Originally posted December 4, 2015
If you are getting ready to get together with your GFF’s (gluten-free friends) and spread some holiday cheer, you might want some ideas for a gluten-free cookie exchange! If you are new to gluten-free (and other allergens), you might need some help getting starting.
First of all, you probably need a substitute for flour. You certainly can buy gluten-free flour but I like to make my own. I call it Amy’s Gluten-Free Flour blend. And no, it’s not the “Amy’s” you see in the store; it’s mine! There are many out there but I like the newer one I created a few years back with two types of rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca starch. Read the article as it discusses why to use grain and starch and the proportions.
Making a flour mix without gum also gives you flexibility as the amount of gum varies in a recipe. Generally, you can use this flour as a 1:1 substitute for cookies. For every 2 cups of regular flour, use my flour in the link and then add about ¾ teaspoon of xanthan gum to help hold it together.
One thing to note: gluten-free baked goods don’t have as long of a shelf life as regular baked goods. Don’t bake your cookies too far in advance. However, you can add 1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger to the dry ingredients to extend the shelf life of the cookie.
If you are trying to avoid dairy and/or eggs, check out these articles about dairy and egg substitutes.
Recipes for a Gluten-Free Cookie Exchange
Now are you ready to bake?! Here are some of my best recipes if you need to bake cookies for a gluten-free or regular cookie exchange:
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