Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Back to school - GF sugar cookies


GF sugar cookies
Daryl and/or Avery 2nd grade
 WELCOME TO

BACK TO SCHOOL WEEK.



Many of us are posting pictures of us from way back when...so here I am with cute short hair. Dame Judi Dench cut. I'm thinking when I get to her age, I'll return to this cut and let it go white, white. What do you think? Anybody have a haircut computer program to test out the look?  LOL


Do you remember anything better than coming home to cookies and milk after a long day at school? How about cuddling up in a chair and having that delectable treat while reading a book? How about having cupcakes at school? Or pizza parties? Hot dog day, where all the moms (or dad/grandparents) helped serve and moms (or dads/grandparents) made the cupcakes or cookies to hand out to the kids?

School is fun. Parties are fun.

Do you know how hard it is to pass all of this up when a kid needs to eat gluten-free?

I read the most heartbreaking yet hopeful post on a blog the other day.  It was written by a gluten-free "mom" who was so upset because her child needed to eat gluten-free and couldn't enjoy all the regular fun other kids had in the food department...

...until the mom became "room mom". She took on the job so she could educate other kids (moms/dads/grandparents) about how GOOD gluten-free tastes...so all wouldn't be scared of the label.

FYI, gluten-free tastes, pretty much, the same as normal food. The textures aren't always the same, but the flavors are. This mom embraced sweet rice flour (as I do). The only thing she found really difficult was making that dollar budget stretch for an entire class party when buying gluten-free items because they are more expensive. (Sigh.)

Back when my son was in school, I took on the role of "room mom" for the theater department. Though my son didn't have allergy issues, I did, so I paid attention whenever we had theater parties. I asked moms (dads/grandparents/kids) for allergy info before setting up parties. I made sure we had gluten-free pizza for those with gluten allergies, or corn pasta choices for those with corn allergies, or soy-free soy sauce for those with soy allergies. Dairy-free, nut-free, etc. Yes, accommodating everyone was a challenge but so appreciated. And many of the kids (parents/grandparents) got "educated" about what tasted good, despite its label.  Yay!

In A Cheese Shop Mystery series, Charlotte tends to her "niece" Clair's gluten-free allergy, making sure there are GF popovers if the rest are having popovers, GF cookies if the rest are having normal cookies,  and GF grilled cheese...you get the idea. I've really worked hard to make sure Charlotte is attentive through this series.

So, for today's post, I'm posting gluten-free sugar cookies. By the way, these sugar cookies are a modified recipe of my grandmother's.

Enjoy your cookies and milk. And if you can't have dairy, your soy milk!



Gluten Free Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1/2 c. sugar plus 
1 1/2 tablespoon sugar
1 egg
1/2 c. sweet rice flour [*I love this flour choice!!!]
1/2 c. white rice flour
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum

Directions:

Cream butter, sugar, add egg.  Add GF flours and other dry ingredients. Whip.

Drop by spoonfuls on cookie sheet. Press with the back of a spoon to a dollar-sized pancake shape.

Bake at 375 deg. 10-12 minutes maximum.  Should be lightly brown around edges when removed from oven. Let cool 1 minute, then remove from tray and set on paper towels to cool. These get very crisp.  May be decorated with colored sprinkles, powdered sugar, or nuts, if you like.

* Note: These might come out a little puffier than cookies using regular flour. 

* Second Note: Store in an airtight box or freeze. These are great freezer cookies!!!!


For other gluten-free cookie choices, here are a few that I've posted in the past:



Dulce d' Leche Cookies



Gluten-free Shortbread Cookies










To all the kids who might be reading this...yeah, right...Enjoy school!  Education is a gift we don't realize is a gift until we're older.


What is your favorite childhood "food" memory???



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* * * * *
The 4th in A Cheese Shop Mystery series: 
TO BRIE OR NOT TO BRIE.  

You can pre-order the book HERE. 

You can learn more about me, Avery, by clicking this link.

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Also, you probably know about my alter ego.
DARYL WOOD GERBER... 
Daryl's new series: A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY series
debuts July 2013

"Like" Daryl's page on Facebook and "follow" Daryl on Twitter.
"She" doesn't say all the same things "Avery" does. Promise.


LAST BUT NOT LEAST...okay, maybe least...:)

I'm pleased to announce that my short story, PALACE ON THE LAKE, 
in Fish Tales: A Guppy Anthology has been nominated for both
the Anthony Award and Macavity Award. 
Go Sisters in Crime Guppies! 
Without the Guppies, my career would not be on the right track.
The group support is invaluable!
You can read PALACE ON THE LAKE by clicking on the title above. :)



Say cheese!

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6 comments:

  1. I don't think I became sensitive special food needs of others until I became a vegetarian. I can't tell you how many dinners (usually at restaurants) and parties (again, usually at restaurants) I have attended where there is nothing for me to eat save bread. (Here in Texas, even the salads tend to have meat in them.)

    As a result, I've become much more sensitive to the needs of the gluten free (though I haven't tackled gluten free baking yet) and those with allergies. Kudos to you for being ahead of the curve!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wendy, I haven't always been ahead of the curve. I had to learn. But then I've been ahead at the "get" process. Anorexia before it was "vogue." Gluten-free before it was diagnosed for 13 out of 100. I feel for those that are allergic to lots of things: soy, milk, peanuts, fish, etc. I know a girl who is allergic to carrots. Really. Carrots! Who'd have thunk... Moms have to be particularly aware, nowadays.

      ~Daryl aka Avery

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  2. I'm not allergic, but these still sound yummy! Thanks for a recipe I can make for my friends who do have allergies.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Peg, you're welcome. And my non-allergy friends eat these, too. They love them. Can't tell the difference with most things gluten-free. A few but not many. That's why big chains like PF Changs and Outback can do GF items on menus. It just takes being aware.

      Daryl aka Avery

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  3. It must be very hard to have a child with food allergies. Especially since you can't be with them 100% of the time. I have a dog with food allergies, and woe to all of us if he gets hold of something to which he's allergic. My other dogs eat the treats the allergy dog can eat so there's no confusion. Gluten is not one of his allergies, though.

    It's very thoughtful of you to have taken the allergies of all the children into consideration, Avery.

    And weren't you cute! You have the same beautiful eyes today!

    ~ Krista

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Aw, Krista, thanks. My Dad's eyes. :)

      And your poor sweet doggie. I know how hard you work to make sure he eats right. I didn't even think about how he doesn't really "know" not to eat the bad stuff. Oh, yuck! At least humans can take precautions.

      Daryl aka Avery

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