Friday, July 29, 2011

Grain-free Ginger Cookies


During the past two summers, this summer and last, I've been working at a local bakery. It has been so exciting to learn the "tricks of the trade" and be in a culinary environment. The hours are early- I have to wake up at 4:45 to be there at 5:30. I enjoy the different pace. Some days are slower, some days are more stressful. There are days when I just pipe and cut out cookies, and days when I am on the mixer. Mornings always involve bread. The oven is huge and involves several huge rotating shelves. It's like an art.


What's great about working at this bakery is that they want me to bake gluten free cookies and bring them in to sell. Cookies are their biggest market, so gluten free cookies I make. It has been so fun to develop my own recipes and work from home one day a week. To avoid cross contamination, I have to make the cookies at home. I deliver the cookies fresh every Friday morning. By the time I come back to work on Monday (I have weekends off), the cookies are usually gone. Typically I make two to three batches and kinds of cookies each week, package them up and drive them into town. Last summer, I created the best gluten free gingerbread man known to man recipe. It performs well every time. This cookie comes from my want to incorporate the strong ginger zing into another cookie that doesn't require rolling out. Just like my gluten-free gingerbread men, this cookie delivers.


These cakey cookies are sure to steal your ginger loving heart :) The ginger inside each cookie just bursts with flavor inside your house mouth! (I have no idea what caused me to originally write house!) Maybe it's the crazy weather we are having here. It's been raining. Rain, rain, rain! In July?? How odd! Give me some sunshine to match these happy ginger cookies please!

[photos coming next week] They're up!


These just beg to be dunked in some fresh raw guernsey milk!

Grain-free Ginger Cookies
  makes about 18 cookies
     100 g   organic palm oil shortening
     120 g   brown sugar (I'll be trying palm sugar next!)
     5 g  vanilla
     180 g  blanched almond flour
     30 g  organic coconut flour
     3  real eggs
     5 g  ground ginger
     3 g  cinnamon
     2 g  sea salt
     1/2 tsp  baking powder
     1/2 tsp  baking soda
  
To make your cookies:
  1 . Preheat oven to 350 degrees convection.
  2.  Cream shortening and sugar together. Add vanilla, then beat in eggs one at a time.
  3.  In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients.
  4.  Beat dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
  5.  Using a cookie scoop, scoop out onto sheet pans with Silpats and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.


These cookies have a great cakey texture and are not chewy. When I bring them to the bakery, I label them "cakey ginger cookies." They might even make a great base for whoopie pies! Perhaps that should be my next project?


Enjoy the rain :) make these cookies and add some spice to brighten your day!