We’re deep into cookie season here, with only one weekend between now and Christmas Day. My big cookie job for the year (15 boxes filled with gorgeous happen-to-be-gluten-free cookies for all the hard-working people on my husband’s creative team at his office) is d-o-n-e done, but the cookie-baking is still going on. Can’t stop, won’t stop! But at this point, we’re down to the wire and that means we’re keeping it simple. Today’s recipe for soft and chewy gluten free ginger cookies couldn’t be simpler. One bowl slice-and-bake cookies to the rescue!
Rolling them in coarse sugar before baking is not absolutely necessary, but it is really, really recommended. I roll mine in Sugar In The Raw brand coarse sugar, and it helps create a beautiful crust on the outside of these soft and chewy, lightly spiced cookies.
If you want perfectly round cookies (which is much less important than, say, the coarse sugar rolling bit), just press the cookie slices a little here and there to coax the raw dough into a more perfect round.
These soft gluten free ginger cookies didn’t take the top spot in my cookie gift boxes this year (that honor went to our deceptively easy snowman sugar cookies this year because, well, they’re adorable and so freaking festive I can’t stand it), but they just smell like Christmas. With these on your cookie plate or gift box, no one will doubt that ’tis the season!
3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (42 g) unsulphured molasses
1 egg (50 g, weighed out of shell) at room temperature, beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coarse sugar, for coating (I used Sugar in the Raw)
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.
In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, salt, ginger, cloves, pepper, baking soda, baking powder and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the butter, molasses, egg and vanilla, mixing to combine after each addition. The dough will be very soft but should hold together well and be smooth. Transfer the dough to a large piece of unbleached parchment paper and shape into a cylinder about 1 1/2-inches in diameter. Roll the cylinder tightly in the parchment, rocking it back and forth to create a proper cylinder shape, then twist the ends to seal. Place the shaped dough on a flat surface and place in the freezer to chill for about 10 minutes or until firm enough to slice.
Place the dough on a cutting surface, rock it back and forth to round the bottom edge again, and unwrap the dough. Using a sharp knife and a smooth motion, slice the dough by cross-section into 24 equal pieces, each about 1 cm wide. Press each of the pieces of dough into the coarse sugar firmly enough for the sugar to adhere to the cookie dough on all sides of each piece. Place about 2 1/2-inches apart from one another on the prepared baking sheets.
Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the center of the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown all over and set in the center, about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the baking sheet for about 5 minutes or until firm.
Love,
Nicole
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HELLO! I’m Nicole! I make gluten-free food enjoyable & affordable. If they can make it with gluten, we can make it without. That’s a promise!