Coconut Cluster Cookies

These are definitely going to be a new holiday favourite for me!  They are just the perfect little bit-sized cookies, with a great mix of festive flavours.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup margarine
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Cream margarine, sugar and vanilla.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, baking powder and salt.  Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the margarine mixture.
3. With a wooden spoon, stir in cranberries,coconut, walnuts and chocolate chips until well blended.  It will likely have a very crumbly texture, that's okay.
4. Work the mixture a bit with your hands until it starts to hold together, then form into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet.  Don't press down, as this will cause the cookies to crumble apart when baked.
5. Preheat the oven to 350F, and bake for 10 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool for awhile on the sheet before removing.
   

Cream Cheese Macaroons

Macaroons are a classic, usually naturally gluten-free option for Christmas cookies.  This was a new version for me this year and I'm loving them!  : )

Ingredients:

• 1 package cream cheese (250g), softened
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups coconut
• 1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
• 1 bar (approx. 150g) of dark chocolate (or any other type of chocolate of your choice)

Directions:

1. Beat the cream cheese and vanilla until smooth.
2. Stir in the coconut.
3. Form into 1" balls and place on a baking sheet.  Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
4. In a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips and chocolate bar.
5. Roll the balls in the melted chocolate until fully coated and place them on a lined baking sheet.
6. Put them back in the fridge until the chocolate solidifies.

Chocolate Macaroons

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 3 eggs, separated
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 3 cups coconut

Directions:

1. In a double-boiler, melt the chocolate chips.  Mix in the eggs yolks, whisk rapidly until fully incorporated.  Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Add in sugar, salt, vanilla and cocoa.  Mix well.  Add in coconut.
3. Stir melted chocolate into the coconut mixture.
4. Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet.
5. Pre-heat oven to 325F.  Bake for 15 minutes.  Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet.

Nutella Brownies

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Nutella
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/2 cup coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a small bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until fluffy.  Add in the Nutella, sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth.
3. Slowly incorporate the flour mix and melted butter, blend well.
4. Pour into a greased 8"x8" pan.
5. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Bake for 50 minutes.  Allow it to cool in the pan.

Christmas Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups craisins
• 1 1/2 cups candied cherries
• 1 cup spiced rum
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups chopped nuts (walnuts or sliced almonds are good)

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine the fruit and 3/4 cup of rum.  Cover and let it stand for 24 hours.
2. In a bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.  Take 1/2 cup of the dry mixture and toss it with the fruit mixture, until all the fruit is evenly coated.
3. In a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Stir in the remaining flour mixture just until incorporated.
4. Add in the fruit mixture and nuts.  Stir to combine.
5. Scrape into a greased bread pan.
6. Pre-heat oven to 300F.  Bake for 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.  Let it cool on a rack in the pan.
7. Once you remove from the pan, store in an air tight container in the fridge for at least 1 month before eating.  Sprinkle the top of the loaf with the remaining rum at a rate of about 1 tbsp / week.

Paska (new and improved)

This is a gluten-free adaptation of my oma's recipe.  A highly successful attempt this year!  : )

Ingredients:

• 1 cup scalded milk, cooled
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• juice and rind of 1 lemon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 tbsp yeast
• 3 - 4 cups white rice flour
• 3 - 4 cups glutinous rice flour

Directions:

1. Beat eggs well.  Add in sugar and butter, cream together.  Mix in lemon, vanilla, salt and warm milk.
2. Slowly add in 2 cups of each kind of flour.
3. Stir in warm water and yeast.  Mix well using dough hooks on your mixer.
4. Add in another cup of each kind of flour.  Add any additional flour at your discretion to achieve a light, slightly stickey dough (you don't need to use your hands, so don't worry about getting it too dry).
5. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place, best option is to heat your oven to 200 degrees F, then turn it off and put the dough in covered with a tea towel.  It will take about 2 hours for the dough to double.  Don't rush this step!
6. Scrape the dough together in the bowl, divide in half and pour into 2 greased or lined loaf pans.
7. Cover and allow the dough to rise again for another hour or until the pans look nearly full.
8. Bake at 325 degrees F for 45 minutes.  Poke with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean.  If possible, turn the oven off and allow the paska to cool for a little while in the oven before taking the loaves out.
9. Paska is often iced with cream cheese icing and topped with sprinkles.  You can also toast it up and spread it with butter or cream cheese.  Any way you eat it - it's delightful!
   
   

Candy Cane Cookies...a labour of love!

This is the one of those recipes that I love so much, I choose to forget how tedious it can be to make.  : )  Once a year I set aside a few hours to labour over these delightfully cute cookies.  They are totally worth the effort!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• red food colouring

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and icing sugar together.  Add in egg and beat until smooth.  Mix in the vanilla and peppermint extract.
2. In a separate bowl, stir together flours, baking powder and salt.
3. Spoon the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and stir until well blended.
4. Divide the dough in half and add red food colouring to one half.
5. Chill the dough for about 1 hour.
6. Take equal size portions of each colour dough and work them into soft balls.  Roll each one out into a long rope.
7. Take equal lengths of each colour rope and twist together gently to make a braided dough.  Form in the shape of a candy cane and place on a cookie sheet very carefully.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes.
9. Handle with care!  These cookies are delicate.