Sugar Cookies (ready for the holidays?)

My brother is BIG fan of sugar cookies and snickerdoodles and he is currently avoiding wheat and gluten for health reasons. This recipe is NOT vegan nor sugar free...I needed to please my bro lol. So in honor of the oncoming holiday season, I decided to give it a try and make a good tasting gluten free sugar cookie.
I like the way it turned out. It kind of reminds me of those cinnamon alphabet crackers but with more of a cookie consistency. He approved too...and he is a true sugar cookie critic:D

what you'll need:
*1/2 cup buckwheat flour
*1 cup tapioca flour
*3/4 cup sweet rice flour
*1 tablespoon guar gum
*2 teaspoons baking powder
*1/2 teaspoon salt
*8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter (room temp)
*1/2 cup organic sugar
*2 eggs
*2 teaspoons vanilla extract
*pinch nutmeg
*pinch ground cinnamon

day 1: no need to start you ovens!
combine the dry ingredients-whisk all the flours together in a medium bowl. add the guar gum, baking powder, and salt. whisk again and set it aside.

combine the liquids-stir the butter. add the sugar and stir until combined. add the two eggs and vanilla. stir/beat until mixed. add the nutmeg and cinnamon and stir once more.

sift the dry ingredients into the wet ones and continue stirring and mixing until all ingredients are blended together. This batter is thick and sticky. leave it in the smaller bowl and cover with plastic wrap. refrigerate the dough overnight to let all the flour and gum set together (this is a handy trick for any gluten free baking).

day 2: start your ovens...375!
take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit until it is at a temperature you can roll it out (but not too long as it will fall apart more easily than regular dough).
roll out the dough between two pieces of wax paper (to save on flour). don't roll it our paper thin.
you can cut the dough into your favorite shapes then and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. i had giraffe, kangaroo, snowflake and star cookie cutters on hand:-)

bake for 8-10 minutes.
and then your done:-) let them cool on a wire rack. refrigerate or freeze the cookies you won't eat the day you make them. gluten free cooking tends to spoil easier than traditional cooking. they last a long time if kept covered and cold

have a wonderful holiday season.
hope you enjoy:-)
you are loved.

"Oatmeal" Raisin cookies:D

my dad's favorite cookies are oatmeal raisin cookies so I am starting to experiment with oatmeal alternatives. This was my first attempt but I thought they turned out pretty good and my parents each had three cookies each right out of the oven!
so I'm guessing it's a good start:-)

what you'll need:
DRY
*1/2 cup tapioca flour
*1/4 cup flaxseed meal
*1/4 cup rice flour
*1/4 cup Ezekial 4:9 cinnamon raisin cereal
*2 tsp egg replacer
*2 tsp vanilla pudding powder
*1 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp baking soda

WET
*1/4 cup pumpkin (canned)
*1/4 cup applesauce
*1/4 cup grapeseed/flaxseed oil mixture
*1 tbsp agave
*1 tbsp honey (raw and regular)

start your ovens...350:-)
in a medium bowl mix together all of the dry ingredients. add wet ingredients and mix until all clumps are gone.
place a piece of wax paper on a cookie sheet and spoon the cookie dough onto the wax paper.
I made about 20 cookies with this recipe but if you make "normal" sized cookies you will probably get around 2 dozen:-)

hope you enjoy!
you are loved.

Pumpkin carob cookies

So... this is my first attempt at an original cookie recipe but I thought it was pretty good:-)
This is wheat-free, gluten-free, vegan and uses only natural sweeteners. And it's awesome because not only is it completely healthy, but it's also beneficial for blood type O! Getting ready for fall baking...

makes about 2 dozen

ingredients:
(dry)
*1/2 cup rice (or brown rice) flour
*1/2 cup tapioca flour
*1/4 cup flaxseed meal
*1 tsp. baking powder
*1 tsp. baking soda
*1 tbsp. egg replacer
*2 tbsp. chocolate pudding powder (go organic! and natural sweeteners)

(wet)
*1/2 cup pumpkin (go organic! canned)
*1/4 cup raw honey
*1/4 cup grapeseed oil
*2 tbsp. water
*2 tbsp. blue agave (natural sweetener)

*1/4 cup carob (or chocolate) chips

start your ovens...350:-)
mix together all wet ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. add the dry ingredients and mix ...I usually use a whisk. once smooth, add the carob chips in the mix.

use a spoon to scoop the dough onto the cookie sheet and mold into cookie shapes. for the cookie tray: put a piece of wax paper down so you won't have to grease the tray and the cookies slide off easily. make sure the wax paper doesn't hang over the side though!

bake for 12-14 minutes.
to check cookies, stick a toothpick in the center of one and if it comes out clean, it's done. if dough is sticking to it, bake a little longer.

enjoy! you are loved.