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Blog | (12 Days of Holiday Sweets) Day Nine . . .
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(12 Days of Holiday Sweets) Day Nine: Gingerbread Boys
December 14, 2011
No matter how many carols I hear, cards I send, or gifts I wrap, it doesn't feel like the holidays until I make gingerbread cookies. And those gingerbread cookies? They need to meet two requirements:
- They can't spread. It's always disappointing to put cute cut-outs into the oven only to be greeted with weird amoeba-like shapes after baking; I like my gingerbread boys and girls to hold their shape!
- They must taste like ginger. Too often gingerbread cookies taste like molasses cookies with the ginger flavor lost to the other spices. If I want a molasses cookie, I'll make a batch. When I want a gingerbread cookie, I want ginger to be the prominent flavor.
This recipe succeeds on both counts. The dough retains its shape well enough that you can use it to construct a gluten-free gingerbread house. And, thanks to the tablespoon of ground ginger, it's a tasty, spicy ginger cookie.
8.5 ounces (2 cups) brown rice flour
2 3/4 ounces (1/2 cup) sweet rice flour
2 ounces (1/2 cup) tapioca starch
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground clove
1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) butter, softened
6.3 ounces (3/4 cup packed) dark brown sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons molasses
- In medium mixing bowl, whisk together brown rice flour, sweet rice flour, tapioca starch, ground ginger, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ground clove, and xanthan gum. Set aside. In bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream together butter and dark brown sugar until a thick paste forms, about 30 seconds. Add egg. Blend until combined. Stop mixer and scrape down bottom and sides of the bowl. Add dry ingredients. Blend until a thick dough forms. Add molasses. Blend until thoroughly combined.
- Lightly flour your countertop with brown rice flour. Turn dough out onto counter and pat into a round. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for several hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove dough from the refrigerator and allow to stand for five minutes. Divide dough round in half and roll out to 1/4-inch thickness on a generously rice floured countertop. Cut into shapes. Place cookies on parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake until edges are golden brown and aromatic. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Cool cookies on a wire rack. Decorate as desired. Store cookies in a covered container for up to one week. Makes about two dozen cookies
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