Gluten Free Gingerbread Cookies

1-¾ cups gluten-free flour mix**
½ to ¾ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter or margarine (cold)
1-½ teaspoon xanthan gum I omitted this because of the banana.
½ cup brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon cloves
1 egg (cold) I used one overripe banana instead of an egg.
¼ to 3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
½ cup gluten-free molasses


Combine the rice flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, xanthan gum, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Mix well. Cut in the butter or margarine until the mixture is in crumbs the size of peas.

In a small bowl beat the sugar, egg, and molasses together. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides. Form the dough into a flat ball shape and refrigerate for one hour.


Dust some freezer paper (not wax paper) with gluten-free flour or confectioners sugar. (I dusted the counter instead.) Put the dough on the freezer paper and sprinkle with flour or confectioners sugar. (I sprinkled the counter.) Roll the dough to ¼ inch thick and cut out shapes as desired. Bake at 350 degrees F for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Makes about 20 cookies. (This recipe definitely made more than 20 cookies!)

** gluten-free flour mix: I cut this recipe in half.
6 cups white rice flour
2 cups potato starch (NOT the same as potato flour)
1 cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)


This recipe comes from Vicki Lyles. She adapted it (in desperation) when she learned that our 5-year-old celiacs kindergarten class was going to be making gingerbread man cookies. The resulting cookies were quite good.

Frosting:
2 1/2 cups confectionery sugar
1/4 tsp. cream of tarter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
water (start with two tablespoons and then add from there if needed)

This was definitely a fun activity, especially with allergy friendly decorations!