Gluten Free, Casien Free Christmas Sugar Cookies

UPDATE...IF YOU ARE GF THESE ARE AWESOME. UNFORTUNATELY WE FOUND THAT COLTON HAD A REACTION TO THEM B/C HE HAS A SENSITIVITY TO WHITE RICE FLOUR AND SWEET RICE FLOUR. I HAVE FRIENDS WHO HAD MADE THESE SINCE THE FIRST POSTING AND LOVED THEM AND HANDLED THEM WELL.

for the cookies:
1.5 cups white rice flour - Bobs Red Mill found everywhere
1.5 cups sweet rice flour (mochi)- Found this at Whole Foods in the oatmeal/cookie section. Sometimes found in Asian sections of stores. Ener G Brand (yellow box)
1.5 cups oat flour - Found this at Market Street, Arrowhead Mills Organic
5 teaspoons baking powder - Used Bobs Red Mill non aluminum Baking Powder
pinch salt
3 sticks butter (1.5 cups), room temperature
1.5 cups white sugar (Or Xylitol Sweetener found at Market Street or Whole Foods)
3 large eggs
1 tbs vanilla extract (or almond)

for the frosting:
5 cups confectioners sugar (grind Xylitol in a coffee grinder to make a powder like powdered sugar)
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tbs vanilla extract
7-8 tbs milk, depending on consistency desired
food coloring/sprinkles (If you do this only use organic food colorings)

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1.5 cups white rice flour, 1.5 cups sweet rice flour (mochi), 1.5 cups oat flour, 5 teaspoons baking powder, and a pinch salt.

2. In a stand mixer, beat 3 sticks butter with 1.5 cups sugar on high, until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting for each egg to be fully incorporated before adding in the next. Beat an extra minute or two after last egg, and add vanilla.

3. With the mixer on low, fold in flour mixture, and mix until fully incorporated (with gluten-free baking you don't really have to worry about over mixing). Remove from mixing bowl, and form into a large disc. Wrap with plastic wrap, and refridgerate until firm, about 2 hours (dough can be frozen or stored in this state).

4. When you ready to make the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat baking mat. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface (I use sweet rice flour, since it's the finest) to a little less than 1/2 inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut to desired shapes, and place in cookie sheet. Cookies will spread very little, so they can be close - about 1" apart.

5. Bake cookies until just puffed and set, but before they have begun to brown around the edges, about 10 minutes depending on how hot your oven runs. This will ensure a soft, soft cookie! Let cool, then transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool completely before icing.

6. To make the frosting: Place confectioners sugar in a medium bowl. Add melted butter, vanilla, and milk, and whisk until smooth, adding more milk to achieve desired consistency. Tint with food coloring, frost cookies, and adorn with sprinkles. Enjoy!

Real Pizza

So we had an appointment with Colton's doctor who retested him for sensitivities. And he actually tested OK for Dairy & Yeast..meaning he could have Dairy & Yeast. I asked the Doctor if his gut had healed enough to now have these things and he said "no, his body is finally balanced enough to be able to handle them". It was an interesting answer as I had not thought of him as out of balance, I though he was just ill. So with a skip in our step we left his office knowing that this news only meant one thing...COLE COULD HAVE REAL PIZZA. It is all he has dreamed about, having pizza. Everytime we looked at ingredients on premade crusts or even box crusts, it always called for yeast or had sugar in it. But now that we can have Yeast this opens new doors. Now the crust still has to be gluten free but the rest just needs to be good quality, non processed ingredients. We found again that Boar's Head meats are the best over the counter, packaged. Sargento Classic Cheese is good quality and he can handle it well. And Schar Gluten Free pizza crusts rock. Just to see him eat normal food and feel satisfied was awesome. We still use the same organic pizza sauce as before.
I've had quite a few people ask me about this doctor he's been seeing. His name is Dr. Von Bergen located downtown McKinney. He is amazing!!!

Recipe of the Day 2 - GFYFCF Gingerbread

1/2 cup of agave nectar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp grated orange rind (optional)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves (optional)
1 cup unsweetened applesauce

In a large mixing bowl, combine agave nectar and oil. Beat on high speed until thoroughly blended. After you have mixed the oil and agave, add the eggs, one at a time. Be sure to beat well between additions. Add the orange rind and vanilla and continue to blend together. Set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven 350 degrees, spray 9-inch square pan with non-stick spray and prepare the dry ingredients.
Sift together the dry ingredients.
Add some of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a little at a time, blending well. Add 1/4 cup of the applesauce, blend, then add more of the dry mixture. Continue until you have added all the ingredients.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 20 mins, or until the gingerbread is done. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick and making sure it comes out clean.
Gingerbread freezes well.
**Colton really likes this...said it reminds him of the mini gingerbreads from Jasons Deli

Recipe of the Day 1 - GFYFCF Pepperoni Pizza

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella (Follow Your Heart Vegan Mozzarella)
1 cup Spagetti Sauce (Eden Organic Spagetti sauce)
Boars Head Pepperoni (all Boars Head is gluten free)
1 ball of pizza dough (from Organ Gluten Free/ Pizza-Pastry multimix, do NOT add the yeast). You will want to use Bob's Red Mill gluten free all purpose flour to rub on your hands and on the rolling pin
1 Tbs Olive Oil
Oregano
Sprinkle of cornmeal

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Sprinkle pizza stone with cornmeal.
Roll out pizza Dough to 1/2 inch thickness on top of cornmeal. Brush edges of pizza dough with olive oil and sprinkle with oregano. Top with pizza sauce. Sprinkle with mozzarella and top with pepperoni.
Bake for 20 mins at 400 degrees