The Christmas season is here! Deck the Halls and other carols are playing. First snowfall. Holiday treats showing up in stores, on Facebook, just everywhere! Reminding me that I'm a celiac. That means that I have to eat gluten-free, and even after over 20 years, I still feel a little sad that I can't just grab any delicious looking holiday treat!

I've been craving the smells of Christmas, that lovely aroma of baked cookies. Alright, time to thumb through my Grandma's Cookbook. Ah... I found her Gingerbread Cookies recipe! That's the ticket!! Gingerbread is one of those classic 'smell of Christmas recipes', they have that lovely cinnamon, butter smell as they bake.

Time to adjust my Grandma's recipe to a gluten-free recipe. I think it will be pretty easy, just need to substitute my favourite 1:1 gluten-free flour. Make sure my spices are gluten-free. I'm in Canada and our labelling laws for gluten are good. Any gluten ingredients must be labelled clearly. Flours are high risk and you should only use certified-gluten free flour. Spices are not high risk, so just read the labels. Gluten can't be hidden on the ingredients lists in Canada.

This recipe is easy to make, and you don't have to worry about cross-contamination when you bake your own cookies!

• Butter - room temperature
• Brown sugar
• Egg
• Molasses - I use Extra Fancy
• Gluten-Free Flour - Keep a little extra for rolling out the dough. I used Cloud 9 1:1 Gluten Free Flour
• Baking soda
• Ginger powder
• Nutmeg
• Cinnamon
• Spray oil, parchment paper, cookie cutter, and baking tray

I like using my stand mixer. You can use a hand mixer or your own muscle power and mix with a spoon.

Mix all the dry ingredients: gluten-free flour, baking soda and spices together and set aside.

In the mixer bowl, add the softened butter and brown sugar. Mix until well blended.

Now add the egg. I find it helpful to crack the egg into a separate dish rather than right into the mixing bowl. That way, it is easy to remove any broken bits of shell that might get into the egg. Add the egg to the mixture and blend. Usually I scrape the sides of the bowl now as the butter/sugar mixture tends to stick to the sides.

Next add the molasses. Hint: if you spray the measuring cup with spray oil before add the molasses, and then heat up the molasses for a few seconds in the microwave, it will be easier to get the molasses out of the cup. Then mix the wet ingredients together, scrapping the sides of the mixing bowl once and awhile.

Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, blending until a soft dough forms. The smells of the spices are starting to remind me of Christmas!

Wrap the cookie dough in saran wrap and shape into a flattened, rectangular disc. Wrap well. If you have time you can chill the dough overnight in the fridge or in the fridge for a couple of hours. If you don't have time you can chill the dough in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. Check on it after 10 minutes. You don't want the dough to freeze just chill.

I used the freezer method this time and it worked out well.

Why is cookie dough chilled?

1. Chilling helps the dough firm up so it is easier to roll and cut.
2. Gluten-free dough benefits from sitting for 10 minutes or even better overnight. Giving gluten-free dough and batters time allows the flours and starches time to absorb moisture and improves the texture of the finished product.
3. Reduces spread in the ovenwhich is extra helpful for gluten-free dough, so your gingerbread men keep their shape instead of turning into gingerbread blobs.






Roll the chilled dough between two floured pieces of parchment paper to start. This is so that the dough doesn't stick to your rolling pin. Gluten-free dough can sometimes be sticker that gluten dough. Once the dough is no longer sticky you can discard the top parchment paper. Roll out to about 1/4 inch thick. Flour as needed.







Then use your favourite cookie cutter: the classic gingerbread man, trees, stars, whatever makes you happy. Cut out the cookies, and place them gently on a lightly greased piece of parchment paper lining a cookie sheet.







Leave some space between the cookies for them to spread when baking without touching. Place in a preheated 350 Fahrenheit oven and bake for between 10-15 minutes. Check after 10 minutes as each oven varies in temperature.

After a few minutes in the oven, your kitchen will start to smell like Christmas.







Gentle remove the baked cookies and place on a cooling tray. The cookies need to be completely cool before storing or decorating.







Celiac safe and delicious gluten-free Gingerbread cookies ready to decorate and enjoy. Gluten-free Gingerbread Icing recipe at end of the blog.

Gluten-Free Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter, room tempeture
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups gluten-free flour
• 2 teaspoons ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Extra gluten-free flour to dust when rolling the dough. About a 1/4 cup

Directions

1. Cream the softened butter and brown sugar until mixed. I use a stand mixer, but you can use an electric mixer or use elbow grease and mix with a spoon.
2. Add egg and molasses. Blend until just mixed. Don't whip.
3. Combine the baking soda, flour and spices in a bowl, and add to the wet ingredients, mix utnil well blended.
4. Scrap the cookie dough onto a large piece of saran wrap, shape into a rectangular disc, wrap well, and chill in the fridge for 2 hours, or overnight. If you don't have time then you can chill the dough in the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes. If using the freezer method, you don't want to freeze the dough, so check after 10 minutes. It just needs to be stiff.
5. Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
6. Remove the dough from the fridge or freezer. Unwrap. Roll the disk flat until about 1/4 inch thick. I like to roll my dough between gluten-free flour dusted parchment paper. I find the dough is easier to handle and doesn't stick to the surfaces.
7. Cut the dough with your gingerbread cookie cutter, and place on a lightly greased parchment-lined baking sheet. Leave space between the cookies as they do expand a little when baking.
8. Bake for about 10-15 minutes. I always check after 10 minutes. Mine usually are done after 12 minutes, but ovens will vary.
9. Cool the cookies completely before decorating with icing.
10. Yields about 12 gingerbread men cookies using a ~5 inch long gingerbread man cookie cutter. Any leftover dough can be rolled into a log and cut into round cookies.






The house smells lovely and Christmassy. What a wonderful holiday treat that is safe for a celiac and doesn't feel like a compromise. Living with celiac disease means worrying about cross-contamination at holiday parties, and not being able to enjoy any treat on the spur of the moment without questions or reading ingredients lists. Making your own cookies takes away those worries. It is also a fun family activity.

Gluten-Free Icing for Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar (also known as icing or powdered sugar)
• 1 -2 Tablespoons of milk

Directions

1. Put the confectioners' sugar in a medium size bowl. Some people like to sift it to get out the lumps, but I have never found this necessary.
2. Stir in the milk, a little at a time, until the frosting is smooth and not too runny. It needs to be thick enough to keep its shape on the cookie, but soft enough to squeeze out of the piping bag or small ziplock bag with a small hole cut out of one tip.

Have a Merry Christmas. If you try this recipe, let me know how it turns out for you. What shape did you use? How did you decorate?

Note: These are my personal experiences and opinions. Always seek out a medical opinion for medical concerns. Not sponsored. If sponsored I will always say so at the top of the post.