A Holiday Head Start....

In anticipation of holiday leftovers, I have begun playing around with some new recipes!

Not one to simply rest on my laurels, I decided to challenge myself. This afternoon was all about gluten-free, vegan cooking with unusual gluten-free flours! Now, I know what you're thinking, "since when has Quinoa Flour been considered 'usual'?"  I guess that is a matter of perspective. My kitchen has never even seen "normal" all-purpose flour, so, in our house, Quinoa Flour is a rather blase' ingredient! Be that as it may, I had a grand old time rolling up my sleeves and getting down and dirty with some new-er ingredients!

This recipe will come in handy after Thanksgiving as a way of using up leftover Cranberry Sauce AND as a way of getting a head start on your Christmas cookies! Have fun!

Cranberry Chestnut Cookies

(Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Yield: 5 1/2 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Chestnut Flour
• 1 cup Sorghum Flour
• 1/2 cup Tapioca Starch
• 2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 Tblp Flax Seed Meal + 3 Tblsp Warm Water
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Sea Salt
• 3/4 cup Non-hydrogenated Organic Shortening (Spectrum brand)
• 1 cup Agave Nectar
• 1/4 cup Molasses
• 1/2 cup canned Whole Berry Jellied Cranberry Sauce (or homemade)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, except for the cranberry sauce.
3. Blend well.
4. Stir in the cranberry sauce and mix thoroughly.
5. Chill dough at least 1 hour.
6. Place on a baking sheet by rounded spoonful.
7. Bake 13-15 minutes.
8. Allow to cool on a wire cooling rack.