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.

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.

A whole new level in Gingersnaps!

I love gingersnaps for Christmas, but I'm always looking for new little variations to keep them interesting and give that little bit of je ne sais quoi when people eat them.  This year, my twist is...almond milk!  : )

This batch turned out so delightfully soft and melt in your mouth delicious, it's definitely one of the best gingersnap recipes I've every tried!

Let the Christmas baking begin!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups white rice flour
• 2 cups glutinous rice flour
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup sugar (white or brown work)
• 1/2 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 egg
• additional white sugar for rolling cookies in

Directions:

1. Mix together flours, baking soda, salt, ginger and cinnamon.
2. Cream together melted butter and sugar.  Beat in almond milk, molasses and egg.
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients slowly.  Work the dough until it is well mixed.
4. Form into 1" balls and roll them in the additional white sugar.
5. Preheat the ovent to 375 degrees F.  Bake the cookies for 10 minutes.
6. Allow the cookies to cool a little before removing them from the pan, but not too long or they will be very difficult to lift off.

Yield: 48 cookies

Last but certainly not least...Butter Tarts!

Nothing makes Christmas quite as sweet as a nice, gooey, golden butter tart!  : )  It's the perfect end to a holiday meal, and great way to wrap up the Advent recipes for this year!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup white rice flour
• 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup cold butter
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 5 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups syrup (you of course can make your own syrup using melted butter and brown sugar, or try maple or other flavoured syrups for something a little different)
• 1/4 cup glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 2 cups raisins

Directions:

1. Mix the flours, sugar and salt together.  Cut in the butter to make a crumbly mixture.
2. Beat one egg in a small bowl and add in vanilla.
3. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture, work it well with your hands to create a soft dough.  If it's too dry, add cold water 1 tbsp at a time until you get a workable consistancy.
4. Chilling the dough for awhile may help make it more workable at this point.
5. Roll out the pastry dough on a well floured surface (I like to roll it out on floured plastic wrap as the dough is then easier to lift off the counter).
6. Cut into circles using a cutter or a glass, and fit them into muffin tins to create tart shells.
7. Beat the remaining 4 eggs with the syrup until frothy.  Add in glutinous rice flour, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.  Stir in raisins.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 - 20 minutes. Shells should turn a little golden and filling should be firm and not runny.  Allow the tarts to cool before removing from the muffin tins, otherwise the dough will fall apart on you.  You can also make the tart in muffin liners if you prefer.

Bailey Balls

The final installment of my Christmas Balls recipes...the Bailey Balls!

An inspired hybrid, this dessert is a cross between and rum ball and a truffle...and is my favourite of the three recipes created this weekend.

Ingredients:

• 1 package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup of Bailey's Irish Creme (I used Original, but the flavoured ones would be great too!)
• 2 cups of crushed sugar cookies (see the Rum Balls recipe for instructions on making these)
• 1/3 cup of cocoa

Directions:

1. Cream the cream cheese and Bailey's together until well blended.
2. Stir in the cookies crumbs.
3. Refridgerate until firm.
4. Form into balls and roll in the cocoa.  Place in paper cups and serve!

Makes approximately 2 dozen.

Creme de Cacao Truffles

This recipe is naturally gluten-free, but I had to test out my theory on a sinfully delicious chocolate truffle, and this one made the cut!  : )

Ingredients:

• 1 package of cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 3 tbsp creme de cacao
• 1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

1. Mix cream cheese, cocoa, icing sugar and creme de cacao until smooth and well blended.
2. Refridgerate until firm.
3. Form into 1" balls and roll in coconut.  Place in small paper cups and serve!

Rum Balls & Sugar Cookies (Two recipes for the price of one!)

I never intended to start theming my baking each Advent, but the inspirations seem to to naturally be leading that way.  Therefore I'm declaring this weekend the Advent of the Christmas Balls!  : )

First recipe up is Rum Balls (for which sugar cookie crumbs are required, hence the recipe below for rice flour sugar cookies, in the event you don't already have one).

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups crushed toasted nuts (I used almonds, but pecans or walnuts would also work wonderfully)
• 1 1/2 cups crushed gluten-free sugar cookies (see recipe below)
• 1/2 cup icing sugar
• 2 tbsp cocoa
• 1/4 cup rum
• 2 tbsp honey

Directions:

1. Mix together crushed nuts, crushed cookies, icing sugar and cocoa.  This should have the consistantly of a coarse meal, if need be use a food processor to finely grind the nuts and cookies.
2. Add in rum and honey.  Stir or work with your hands to create a dough.
3. Refrigerate until firm.
4. Roll into 1" balls and coat in additional sugar cookie crumbs.  Place in mini paper cups and serve!

Makes approximately 2 dozen Rum Balls.

Sugar Cookie Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup white rice flour
• 1 cup glutinous rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Cream butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla.
2. Stir in flours, baking powder and salt.  Mix well.
3. If making actual sugar cookies, chill dough until firm.  Roll out on a well floured surface and cut into shapes.
4. If making Rum Balls, pat out the dough on a greased cookie sheet.  Make sure the dough is as even as possible.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F for 6 - 8 minutes just until golden.

Note: To make the Rum Balls, allow the cookie to cool a bit before removing from the pan and crushing in a large mixing bowl to make sugar cookie crumbs.  This recipe makes enough crumbs for at least a double recipe of Rum Balls.