The Ultimate Gluten-Free Cookie Book (28 page)

Please be sure to try the Chocolate Crinkles made with garbanzo bean flour. They are one of my favorites. Oatmeal, potato starch, cornstarch, and even tapioca starch do a cookie proud in this chapter!

And, finally, at the risk of being extremely blunt, I would describe the flavor of coconut flour on its own as tasting like tropical dirt. Used with other tropical flavors, it is much more palatable. It is also not very responsive to
leavening. However, it does make a very pretty, flat cookie. It would be ideal to use in making cookie ornaments: expensive, but ideal.

If you have the time, I strongly encourage you to bake with just one flour at a time. It surely helps in figuring out what you like in a flour, what suits your tummy, and ultimately which flours are worth the price.

potato starch
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 potato starch and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients, except the blueberries and cranberries, and mix well. The dough will be like a thick cake batter. Stir in the berries.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared pan. Bake the cookies for 8 to 9 minutes, until the bottom edges are browned. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

oat flour
MAKES ABOUT 30 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 remaining ingredients and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. The dough will be soft and heavy.

Divide the dough in half. Shape each portion into a flattened log about ½-inch tall and place on the prepared pan. (This is a good opportunity to mix in any nuts, chocolate chips, or other tasty goodies, if desired.) Do the same with the other half of the dough.

Bake the logs for 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Cut each log into slices about ½-inch thick and place these back on the prepared pan. Bake the biscotti for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until quite dry. Let cool again.

Combine the confectioners’ sugar and liqueur in a small cup and stir to dissolve. Spread the mixture over the tops of the cookies.

cornmeal
MAKES ABOUT 30 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 cornmeal and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The dough will be gooey and pasty.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough onto the prepared baking pan. Using wet fingertips, press to ¼-inch thickness.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edges look dry and the tops are slightly crackled. Do not overbake. Allow the cookies to cool on wire racks. Place the chocolate in a microwave-proof plastic cup and cook on HIGH for 1 minute, then drizzle the tops of the cookies with the melted chocolate, if desired.

garbanzo bean 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 garbanzo bean flour and cocoa and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The dough will be heavy and sticky.

Place the confectioners’ sugar in small bowl. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough into the confectioners’ sugar and roll to coat well. Place them onto the prepared pan and use your fingertips to press them to about ¼-inch thickness.

Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the tops are dry. The cookies spread little, if any, during baking. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

cornstarch
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 cornstarch and beat well. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl at least once during mixing. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. The dough will be as thin as cake batter.

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the dough well apart onto the prepared pan. Sprinkle the tops with chocolate bits and/or nuts. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes, until the bottom edges are browned. The cookies will spread during baking. Let cool on wire racks before serving.

 

 

coconut flour
MAKES ABOUT 30 COOKIES