Yesterday I was excited to watch a live demonstration of how to make a drip cake. Not because I can't make them, but because I wanted to see what products were used.
But in the back of my head was a nagging feeling.
I tried to push it away, but sadly I was right: the drips being used weren't gluten-free.
And what's so sad is the ingredients don't actually contain any gluten. (You know what's coming, right?) Because they're made in a factory that handles gluten, they can't guarantee there won't be traces in the drip.
This happens to me all the time: I'll get excited about a new product coming on the market (whether it's for a cake or my dinner) and then see one of three dreaded signs:
Contains wheat/barley/rye (the worst, but perhaps the most obvious form of gluten).
May contain wheat.
Because of the manufacturing process we cannot guarantee this product is gluten-free.
The last time I went to a cake show (which now seems like eons ago) I spent most of my time picking up products and scanning the allergens & ingredients section for the beloved "gluten-free" sign.
It means whatever you buy at The Bakehouse, you know it won't contain gluten. Here the premises, the products and the manufacturers make sure everything is gluten-free so the end product is suitable for coeliacs.
Thankfully, because I've had coeliac disease for decades (aargghh, how old that makes me feel!), I've built up a knowledge of manufacturers and suppliers I trust. And if I can't find a product that's gluten-free, I often end up making it myself, which is probably why my homemade dark chocolate drip cake is my most popular.
Let's face it, most food made from scratch tastes infinitely better, so at least there's an upside to the ready-made products that (may) contain gluten!
Is there anything you'd like to eat but can't because it contains traces of gluten? Do share below and maybe we can find an alternative!
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