Sugar ’n Spice Cookies

The warmth of cardamom and nutmeg take these classic Sugar ‘n Spice Cookies from ordinary to extraordinary. Your family and friends will rave about them.

And since I’m creating them for Allergic Living followers, they’re free of dairy, egg, nuts, gluten. In fact, free of all the top allergy culprits.

With a diverse set of cookie cutters, they can change with the seasons, from gingerbread men to Valentine hearts.

Makes: 36 3-inch cookies
Free of: gluten and all top allergens

Ingredients

Cookies

2 1/2 cups + 2 tbsp Cybele’s Basic Gluten-Free Flour Blend or Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend, plus additional for rolling
3/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp ground cardamon
5/8 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup palm oil shortening or vegetable shortening* (latter may contain soy)
1 1/2 tsp Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 2 tbsp plain rice milk alternative
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp plain rice milk alternative

Glaze (optional)

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3 tbsp plain rice milk alternative

Recipe Tips

If using soft vegetable shortening, like Crisco, increase flour blend by 1/4 cup.

Instructions for Sugar 'n Spice Cookies

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour blend, baking soda, cardamom, xanthan gum, nutmeg and salt.
In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat sugar and shortening on medium speed for 1 minute. Add egg replacer and vanilla extract and beat for 20 seconds. With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk alternative (1 tablespoon at a time), until all cookie ingredients are fully combined and begin to form a ball in center of bowl.
Lay out two sheets of wax paper. Divide the dough evenly between the two sheets and shape into two disks. Wrap each disk in wax paper and chill 2 hours in refrigerator; if chilled much longer the dough will become brittle.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour blend. Place one dough disk on work surface (leave other disk in the refrigerator) and dust with flour blend. Roll out dough to 1/4-inch thickness, sprinkling on more flour blend as needed to avoid sticking. Cut dough into desired shapes with 3-inch cookie cutters. Transfer cut dough to baking sheets. Gather up remaining scraps, roll out and cut until all dough is used up. Repeat process with second disk of dough.
Bake cookies in center of oven for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden. Let cool on baking sheet for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For glaze, whisk together confectioners’ sugar and milk alternative in a small bowl until smooth. Use a pastry brush to paint cookies with glaze and dry, glaze side up, on wire rack for 1 hour.

Cybele Pascal is the author of three cookbooks, including the new Allergy-Free and Easy Cooking and The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook. Visit her at http://cybelesfreetoeat.com.