Welcome to Friday Photos, a weekly feature here on Celiac in the City — you can read how it all started by clicking HERE.)
Because of last week’s visit to the hospital (and for 34 other reasons) Christmas kind of snuck up on me. Is it seriously Christmas Eve tomorrow? Where did that come from? Didn’t we just have a wedding? And now we’re wrapping gifts and eating cookies for breakfast, lunch, and dinner?
Or is that just me?
Snowmounds
Even though my oven is being moody this week, I was able to get a few batches of cookies made.
Spritz
And at the last minute, I thought it would be fun to join in on the Cup4Cup cookie contest. By last minute I mean I posted my recipe and photo just a few hours before the contest ended.
(don’t you love that I got a new DSLR camera, yet still take almost all of my photos with my phone? money well spent.)
My husband calls these Snowflakes, but they are also called Crinkles or Pixies.
Friends and family rallied and got me enough “likes” on the contest page to be a finalist. (THANK YOU for the votes!) Then the C4C folks tested the three finalist’s recipes and decided on a winner.
Although I wasn’t THE winner, I was a runner-up… and I scored a bag of the C4C flour, which you can also find at Williams Sonoma. And after I whip my oven into shape, there will be some more experimenting with it.
But for now, you should enjoy the cookies I’ve been munching on this week too. The recipes are all yours.
Gluten-Free Snowflakes
(nut-free too) *because I used the C4C mix, they aren’t dairy-free – the mix has milk in it, but you can easily substitute your favorite GF flour mix as well to make them dairy-free.
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup oil of choice – canola, veg, etc.
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup C4C gluten-free flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
What to do:
1. Mix together cocoa, white sugar, and vegetable oil. Beat in eggs one at a time, then mix in vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add flour mix into the cocoa mixture. Cover dough and chill for 3-4 hours. (overnight works best)
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Either line cookie sheets with parchment paper or use a Silpat. Scoop dough, using cookie scoop or spoon and drop into powdered sugar. This is better than trying to roll them into balls first. After you’ve got them nice and coated, roll into balls and place on prepared baking sheet, at least 2 inches apart.
3. Bake 10-12 minutes, depending on size. (mine took a little longer because I wanted them a bit bigger, you’ll know they are done when you press on the middle and it doesn’t leave much of a dent) Let set on the cookie sheet for a minute or two, then transfer to baking racks to cool.
Gluten-Free Snowmounds (from Grandma G’s recipe box)
8 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour (I used C4C)
pinch of salt
additional bowl of powdered sugar for coating the cookies
Blend the butter and powdered sugar in stand mixer. Add vanilla, flour, salt and mix well. Place on cookie sheet using a Silpat baking liner or grease the cookie sheet.
Form dough into small balls, place on cookie sheet and flatten slightly. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. After the cookies have cooled, roll them in powdered sugar. (go ahead and do this twice if you’d like)
Gluten-Free Spritz Cookies (another ode to Gma G)
*easy to double recipe, these measurements will make about 2 doz cookies
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 cups flour (I used C4C, can use 10 oz of any GF flour blend)
Mix butter and sugar in stand mixer, then add beaten egg, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Slowly add flour into mixture and mix well. Chill dough for easy use in cookie press. Fill cookie press, then press onto cookie sheet, lined with a Silpat baking liner. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. (you can add sprinkles before baking too, or drizzle with icing after)
They will make perfect additions to your cookie platter — scroll down and leave a comment telling us what kind of cookies YOU are making this year!
Merry Christmas!
Celiac in the City 
Hey! If I use a different kind of flour in these recipes will I have to add xanthan gum or no?
I don’t feel that xanthan gum is 100% necessary in recipes — I have forgotten it before, and things have still worked out. But I have used it successfully as well. If you are using regular GF flours, you may want to add xanthan gum or guar gum. You can also add ground flax seed to help hold things together as well.
Hey Sarah – I’m afraid no cookies were made at our house this year… we did the GF gingerbread house instead – I’m looking at it now…looks like it was hit by a bomb as 80% of it has since disappeared. While there were few cookies there was plenty of indulgence. As with the rest of the planet, there will be a dietary clean up starting next week! Hope you had a lovely Christmas – so pleased to hear that the cards were a hit at the party!
yes, detox it is. (can it wait until after the appetizer party on NYE?) 🙂
that peanut butter truffle cookie that came in the red “glad” container with a ton of other cookie samples was absolutely fabulous! any way to get that recipe? i don’t remember the girl’s name, but she was sitting at the end of the table at the gluten free dinner on thursday… thanks! it was great seeing everyone at transfer pizza!
stacie
You will always be THE winner in our minds. Merry Christmas! 🙂
🙂 you’re so sweet. hoping your holiday is filled with JOY. xoxo
Sarah, your assortment of cookies is LOVELY! Merry Christmas!
between my efforts and one heck of a cookie exchange, I have some great treats to take today! 🙂 Merry Christmas to you and Gary!