Those Cookies I Told You about

Christmas just isn't the same without a few cookies and since my son is now gluten free, my search for a good gluten free cutout cookie has been accomplished. Not only am I happy, but he is happy too. Even grown up kids like frosted sugar cookies.

Ingredients:
¼ cup shortening
¼ cup canola oil
2/3 cup granulated cane sugar
2 egg yolks
2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup Gluten Free All Purpose Flour
½ tsp. salt
3 Tbs. water (as needed)

Directions:
Cream shortening, sugar and oil several minutes with an electric mixer, until very fluffy. Add egg yolks, and vanilla extract. Mix in the dry ingredients, adding in tablespoons of water as needed to keep the dough together and avoid dryness (err on the side of this dough being wetter so that after refrigeration, it's not too dry). Pat the dough into a disc shape, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough until very cold, at least 3-5 hours (overnight is best).

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Lightly flour a clean rolling surface with  Gluten Free All Purpose Flour. Roll the dough to 1/8 inch thickness and dust cookie cutters with flour before using to cut out shapes.

Place cookies onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake about 8-10 minutes, or until they begin to lightly brown at the edges. Cool and frost with gluten-free frosting.

Thank you to celiac.com for a super recipe! (Can you tell I'm smiling?)

Cutout Cookies!

I finally did it. I made gluten free cutout cookies!

I was pretty sure Christmas would absolutely sabotage my gluten-freeness, but with a few glutenless treats on hand, I think I shall ultimately survive the holidays without caving.

After looking around online, I decided on a cutout recipe that looked fairly straightforward. I used my own flour mix (here) and Crisco, though I'm not sure Crisco is exactly kosher... And, my dough initially seemed moist enough without adding the water called for in the recipe, however, upon taking it out of the fridge the following day, I found myself working it in after all.

Find the cookie recipe here on www.celiac.com. Tomorrow maybe I will upload a frosted cookie photo.

Gluten Free Apple Pie Muffins

1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup almond flour (I use coconut flour)
1/2 cup white cane sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons apple pie spice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup shredded apple
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350º F. Grease a 12-muffin pan (or use cupcake papers).

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add in the coconut oil by pieces, cutting in with a pastry cutter until the mixture is sandy.

Add in the apple, milk, eggs, and vanilla, and beat on medium high for 1-2 minutes until the cake batter is smooth and stretchy.

Fold in cranberries and pecans.

Spoon the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and smooth out the tops.
 
Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or so, until the tops are firm but springy.

Gluten Free Sandwich

I buy tapioca bread for making my sandwiches. It's best toasted and perfect for fried pepper sandwiches (fried bell peppers, tomato, lettuce, cheese, a bit of sliced ham, and a little mayo) and last night that is exactly what we had for supper. The slices are small and I was hungry, so I made two, although I normally make just one. Add an ear of fresh sweet corn and a glass of cold iced tea, and it all makes one fabulous gluten free meal.

Pancakes, Yummy Pancakes

My friend Kristen over at Frugal Antic of a Harried Homemaker has some wonderful gluten free recipes. This week I tried out her Apple Walnut Pancakes and found them absolutely yummy. I did substitute two of the ingredients in her recipe because I just didn't have them on hand (coconut flour for almond flour, and 2% milk for buttermilk). They were decidedly delicious and now I am out of apples. I only had one and now it is gone.

PS. Kristen's pancake pictures are ever so much prettier than mine.

Crown Jewel Dessert

JEWELLED JELLO DESSERT

-1 small pkg. each-red, orange, lime and lemon gelatin

-1 envelope Kraft Dream Whip topping

Dissolve each package of red, orange and lime gelatin separately in ¾ c. boiling water. (Save lemon gelatin for later.) Stir to dissolve completely. Cool with 5-6 ice cubes. Pour each color into a separate shallow pan (or pie plate) and chill until firmly set. Cut into small squares and place in large mixing bowl. Mix lemon gelatin with ¾ c. boiling water and stir to dissolve. Cool with 5-6 ice cubes. When lemon gelatin is just beginning to set, prepare Dream Whip according to package directions. Quickly blend together with setting lemon gelatin using hand mixer. Pour mixture over gelatin squares and fold in, being careful not to mush squares. Pour into lightly greased gelatin mold. Refrigerate until completely set. Remove to serving plate.

This was my mom's recipe and she made this often for summer gatherings when we were kids. I found some links to this 1963 recipe here  and here. But I think mine is prettier. :)

Pumpkin Muffins

From my sweet niece (and the glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com).

GF pumpkin muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice flour or sorghum flour
1 cup light brown sugar 
3/4 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup white cane sugar
1/4 cup almond llour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350º F. Line a 12-muffin pan with cupcake liners.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients: brown rice flour, light brown sugar, tapioca starch, white cane sugar, almond flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, sea salt, cloves, and nutmeg.

Add in the coconut oil by pieces, cutting in with a pastry cutter or your mixer's whisk/whip attachment, until the mixture is sandy. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, and vanilla, and beat on medium high for 1-2 minutes until the cake batter is smooth and stretchy.

Spoon the cake batter into the 12 cupcake liners and smooth out the tops.

Bake in the center of a pre-heated oven for 22 to 25 minutes or so, until the tops are firm but springy. Ovens vary widely, so watch these babies and check with a cake tester if you need to.

Cool in the pan only briefly, until the cupcakes are cool enough to handle. Then remove them from the baking pan and cool on a wire rack for one hour before frosting.