Cooking with Mesquite Flour

Mesquite really is a very versatile ingredient that will add flavor and aroma to surprisingly different types of gluten free and non-gluten free products. The mild cinnamon/coconut/chocolate type aroma and flavor can be achieved by using about 2 rounded tablespoons per cup of dry ingredients. This is often requires a slight increase in liquid to the mixture (often milk). The volume of the muffins, cakes and cookies will be less than recipes with mesquite, but the added flavor is worth the decrease in volume. When mesquite flour is combined with cinnamon, for the first 5 minutes the cinnamon aroma predominates but from about 5 minutes till the product is finished baking the mesquite aroma will predominate.

The flavor seems especially suitable to Latino products such as meringues, flan, and sweet breads. About 25 years ago in Argentina, mesquite flour was added to the milk for school children instead of chocolate. Today a heaping tablespoon of mesquite flour mixed in hot soy or cow’s milk provides a wonderful aroma and flavor similar to hot chocolate but equally distinct and pleasant.

Mesquite meringue cookies (Gluten free).

Ingredients

  • 3 Egg whites
  • 1 cup of sugar (can be less if a less sweet cookie is preferred)
  • ½ cup mesquite flour
  • ½ teaspoon of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

Preparation

Mix the sugar and mesquite flour together.   Without stopping, slowly add the sugar/mesquite flour to the egg whites as they are beaten with an electric mixer. Add the salt and lemon juice while continuing to beat the mixture. Continue beating until a consistency is reached, such that when the mixing bowl is inverted the mixture does not fall from the bowl.  Immediately after beating, place the spoon size drops on a cookie sheet with waxed paper (it is preferred that the cookie sheet has holes).  Place in an oven with very low temperature (about 210 F) for about an hour to an hour and a half. Be careful not to let the cookies brown.

Argentine Pastel de Fruta.

Ingredients

  •  7/8 cup butter (200 gram)
  • 1 ¼ cup sugar (250 gram)
  • ¼ cup of cognac
  • 1 grated lime rind
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 3 entire eggs
  • 1 ¾ cup wheat flour (200 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons of baking powder
  • 4 tablespoons of mesquite flour
  •  14 ounces of (400 grams) of dried fruit mix mango, papaya, pineapple.

Preparation:

Beat the butter with the sugar until a white cream consistency is achieved. Moisten the fruit and the grated lemon peel with the cognac.  Add the egg yolks and the eggs one by one, while beating the creamy sugar/butter mixture. Mix the mesquite flour with the wheat flour and baking powder in a separate bowl.  Alternately incorporate the dried fruit with the wheat/mesquite flour -baking powder mixture and optional macadamia nuts.  Beat well. Place the combined mixture in a rectangular baking pan that has been buttered and dusted with flour. Bake in a moderate temperature oven until the cake rises to full volume and becomes a golden color.  Remove the fruit cake and allow to cool on wire rack.

Mesquite flan

Ingredients

  • Flan portion
  • 8 eggs
  • 1 quart of milk
  • 1 cup of sugar
  • 1 cup of Mesquite flour.

Carmel topping.

  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 Teaspoon of rum

Preparation:

First make the carmel syrup by boiling the mixture a cup of sugar and cup of water until the water evaporates and the carmel obtains a the color of honey.  Add the rum and remove from the burner.

Mix the eggs, sugar, milk, and mesquite flour and place this mixture in a flan mold that has been lined with the carmel.  Bake for one hour at 350 F with a cookie sheet with water below the flan mold.  Remove the flan from the mold. Add water to the mold (after removing the flan), place on a burner on the stove, allow the liquid to boil and concentrate until it becomes a thick syrup. Pour this syrup over the flan. Serve cold. 

Hot mesquite milk

Ingredients

  • 1 cup of cows or soymilk
  • 4 teaspoons mesquite flour
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Preparation:

Add the mesquite flour to milk and place in a blender until well mixed. Place in a microwave for 40 seconds.

Gluten free mesquite pancakes.

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups gluten free pancake mix
  • 3 Tablespoons mesquite flour.
  • 1 cup of milk(cows or soy).
  • 1 egg.
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil.

Preparation:

Mix the gluten free pancakes mix, mesquite flour, milk, and egg, beat well and let stand until the griddle is ready. Put the griddle on medium heat, add the vegetable oil. Add 2 tablespoons of the mixture to the griddle. When bubbles appear throughout the mixture, turn the pancakes. Continue cooking until the pancakes easily separate from the griddle and have a light brown color. This recipe is a modification of a commercial GF pancake mix in that it includes more milk and mesquite flour. 

 

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