Babycakes Covers the Classics: Gluten-Free Vegan Recipes From Donuts to Snickerdoodles (9 page)

Snickerdoodles

This is a perfect example of using the exalted Sugar Cookie as a
launching pad. Once you’ve fussed around with it enough, you begin to understand
its dormant qualities. What if you asked your brain what would happen if you had the
foresight to roll a butter-taste-based batter around in a cinnamon-sugar mixture before
baking? If your brain, schooled in the ways of the Sugar Cookie, answered that
you’d get a wonderfully wrinkly explosion of the Snickerdoodle variety, you and
your brain are well on your way to total cookie enlightenment.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets
with parchment paper and set aside.

In a shallow bowl, whisk together the ½ cup sugar and 2
tablespoons of the cinnamon until evenly incorporated. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the 1⅓ cups sugar, the
flour, flax meal, baking soda, xanthan gum, salt, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of
cinnamon. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and mix with a rubber spatula
until a thick dough that resembles wet sand forms. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap
and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Working in batches, drop the dough by the teaspoonful into the
cinnamon-sugar mixture and roll around to coat the dough all over. Place on the
prepared baking sheets, about 1 inch apart. Gently press each cookie with a fork to
help them spread. Bake for 7 minutes, rotate the baking sheets, and continue baking
for 7 minutes more, or until the cookies are crispy around the edges. Let stand on
the baking sheets for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes 36

Madeleines

Who can resist a madeleine? They are so charming, so fair—so
impossibly French. These Proustian delights have always appealed to the buttery fringes
of my soul, and they’ve always acted as the perfect foil to the rebellious and
messy attitude of my first love, the American chocolate chip cookie. Plus I get to whip
out my handy madeleine tray, which I cherish wholly and completely. Get yourself one and
be the envy of your baby girl’s bake sale.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Brush 2 madeleine trays with
coconut oil and set aside. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, vegan sugar, potato
starch, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and baking soda. Add the
½ cup coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and stir with a rubber spatula
until the batter is smooth. Gradually add the hot water, stirring constantly, until
incorporated.

Drop a rounded tablespoon of the batter into each mold, gently
spreading it to fill the mold. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the trays, and bake for 6
minutes more, or until the tops of the madeleines are golden brown. Remove from the
oven and let stand in the trays for 15 minutes. Place the cooled madeleines on the
prepared baking sheet and dust the tops with the powdered sugar.

Makes 24

Lace
Cookies

Ah, the Stevie Nicks of cookies—all spun around, precious, and
ethereal! A couple tips for making this recipe all your own: Try cutting back on the
flour sometimes and ramping up the sugar at other times. In doing so you’ll learn
what proportions make a soft cookie and what proportions give you a chewy version.
You’ll also perfect the fine art of the crispy edge. If you’re a brave
soul—and surely by now you are—try to assemble a few cookie sandwiches
with your favorite glaze or icing in the middle.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets
with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, arrowroot,
baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla and
stir with a rubber spatula until fully incorporated.

Drop the dough by the teaspoonful onto the prepared baking
sheets, about 1 inch apart. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate the pans, and bake for 7
minutes more, or until the edges are browned and the center is cooked through. Let
stand on the baking sheets for 15 minutes before serving.

Makes about 36

Oatmeal Cookies

Until Bob’s Red Mill came up with a totally affordable
gluten-free oat, you would never have seen these in the bakery. Thank all that is
holy—once again—for Bob’s! Today these cookies are a best seller in
both New York and Los Angeles. If you hate raisins (I do … sorry,
raisins!), try subbing in chocolate chips or dried cherries instead. If you’re
some sort of oat maniac, you can dump in as much as another ⅓ cup of oats and be
just fine.