Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Distinctive Holiday Cookie Creations Featuring Bob's Red Mill Flour

By: The Food Hunter

When dessert is mentioned during the holidays my mind automatically envisions cookies. Though I make cookies throughout the year, they never seem to be as grand as the ones made during the holidays.



Tried and true recipes passed down through generations are dressed up with icing, coconut, decadent chips and luscious fillings. Whether they're passed around the dinner table, gifted to that special someone or swapped with co-workers; cookies seem to play a huge part in the season's festivities.

This year, as a blog challenge, I wanted to try switching things up a bit. Partnering with Bob's Red Mill, and trying some alternative flours, the girls and I set out to create a not so traditional cookie plate. Four different flours; four very different cookies and a lot of things learned along the way.

***See below for a chance to win a Bob's Red Mill 4 pack of flour so you can make these treats.***



Davinia used the Quinoa flour to make Ginger Spice Cookies. Though not the easiest to bake with due to the distinctive smell and unique flavor..she did a great job. After some trial and error she was able to create a great tasting Gluten Free cookie by using a mixture of both almond and quinoa flour.


Ginger Spice Cookies
3/4 cup butter
1 tbsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
2 eggs slightly beaten
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/4 cup Bob's Red Mill quinoa flour
1 cup almond four
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp all spice
sugar for sprinkling on cookies

Cream butter, vanilla, sugar, eggs and molasses in large mixing bowl.

Sift dry ingredients. Mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until combined.

Chill about 2 hours. When ready spoon onto pan and sprinkle with sugar.

Bake 350 for 8-10 minutes


Cinnamon Butter Cream Frosting
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. unsweetened vanilla coconut milk (or milk)

Using a mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy. On low, mix in the vanilla and slowly beat in the powdered sugar. Add milk as needed to reach desired consistency. Pipe onto cooled cookies.



Jenny made 10 Grain Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies using Bob's Red Mill 10 Grain flour. Jenny reported having no real issues baking with this flour though she did say the texture was a little different than the traditional peanut butter cookie she's used to.

10 Grain Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp flax meal
6 tbs water
1 cup peanut butter
2 cups Bob's Red Mill 10 grain flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, combine flax meal and 3 tablespoons water. Mix until it's a smooth mixture. Set aside.

Cream together both of the sugars and the shortening. Add peanut butter. Beat on medium until well combined. Add flax mixture and vanilla, continue beating until incorporated.

Combine flour, salt and baking soda in a small bowl. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture, alternating with the water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in chocolate chips.

Scoop dough onto prepared cookie sheet with a 1 tablespoon scoop. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

Allow to cool on cookie sheet for 3 minutes and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.



Leah made Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chip Cookies using Almond flour. Almond flour can be slightly grainy so Leah sifted it to thin it out a bit. Otherwise, a perfectly delicious and easy to make cookie. Depending on the chips you purchase this could also be a nice gluten free option.

Toasted Coconut & Toffee Chip 
1½ cups (6 oz) Bob’s Red Mill almond flour
¼ cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup of sugar
1 egg
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp vanilla
¼ tsp of baking soda
¼ cup of toffee chips/pieces
1/3 cup sweetened coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 375° and cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Sift flour into a medium bowl. Add baking soda and salt and set aside.

In large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add in the flour mixture, beating until combined. Fold in toffee chips.

Roll into 1 to 1½ inch balls. Lightly press down on to parchment paper. Sprinkle sweetened coconut flakes on top.

Bake for 11 to 12 minutes until a light brown. Remove cookies from oven, but do not remove from pan until completely cooled.



I used Hazelnut flour, with relatively no problems, to make the Nutella filled Italian Hazelnut Cookies. It was a great flour to bake with and gave the cookies a nice hazelnut taste. Without even trying I made my first gluten free cookie!

Nutella Filled Italian Hazelnut Cookies
1 cup Bob's Red Mill hazelnut flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tbs hazelnut liquor (optional)
2 egg whites
Nutella

Preheat oven to 325.  Line baking pans with parchment paper.

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add hazelnut liquor if using.

Mix sugar with hazelnut flour. Fold egg whites into hazelnut flour/sugar mixture.

Using wet hands roll dough into small balls and place on prepared pan.  Press down slightly on the top.

Bake 20 minutes or until firm and golden on the outside. Remove from pan and allow to cool on wire rack. Serve as is or spread Nutella on bottom of one cookie and top with another cookie.



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33 comments:

  1. I like frosted cut-out cookies, not only are they tasty but fun to make as a family. I roll out the dough and the boys get to cut out whatever they wish, frosting them when they are out of the oven.

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  2. I love festively decorated sugar cookies!

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  3. Ginger snaps. I make them chewy and spicy. :)

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  4. I really like my moms ginger cookies

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  5. My favorite holiday cookie is the soft ginger cookies. Love the smell when it's baking and the wonderful taste.

    bluedawn95864 at gmail dot com

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  6. Almond crescents, ginger molasses cookies, pb balls. :)

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  7. I love chocolate chip cookies made in mini muffin tins with a reese's peanut butter cup pushed in

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  8. I've never used hazelnut flour before. Will have to try that!

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  9. My favorite holiday cookie is (crisp) sugar cookies that have been decorated by my children ;)
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  10. my favorite holiday cookie is my everyday fave cookie-choc chip.

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  11. Peanut Butter blossoms with PB cups.

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  12. I love chocolate chip!

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  13. I love oatmeal scotchies and seem to only eat them at the holidays

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  14. Soft Gingerbread cookies. What a great batch you cooked up!

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  15. Cut-out cookies; I love decorating (and EATING) them

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