Cookies!

What do you get when you mix 14 kids, a quadruple batch of gingerbread cookie dough and a table full of toppings? Why a rockin' good time, of course! I love watching kids create. Not only did they make some awesome cookies with the crazy variety of cookie cutters I inherited from GGB...giraffes, elephants, pigs, lips, etc....they created a safari in the garage. They made tickets you had to give to security, and then you were free to tour the grounds. They took videos of themselves acting all kind of nuts and then laughed hysterically when they watched them! The cookies were my favorite, though, hands down. Everything from a TARDIS and a dalek (and not even by my kids, ha!) to crime scene victims, baby zombies, and snow giraffes. Kisses.  Mustaches. Flamingos and palm trees, of course! Every sheet of cookies I put in the oven was so fun to check out, and I loved the pride in the faces of each and every artist that triumphantly brought me a sheet to bake! We're grateful for such a great group of friends!

Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

I love to experiment with recipes. So many gluten free recipes are far more complicated than necessary, in my humble opinion, so I tend to make up my own. I keep promising to share recipes with the lovely Fiona Everest, so here is a simple and, if I do say so myself (Okay, all the kids on our block gobbled them up when they were hanging out here during this week's snow days, so I'm not just saying it myself.) delicious GF cookie recipe.

GLUTEN FREE SNICKERDOODLES:

In a large bowl, blend together well:

    1/2 lb. (2 sticks) of softened butter, preferably unsalted

    2 lg eggs

    1 1/2 c. organic evaporated cane juice crystals

Add, mixing until well combined:

    1 1/4 cup all purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)

    1/2 c. tapioca flour

    1/2 c. potato starch

    2 t cream of tartar

    1 t baking soda

    1 t xanthan gum

    1/4 t. salt

In a shallow dish combine ;

    1/4 c organic evaporated cane juice crystals

    4 t ground cinnamon

Roll into 1 1/4 inch balls and coat each ball well in cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees, spaced 2 1/2 - 3 inches apart on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, for 11 minutes. Cool on sheet one minute before transferring to rack to cool completely.

Store in airtight container. (If any last long enough to actually store, that is.)