Silly question...but can you add acacia to baked goodies?
#106448 - 09/17/04 08:41 AM
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Kandee
Reged: 05/22/03
Posts: 3206
Loc: USA, Southern California
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Has anyone ever tried this and if so, did it change the density or texture? 
Kandee
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Not silly at all! I want to know this too. I'd just got as far as thinking that maybe you'd need more liquid???
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I'm not sure you'd have to adjust the recipe in other ways at all, but I don't know for sure. I'd try adding a few tablespoons to a bread recipe and see what happens. I actually have zucchinis in the fridge to make zucchini bread, so I'll try to remember and experiment with this over the weekend and post results.
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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...you're a star! I've been too lazy to try this and it would be so cool.
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Thanks Heather. I'm glad to know I wasn't the only one thinking about this.
I'm going to try it with some of the GF things I normally make...yeast breads, quick breads, FF brownies. I'll post if I see any difference. My thinking is to try to get one teaspoon in per serving but that may be to much, over all, for the product to handle without it making a significant change. We'll see. Kandee
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The reason I'm asking is that I thought, just maybe, if it wasn't subject to change with heat, that it could be made into a candy, like peanut brittle is, but without the peanuts using a flavor extract instead. (Talk about a sweet treat, SFS on the go!)
Then again, I'll bet that you could make a FF macaroon type cookie adding the acacia when you add the sugar.
Would be worth a try if we knew what heat does to it. 
Since Altoids incorporate acacia I wonder how much heat it is subjected to in their processing.
"Inquiring minds want to know? LOL"
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since Acacia is used in tons of commercial foods/beverages, how it behaves in different temperatures should be really well documented. I don't know off hand, but I'll find out and post!
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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I'm featuring it in the IBS Newsletter that comes out tomorrow, and then I'll probably excerpt it and post it in the diet section so it's easily available.
In a nutshell, yep, you can bake and cook with Acacia! I've been playing around and have added it to just about everything I've made lately. You can't really add too much in terms of ruining the recipe unless you're baking, where it can change the texture (makes it gummy) if you add a lot. I haven't found the limit yet - have been sticking to about 1 tablespoon per loaf of cake/bread.
Also haven't tried it in hard candy like your peanut brittle, but the stuff will not break down in heat so I don't know why it wouldn't work in the brittle. Since it does attract and absorb moisture I'm wondering if it might make your candy less likely to stay hard and crunchy - don't know how to tell without just making it!
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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and might open a whole new world of possibilities for using Acacia.....Does this mean we may see a "Cooking with Acacia" cookbook coming out soon? 
Maybe in candy making, instead of fighting the "gummy" factor it could be used in your favor. Anyone with a gummy bear recipe?
To me, upon first thought, 1 tablespoon per loaf doesn't sound like much, but it's a start. I would hope it could be incorporated into a baked product where it would equal one dose per serving, but maybe that's asking to much. Then again not everyone that takes Acacia uses the same amount as a dose, especially when just starting out. I'm sure you'll find the max limit since you're still experimenting.
The beauty of this is that Acacia is tasteless and odorless, so it can be used in any number of things, not just baked goods or candy. I wonder if it has any thickening capabilities like tapioca or arrowroot.
Thanks for experimenting with it Heather. I'll go back and add "Acacia, as desired" to the list of ingredients of some of my favorite recipes.
Kandee
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