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Holiday Baking Countdown: It’s December 1st!

Somehow it’s December 1st already, and I’ll be baking and testing recipes all month. Last month I started the season off by posting a recipe for Pumpkin molasses cookies. Now with Christmas just 25 days away, it’s time to get serious. There are so many other recipes that I want to share, including my favorite gluten free and gluten-full sugar cookie cut-outs, special cocktails, candies, and other special recipes I’ve been making for many, many years. It’s a joy to make these and gift them through the holidays-especially this year when we can all use some Christmas spirit. We won’t have holiday parties to go to this year, but we will still share goodie boxes with friends and neighbors.




Next up a cookie that is an Italian family favorite- the pretty pizzelle. Light, crunchy and dusted with powdered sugar, these snowflakes are just so wonderfully wintery! I usually kick off my cookie making with these because they last a while and everyone enjoys them for dessert and breakfast with coffee and tea. I am sharing a modified gluten free version below. You will need a pizzelle iron for these cookies. I have had a VillaWare Prego for years, and it has been great! I highly recommend getting one if you do not own one.

In the days ahead, I’ll share many of my holiday favorites like:

  1. Gingerbread cutout cookies

  2. Gluten Free Gingerbread cutout version

  3. Gluten Free Sugar Cookie cutouts

  4. Penuche Fudge GF

  5. Chocolate Fudge GF

  6. Maple Marshmallows GF (no corn syrup)

  7. Cinnamon Rolls

  8. Spritz Cookies

  9. Apple Almond Strudel

  10. Christmas champagne Cocktails

  11. Christmas punch

  12. Yule Log

  13. Ginger molasses spice cookies

  14. Pecan or walnut snowballs

  15. Italian cookies

  16. Spice cake

  17. An ode to Boston Cream Pie profiteroles

  18. Gluten Free Cherry Almond Biscotti

  19. Gluten Free Santa Hat Brownies

  20. Popcorn Balls (without corn syrup)

  21. Italian Nougat

  22. Peanut brittle

Gotta get baking!


Gluten Free Pizzelle Cookies

A wintery snowflake in cookie form-what could be more festive?! These thin waffle cookies are an Italian family tradition we enjoy year after year.

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Course: christmas cookies, Cookies, Dessert, holiday, holiday cookies

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: Christmas cookies, Cookies, Pizzelle

Servings: 16 cookies

Ingredients

  1. 2 eggs

  2. 1/2 cup sugar

  3. 1 stick butter, melted and cooled

  4. 1/2 tsp anise extract

  5. 1 tsp vanilla

  6. 3/4 tsp baking powder

  7. 1 cup gluten free flour

Instructions


Mix the eggs, sugar and flavoring with a whisk until smooth. Add cooled butter and whisk.


Add flour and baking powder together and whisk out lumps, then add into the butter/egg mixture.


Drop by tablespoonfuls into hot pizzelle griddle. Depending on your make and model, the light will go off and steam will stop when the cookies are done.


Cookies will be lightly golden. Cool and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Keep in an airtight container and they will last for weeks. Makes about 16 cookies, but I usually double it!


Gluten Free Molasses Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies

Chewy and full of seasonal goodness! 1 cookie, 2 ways… sugared or frosted.

Cook Time18 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Cookies, Dessert

Keyword: Cranberry-ginger, Cream cheese, GF Cookies, Gluten free carrot cake, Molasses, Pumpkin

Servings: 2 dozen

Ingredients

  1. 1/4 cup oat flour

  2. 1 cup gluten free white flour

  3. 1 tsp baking soda

  4. 1 tsp ginger (if you love ginger add 2 tsp chopped candied ginger too)

  5. 3/4 tsp cinnamon

  6. 1/4 tsp cloves

  7. 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

  8. 1/8 tsp nutmeg

  9. 1/4 tsp salt

  10. 6 tbsp butter

  11. 4 tbsp cream cheese

  12. 1/2 cup sugar

  13. 1/4 cup brown sugar

  14. 5 tbsp molasses

  15. 4 tbsp pumpkin

  16. 1 egg

  17. 1/2 tsp vanilla or maple syrup for flavoring

  18. 2 tbsp course sugar

Optional maple cream cheese glaze

  1. 2 tbsp cream cheese

  2. 1 Cup powdered sugar

  3. 1 tsp maple syrup

Instructions


Preheat oven to 350°


Mix all dry ingredients in small bowl with a whisk


Combine butter and cream cheese in stand mixer or with beaters until creamy.


Add white and brown sugars and mix until light fluffy.


Add egg and vanilla.


Add molasses and pumpkin until creamy.


Mix in dry ingredients until well combined.

For unfrosted cookie


With a cookie scoop, make balls and roll in the course sugar.


Bake at 350° until golden all over, about 15 minutes. Cookies will be dark golden brown on the bottom. Let cool for 15 minutes or they will be too undercooked–they need to sit for a while.

For frosted cookie


With a cookie scoop, make balls and place on cookie sheet


Bake at 350° until golden all over, about 15 minutes. Cookies will be dark golden brown on the bottom. When they come out of the oven, press down the centers of the cookies just a bit with your a spoon (or the bottom of a spice jar works great) to make a dent to hold the icing. Let cool for 15 minutes or they will be too undercooked–they need to sit for a while. Pool up the icing into the center of the well you made and let sit for another 30 minutes to firm up.


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