Belated Better Batter Review

Better Batter Review

Ok, If your eating Gluten Free, then perhaps you have began to hear the buzz about this stuff! I had, in the past, posted that at some point I wanted to try it and C4C (cup for cup). I have not tried C4C yet, but better batter fell into my arms from a local store shelf and is now my best pal!

What is Gluten free? Avoiding foods containing Gluten, typically due to an intolerance or Celiac disease. Generally, its not done without cause though. Its an expensive pain in the booty!

What is it about better batter that is different? I suspect its the lemon derived pectin. I've used gelatin, xanthan and etc but seems pectin is the winner winner carby dinner on this one. 

Now, besides having a distintively adorable container, BETTER BATTER has a name for itself in the world of gluten free for one bigtime "miracle"! BISCUITS! 

The Gluten free mom that took and made these biscuit beauties basically said she about cried when she ate them, realizing it tasted like a real biscuit and not a grainy crumbly mess. I have also made the pretty lil' biscuits. I can vouch, they are gluten free miracles. Remind me alot of chickfila's biscuits actually. I plan on playing more with the recipe but am very happy!

This picture (above) is why we are so happy! Anyone who has ever used normal gluten free dough knows how crumbley and messy it is. Enough to make you give up! But BB's dough FEELS LIKE REAL DOUGH! You can squish, kneed and mold it! ITS FANTASTIC! I mean you can make almost ANYTHING with this stuff!

The website has a ton of recipes that are pre-measured for the mixes. However, you can use it in almost any recipe you find. With yeast breads its been suggested you double the liquids however. But I myself have made soft lovely pancakes, beautiful biscuits, fudgey brownies, cake donuts, and etc. Its really great stuff. I can't imagion the C4C being able to be better than this batter, but I say bring it on! 

The mixes can make life a lil' more convenient. I'd have to say my only 3 gripes really are as follows....

1. Size is small per box is about-ish 3-4 cups.

2. not sold enough places, I'm lucky to find it at Homegoods

3. health factor, wish they could incorporate healthier gf flours in the mix. white rice takes the lead.

Besides that, I am impressed!

More pics to come when I experiment more, keep an eye open for more food blogs containing the words "better batter".  As for the ones on this page, not mine, but all made with this lovely flour!

happy cooking!

Battle of the Gluten Free Flours

Battle of the GF Flours

I've tried making my own blends, gets to be a pain in the butt. I've tried Bob's Red Mill and Pamela's (both baking mix and vanilla cake mix) and like both well enough. But they are better with cakes, cookies and "quick breads". Not biscuits, rolls, pizza, etc. I aim to find flour I can make (huge huge challenge) FLAKY LAYER BISCUITS for Jacob. He simply adored the America's Test Kitchen recipe for Flaky Layer Biscuits I made him. They were better than canned could ever be, since the bread had a fresher "just baked" kinda texture. 

HOWEVER, Biscuits are the more IMPOSSIBLE goal, one that most gluten freer's don't ever seem to reach a happy place with. Its difficult to do breads and biscuits due to gf flours tendancy to get a "grainy" texture. I made one half decent one and they were half breed gf. Not 100%, I had to mix normal with gf to get them. The 100% GF ones were awful, like a corn bread textured biscuit. 

Now I did make fabulous gf cinny rolls, but I made my own flour blend and used quite a bit of garbanzo bean flour in them, which resulted in a much better texture. 

I have big plans in my future for popovers, yeast rolls, pie crusts, flaky puff pastries, biscuits and breads. I wish to find the flour that can handle it. 

The TOP Contenders?

Seems for this type of thing the top names floating around are King Aurther, Jules, C4C, and Better Batter. Now Better Batter has quite a cult following. Its been around long enough and impressed alot of people with the results. The other one I'm quite curious about is C4C. It is created by reputable chef's, and is now sold in one of my favorite stores, Williams Sonoma. Which, to my knowledge, are not known for carrying that sort of thing. Making it a very impressing option. Jules has a following, but I've heard more of BB, and King Aurther is truelly King in the normal flour world, but about mid level in the gf world. Probably equal to Bob's and Pamela's.  So IF I do choose to pick new flours to begin a "BATTLE OF THE BLENDS", I am thinking those two, C4C and BB, are my picks for the fight. Fight for who is the best bread (and biscuit) flour.

Addendum

Found a few links to try:

GF Puff Pastry

Crescent/Dinner Rolls

GF Popovers