My 10 favorite gluten-free Christmas Cookies

1. The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
These are my husband's absolute favorite cookies ever. I make them throughout the year, but even at Christmas, these are the cookies he wants. Last weekend we added 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts to them and they were delicious! I love the toasty, nutty flavor the walnuts added!

2. Chocolate Pinwheel Refrigerator Cookies
Super easy refrigerator cookies that are really fun to make. They don't have to be perfectly rolled to be pretty and tasty! The kids in my neighborhood love these!

3. Cream Cheese Meltaways or perfect Gluten-Free Roll-Out Cookies
I have no idea how to make them dairy-free... so we haven't eaten these in a while, but one of my best friends and a sweet neighbor makes them every year for her family and she makes them into little decorated boy-scout cookies. She declares them the best sugar cookies ever!

4. Double Fudge Walnut Cookies
A variation of the chocolate chip cookies, these are one of my very favorites. Rich, fudgy, super chocolately... if you have chocoholics in your life this would make a great gift! They also hold up well to being frozen and being shipped!

5. Gingerbread Boys & Girls, or Gingerbread Roll-Out Cookies
Based off of a Paula Deen recipe, I created these several years ago and they are one of my favorite Christmas cookies. Super easy to roll out and really delicious. You can't go wrong with gingerbread cookies!

6. Gluten-Free, Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies
You could also make these peanut-free by using almond butter or sunbutter or cashew butter... use whatever nut or seed butter you like. I love this crispy, chewy version of a classic peanut butter cookie.

7. Preacher Cookies or Stove-top Oatmeal Fudge Cookies
A favorite cookie from childhood! I first learned how to make these in 7th grade home economics and I've been making them ever since. Easy, no-bake, super quick to throw together. If you need cookies fast, these little babies will work! They were always a favorite at Sunday night youth group!

8. Snickerdoodles
Another favorite from childhood. These may have been the first cookies I ever learned how to make! The simple vanilla cookies coated in sugar and cinnamon are a toddler favorite and fit easily in little hands.

9. Classic Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies
These cookies are buttery and delicious. Almost like a short-bread and super delicious. They remind me of the butter cookies my parents always had around the holidays in a big round metal tin. We'll be making these again this year and serving as a dessert at our holiday meal! If you don't have the spritz cookie "machine" you can simply roll them in a log or in a square shape, refrigerate the dough for easy slice & bake cookies!

10. Vanilla Sandies
These cookies were an accident... but an absolutely yummy accident! They remind me of gluten-filled pecan sandies which were once a favorite cookie! They are soft and light, yet buttery with a wonderful crumb! You could also easily crumble these cookies for a lovely cookie crust. Would be wonderful for a banana pudding or a chocolate pudding pie!

A Couple On the Water's Edge

Saturday afternoon in our favorite place. A little town called Swansboro, NC. A quiet, sleepy little town on the banks of the White Oak River in eastern North Carolina.

So rarely do we get here anymore. We meant to go to the beach at Emerald Isle, but saw hundreds of Harleys on the road headed to a bike fest. We don't need the beach today.

Where to go? Downtown. The quiet little downtown right on the water. Trees and benches line the little park. If the water had been warmer, my feet would have been in.

A couple in front of us sit quietly. Smiling at each other warmly. People watching... I'm guilty. Her hair beautifully curled, yet blowing gently in the wind. Years and years together. It shows. They don't need to talk.  The water laps against the stone wall, she feels the salt water tickle her nose. She laughs softly. 

His worn, weathered hands, one across her shoulder, the other hugging the bench. Against the cracked, hurricane-beaten wood. He's worked hard his entire life. He loves her deep through to his bones. There are no words. And no need for them. She leans her head against his shoulder. A quiet Saturday just watching the boats, watching the waves.

Her feet still lovely. Beautifully polished toes in summer sandals. Rocking back and forth, feeling the breeze. They've walked through this town so many times. So many summers. The sun warms her on this April afternoon. 

"That will be us in 60 years" I whisper lovingly to Michael. "No, honey..." He says quietly with a genuine smile... "That will be us in about 30 years... and really... it's already us." 

It's getting cooler by the minute. A day which began warm with possibilities. Now, it's time again to return to life. To bills, to home, to pets, to their grandchildren, and yard work. But there will be more warm summer afternoons to enjoy the boats. To enjoy each other, to simply be. Together.  

The bench will always be waiting. 

Homemade Gluten Free Cake Mix Recipe

I've always been one of those "Martha Stewart" types who wants to make everything from scratch. (And I REALLY hope you can read the sarcasm in that statement! lol)

Not really. I mean I love making things from scratch, but I work full time. I attempt to keep a house clean (not one of my strong points if you know me and hopefully you love me anyway! lol). I commute to work and therefore I'm on the road a lot. With work, home life, blogging, hobbies, and even our local gluten free support group thrown into the mix... I can't imagine if & when we have kids how life could possibly be any more busy!

So needless to say we all need shortcuts. Especially when it comes to cake. I like cake. A whole lot. I probably shouldn't eat cake. But it's Christmas, which means it's Jesus' birthday and I say that calls for cake!

I've enjoyed using the gluten free Betty Crocker cake mixes, but not only are they expensive (usually close to $5 a box for a batch that makes 12 cupcakes or a one layer cake), they are also hard to find where I live.  One of  my favorite stores used to carry them, but now all they carry is the brownie mix. As much as I like baking from scratch, it is nice to just pull out a box from the pantry and make a cake.

So here's my homemade version of the gluten free Betty Crocker mix. While I will say that the homemade mix is more healthy than the boxed version... it's still not "health food" by any stretch of the imagination. This mix has much less sugar, uses whole grain brown rice flour, and calls for much less oil than the Betty Crocker version. This homemade mix is also super easy to make! Line up about 5 glass jars on your counter and measure out all the ingredients "assembly-line" style for 5 cake mixes and fill your glass jars. Voila... instant homemade gluten free yellow cake mixes!

*To make a chocolate cake mix just add the dry ingredients of my favorite gluten free chocolate cake recipe to a jar and you'll be ready to go! 

They also make really cute Christmas presents! :-)

Homemade Gluten Free Yellow Cake Mix Recipe
Makes 1 (8" or 9") round cake or 12 cupcakes
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, (and can be corn free using guar gum and corn free baking powder)
Created by Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
Printer-friendly recipe

DRY Yellow Cake Mix Ingredients:
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon fine brown rice flour (or white rice flour)
1/2 cup arrowroot starch (or potato starch)
1/2 cup sugar
1  teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum -or- guar gum
1/4 teaspoon salt

Add all of the above dry ingredients into a 1 pint glass jar or a resealable plastic bag. Close tightly and store in a cool pantry or cupboard. Should keep for up to 6 months.

TO make a one layer cake or 12 cupcakes simply mix in:
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup non-dairy milk (I like almond)
2 eggs (or equivalent of Ener-G egg replacer or egg replacers in Notes below!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions to make a cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you're making a round 8 or 9" cake, place parchment paper (cut to size) in the bottom of your baking pan and then spritz with non-stick spray or oil, or line a cupcake pan with paper liners. Pour dry cake mix in a large bowl. In a small bowl mix together all wet ingredients. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together thoroughly. Pour batter into prepared cake pan or fill cupcake liners 3/4  a little over 1/2 full as they rise like normal cupcakes. Bake 8-9" round cake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cupcakes will bake in 17-20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Make sure to cool completely before frosting!

Frost & decorate with your favorite gluten free frosting!

These cupcakes are very moist, so make sure to store leftovers in the refrigerator.


Carrie's Notes:

• The dry mix works awesomely on a pumpkin dump cake or for just about any cake recipe using a store bought cake mix!
• Egg Replacer Options:  To make this cake egg free you have several options, each of these options makes the equivalent of 2 eggs in baking: 1/2 cup applesauce + an additional 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder OR 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds + 6 tablespoons hot water + an additional 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder OR 1 tablespoon of Ener-G Egg replacer + 4 tablespoons hot water. I also think it's a good idea to add an additional tablespoon of oil per egg to replace the fat/moisture content from the egg yolk! 
• If you can make a small label that includes the wet ingredients needed to complete the cake it looks super cute in your cabinet and also really makes a great Christmas gift!
• Rice Flour: If you cannot tolerate rice flour, I would use millet flour in it's place since it's such a mild tasting flour!