Gluten Free Shower Treats

We recently held a bridal shower for my youngest daughter, and not only did I want to enjoy the food at the shower, I also knew that there were guests coming that needed gluten-free options.  The menu included quiche (with and without a crust), spinach salad, chicken salad, the requisite bridal shower cake with pretty pink roses and the following gluten free options:

Peanut butter cookies
I used about 2/3 extra crunchy pb and 1/3 sun butter to cut the sweetness factor.  These cookies are amazing because, given the recipe, it doesn't seem like they should turn into cookies.  But these taste like standard peanut butter cookies and are great for those moments that you feel kind of deprived because you are eating gluten free.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies
Recipes from Gluten Free on a Shoe String are consistently good, but she does rely heavily on rice flour blends. That said, I have tried a few of her recipes using "Mr Ritt's Gluten Free Flour Alternative" (which is also based on rice flour) and found them good. I used mini chips in this recipe to distribute the chips a bit more evenly.

Oatmeal Muffins
These oatmeal muffins are from my favorite recipe, and the only change was to use the flour alternative.   It was so nice to find a recipe that I love was easy to make gluten free!

The shower was a lovely event and EVERYONE got to enjoy the food!

Some Cookie Recipes

My grandmother was an amazing cookie baker.  She baked and sold cookies during the holidays and it was always a treat to get a box of her assorted varieties.  Here are a couple of favorite recipes that others have asked for recently.

Grandmom called these cookies "Crescents" when she rolled them in a crescent shape and then coated them with powedered sugar.  Others call the Russian Tea Cakes, Mexican Wedding Cakes or "Those Little White Ones".  Whatever you call them, they are delicious!

Mexican Wedding Cakes

1 cup butter
 2 teaspoons vanilla
 1/2 teaspoon salt
 2 cups finely chopped or ground pecans (walnuts can also be used)
 1/3 cup granulated sugar
 2 cups all purpose flour
 1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and water until light.
Blend in flour, salt and nuts.  Using the lowest speed of the mixer,  blend until well mixed.
Using about 1 teaspoon dough, shape into a ball (or use a cookie scoop.)
Place on ungreased cookie sheet.  These can be spaced closely, as they do not spread much.  (I fit 70 on a half sheet pan.)  Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes.  When cool, roll in confectioner's sugar.

Pressed Butter Cookies 

Gertrude Young

2 C Butter 

4 eggs

2 ¼ C sugar 

½ tsp salt

1 tsp almond extract 

5 1/3 C flour

Cream butter and sugar until very light. 

Add extract. 

Add eggs, 2 at a time. 

Continue beating until thoroughly creamed. 

Reduce Mixer speed to lowest speed & add flour and salt. 

Do not over mix. 

Put through press in a variety of appropriate shapes. 

Bake in preheated 400° oven for 9 minutes. T

he cookies should be lightly browned on bottom and around edges. Yield: about 3 lbs cookies.

Some hints for pressed cookies

1. Do not chill dough unless recipe calls for it (few do).

2. Decorate before baking with candied fruit, cherries, nuts or colored sugars.

OR

3. Decorate after baking with thin icing [confectioners sugar and water] & assorted toppings or chopped nuts.

4 Use butter instead of margarine because butter improves in flavor in storage.

5. Flavoring can be changed to suit (ie: Vanilla, lemon, etc.).

6. Food coloring can be added as desired. I add mine during creaming if I’m just making one color.

Gingersnaps

These are my favorite cookie... Caleb's too!

From the Orange Betty Crocker Cookbook circa 1979

Oven Temp: 375°

• ¾ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup molasses
• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• ½ teaspoon cloves
• ¼ teaspoon salt

granulated sugar

When measuring spices for this recipe I use generous measurements for a spicier cookie.

Cream butter, brown sugar, egg and molasses. Add spices, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add flour and blend well. Chill dough 1 hour. Roll about 1-2 teaspoons dough in a ball and roll in granulated sugar or gourmet sugar (large sugar crystals.) and place on ungreased baking tray or parchment lined trays. Bake at 375° for8-10 minutes. Remove from trays immediately and cool on wire racks.

Snickerdoodles and Variations

The dough for Snickerdoodles (really WHO thought of that name?!) is very versatile. Here is the recipe and three variations. The final one, is made with a specialty flavoring called Fiori Di Sicilia which is available from It tastes like a Creamsicle cookie! I was very pleased with the experiment!

Snickerdoodles and Variations
Recipe from Orange Betty Crocker Cookbook circa 1979
Oven Temp: 375°
5 doz. Cookies.

• 1 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 2 ¾ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ c sugar + 1 tablespoon cinnamon

Preheat oven.
Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda and cream tartar.Beat well. Blend in flour until well mixed.

For traditional snickerdoodles
Mix ¼ cup of sugar and tablespoon of cinnamon together in a shallow bowl.
Roll 1 inch balls of dough into mixture and place on cookie sheet about 2” apart.

Bake 9-11 minutes until cookies are lightly browned.

For sugar cookies add

• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract along with vanilla.

Roll dough in gourmet sugar or sanding sugar and bake 9-11 minutes.


For Citrus sugar cookies add:

• 2 teaspoons lemon extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon orange extract
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
• ½ teaspoon lime zest

Roll in gourmet sugar or sanding sugar.
Bake 9-11 minutes until cookies are lightly browned.


For Fiori Di Sicilia Cookies, replace vanilla with ½ teaspoon Fiori Di Sicicilia flavoring (available from King Arthur Flour Co. )
Roll in gourmet sugar or sanding sugar.
Bake 9-11 minutes until cookies are lightly browned.