Holiday Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

'Tis the season to be merry, play in the snow, drink hot chocolatey beverages and do all those other warm fuzzy things people do during this time of year, like sharing gluten free cookies with your family and friends or something, which brings me to:

Cookies. Christmas cookies. Holiday cookies. Birthday cookies. Halloween cookies. Ayyam-i-Ha cookies. Cookies just for the sake of having cookies. Whatever the occasion or season or month of the year, you can't go wrong with baking a nice batch of cookies. 

I mean seriously. Have you ever heard of a person turning down a tray of cookies? Show up at any strangers door with a plate of cookies and a smile and I assure you, you will make a friend (or enter into a really awkward conversation about why you are at their door with cookies...but lets just stick with make a friend). 

I have been trying to find a good gluten free and healthy cut out sugar cookie recipe and all the ones I found sounded...well...not that promising. So I decided, forget the healthy part, let me just come up with a recipe that is gluten free. After all, you can't really have a sugar cookie without sugar and butter...

These ones, I am pleased to say, are jam packed with a glorious amount of sugar and butter and flavor! The texture is just like a thick sugar cookie (I think,  though I can't really remember what a "normal" thick sugar cookie tastes like). 

I think one of the keys to making a nice crispy/yet soft cookie is the part where you chill it. Leave it there for an hour or 2 and your cookies will come out way better than if you make them right away. 

These are a hodge-podge of non-traditional holiday cookies. I don't have any holiday cookie cutters, so I just used what I have. They are as follows: R2D2, Darth Vader, a teddy bear, an upside down J (which I thought could kind of look like a candy cane), and a nine pointed star.  

Enjoy the recipe (try making it with family or friends, baking together is so much more fun!) 

I hope you have a very merry holiday season that is filled with delightful people and delightful food! :) 

Holiday Sugar Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

Preheat oven to 375 F , line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, makes about 30 cut out cookies 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 cups gluten free oat flour

1 1/2 cups coconut flour

1 cup unsalted butter (softened) 

1 cup organic raw sugar 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp coconut milk

1 egg

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

 powdered sugar for rolling 

Directions: 

In a standing mixer or regular mixing bowl cream together the butter and sugar on medium speed until fully combined. Next mix in the vanilla, egg, and milk. Mix on medium. Add in the flour, salt, and baking powder. Mix until a nice stiff dough starts to form. Scrap down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and form a ball in the middle of the bowl with the dough. Transfer the dough onto some plastic wrap or wax paper and flatten out the ball into a thick circle. Wrap up completely and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours. 

Take out of fridge and place on a flat surface that has been dusted with powdered sugar (also dust your rolling pin with some so the dough doesn't stick).  The circle of chilled dough will be pretty tough so I normally just break off sections of it and warm it up in my hands until it is workable. Then roll out the dough until it is about 1 cm thick. Use any design of cookie cutters you want ( holiday or star wars or random letters..you know the usual..) . Place cut out cookies onto the lined parchment paper and place on middle rack. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until the edges are just turning golden. Take out and let stand on sheet for about 2 - 3 minutes and then transfer cookies to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Cream Cheese Frosting 

Ingredients: 

1 cup (or 2 sticks) unsalted butter (softened) 

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese (softened) 

1 cup powdered sugar (to start with, add more if necessary) 

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp coconut milk (start off with 2 and then add up to 2 more depending on how thick you want to frosting to be) 

Directions: 

In a standing mixer or bowl beat together the cream cheese and butter on medium speed. Add in the vanilla, coconut milk and sugar. Mix on medium and then gradually increase speed to high. Add in extra coconut milk or powdered sugar depending on how thick you want the frosting to be. Make sure all the lumps are mixed out of the frosting before turning the mixer off. Once you have a smooth consistency to your frosting feel free to divide it up in different bowls and use food coloring to make it red or green or any color you feel like. :)   

Wait until the cookies are cooled completely before frosting. Use sprinkles or cinnamon candies or chocolates to decorate, or just eat them plain. Either way, these little cookies are sure to make your tummy very happy. 

 (my leaning Vader)

Vegan GF Choconana Bread

Vegan AND gluten free?? Yes indeed!

Recently we had a friend staying over who couldn't eat dairy, eggs, nuts, or gluten. Being the baker that I am I wanted to still make something for her to eat while she was visiting. I decided to try my hand at making a gluten free vegan banana bread (just wasn't sure what to put in it...).

I decided just to experiment with the ingredients I had that weren't any of the items she was allergic too and see how it turned out. Spoiler Alert: it was amazing! (I mean seriously yum)

Even though I was a bit hesitant about using olive oil in a sweet baked good (yeah olives and bananas don't usually go well together..) it actually turned out super moist and tasting surprisingly like actual banana bread. In my original recipe I didn't use chocolate chips because those have dairy and soy products in them but when I made it again for just my husband and I, we had some dark chocolate chips laying around so I decided to throw them in (great decision by the way,  dark chocolate makes everything ten times better).

The name Choconana Bread was thought up by one of our other friends who we shared this little loaf with (thanks for that Jennifer).  :)



Vegan GF Choconana Bread

Preheat oven to 350 F, grease a bread pan (5x8)

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup olive oil (or any other type of oil you prefer)
1/4 cup coconut sugar
3 cups gluten free oat flour (or a mixture of coconut and almond works too)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
In a large bowl, mash the three bananas together (I usually just do this with a fork). Next add in the vanilla, coconut sugar, oil, and coconut milk. Mix together throughly. Add in the cinnamon and mix well. Then, add in the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix completely but do not over mix. Last, add in the chocolate chips and make sure they are evenly mixed and distributed throughout the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared bread pan and place in the oven on the middle rack for 45 - 50 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out of the middle clean. Enjoy!

Cocoa Almond Cookies

First off, let me start by saying, oh my gosh! It's been a few weeks since I posted a recipe! How did that happen? My favorite holiday happened. Traveling to be with family for Thanksgiving takes up a lot of time. And then getting back into the swing of things at home takes some time too :) Anyways, I am back and baking/cooking like crazy!

So almonds. Almonds are my friends. When you can't eat wheat and gluten you become limited in the types of flours and ingredients you can bake with and almonds are probably one of my favorite gluten free ingredients. I love almond butter, flour, paste, milk, and just almonds in general (all of which can be used to make some pretty tasty recipes). I have to be careful not to oversaturate myself in any particular ingredient (moderation in everything is key).

I came up with this recipe really because I was trying to figure out how to use the rest of my almond paste (which I had bought for my gluten free almond cake recipe that I will post sometime soon). These little cookies are a great addition to your holiday baking list (just make sure non of your neighbors or friends are allergic to nuts...) They go great with milk (Santa would love them), and even adding a dash of peppermint extract would make them even more holiday-ish :)



Cocoa Almond Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F , makes 18 little cookies, line baking sheet with parchment paper

Ingredients

2 cups almond flour
1/3 cup coconut oil (softened not melted)
1 egg
1/3 cup almond paste
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a KitchenAid mixer or mixing bowl add in the coconut oil, almond paste, sugar and vanilla. Beat on low until a creamy paste forms. Add in the cinnamon, cocoa powder and egg. Mix on low until all incorporated. Next add in the flour and baking powder and soda. Mix on low until incorporated. Last add in the chocolate chips and mix briefly until evenly distributed throughout the dough. Using a regular kitchen table spoon, scoop out the cookies onto the baking sheet in little round drop (you can also use your hands to form little cookie disks), make sure they are evenly spaced. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until edges are completely firm. Let cool on rack for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Rosemary Saffron Risotto with Goat Cheese

It's been awhile since my last post. Things have been really busy around here lately and I have been in and out of town. The exciting part is that Thanksgiving is coming up soon and I will be out of town again! One of my all time favorite holidays :) There is so much wonderful aspects of Thanksgiving that I love. The food is just awesome (I mean seriously, whoever thought of turkey and cranberry sauce together is a genius), and having any excuse to be with family is my kind of holiday.

As Thanksgiving gets closer and closer my need for good hearty food increases. Tonight, I decided to try my hand at some risotto. I always thought it was pretty hard to make (mostly because of all those cooking competition shows where the judges force them to make risotto and then tell them how horrible it is). It is actually surprisingly easy, maybe that is just because I am making it wrong or something...but comparing it to all the risottos I have had at restaurants and made by other people before, I think it turned out pretty much like those. I used flavors that are very hearty and remind me of this time of year (saffron actually reminds me of any time of year because persians tend to use it all year round..). This is a very filling dish, so save room in the fridge for left overs :) Also, I do not consume alcohol in any way, shape, or form (even cooking or baking with it), so you will notice my recipe lacks the traditional white wine part to it, if you feel like it is necessary go ahead and add it in, but to be honest mine turned out pretty delightful without it. :)

Rosemary Saffron Risotto with Goat Cheese

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
4 1/2 cups stock (chicken, vegetable, beef, any kind you want)
1 medium onion (chopped into small pieces)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
3 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil (any kind you like)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup goat cheese
1 zucchini (chopped)
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
sea salt (to taste)
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp dried rosemary (chopped)
1/4 tsp saffron flakes (ground to a powder)
1/2 tsp dried parsley
extra goat cheese for crumbling on top

Directions:

In a medium pot boil the stock on high. Once it is boiled, turn it down to a simmer. In another medium sauce pan, melt the butter and oil together. Add in the onion and garlic and let simmer. Next add in the rice and coat rice with the butter/oil mixture (do not let the rice brown). Ladle in a scoop of broth and stir as the rice absorbs the broth. Keep doing this until the pot is empty of broth and the rice has become very starchy and creamy (stir constantly). Add in the saffron, rosemary, parsley, pepper, and salt as you are adding in the broth. Let the spices simmer together as the rice absorbs the broth. Next add in the two different cheeses and stir the risotto until all the cheese is melted and mixed into the rice (should resemble a nice yellow creamy risotto mixture...) (This all takes about 20 minutes)

In a separate pan on medium heat,  heat up 1 tsp oil and add in the chopped zucchini. Let the zucchini simmer for a little while and then add in the balsamic vinegar and let that coat the browned zucchini. Next add the zucchini into the risotto and stir. Transfer to a bowl and top with crumbled goat cheese. Enjoy!

Sweet and Simple Double Chocolate Brownies

In my opinion brownies are probably the easiest baked good to make gluten-free. With regular brownie recipes the amount of flour that people use is pretty much around 1/2 cup or sometimes less. Mostly brownies are just eggs, butter, sugar and cocoa powder. These brownies are just as simple, and they have the added bonus of being gluten-free friendly, and yet still moist and delightful.

For the flour feel free to use any kind you prefer. I have made this recipe using almond flour, oat flour, coconut flour, chickpea flour, and hazelnut flour. I like how they turn out with almond or coconut flour the best (but that is just my preference).  I have never tried them with any kind of rice or quinoa flour (that is really just because I don't really like those ones) but I am sure they would turn out fine with those flours too. Baking should be fun and you should feel like you can tailor it to your own personal tastes and likes. Be brave and experiment! For the most part those experiments always turn out pretty tasty, even if they don't look too pretty :) .


Sweet and Simple Double Chocolate Brownies

Preheat oven to 350 F , grease an 8x8 cake pan

Ingredients:

1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup of coconut sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup almond flour (or whatever flour of your choice)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Directions:
In a mixing bowl pour in the melted butter. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, and sugar to the butter, mix all together. Next, add in the eggs, make sure they are mixed in and blended completely with the batter. Then add in the salt and flour, mix thoroughly. Last, add in the chocolate chips, make sure that they are spread evenly throughout the batter. Pour batter into the greased pan, smooth out with a spatula so that it is even distributed in the pan. Place in the oven on the middle rack and bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the middle clean. (do not over bake, this will make the brownies dry, not moist).  Let cool in the pan for 8-10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Pillows

My husband loves cookies. Actually, he just really loves any kind of sweet thing. Which can get both of us into trouble because I love baking any kind of sweet thing! It makes for a great pairing of me baking and him eating, but it does not lend to a very good teeth-not-getting-cavities friendship. So, I am trying to come up with some not as sweet but still sweet cookie recipes. Here is one that I came up with tonight using what ingredients were in my cupboard and fridge. (A lot of my recipes recently are using gluten free oat flour, this is not because I particularly prefer oat flour to other flours, it is just because currently that is the only flour in my cupboard and I have yet to go shopping for more flours...however, I am discovering some great recipes using it :) ). I really wasn't too sure what to call these. They look like little cookies crossed with scones. They taste like banana bread cookies/muffins. I am deciding to call them cookie pillows because I like the word "pillow" and just really wanted to use it in the title of a recipe :) .  These are sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free but not flavor or yummy-free.  They are good with green tea, milk, and just eating by themselves, but not good as actual pillows..so don't try sleeping on them. Just eat them.



Banana Chocolate Chip Cookie Pillows

Preheat oven to 350 F, line a baking sheet with parchment paper, makes 9 cookie pillows

Ingredients:
2 mashed bananas
1 egg
1 cup gluten free oat flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
In a mixing bowl, mash the two bananas together (I usually just use a fork to do this). Add in the egg and the vanilla into the mashed bananas, mix completely. Next add in the cinnamon and stir into the banana egg vanilla mixture. Then add in the flour, baking soda, and baking powder, mix thoroughly (do not over mix). Last, add in the chocolate chips and mix in evenly. Spoon out the batter onto the baking sheet with a regular kitchen spoon, space out the cookies evenly on baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies have puffed up and are golden brown on top. Take out of oven and let stand for 3 minutes before transferring them to a wire cooling rack. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Mushroom Cranberry Balsamic Noodles with Lemon Zest and Chili

Being creative and trying out new flavor combinations is always a fun experience. Even more so when the combinations turn out pretty awesome. Tonight's dinner consisted of familiar flavors that I had never previously tried together.

I love pasta noodles and finding a good gluten free brand has been interesting. I first tried pasta made with rice and never really enjoyed the flavor or how soggy they always ended up getting. I then tried buckwheat but didn't really care for those either. Quinoa and corn have been my favorite so far. I try not to eat too much corn and try not to eat too much quinoa either (for some reason both of these give me indigestion if I have them frequently). It's always nice to have pasta every once in a while and so tonight I went with SamMills 100% Corn Pasta (the spaghetti kind). I like them because they are GMO free (at least that is what the bag says so I am choosing to believe it :)).

I hope you enjoy this yummy new recipe! Let me know what you think on the comments below! :)


Mushroom Cranberry Balsamic Noodles with Lemon Zest and Chili

Bring water to boil in a medium size pot

Ingredients:

Pasta:
1/2 bag of spaghetti noodles
2.5 quarts of water
a pinch of salt

Mushroom Cranberry Sauce:
1 container of mushrooms (washed and sliced)
1 medium onion (peeled and diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp ground thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp chili pepper flakes
the zest of 1 lemon
a pinch of saffron flakes

Directions:

Bring water to a boil and add in the pasta (let cook for about 7 minutes at a rapid boil and stir occasionally), when pasta is done, drain in sink and set aside.
In a medium size pan place on burner and turn the stove up to medium heat. Add the oil, onion, garlic, and mushrooms, let them sauté for 5 minutes. Then add in the balsamic vinegar, honey, and spices. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add in the pasta and mix completely so that the sauce and veggies cover the pasta noodles. Add in the lemon zest and mix again. Place in bowls and add a little more zest if you want for garnish and some extra chili flakes, or just serve as is.

(as a side dish I made some steamed broccoli and didn't put anything else on them..other than steam... :))

Apple Doodle Brownie

What is this apple doodle brownie you speak of? Well I will tell you (side note: whenever I say apple doodle brownie I can't help but get that Yankee Doodle song stuck in my head...and now it is probably stuck in yours..).

A few days ago I was putting together a recipe for an apple cake because I have way too many apples in my fridge right now (this is because I bought a big bag of red delicious apples and then I found out my husband does not like those..so I bought a big bag of gala apples which he does like but not enough to eat them all day every day). Because of this over abundance of apples the apple cake was made. However, according to one of my friends it did not taste like an apple cake. Instead it tasted like a cross between an apple cake, a snickerdoodle cookie, and a brownie. Hence the name, apple doodle brownie, was coined. It just so happens to also be DELICIOUS.

Here is the recipe for this yummy new creation. Hope you enjoy! 

Apple Doodle Brownie 

Preheat oven to 350 F, grease an 8x8 cake pan

Ingredients:

2 medium size apples (grated)

1 cup gluten free oat flour

1/2 cup dark brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 cup coconut oil (softened not melted)

2 eggs

2 tsp baking spice (this is a mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, mace, and ginger) 

1 tsp baking powder

the juice of 1/2 of a lemon 

Directions:

In a mixing bowl of KitchenAid mixer, grate in the two apples. Then add in the sugar, oil, and eggs. Mix together. Next squeeze in the lemon juice. Add in the cinnamon, baking spice, flour and baking powder. Do not over mix but make sure everything is completely incorporated into the batter. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and place in the middle of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 8 minutes before transferring to wire cooling rack to cool completely. (I just flip the pan onto the rack and the cake usually come out after a few good taps). 

Enjoy! 

Melty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ever since I stopped eating gluten I have been searching for a good chocolate chip cookie recipe. All my recipes always ended up turning out more muffin or cake-like than cookie-like. I guess I just needed to be persistent with my cookie experimentation, because I  can now give to you my success! Finally :)

I hope this cookie recipe turns out as amazing for you as it did for me. Make sure to use parchment paper (not wax or aluminum).

These go great with tea (I had mine with a yummy cup of scottish heather black tea, tastes like scotland...minus the haggis, kilts, and hairy cows...)
They would also be delicious with a nice cold cup of almond milk (or whichever you prefer) or a big mug of hot chocolate.

Whatever you decide to pair them with (or just eat them stand alone) I hope you get as much enjoyment out of their buttery chocolate yumminess as I do. :)


Melty Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F , line a baking sheet with parchment paper, makes about 18 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (softened, not melted)
1 cup gluten free oat flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
A dash of cinnamon (I kid you not, it was a last minute addition so I did not measure it out...I just threw a "dash" in...not a tsp that is for sure)
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used semi-sweet, you can use milk or dark if you like that better)

Directions:

In a KitchenAid mixer or mixing bowl add together the butter, sugar, and vanilla. Cream together on low until all the butter and sugar lumps are smoothed out. Add in the egg and mix on low until incorporated. Next add in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and the dash of cinnamon (do not over mix). Last add in the chocolate chips and make sure they are evenly added throughout the dough.

Place the bowl in the fridge for about 30 mins to let the dough harden (because after first mixing it is very soft and buttery). Take dough out after the 30 mins and use a regular tablespoon to scoop out cookie dough and roll into little balls and then pop them on the baking sheet. Place on middle rack in oven and bake for 10 mins or until tops and edges of cookie are a nice darker golden brown color. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack to completely cool or just transfer them to your mouth and enjoy the ooey gooey cookie-ness.