Cook the Book: Easy Gluten-Free Baking

Posted by Caroline Russock, August 10, 2009 at 5:30 PM

Last week's episode of Top Chef Masters was a real insight into the limitations of a gluten-free diet. The challenge was to create a vegan, soy-free, and gluten-free dish for guest judge and actress Zooey Deschanel. When the completing chefs heard about Deschanel's dietary limitations they were flummoxed. Without meat, dairy, wheat, or soy, coming up with a tasty recipe was a challenge indeed.

Michael Chiarello was the big winner with his quinoa pasta with salsa verde and gremolata, tomatoes, and crispy basil leaf. Art Smith's strawberry rice milk ice cream with almond brittle was the least favorite dish of the episode and sadly, got Smith eliminated.

It's not surprising that dessert proved to be the most difficult course to execute considering all of the limitations involved. Gluten-free baking is no easy task, or is it? Two years ago Elizabeth Barbone set out to demystify gluten-free baking on her blog, Easy Gluten-Free Baking. As a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America with a specialty in baking and pastry arts, Barbone knows a thing or two about baking.

But one interesting thing to note about Barbone—she doesn't have to adhere to a gluten-free diet for health reasons. Barbone has pitted all of the gluten-free baked goods in her new book Easy Gluten-Free Baking against their floury equals and claims that they taste just as good or even better.

As a novice to the gluten-free world, I am going to try out these recipes at home and share my results with you. Since I don't have any xanthan gum or rice flour in my pantry (two of the basic necessities for gluten-free baking), it looks like a trip to the store is in order.

Win Easy Gluten-Free Baking

Every day this week we will be featuring a recipe from Easy Gluten-Free Baking and sharing gluten-free baking tips. This weeks line up includes Diner-Style Buttermilk Pancakes, Lemon Bars, and a few fun gluten-free versions of classic American treats such as Oreos and Twinkies.

Thanks to the generosity of the folks over at Lake Isle Press, we are giving away five (5) copies of Easy Gluten-Free Baking this week. All you have to do is tell us about your all-time favorite baked good in the comments section below.

Five (5) people will be chosen at random among the eligible comments below. We're sorry, but entry is only open to residents of the U.S. and Canada. Comments will close Monday, August 17 at noon ET. The standard Serious Eats contest rules apply.

Comments are Closed. Favorite this! (1)

Tags: baking, contests, Cook the Book, Easy Gluten-Free Baking, Elizabeth Barbone, gluten-free

Comments are closed: 224 Comments:

I have to choose?? I should be ashamed of myself for disgracing my pastry education by saying this, but it's the first thing that comes to mind: boxed brownies topped with my mom's chocolate frosting (butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, milk. Nothing's better!) It's served with vanilla ice cream. I have it for my birthday every year, regardless of how advanced I think my palette is getting. It's either that or my grandmother's pistachio pudding bars, but those really aren't baked.

meem21 at 5:56PM on 08/10/09

biscuits! really good fluffy biscuits with honey butter. or maybe red velvet cake. ever since i became gluten intolerant i haven't had either, and frankly life just isn't the same without 'em.

papermonkey at 6:04PM on 08/10/09

spiced pumpkin bread with candied ginger ... mmm

Deeberry at 6:07PM on 08/10/09

Cobbler or crisp, and I'll take them in almost any fruit flavor. Mmmmmm

parfait01 at 6:13PM on 08/10/09

Ugh so hard to choose! I think I miss a nice pie crust more than anything. Or maybe brioche. Ooooh or popovers. Oh what I wouldn't give for a fresh, piping hot popover with cultured butter. *sigh* Please pick me! I desperately need this book!

ilovebutter at 6:13PM on 08/10/09

without a doubt cheesecake.

jonkeane at 6:14PM on 08/10/09

I absolutely love fresh, warm croissants with honey drizzled on top, just out of the oven. Bliss, pure bliss.

htims23x at 6:15PM on 08/10/09

There's nothing I crave more than a fudgey brownie.

miamia at 6:20PM on 08/10/09

right now my favorite all time baked good is:

the chocolate covered gluten free cookie my friend and i developed....
they are delicious and very nutritious.... but mostly delicious.

pooch at 6:20PM on 08/10/09

agree with the above, how to choose just one. My grandmother makes a baked cheesecake that isn't like eating a block of philly cream cheese like most I've had. It has a wonderful, slightly dry crumb and creamy almond flavor. Sadly for celiacs its got wheat flour. I'll have to learn some of these gluten free tricks!

christopher at 6:21PM on 08/10/09

Cinnamon pecan bundt cake. For dessert and breakfast!

hhicks at 6:25PM on 08/10/09

Biscotti

elcorazonsangrante at 6:32PM on 08/10/09

too many to choose from... I adore simple baked bread hot from the oven

cobaltab at 6:37PM on 08/10/09

Being gluten free I think Mochi and Mochi cake are right now my favorites!

styska1 at 6:39PM on 08/10/09

Croissants. Buttery Flaky Croissants

Jennalynn at 6:43PM on 08/10/09

Bread in all its many glorious forms!

Delinia at 6:47PM on 08/10/09

I love baking! Since I now eat gluten free, I miss being able to put together a loaf of whatever bread I want. I miss my homemade cinnamon loaf!

Soooz at 6:49PM on 08/10/09

A warm, freshly made, honey-glazed donut from San Francisco's Bob's Donuts, just pulled out of the fryer at 1am in the morning, after a late night on the town...or warm apple fritters and chocolate-covered donuts from Happy Donuts in North Beach at 7am before work...

surfeats at 6:53PM on 08/10/09

I miss really good French bread the most. And bagels. And donuts for that matter.

dwebs at 7:12PM on 08/10/09

I’d have to say there are several baked goods that have been my favorite throughout my lifetime.

Early in my life it was my mother’s rum cake. She’d bake them during the holidays for friends and relatives as gifts. Her record one year was ninety cakes over a 2 month period. This woman was also the bread-winner of the family (no pun intended!). Where she found the time to do all that plus help me with my math homework is beyond me. It was golden brown on the outside with pecans from New Mexico and extra rum in the sugary glaze with which she’d dowse the cake.

Later on in my college years were bagels in any size, flavor or form. Pizza bagels, everything bagels stacked with cream cheese and blueberry bagels with almond butter.

Just before I was aware of my allergy I couldn’t seem to get enough of whole wheat toast. The possibilities there are endless.

I miss those things.

Hobsy at 7:13PM on 08/10/09

molasses cookies

bibliothecaire at 7:15PM on 08/10/09

a big, gooey cinnamon bun with cream cheese frosting

jammin83 at 7:19PM on 08/10/09

A phyllo dough napoleon with a nice eggy vanilla custard and topped with melted chocolate. I've had it just twice and have been unable to find similar concoctions that didn't rely on way-too-sweet butter creme or other cake frosting-like mixture.

verak at 7:20PM on 08/10/09

This book sounds great! Bread is by far my favorite, and I just made my first gluten-free loaf last week.

fortunavirilis at 7:21PM on 08/10/09

How can I pick just one???? Let's see...anything with chocolate, really :) Probably pumpkin chocolate chip muffins....

hayleythecaker at 7:32PM on 08/10/09

Can I say nutter-butters? My mom bought some today and as I am gluten-free, I thought it was especially cruel.

cbw at 7:40PM on 08/10/09

I still dream about the fluffy, oddly-pastel green frosted pistachio cake that my grandma used to make. That same grandma developed her own gluten-free recipe for an amazing chocolate zucchini bread once I became gluten-sensitive. Love is such an essential "ingredient" in the cooking process! :)

Gipsygrrl at 7:40PM on 08/10/09

Flourless chocolate cake with ricotta cheese and fresh cherry sauce!

orrlizzie at 7:45PM on 08/10/09

What a cool book! My all-time fave is flourless chocolate cake with ricotta cheese and fresh cherry sauce...mmmuuhmmm.

orrlizzie at 7:47PM on 08/10/09

favorite all time baked good: chocolate pumpkin pie

favorite gluten free baked good: cake pops made will bob's red mills gluten free cake mix (you see why i need this book?) using cream cheese frosting as a binder.

ephraim at 7:49PM on 08/10/09

Chocolate chip cookies... mmm

little orange straw at 7:50PM on 08/10/09

Yeast-raised waffles!

llarabyth at 8:11PM on 08/10/09

Sticky buns. Hands down.

sueb84 at 8:14PM on 08/10/09

German chocolate PIE!!! crunchy pecan top and chocolaty middle...oh my...
or (rice flour) peanut butter cookie ice cream sandwich

honeybea at 8:21PM on 08/10/09

My wife's carrot cake has to be right up there at the top.

feelgood at 8:28PM on 08/10/09

Cookies, oatmeal chocolate chip, crunchy outside, gooey inside!! Oh yeah!!

kellysweazea at 8:39PM on 08/10/09

My mom's carrot cake, which was what I requested every year for my birthday growing up : )

ekenyon at 8:51PM on 08/10/09

bakewell tart. hands down.

lauralop at 8:53PM on 08/10/09

Cinnamon Rolls from Ann Sathers in Chicago!!!! I ususally plan my trips to visit my brother with obligatory cinnamon roll stops, unfortunately my father who has celiac can no longer enjoy this tasty treat with me and i am still trying to find a suitable substitute for him!

kileyg at 8:58PM on 08/10/09

Probably my kahlua fudge brownies. Death!!!

julieping at 9:14PM on 08/10/09

vegan no-bake brownies that a friend of mine makes.. i wish i had the recipe!

aeschylus at 9:18PM on 08/10/09

my default - coconut banana bread and of course using real, fresh, ripe bananas sprinkled with shaved coconut.

gargupie at 9:21PM on 08/10/09

so many... but if i had to pick just one for the rest of my life, i'd say bread.

cybercita at 9:25PM on 08/10/09

Way too many to chose from, NY Style cheesecake, croissants in Paris, homemade cinnamon bread and rolls, cheese danish, the list could go on....

bobcatsteph3 at 9:27PM on 08/10/09

Double chocolate chip cookies are my favorite baked treat.

cstironkat at 9:40PM on 08/10/09

My grandparents used to go to a Czech bakery and get "salty horns". I don't know what they're called in Czech, and I haven't had one in about 20 years, but I'm tasting one right now in my mind. Flaky, salty, crunchy, soft, buttery. Dammit. I want one so bad.

madball911 at 9:41PM on 08/10/09

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease a little less than a year ago, after 18 months of not knowing why I was losing weight so fast (now a total of 90 pounds). I'm learning how to eat safe but it's still not easy.

Recently I've been discussing the things I miss the most about my new gluten free diet. Pizza, cakes, cookies are obvious things I miss, but I've decided what I miss the most is bread, particularly things like kaiser rolls, a good loaf of French bread or even a humble hamburger bun.

Joshua at 9:41PM on 08/10/09

Pumpkin Pie...Fresh whipped cream...a dash of nutmeg...delicious. My grandmother actually bakes me an extra one every Thanksgiving to take home after dinner. It is always gone by the next night.

sch89 at 9:42PM on 08/10/09

There are many...but I'll choose croissants for now!

cochon at 9:57PM on 08/10/09

lemon meringue pie

sucheela at 10:20PM on 08/10/09

cupcakes! vegan or gluten free cupcakes are tasty as well.

pezbabypez at 10:20PM on 08/10/09

Oh, this gluten free girl really misses honey maple scones with toasted pecans...

maureenreiser at 10:21PM on 08/10/09

BRIZZLE BUNS

from Mrs. Brizzle's in Sea Isle CIty, NJ... mmmmm

foodieteen at 10:23PM on 08/10/09

I'm gluten, yeast, and dairy free but I still love to bake! my favorite treat is gingerbread cookies. My favorite store bought baked goods are the brownie cupcakes from Babycakes in NYC!

minicanteen at 10:36PM on 08/10/09

Brownies made from the KAF recipe.

iWander at 10:51PM on 08/10/09

yellow cake with dark chocolate frosting

andrearode at 11:19PM on 08/10/09

I only just discovered gluten free baking, as I am a traditional butter/flour/sugar/eggs kind of girl. Now with a new friend who has celiac I have been excited to rise to the occasion. Last week I made a chocolate cheesecake pie in a cashew crust, topped with toasted marshmallow. Even the gluten-embracing had seconds. Except the person with the nut allergy...

marinelm at 11:30PM on 08/10/09

My favorite would have to be carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

rsgrandinetti@yahoo(dot)com

rsgrandinetti at 11:34PM on 08/10/09

A rustic sourdough or an extra flaky pain au chocolat. Mmmm.

chicagojen at 12:11AM on 08/11/09

cheesecake with cherries on top

sandy89 at 12:30AM on 08/11/09

flourless chocolate cake

toastworthy at 1:08AM on 08/11/09

Plain brownies lightly dusted with powdered sugar with extra sugar for smushing the crumbs. These must be fudgy, gooey, never cakey. A warm temperature is also a requirement.

cebelamour at 2:01AM on 08/11/09

Real French baguettes in Paris, and good bagels. I actually am shocked. Going into this, I thought it would turn out to be chocolate cake, these fabulous chocolate chip cookies I invented that are safe for my son's allergies, or cheesecake. The more I thought about it, and read other responses, I realized I miss baguettes and bagels. *sigh*

grumblekitty at 2:22AM on 08/11/09

Mascarpone cheesecake with a fig compote. Its heaven, plain and simple.

justin h at 3:39AM on 08/11/09

Next you will be asking us to choose our favorite child.

At the moment, I would have to say a pizza from the Sourdough Deep Dish Pizza company of Seattle in the late 1980's.

Tomorrow it will be something different.

ComputerX at 4:47AM on 08/11/09

Homemade white read!

ClearlyDiluted at 7:40AM on 08/11/09

Banana nut muffins.

Paul S at 7:57AM on 08/11/09

Easy peasy....my great-grandmother's recipe for gingerbread cake, smothered on top with freshly whipped cream. We make it once a year, and I end up hovering over the pan once it comes out of the oven, nipping pieces until I realize I've eaten half the cake.

DomesticMuse at 8:00AM on 08/11/09

from scratch devil's food cake.

agordon10 at 8:08AM on 08/11/09

oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

hoofrog at 8:09AM on 08/11/09

Ginger Molasses Cookies. I made a gluten free carrot cake for a T-giving party. Fortunately, I had a friend who spotted me some of her 6 blend flour. I was surprised at the tricep workout I got mixing that batter - it was like cement! It turned out OK although I overbaked it.

ky2here at 8:13AM on 08/11/09

Pie.

sidebernie at 8:16AM on 08/11/09

Growing up, my Dad always made us a special treat called Texas Sheet Cake on our birthdays - chocolate cake with fudgy pecan frosting. Nothing beats it! Today, I make a gluten-free version that comes pretty darn close to the original.

shoosh at 8:24AM on 08/11/09

My Norwegian grandmother's Krumkake - a light cookie that is baked over a krumkake iron (almost like a VERY thin waffle), then wrapped around a special wooden dowel to create a cone shape. It is so good - it literally melts in your mouth. We always intended to make them together so I could learn, but she passed away before we ever did it, and now I don't know what happened to her krumkake iron.

studyzone at 8:30AM on 08/11/09

My aunt's pound cake baked in a Nordicware bundt pan which helps it produce this to-die-for crust.

lisac at 8:39AM on 08/11/09

lemon poppy muffins are my favorite.. haven't had them since i stopped eating wheat many years ago

arttochokehearts at 8:46AM on 08/11/09

My first loaf of freshly baked Kalamata Rosemary bread dipped in fresh extra-virgin olive oil mixed with herbs, sea salt, and cracked black pepper while still warm.

Brownie at 8:47AM on 08/11/09

homemade danish pastry, my mom always made it for the holidays

TNFarmer at 9:19AM on 08/11/09

Fresh-baked baguettes, Japanese Cheesecake or Strawberry Shortcake, Bagels, I can't pick just one!

Cupcake819 at 9:27AM on 08/11/09

Well, since my Celiac diagnosis, I'd have to say my favorite baked good has been homemade blueberry muffins. I wrap them individually and pop 'em in the freezer. They defrost quickly in the microwave and it's almost like eating them right out of the oven.

zuzupetals at 9:34AM on 08/11/09

White chocolate cake - a bakery in Va. makes a cake layered with a creamy white chocolate filling and frosting, then tops it with white chocolate shavings.

terplinz at 9:52AM on 08/11/09

Karina Allrich's Multigrain Sandwich Bread. It made me forget about wheat flour forever and was the first significant baked good that really helped me to transition to a gluten-free diet. Well, is it really a "diet" if I can eat a half a loaf of this bread over a day? Hmmmm....

savecara at 10:04AM on 08/11/09

Mmm, peach pie. I would give just about anything to be able to produce a workable GF pie dough so that I could bake a real peach pie!

Knitter at 10:15AM on 08/11/09

Brownies!

shannons at 10:19AM on 08/11/09

Ditto! Brownies! :)

Josh Baugher at 10:20AM on 08/11/09

I have great memories of my Mom's waffles. I've been trying to reduce my wheat intake. My brother has Celiac disease and while I don't I've found that eating less wheat has definitely made my body happier. I'm always looking for recommended recipies!

feedmillgirl at 10:22AM on 08/11/09

My mom's no-frills chocolate chip cookie, with a glass of milk. I also won't turn down a piece of homemade apple crisp.

Liz in the City at 10:27AM on 08/11/09

homemade brownie sundae - with chocolate ice cream.

Ltizzle at 10:42AM on 08/11/09

Zucchini bread

thalamic1 at 10:46AM on 08/11/09

To be honest, pretty much anything sweet and baked. I have an unhealthy obsession with baked sweets that my thighs and butt are not too happy about...

decemberain27 at 10:48AM on 08/11/09

no contest. it's warm, ooey-gooey cinnamon buns ALL THE WAY!

jay27 at 10:50AM on 08/11/09

My all time favorite is a lemon square I first tasted at Olive & Gourmando in Montreal. It was so lemony, and not too tart. That started my adventure to really bake, and I always over-lemonize it.

Zelnox at 11:16AM on 08/11/09

my grandma's chocolate layer cake. It was a vanilla cake with chocolate icing, but it was so light and delicious. All I know about the recipe, is that there were 7 layers, and hershey's chocolate bars and butter in the icing. I wish I had the recipe now.

stinkycupcake at 11:16AM on 08/11/09

A chocolate eclair.

eeels at 11:20AM on 08/11/09

fresh warm baguette

misslilad at 11:40AM on 08/11/09

I've been gluten free for about five years now and I nearly fall off the wagon every time I smell or see a cinnamon bun. Sadly, the consequences aren't worth it. I sometimes fantasize about having a "last meal".

Michael Z at 11:58AM on 08/11/09

been gf for a year now, and i still miss good bread. torn and dipped in olive oil, grilled with roasted garlic spread across it, holding together a BLT...

but it absolutely would not be worth the consequences, so you search out good gf recipes--looking forward to what you find in this book.

thebeef at 12:12PM on 08/11/09

We just moved to Albuquerque which is 5000 ft above sea level. The recipes in this book used to work until we moved here. Everything we baked, from this book or not, flopped. That's until we got a book to convert regular recipes into high altitude baking. The book is called "Pie in the Sky". Been baking gluten free chocolate desserts. Life is good again!

chocolateaddict at 12:28PM on 08/11/09

challah, without a doubt. there is nothing better than freshly-baked challah with butter and honey.

beetlover at 12:36PM on 08/11/09

hmmm so hard to pick ONE... some good fresh baked bread any type or flavor... heavenly... but oooo such a no no

wiicked at 12:48PM on 08/11/09

Croissant!

darthbunni at 12:53PM on 08/11/09

My grammie's coffee cake...if I could only figure out how to make it gluten-free!

shandon at 1:17PM on 08/11/09

Is pizza a baked good? Awww I LOVE pizza!! and miss it too :( I actually fell upon this website searching for gf pizza receipes. My mom's caramel flan receipe is DELICIOSO too! and would eat that over anything. You have to try it! thanks!

guitarbody at 1:28PM on 08/11/09

Cream Puffs. Definitely. I make a double chocolate custard-filled cream puff on the holidays and (since I recently found out I'm GF) I'm dying inside knowing I can't have them!

IndeanaSunday at 1:39PM on 08/11/09

Ohh too hard to decide...

but always on the list: Onion bagels, banana nut bread, and any sort of robust flavorful artisan bread... all of these preferably warm and slathered in butter!!!

hmneilson at 1:49PM on 08/11/09

Chocolate layer cake or sour cherry pie...or something with caramel. Can't decide. I love it all!

bigfatmouth at 2:01PM on 08/11/09

My mother always made a German chocolate torte on special occasions and it remains one of my fondest dessert experiences. It was so delicious, she won an award for it during a bake-off at my grade school!

conky at 2:02PM on 08/11/09

flourless chocolate cake made by my Uncle Jim!

allieparker at 2:07PM on 08/11/09

challah with dark chocolate chunks imbedded inside

xool28 at 2:15PM on 08/11/09

my favorite was always my mom's butterscotch cake. it was just a yellow cake mix made with butterscotch pudding and topped with butterscotch chips and brown sugar instead of frosting. is there a recipe like that in the book? i haven't been able to have it since i've been gluten free!

mgort89 at 2:31PM on 08/11/09

Amish Friendship bread...it is delicious and it is fun to pass along!

KCapogrossi at 2:45PM on 08/11/09

We really enjoy both chocolate chip and almond-anise gluten-free biscotti.
Along with so many other wonderful GF recipes, they stand out as special
favorites at home and to give.

stanevvy at 2:52PM on 08/11/09

Hot chocolate chip cookies! First thing I learned to bake!

drmona at 3:16PM on 08/11/09

My favorite baked good - that's a difficult question. I guess I'd have to say fresh, crusty bread, still warm from the oven.

amylou61 at 3:29PM on 08/11/09

chocolate chip banana bread mmmm.

celestevan at 3:31PM on 08/11/09

One of my favorite baked goods of all times would have to be zucchini bread. Thanks for the chance.

ecfreitas579 at 4:05PM on 08/11/09

Brownies.

hungrylikethewolf at 4:12PM on 08/11/09

I am a sucker for a fresh, crisp, light, buttery croissant. Hard to get a good one nowadays--so many mushy, tasteless, stale "crescents" have taken over the market and changed expectations. Just like good French bread. Ruined by people who want it soft and unstaleable.

lyricanjl at 4:14PM on 08/11/09

A freshly baked baguette, slathered with cold butter and apricot jam! Warm, cold, crispy,squishy and sweet.

mmmassey at 4:43PM on 08/11/09

there's no way I can choose just one! I looove baking!

Fluffy layer cakes, cute cupcakes with tons of frosting...and I can never turn down a classic chocolate chip cookie. :-)

dukegirl at 4:49PM on 08/11/09

Brownies... or Cinnamon buns... or Lemon bars... or...

PeanutButter at 4:53PM on 08/11/09

Profiteroles! My first real baking success!!

kfarrel3 at 5:14PM on 08/11/09

I dearly love chouquettes. David Lebovitz has a good recipe -- think tiny cream puffs, but no cream. Just puff.

Or a perfect, thick pita. I know, contradictions.

Yrmencyn at 6:08PM on 08/11/09

Something that took me months of trial and error to perfect: gluten-free, milk-free glazed cake donuts with a hint of nutmeg.

(Thanks so much for reviewing a GF cookbook! My three year old son has celiac, and we keep a GF household for his sake. It's been quite an adjustment... basically learning to bake all over again.)

ruhbehka at 6:13PM on 08/11/09

When I was a little kid, my grandmother made these wonderful cherry and apple strudels - so flakey, loaded with fruit and a tantalizing golden color, with a drizzle of sugar.

Now that I'm gluten intolerant - my homemade brazilian cheese bread - hot out of the oven. They are soft, chewy, slightly salty and pleasantly cheesey.

khfrisco at 6:19PM on 08/11/09

anything my husband bakes!

AliceBlue at 6:22PM on 08/11/09

For my family, Christmas season = Madeira cake season. We make up about 20 of these divine confections for various office parties, potlucks, and holiday gifts. Its hands down the easiest thing to make and, while it looks like a plain ole bundt cake, the Madeira packs packs a delicious punch of flavor.

I've been cooking gluten-free for the past 2.5 since being with my boyfriend (who has Celiac), butI have yet to try making this cake because I'm still learning how to bake with gluten free ingredients. I pulled off a fantastic dark chocolate brownie w/ cherries recently, so I think I'm ready for it. I'd love to read this cookbook to learn some tips and to gain more confidence in GF baking!

vjwheat at 6:26PM on 08/11/09

my mom's biscuits, preferably with pork tenderloin and gravy, apple butter, and homemade strawberry jelly!

poomy at 6:43PM on 08/11/09

chocolate cake!

PoignantTuna at 7:17PM on 08/11/09

home made apple crisp, hands down. I pull the apples from my tree and it's ready to eat in an hour!

lindsayu83 at 7:22PM on 08/11/09

carrot cake

nmp164 at 7:28PM on 08/11/09

Oh man, that's all huh? How to pick a favorite...I'll go with my most recent favorite...salted caramel cupcakes! Sooo good.

jserdnom at 9:00PM on 08/11/09

my favorite baked treat is my moms english tofee fingers. she made them every year for Christmas,and I couldn't stay out of them. One year, when I was trying to lose weight, and she had sent a plate to our house, I had to get my husband to lock them in a wooden box to keep out of them.They were wonderful. Shortbread base, toffee center and dark chocolate tops.mmmmmmmmmm

judie at 9:00PM on 08/11/09

asian cake.. fluffy fluffy from well beaten egg whites and swans down cake flour. we've kinda sorta mastered this and are quite proud.

briteyellowness at 9:40PM on 08/11/09

freshly baked cranberry scones!

tlinjang at 10:39PM on 08/11/09

Winnie the pooh popovers. I became gluten intolerant at age 14, and my most favorite recipes are all from before I was 14. I remember making these from a winnie the pooh cookbook. As you might guess, honey figures in prominently.

rthomble at 11:33PM on 08/11/09

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies! YUM!

Hotsnotty2 at 11:52PM on 08/11/09

pizza bianca. the reason d'etre of this celiac in deep, juvenile denial.

i8alot at 12:14AM on 08/12/09

warm vegan cinnamon rolls with vegan cream cheese icing slathered on top. mmm!

tessarebecca at 2:06AM on 08/12/09

chocolate chip cookies!

mchow at 8:49AM on 08/12/09

Geez, I have no idea. I'm a bit of a pie fiend (my favorites are pumpkin and black and blue), but it's not Christmas or Thanksgiving without cinnamon rolls, nor summer without strawberry shortcake (OMG! I haven't had strawberry shortcake yet, and summer's almost over! Must ... make ... shortcake ...).

KarynMC at 8:50AM on 08/12/09

brioche.

bobdobalane at 8:56AM on 08/12/09

That is virtually an impossible question for me to answer. It's hard to beat chocolate chip cookies straight out of the oven...or my mom's apple pie served piping hot with ice cream...or a moist, dark chocolate cake...but if forced to pick just one, I'd have to go with a perfect NY cheesecake. Smooth and creamy, not fluffy but not so dense it's like a brick in your stomach, just sweet enough but slightly tangy at the same time, and flavored so perfectly, it needs no topping of any kind. It's perfect on it's own, just as it is. I've tasted plenty of cheesecake in my life, but finding one that blows me aways doesn't happent that often, unfortunately...

kimberlymac at 9:14AM on 08/12/09

I love baked goods way too much to chose between them, but I can say right now one thing I love is a fruit and cheese danish.

deenarae0 at 10:02AM on 08/12/09

Blueberry crisp~!

npfldmom at 12:39PM on 08/12/09

My family is from Trinidad, so my mother makes a mean black cake. It's called "black cake" because blackened sugar gives the cake it's distinctive dark color, but it should be called "the best fruit cake that you have ever tasted". Traditionally, candied fruits are left soaking in a jar full of rum (for a year!) and this gets added to the cake mix. This cake is usually made around Christmas time. Rum is periodically added to the cake, so this is a cake guaranteed to make anyone happy!

henryc01 at 1:01PM on 08/12/09

Toss up between scones with whipped butter and black currant jam and warm gooey cinnamon buns dripping with white icing....

SHolmes at 1:43PM on 08/12/09

I am partial to Yiddish pastries given my grandmother's amazing ability to make them when I was a little girl. Prune hamantaschen, a three-cornered cookie with carmelized, plummy filling, are perhaps one of my favorite delights in the world. And then there is rugelach, or roll cookies, which involve taking triangles of thin, salty dough, sprinkling them with dates, walnuts, or cinnamon, and rolling them up into sweet little cigars. The Jews really know from cookies.

rachelcooks at 1:43PM on 08/12/09

Bagels.

annerska at 2:06PM on 08/12/09

It would be a tie between chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and cinnamon rolls. No matter how hard I have tried to make gf cinnamon rolls they always turn out too hard.

shutterbug at 2:25PM on 08/12/09

I've always been a huge fan of a fluffy biscuit!

Bacon at 2:28PM on 08/12/09

Carrot cake!

etirv at 2:55PM on 08/12/09

my mom's triple berry cassata cake with whipped cream frosting. I'm weak in the knees just thinking about it.

dixiesong3131 at 3:38PM on 08/12/09

pumpkin pie with graham cracker crust

ssultan23 at 4:20PM on 08/12/09

Yellow cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate cake with mocha frosting!

emily1016 at 4:37PM on 08/12/09

Oh God, anything chocolate. With chocolate frosting.

ktlb22 at 4:43PM on 08/12/09

I can't possibly choose a favorite. My most recent obsession is blueberry cheesecake bars, from a recipe my mother found and makes better than I do.

woodenspoon at 4:45PM on 08/12/09

fruit crisp/crumble hands down as far as sweets, otherwise warm loaves of bread and really good biscuits!

oregonpinot at 5:51PM on 08/12/09

so hard to choose...but i would say warm gooey fudgie brownies.

Alm25 at 6:05PM on 08/12/09

bread, bread, bread... with butter, butter, butter.

momtimestwo at 7:02PM on 08/12/09

home made pita cooked in a wood-fired oven

DoorCounty at 7:05PM on 08/12/09

Hard to pick just one--rhubarb crisp first and close behind, lemon bars....nothing better than homemade baked goods!!!!

Teri at 9:24PM on 08/12/09

my grandmother's christmas cake will always be my favourite baked good. unfortunately, i won't have the chance to taste it again. no one can replicate it with the same flavour of love as she could mix in.

hessiebell at 10:49PM on 08/12/09

baba au rhum, cos it reminds me of my grammy each time i eat one. she loved those suckers.

french tart at 9:28AM on 08/13/09

salted oatmeal cookies

browngravy at 10:11AM on 08/13/09

A good bread that is not like a white bread. I never really liked sandwich bread.

Kolache at 10:37AM on 08/13/09

oatmeal cookies indeed!

semarr at 1:06PM on 08/13/09

My go-to recipe is banana bread, but I also like big soft chocolate cookies with dark chocolate chips. I buy one for a treat when I grocery shop.

suegsf at 1:22PM on 08/13/09

Swiss cherry torte. White cake, very fluffy whipped icing and a cherry topping.

ostman at 1:29PM on 08/13/09

Based upon what I actually bake, it has got to be cornbread. I love to get up early enough to bake cornbread for breakfast

BostonDiner at 1:31PM on 08/13/09

I bake birthday cakes for the monthly birthday celebrations at the office. I have a coworker who has celiac issues, so i've been making lots of cheesecakes and icebox cakes (peanut butter chocolate- yum!) with crusts made from gluten-free cookies. There's a Bobbly Flay recipe for key lime bars with white chocolate sauce and a ginger snap crust that's a messy favorite.
But I digress. My favorites- pretty much anything from Tartine in SF. Here, I like the pithivier from Silver Moon or Jacques Torres. Also, almond bars. My friend ganked this deadly almond bar from epicurious. Damn.

sloppydelicious at 1:35PM on 08/13/09

oatmeal raisin cookies...

KCapogrossi at 1:39PM on 08/13/09

chocolate cake!!!

llama at 2:17PM on 08/13/09

My grandmother's Irish Soda bread. It brings back some fantastic memories. Plus, it's great to eat with all that beer on St. Patrick's Day-- which is also my birthday!

bkbella at 2:31PM on 08/13/09

Dark chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting!

lisasav5 at 3:03PM on 08/13/09

brownies! and my grandmother's chocolate chip cookies.

au_dmr at 3:24PM on 08/13/09

About 4 years ago "gluten-free girl" wrote about and gave recipe for gluten-free chocolate financiers that David Lebovitz gave her. I tried them in my mini muffin tins and have never stopped baking them. They are the best! They are soft, chocolaty, melt in your mouth awesome.

GRITScmc at 3:51PM on 08/13/09

I have to choose one? I have two. Brownies, and peach cobbler.

tastyeatsathome at 3:53PM on 08/13/09

any kind of pie with the crust my wife makes!

candk at 8:19PM on 08/13/09

Whoopie pies!

architeuthis at 9:51PM on 08/13/09

cake. cupcake, big cake, small cake, wedding cake...whatever.

kimbodian at 11:07PM on 08/13/09

A flour-less chocolate cake made with really good chocolate that has a flavored liqueur whisked through - it's rich, dense, smooth, chocolaty, with a surprising undertone.

pauljcummins at 8:48AM on 08/14/09

I've been gluten free and dairy free for the past 2 1/2 yrs. and haven't done a lot of baking, and I miss brownie ice cream sundaes!!I'm look forward to hearing your reviews for this book, it's hard to find a good gluten free cookbook.

neels at 10:04AM on 08/14/09

chocolate chili bites- gluten free without even trying! essentially it is chocolate, eggs, butter, and hot pepper. wonderfully wonderful.

jlhmm at 10:12AM on 08/14/09

yeah, having to give up gluten has put a damper on my awesome baking... i miss it so much. from peanut butter cookies to banana bread... i love it ALL. maybe this cookbook would help me get baking again...

tomodachi at 2:13PM on 08/14/09

pecan pie bars, lemon bars, Christmas cookies

jenniley at 2:54PM on 08/14/09

I made these awesome Persian cookies from Veganomicon. Cardamom, pistachio, rose water, rice flour and just so good.

prunesaregood at 2:57PM on 08/14/09

Peanut butter and jelly chocolate cake (gluten free and vegan).

fastfoodie at 4:39PM on 08/14/09

i am gluten free and my all time favorite baked treat is ANYTHING and I do mean ANYTHING from Babycakes bakery in NYC. The cupckakes and chocolate chip cookies are at the top of my list though and are dairy free as well. Salivating just thinking about it!

rorolichtman at 5:43PM on 08/14/09

Bread, yeasty, gluten-y bread. Oh so hard to duplicate gluten-free.

noellefoto at 6:54PM on 08/14/09

Very thin gingersnaps, with crystallized ginger.
German chocolate cake.

firni at 10:03PM on 08/14/09

Chocolate Chip cookies are my fave baked treat!

asketcher2 at 7:35AM on 08/15/09

peach or blueberry crisp with a scrumptious crumble topping with a hint of cinnamon and ginger, served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

goodginger at 9:42AM on 08/15/09

walnut date macaroons! They're chewy, crispy, crunchy, sweet, a little salty, and altogether gluten free for the GF child in my life!

tendency at 10:25AM on 08/15/09

Entenmann's black out cake from the original bakery!!

bklynboy23 at 11:34AM on 08/15/09

Thanks for the giveaway! I've been pondering trying gluten free cooking but didn't know where to start.
My favorite baked good is butterscotch oatmeal cookies, and I am so glad I don't have chips in the house right now or I'd go make them and eat the whole batch...

gibbylet at 8:33PM on 08/15/09

I love anything chocolate and homemade. I can't pick just one but if I have to it would be chocolate chip cookies.
erma.hurtt@sbcglobal.net

wwe11 at 6:52AM on 08/16/09

Brownies.

legab67156 at 11:46AM on 08/16/09

I love them all, but if I have to choose one, I would pick cinnamon rolls! Hot and fresh!

I am on a very strict diet, due to illness, so I have to be very careful about what I eat.

flautenmusik at 1:37PM on 08/16/09

Is it possible to choose just one?! Well right now I could go for some snickerdooles!

JillianVeit at 2:11PM on 08/16/09

Going with eclairs. YUM!

dddiva at 2:38PM on 08/16/09