Yummy Gluten Free Spicy Oatmeal Cookies

 10-15 min/ 350F, parchment lined cookie sheets, about 60 cookies

Preblend dry ingredients

• 1.5 GF flour
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t. ground cloves
• 1/2 t. salt
• 3 c. rolled oats (used quick cooking GF oats this year)
• 2 c. raisins (can use less)

Cream until fluffy

• 1 c. room temperature soft butter

Then mix in the following ingredients one at a time until incorporated

• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1/2 c. white sugar
• 2 eggs (lightly beaten, add one at time)
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Add and mix in dry ingredients.

Drop spoonfuls on parchment lined cookie sheets and bake. Let cool completely before removing from cookie sheets.

Mexican Wedding Cookies (Gluten Free)

 about 60 cookies; 10-15 min/ 350F. Parchment lined cookie sheets

Combine dry ingredients and set aside

• 3 c. almond flour*
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/4 t. baking soda
• 1 c. chopped pecans, or almonds, or ...

Cream until fluffy

• 1/4 c. room temperature soft butter

Then add and mix until incorporated the following ingredients

• 1/4 c. maple syrup or honey
• 2 t. vanilla extract**

Add and mix in dry ingredients.

Then use hands to roll into about 1/2" diameter balls, place on parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake.

When they come out and are still hot, roll in

• 1/2 c. or so of powdered sugar, place on cool cookie sheet, and let cool.

These cookies are very chewy. Next year I want to substitute maybe half the almond flour with Namaste GF flour and see if I can get the texture more like polvorones.

Very soft, delicate, gluten free lemon cookies

 10 min/ 350F on parchment lined cookies sheets. About 60 cookies

Preblend dry ingredients and set aside

• 2 c. GF flour
• 3/4 c. finely ground pecans (or other nuts)
• 1 T lemon zest

Cream till fluffy

• 1/2 c. room temperature soft butter

Then add one at a time and mix till incorporated,

• 3/4 powdered sugar
• 3 T fresh lemon juice 

Then add dry ingredients and mix in.

Drop by small spoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet and bake. Cookies spread. Let cool completely before carefully removing from parchment paper. Cookies are very delicate.

Traditional Gluten Free Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Balls (No bake recipe)

 2 parchment lined cookie sheets. About 60 cookies or so.

Stir together in large bowl

• 16 oz jar peanut butter (use to measure following ingredients)
• 16 oz dates (measure whole, then grind in food processor* before adding)
• 16 oz walnuts (measure whole, then grind in food processor* before adding)

Place in fridge to firm up.

Once firm, use hands to make about 1/2 inch diameter balls. Place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Put in fridge if necessary to firm up if they get too sticky. (Or just a cold 50F room in your house.)

Melt in microwave in 1 minute to 30 second increments, stirring in between until it's liquid

• about 1/2 bag of chocolate chips***

Using 2 spoons roll peanut butter balls in melted chocolate to cover, then place on clean parchment line cookie sheet. Let cool and firm up before packing up.

*If you don't have a food processor, just chop everything really fine.

** When I was a kid we used to add 16 oz powdered confectioner's sugar, but I don't think it really needs that.

*** Probably will end up using the whole bag of chocolate chips and have left over melted chocolate that you can pour onto parchment paper to either chop and use in cookies or just eat.

Traditional 3 ingredient gluten free peanut butter cookies

About 60 cookies

Parchment on cookies sheet. 10-15min/350F

Put in large bowl

• 16 oz peanut butter (Save jar and use it to measure the sugar, Don't need to clean.)
• 16 oz sugar (just fill up the jar)
• 2 eggs

Mix together. If it is runny, let it sit in the fridge until it firms up some. Some peanut butter is runnier than others.

Use hand to make balls. Flatten with fork to make cross pattern, then bake. Let cool.

 Traditional recipe from Mrs. Wiseman. From when I was a kid.

Easy Gluten Free Sesame Candy

About 2 pints of candy. 

Prep 2 pieces of parchment paper about 10"x14" (about the size of a medium cutting board) by greasing one side with butter. (I don't have silicone mats so used greased parchment paper.)

Toast in large pan, stirring frequently, about 3-4 minutes until fragrant and/or lightly toasted. 

• 1 c. sesame seeds

Then pour into metal bowl to let cool while preparing the syrup.

Add in large pan (can use same pan you toasted sesame seeds in.)

• 1.5 tsp. mild tasting oil, like grapeseed or avocado
• 2 T. honey
• 1/3 c. sugar

Stir together, then heat while stirring over medium heat several minutes until sugar dissolves and syrup is runny. Must stir to keep sugar from burning.

Once sugar dissolves, remove from heat and add toasted sesame seeds. 

Then working somewhat quickly pour mixture somewhat evenly on one  greased parchment sheet and cover with the other greased side down. Press down gently and use rolling pin to roll out candy in thin layer.

Remove top sheet. While candy is still warm use a pizza cutter or knife to first cut 1" wide strips. Then cut across strips to to make pieces about 1" long.

Let cool all the way, then store in airtight container.

ref: https://healthynibblesandbits.com/easy-sesame-candy/

No bake lemon bars with cashew filling over bottom crust

 ref: https://www.bakerita.com/no-bake-lemon-bars-gluten-free-paleo-vegan/

Crust: 

Blend together and press into 8x8 pan.

• 1 c. almond flour (maybe try ground nuts next time.)
• 2 T melted butter 
• 2 T melted coconut oil
• 1 T maple syrup

Filling: 

Grind in food processor adding each ingredient one at a time in order through hatch while processor is running. Then pour over crust and let set up in fridge until firm enough to cut.

• 2 c. raw cashews soaked overnight (probably can substitute roasted cashews)
• 1/3 c. maple syrup
• 1 t. vanilla
• 1/4 c. melted coconut oil
• 1/4 c. full fat coconut milk shaken. (Can I use a different milk?)
• 1 T. lemon zest (increase to 2 T next time for more lemony flavor = zest from about 1 lemon)
• 1/3 c. lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
• 1/4 t. tumeric (Optional for yellow color.)

I liked the filling. There was a nice mouth feel and balance of flavors.

------------

I didn't like the following recipe. The mouth feel of the filling wasn't right. It seemed to sweet and oily? Looked plasticky.  Also odd measurements. However my sister loved it. 

ref: https://www.texanerin.com/no-bake-paleo-lemon-bars/

Crust: Kind of sweet

Process at low speed until starts to clump together than press into 8x8 pan

• 3/4 c. toasted shredded coconut (can toast in pan)
• 1.5 c. roasted cashews (used walnuts. Cashews are difficult to get.)
• 2 T + 3/4 t. maple syrup (Really? What kind of measurement is this?)
• 1.5 t. vanilla extract.
• pinch salt

Filling: Yuck!

Grind in food processor adding each ingredient one at a time in order through hatch while processor is running. Then pour over crust and let set up in fridge until firm enough to cut.

• 1.5 c. roasted cashews (soak 6 hours or overnight)
• 6 T. full fat coconut milk shaken
• 2/3 c. maple syrup
• 1.5 t. vanilla
• 1 c. + 2 T. melted coconut oil (This was a pain to measure because oil needed to be melted.)
• 3 T. lemon zest (about 1.5 lemons)
• 3/4 c. lemon juice (about 5 lemons)
• pinch salt
• 1/4 t. tumeric for color