Peanut butter cookies

Makes 4 dozen cookies.

1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
280 g flour mixture
2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
chopped peanuts (optional)

1. Cream butters and sugars, then beat in eggs and vanilla.

2. Sift dry ingredients together, then add to butter mixture. Stir in chopped nuts if desired.

3. Cover and cool in the fridge for at least an hour, can be left overnight.

4. Preheat oven to 350 F.

5. Roll cookie dough into balls (about 1" diameter) then press flat using a fork to make a criss-cross pattern. Cookies do not spread much.

6. Bake for 9-11 minutes, until the bottoms just start to brown.

Chocolate cake with berry buttercream frosting

CAKE
butter and flour or parchment paper to prep pans

210 g flour blend
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 cups sugar (350 g)
100 g cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tbsp vinegar + 10 min to curdle)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup coffee (freshly brewed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter and line 2, 9 inch pans with parchment paper or flour.

2. Sift dry ingredients together in a stand mixer.

3. Mix wet ingredients (except coffee) together in a separate bowl.

4. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Once incorporated, add the coffee while stirring on low until everything is just combined.

5. Pour the batter into the two pans, about 650 g per pan.

6. Bake for 35-40 minutes (do not open oven early), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Let cool in the pans for 30 min, then remove and cool completely before frosting.


FROSTING
1 cup berries (frozen is ok)
1 tbsp sugar
1 cup unsalted butter
~3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Put berries and 1 tbsp sugar in a pan over low heat and cook until the berries have broken down. Simmer until you have about 1/3 cup of liquid, then remove from heat and cool to room temp. You can strain out the seeds if desired but will need to start with more liquid.

Cream the butter until soft, add the berry juice, vanilla, and 1 cup powdered sugar and mix very well. Add the remaining sugar and beat for 5- 10 min, adding water a little at a time if frosting is too stiff.

This recipe makes enough to frost a 2-layer, 9-inch round cake (including the filling) and has a surprisingly saturated color from the berries. It's also really tasty.

Chocolate chocolate chocolate cookies

225 g (8oz) semisweet chocolate (chips or chopped)
4 Tbsp (half stick) unsalted butter
120 g brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
60 g flour mix
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
6 oz chocolate chips

1. Melt the chocolate and butter in microwave, 30 seconds at a time.
2. Beat eggs, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
3. Add melted chocolate to egg mixture, being sure to not cook the eggs (let the chocolate cool, add slowly while mixing).
4. Stir dry ingredients together, add to chocolate/egg mixture.
5. Stir in chocolate chips. Dough will be more like brownie batter than typical cookie dough.
6. Scoop rounded tablespoons of dough onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 F for 12-14 minutes

Makes about 30 cookies, 13 g carbs/cookie.

These are awesome (and adapted from Martha Stewart's Outrageous Chocolate Cookie recipe).

Sugar Cookies 2

These are easier than the previous recipe and come out somewhat fluffy, but still hold their shape well. The dough rolls out nicely with minimal mess as long as it is kept cool.

makes about 3 dozen

1 c. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room T
1.33 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
500 g GF flour mix (50% starch, 50% whole grain)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
zest of 1 lemon (optional)
powdered sugar for rolling out the dough

Cream the butter, add the sugar, mix until fluffy
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between
Add the vanilla and mix well
In a separate bowl, measure out the flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir.
Add the flour mixture to the butter/sugar/egg mixture and mix until incorporated.
Add the lemon zest (if desired).
Add more flour 25 g at a time if dough appears too sticky. It should be stiff.
Chill the dough for at least 2 hours, up to overnight (or freeze for later).

Roll out the dough: cover your surface and rolling pin with powdered sugar. Roll out to 1/4" thick. If the dough sticks to the counter, loosen it with a spatula before cutting out the cookies. Cut out the cookies with cookie cutters, place on parchment paper or a silpat on a pan. The cookies do not spread. Decorate, if desired.
Bake cookies at 375 for 6 minutes. They should be golden brown on the bottom, but otherwise not browned.

Vanilla Cake

Recipe makes about 12 cupcakes or one 8 or 9" round layer. Double the recipe to make an 11x13" cake.

1 stick butter, room temperature
1.5 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
150 g flour mix (about 1.25 cups, 50% whole grain and 50% starch0
1.25 tsp xanthan gum
0.25 tsp baking soda
0.5 tsp baking powder
0.5 tsp salt
0.5 c buttermilk (or 0.5 c plain yogurt plus 2 Tbsp milk)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
2. Cream the butter, add the sugar, then add eggs one at a time beating after each addition. Add vanilla and mix well.
3. Stir the dry ingredients together (flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt), then add 1/3 of the mixture to the butter/sugar. Mix well.
4. Add half the buttermilk or yogurt. Mix well. Add 1/2 the remaining flour, mix. Add the remaining buttermilk or yogurt and milk, mix. Add remaining flour, mix.
5. Prepare the pan, either with cupcake papers or oil and flour. Pour/scoop the batter into the pan, it will be very thick.
6. Bake at 350 for 22 minutes (cupcakes) or 30-35 min for 8 or 9" round.

Pumpkin Cake Cookies

These are cookies that have a cake-like texture. Adapted from Martha Stewart.

1 stick butter

1.5 cups brown sugar (300 g)

2 eggs

1 can pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla extract

220 g flour mix (I used 25% sweet white rice, 25% tapioca, 25% millet, 25% sorghum)

1.5 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

0.5 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1.25 tsp ginger

0.75 tsp nutmeg

1. Cream butter. Add sugar, mix until fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in pumpkin and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.
4. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, mix well. At this point, the dough will be more like batter, but it should be thick enough that you can't pour it.
5. Scoop (or pipe) batter/dough into 1.5" diameter circles on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper or a silpat. An ice cream scoop works well here. Space them 1" apart- they don't spread when they bake.
6. Bake at 375F for 13 minutes, until they are puffy and don't collapse when you poke them gently.


Frosting:
1.5 cups confectioners sugar
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp milk

Melt butter in a saucepan and cook until golden brown (over medium low heat). Add butter to confectioners sugar and mix well. Add vanilla and milk and beat with an electric mixer. Add more milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Spread about 1 tsp frosting on each cookie, let set at room temp or in the fridge.

The best chocolate cake

1/2 c. unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 c. (120 g) brown sugar
2/3 c. (140g)  white sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c. (96 g)cocoa powder
120g (1 1/8 c.) gluten free flour mixture
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 2/3 tsp baking powder
2/3 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup brewed coffee

1. Cream butter, add sugars and mix until fluffy.
2. Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing between additions.
3. Add vanilla and mix well.
4. Sift together dry ingredients (cocoa, flour, xg, bp, bs, salt), add 1/3 to bowl and mix until incorporated.
5. Mix wet ingredients, add 1/2 to bowl. Stir.
6. Add 1/3 dry ingredients, stir. Add rest of wet ingredients, stir. Add rest of dry ingredients, stir.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 16-18 min (mini cupcakes), 20-22 min (regular cupcakes, or 30-35 min (9x13 pan). Longer for 8 or 9 inch rounds.