Aron’s GF Guidebook

About Myself

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease 4 years ago. Although I was initially disturbed and frustrated that I could no longer eat the foods that I had previously enjoyed; it wasn't long before I began to experiment with gluten free (GF) recipes. Those first experiments were a complete and utter disaster. I made weapons grade corn bread that was so heavy and hard I could hardly lift it. I made gelatinous chocolate cookies; that at best resembled wet sand. Needless to say, it wasn't good, and I spent a great deal of time and money ruining gluten free recipes!

Since that time I have gotten pretty good at this whole GF thing. I have learned to make a number of dishes that even my kids will eat. My gluten free sugar cookie recipe recently won the cookie contest at my husband's work (no one believed they were GF), and my lemon bars are to die for! I also have a lot of product recommendations and dinner ideas that will please those who are GF and those who are not.

After numerous requests I have decided to start sharing my gluten free secrets so that hopefully some of you can avoid the frustrations that I had to endure. Since it is the holiday season I will begin by sharing my GF Sugar Cookie Recipe! I hope you enjoy and please feel free to email me with any questions: emyliphotography@gmail.com

Baking Basics & Products

When purchasing GF flour for baking I prefer to use Pamela's All Purpose Baking & Pancake Mix. It has the best consistency and more closely resembles wheat flour than any of the other brands that I have used. It is pricey, but goes a long way and is much cheaper than creating gross baked goods from other brands.

The other baking staple is Xanthan Gum. I use Bob's Red Mill Brand and again it is pricey, but it goes a long way. I have had the same bag for 2 years! A helpful tip is to always double the amount the recipe calls for. Xanthan Gum replicates the binding agent in gluten. You may have noticed that GF products are drier or less bouncy than non-GF products; xanthan gum will solve this problem. NOTE: Xanthan Gum in MY recipes is already doubled!

When baking GF it is important to note that not all vanilla extract is GF. Some have hidden gluten contents that can make you sick. For this reason, I stick with McCormick's Pure Vanilla Extract.

Now we are ready to bake……

Holiday Cut-out Cookies

Ingredients

2 ¼ Cup Pamela's Baking Flour

2-3 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp baking pwd

½ tsp salt

1 Cup melted butter (butter substitute can also be used) NOTE: Butter must be fully melted

1 Cup granulated sugar

1 Tbs brown sugar packed

1 large egg

2 tsp vanilla extract (or 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp almond extracts)

Tapioca flour for rolling out dough

Icing

Powdered Sugar

Milk

Food Coloring

(Add at your discretion)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl mix together the dry ingredients. Add the egg, vanilla, and mix in the melted butter. Ball the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. The dough will be gross and greasy, but do not worry this is normal. Refrigerate the dough for 1-2 hours. Note: When you remove the dough from the fridge it will be like a big heavy rock. Microwave it for 30 sec to a minute to soften it up. Using the tapioca flour, roll out the dough and use cookie cutters to cut out shapes. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the cookies are light brown. My oven is odd, so watch the first batch to determine the best time for you.

These cookies should not be overcooked. If baked too long they will become hard. Better to slightly undercook for a softer, chewier cookie.

Once baked, wait 5 minutes and remove from the cookie sheet. Allow to cool for at least one hour and then add colorful icing, sprinkles, and fun!

 

Coming up:
Butter/Thumbprint Cookies, Peanut Butter & Hershey's kiss Cookies, Lemon Bars, & Chocolate Powdered Sugar Drops! Log back in to see these recipes shortly!