After several years on the gluten free diet, I can face the holiday season without trepidation knowing that our family will be able to join in all of our traditions from the past with the same enthusiasm as before we went gluten free.
Even the gluten free cookies!
~Gluten Free Cut Out Christmas Cookies~
I have been making cut-out Christmas cookies since I was in 8th grade. It is as much a Christmas tradition as decorating our tree.
If you want a works-every-time recipe, then use Jules Cut Out Sugar Cookie Recipe which calls for Jules Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour. The expandex in her flour just makes baked items work better. We have made these for the last couple of years and they really work beautifully.
Jules Gluten Free Cut Out Cookies
- 1/4 cup shortening
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 2/3 cup granulated cane sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tsp. gluten-free vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cup Jules Gluten Free™ All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 3 Tbs. water (as needed)
- food coloring (optional)
- colored sugar or frosting (optional )
Cream shortening, sugar and oil several minutes with an electric mixer, until very fluffy. Add egg yolks, vanilla extract and food coloring. Mix in the dry ingredients, adding in tablespoons of water only as needed to keep the dough together and avoid dryness (err on the side of this dough being wetter so that after refrigeration, it’s not too dry). Pat the dough into a disc shape, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate the dough until very cold, at least 3-5 hours (overnight is best).
Preheat oven to 350º F (static) or 325º F (convection).
Lightly flour a clean surface or pastry mat with Jules Gluten Free™ All Purpose Flour. Roll the dough to approximately 1/8 inch thickness and dust cookie cutters with flour before using to cut out shapes. You may also roll thin coils of dough of different colors and braid into candy cane or other fun shapes.
Place cookies onto parchment-lined cookie sheets and decorate with colored sugar, if desired. Bake approximately 8-10 minutes, or just until they begin to lightly brown at the edges. Cool on a wire rack and frost with gluten free flour.
Yield: approximately 2 dozen cookies (depending on size).
Cut Out Christmas Cookies using Gluten Free Pantry Mix
Before we found Jules flour, we used the following recipe. It actually works really great as well. I don't remember ever having a batch that did not turn out.
- 2 ½ sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter (or Earth Balance for CF) at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 4 large egg yolks at room temperature
- 1 t grated lemon zest or lemon juice
- 1 t vanilla
- 3 cups The Gluten-Free Pantry Country French Bread Mix
( Order from
)
In your electric mixer, beat butter, sugar and salt until creamy.
Beat in egg yolks, lemon and vanilla.
On slow speed, beat in the flour one cup at a time until just combined.
Divide dough into three equal parts, flatten into disc, wrap separately in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, at least one hour.
When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Flour the work surface and your rolling pin with rice flour and roll out one disk at a time to 1/8 inch thickness. The dough will break up a little bit on the first roll, but then becomes very easy to work with. On the other end, the dough will be hard to work with after it warms up too much, so keep extras in the refrigerator until you are ready to use.
Cut into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
With a metal spatula, transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Depending on the size, makes around 40 cookies.
Bake 10 – 12 minutes, until lightly golden. Cool on parchment.
Gluten Free Frosting:
- 1 pound box of powdered sugar
- ¼ cup milk (or almond milk for CF)
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 stick butter (or Earth Balance for CF)
Beat with an electric mixer until creamy, scraping the bowl often.
Separate into individual cups and add desired food colors.
~Chocolate Decadence Cookies~
Cut out cookies are fun to make and look great, but for a great tasting cookie try these. They are some of the best gluten free chocolate cookies I have ever made.
They are a cross between a chocolate brownie and flour less chocolate cake.
- 1/2 cup gluten free flour mix
- 1/4 t xanthan gum
- 1 t baking powder
- 1/4 t salt
- 16 ounces semisweet chocolate (use Tropical Source or Enjoy Life semisweet chocolate chips for casein free)
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (use Earth Balance for casein free)
- 1 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
In a small bowl combine the GF flour, xanthan gum, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Combine chocolate and butter, and heat in the microwave stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Set aside.
Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs until thick, about 5 minutes.
Add the chocolate mixture and the vanilla, beat until combined.
Stir in the flour mixture.
Cover and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls onto the sheets, spacing them 2 1/2 inches apart. Note that this is very messy process. The dough has the consistency of red clay at this point and you will be wondering if the cookies are worth the mess. Don't stop - they are definitely worth it. Use some cooking spray on your hands and utensils to make this step go more easily.
Spray the bottom of a class with cooking spray and dip it in powdered sugar. Gently knock off the excess sugar and flatten the cookie with the sugared glass bottom. Not too flat - just to a disk-like shape.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes - until the outside has nice crust but the cookies are still soft to the touch.
Makes about 18 large cookies. Store in an airtight container.
~Cashew Brittle~
Another favorite Christmas-time treat. Why do we make so many treats during this season?
- 1 ½ t baking soda
- 1 t water
- 1 t vanilla
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup corn syrup (Karo is GF)
- 3 T butter (Earth Balance for CF)
- 3 cups cashews
Heat oven to 200 degrees F. Grease two large cookie sheets and place them in the oven to warm them.
Mix baking soda, 1 t water, and vanilla in a small bowl.
In a heavy saucepan, cook the sugar, 1 cup water and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the candy thermometer reaches 240 degrees F(about 25 minutes).
Stir butter (or Earth Balance) and cashews into the saucepan.
Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until the thermometer reaches 300 degrees F(about 11 minutes). Watch to make sure it does not burn.
Remove from heat and quickly stir in the baking soda mixture until light and foamy.
Remove cookies sheets from the oven and pour half of the brittle on each cookie sheet and spread to ¼ inch thickness.
Cool and then break into pieces. Store in a covered container.
~Incredibly Delicious Fudge~
Last but not least, is the fudge!
- 3 cups sugar
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) butter (use Earth Balance for CF)
- 5 ounces Carnation evaporated milk (use 2/3 cup Almond milk for CF)
- 10 ounces semi-sweet gluten free chocolate (since we make ours casein free as well, we use Tropical Source or Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips)
- 1 7 ounce jar Kraft Jet Puffed Marshmallow Crème
- 1 t vanilla
- (1 cup chopped nuts is optional)
Heat sugar, butter and evaporated milk on medium heat in a large heavy saucepan stirring constantly until it reaches a full boil.
Boil on medium heat until the candy thermometer reaches 234 degrees F, stirring constantly. ***If making casein free, boil until the thermometer reaches 240 F degrees.
Remove from heat.
The fun part – Stir in the chocolate chips, marshmallow crème and the vanilla until melted.
Spoon into a 9 x 9 inch pan that has been lined with foil.
Let cool and set before slicing and serving. Store in a covered container.
Lastly, for more fabulous recipes check out Jules Gluten Free Cookies Swap on Facebook. Jules has created a Cookie Swap on Facebook that is filling up with tons of cookies recipes. Add your own, and download some one else's recipes!
Would love for you to share any of your favorite recipes!
