This is a partnered conversation. All opinions are my own.
Wow, y'all, I am completely blown away with this recipe. You asked and BOY did you receive!
I put out a poll recently asking for your most desired AIP bready item and garlic knots won by a landslide (cassava- and coconut-free biscuits were in 2nd and are in development now too!)
I also asked if you had restrictions beyond what AIP already eliminates and I got an overwhelming response that flours derived from the yuca root are a no-no (that includes cassava flour, which is the whole root dried and ground, as well as tapioca starch, which is the extracted starch). And, sadly, many of you don't do well with coconut, either.
Well, that eliminates a LOT of possibilities for AIP-legal recipes. But, the good news is that I am so crafty and creative that I came up with a recipe that is LEGIT and shouldn't cause you any problems.
Replacing eggs with Vital Proteins gelatin
Once again, the biggest secret ingredient here for the perfect AIP bread is the gelatin. We've come a long way in the world of egg-free baking since I first posted about experimenting with gelatin eggs, and gelatin as an egg replacer is something quite magical. Watch it quickly thicken up a runny batter in this AIP biscuit recipe.
Vital Proteins is my #1 choice for gelatin derived from happy grass-fed cows. They are super transparent about their sourcing, which I love. I've already gushed about the benefits in my AIP Bagels post, but in short, this is why I love them and think you should try them out the next time you need to buy either gelatin or collagen:
- Incredible packaging. The wide-mouth lids are easy to accurately measure your gelatin from (and it even comes with a scoop!)
- It is derived from fully pasture-raised grass-fed cows.
- Of all the gelatin brands I have tried, it has the most mild flavor.
- Of all the collagen brands I have tried, the collagen dissolves most easily and completely in room temperature liquid. The marine collagen dissolves instantly without needing to stir. The bovine collagen has the lightest flavor and the marine has almost zero detectable flavor in water (as opposed to other brands that I find myself having to choke down due to the strong beefy taste and smell!)
I also love that they have added some AMAZING new products to their lineup recently. And they all look so pretty when they are together - don't you love the new labels and color scheme??
I really want to highlight the Collagen Whey blend, which was originally released in a CHOCOLATE flavor, but brand-new in the store you will find VANILLA (shown above). The combination of cold-processed, grass-fed whey with collagen results in a truly complete protein supplement, which is designed to be perfect for a post-workout drink. It has a balanced amino acid profile which provides the branched chain amino acids (BCAA's) perfect after a workout. And, like the chocolate flavor and their Beauty Greens, they include hyaluronic acid for skin and joints plus completely shelf-stable spore probiotics in the form of Bacillus Coagulans and I've used it as a snack between meals, too. It goes down easy and tastes amazing!
Now, I know the debate over chocolate vs. vanilla is one that will never be won. We all have our preference. I can certainly appreciate a good vanilla but I am forever on #teamchocolate. But, if vanilla is your favorite flavor you will LOVE the Vanilla Collagen Whey.I mean, I love it too, I just love the chocolate more :-)
See the color? That's from all the ground up Madagascar vanilla beans they crammed in there! Bursting at the seams with delicious creamy vanilla flavor. Yum yum yum!
Read more about the Beauty Greens, Type II Collagen, and Marine Collagen in my bagel recipe or on their site. If you have any questions about any of them, please ask in the comments!
Vital Proteins Giveaway!
Before we get down to the recipe here is where you can enter to win a jar of the Marine Collagen or a jar of the Collagen Beauty Greens. These are both fabulous products! GOOD LUCK! Open to U.S. and Canada residents age 18+
AIP baking without cassava or coconut
It may seem impossible to bake AIP without cassava, tapioca, or coconut, but it isn't. In this recipe I used what I really think is my all-time favorite gluten-free flour: plantain! My love affair with it began in Miami Beach when all I had to do to procure it was walk down to the corner market to buy a box. Now I order it from this new website.
It's also not that difficult to make your own plantain flour if you can't order it where you live or are just a DIY'er like that. Here is one tutorial for making it in a dehydrator and here is another for making it in your oven.
Now, one thing my extensive AIP baking has taught me is that none of the whole flours (like coconut or cassava) do well without being cut with a starch. There are some exceptions, but in general you get the best flavor and texture if you add starch to the mix. And if you want a dough that behaves like bread dough, you HAVE to add starch to a whole flour, otherwise you have a runny batter that you can't shape and form (which is fine for some recipes, but not this one).
Watch how easy this dough is to work with in the video below:
I used arrowroot starch here to keep this free of tapioca/cassava.
I know. Some of you can't have arrowroot, either. I wish I could magically make you the most perfect recipe and deliver it for you! I really do! I am going to work on a starch-free bread recipe soon.
Baking tips for perfect recipes every time
I now recommend for baked goods to be measured by weight, not volume. It is a big pain in the patoot for me to give you both volume and weight measurements, but because I love ya I do it anyway. Part of the appeal of measuring by weight is because it is so fast and easy to do in ONE bowl with just a plain spoon - no need to dirty a million measuring cups and spoons.
If you measure by volume, you must sift the plantain flour, scoop it, and level it with a knife. You must!
Otherwise, you will put WAYYYYY too much flour in the bowl and the recipe will not work out. As an experiment I scooped out 1/2 cup of unsifted flour and weighed it. Then, I sifted it, and scooped up 1/2 cup, leveled it with a knife, and weighed that. IT WEIGHED NEARLY HALF AS MUCH. So, if I had followed my own recipe using the unsifted flour I would have been using TWICE as much flour as called for. And I would have failed at making my own recipe.
See how important it is to measure exactly according to directions??! And why so many Paleo/AIP baked goods recipes can be so freaking finicky?? Your 1/2 cup could literally be twice as much flour as my 1/2 cup, depending on how it was measured. Crazy.
I use a cheap fine mesh strainer to sift my flours. If you don't have one and can't pick one up from the store for a couple of bucks, then you must weigh the flour (if you weigh it, then sifting is not necessary. Sifting is only necessary if measuring by volume). This is the kitchen scale I've used for at least the last 5 years and now use any time I bake.
Anyway, /endrant, just follow the directions exactly and you will be enjoying perfect garlic knots in no time!
Another quick note
I know I made these knots extra large. My New Yorker husband commented that they are ginormous compared to what you would buy at a pizzeria up there. I just got excited since the dough was so easy to work and shape, so I made 'em big. You can make twice as many little guys if you prefer, but I would check them after about 8 minutes so you don't overcook them.
AIP Garlic Knots (Cassava- and Coconut-Free)
Published 05/31/2016
This magical allergy-friendly bread is strictly AIP and comes together perfectly thanks to Vital Proteins gelatin as an egg replacer. Plantain flour replaces coconut or cassava and arrowroot starch is a non-tapioca option for those sensitive. Enjoy!
Ingredients
For the knots:- 360 grams arrowroot starch (about 3 cups)
- 120 grams plantain flour (1 cup SIFTED, scooped, leveled flour)
- 12 grams finely ground unrefined salt (about 2 tsp)
- 5 grams cream of tartar (1 tsp)
- 3 grams baking soda (1/2 tsp)
- 253 grams filtered water (1 cup plus 2 TB)
- 30 grams Vital Proteins gelatin (3 TB)
- 75 grams olive oil (6 TB) plus extra for brushing tops
- 3 TB minced or pressed garlic
- 1/2 cup olive oil (if tolerated, ghee or butter are even better!)
- 2 TB fresh parsley, chopped
- salt to taste for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Add arrowroot and plantain flour to a large mixing bowl. If you are NOT measuring by weight, you MUST sift, scoop, and level the plantain flour to use the correct amount.
- Add salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda to the flour and stir to evenly combine.
- Add water to a small saucepan then sprinkle the gelatin on top to "bloom" it (to completely wet it). Let it sit for a few minutes until you no longer see dry granules, then heat the gelatin over medium low heat until it melts.
- Add oil and melted gelatin to mixing bowl. Stir with a spoon initially so that you do not burn your hands. After the melted gelatin has cooled, use your hands to knead the dough into a ball. It should come together easily. You may need to add extra water one TB at a time if it is too dry and cracks.
- Divide dough into either 12 (for large) or 24 (for small) sections. Take each section and roll it out until it is about 8 or 10 inches long. Loop it around itself to create a knot (see video in blog post). Place on a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Brush tops generously with olive oil.
- Bake at 400F for 12-14 minutes for large knots. I did not test small knots, but I would check them after 8 minutes for doneness.
- While the knots are baking, prepare the topping. Add olive oil (or ghee or butter) to a small saucepan with the 3 TB garlic and cook over medium heat until garlic is softened and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Do not let garlic brown.
- Remove knots from oven and brush liberally with the garlic sauce. Optionally, you can return them to the oven to broil for 1-2 minutes on high.
- Remove to cool on a wire rack. Garnish with parsley and salt (note that if you use salted butter, you may not want to add any salt at all.)
- If you won't be eating them all in one sitting, skip adding the garlic sauce. They do reheat well, so just pop them in a 350F oven for about 5 minutes then brush liberally with the sauce. You can optionally broil them with the garlic sauce on top if you like.
- You can also FREEZE these and they turn out wonderfully. Just leave off the sauce until you are ready to eat them. I took mine straight from the freezer and baked it at 350F for about 10 minutes or so, until it was warmed through, then doused it in sauce and it was PERFECTO :-)
Cook time: 00 hrs. 12 mins.
Total time: 27 mins.
Recommended Tools and Ingredients
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This gluten- and dairy-free green bean casserole is just as quick and easy to make as the original, but without the allergens and additives.