Day 16 of 25 Days - Molten Caramel Lava Cookies

These BY FAR are the best cookies I've ever made.  They are also a little time consuming so be prepared to spend a few extra minutes molding these cookies around the Hershey Kiss.  But the end result is nothing short of heaven in your mouth.  Fresh out of the oven or reheated, the liquid caramel oozes out of the middle you can't help but smile (mostly because you've made a mess and it's all over your face, but that's beside the point).  Take these to any holiday party and they (and you) will be a total hit.

Molten Caramel Lava Cookies

Day 15 of 25 Days - Vanilla Bean Shortbread

I am bound and determined to find a shortbread recipe that works.  I think this recipe is close, but the search will still continue.  Is this the Norwegian in me - striving for the perfect buttery cookie?  These cookies are flaky, light and yes, buttery.  And with a hint of pure vanilla bean, these are nothing short of yummy.  The only problem with these is, well they're a little flat.  They are supposed to be cute round ball shape cookies, but I'm not sure where "I" went wrong.  I think my baking soda might be out of date.  None the less they still tasted super delish and no one would have been the wiser had I not said anything just now.  So give 'em a try and see if you can keep them in the round.

Vanilla Bean Shortbread

Day 14 of 25 Days - Fudge Ecstasies

These cookies are so amazing I totally understand how they got their name.  I’m not a huge chocolate cookie fan (I know, call me crazy), but this is a cookie I could sit down with a glass of milk with and eat until I got sick.  Too much info, sorry I digress.  Not only are these tasty little treats, but they are probably one of the easiest cookies I’ve made in my series so far.

Fudge Ecstasies

Day 13 of 25 Days - Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are those cookies that mom used to make for you when you’d come home from school and they’d be hot and fresh waiting for you with a tall glass of milk.  And if she made them in the late fall, early winter it was even better.  Well here’s my version of mom’s oatmeal fall/winter cookies.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies

Day 12 of 25 Days - Magic Peanut Butter Middles

The reason why these are called "magic" is because it's magic how you get the peanut butter layer in the middle of these, oh my goodness these taste so good, cookies.  The peanut butter makes them moist in the center, but the chocolate outside layers have a nice crisp to them.  Better than any peanut butter cup candy out there.  But that's just my opinion.

Magic Peanut Butter Middles

Day 11 of 25 Days - Oatmeal Scotchies

I have been really craving butterscotch lately (no, I'm not pregnant).  It's just been sounding really tasty.  So I bought a bag of Nestle Butterscotch Chips and this recipe was on the back, so I thought what the heck, give 'em a try and see if they can convert to a good Gluten Free version.  I think they turned out pretty good and they satisfied my butterscotch craving.

Oatmeal Scotchies

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups All-purpose GF Flour (I used Jules Gluten Free)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups Oats (I used Jules Gluten Free Oats)
1-2/3 cups NESTLE Butterscotch Flavored Morsels

**recipe modified from the Nestle Butterscotch Morsels bag**

Day 10 of 25 Days - Amish Sugar Cookies

These cookies are not your typical sugar cookie, their texture is a little more like cake than cookie, yet they are flat.  Such great flavor and really moist.

Amish Sugar Cookies

Day 9 of 25 Days - Peppermint Meringue Stars

This is my second attempt at these little buggers.  I don't think I am meant to make meringue anything.  I figured I'd post this attempt, keep working on it and then someday post something really outstanding.  But until then, the recipe works, my execution is just off.  I tried to make them a cute button shape/size and this recipe requires them to be a bit bigger.  But play around with them to make them the way you want. 

Peppermint Meringue Stars

Day 8 of 25 Days - Snickerdoodles

Who doesn't love Snickerdoodles?  How can you not love sugar and cinnamon rolled on a sugar cookie base? Especially when they are hot, fresh out of the oven and you dunk them in a big glass of milk.  Now that is good eats.

Snickerdoodles

Green Bean Casserole - A New Way

So I know that Thanksgiving is over, but if you are like me the green bean casserole is one of my favorites of the meal.  And having it without those crispy french onions on the top, is just not the same.  But, good news, my mom has a new way to make this dish just as yummy.  Unfortunately, there are no crispy french onions on the top, but you can have crispy bacon instead.

Green Bean Casserole

Day 7 of 25 Days - Chocolate Chip Macaroons

I must be on a coconut kick right now.  A few of the recipes that I am picking out to share have coconut in them.  Well, the truth is I do love coconut, so if you don't, I apologize but there are other days to come that don't have coconut in the recipe.

These little mounds are pure heaven.  Nothing like a ball of coconut with mini chocolate chips in them and drizzled with chocolate all over them.  Seriously?  Don't wake me!

Chocolate Chip Macaroons

Day 6 of 25 Days - Toasted Coconut Shortbread

These are such a treat.  My other attempt at shortbread was an "epic" fail, so to have these turn out and taste as good as these do is a huge success for me. Personally, I think the coconut helped hold it all together, but what do I know.  These are really light and flaky, with a subtle crunch from the toasted coconut, but they are not overpowered by the taste of coconut at all.  A well balanced act of taste and texture. 

Toasted Coconut Shortbread Cookies

Day 5 of 25 Days - Pecan Sandies

These are very yummy, melt in your mouth cookies.  I love the texture of finely chopped pecans in every bite.  And although it’s gluten free, it’s not taste free at all.

Pecan Sandies

Day 4 of 25 Days - Lemon Drop Cookies

These are so much fun.  Not only do you get  little crunchy bits of lemon drop candy in the cookie, but after the cookie is finished you get a lemon drop candy to suck on and enjoy long after the cookie is gone.  It's like 2 for 1.  It's great, all that lemony goodness in one little cookie. So refreshing!

Yummy Lemon Drop Cookies



Day 3 of 25 - Sugar Cookies

Here is another family cookie recipe that I love to make.  Sugar cookies are easy and can be cut out and decorated as much as you like.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening (can use part butter or margarine if you'd like)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon  grated orange rind (optional)

1 tablespoon orange juice (optional)

3 cups flour - I used Bob's Red Mill Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

scant teaspoon salt

Day 2 of 25 - Chocolate-Dipped Almond Thins

I love these cookies.  They have this yummy nutty taste.  And they should since they have almonds in them. I used dark chocolate for the dipping part because I love dark chocolate, but you can use semisweet chocolate as well.

These cookies have a chewy texture to them and paired with the chocolate makes for a delightful taste.

Ingredients:
2 egg whites
1/2 cup very finely chopped, toasted almonds and/or pecans
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Pamela's Baking and Pancake Mix
4 ounces semisweet or dark chocolate, melted

Directions:
- In a medium bowl let egg whites stand at room temperature for approx 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375  F. Line large cookie sheets with parchment paper.
- In a small bowl combine almonds, butter and vanilla; set aside.
- Beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add sugar, beating on high speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Fold in about half of the flour. Gently stir in almond mixture. Fold in the remaining flour until thoroughly combined.
- For each cookie, drop 1 level tablespoon of the batter onto prepared cookie sheets, leaving 2 inches between mounds.  Using the back of a spoon, spread each mound into a 2-inch circle.
- Bake for 6-8 minutes or until cookies are just golden brown around edges and centers are set.  Cool cookies completely on cookie sheets; lift cookies off parchment paper and place on wire racks.
- Dip each cookie halfway into melted chocolate.  Use a spatula to scrape chocolate to a thin, even layer on the cookie.  Place cookie on a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper and let stand until chocolate is set (if needed place cookies in refrigerator to set).

This recipe was adapted from Holiday Diabetic Recipes - December 2011.

Day 1 of 25 - Sand Bakkles

Well here it is Day 1 of the 25 Days of Christmas Cookies Series.  I'm so excited to share these recipes with all of you.  Some of the recipes are family hand me downs and others are my favorites that have been converted to gluten free.  I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

This recipe is a family Norwegian recipe.  I am part Norwegian and part Scottish, but for now we are focusing on the Norwegian side of things. My mom has been making these family favorites every Christmas for as long as I can remember, until I was diagnosed with Celiac disease.  Traditionally, these cookies are cooked in tart type tins, but with the flour being so flaky and crumbly with gluten free, they have been made as flat round cookies. 

I was pleasantly surprised when I made these and found that the flavor was so close to that of the non-gluten free version.

Ingredients:
1 pound sweet butter (unsalted)
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups of your favorite gluten free all purpose flour
(I used Jules Gluten Free All-Purpose Flour)