It's been a while!
I've had quite a few inquiries lately into my blogging "habits" (which are no-existent) so I figure it is time to get off my arse and start up again.
I'm don't expect to curate this blog very much. You'll find everything from plant information to recipes, hairbrained ideas, updates on craft and making, to who knows what else.
Do y'all want specific days for specific topics, or is it ok that I just kinda post what's happening at the moment?
So lets get started!
I'm a baker. I love to cook, but baking is my real passion. Before I found out I was celiac, I made all of our bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, and anything else I could find a recipe for. Once I found out I couldn't eat gluten, I was heartbroken. Ten years ago there was so little information and products. Everything was simply gross, not to mention expensive!
A few years ago I discovered https://glutenfreeonashoestring.com/ and I am not exagerrating when I say that my life was changed completely. I started following Nicole Hunn's recipes exactly and everything has turned out wonderful. My non-celiec friends would agree!
Now I am much more comfortable baking gluten free (much to the chagrin of my waistline!) and am able to create and adapt recipes confidently with what I have learned from Nicole's site. Sure, there are failures, but that's what learning is all about, right? In the worst case I go back to the original recipe on the site and take it from there.
Anyway, long story short, last night my husband and I got a hankering for cookies so off I went into the kitchen and whipped up some Jam Thumbprint Cookies based on my go-to recipe from Gluten Free on a Shoestring. Keep in mind that my motto is "cheap and easy". If I can't pretty much dump it all together and mix, then I don't want it.
Here's my recipe. Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS:
- 8 tablespoons salted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 1/4 cups Vitacost Gluten Free Multiblend Flour (cheapest and best GF flour on the market!) or your favorite blend
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (unless your blend already contains it - check the ingredients!)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Seedless strawberry or apricot jam (I used homemade strawberry jam)
Preheat oven to 325F
Put all ingredients into a large bowl and mix *thoroughly* A stand mixer is ideal.
You should end up with a very soft but handle-able dough.
Use a 1" cookie scoop or two spoons to portion out balls of dough, then roll balls of dough bretween your palms to create smooth spheres.
Put dough balls on a parchament lined cookie sheet with 1-2" between each ball.
Use your thumb to make a deep indentation into the dough, then fill indentation with jam. Be as generous with the jam as you can without it spilling out.
Place cookie sheet in the middle of the preheated oven and back for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are BARELY starting to brown.
When done cooking, the cookies will be extremely soft and delicate. Allow to cool on the cookiesheet. They will firm up slightly once cooled, however they will continue to be quite delicate. This is not a cookie for shipping!
That's it! Yum!