The Ultimate Gluten-Free Cookie Book (24 page)

Drop rounded tablespoonfuls of the dough well apart onto the prepared pan. The cookie will spread during baking.

Bake for 9 to 10 minutes, until the cookies take on a bit of color at the edges and the tops appear dry. Let cool on wire racks.

For the filling, blend all the ingredients until light and fluffy. Press a tablespoon of filling between two cookies (bottom sides facing) and press together to form a sandwich. Repeat to make the other sandwiches.

brown rice flour
MAKES 24 COOKIES

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

For the dough, in a medium-size bowl, combine the shortening and brown rice flour. 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 it for an additional minute or so to make the dough easier to handle. It will be very soft and should be refrigerated for at least 30 minutes.

For the filling, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Divide the dough in half. Roll out each half into a 9-inch circle. Spread each circle with the filling, then cut it into twelve wedges (like pie slices). Roll each wedge into a crescent shape, rolling from the broad perimeter to the point, and place it on the prepared pan.

Bake the rugalach for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

brown rice flour and almond meal
MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIES

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.

In a medium-size bowl, combine the shortening and sugar. Beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the brown rice flour and beat well. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The cookie dough will form large clumps, but will not quite come together to form a ball. Press it together with your hands.

Roll the dough into 1-inch balls, about 1 rounded teaspoonful each. Place on the prepared pan.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until lightly browned. Immediately roll in confectioners’ sugar. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

brown rice flour
MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIES

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

In a medium-size bowl, combine the butter, 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. The dough will be soft and almost creamy. Set aside.

For the topping, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Mix well.

Place a rounded teaspoonful of dough in the cinnamon-sugar mixture (or gently shape into balls and place in the mixture). Gently roll the dough in the sugar mixture to cover it. Place it on the prepared pan. Press it down to ¼-inch thickness.

Bake 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. The batter will be very thick and sticky.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough into the nuts. Gently coat the dough balls and place them on the prepared pan. Press each down to ⅓-inch thickness and then press the center with your thumb to make room for the jam.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cookies begin to take on color. If the cookie centers are not very indented, gently them press again with your thumb. Let cool on wire racks. Place about ½ teaspoon of jam into the center of each cookie and sprinkle with nuts, if desired.

8

This chapter covers the basics
when it comes to making egg-free versions of your favorite cookies. (In addition to the recipes in this chapter, there are also a number of naturally egg-free recipes elsewhere in this book, including the Trail Mix Bars and Rice Cereal Bars.) For simplicity, I opted to avoid egg substitutes and the sometimes recommended flaxseed alternative. To retain the moistness and texture of these cookies, I simply used honey or corn syrup as the primary sweetener. Applesauce, bananas, and pumpkin are also naturals in the egg-free baking pantry.

As a side note, honey is sweeter than corn syrup in baking. And corn syrup gives a bit of hardness to the exterior of a cookie. Corn syrup also provides a neutral flavor base for certain cookies.

Egg-free baking doesn’t have to be very different from traditional baking. It only takes ordinary ingredients to benefit this special dietary need.

cornstarch or potato starch
MAKES ABOUT 20 COOKIES