There is a stigma when you hear the words “gluten free.”

You automatically jump to the conclusion that the cake will be “less than,” that the cookies will be dry, that the brownies will be gummy. And in all fairness, that is often true. In the vast online universe, I only found one blog addressing taste. Jeanne Sauvage of Art of Gluten-free Baking created a flour mix so she could make baked goods that “taste just like their wheat counterparts.” So what flours does she use? Three kinds of rice and tapioca starch. No quinoa flour, no chia seeds, no sorghum flour or anything else that gives gluten-free baking a bad name.

Now the readers address taste all the time. The comments read like, “This is the best gluten-free brownie I have ever tasted” or “Thank you for making a gluten-free cupcake that doesn’t take like cardboard.” However, readers never said, “This is the best brownie I have ever tasted” or “Thank you for making a phenomenal cupcake.” It is widely accepted that these treats are “good for gluten-free.”

My goal is NOT to present you with recipes that are “good for gluten-free.” My goal is to present recipes that are good. Period. Well not even just good but GREAT. Taste is my primary concern. Taste is why we eat cake. Taste is the final frontier.  Only taste matters. I am searching for the best version of each recipe first and turning it into a gluten-free version that is either just as good or better.

So you ask, “why should I believe you?” Let me stress that I do not have celiac disease therefore I am able to make a wheat version of all these recipes. By having a side-to-side comparison, I am able to accurately compare both versions. I am able to judge taste, texture and height and confirm the one with gluten-free flours is truly superior before posting. This blog is not just for gluten-free eaters, but for all bakers who want to make the best treats possible. Oh and I never tell anyone they are eating a cake made with gluten-free flours. I wait until they say it is really good and then say “oh and it’s gluten-free.”  Their jaws drop and their eyes bug out of their head in shock. I have to say, it’s good for a laugh.