recipes: gluten-free & vegan lace cookies.

My grandma was the resident baker in our family. While she doesn't bake as much anymore, I still remember her many confections. One thing she made rarely, but was such a delight that I still remember it, is lace cookies. These light-as-a-feather cookies are very southern, wonderfully delicate, and almost ethereal in your mouth. After I found out about Celiac's disease and its ban on wheat, I bought this wonderful cookbook full of vegan, gluten-free baked goods. To my delight, a version of lace cookies were included. These cookies turn out wonderfully thin, light, and are a perfect cookie to start off the warm spring months. Missing one of the ingredients, vanilla, I threw in cinnamon and substituted some brown sugar for a wonderfully scented dough.

Gluten-Free and Vegan Lace Cookies
adapted from Babycakes Covers the Classics


Ingredients: 
1 3/4 cups of Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour *
1 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot *
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon xanthan gum *
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup canola oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon cinnamon
* These ingredients may sound weird, but they are easily found in Whole Foods and similar stores.

Steps:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line 2-3 cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Mix flour, sugar, brown sugar, arrowroot, baking soda, xanthan gum, and kosher salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined.
3. Stir in canola oil, applesauce, and cinnamon.
4. Scoop teaspoon-size rolls onto cookie sheets, with about 15 dough balls per sheet.
5. Bake for 7 minutes, and rotate and bake for another 7 minutes. Do 6 minutes on each side for a less crunchy cookie.
6. Let cool for 15 minutes before removing from cookie sheet.

Although these are vegan, they are wonderful with ice cream, even soy for that matter.