Showing posts with label gluten-free holiday recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gluten-free holiday recipes. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Biscuits Recipe




As much as I love to cook & bake, when the holidays finally get here I'm kinda cooked out. I'm sort of glad all of our main holiday meals are at relatives homes... it means the kitchen doesn't have to be spotless and I'm not responsible for feeding tons of people!

Still, I felt like having something a little special for Christmas morning. And because I didn't feel like giving it much effort, I pulled out the emergency box of Gluten-Free Bisquick. It's the one in the cabinet for the last minute dinner guests that never show up... chicken pot pie, hello?!

Unlike the yeasty variety, these cinnamon rolls don't take hours of prep work, no waiting for the dough to rise, and they are still soft & delish. A bit more crumbly than the yeast version, but still pretty darn good for 15 minutes of simply mixing up, rolling out, and popping in the oven.

Gluten-free, dairy-free, and yummy-full!



Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Printer-Friendly Recipe

Biscuits: 
1 recipe prepared biscuit dough for 8-10 biscuits (I used the recipe for gluten-free biscuits on the Bisquick box. You could also use my homemade gluten-free master mix biscuits.)

Filling: 
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (less, if you're not really into cinnamon)
3-4 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter, if you can tolerate butter)

Vanilla Icing: 
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 tablespoons vanilla almond milk (depending on how thin/thick you want it)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-9" cake pan or square pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place a large sheet of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or wax paper down on a clean, flat surface. Dust the plastic wrap generously with gluten-free flour to help prevent the biscuit dough from sticking. Place biscuit dough on wrap and pat out into a 10x10 square or just into a large rectangle. Brush melted coconut oil or butter over the dough leaving about 1/4" around the edges of the dough un-oiled. Sprinkle sugar & cinnamon evenly over the dough. Using the plastic wrap to help if necessary, gently roll up the square of dough into a large cinnamon roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 9-10 rolls. Place the rolls into the lined cake pan. (It's fine if they are squeezed in side-to-side!) Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve drizzled with vanilla icing.

To Make Icing: 
In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners sugar & almond milk. You should have a thin glaze. Drizzle evenly over the cinnamon rolls.

Carrie's Notes: 

  • If you prefer sweeter cinnamon rolls, add 1/2 cup of sugar to the biscuit dough when preparing. 
  • You can use regular milk in place of the almond milk in the icing or in the biscuit dough. 
  • To make more decadent, gooey cinnamon rolls, place additional brown sugar & coconut oil & even a few tablespoons of coconut milk or almond milk in the bottom of the baking dish before adding the cinnamon rolls. 
  • Feel free to add raisins, chopped nuts, or even chocolate chips into the filling for the rolls. 

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

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!



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Monday, December 3, 2012

This Week's Menu - Beginning of December


December 2012 ALREADY.... 21 days until Christmas! How are you handling the stress of the holiday season? Make sure to check out the December Sanity Retreat 2012, begun by Cheryl Harris and hosted by several wonderful gluten-free bloggers. This past week's post was written by Valerie of City Life Eats. Iris of The Daily Dietribe also wrote a fantastic post about the event in which she shares her own personal goals for the month.

Do you make lots of cookies or candy for Christmas? Generally I don't, but I'm working on a new project so I hope to test a bunch of recipes in the next few weeks, and my plan to try out some new gluten-free Christmas cookies! What are your favorite kinds? The theme of the Gluten-Free Menu Swap this week is gluten-free christmas cookies, so share your favorites over at Lisa's blog "Extraordinary Life." She is hosting the menu swap today!


A few cookies I definitely want to make this year:

This Week's Menu: 
  • Monday -- Big ol' batch of slow-cooker beef stew, this will probably last for 2-3 meals throughout the week. (Will freeze leftovers in portion size containers.) This beef stew was made with about 1 cup of frozen leftover beef stew from another batch  added to: 1 pound browned, grass-fed ground beef + 3 diced carrots, about 1 1/2 cups frozen lima beans, 1 large chopped sweet onion, 2 chopped potatoes (yes, it's a starch heavy stew... lol), and about 3-4 cups of beef broth + salt, pepper, and fresh garlic. All added to the slow cooked and cooked on low for about 9 hours. 
  • Tuesday -- A big salad plate with mixed greens & raw veggies, shaved ham, poached eggs, with an oil & vinegar dressing. PS... GF Rice Chex make awesome croutons! 
  • Wednesday -- I'm still in Thanksgiving mode, so I am going to slow cook turkey chops (thick slices of turkey breast) and serve with Cheryl's Celery in Chestnut sauce with steamed broccoli and my favorite apple-cranberry sauce on the side. 
  • Thursday -- Dinner out since we have errands -- Hibachi stir fry with no sauces -or- leftover slow cooker beef stew!
  • Friday -- Homemade GF pizza using this vegan pizza crust, it's a super easy, super crispy crust! I'm thinking of making a BBQ chicken pizza with caramelized onions. 
  • Saturday -- Leftover slow cooker beef stew from Monday, as I'm having a gluten-free baking class that day. 
  • Sunday-- We've made this crustless kale & bacon quiche from Jenna's Everything Blog at least 3 times and we love it so much we're making it again... really delicious and hearty meal! 

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

A Gluten-Free Thanksgiving 2012

Need some ideas and recipes for a gluten-free Thanksgiving this year? Here are some of our favorite recipes from the past few years on Gingerlemongirl.com! Enjoy! And if you need help planning out your entire Thanksgiving menu from start to finish, check out our 5 day guide for an Easy GF Thanksgiving


Main Dishes:

Roasted Turkey Breast (with instructions for easy Brining)




Don't want turkey or chicken? 
Make a big pot of Gluten-Free Bolognese Sauce!



Side Dishes:



Green Bean Casserole (From Gluten-Free Mommy)














Desserts & Pies















Need more Gluten Free Thanksgiving inspiration? Check out these great links:

What do you HAVE to eat every year at Thanksgiving? 
Share your thoughts in the comments below! 
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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Gluten Free Christmas Morning Bacon Quiche



I shared this recipe last year when I was participating in a gluten free blogging event... but it was sadly neglected and didn't get much attention.

And this quiche? It needs attention. It's a really delicious dairy-free quiche with a mouth-watering tangy sauce drizzled over the top!

So I suggest making it.. now. Before Christmas. Enjoy this and make sure you add a BIG drizzle of the wonderful not-one-bit-sinful, savory sauce!

To make a paleo version of this quiche leave off the shredded potato crust (or use shredded sweet potatoes instead). For the tangy white sauce you can use arrowroot starch or you could even try using 2-3 teaspoons of coconut flour instead of the sweet rice flour.

Christmas Morning Bacon Quiche
free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy
created by Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
printer-friendly recipe

Tangy white sauce for quiche:
1  1/2 cups hemp milk (or coconut milk or almond milk -- use what you like best! Coconut would be lovely here!)
2 tablespoons sweet rice flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Herbs De Provence (a blend of herbs including rosemary, marjarom, thyme, and savory, often used in dishes from southern France.) 
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Quiche Ingredients:
5 eggs
1 lb. bacon, cooked and crumbled
5 green olives, finely chopped
½ cup chopped red peppers, or canned pimientos (drained)
½ cup green onions, sliced

Crust:
10 oz. frozen shredded gluten free hash browns, defrosted and drained of all water
1 egg
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl mix together defrosted and drained shredded hash browns. Mix in egg, salt, and pepper. Press mixture into a crust in a greased 9” deep pie pan or an oven-safe casserole dish.  Place in heated oven for 10 minutes, remove and set aside.  In a small sauce pan whisk together hemp milk, sweet rice flour, olive oil, Herbs De Provence, salt, and pepper. Cook on medium heat whisking constantly until the sauce thickens. Once the sauce has thickened whisk in lemon juice and set aside to cool. Reserve ½ cup of white sauce for serving. Layer cooked crumbled bacon, chopped green olives, and red peppers  in the hashbrown crust. Beat eggs in a bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of white sauce. Pour eggs/white sauce mixture over the vegetables and bacon in the hashbrown crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until quiche is set in the middle. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean. Serve quiche in slices drizzled with warm white sauce.
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Saturday, November 19, 2011

How to Make Really Good Gluten Free Stuffing


I've had a few questions through the past week on how to make really good gluten free stuffing/dressing. I can understand your frustration. You see, one of the hardest parts of being gluten free is finding good bread. We want bread for sandwiches, we want bread for rolls, we want bread for pizza crust. And we all have our own preferences for what deems a gluten free bread good or bad.

The fun part about gluten free stuffing? You don't need the expensive good bread. Udi's & Rudi's breads are awesome in their own right as sandwich bread. Use them for sandwiches, personal pizzas, etc... but in my opinion, they are actually too light & soft to make a good stuffing bread. Most regular recipes for stuffing call for day-old bread for a reason... you need REALLY dry AND dense bread that doesn't soak up tons of moisture.

A good stuffing/dressing has a crunchy top, but holds just enough moisture underneath to make the stuffing soft, but not soggy. Lighter, softer gluten free breads make for a very soggy stuffing. You don't want the bread to soak up TOO much liquid... just enough!

To do this, you can either make a homemade gluten free bread -- often homemade gluten free bread makes AWESOME stuffing because it's more dense than store-bought bread... or you can buy Food For Life Brown Rice Bread. Many folks don't like the Food for Life brand for sandwiches (with good reason -- it's not a very flexible or soft gluten free bread) -- but it makes a killer holiday stuffing!

If you don't have a good source for buying Food for Life Brown Rice Bread, here's a gluten free bread recipe that you can use JUST for stuffing or even french toast. It makes a dense, easy-to-dry-out bread that is PERFECT for stuffing recipes and bread pudding. It also happens to be a dairy free, soy free, and vegan loaf of gluten free bread... so if you actually like the texture, help yourself and go make a sandwich!

And remember this dense bread has a LOT of calories and simple carbohydrates... so only make it on special occasions... like ya know... Thanksgiving!

Gluten Free Stuffing & French Toast Bread
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, white sugar, and eggs
Printer-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons millet flour or sorghum flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (around 110 degrees F -- no hotter or you'll kill the yeast)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons concentrated fruit juice or honey

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a glass measuring cup mix together warm water, yeast, and honey. Allow the warm water mixture to proof (meaning set it aside to bubble a bit). Once the mixture has become slightly bubbly with a yeasty aroma add the olive oil and mix into the dry ingredients. The bread batter will be very thick -- much thicker than regular gluten free bread batter. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or a piece of parchment paper. Spread the batter evenly into the loaf pan with a spatula that has been spritzed with non-stick cooking spray or water to get a smooth top. Cover the loaf pan with piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise on the counter until almost double in size. The loaf is a dense loaf and may not completely double in size. If you'd like a loaf with higher sides for a sandwich bread use a smaller loaf  pan such as this one. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until loaf is golden brown on top and you can lightly tap on the top center of the bread. Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Sliced gluten free bread will be VERY dense, almost gummy, call it a brick if you'd like, but either way -- this is what you want!

To prepare bread for stuffing: 
Slice bread into 12-14 slices and then cut into 1" cubes. Place cubes on a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer if necessary -- all depends on your oven) until cubes are VERY dry, golden brown, and have shrunk in size significantly. Check on the cubes every 10 minutes after baking for 30 minutes to make sure they are drying out but not burning. Use the following recipe to make gluten free dressing/stuffing.

Delicious Gluten-Free Dressing/Stuffing
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Recipe Originally Shared on a Simple & Easy Gluten Free Thanksgiving Menu
Free of gluten, soy, eggs, and options for dairy free
Printer-friendly recipe

6-8 cups toasted, cubed, and very dry gluten free bread
1-2 TBSP. poultry seasoning
1 cup celery, sliced and finely diced
1 cup onion, finely diced
1-2 cups gluten free chicken broth
¼ - ½ cup butter -OR- melted coconut oil (omit if using sausage)
1-2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. pepper
Optional: 1 lb. gluten free mild sausage

Place toasted, cubed GF bread in a LARGE bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a large pan on the stovetop. When warm and sizzling, add onions and celery. Saute until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Combine with onions and celery. Pour onion and butter mixture over bread cubes in bowl. If using sausage, add to the large pan, break up into small pieces and brown until completely cooked through. Pour browned sausage into stuffing mixture Stir together thoroughly. Slowly add 1 cup of chicken broth to bread cube mixture. If you like a more moist dressing add additional chicken broth until desired consistency. Pour dressing into an oven safe casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.


Still have questions? 
Click on the blog and join in the chat to the left, or leave a comment below.


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Friday, November 18, 2011

five for friday - gluten free thanksgiving stuffing/dressing recipes

I have to admit one of my favorite foods I look forward too on Thanksgiving is the stuffing/dressing... which we make in a pan separate from the turkey. I like it crunchy on top, but soft in the middle... I like it plain with celery and onions... and no oysters for me thank you! In no particular order here are five different gluten free stuffing recipes that you might enjoy... Do you have a favorite gluten free stuffing? Add it to the linky list below!



1. Gluten Free Walnut Dressing. This is a vegan/vegetarian stuffing/dressing I created several years ago. I've often used Enjoy Life Brown Rice Bread for stuffing, for some reason this bread REALLY works great for stuffing! It gives you a crunchy top, but soft (yet not soggy) middle!

gluten free cranberry apple stuffing
2. Elana's Pantry Cranberry Apple Stuffing. A perfect stuffing for those who need to watch the carbohydrate intake over the holidays. I think I will actually try this stuffing myself this year with Elana's Gluten Free Bread 2.0



Gluten free and vegetarian stuffed acorn squash with cornbread stuffing
3. Karina's Gluten Free Cornbread Stuffing with Maple Roasted Acorn Squash. Does this even need an explanation? A beautiful & ( I have no doubt) delicious stuffing option!


20111108-Stuffing-primary.jpg
4. Elizabeth Barbone's step-by-step guide on How To Make The Best Gluten Free Stuffing. Need help making stuffing? I love Elizabeth's easy directions and helpful tips on cooking and baking gluten free. 


5. For those looking for a vegetarian stuffing that's a little bit different, try out Ali's Wild Rice Stuffing. Full of pecans, cranberries, wild rice, and the traditional flavors of Thanksgiving. 


Do you have a favorite gluten free stuffing/dressing to share? Add it to the linky list below: 


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Thursday, November 17, 2011

Gluten Free "Crustless" Pumpkin Pie Recipe


It dawned on me when I posted my yearly gluten free Thanksgiving Menu that I had never shared my favorite recipe for pumpkin pie.

The main reason is because I figured this was one of those super easy recipes that everybody already has. Or already knows how to make...But then I decided even if that may be the case, but I'm going to share it anyway. Hope you don't mind. The pie is based on good ol' Libby's traditional recipe. I make the pie dairy free with coconut milk, and I double the spices because I'm a little wild & crazy like that. :-)

While I've always loved a good, crispy, flaky crust... the pumpkin filling has always been my favorite part. I love the warm spices and the super creamy texture. I do like a little crunch too though... To get that crunch with each slice I add pecan halves around the pie. Isn't it pretty? But if you're not a fan of pecans (you poor thing!) simply leave them off.

I use sorghum or millet flour in this recipe to create the "crust-like" texture around the edge of the pie You might call this pie an "Impossible" pie --the bisquick people made recipes like this popular. You can use the same amount of gluten free bisquick or GF master mix in place of the flour called for. If you go that route, simply leave out the baking soda called for in the recipe below.  Alternately, to make the pie more "paleo" friendly you could use 3 tablespoons of coconut flour in place of the gluten free flour.

Who needs a traditional crust?


Gluten Free Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, and corn
Printer-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar -or- coconut palm sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 cup sorghum or millet flour -or- 3 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 (13.5 oz.) can full-fat coconut milk
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling!)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Optional:
1/2 cup - 1 cup pecan halves

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients and whisk in the wet ingredients. Thoroughly mix into a thick batter. Pour batter into a large 9" pie plate that's been greased with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil. Optional -- If you'd like, line the pecan halves around the edge of the pie and make a small circle in the middle. Bake in the 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until set in the middle. The pie will only jiggle slightly in the middle when done and a toothpick inserted in the middle should come out mostly clean. Allow pie to cool for about an hour, then slice and serve.




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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Gluten Free Thanksgiving Recipes

Snoopy Thanksgiving Snoopy Thanksgiving

If you're an avid food blog reader you've probably been overwhelmed with Thanksgiving recipes in the past few weeks. Everywhere I turn someone is baking another version of pumpkin pie or trying a brand new turkey brine... well I have to admit when it comes to holiday meals I rarely make anything new. 

Mainly that's because we have Thanksgiving at my Aunt Linda's house and I actually don't have to cook much at all.

But on the occasion that I want to have my OWN holiday meal in my own kitchen I generally make the same things: 

My Traditional (Pretty-Much-Every-Year) Gluten Free Thanksgiving Menu
The only thing I'll be changing this year is I'll make a stuffing/dressing with Elana's almond flour paleo bread.

My favorite Cranberry Cobbler! I look forward to this every Thanksgiving!

Need more Gluten Free Thanksgiving inspiration? Check out these great links: 

What do you HAVE to eat every year at Thanksgiving? 
Share your thoughts in the comments below! 



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Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Easy Gluten Free Spritz Cookies Recipe



Spritz cookies are another holiday classic that bring back a lot of memories. I never made them growing up, but I remember many tins of shortbread cookies with neat little shapes. I actually didn't care much for the taste of those cookies, but I loved how festive and cute they were! Also, when you're gluten free for some reason it can be hard to come up with a really crunchy cookie. These cookies are crunchy and taste the slightest bit buttery (with no butter). I add almond extract, my favorite flavoring. You could also just use vanilla or lemon extract if you don't care for almond.

I also love that these are little cookies. Even though this isn't the healthiest recipe, because they are so small you only need a few cookies to feel satisfied!

This dough would also be a great sugar cookie dough, or a thumbprint cookie dough... which I think I am going to make later today as well! These cookies are also adapted from a recipe in "Christmas Cookies" published by Southern Living in 1986. Stay tuned tomorrow for some more refrigerator cookies: Orange Almond Spice Cookies!



Easy Gluten Free Spritz Cookies
free of gluten, dairy/casien, soy, and corn & egg free options
adapted from "Christmas Cookies" by Southern Living, 1986
makes 4-5 dozen cookies
printer-friendly recipe

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup Spectrum Palm Shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg -or- 1 flax egg (1 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 3 tablespoons hot water + 1 teaspoon olive oil)
1 teaspoon almond, lemon, vanilla, or butter extract. Use your favorite flavor!
2-4 tablespoons ice-cold water, as needed

Dry Ingredients:
3/4 cup arrowroot starch
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup millet flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum -or- guar gum for corn free
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
In a medium bowl whisk together all dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl cream Spectrum Palm Shortening and sugar. Mix in the egg & almond extract. Slowly add the dry ingredients until you have a soft cookie dough.  You may need to add 2-4 tablespoons of ice cold water to the dough to help it become pliable and workable, especially if you're going to use it for refrigerator dough or jam thumbprint cookies. To make spritz cookies, add cookie dough to your cookie press and make them according to the cookie press directions. I've found it's easier to press the cookies onto a plate (instead of straight onto the cookie sheet) and then transfer them to a cookie sheet. You will be able to easily make 4-5 dozen cookies. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat. Place pressed cookies 1/2" apart on the cookie sheet. If desired, sprinkle with red & green sugar or candy sprinkles. Bake for 7-9 minutes until the edges of the cookies are golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes and then try not to eat them all at once! :-) A wonderful gift for friends and family or perfect for a Christmas Cookie Swap!

Enjoy!
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Gluten Free Chocolate Pinwheel Refrigerator Cookies Recipe



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
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Friday, December 17, 2010

A Gluten Free Holiday - Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free


It's our last installment of "A Gluten Free Holiday!" Amy of Simply Sugar & Gluten Free is hosting this week! The theme this week is my favorite... GLUTEN FREE HOLIDAY DESSERTS!!  Amy has an incredible recipe for a cranberry swirl cheesecake that's just a tiny bit healthier!

Some of my favorite gluten free holiday desserts are: 

Cardamom Pumpkin Custard Pie
SO easy and beautiful! A delicious dessert that makes it's own crust!! TO make it dairy free use coconut milk! 

Sweet Potato Pie
A southern family favorite! We love this pie at Christmas when we can never eat enough sweet potatoes! 

Gluten Free, Vegan Chocolate Cake
A rich, decadent dessert with no eggs or casein! This is my favorite chocolate cake! 

Now for the really awesome giveaways this week!! 


3 copies of More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow: 200 Brand-New, Budget-Friendly, Slow-Cooker Recipes by Stephanie O’Dea (Release date: December 28th!)  Buy Steph’s book now and get the special pre-sale price at Amazon.com before the 28th!!



3 autographed copies of AMY's FIRST COOKBOOK, Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free: 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes You Cam Make in 20 Minutes or Less (Release date: Mid-January!)
These books haven’t hit the stands yet so you’re going to get hot-off-the-press copies right from Amy!!

To enter to win either of these wonderful books, make sure to head to Amy's blog today for her Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake!! Happy Holidays!!

I'll be posting 3 of my favorite Christmas cookies here on Gingerlemongirl.com next week! I'll see you then! 



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