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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Coconut Sugar Cut-Out Cookies

Can you believe it? 6 more days till Christmas. The day always comes so fast and the anticipation is so present you can almost taste it. The to-do list  is hopefully mostly scratched-out and maybe only some last minute wrapping and baking to be done. So, you may want to add this recipe to the list, so please don't hate me for this extra last minute Christmas fun. 
If you haven't found a good gluten-free Christmas cookie recipe yet, I would dare to say this is my favorite this year. Last year I made a Stevia-Sweetened Sugar Cut-Out cookies, but this year I have been enjoying coconut sugar for it's rich pure flavor, low glycemic index and healthy minerals and benefits. 
There is nothing too special about this gluten-free cookie recipe except that you can actually feel "normal" and use your most favorite cookie cutters and roll out this perfect dough like any other. It is also nut-free, gum-free (but sticks together perfectly!) and very simple, which to me is some of the most important requirements after it being gluten-free. I found it so hard to find a nut-free version of cut-outs. And, yes, nuts may be fine with you, but for my son and myself I have really found peace with avoiding them. This recipe makes about 1-2 dozen cookies depending on your cutter shape's sizes, and I will be doubling it next time because it is so fun to make these cookies. 
I did make quite a few gingerbread men cookies with this dough, but as you may tell from the lack of them in the pictures,  my son ate them all. He liked to eat their heads first and thought it was hilarious! What a hoot! And of course he kept calling them "the good guy cookies" I think my next batch will be just a bunch of "good guys" because he loved them so much.
Also...side note... this recipe would be a great recipe for any teething babe or toddler that is eating more solids because it is a cute cookie treat that they can hold with their own hands, it doesn't crumble too badly, and it's so much better for them than eating something processed or full of preservatives or artificial sugars. You could make these cookies year round with different cutters for every holiday or season of the year just for this fun of it and for the kids of course.
Now, I love these cookies without icing, BUT to stick with the Christmas decorating fun you may want to find a simple icing that works for you or your family. I decided to try out a frosting I used on cupcakes earlier this year. I whipped up almost equal amounts of raw honey and soft coconut oil and came up with a simple sweet icing. I added some strawberry juice/puree to some of that base to make a semi-red color, and some chlorophyll to make a slight green color. Some real-food items for decorating could be candied ginger, raisins, craisins, chocolate chips, coconut flakes and other favorite dried fruits or seeds. I put the icing in a pipping bag (or ziplock bag) to control the use and amount. 

Regular powdered sugar icing or cream cheese frostings are usually naturally gluten-free, but I'm a little too health-nerdy to just allow myself to eat too much toxic sugar and dyes just because so I thought I would try my luck at finding something a little different. A little more rustic and unusual.

Some other help/recipes for finding a healthier alternative icing look here:

Now to the cookie cutting! ENJOY!
Coconut Sugar Cut-Out Cookie Recipe
(gluten and nut-free, vegan)

1 cup of freshly ground buckwheat flour
1 1/3 cup of freshly ground GF oat flour
2/3 cup of white rice flour
*or use 3 cups of your favorite GF flour blend*
1 TB of chia seed meal
1 TB of flax seed meal
2/3 cup of coconut sugar
1/2 ts. of sea salt
1/2 ts. of baking soda
1/2 ts. of baking powder
8 TB of room temperature soft organic coconut oil
6 TB of homemade unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 ts. of apple cider vinegar
1 TB of pure vanilla
3 TB of non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious coconut milk)

*I grind my own flour, so I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats and ground the oats in a high powered blender (magic bullet, vitamix, ect) I did the same thing with raw buckwheat groats to get the buckwheat flour. The freshly ground flour always makes the best baking flour for texture and taste. I usually measure just a bit less of the oats or groats that I need and grind them to make the full amount of flour I need. If I make too much you can always use it in another recipe soon. 

UPDATE 12/2014: I made this recipe recently and subbed out the buckwheat flour with NAMASTE'S GF flour blend and also subbed out the flax and chia seeds. It can be made with subbing the flour and forgetting the seeds to get the same results as the posted recipe. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together your dry ingredients first...then add the oil, applesauce and vanilla and milk. Mix well with a fork or to be honest, your hands and fingers do the job best. Knead the lump of cookie dough in your hands for a few minutes until you get a perfectly mixed ball of cookie dough. If your dough is a touch sticky, then sprinkle some more rice flour to stiffen it right up, or if you prefer, stick the dough in the fridge for 15-20 minutes to stiffen up and ready for rolling out.

Roll out the ball of dough on a floured parchment paper. Try and keep the thickness around 1/2 inch and roll out as evenly as possible. Then start cutting with your favorite shapes. Put the cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes. I like my cookies a bit crispier, so I stay around 18 minutes baking time, but if you want softer cookies then stay around 15 minutes.  This recipe should make about 2 dozen cookies but really depends on the size of your cutters and how big and small you want your cookies to be.
These are so fun to make with kids, even my 2-year old son had fun "rolling" out the dough and cutting up some cookies. Yes, it made a mess and we had to re-do many of the cookies, but he learned so much and it was fun to see him try and create something of his own. And, with not much to do outside these days with no snow and weird yucky weather.... baking fun is the most excitement we have going on around here these days!
I loved sprinkling some raw coconut flakes. It kinda felt like it was snowing. Even if it was just for a magical second. I miss snow. Is it weird I am saying this? :)

I have my fingers crossed for a white Christmas...I am hoping and waiting...I live in Michigan for goodness sakes! It seems like as long as I can remember lots of snow starting in early November. Not last year or this year, it has just been cold, rainy, wet and dreary. But I haven't lost hope yet...it could still happen, right?! And, I may just listen to "I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" again....:)
Hmmm, but in the meantime, finishing up shopping, wrapping, baking and resting in between will keep us busy and also in anticipation for the Christmas and new year to come! 

Much love to you as always! 

Monday, December 10, 2012

Chocolate Thumbprint Sunflower Seed Butter Shortbread Cookies (vegan, gluten and nut-free)

Well if you haven't noticed, there hasn't been a lot of recipe posting here in the last two months. I have been baking of another kind. Instead of baking cookies, breads and biscuits in my oven, I have been working hard on another "bun in my oven" and expecting another baby around early May. Hence my absence. I put myself on a little blog sabbatical and have been taking one day at a time to get through those rough, rough early weeks of pregnancy. And to be honest, the forced rest has been good for me.

And making a baby is hard work, I tell you!
But after getting myself past the first trimester and seeing all of the holiday food festivities from Thanksgiving and now stories and pictures of Christmas goodies and treats I had to get my hands busy baking again. Tis' the season!
So these sweet, salty and simple treats are no great feat in the kitchen. They are just a simple knock-off of the famous peanut butter and chocolate kiss cookies that everyone adores and curses at the same time because of how addicting they are. I must say I don't know why it has taken me almost 6 years of eating gluten-free and more recently nut-free to make these amazing cookies in a new way. Melt-in-your-mouth DELICIOUS!
To me, when these shortbread's are baking in the oven it smells like a perfect holiday baking extravaganza. Lots of weakening of the will power with these babies. But, they are healthier and also delicious after all, so possibly worth the try of one or two (maybe three or four if you're nice). I hope you are looking forward to and not dreading baking this holiday. Try something new and start simple.
Chocolate Thumbrint Sunflower Seed Butter 
Shortbread Cookie Recipe 
(gluten-free, vegan and nut-free)
1 cup of freshly ground gluten-free oat flour*
1/2 cup of white rice flour
3/4 cup of freshly ground buckwheat flour*
1/2 cup of organic coconut sugar (I use Madhava)
1/2 ts. of sea salt
1 TB of pure vanilla
2-3 TB of non-dairy milk (I used So Delicious Coconut)
3/4 cup of softened organic coconut oil
1/2 cup of sunflower seed butter (I used Once Again Sunflower Seed Butter, but you could used regular SunButter brand or any other favorite nut butter if you prefer)

1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips (about 4 ounces)
1-2 TB of coconut oil for thinning

*I grind my own flour, so I used Bob's Red Mill gluten-free rolled oats and ground the oats in a high powered blender (magic bullet, vitamix, ect) I did the same thing with raw buckwheat groats to get the buckwheat flour. The freshly ground flour always makes the best baking flour for texture and taste. I usually measure just a bit less of the oats or groats that I need and grind them to make the full amount of flour I need. If I make too much you can always use it in another recipe soon. 

In a large mixing bowl, mix together your dry ingredients first...then add the oil, butter and vanilla and milk. Mix well with a fork or to be honest, your hands and fingers do the job best. Knead the lump of cookie dough in your hands for a few minutes until you get a perfectly mixed ball of cookie dough. Roll out a TB-sized ball of dough and place the dough balls on a cookie sheet. Then use a teaspoon or your thumb and press firmly in the middle of the cookie on the sheet before baking. Put the cookies in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. This recipe should make about 3 dozen cookies.

When the cookies are pulled from the oven if the print in the middle of the cookie has lost it's hole while baking, then use a small spoon again right after pulled from the oven to make the hole more pronounced. You must do this right away while still soft and you must be VERY careful because they cookies are very fragile until completely cool.  

When the cookies are completely cool, you can melt 1/2 cup of chocolate chips (dairy-free) with a TB or so of coconut oil in the microwave for 30 seconds. After the quick nuke, stir very quickly with a small metal spoon. Then with a clean small teaspoon, pour in the hot chocolate into the center of the cookies. Let cool and firm up, you can do this quickly by adding your cookie sheet to the fridge or freezer. 

If you prefer, you can also make these cookies like the traditional peanut butter cookie with the criss-cross fork mark and then just dip the cooled cookie in hot chocolate as well. I decided to do one batch of those to see how I liked the outcome. I like both in their own way, but the thumbprints are much "cleaner" cookies and can be easily packed and shared for holiday parties as well. 
But don't these look yummy as well.
Perfect flavor combo, and so simple too!
I hope this season finds you full. 

Full of thanks, joy and anticipation. 

Here are a few of my other favorite Christmas cookie recipes 
that I will be making once AGAIN this year!!!









ENJOY and happy baking!