The Ultimate Gluten-Free Cookie Book (12 page)

Bake for about 25 minutes. After removing from the oven, sprinkle the bars with the chocolate chips and cover the pan with foil to melt the chips. Once soft, spread the chocolate over the bars. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

brown rice flour
MAKES 20 COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat well. Add the brown rice flour and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining base layer ingredients and mix well. The dough will form lots of small clumps but will not quite come together to form a ball; this is okay. Scrape down the bowl and mix just a little longer to be sure all is mixed well.

Transfer the dough to the prepared pan and press to form a solid, even layer at the bottom of the pan. Add the layer of chopped raisins and/or nuts, if desired.

In a microwave-safe cup, combine the cherry juice, white chocolate chips, and condensed milk. Microwave on HIGH for 1½ to 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the chocolate melts and is of spreading consistency. Pour the mixture over the cookie layers, tilting the pan to reach the edges.

Bake for about 18 minutes, until the edges begin to lightly brown. Let cool completely and cut into bars.

5

Beautiful cookies!
This chapter is full of beautiful cookies! The Butter Cookies and Chocolate Butter Cookies are easy to pipe spritz-style cookies—classics. And for smiles that only S’mores can bring, there are Graham Crackers, traditional and chocolate! One of the prettiest cookies of all is the Linzer Sandwich Cookie with jam peeking out of a window dusted with confectioners’ sugar.

The most important thing to remember when working with these special cookies is patience, whether you are placing the cookie dough in the fridge for easier handling, or rolling and cutting out shapes.

I have found it easiest to roll out cookies on a lightly oiled surface, using a lightly oiled rolling pin. I use nonstick spray to coat the surfaces. And, although it is certainly not necessary, granite is my surface of choice. It stays naturally cool to the touch. An 18-inch square of granite tile or smooth ceramic tile can be acquired from your local hardware store at minimal cost.

brown rice flour and cornstarch
MAKES ABOUT 150 COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the oil and sugar. Beat well. Add the brown rice flour and cornstarch and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well. Continue beating until the dough comes together; it will be soft and oily to the touch.

Roll out the dough to ⅛-inch thickness. Use tiny 1-inch cookie cutters to cut the cookies. The dough is very easy to work with, but quite soft. Place the cookies on the prepared pan.

Bake the animal crackers for 10 to 12 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Avoid both overbaking and underbaking. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

brown rice flour
MAKES ABOUT 60 COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Very lightly grease a cookie sheet. (Overgreasing will prevent the cookie dough from adhering during pressing. Wipe off extra oil if necessary.)

In a medium-size bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Beat well. Add the brown rice flour and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well. Continue beating until the dough comes together; it will be soft and almost creamy.

Place the dough in a cookie press and “shoot” the cookies onto the prepared pan. Alternatively, the dough may be piped from a pastry bag.

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

brown rice flour
MAKES ABOUT 25 COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the oil and sugar. Beat well. Add the brown rice flour and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients and beat well. Continue beating until the dough comes together.

Divide the dough in half. Set half of the dough (about 250 grams) aside. Mix a little red food coloring into the remaining half of the dough until the desired color is reached. Refrigerate both batches of dough for at least 30 minutes, for easier handling.

Roll each section of the dough flat, about ¼inch thick. Cut the dough into thin strips and then lay down alternating colored strips side by side to form a tight, striped dough mat. Roll it slightly to be sure that the dough strips seal to each other. Finally, cut the dough at a 45-degree angle to form thin strips with a slanted angle of stripes showing. Cut the strips into 5-inch lengths and place them on the prepared pan. Gently bend the top of each 5-inch length sideways to form the arch of the candy cane. Sprinkle the tops lightly with plain sugar.

Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes, until the tops just begin to take on a little color. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

brown rice flour
MAKES ABOUT 18 COOKIES