CHESTNUT FLOUR
(image from amazon.com)
Gluten free has exploded in the past few years-from a fad diet to a legitimate dietary concern that many grocery stores and companies are taking seriously. From stores having entire sections for gluten free goods, to the explosion of new products and companies on the market, it seems gluten-free is everywhere. The more mainstream it becomes, the more profitable it will be for companies to produce, and the more products and varieties will be considered--a blessing for those suffering from Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
While rice flour, almond flour, coconut flour, buckwheat flour and a host of others are quite popular and the norm in baked goods, CHESTNUT FLOUR is fairly unheard of, though a wonderful substitute for using (chestnut gnocchi is fantastic, as are baked goods!). It has been used for centuries in Europe (notably Italy and their wonderful Castagnaccio, or chestnut flour bread/cake), in France for crepes, and it slowly starting to percolate to North America. Thankfully, if you can't find it in specialty stores, we have Amazon, which offers a wide selection!
Naturally gluten free and sweet, this is a fantastic flour to experiment with. It doesn't come out rubbery like rice flour based products, and has a wonderful, slightly sweet nutty taste to it, which makes it perfect for sugar free/low sugar sweetened goods! Calorie-wise, it is only about 95kcal per 1/4c, and unlike almond and coconut flour, has virtually no fat.
This is a wonderful and tasty alternative for those looking to cut gluten and/or fat and sugar from their baked goods! Give it a try, and let me know what you think! There are fantastic truffles, cake, gnocchi, and baked good recipes using chestnut flour online! Give it a try! CHESTNUT FLOUR
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