Nutrient rich almond flour adds a boost of protein, fiber, antioxidants and calcium to baked goods. Agave is a substitute sweetener that doesn’t spike your blood glucose as much as sugar. Both can be used in place of wheat flour and sugar when you’re baking, but there are a few things you need to know about them to ensure your success.
Almond Flour Definition
Almond flour is usually made by grinding blanched almonds, but it can also be ground from the dry nut that remains after the oils are pressed out. It doesn’t contain gluten, so it’s a good substitute for wheat flour if you’re gluten intolerant. Almond flour has a unique but mild flavor that works well in sweet and savory baked goods and its texture is smoother than most other wheat flour substitutes. Almond meal is ground from whole almonds with the skin, so it has a coarser texture and generally doesn't work well in place of almond flour, especially in baked goods.
Almond Flour in Baking
Gluten is the ingredient in flour that causes dough to rise and hold its shape. This means that almond flour can’t be used alone in bread dough or other recipes that depend on dough rising, such as cinnamon rolls. Most cooks recommend mixing almond flour with whole wheat flour, replacing 30 to 50 percent of the regular flour with almond flour. Since gluten tends to make baked goods tough, adding almond flour produces more tender pastries. If you’re using almond flour to follow a gluten-free diet, replace the gluten by adding 1 teaspoon of xanthan gum for every cup of flour in the recipe.
Agave Definition
The agave is a succulent plant whose sap is extracted and used as a sweetener. Agave nectar may be filtered several times to produce a light syrup or filtered less to create a dark syrup that has more solids. Light agave is compared to honey, while dark agave is more like maple syrup.
Agave in Baking
When substituting agave for granulated or brown sugar, use 2/3 cup of agave for every cup of sugar in the recipe and reduce other liquids by 1/4 to 1/3, adjusting the amount to achieve the desired consistency. Agave syrup bakes into the batter without settling toward the bottom if you mix it with other fats or liquids that are in the recipe before adding it to the rest of the ingredients. Agave browns more quickly than sugar, so set the oven 25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than called for in the recipe.
Ideas
Begin by experimenting with your favorite cake or muffin recipes because those batters are easier to adjust as you go along than bread or cookie dough. Try making an almond cake using 3/4 cup of butter, 2/3 cup of light agave, 1 1/2 cups of almond flour, 1/2 cup of coconut flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 4 eggs, 1/4 to 1/3 cup of milk and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Spread the batter into a greased 9x13 inch pan and bake it at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes.
Member Comments