Holiday Food Brainstorm

[FireWithin]

Thought it might be about that time for a December holiday thread.

I have made these gingerbread cookies for the past two years and they are delish and super easy to roll out and cut - even though they are: dairy, gluten, corn (can be), soy and egg free.  I like them slightly thicker and  not cooked too long so they are a little soft.  My mom makes them thinner so they are crisp. 

Totally normal tasting cookies!!!!

Gingerbread cut-out cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses  (hey maybe this could be health food for Adam!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Nearly Normal Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 cup rice flou
1/2 cup buckwheat or brown rice flour
pinch salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water



**flour mix
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup potato starch (not flour)
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup corn flour (may also be sold as whole grain cornmeal)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum, or karaya gum)

**corn free flour mix
1 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch
1 cup cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup sorghum flour
4 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum or karaya gum)


beat wet ingredients and sugar together until creamy

In another bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking powder.  Gradually fold in dry ingredients into shortening mixture, adding water as necessary.  The objective is a moist dough ball.  Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.  Dough should be very cold before rolling out

Preheat over to 325
roll out to 1/2 inch thick
bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
 

[FireWithin]

I am looking for some egg free goodies. 

I energy tested eggs today and it said eggs were ok for me, but a strong no for the baby.  My theory that eggs were only a problem for her because of me seems to not be holding water.  sigh.

[menomena]

We are complicated by the no-grains restriction while trying to be as egg-free as possible, on top of dairy, gluten, corn, soy/all legumes, nuts and most/if not all seed restrictions. Will watch this space for interesting ideas, though. 

My kiddos really, really want a gingerbread house and/or gingerbread men this year. To decorate. Trying to figure that one out. I'm thinking I might relax the "no grains" restrictions to include small amounts of quinoa and/or teff flours just for the season. 

[changingseasons]

mmmm... those cookies look delish. And I never thought about a gingerbread house. That would be fun. But half the fun is breaking it down and eating it, right?

[menomena]

Well... Yeah. That's why I'm not sure how to go about it. For decorations, I could whip up some sort of icing/frosting and then we could use safe mint candies and chocolate chips and dried fruit. 

For your DD, maybe if you made ones out of cardboard and felt? or GF playdough? You couldn't eat them, but you could still have the fun of it. 

[Theloose]

Originally Posted by menomena 

Well... Yeah. That's why I'm not sure how to go about it. For decorations, I could whip up some sort of icing/frosting and then we could use safe mint candies and chocolate chips and dried fruit. 

For your DD, maybe if you made ones out of cardboard and felt? or GF playdough? You couldn't eat them, but you could still have the fun of it. 

I've never eaten more than a bite of one, I don't think. We always left them out to look at till they got stale and gross

Cardboard and felt sounds perfect for us, though! How would you stick the walls together? Velcro, maybe? And white yard to pipe icing? And felt candy? I like how we could use it all again next year, too!

[menomena]

Velcro sounds great for reusing. Otherwise, I was imagining just glue... I think, either way, I would glue the house shape/frame together ahead of time. If it was velcro, I'd go for bigger pieces, like a whole roof sheet instead of individual shingles. Ribbons, buttons, sequins, lace... pinecones, sticks, rocks, shells, whatever... would be great. 

I never actually liked to eat gingerbread houses as a kid (everything tasted gross after it sat out), but I definitely devoured fresh gingerbread men cookies. :)   

[Sandrine]

Originally Posted by FireWithin 

Thought it might be about that time for a December holiday thread.

I have made these gingerbread cookies for the past two years and they are delish and super easy to roll out and cut - even though they are: dairy, gluten, corn (can be), soy and egg free.  I like them slightly thicker and  not cooked too long so they are a little soft.  My mom makes them thinner so they are crisp. 

Totally normal tasting cookies!!!!

Gingerbread cut-out cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses  (hey maybe this could be health food for Adam!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Nearly Normal Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 cup rice flou
1/2 cup buckwheat or brown rice flour
pinch salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water



**flour mix
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup potato starch (not flour)
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup corn flour (may also be sold as whole grain cornmeal)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum, or karaya gum)

**corn free flour mix
1 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch
1 cup cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup sorghum flour
4 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum or karaya gum)


beat wet ingredients and sugar together until creamy

In another bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking powder.  Gradually fold in dry ingredients into shortening mixture, adding water as necessary.  The objective is a moist dough ball.  Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.  Dough should be very cold before rolling out

Preheat over to 325
roll out to 1/2 inch thick
bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
 

Thank you for the recipe!!!  My dd3 brought home a note from the teacher saying that this wk, on thurs, they will be decorating gingerbread cookies. Her teacher asked if there was an alternative or if she should just give her a picture of a gingerbread cookie to color and give her the safe treat that she keeps in her classroom for dd3.

Now I get to give her gingerbread cookie and not worry that she is expose to gf/cf from another recipe of gingerbread cookie. DD3 will be able to participate.  :D

[FireWithin]

that's wonderful/

[Sandrine]

FireWithin~ Thank you so much for the recipe!!! These were awesome!!!  They look and taste so similar to the ones that I have made these last few yrs. They were delish!!! DD3 loved them and even the big girls ate them and loved them.  Dh couldn't beleive that they were gf gingerbread cookies.

This recipe is a keeper!

[inneedofgrace]

Sugarplums are our holiday favorite.  They are basically just dried fruit, nuts and spices.  We have made them with just dates and pecans or with dates, apricots, apples and almond or walnuts.The nuts and fruit get all chopped up and mixed together with a little bit of honey or agave and the spices.  We usually skip rolling them in sugar even though most recipes call forit.  they are awesomely delicous, a traditional treat, and freefrom gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, etc. 

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Sugar-Plums  (We use this to start and sub whatever dried fruit and nuts we have on hand)

http://www.dedewilson.com/recipies/sugarplums.html  (No nuts either in this one)

[FireWithin]

two thumbs up!!

I'm so glad. I find the dough to be so easy to work with and yes they are tasty.

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by inneedofgrace 

Sugarplums are our holiday favorite.  They are basically just dried fruit, nuts and spices.  We have made them with just dates and pecans or with dates, apricots, apples and almond or walnuts.The nuts and fruit get all chopped up and mixed together with a little bit of honey or agave and the spices.  We usually skip rolling them in sugar even though most recipes call forit.  they are awesomely delicous, a traditional treat, and freefrom gluten, dairy, soy, eggs, etc. 

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Sugar-Plums  (We use this to start and sub whatever dried fruit and nuts we have on hand)

http://www.dedewilson.com/recipies/sugarplums.html  (No nuts either in this one)

THAT's what a sugarplum is?  I had no idea.  That sounds easy and fun, cool!

[FireWithin]

nak

the lack of eggs is bumming me out. did some research last night and found some recipe solutions.

i have a great semi allergen free chocolate chip cookie recipe but it contains eggs.  It was the classic crispy on the outside and chewy.

any recipes without eggs?

we cant do traditional egg replacer, flax, hemp

can do gelatin and will try chia seeds

[Sandrine]

I don't have any as i'm just starting out x-mas baking.

Is there a good thumprint cookies recipe that is mainly gf??

[deditus]

Originally Posted by FireWithin 

nak

the lack of eggs is bumming me out. did some research last night and found some recipe solutions.

i have a great semi allergen free chocolate chip cookie recipe but it contains eggs.  It was the classic crispy on the outside and chewy.

any recipes without eggs?

we cant do traditional egg replacer, flax, hemp

can do gelatin and will try chia seeds

I have been having good luck with chia, just remember to use half as much chia seed as you would flax. It really absorbs a lot!

Originally Posted by Sandrine 

I don't have any as i'm just starting out x-mas baking.

Is there a good thumprint cookies recipe that is mainly gf??

I was going to try this one:

http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2010/12/scandinavian-thumbprint-cookies-gluten.html

[Sandrine]

Originally Posted by deditus 

Originally Posted by Sandrine 

 

I don't have any as i'm just starting out x-mas baking.

Is there a good thumprint cookies recipe that is mainly gf??

I was going to try this one:

http://www.thespunkycoconut.com/2010/12/scandinavian-thumbprint-cookies-gluten.html

Thanks! They look easy  to make and yummy too.

[oaksie68]

Originally Posted by FireWithin 

Thought it might be about that time for a December holiday thread.

I have made these gingerbread cookies for the past two years and they are delish and super easy to roll out and cut - even though they are: dairy, gluten, corn (can be), soy and egg free.  I like them slightly thicker and  not cooked too long so they are a little soft.  My mom makes them thinner so they are crisp. 

Totally normal tasting cookies!!!!

Gingerbread cut-out cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup molasses  (hey maybe this could be health food for Adam!)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups Nearly Normal Gluten-Free Flour Mix
1 cup rice flou
1/2 cup buckwheat or brown rice flour
pinch salt
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cloves
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup water



**flour mix
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup potato starch (not flour)
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 cup corn flour (may also be sold as whole grain cornmeal)
1/2 cup tapioca flour
4 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum, or karaya gum)

**corn free flour mix
1 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 cups potato starch
1 cup cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup sorghum flour
4 tsp xanthan gum (or guar gum or karaya gum)


beat wet ingredients and sugar together until creamy

In another bowl, combine flours, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and baking powder.  Gradually fold in dry ingredients into shortening mixture, adding water as necessary.  The objective is a moist dough ball.  Divide dough in half, wrap in plastic and chill for at least one hour.  Dough should be very cold before rolling out

Preheat over to 325
roll out to 1/2 inch thick
bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  allow to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.
 

I made these Gingerbread Cookies this weekend and yes, they truly are delicious!  My daughter was able to have a cookie just like her classmates had yesterday.  I love being able for her to have what others are eating, while maintaining our food restrictions!  THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

[tanyalynn]

So I'm looking at The Garden of Eating for inspiration for easy snacks for a friend who just had a baby, and I'm realizing I've never worked with dates.  I was walking past a display at the store and I stopped to try to figure out what these things were, turns out they're coconut date rolls, basically just chopped dates and shredded coconut rolled together, and it sounds like people do all sorts of variations--rolled in coconut on the outside, toasted nuts either inside or rolled on the outside.  And so it was funny to find several date recipes in this book, this is one variation that I'm going to try today (and if it works, I need to go buy more dates!).

One variation is: 1 cup pitted dates, 1 cup toasted nuts, 2T hot water (up to 4T total may be needed), 1/2 tsp cinnamon or apple pie spice (I don't know what that is), 2 tsp orange zest, and 1/4 c shredded coconut.

Grind nuts finely, put aside.  Use a food processor to combine dates, 2 T water, spices and orange zest.  Add the extra 2 T water only if it's needed, then add the date mix to the nuts.  Once mixed, use wet hands to make balls about 1 T size and then roll in shredded coconut or anything else yummy. 

Works with other dried fruits too (apricots or figs were suggested, but it seems like a lot of things would work), and whatever nuts you like. 

[tanyalynn]

And I'm going to pop over to WF to get some hulled sesame seeds and make a batch of this....

http://nourishedkitchen.com/sesame-honey-candy/

though I may try the variation by one of the commenters and add 1/4 cup toasted nuts (I've been craving pecans but we don't have any in the house) and some coconut.  Or maybe half original and half with the nuts/coconut addition.