Auntie's Cutout Cookies
Auntie's Cutout Cookies
Original recipe by Edna Schwandt
Gluten-Free Adaption by Peggy Klapperich
When using any flours/grains, nuts, seeds, etc - make sure they are labeled gluten-free. Gluten contamination of these products are very likely if they’re not produced in a dedicated facility.
To learn more about this, see Grain-Free for the Gluten-Free
Peggy's Aunt Edna makes the best cutout cookies. Many years ago, Peggy learned how to make them. They continue to be holiday family favorites - except for me.
When I had to go gluten-free, this meant an end to these cookies. Since 2003, Peggy has been trying to replicate these beloved cookies. Many different custom blended and commercial flour mixes have been tried.
While the GF versions of this cookie have been good - they still weren't like Auntie's cookies - until now. These cookies are the closest version yet. They remain crispy on the outside, soft on the inside - even after freezing them.
Step aside Almond Flour Sugar Cookies, there's a new favorite cutout cookie in town.
Cookie Ingredients:
4 cups Bob's Red Mill Paleo Baking Flour
1 1/2 cups butter
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
Sprinkle of Salt
Potato or Tapioca starch (not flour) for rolling.
Frosting Ingredients*:
1/2 cup of butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 or 2 tablespoons of milk or almond milk
*The amounts listed are approximate. Adjust them until it's as stiff or loose as you like.
Directions:
In mixer bowl, cream butter, sugar & vanilla together.
Add eggs - beat until fluffy
Add dry ingredients - mix throughly - at least 2 to 3 minutes.
Chill dough over night (3 hour minimum)
Remove about 1/4 of the dough keeping the rest in the fridge.
Dust counter with starch. Coat dough until it's no longer sticky.
Roll dough to 3/8" thickness. It is best to keep these cookies on the thicker side. They are a bit fragile.
Cut out cookies and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Set scrap aside in the fridge. Do not add rolled dough to fresh dough
Bake at 375 for 8 to 10 minutes - until edges start to brown. Note: cookies brown quickly. Don't let them get too brown.
Remove cookies from oven. Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes. Place on waxed paper.
Repeat rolling & baking process until fresh dough is gone.
Combine dough scraps, re-roll, cut and bake.
Tip: Do not frost these cookies to far in advance. They will absorb some moisture from the frosting.
Yield: 6 dozen cookies
Twisted Chipsters
Chocolate Chip Cookie - A new twist on an old favorite.
Original recipe by Laurie Donaldson
This was Peggy's entry for the 2015 Cookie Daze Bake & Taste Contest. She tweaked Laurie's Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe slightly; replacing some of the almond flour with coconut flour. This helped combat the humid weather we have this time of year.
Ingredients:
2 cups almond flour (Honeyville)
1/4 cup coconut flour (Bob’s Redmill)
1 teaspoon baking soda (Arm & Hammer)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar with 1 tblsp water (consistency of honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla (Penzey’s)
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips (Nestles)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.
Mix together the dry ingredients: flours, baking soda & salt.
Mix together the wet ingredients: sugar, vanilla, egg, melted butter.
Combine dry and wet ingredients, then add chocolate chips.
Place tablespoon sized dough balls on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 for 14 -15 minutes or until edges lightly
brown.
After removing from the oven, allow cookies to cool slightly before removing from pan.
Rhubarb Cupcakes
Rhubarb Cupcakes
Peggy converted this gluten recipe from FineCooking.com, courtesy of Pinterest…of course.
Cupcake Ingredients:
1-1/4 cup Krusteaz GF flour blend
3/4 cup Pamela's GF Artisan flour blend
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup sour cream
4 oz. (8 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 extra large egg
2 extra large egg whites
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups 1/4-inch-diced rhubarb (7-1/4 oz.)
Topping Ingredients:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Directions Cake:
In a large mixing bowl blend together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and mix well with mixer. Add rhubarb and mix to combine. Scoop into paper lined muffin tins. Top with sugar topping and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes or until top springs back to touch. Cool for 5 minutes in pan then remove to cooling rack to finish cooling. Makes about 18 to 22 muffins.
Peg notes: You can substitute your favorite gluten free flour blend. Use sugar topping to your taste.
Laurie's Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
Laurie's Grain-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is from our friend Laurie at Food For Primal Thought and teacher extraordinaire. If you are interested in learning more about Primal/Paleo lifestyle templates [and some great recipes], take a look 'round her blog. Good stuff! Be sure to check out the Frizzled Spicy Beef.
If there was room on the recipe title bar, I would've used her name for this cookie. I think you'll agree "Gluten-free Not-So-Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies That Don't Taste Like Crap" is a much more creative [and descriptive] name.
These cookies have the ideal cookie texture for me - crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside.
Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups almond flour (Honeyville - gluten-free certified according to packaging)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar with 1 tblsp water (just enough to create the consistency of honey)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325.
Mix together the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda & salt.
Mix together the wet ingredients: sugar, vanilla, egg, melted butter.
Combine dry and wet ingredients, then add chocolate chips.
Place tablespoon sized dough balls on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 325 for 14 -15 minutes or until edges lightly GBD (Golden Brown & Delicious).
After removing from the oven, allow cookies to cool slightly before removing from pan.
Until the next good eats - cook well and be well.
Al
Lemon Blueberry Bread
Lemon Blueberry Bread
It's a cool fall day, so that means baking, particularly when we are on vacation. While I was painting the bathroom, Peg was in the kitchen converting a gluten-full recipe to a gluten-free recipe. The cut loaf shown here didn't last long.
While this might look like a bread, it's more like a cake. Regardless of what you call it, it's darn tasty!
Bread Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups granulated sugar (scant)
3 eggs
2 1/4 cup Jules Gluten free flour blend
3/4 sorghum flour
1/4 tsp xanthum gum
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 tsp lemon extract
3/4 tsp double strength vanilla
2 tablespoons tightly packed lemons, zest of
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 ounces or so frozen blueberries
Icing Ingredients:
8 ounces powdered sugar (or 1/2 box)
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 tablespoons tightly packed lemons, zest of
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
Directions:
1 - Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2 - Important: grease and flour two loaf pans.
3 - Cream butter and sugar.
4 - Add eggs and beat until smooth.
5 - Add buttermilk.
6 - Mix dry ingredients together and add to buttermilk mixture.
7 - Blend well.
8 - Mix in lemon juice and zest.
9 - Gently fold in blueberries and only mix until incorporated.
10 - Pour batter into loaf pans.
11 - Bake loaves on the middle rack of the oven for 60 to 65 minutes.
12 - Cool bread 10 minutes, remove from pan and place on a large cookie sheet, top side up.
13 - For icing: Combine icing ingredients in a bowl.
14 - Beat icing with an electric mixer until smooth.
15 - Drizzle icing over the warm loaves.
16 - The icing will harden when the bread cools to room temperature.
I halved the icing recipe and had plenty.
Original recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/lemon-blueberry-bread-69730
Until the next good eats....
Al n Peg