SS&GF: Simply Sugar and Gluten Free

2/14/10 – Give-Away Closed

Joe looked at me after lunch and said, “Honey, you don’t have to answer this right now – but when are you going to take a picture of those cookies so I can eat them?”

Coming from a man who doesn’t like almond butter means that these cookies are really good.

I’ve never been one for premixed gluten-free baking blends.  I like to mix my own flours.  I know exactly what’s in the mix and in what proportion so I have total control over the final product.  There are a couple of drawbacks to this, one being storage for all the different flours I have.  The other is the learning curve that comes along with the different flours which, at least for me, means failed attempts.

The Result

With some reservations, I tried Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix for this recipe, made by Pamela’s Products.  They generously sent me a bag to try and some to share with you.  The resulting cookies are soft, delicious, and spread like glutenoid cookies in the oven. I was also quite impressed with how great they tasted the next day – not crumbly or dry and just as yummy as they were the day before.

Baking with this mix is easy.  Really easy.  Just measure and dump – no need to think about xanthan gum, baking soda, baking powder, salt…it’s all in the mix.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use this mix when baking for friends and family because it’s so strikingly similar to regular old flour.  No one would ever know the difference. It’s got some nutritious ingredients, too – brown rice, almond meal.   For my own every day breakfast muffins or afternoon snacks, I’d probably lean toward quinoa, garbanzo bean, buckwheat, and millet flours for the added nutrition.

Printer-friendly recipe

Gluten Free, Sugar Free Almond Butter Cookies
makes 16 – 24 cookies, depending on the size
adapted from Pamela’s Products website

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup almond butter, warmed slightly in the microwave
1/2 cup agave nectar
1 large, free range omega-3 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Pamela’sBaking & Pancake Mix

Fit your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Put butter in the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on medium for about 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides and add the slightly warmed almond butter.  (You want it just slightly warmed as this helps it mix smoothly.  If it’s too warm it will melt the butter – you don’t want that.)  Cream together for 3 – 5 minutes until the mix is lighter.  Scrape bowl down as needed.  Add the agave and mix for another minute or so until it’s fully incorporated. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.

Add flour all at once and, with mixer on stir, mix until combined.  You may need to scrape down the bowl.  Batter will be sticky.  Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat.

Using a spring-release cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop out heaping balls of dough.  Use floured or oiled hands (I lightly oiled mine – this worked well) roll the dough into balls.  Place on cookie sheet two inches apart.  With the tines of an oiled fork, make a tic-tac-toe pattern in the dough.

Bake for 10 minutes, until firm to the touch and light golden brown.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container.

Last Week’s Winners

Congrats to the NuNaturals Stevia Give-Away winners as determined by Random.org: Katrina from Gluten-Free Gidget, and readers Megan, Robyn, and Andrea.

This Week’s Give-Away!

Thie week 3 readers will each win:

• 1 (24 oz.) bag of Pamela’s Baking & Pancake Mix
• 1 (12 oz.) bag of Pamela’s Cornbread & Muffin Mix
• 1 (19 oz.) bag of Pamela’s Gluten Free Bread Mix

A note – the Gluten Free Bread Mix does contain organic, natural evaporated cane sugar so I haven’t tried this myself.

Here’s how to enter:

**This is the 3rd week of give-aways and I have several more weeks of fabulous prizes to go…the entry methods might be getting a little old by now.  Sorry.  If you have a better idea, let me know.

• Visit Pamela’s Products & comment about something you’d like to try.
• Tweet about this give-away with a link and leave a comment telling me you did.
• Post about the give-away on your blog with a link back and leave a comment telling me you did.
• Subscribe to my feed either via RSS or e-mail – leave a comment so I know. (Button for this at top of page.)
• Follow me on Twitter – again, leave a comment. (Button for this at top of page.)
• Add me to your friends on Facebook with a comment. (Button for this at top of page.)

Open only to residents of the 48 continental United States…sorry to all my international friends.

Boring Full Disclosure Statement:  I did receive free products from Pamela’s Proucts.  I am not being paid to share their products with my readers. Instead, I am sharing them because I like them.