Gluten Free Snickerdoodles

Ever since I became a vegan baker, meaning no eggs and no dairy, I have been longing to make a decent snickerdoodle. The classic version often calls for lots of butter and eggs that causes these cookies to puff up and spread out, which gives them their traditional cracks and cake like center. Until recently, I have not been brave enough to tackle this allergen ridden goodie and I had resigned myself to having children that would never know about this cinnamony treat. Until now.


After playing successfully with quinoa flour in my sugar cookie baking, I decided to play with my recipe to make a more cake like cookie vs. the shaped variety. (At least some good comes from pantry cleaning cookie batches, where all your grain bins are frightfully low and you need to use the remnants up in one way or another.) Quinoa always gives my pancakes a fluffier texture and I was hoping that my cookies would have the same feel to them. Thus the following cookie recipe was born. These cookies are quiet light and airy in the center and came out excellent even without the cinnamon sugar coating (made especially for those in my house who don't like cinnamon). So if you have been craving this childhood treat since going gluten free, at least take an afternoon to try these.

Kelly’s Snickerdoodles

Ingredients:

¾ cup/180ml* quinoa flour

¾ cup/180ml brown rice flour

1 cup/235ml arrowroot starch or potato starch

1 cup/235ml golden brown sugar

1 tsp/5ml gaur gum

1 tsp/5ml cream of tartar

½ tsp/2.5ml baking soda

1 tsp/5ml sea salt

1 tablespoon/15ml flax seed-milled

3 tablespoons/45ml hot water

½ cup/120ml applesauce

½ cup/120ml oil

2 tsp/10ml vanilla extract

Topping:

½ cup/120ml brown sugar

1 tsp/5ml arrowroot starch/potato starch

1 tablespoon/15ml cinnamon

In a food processor, blend together the topping ingredients. Remove from food processor and set aside.

Combine the milled flax seed and hot water in a small bowl, mix and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients including sugar and whisk or blend together using a hand mixer, making sure to break up any lumps in the brown sugar as you do so.

In the food processor, add in the applesauce, oil, and vanilla. Whip for a few minutes until it is white and well blended. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Add in flax seed and water and blend well for a couple of minutes or until well combined.

Place this in the refrigerator between 15 minutes to 4 hours. The longer it sets, the more the flours soak up the other flavors.

Preheat the oven to 375 Fahrenheit. If using a baking stone, preheat it with the oven. Take a teaspoon and scoop out a small amount of dough. Using damp, not dripping wet, hands, roll the dough into a ball. Place the ball into the topping mixture and cover completely with the cinnamon sugar. Place on the baking stone and pat down just a bit. Continue this process until the baking stone is full then place it in the oven and bake for 15 minutes. Recipe makes about 3 dozen. Enjoy.

*All measurements are in volume, not by weight.