Grandma's Ginger Snaps, Gluten Free

In honor of the upcoming holiday season, my favorite cookie recipe. This was the first baking recipe I converted when I said goodbye, forever, to gluten. In part because I love ginger snaps. In larger part because, when you come to terms with drastically changing your life and your diet, you need some connection. I needed to know that the foods that connected me to my past where still, in some manner, accessible to me. And so, my Grandma's ginger snaps were transformed.

I hope you enjoy them, too.

Grandma's Ginger Snaps

3/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup molasses
1 egg or the flax goo equivalent
2/3 cup white rice flour
2/3 cup tapioca flour
2/3 cup corn starch
1 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
2-3 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp salt

Blend flour, spices, and xanthan gum. (A whisk works well for this) Cream together sugar and shortening. Add the molasses and the egg or flax goo. Add flour mix. Dough should be fairly stiff, like play dough. If it is soft, add a couple tablespoons more of each type of flour. Chill in fridge.

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Form dough into 1 inch balls, and roll each in sugar (this is the part where having the kids help is truly hilarious. E just eats them raw the second we turn our back on him) Place on a greased or parchment lined cookie sheet, and bake for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire rack or a clean towel.

Flax Goo: Mix 1 tbsp flax meal into 1/4 cup hot water. Allow to cool. You'll see why it's called flax goo when it gets to room temp...

Tip: Remove only about a cookie sheet worth of dough from the fridge at a time. This is easiest if the dough is cold, though it is still going to be quite sticky.

Postscript: I am adding this post to the 12 Days of Sharing over at In Jennie's Kitchen. Click on the badge below to help end childhood hunger, and check out the great recipes in the process!