The Ultimate Gluten-Free Cookie Book (17 page)

brown rice flour
MAKES 32 COOKIES

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

To make the dough, combine the shortening and brown rice flour in a medium-size bowl. Beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining batter ingredients and mix well. The cookie dough will be quite heavy in texture. Once the dough comes together, continue beating for an additional minute or so to make the dough easier to handle. At this point, the dough will be very soft and should be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling, combine the figs, apple jelly, and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Puree it with a stick blender and continue cooking until a thick paste remains, about 1 cup of filling. Set it aside to cool.

Roll a quarter of the dough into a 5 by 8-inch rectangle. Spread ¼ cup of filling on the center third of the dough. Fold the two other thirds over the top to fully wrap the filling with dough. Place each cookie seam side down on the prepared pan. Do the same with the remaining dough.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until golden brown. Let cool completely on wire racks before slicing into 1-inch cookies.

sorghum flour
MAKES ABOUT 24 SANDWICH COOKIES

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

In a medium-size bowl, combine the peanut butter, oil, and sugar. Beat well. Add the sorghum flour and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining batter ingredients and mix well. Continue beating until the dough comes together; it will be oily, yet seem a little dry.

Roll scant teaspoonfuls of dough into balls about ½-inch in diameter and drop them onto the prepared pan. Press to no more than ¼-inch thickness, using the bottom of a glass or butter press. Bake for 8 minutes, until the cookies just begin to brown. Let cool on wire racks.

For the filling, combine the confectioners’ sugar and peanut butter. Beat until fully combined. The cream filling will be stiff and almost dry. Place a marble-size bit of creamy filling between two cookies (bottom sides facing) and press together to form a sandwich. Repeat to make the other sandwiches.

brown rice flour
MAKES ABOUT 25 SANDWICH COOKIES

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

In a medium-size bowl, combine the shortening 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 batter ingredients and mix well until the dough comes together; it will be very soft, yet manageable. The dough may be refrigerated for 30 minutes, for easier rolling.

Roll out the dough to a ⅛-inch thickness and cut it with a 1½-inch cookie cutter. Place the cutouts on the prepared pan and press them with a butter press, or make a pretty pattern with the tines of a fork.

Bake the cookies for about 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cool on wire racks.

For the filling, combine all ingredients and mix until creamy. Place a marble-size bit of creamy filling between two cookies (bottom sides facing) and press together to form a sandwich. Repeat to make the other sandwiches.

brown rice flour
MAKES ABOUT 45 COOKIES

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

In a medium-size bowl, combine the shortening and brown rice flour. Beat well. Add the remaining batter ingredients and beat well. Continue beating until the dough comes together; it will be soft like play dough.

Roll out the dough to ¼-inch thickness. Use a 2-inch cutter for the outside of the circle and use a 1½-inch round cookie cutter to cut away the inside of the cookie, forming a wreath shape. Place the cookies on the prepared pan. Make a narrow indentation across the center of the wreath. This trench will eventually be filled with caramel sauce. (I used two coins—nickels—held together to
achieve the right thickness. A board game checker may also work. Please wash this item well before using—or wrap in foil—and overlook the nonkitchen aspect of the tool.) Then prick the center of the cookie trench to help it retain its shape. Bake the cookies for 7 to 8 minutes, until the edges just begin to brown. The cookies should be crisp upon cooling. Let cool on wire racks before proceeding. Keep the oven heated to 350°F for toasting the coconut.

To make the caramel sauce, mix the cream, vanilla, and xanthan gum in a small cup. Set aside. Place the sugar in a metal saucepan and heat over high heat. Cook it until it is melted and golden brown in color.
Do not
touch the hot sugar or caramel with wooden or plastic utensils or your fingers. It will be dangerously hot. With
great caution
, immediately pour all of the cream mixture into the saucepan and stir well using a metal utensil. Bring the mixture to a boil. Remove it from the heat and continue stirring until any large pieces of cooked sugar are dissolved. Let cool. The mixture will continue to thicken during cooling.

To make the toasted coconut, place the coconut on a cutting board and chop it into very small pieces. (I like to “walk” the knife through the coconut. This only takes a minute or so to complete.) Spread it onto an ungreased baking sheet and place in a 350°F oven. Stir it after 3 minutes, to prevent burning. The coconut will be lightly browned when toasted for 6 to 7 minutes. Set it aside to cool.

For the drizzled and dipped chocolate coating, I suggest making two batches of coating (using half of the ingredients at a time) so that it will not harden before you have used it all. Place half the chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on HIGH for 1 to 2 minutes, until melted. Stir in half the sugar, until creamy.