Christmas Cookie Week: Simple Sandies

When it comes to the holidays, I’m very much in an efficient state of mind because time is more precious than ever, so in an effort to maintain a sense of variety and visual appeal, I’ve made a point to create recipes that can wear many different hats so you can spend less time in the kitchen and more time with your loved ones enjoying what you bake. Last week I really pushed you guys to think outside the box by explaining and showing you a variety of different ways you can interpret a single cake. This week is all about the cookies and the dough from my thumbprint cookies proved to be so good, I was able to use it to make thumbprints, these simple sandies and even the highly decorative sugar cookies that dominate this time of year. So when you make this dough, make three batches of it so you can kill three birds with one stone. Want to make the cookies display some variety? Try adding finely chopped dried fruits like dates, nuts like pecans or hazelnuts for a simple solution to the need for having that rainbow on your cookie tray. And colored icing works wonders.

Anyhow, here is the thumbprint cookie dough, rendered as a simple sandie, dusted with a generous coating of cinnamon and sugar for everything from that perfect tea time treat to plate left out for Santa.

All Photos by Knoxy

Gluten Free Simple Sandies

60 g. or ½ cup glutinous rice flour
60 g. or ½ cup tapioca flour
45 g. or ¼ cup potato flour
40 g. or ¼ cup cornstarch
40 g. or ¼ cup sorghum flour
100 g. or 1 scant cup confectioner’s sugar
40 g. or 3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoons guar gum

11 tablespoons of unsalted butter, diced, cold
3 egg yolks
1 ¼ teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400°F and line two cookie sheets with either parchment paper or silpats.

Combine all the dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on the lowest setting to combine. Add the diced unsalted butter and mix with the dry ingredients on the lowest setting until the mixture looks like damp sand. Add the egg yolks and the extracts and mix on high until the dough folds in on itself.

Whisk the cinnamon ans sugar together in a separate bowl.

Using a 1 ½ retractable ice cream scoop, spoon out the dough and roll into a ball. Repeat until all your dough is transformed. Place on your cookie sheets with two inches in between them, staggering the rows for a nice even bake.

Press the cookies flat with the bottom of a juice glass. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bake for 7-10 minutes and the cookies have just taken on a hint of color.

Makes 24 cookies.