Gluten-Free Waffle Cone Recipe and an Ask for Help

homemade waffle cones Luca and Bosco Best NYC Ice Cream (1)

Hello dear readers. I haven’t forgotten about you. I have been working on a very exciting ice cream project. My business partner and I are launching a new ice cream brand called “Luca and Bosco” (named after our adorable puppies). Why is that relevant to you? Because everything we make is going to be gluten-free – the ice cream, the cones, the toppings, the cookies and even little ice cream cone shaped dog biscuits will be made completely gluten-free. This weekend I made a chocolate and beer ice cream using Bard’s Tale gluten-free beer for St. Patrick’s Day. My business partner isn’t gluten-free but has been an incredible friend making sure that I can eat everything we make. She even dedicated her waffle cone iron to being gluten-free to make sure it didn’t become ‘contaminated.’
Strawberry and Goat Cheese with balsamic syrup Luca and Bosco Best NYC Ice Cream (6)

We’ve been working on it since October and went to Ice Cream University in January at Penn State to learn all about the science of ice cream (and yes, we were sporting sexy hairnets a good portion of the time). Right now, we’re looking for commercial kitchen space and trying to raise money for a portable freezer cart and blast freezer all while working our demanding day jobs. We can use all the help we can get. If you live in the NYC area you can get ice cream as a reward for donating, but we will also ship cookies and toppings to those of you living outside of NYC. I hate asking for donations, but since neither of us can afford it on our own, we’re hoping that a little bit of help from a lot of people will get us there! Indiegogo is a great way to help dreams get off the ground.

Honey Lavender Ricotta Luca And Bosco Ice Cream (54)

In the meantime, I’d like to share with you some of the things I’ve figured out in experimenting with gluten-free waffle cone recipes and give you one to play with. I’ve used three different base recipes and many combinations of gluten-free flours and this is the sturdiest with the best flavor yet. Many of them will make a delicious ‘waffle cone topping’ but won’t be sturdy enough to function as a cone or, my favorite, a waffle cone bowl. If you stray from the recipe below, one thing to keep in mind with adapting another recipe is that in general you will need to add a touch more gluten-free flour mix or a little extra egg white to a traditional, “glutenous” recipe, but this is what has worked best for me so far.  I promise to update it if I make any improvements.

homemade waffle cones Luca and Bosco Best NYC Ice Cream

Gluten-Free Waffle Cone Recipe (adapted from Chef’s Choice)
Ingredients:
1 whole large egg, room temperature
2 egg whites, room temperature
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup gluten-free flour mix – I used Cup4Cup, Pamela’s mix did NOT work for this recipe due to the extra fat content from the nut flour
2 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

Directions:
Preheat your waffle cone machine (I’ve been working with this model at home). Beat the egg, egg whites and salt in a small bowl with a fork. Add the sugar and beat until the sugar is incorporated and the egg has lightened in color slightly, about 1 minute. Gradually add flour, ¼ cup at a time and beat until all lumps are gone. Add the melted butter and stir until well blended. Spoon one heaping tablespoon into the center of the iron and gently close the top to bake. Firmly close the top of the iron after baking for a 15-30 seconds. I found if I pressed down firmly to start the cones would become too thin and breakable. Bake for 60-90 seconds according to your color and doneness preference. If you don’t bake long enough they won’t be crispy but if you go too long they will burn or crumble apart too easily. It will take a few tries for you to work it out on your machine and the exact amount of batter will take a couple tries as well.
Quickly remove the cone from the iron and move it onto a clean dishtowel or cloth. Use that to help you roll the cone (your waffle cone iron should come with a mold) or place it over a small upside down bowl to shape it into a waffle cone bowl (my favorite!!!)
Even once you have figured out the recipe/technique, they will still be fragile – but that won’t diminish their flavor and can still be used as an exceedingly excellent ice cream topping.

Let me know if you have any questions and please take a minute to check out our campaign on Indiegogo.

Happy almost spring!

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Erin Smith said,

March 12, 2012 @ 4:00 pm

Catherine, what an amazing project. I would love to learn more. I know a new commercial space in LIC that might be a good place for you to check out. I will email you. Good luck and keep me posted. Would love to try your stuff!

AL Pearsall said,

April 4, 2012 @ 3:25 pm

I am so excited to hear about your NYC gluten-free ice cream venture! Please put me on your mailing list – I promise to visit early & often!

Kristi said,

April 8, 2012 @ 12:39 am

I am glad I found your blog. I have just started avoiding gluten, and I am noticing real differences. I don’t know why I didn’t try it sooner. For the past 5 years if I eat bread on an empty stomach, I double over in pain. I just didn’t realize that even small amounts can be problematic.

Cudos on the ice cream…it looks delicious!

Love the waffle cones!

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