Gluten Free Holiday Spice Cookies

Happy one week until Christmas Day 🙂

So, as most of you probably know, over the past month we have been experimenting with going gluten-free to help with some of the “issues” Luke has been having, basically since birth. I did a whole elimination diet with him and really thought gluten was the answer. However, after completing the whole diet thing, it doesn’t look like gluten or dairy are the problems after-all! This is good and bad news. It’s good because now Luke can eat baguettes, pasta and cream again. Bless his heart. It’s bad, though, because we are back to square one.

We have decided to just wait things out until he turns two and then proceed with some more in depth allergy tests. Sigh. That was frustrating BUT it really did open a whole new world of exploring gluten-free baking for me…one that I really enjoyed actually!

These cookies are, hands down, my favorite thing to come out of the gluten free diet weeks. I am absolutely addicted to these and plan to bake more with the kids this week once Grayson is over his cold. Gluten free or not…these are GOOD! As in, really really really good and worth it to try out even if you like your flour with wheat. 😉

I actually made these for a cookie exchange I attended a few weeks ago with some friends. I wanted to make something that I could also give Luke. I don’t want to even tell you the number of these cookies that my kids ended up eating because you would totally judge me. Let’s just say they disappeared very fast. 

I frosted a few with a basic royal frosting that I did not include in the recipe. You probably already know it, though. Just mix up a bunch of powered sugar and a teeeeeeeeny tiny bit of milk. Pipe it out or spread it out…whatever your little heart desires. These remind me of the Swedish spice cookies we used to have every Christmas growing up. I think the secret ingredient is the touch of black pepper. 😉 

Enjoy! 

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Gluten Free Holiday Spice Cookies

Prep Time

10 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

25 mins

 

Course: Dessert

Servings: 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 2 3/4 cup gluten free flour I used Pamelas and really liked it
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp molasses
• 1 whole egg
• 1/4 cup cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 stick unsalted butter cut into pieces and at room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two sheet trays with parchment paper.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and powdered sugar on very low speed (or use a whisk) until combined. 

3. Add the salt, cinnamon, pepper, cardamom, baking soda and cloves and blend. Now, add the soft butter, molasses, egg, vanilla and cream. Keep blending until a soft dough forms.

4. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for half an hour.

5. After chilling, roll dough out to be 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes with cookie cutters and place one inch apart on your prepared cookie sheets. Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, or until puffy and bottoms are starting to become golden.

Recipe Notes

This dough freezes really nicely. Just defrost overnight in the fridge before rolling, cutting cookies and baking. 

Cookies will keep 5 days or so in tupperware.