Cybele Pascal

Allergy-Friendly Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing

Fill your home with a delicious aroma and let the family join in as you roll, cut and bake these delectable cookies. A simple icing tops these pretty little trees, but don’t hesitate to add sparkling sugar for a snow-kissed look.

Makes 40 2½-inch cookies

Free From: gluten and all top allergens

Cookies

2½ cups my Basic Gluten-Free Flour Mix or Authentic Foods GF Classical Blend

1 tsp ground ginger

¾ tsp baking soda

¾ tsp salt

⅝ tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground cloves

½ cup packed light brown sugar

½ cup dairy-free soy-free vegetable shortening, cut into 8 pieces

¼ cup + 2 tbsp applesauce

¼ cup unsulphured molasses

Icing

1⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Decorating, sanding or coarse sugar (optional)

1. In bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix flour blend, ginger, baking soda, salt, xanthan gum, cinnamon and cloves on low speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar, mix 30 seconds more.

2. Add shortening pieces and applesauce to flour mixture and mix on low speed for 90 seconds, or until the consistency of a fine meal. With mixer still running, add molasses and mix for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary.

3. Lay 2 large sheets of parchment paper on your work surface. Transfer dough to one sheet of parchment. Pat dough into a disk and cover with other piece of parchment. Roll out dough into a ¼-inch thick, long rectangle.

4. Transfer dough with parchment paper to the freezer (place on a cleared rack or baking tray) and chill until firm, at least 20 minutes.

5. Preheat oven to 350° F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Remove dough from freezer and place it on a work surface. Peel back the top sheet of parchment paper, then replace it. Flip, peel off other sheet of parchment and discard it.  This is a good technique to avoid over-handling and breaking the rolled dough.

7. Cut dough into long 2½-inch wide strips then cut each strip into triangles with 2-inch wide bases. Place the dough triangles on baking sheets, 1 inch apart. Gather any remaining dough scraps, roll into ¼-inch thick rectangle and cut into triangle shapes.

8. Bake 10 minutes, or until the cookies are golden. Let cool for 5 minutes on baking sheets, before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

9. For icing, whisk confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth. Drizzle over cooled cookies wiith a very small spoon or knife, making 3 or 4 horizontal lines across each cookie. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Let set then shake off any extra sugar.

Allergy-Friendly Gingerbread Trees with Lemon Icing © 2013 by Cybele Pascal

This recipe first appeared in the Winter 2013 issue of Allergic Living Magazine