Who knew that using a cookie press to make gluten-free, sugar-free Christmas cookies could be so much fun? You squeeze the trigger, the gun clicks, you lift it from the cookie sheet and right in front of you is a perfectly formed gluten-free cookie. It’s like magic.
These were a favorite of mine from my childhood. My mom had an electric cookie press and she could knock out spritz cookies like nobody’s business. Once in a while it clogged and she’d silently curse the thing. But everyone loved her spritz cookies, including me.
I used this manual cookie press
I love these cookies. They’re crunchy on the outside, have a melt-in-your-mouth middle, and are perfectly sweet. They’re darn cute, too! India Tree Natural Decorating Colors
Glutenista’s Guide to a Fabulous {Gluten-Free} Holiday
This recipe has been adapted from everyone’s favorite Glutenista, which I found in her super fun 44 page holiday guide. What’s even more fun is that Glutenista featured me along with Silvana Nardone, Jules Dowler Shepard, and Katie Chalmers.
I shared my top holiday gift picks (of course they’re for your favorite gluten-free baker!), a recipe, and she was even kind enough to highlight my upcoming book.
That’s not all – this guide is packed with recipes, hot new books, iPhone apps, and gift guides for your favorite Glutenista!
And it’s totally FREE! So hop on over to Glutenista.com and browse this holiday’s best gluten-free guide.
Other Holiday Happenings…
- Tomorrow is A Gluten-Free Holiday hosted right here – bring your favorite holiday desserts to share! I’ll have a linky AND will be be giving away 3 copies of Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free
and 3 of Stephanie O’Dea’s soon to be released More Make It Fast, Cook It Slow
.
- Link your cookie recipes to Maggie’s 12th Day of Christmas Cookies at She Let Them Eat Cake! She’s giving away a ticket to the Gluten-Free Allergy-Free Expo (a $350 value!) and 4 copies of Enjoy Life’s Cookies for Everyone. Leave a comment to enter.
- iHerb.com $25 gift card winners!! Chosen by Random.org – Kelly from Loving Life’s Little Moments and Renee from Beyond Rice and Tofu! Happy shopping, girls!
This recipe was adapted from Glutenista’s Guide to a Fabulous {Gluten-Free} Holiday.
Ingredients
- 1/2 unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
- 2/3 cup powdered palm sugar* see note below
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 1/2 cups Amy’s Basic Flour Blend
- 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
- natural food coloring (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Beat the butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the shortening and beat for several more minutes, until fluffy. While the butter and shortening are creaming, put the palm sugar in a blender or clean coffee grinder and process until powdered. Add the powdered palm sugar to the fluffy butter mixture and cream until light and fluffy. Mix in the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla. Scrape bowl as necessary.
- Whisk together the flour blend and xanthan gum. Add flour to butter mixture in one addition and mix on the lowest speed until combined. If desired, add food coloring to achieve desired color. If you want to make more than one color, divide the dough in half before adding color. Mix color into dough. (Note: This will take more food coloring than you’d expect because of the natural brown color of the palm sugar.)
- Fill cookie press with dough, add desired disc, and press cookies onto lined baking sheet. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes, rotating tray 180 degrees after 5 minutes. Bake until cookies are just set but not yet brown. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Notes
To make Powdered Palm Sugar: Put one cup palm sugar with one tablespoon cornstarch in your high powered blender and whirl on high speed until powdered, about 2 minutes. If you don’t have a Vita-Mix, make 1/2 of the recipe at a time in a clean coffee grinder. Store leftovers in an airtight container. If it happens to clump, sift it before using.
Nana Rogers
posted on December 15, 2010 at 11:49 am
Amy, THANK YOU for sharing this recipe. I have a brand new cookie gun that I’ve had for some time. I think I will break it in with this one. ;P I do have a question for you though. I sit okay to use strait butter in the recipes you post? I don’t buy any shortening to cook with, just a small amount play with gum paste.
Thanks so much, April
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
December 15th, 2010 at 12:33 pm
@Nana Rogers, Hi April – sure you can use butter. I think it will work just fine. The non-hydrogenated shortening is a healthier version of regular shortening and the combination gives the cookies great buttery flavor with a little more crispiness on the outside than using only butter would.
Also – if you’ve already printed the recipe please come back and print it again. I just corrected a mistake – it should have called for powdered palm sugar, not plain palm sugar. There’s a recipe for powdered palm sugar included.
Hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Nana Rogers Reply:
December 15th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Amy, your a doll! Thanks so much,
[Reply]
Elise (Healing Cuisine)
posted on December 15, 2010 at 2:50 pm
Amy, these look great! Can’t wait to try. Have you ever tried using powdered xylitol to further cut out the sugar? This is what I’ve been using in my holiday cookies lately and finding great success. I will be trying with your recipe now!
Thanks so much!
[Reply]
Maggie
posted on December 15, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Hey Amy – My Mom always makes spritz cookies! I’ve always been in awe of them! I’m going to have to pass this recipe onto her and she if she’ll make some for us! I think Callum would love the colors.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
December 16th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
@Maggie, I used those great India colors you told me about.
It takes a lot because of the dark palm sugar and the slightly darker flours…I wonder what non-white-sugar sweetener could be used instead of palm sugar?
hugs,
Amy
[Reply]
Jennifer
posted on December 15, 2010 at 9:22 pm
Thank you so much for posting a spritz recipe. I can’t wait to try this one out.
[Reply]
Stephanie
posted on December 15, 2010 at 11:34 pm
I’ve got a cookie press that I tried once, years ago, and it failed, so it’s been gathering dust since. I might have to bring it out of hiding to give this recipe a go. Those cookies look great!
[Reply]
Andrea
posted on December 16, 2010 at 3:27 am
I was just thinking a few days ago about the spritz cookies that my Mom made when I was a kid! I think I inherited her cookie press- now I need to find it in my cabinet! I love the cute shapes of spritz (and the flavor!) Thanks for the recipe!
[Reply]
Holly
posted on December 16, 2010 at 8:15 am
I don’t use any palm products!..is there some thing I can use in replacement?
[Reply]
Kayleigh
posted on December 16, 2010 at 10:03 am
So pretty! It almost makes me want to run to Target, buy one and pop out a thousand cookies.
Almost!
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Jenn AKA The Leftover Queen
posted on December 16, 2010 at 11:50 am
Thanks for the link to the GF holiday guide! Your cookies look great!
[Reply]
Ghetta
posted on January 27, 2011 at 12:03 pm
Hi
i am from Argentina, and i m celiac, yours recipe are awsome but i need help with this
1/2 unsalted butter, how much in oz o grams??
thanks a lot!!!
visit my site, i have a lot of recipes GF and no GF
[Reply]
abbie
posted on March 28, 2011 at 3:17 pm
You are the best…I am going to have to try these too. The other cookie recipe from Jules turned out just fine. My trial run, (just one sheet) was promptly consumed by my son. I substituted 1 egg with 3T applesauce and 1t of baking powder, and just used soy milk to make the whole thing vegan. (Personally, I missed the egg, milk and butter.) But now the entire class can enjoy one cookie. Thanks as always Amy.
[Reply]
Amy Reply:
March 28th, 2011 at 6:58 pm
@abbie, That’s great to know…do you use Jules’ flour or did you use something different?
I am a butter, egg, and milk fan too.
Hugs!
Amy
[Reply]
abbie Reply:
March 29th, 2011 at 10:10 am
@Amy, I actually didn’t use Jules’ flour. I Amazon searched her book and the “look inside” preview feature showed me her “homemade gluten free flour mix.” So I used that mixture.
It really helped to have used “new” baking powder. These turned out very light. And, the rolling out is a bit sticky, but the cookies held together and transferred to the baking sheet remarkably well considering.
Again, thanks so much for being my source for gluten-free cooking and baking! So appreciated!
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