December Recipe of the month

When I went to NJY camp Pennsylvania for their first ever gluten-free family weekend, I was honored to meet several people who are passionate about helping others with Celiac Disease and those who require a gluten-free diet. Nicole Hunn, author of Gluten-free on a Shoestring, was one of those people. Eating gluten-free can be an expensive endeavor but Nicole has figured out how to make gluten-free living affordable and fun! She had a wonderful sense of humor and her cooking tasted amazing! So, for the recipe of the month, I have decided that I should feature her scrumptious gluten-free GINGERBREAD COOKIES! These are definitely perfect for this time of year and can make for a fun-filled evening with your family.

Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Cut-Out Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour (I use Better Batter)
• 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if using Better Batter)
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons nonhydrogenated vegetable shortening
• 1/3 cup cold water

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, place flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add molasses, honey and vanilla, and mix to combine as best you can (it will be lumpy). Add the shortening, and mix again as best you can (lumpier still).
3. Add the water, and mix until smooth. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick, no thinner (see photo). Place in the freezer to chill until firm, about 10 minutes.
4. Flour your cookie cutter (see photo), and cut out shapes. Peel back the surrounding dough (see photo), and place the cutouts evenly spaced on rimmed baking sheets. Gather and re-roll scraps, chill and cut out again.
5. Place the pan in the center of the preheated oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until just lifting off the pan easily (longer for crisp cookies). Remove from the oven and cool completely before decorating.

Makes about 30 cookies, depending upon thickness of dough and size of cookie cutter.
For more ideas and inspirations like this, visit http://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/