gluten-free Christmas Baking

[skoki-mom]

This is my first gluten-free Christmas. I have dinner under control after a successful Thanksgiving. My questions are more about baking. I have exactly ONE recipe for gluten-free cookies (naturally gluten-free). They are really good, but also sweet, and let's face it, I want a little more variety. I think I can pull off Nanaimo Bars using graham wafer style gluten-free crumbs, but I am thinking more of the roll and cut style cookies. I will be making traditional sugar and gingerbread, but they will mostly be used as giveaways and for company. As well, if we stick a gluten-free cookie out for Santa, the kids will be all over that in a heartbeat!!!! Anyhow, just hoping you can point me in the right direction for some cookbooks or websites. I love to bake, I really miss it! I generally bake from scratch, so that is not a problem for me. Thanks all!

[2Boys4Me]

There is a recipe for gluten-free sugar cookies in Sheri L. Sanderson's cookbook "Incredible Edible Gluten-Free Foods for Kids". I'm not a sugar cookie eater, but my Mother-in-law is going to make these for her Christmas parties, so that Ty can have some cookies.

What exactly are you looking for? I think there are some fruitcake type things in the Bette Hagman Bakes Bread book.

[jerseyangel]

I was going to ask about the same thing! I'm looking for a traditional rolled out sugar cookie recipe. Also, has anyone been able to make the peanut butter blossom cookies gluten-free? (the ones that you put a hershey"s kiss in the middle while they're still hot). My GFDF pumpkin pie was fantastic, if I say so myself, but cookies are another thing altogether

[skoki-mom]

Well, I guess I am looking for "traditional" stuff without the flour!!! Luckily, I seem to be able to tolerate everything but gluten (I can even eat that symptom-free!), so dairy and all that is ok. My favourites for Christmas are sugar and gingerbread cookies, shortbread, those pinwheel things that you roll, refridgerate, then slice and bake, stuff like that. If it calls for 4-6 cups of flour, I probably liked it!!

[Claire]

I was going to ask about the same thing! I'm looking for a traditional rolled out sugar cookie recipe. Also, has anyone been able to make the peanut butter blossom cookies gluten-free? (the ones that you put a hershey"s kiss in the middle while they're still hot). My GFDF pumpkin pie was fantastic, if I say so myself, but cookies are another thing altogether

Can you share your pie recipe - either as a post or as a PM. Thank you. Claire

[Guest nini]

The Gluten Free Pantry has a ton of holiday type recipes on their website using several of their mixes. I've used the old fashioned cake and cookie mix to make the roll out sugar cookies and they were AWESOME... served them to Chey's preschool class and no one could tell the difference... they were a huge hit.

[Guest barbara3675]

Last year was my first Christmas adapting the old family favorites to the gluten-free style. I would say, in general, that the more moisture there is in a recipe the easier it is to substitute gluten-free flour mixtures with some added xanthum gum which is what I do. I use Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Flour Mixture with quite a bit of success in the family favorites. I did find, however, that the ones that turned out the best were the onest that had more moisture in them. Anything that had a crumbly texture, didn't make up too well. There are wonderful mixes that you can buy and adapt them to your favorites too. There is a great banana bread recipe on the back of the Bob's Flour bag and I have adapted that one to make apple cinnamon bread and will use that as the basis for cranberry/orange bread too when I do that again. I am never with the Bob's Flour as I use it to dust chicken before frying, to make white sauce etc, actually just like you would white flour for the most part. It is much more expensive but I don't use all that much anyway. Barbara

[jerseyangel]

Nini-- Thanks for the suggestion about the GFP website. I love their mixes, especially the pie crust and the cake and cookie mix. I'm going to check it out today

[Guest nini]

Nini-- Thanks for the suggestion about the GFP website. I love their mixes, especially the pie crust and the cake and cookie mix. I'm going to check it out today

Oh you are welcome... I love to bake, but just don't have the time to do it from scratch!

[happygirl]

Funny you should ask about the peanut butter blossoms---I just made two batches about a week ago. And they turned out GREAT! I adapted it straight from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I used to love those cookies so I just substituted Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour (love that stuff). If you want me to post the recipe-just let me know.

My mom and husband both loved them, and I fed them to the girls in my office (my official taste testers besides my sweet husband) and they said they couldn't tell much of a difference at all.

[angel-jd1]

Peanutbutter kiss cookies don't even have to have flour!!

Flourless Peanut butter Cookies

1 C. Peanut Butter chunky or creamy ( I use skippy Brand)

1 C. Packed light or dark brown sugar (I use C & H brand)

1 Large Egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp. baking soda

1C Semisweet chocolate chips 6oz. (I use tollhouse brand)

Heat oven to 350 deg.

In Medium size bowl beat together peanut butter, brown sugar, egg and soda until the mixture is smooth and well blended. Stirr in chips until evenly distributed.

Drop the dough by slightly rounded teaspoonfulls onto ungreased baking sheets, spacing the mounds about 2 inches apart.

bake one baking sheet at a time in the 350 deg. oven until cookies are puffed and slightly golden, but still soft to the touch. About 10 min.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for about 5 min. Then transfer the cookies to the wire rack; let cool completely.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies

You can leave out the chips and use hershey kisses when they come out of the oven, just place a unwrapped kiss ontop of a warm cookie YUM!!

___________________________________________________________________

These are just like (or better than) the cookie cups that you can get at the mall!!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies (flourless)

1 C. Peanut Butter chunky or creamy ( I use skippy Brand)

1 C. Packed light or dark brown sugar (I use C & H brand)

1 Large Egg, slightly beaten

1 tsp. baking soda

Bag of Reeses Peanut Butter Cup Mini’s

Heat oven to 350 deg.

In Medium size bowl beat together peanut butter, brown sugar, egg and soda until the mixture is smooth and well blended.

In a greased mini muffin tin, press about 1 T dough into the sides of the tin . Leaving a small indention in the center (to be filled with the PB Cup after baking)

bake one baking sheet at a time in the 350 deg. oven until cookies are puffed and slightly golden, but still soft to the touch. About 10 min.

Press the unwrapped peanut butter cups into the indentions in the cookies. Let the cookies cool in the muffin cups for about 5 min. Then transfer the cookies to the wire rack; let cool completely

Enjoy!!

-Jessica

[mamaw]

I have made pecan tassies the same way I've always made them only subbing gluten-free flour,I also make the peanut butter cup tassies ans the carmel tassies the same way and no one can tell the difference.

Plus I use any flour rice blend I have on hand and I didn't add any xanthan gum.

[jerseyangel]

Thanks Angel and Laura! Laura, could you post the recipe when you get the chance? These are my younger son's favorite and I just don't want to use wheat flour in my kitchen anymore. Do you think that I could use plain rice flour in it? Thanks again

[rma451]

This is my first gluten-free Christmas. I have dinner under control after a successful Thanksgiving. My questions are more about baking. I have exactly ONE recipe for gluten-free cookies (naturally gluten-free). They are really good, but also sweet, and let's face it, I want a little more variety. I think I can pull off Nanaimo Bars using graham wafer style gluten-free crumbs, but I am thinking more of the roll and cut style cookies. I will be making traditional sugar and gingerbread, but they will mostly be used as giveaways and for company. As well, if we stick a gluten-free cookie out for Santa, the kids will be all over that in a heartbeat!!!! Anyhow, just hoping you can point me in the right direction for some cookbooks or websites. I love to bake, I really miss it! I generally bake from scratch, so that is not a problem for me. Thanks all!

hi, sorry havent figured how to respond without the quote,lol. still trying to figure some things out .

as for cookies, Paula dean from the food network makes a peanut butter cookie nothing but 1 cup peanut butter ,1 egg , 1 cup of sugar , I think makes too sweet so will cut next time make and some vanilla think she used 1 tsp. I cut that in half . Im going to make them as the blossoms with my grand kids this week they were great , firm and no flours at all. we all munched them down fast

I also have a choc chip recipe we like, a pumpkin bread I converted that is so moist and holds together great, working on a few others, make a vanilla lemon chip really good and a brownie cookie , have tryed some others havent worked all the kinks out of yet . I do have a recipe for the ginger bread and a few diffrent sugar ones. let me know ill email you if you would like them .

rosie

[Claire]

Funny you should ask about the peanut butter blossoms---I just made two batches about a week ago. And they turned out GREAT! I adapted it straight from the Better Homes and Garden cookbook. I used to love those cookies so I just substituted Bob's Red Mill gluten-free flour (love that stuff). If you want me to post the recipe-just let me know.

My mom and husband both loved them, and I fed them to the girls in my office (my official taste testers besides my sweet husband) and they said they couldn't tell much of a difference at all.

Yes, please do. Thanks. Claire

[happygirl]

Peanut Butter Blossoms:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup peanut butter (I probably used a little bit more-love PB!)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 egg

2 tablespoons milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1-3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I directly substituted Bob's Red Mill gluten-free Flour)

1/4 cup granulated sugar

milk chocolate kisses or stars

Beat the shortening and peanut butter with an electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Add the 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Beat until all combined. Beat in egg, milk, and vanilla until combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour.

Shape dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the balls in the 1/4 cup granulated sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350F for 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are firm and bottoms are lightly browned. Immediately press a chocolate kiss into each cookie's center. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; let cool.

JerseyAngel and Claire-Hope that you enjoy! Let me know how they turn out. JerseyAngel-I'm sure that you could use the rice flour, I just don't know if you would need to add xantham gum or something else. I know that this recipe worked pretty well w/the Bob's Red Mill-it might work great w/the rice flour, or it might need some experimenting! Ya never know w/gluten free baking!

[jerseyangel]

Laura--Thanks so much. I just printed the recipe out and will be making them soon. I'll let you know how they turn out --Patti

[Claire]

Thanks from me too. I am so glad that Peanut Butter is on the gluten-free list. Claire

[jenvan]

nice thread Lori... i am also interested in good gluten-free cookie recipes! i am having a cookie exchange this weekend (i do it for christmas annually) and really want to impress my non-gluten-free friends with some kick-as* gluten-free cookies! any ideas? i haven't done much gluten-free baking from scratch yet (which i love)...so in the future months i hope to begin converting some of the beloved recipes of my family...

[Jnkmnky]

Open Original Shared Link

This is the best pbcookie recipe because it's easy, easy to modify *add stuff, change ingredients*, kids can help, Taste Great.

[Cindy H]

Yesterday I made shortbread cookies for the first time and I was in heaven. To me they tasted like cookies with regular flour. I don't have the recipe with me at work but I will post it later. I even phoned my mom to tell her how great the cookies tasted. They rolled beautifully.

Cindy

[Claire]

Yesterday I made shortbread cookies for the first time and I was in heaven. To me they tasted like cookies with regular flour. I don't have the recipe with me at work but I will post it later. I even phoned my mom to tell her how great the cookies tasted. They rolled beautifully.

Cindy

Oh - shortbread! I really like that. Don't forget that recipe.

Pamela's Pecan Shortbread but I am sure it would cheaper to make it at home. Thanks in advance of recipel Claire

[2Boys4Me]

Here's a recipe for Sugar Cookies. I neither eat nor bake Sugar Cookies, but they are a staple at my mother-in-law's house at Christmas. She made them, iced & decorated them (checking all labels, of course) and says you can't tell the difference between these and the usual ones she makes.

Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

⅓ cup margarine

⅓ cup shortening

1 cup rice flour

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp unflavoured gelatin

1 egg

¾ cup sugar

1 tbsp milk

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

¼ tsp salt (scant)

½ cup tapioca starch

½ cup potato starch

preheat oven to 375˚F

In a large bowl, beat margarine and shortening together until creamy.

Add rice flour, xanthan gum, gelatin, egg, sugar, milk, baking powder, vanilla and salt. Beat well.

Add tapioca starch and potato starch. Beat until well.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for three hours.

Divide the dough in half and chill the unused portion of the dough until needed.

On a lightly rice-floured surface, roll half of the dough at a time, to ⅛” thick. Cut into desired shapes and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. (if the dough becomes sticky, return to the fridge to chill again.)

Bake at 375˚ F for 7-8 minutes (for 2 ½ inch cookies; less for smaller ones, more for larger ones) or until the edges are firm and bottoms are very lightly browned. Cool on a wire rack.

[jenvan]

can't wait to try them Linda!

[skoki-mom]

OK, I will try those sugar cookies for sure! I am also anxiously awaiting the shortbread recipe! Unfortunately, I've never been a big fan of peanut butter cookies, oh well.

Jen, do you want me to e-mail you a recipe for a naturally gluten-free cookie??? It is loaded with cream cheese though, not sure if you are DF as well!