Quinoa Flour

swan · Posted: Tue Jun 09, 2009 4:07 am Post subject: Quinoa Flour

This week I found a bag of quinoa flour in the organic supermarket. Anyone has used it already? Any ideas? my thoughts would be to half the amount of regular flour in any recipe and replace it with quinoa flour, but I'm not sure if it ' behaves' the same way.
Would love to hear your ideas and experiences!
If I get around to it I'll make a banana-walnut bread today or tomorrow and use it, will tell you if I do! (and I would have the idea that I am making something more healthy, or am I fooling myself?)

KYHeirloomer · Joined: 21 Aug 2007 Posts: 552 Location: Central Kentucky

I haven't used it, Swan, but at a guess I'd say you're right for things like fast breads, which do not depend on gluten development to rise.

For yeast breads, I wouldn't substitute more than 25%.

swan · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:21 am Post subject:

I have Clotildes Yoghurt Cake in the oven as we speak. Wanted to substitute half of the regular flour for quinoa flour. But, uhm, I managed to make my flour fall into the sink Confused

. (and no more in stock. And it's raining. No, it's pouring.) So now I made it with 100% quinoa flour (and blueberries). We'll see, I'll keep you informed. But will definitely taste the cake first before bringing it to the neighbours tonight Very Happy

swan · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 7:29 am Post subject:

so...what shall I say...it looks very pretty, just like a regular cake. It smells nice. It's just that....I can taste the quinoa Smile

. And since I usually use quinoa in savory dishes it's a bit weird. Its a little more...nutty, sesamy, bitter perhaps? Different taste, that's for sure. Not bad - but I think next time a 25/30% quinoa flour content would be much better.

David · Posted: Wed Aug 05, 2009 5:57 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the on-the-spot reportage swan!! Amusing and informative!!
cheers!
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Vivant Linguae Mortuae!!

swan · Posted: Thu Aug 06, 2009 2:23 am Post subject:

The flavour definitely develops when you leave it to cool completely - it got better: more sesamy-less bitter. Did not bring it to the neighbours, half of it we gobbled up ourselves (it was a healthy cake, no?) and the other half is morning-coffee-cake at hubbys office.
I'll stick to my max 25/30% idea and think my original plan for banana-nutbread would work very well. Will keep you posted Very Happy

Now I need to go pack. It's off to Beijing this afternoon. Work for hubby tomorrow, (a little shopping perhaps for me?!) and sightseeing saturday and sunday. Tough life....

swan · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 10:04 am Post subject:

Quinoa-flour experiment...take 2!!

In the oven a similar yogurt cake as last week (with blueberries). This time my regular flour did not end up in the sink. Very Happy

We'll see how it turns out with 75% (so 1 1/2 cup) regular, and 25 % (1/2 cup) quinoaflour.

swan · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject:

Again the house smelled wonderful, the cake came out pretty, and the taste....let me put it this way: that quinoa-stuff is pretty dominant. The flavour is a bit milder than last time, but still very much there.
Not unpleasant, but not for every cake all the time. I decided to keep what's left of it for my next banana-nut-bread/cake and keep my yogurt cakes plain!

clotilde · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 3:09 pm Post subject:

Dear Swan,
Thanks for keeping us updated on this quinoa flour experiment! I've always been curious about the flavor.
I'm guessing the domineering quinoa thing may perhaps be easier on the taste buds in a savory preparation, perhaps a tomato crumble or a crustless quiche?
Clotilde.

swan · Posted: Thu Aug 13, 2009 4:02 pm Post subject:

I can't believe I didn't think of ' savoury' myself Shocked

.

Thank you Clotilde, and I WILL keep you posted if and when experimenting again.
But, but...how would one use flour in a crustless quiche? Add some to the egg/cream-or-milk mixture?? I usually litterary make a crustless quiche - maybe more tortilla-ish, just the same way I make my quiches, just no crust Very Happy

clotilde · Posted: Wed Aug 19, 2009 8:46 am Post subject:

What's called a crustless quiche (quiche sans pâte) in French is a quiche with no crust but with some flour added to the custard part so it will set and hold its shape a little better.

You shouldn't add too much flour, though, or it will sink in your stomach like a brick. Smile

But if the flour also adds flavor, as would be the case with your quinoa flour, then it's not just a textural thing.

cathyeats · Joined: 19 Apr 2010 Posts: 17 Location: Brooklyn, NY

I think the quinoa flavor would be good in a more earthy or nutty cake, like a spice cake or carrot cake, maybe.
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