From the menu of … Jekyll Island Club Hotel, 371 Riverview Drive, Jekyll Island. 1-877-907-5756; www.jekyllclub.com/?NCK=AJCMuffins
Q: I have a severe wheat allergy and found the Jekyll Island Club’s main dining room has great light, fluffy rice flour muffins! Being bread-deprived for the last few years since learning that wheat was what gave me constant hives and eczema, I would love to be able to eat those at home, between trips to Jekyll Island. Can you please help me get the recipe?
— Linda Edmonds, Decatur
A: With more and more people eating gluten-free, this recipe will be a great addition to many a household bread basket. Abigail Hutchinson, the club's executive chef, said it was about six years ago that they began receiving more and more requests for gluten-free dinner rolls and desserts. To be responsive to their guests' wishes, pastry chef Carl Sears created the recipe that's still used today.
“At that time, I asked him to make these rolls anytime we had a guest alert us to their needs. This went on for a year or so. (Now) we serve the gluten-free rolls every day. The servers are so familiar with gluten-free needs that we don’t even bat an eye anymore. They are extremely popular and even other guests who are not gluten-sensitive ask for them,” said Hutchinson, who noted the rolls are served at breakfast, lunch and dinner. She noted that the recipe also can be made dairy-free and soy-free for those with dairy or soy allergies or intolerance.
Xanthan gum and rice flour (you can use either the white or brown varieties here) are available at most natural food stores and at the Buford Highway Farmers Market. Tapioca flour is also called tapioca starch and is available at the same sources and at Asian markets.
Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of restaurant in the subject line.
Jekyll Island Club Hotel’s Gluten-free Rolls
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Makes: 24
2 1/2 cups rice flour
2 cups tapioca flour or cornstarch
2 cups water, milk or a nondairy milk substitute
1/4 cup olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil
1/4 cup granulated sugar
4 eggs, divided
4 teaspoons instant yeast
4 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon salt plus pinch, divided
1 tablespoon water
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine rice flour, tapioca flour or cornstarch, water or milk, oil, sugar, 3 eggs, yeast, gum, vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt. Beat until thoroughly combined, about 2 minutes at medium speed.
Lightly grease 2 12-cup muffin tins and divide batter between cups. Cover lightly and allow to rise until double, about 1 hour.
After 45 minutes, preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, make egg wash by whisking together water, remaining egg and remaining pinch of salt.
When muffins have risen, carefully brush tops with egg wash and bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes, then carefully remove muffins from tins and allow to cool on wire rack. If the muffins remain in the tins too long, the bottoms will begin to shrink.
Per roll: 158 calories (percent of calories from fat, 22), 3 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 4 grams fat (1 gram saturated), 37 milligrams cholesterol, 111 milligrams sodium.
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