It's the time for cookies! I remember making cookies like this during the holidays when I was growing up. You made a basic sugar cookie dough shaped it into a log and then refrigerated it for 30 minutes to an hour to help the shape set. After waiting for the dough to chill... then easy as pie you sliced the dough, baked it and voila... really pretty cookies!
This is one of my favorite recipes this year! I was inspired by this cookbook that I found at one of my favorite thrift stores:
It's an old Southern Living cookbook from 1986 that I think was was included in magazine subscriptions at the time. Whatever it was published for... it's a really great little book! It has classic & retro recipes that I remember and most are easy to re-create gluten free! You can find the book on ebay here.
I can't decide if I want to make these cookies or spritz cookies for my neighborhood cookie swap on Wednesday evening...what to you think? I'll share the spritz cookies with you tomorrow!
Gluten Free Classic Chocolate Pinwheels
free of gluten, dairy/casein, corn, soy (and egg-free option)
adapted from "Christmas Cookies" by Southern Living, 1986
Makes around 24 cookies
printer-friendly recipe
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup Spectrum Palm Shortening
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons almond milk
1 egg yolk (for egg free - use 1 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (or 1/2 teaspoon guar gum for corn-free version)
1 1/2 teaspoons corn-free baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
For Chocolate Swirl:
1 oz. of allergen free chocolate, melted
Directions:
In a large bowl cream the spectrum palm shortening & sugar together. Add almond milk, egg yolk (or oil), and vanilla extract. In another bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Mix until you have a slightly sticky cookie dough. Split the dough in half and roll into two large balls. TO one half of the dough stir in 1 oz. of melted chocolate. On a dry, flat surface that has been covered with plastic wrap sprinkle a few tablespoons of arrowroot starch (to keep the dough from sticking). Place the plain ball of dough on the flat surface. Place a sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough and then roll it out into a roughly 9x13 rectangle. Place the chocolate dough on top of the plain dough and gently roll it or flatten it with the bottom of your hand over the plain dough. It does not have to be spread out perfectly. Once the chocolate dough is mostly spread out over the plain dough, you can shape the edges so they are mostly straight or you can cut them so that they are straight. Starting with a long side of the dough roll it up into a log. Wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes - several hours. When you're ready to bake, remove the log of dough from the refrigerator. Unwrap it and slice into about 24 cookies. Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Place cookie slices on a cookie sheet that's lined with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Bake for 7-9 minutes until cookies are light brown on the edges. Allow the cookies to COOL on the cookie sheet for about 10-15 minutes before moving to a wire rack to finish cooling.
This post is linked to: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday 12.21.10
