Holiday Treats
Here are some of my favorite gluten-free sweet snacks and desserts for the holiday season.
Note, these first two recipes do use different forms of refined sugars. They are therefore desserts I only prepare once or twice a year. I use organic sugars, which I in bulk when I can.
For the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, it is important to check the ingredients! Powdered sugar has a starch added to it. I either use Field Day or Wholesome powdered sugars, both of which use tapioca starch. Other brands have cornstarch (which is problematic) or potato starch. Still others use tricalcium phosphate, which I would definitely stay away from.
Vanilla extract can contain corn syrup and food coloring, both of which I avoid. I purchase this Mexican vanilla at a local culinary store. It’s very pricey, but since I don’t make a ton of sweets, it lasts a long time.
Enjoy!
Sparkling Cranberries
Original recipe from 101cookbooks.com ~ makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
2 cups fresh cranberries, picked over
2 cups water
3+ cups sugar mixed types (Use granulated sugar for the simple syrup, turbinado sugar for the first coating, and granulated sugar for second toss.)
Instructions:
Place cranberries in a medium glass bowl and set aside.
Make a simple simple syrup by bringing the water and 2 cups of granulated sugar just to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Let the syrup cool for a couple minutes and then pour it over the cranberries. If the syrup is too hot the cranberries will burst, so be careful. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, drain the cranberries and toss them, in batches, with larger grained sugar until they are well coated. I only use a scoop of sugar at a time, and small batches of cranberries, so the sugar doesn't get too damp. Place the coated cranberries on a baking sheet, in a single layer, to dry for several hours.
Do a second toss with the regular granulated sugar, this typically takes care of any sticky spots on the cranberries. Let dry another hour or so, or until the sugar coating is dry and crisp. I like these even more as they continue to dry out.
Flourless Chocolate Cookies
adapted from Bon Appetit ~ makes 20 cookies
Ingredients:
3 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp arrowroot powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 large egg whites
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life’s dark morsels - they are milk and soy free.)
Maldon sea salt, for sprinkling tops (optional)
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, cocoa powder, arrowroot, and salt until well blended. Add in egg whites, egg, and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop dough by the heaping tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies 2-inches apart.
Bake in the preheated oven until cookies are puffed and crackled, about 14 minutes, rotating sheets to opposite rack once during baking. remove from oven and sprinkle tops with Maldon sea salt if desired.
Allow cookies to cool on a baking sheet for 5-10 minutes then cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Cranberry-Apple Crisp
From Grain-Free Gourmet ~ makes one 9x13-inch casserole
Ingredients:
10 large sweet apples, such as Royal Gala, Golden Delicious, Fuji or Ida Red
½ cup water
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
Pinch salt
½ cup unsweetened, frozen cranberries
1 cup almond flour
1½ cup almonds, chopped
2 Tbsp. buLer, melted
1 Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
Instructions:
Heat oven to 310 degrees.
Peel the apples and chop into chunks
Place in a large pot and add the water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.
Cook covered for 5-10 minutes, unRl the apples soSen. Don’t let them get mushy.
Remove the apples from the heat and drain, reserving ¼ cup of the apple liquid for the topping.
Add the frozen cranberries to the cooked apples and toss unRl evenly distributed. Pour the mixture into a 9x13-inch casserole dish.
Prepare the topping by combining the remaining ingredients, using your hands to create a crumbly mixture, not a paste.
Crumble the topping evenly over the crisp.
Bake for 40 minutes, unRl the top is lightly browned.
Serve warm. The crisp can also be baked ahead and reheated in a 200 degree oven for 30 minutes.
Pumpkin Custard
From the Nourished Kitchen ~ Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 cups pumpkin purée
9 egg yolks, beaten
2 cups heavy cream (or full-fat coconut milk)
1/2 cup maple sugar (or coconut sugar, which is easier to find)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
whipped cream (either from heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk), to serve
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Next, prepare a water bath by filling a 9x13” baking dish half-way with water. Set the baking dish in the oven.
Whisk pumpkin purée, egg yolks, cream, sugar, and spices together in a large mixing bowl until uniformly blended.
Strain the custard base through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any pulpy bits. Pour the custard base into six 6-ounce ramekins, and gently set them into the water baths. Bake until just set, about 40-50 minutes.
Cool to room temperature, and serve with whipped cream.