging found a recipe for brownies using the teff flour. The brownies were glossy on top, even after baking and had a good chocolate flavor. Both recipes used the equivalent of flour that would be used in a conventional recipe. The teff flour contains no gluten, which does not let the cookies or brownies expand and spread when baking; they stay the same size as when put into the oven.  The recipe for the peanut butter cookies was on the package and called for one and a half cups of the teff flour. Flour is priced at four dollars for a four pound bag, and the teff flour is six dollars for a pound and a half bag.  While a tad more than all-purpose flour, it is a great alternative to it and the soaring prices. The added bonus is that it is gluten free which is a plus for those with celeriac disease or watching their carbohydrate intake.

CIFT is looking into protein alternatives for the hungry. Beans are a healthy choice to use because of their great health benefits and long shelf life.  While there are the usual bean soups, salads, and the ever popular baked beans, a great cookbook called the “Daily Bean” has recipes for main courses, side dishes and desserts for all types of beans. A peanut butter cookie was made using a can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed. The beans were mashed up and used in place of the flour in the recipe. The results were a cookie that looked like mom made it, with a subtle peanut flavor. The other recipe was a bar cookie with mashed bananas and chocolate chips.  The banana helped keep the batter moist. Bean paste or flour is extremely dense and more moisture must be added to recipes so end products don’t seem dry. While this tendency to be dry is not a good thing for cookies it is a characteristic that makes it a better choice when producing extruded snacks or cereals; it will dry faster and keep its shape. Dried beans are grown in many states.  They are sold dried in bulk, or canned in a cooked state. Either way a 15.5 ounce can is less than a dollar and can be drained, rinsed and used in bakery items to help maintain shape.  Many recipes call for beans and a reduced amount of flour in a recipe. Most recipes that use bean flour or bean puree will need to add baking soda or powder to counteract the denseness of the beans, but there will be no “funny” bean taste. The United States is the leader in dried bean production and many thousands of pounds of dried beans are donated to food banks throughout the country. Recipes on how to cook interesting recipes with beans may help families improve eating habits.

Alternate ingredient foods (l to r): peanut butter cookies made with bean flour; hummous made with organically grown chick peas; chocolate brownies make with teff flour; banana chocolate chip bars made with bean flour; and peanut butter cookies made with teff flour.

With the ever-growing price of wheat, it is interesting to see how alternative flours can be used to make such simple items like cookies and other desserts.

Both items are readily available and can be a great health advantage: teff flour is gluten free, and dried beans have a low glycemic food index and are packed with vitamins and minerals for a healthy body.

CIFT continuously explores new ingredients while investigating the suitability to growing within the region hereby improving the food and enhancing the economic opportunities for growers.

Teff Peanut Butter Cookies

• 1½ cups of Teff flour

• ½ teaspoon sea salt

• ½ cup maple syrup

• ½ cup canola oil or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350°. In a food processor combine all the wet ingredients: peanut butter, oil, syrup and vanilla. Mix and pour into a bowl.  Combine the flour and salt and add to the wet ingredients.  Mix well. Roll into small balls the size of walnuts and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Flatten gently with the tines of a fork and bake for about 13 to 15 minutes. You should get about 2 dozen cookies.

These cookies will not rise and fall, nor will they get bigger, so you can place them fairly close together.

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Please visit the News Archive for earlier press releases & news.