Choco-Nutter Butters (gluten free)

A new take on the old Peanut Butter cookie. People beg me to make these. Then beg for the recipe, so here it is...

overview

prep time 15 min 

total time 1 hour

makes 24 

ingredients

1 cup Smooth Peanut Butter

½ cup sugar

1 egg

garnish:

1 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 tbsp. vegetable shortening
1 cup honey roasted peanuts, finely chopped

directions

Preheat oven to 325°F.
In a medium sized bowl mix all ingredients with large spoon until well blended.
Roll dough into 24 balls; place 4 inches apart, on parchment lined baking sheets. Flatten with fork.
BAKE 20 min. or until lightly browned. Do not over bake. Cool 5 minutes on baking sheets then transfer to wire racks. Cool completely.
Using a double boiler, melt chocolate and shortening until it is smooth. Stirring occasionally helps the lumps to melt away quicker.
Using a butter knife or angled spatula, coat the bottom of the cookie with melted chocolate. Then lightly press the bottom of the cookie into your chopped nuts before placing it back onto the parchment lined cookie sheet it was baked on top side up. Once all cookies have been coated in chocolate and nuts, use the remaining melted chocolate to drizzle over the top of each cookie.

tips & tricks

Store in air tight container with wax paper between each layer. These do freeze well for up to 2 months.

These make the perfect gift for any Gluten Free friend

Vanilla Bean Short Bread Cookies

A new twist to an old traditional favourite! Short Breads are light buttery cookies and not over powering sweet. This recipe makes the most delightful melt in your mouth treat with the added sophisticated joys that fresh vanilla bean bring to not only your taste buds but your nose as well. Oh they are also cute...sensory overload! This is my Go-To cookie for this Christmas. Quick, easy and oh so lovely! Leave them plain or garnish them with chocolate and cherry, Vanilla Bean Short Breads are sure to impress the pickiest of the cookie connoisseur in your house.

overview

• Prep Time: 20 minute
• Total Time: 1 hours
• Makes: 24

ingredients

½ cup cornstarch   

½  cup powdered sugar   

1  cup flour   

¾ cup  softened butter 

½ of a Vanilla bean

garnish:

12 maraschino cherries, halved
½ cup semi sweet chocolate, chopped
1 tsp. vegetable shortening

directions

Sift together the cornstarch, icing (powdered) sugar and flour. 

Blend in butter until a soft smooth dough forms.

Split vanilla bean with a sharp knife. Scrape the inside of bean, removing all the seed. Blend the scrapings into the dough.

Using a lightly floured parchment sheet and a floured rolling pin roll out dough. About ¼" thick.

Place dough flat in the fridge to chill 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge, using small cookie cutters cut out your desired shapes. Re-roll scrap dough (it should still be cool enough to hold a nice sharp edge when cut), cut out as many cookies as you can.

Carefully place 1 ½" apart on a cookie sheet, I use a pastry knife to lift the shaped dough.

If garnishing with cherries, place half a cherry on top of each cookie.

Bake 300°F for 12-15 minutes. Transfer to a rack and cool.

If you want your cookies to have that extra wow you will need to top it with chocolate! Using a  double boiler place chocolate and shortening. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Moving your cooled cookies back onto parchment  for easy clean up, drizzle the melted chocolate over the cookies using a spoon or fork. Remember these are a very light cookie, do not be tempted to over coat the cookie with chocolate, it will overpower the vanilla flavour.

Store in an air tight container with a piece of wax paper between layers. These cookies freeze well, staying nice for up to 2 months.

tips & tricks

Watch that they don't brown, you want to pull them out while they still look a slightly underdone - the idea is that they do not brown on the bottom.

Short Bread Turtles

overview

OMG! Two of the yummiest things at Christmas in one delectable cookie. Short Bread and Turtles... No way say it isn't so?!?!! Oh and they are bite size, so no need to feel guilty about just having one. That is, if you can get one before hubby and the kids eat them all. :)

Prep Time: 20 minute
Total Time: 1 hours
Makes: 24 

ingredients

Cookie:

½ cup cornstarch

½ cup powdered sugar

1 cup flour

¾ cup softened butter

½ of a Vanilla bean

Toppings:

24 pecan halves

12 Kraft Caramels unwrapped

1 tbsp. Milk

½ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate chopped (or good quality dark chocolate bar or chips)

1 tsp. vegetable shortening

directions

Sift together the cornstarch, icing (powdered) sugar and flour.

Blend in butter until a soft smooth dough forms.

Split vanilla bean with a sharp knife. Scrape the inside of bean, removing all the seed. Blend the scrapings into the dough.

Using a lightly floured parchment sheet and a floured rolling pin roll out dough. About ¼" thick.

Place dough flat in the fridge to chill 30 minutes.

Remove from fridge, using small round cookie cutter. Re-roll scrap dough (it should still be cool enough to hold a nice sharp edge when cut), cut out as many cookies as you can.

Carefully place 1 ½" apart on a cookie sheet, I use a pastry knife to lift the shaped dough.

Bake 300°F for 12-15 minutes. Watch that the cookies do not brown. Transfer to a rack and cool.

Set up 2 double boilers. (I use small pots and metal mixing bowls).

In one pot place caramel and milk. Melt caramel, stirring occasionally until the caramel is smooth and runs somewhat easily off the spoon. You may need to add more milk if the caramels were a bit hard to start.

Using a teaspoon, place a dollop of caramel on each cookie. Work quickly or the caramel will stiffen.

Place a pecan halve in the middle of caramel on each cookie.

In second double boiler place chocolate and shortening. Stir occasionally until melted and smooth.

Using a teaspoon place a dollop of chocolate on each cookie.

Allow chocolate to cool before storing. I find placing them in the fridge helps the chocolate set better. As with all short bread they taste better if you allow them to age at least 3 days (a week is best). Make em, bake em...hide em! Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer (if storing them in more than one layer place wax paper between each layer). Allow them to become room temperature before serving. These do freeze well, but with any chocolate it may become cloudy after freezing.

tips & tricks

make a double batch... these are magic and disappear.