Homemade Holiday Goodies

This year, I wanted to gift some homemade goodies as Christmas gifts. Pretty much all year long I've been prepping, with things like homemade vanilla extract and vanilla sugar. I got some awesome bottles with droppers for the vanilla, and some pretty jars for the sugar.

I also wanted to bake a couple things to give along with the extract and sugar, so I decided on my Texas pecan pralines. I'd also been wanting to try my hand at black & white cookies ever since my friend Amanda told me they existed. I decided Christmas was the perfect time to do it, and I even made some holiday versions: regular black & white (with vanilla glaze and chocolate glaze), black & red (raspberry glaze and chocolate glaze), and black & green (peppermint glaze and chocolate glaze). Yay!

I know, these pictures aren't the greatest, and I forgot to photograph the cookies before I packaged them all up, so these shots will have to do.

Gingerbread Stars

We had a little holiday luncheon at my office last week, so I figured that would be a good time to bring some cookies! I'd been wanting to make gingerbread cookies all month, and here was a perfect opportunity.

I knew I wanted to make stars, because they're pretty, and I can make smaller, bite-sized ones easily. I also didn't have much time, so I wanted something I could decorate quickly. I found the most adorable sprinkles at Target: red jimmies with white candy cane shapes, red nonpareils with green holly leaves, and green jimmies with white snowflakes. I also had a nice big jar of "holiday" nonpareils, basically green, red, and white mixed together. And I had some silver, chunky sprinkles leftover from the time I made geode cupcakes!


Gingerbread Cookies
(adapted from this recipe)

• 2.5 tbsp dark corn syrup
• 2.5 tbsp maple syrup
• 2.5 tbsp packed dark brown sugar
• 2.5 tbsp white sugar
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces
• 1/2 a large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Bring corn syrup, maple syrup, sugars, and spices to a boil in a 4- to 5-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, and remove from heat. Stir in baking soda (mixture will foam up), then stir in butter 3 pieces at a time, letting each addition melt before adding next, until all butter is melted. Add egg and stir until combined, then stir in most of the flour (leave about 2 tbsp aside) and salt.
2. Preheat oven to 325°F.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and knead, dusting with as much of remaining 2 tbsp flour as needed to prevent sticking, until soft and easy to handle, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
4. Roll out dough about 1/8-inch thick between 2 sheets of wax paper. Place on a flat surface (cutting board or cookie sheet) and refrigerate for about 10-15 minutes. Cut out as many cookies as possible with cutters and carefully transfer onto parchment-lined baking sheets, arranging them about 1 inch apart.
5. Bake cookies in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until edges are slightly darker, 10 to 12 minutes total (watch carefully toward end of baking; cookies can burn easily). Transfer cookies to racks to cool completely. Make more cookies with remaining dough and scraps (reroll once).
6. Once cooled, decorate as desired.

Royal Icing

• 3 cups powder sugar, sifted
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tsp lemon juice 
• 1 tsp almond extract

1. Mix everything in your Kitchenaid with the paddle attachment on low to low-medium speed until it's smooth and will form soft peaks, about 5 minutes.
2. Add colors if necessary. Keep covered with a damp paper towel or plastic wrap when not using.
3. Pipe onto cookies as desired.

 I packaged them up and brought them to my office, then set them out on display for everyone. They loved them and I only had a couple left over to bring home. Yay!

Sugar Cookies From My Childhood

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been in love with sugar cookies. When I would go to the grocery store with my mom, the bakery would give kids a free cookie. I always chose the sugar cookies, preferably with sprinkles. As I grew older, my love for sugar cookies did not fade, but it became harder to find that perfect, nostalgic sugar cookie. The pre-made cookie doughs, or the cooke dough mixes, you can buy at the grocery store never tasted the same. Every from-scratch recipe I tried was never quite right, and way too many of them involved lemon. Am I the only one that thinks lemon flavor has no place in a pristine sugar cookie?!

This week, I got a little craving for sugar cookies, and though these days I normally go for my super favorite - decorated shortbread-like sugar cookies (like Gianna's heavenly creations) - this time I wanted the cookies from my youth. I decided to try a little experiment and see if I could better replicate those nostalgia-inducing sugar cookies. I whipped out my snickerdoodle recipe, but instead of rolling the dough in cinnamon and sugar, I rolled it in sprinkles!

The little balls of sprinkle-covered dough look like donut holes, don't they? So cute. I tried both nonpareils and jimmies, to see which I liked better. Surprisingly, just the difference in sprinkles made a difference in how the cookies baked and tasted. The ones rolled in jimmies turned out much softer, and had a more uneven covering of sprinkles in the end. The ones rolled in nonpareils had a more even coating of sprinkles, and they turned out much sturdier. The ones with nonpareils had the flavor I was searching for, and I was so happy! My boyfriend, however, preferred the ones with jimmies. Go figure!

So what is it about this recipe that hit the spot so well this time? I've always wondered if the cream of tartar in snickerdoodle recipes changes the flavor at all, even though I know it is mostly used to give the cookies a bit of spread and fluff. These also have some shortening in them, which I can definitely taste as different than if I had used all butter. I think the original recipe calls for all shortening, but I prefer half butter and half shortening in mine. Also, surprisingly, I think the nonpareils added a lot of that nostalgic flavor I was looking for. They introduce extra crunch and a hint of sweetness in the corners of my mouth. Perfect.

The recipe makes a lot of dough (about 4 dozen 3-inch-diameter cookies), so I took half of it and rolled it up, so I can unfreeze it to slice and bake later! If you'd like to do the same, I've got a great tip for getting your rolled cookie dough shaped perfectly. I used to always struggle with rolling my cookie dough, because it was uneven and lumpy. Here's how to make it perfectly round, for uniform cookies!

Rolling Cookie Dough into a Log:

1. Set out a large sheet of wax paper.
2. Arrange your cookie dough in a general log shape, along the middle of the wax paper.
3. Wrap the top of the wax paper over the log of dough so it is covered completely.
4. Get a straight edge (like a metal ruler) and press it up against the bottom of the log of dough, on top of the wax paper.
5. Holding the ruler in place, pull gently on the bottom piece of wax paper ONLY. This will pull the paper taut and in the process it will squeeze the cookie dough into a nice, rounded shape.
6. When your dough is the diameter you want, remoe the ruler and finish wrapping up the dough with the wax paper, and twist the ends closed. I like to write the type of dough and date on the outside so I'll remember what it is when I grab it from the freezer later.

Now, if you'd like to make some of your own sugar cookies / snickerdoodles, here's the recipe I used. This is probably one of my most popular cookies around the holidays. Everyone I share them with always comes asking for more, and nobody can tell they're gluten-free!

Drop or Slice-and-Bake Sugar Cookies / Snickerdoodles

What you'll need:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 3/4 cup GF all-purpose flour*
• 2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix the butter and shortening in your kitchenaid with the paddle attachment until smooth and well-blended.
3. Add the sugar and mix until well blended.
4. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.
5. Add the vanilla and mix well.
6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
7. Add the flour mixture into the wet mixture. I did this in about 3 additions, so it wasn't a ton of flour all at once. Mix until well blended.
8. Roll the dough into balls (about the size of a donut hole) and roll them in your choice of sprinkles, sugar, or cinnamon-sugar mixture (or nothing at all - that tastes great, too!). Place them on baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes. I find the ones rolled in jimmies take a bit longer to bake, and they still come out softer. 9 minutes seems to be about the magic number for all different variations. If you like your cookies a little crispier, go for 10-11 minutes.

If you intend to roll and freeze this dough for slice-and-bake action later, I suppose you can just set them on the baking sheet and top (and bottom?) them with sprinkles or cinnamon sugar.

*My GF all-purpose flour mixture consists of 1 part brown rice flour, 1 part white rice flour, 1/3 part tapioca starch, 2/3 part potato starch, and 1/2 tsp xanthan gum per cup of flour.

Enjoy~

Glow Gluten Free Cookies (Review)

Thanks to Kim at Age of Autism I was one of the lucky winners of a whole set of Glow Gluten Free cookies! Both Kim and Jill (from Glow GF) were so sweet to communicate with, and the cookies arrived really quickly. I wish I could have been just as timely as posted this review a lot sooner - I'm sorry it took me so long, ladies!

When I opened the box, I was amazed to find not just one sample of cookies, but four different boxes of cookies inside! My boyfriend and I got to sample the Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate Chip, Snickerdoodle, and Gingersnap cookies! Yes -- ALL of their flavors. How awesome is that? And aren't the boxes SO cute?! They fit seven cookies inside, wrapped in a second layer of freshness protection.

One thing I love about these cookies is that not only are they gluten free, but they are also preservative free (and also casein and trans fat free!). As a baker, I have a strong love of whole, natural ingredients used in my foods, so I love to see the same care put into the baked goods that I buy. And as I am wont to do with ALL my foods these days, one of the first things I did was read the ingredients panel. I have to hand it to Glow Gluten Free -- you have convinced me that baked goods using bean flour CAN taste good! This is the first experience I have had with bean flours that has been a positive one, so that is saying something!



These cookies were yummy! The gingersnaps were the chewiest of the bunch, and they had that familiar gingerbread flavor and texture. Folks, the chocolate chip? They were reminiscent of Chips Ahoy! in a good way, only these were a bit chewier and had a more robust flavor. I think the chocolate Glow GF uses much be top notch, because I could taste the quality in the chocolate chip cookies. And the double chocolate chip? SO chocolately and really flavorful. I think these might have been my favorite. Snickerdoodles are one of my favorite holiday cookies, and these deliver. They're crispy (which I enjoy) and they leave that amazing, zingy aftertaste that makes my mouth happy even when the cookie is all gone.

All in all, I'd say these are some of the best gluten-free cookies I've tasted so far. If you see these on the shelf at the grocery store - pick them up! Unfortunately, I haven't seen these in my area yet, and if you're having the same trouble, don't fret. Just buy them online!

(You can also find Glow Gluten Free on Facebook and twitter.)

Valentine Goat Cookies

It's probably quite apparent by now that I have a thing for cookies. A lesser known fact, however, is that I also have a thing for goats. So I was recently inspired to combine the two, adding a valentine theme into the mix.

I figured the best way to do this would be to make some decorated sugar cookies in the shape of goats. I decided to go with my trusty (and fricking fabulous, thank-you-very-much) gluten-free shortbread recipe and substitute goat butter instead of regular butter. (As always, click the images to see them bigger.)



The goat butter turned out to be a lot more like shortening than I was expecting. It was white and very greasy, but it assimilated into the dough better than normal butter did. The dough had the proper consistency, though, and was a dream to roll and cut, so no problems there - yay!



They seemed to brown a bit quicker than with my normal recipe, so I baked them a bit less time than usual. They also spread a bit more than I was expecting, but they didn't lose too much of their goaty shape, so it's okay.



Next day I set about decorating them! I decided on white goats and black goats, each with a little red heart (you know, for the Valentine part of this whole project). I used my entire jar of black powder coloring and my royal icing STILL wasn't black, so I had to make a quick run to the store to get some (real) gel coloring - thank goodness they hadn't closed yet!



And, since I am devious, and goats are often associated with the devil, I decided to make a red devil-goat cookie, complete with a BLACK HEART. Isn't he cute?



As for the taste? They're awesome. The cookies are softer than my normal shortbread recipe, but still sturdy enough that they don't fall apart in your hands (which is especially important in gluten-free baking). The royal icing keeps them together well, and the flavors work great together. Interestingly, the goat butter seems to have made these cookies taste a lot milkier than the normal cow-butter recipe.

Praline Experiments

This weekend I'm busy trying a few new things in between all of my standard baking. Since I needed to bake some pecan pralines anyway, I decided now would be a good time to experiment with a few ideas floating around in my head: butter pecan cookies and more shapely pecan pralines.

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Butter Pecan Cookies - Take 1

My idea for butter pecan cookies was to make a buttery shortbread cookie topped off with pecan praline. I used my robust sugar cookies as the base. These came out relatively well, but I only got a few cookies done before the praline got too cool and difficult to work with. They taste pretty good, but I'm not done perfecting this. I have another idea in store for the cookie part that will hopefully not only be delicious but less expensive in terms of ingredients.

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Shapely Pecan Pralines

Next up was making my pralines look a bit more appetizing. These things are SO decadent and delicious and melt-in-your-mouth-amazing, but the only photo I had of them made them look kind of... bleh. So I set out to make some pretty ones.

My vision was to make them in mini muffin tins, because I really like that shape. The first attempt was a failure... again, the stuff cooled too quickly for me to handle properly. My second attempt was better -- at least I got it all into the pan before it cooled off. But THEN I couldn't get them out of the tin without demolishing them. That's when I went out and bought a silicone baking mold. The result was MUCH better. Pretty shaped pralines!!



The only complaint I have is that the sides are dull, where they touched the mold. Not sure how to remedy that -- yet. Anyone have any ideas?

New Confectionery Creations!

While it is true that I have been neglecting my bloggery of late, I haven't been a complete slacker. I've been spending nearly ALL of my free time creating new goodies!


Gluten-Free Lemon and Key Lime Tartlets
I made these for my mom's birthday back in October (yes, I said October). My family loved them!



Gluten-Free Key Lime Spritz Cookies
Light, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth spritz cookies with a hint of key lime, decorated with a tangy key lime glaze.
Buy them here!


Gluten-Free Strawberry Spritz Cookies
Light, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth spritz cookies with a hint of strawberry lime, decorated with a tart strawberry glaze.
Buy them here!


Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cookies
Chocolate sugar cookies, covered in a mint chocolate ganache and decorated with royal icing. They are DELICIOUS when chilled!
Buy them here!


Gluten-Free Mocha Sandwich Cookies
Chocolate sugar cookies, sandwiched with a rich, creamy, mocha ganache. These things are to DIE for, and also taste awesome chilled.
Buy them here!


Gluten-Free Robust Decorated Sugar Cookies
These are a rich version of a sugar cookie, made with rice flour, almond flour, and coconut flour! The result is a delicious, buttery shortbread-like sugar cookie. Decorated with royal icing, in two sizes!
Buy them here!

Chocolate & Spice Make Everything Nice

I wanted to bake something that I could slather in chocolate ganache, and lately I have been craving autumn spices, so this seemed like a pretty good combination. I used this recipe for spice cookies, added a little bit of cloves, and substituted my gluten-free flour mixture. I also halved the recipe, since I wanted to make these little bite-sized cookies and I didn't want a million of them.

They came out really well! They're nice and crispy, and the amount of spice is just right. The ganache is 2 parts semi-sweet chocolate, 1 part dark chocolate, and 1 part super dark chocolate. These cookies have quite a bite to them, so I'm glad I made them as tiny as I did.

Click the pictures to see them larger.

Drowning in Cookies

So, a few days ago, my friend on COLOURlovers created this palette that lit a spark of inspiration inside of me (and I never realized, until just now, how much it matches our blog layout's colour palette! weird.) He called it Drowning in Pudding:

So of course, I had to bake some cookies! I chose to alter a checkerboard cookie recipe and make it into my own creation.
1 strip dark chocolate cookie
1 strip milk chocolate cookie
1 strip caramel cookie (brushed with caramel)
1 strip french vanilla cookie
all decorated with blue, praline-flavored royal icing.

I am so pleased with the results. Not only do they look pretty, but they taste delicious, and they are 100% gluten free! Yay!

Coconut Almond Cookies

The other day at Whole Foods I found some gluten-free, high fiber coconut flour and I just knew I had to use it for something! On the back of the package was a recipe for vanilla almond sugar cookies and they sounded great!

I altered the recipe a bit, using coconut flour, white rice flour, and gluten-free oats. Instead of 1/2 cup of almonds, I used 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup shredded coconut. These cookies are delicious and satisfying. Yay!