Gluten-Free Snickerdoodles

This is a truly fantastic biscuit, which I have become quite addicted to.  

This recipe was originally for normal (i.e. not gluten-free) ingredients, but we have adapted it for our own purposes. The amounts have not been altered so if you want to make a "normal" batch, substitute the gluten-free ingredients with standard ingredients.

The baking time has been adjusted for the gluten-free ingredients - normal ingredients will need a couple less minutes.

Also, I used a food processor for Steps 1, 2, and 4.  This worked perfectly, but there's no reason why you can't do the whole thing manually if preferred.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup butter (about 115 grams)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 & 1/2 cups gluten-free flour (we use the Plain Flour from Orgran)
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• cinnamon sugar for rolling

1. Cream the sugar, butter, and vanilla extract together.
2. Add the egg to the mixture, and whip it until light and fluffy.
3. Whisk the dry ingredients together.
4. Add about 2/3 of the dry ingredients to the whipped mixture, and whip until combined.
5. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix by hand.
6. Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 hour.  The dough will likely be tacky, but the cooling period will resolve this.
7. Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
8. Line a baking sheet with baking or parchment paper.
9. Using a scoop, make balls of dough (each comprised of roughly 2 tablespoons).
10. Roll each ball in the cinnamon sugar, and place on the baking sheet.
11. Using a fork, squish the dough out into biscuit shapes.  These biscuits flatten and spread out, so account for this with your placement on the sheet.
12. Bake for 12-13 minutes for chewy biscuits; a couple of minutes longer for crunchy.
13. Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute. Note that they'll be very soft when they come out of the oven - that's fine.
14. Gently remove the biscuits from the baking sheet, and let cool for a few minutes on a wire rack before serving.

Gluten-Free Takaka Ginger Crunch

I'm not sure what the original source is for this fabulous biscuit slice so unfortunately cannot give credit.

This recipe was originally for normal (i.e. not gluten-free) ingredients, but we have adapted it for our own purposes. The amounts have not been altered soif you want to make a "normal" batch, substitute the gluten-free ingredients with standard ingredients.

The baking time is also for the original ingredients - the gluten-free ingredients may need a few more minutes.

Base

• 150g butter
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup coconut
• 1 & 1/2 cup rolled oats (not the instant kind)
• 3/4 cup gluten-free flour (we use the Plain Flour from Orgran)
• 1 & 1/2 cup gluten-free baking powder (ours has maize flour as the base)
• 1 & 1/2 cup ground ginger
• Pinch of salt

1. Place the coconut, oats, flour, baking powder, ginger, and salt in a bowl.
2. Melt the butter, sugar, and golden syrup together.
3. Pour the melted mix of ingredients into the bowl, and mix until combined.
4. Press into a greased slice tin, and bake at 190°C for 15-20 minutes (longer means crunchier).
5. Ice when cool.

Icing

• 75g butter
• 3/4 cup icing sugar (be careful here as some icing sugars contain gluten)
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 3 tablespoons ground ginger
• 3 tablespoons glace ginger, finely chopped (optional)

1. Over a very low heat, put all the ingredients in a pot (except the glace ginger).
2. Stir until smooth and lump-free.
3. Stir in the glace ginger.

Ginger Crunch

This is something I’m a little addicted to.

Base

• 125g butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 cups plain baking flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, and ginger together. Mix into creamed mixture.
3. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, and knead well. Note: sometimes the mixture comes out a bit dry and crumbly; it does bind when pressed into the tin.
4. Press dough into a greased 20 x 30cm sponge roll tin.
5. Bake at 190°C for 20-25 minutes or until light brown.
6. Ice with hot ginger icing (see below). For a bit more zest, press crumbled pieces of crystallised ginger into the icing.
7. Cut into squares when cool.

Icing

• 100g butter
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons golden syrup
• 4 teaspoons ground ginger

1. In a small saucepan, combine all ingredients.
2. Heat until butter is melted, stirring constantly.