ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES
Lovely cookies – thick and substantial! I like them at room temp, out of the fridge
or the freezer. You’re going to have to
decide which you prefer best. At room
temperature, these are soft cookies.
They have quite a different texture when frozen….very yummy too! This recipe can easily be doubled! You do not need to use as many sugar-free sprinkles as I used...just a very light dusting for festive color or use a tiny 1/4 or 1/8th piece of a red and/or green Maraschino cherry or even some grated chocolate instead.
Liquid sweetener to equal 2/3 cup sugar (150 mL)
1/4 cup powdered erythritol, OR other your choice (60 mL)
2 eggs
1 tsp unflavored gelatin (5
mL)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
21/4 cups
Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 (560 mL)
2 tsp baking powder (10 mL)
Coconut flour for "dusting" cutting board
Coconut flour for "dusting" cutting board
Icing: OR use Cream Cheese Frosting below this one (easier!)
3/4 cup
Confectioner’s Sugar substitute, (see below) (175 mL)
2 tbsp unsalted butter,
melted (30 mL)
2 tbsp whipping cream, OR as
needed (30 mL)
Sprinkles (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Cream Cheese Frosting (optional):
8 oz regular cream cheese (250 g)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (90 mL)
Liquid sweetener to equal 1/2 cup sugar (125 mL)
6 tbsp heavy cream (90 mL)
1/4 cup allulose blend, OR any (60 mL)
other sweetener of choice - simply used for sweeter synergy, but
you can also simply use more liquid sweetener instead.
Preheat
oven to 375°F (190°C).
In
medium bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 and baking powder.
In
food processor or in bowl with mixer, process butter. Add liquid sweetener, powdered erythritol,
eggs, gelatin and vanilla extract; process well. Add dry ingredients; process on slow
speed. A dough ball will form. Turn out on a cutting board “dusted” with
coconut flour. Pinch a medium size ball
off the main dough and pat/roll in coconut flour as necessary…making sure you
can handle the dough without it sticking to your fingers. Weigh little balls weighing 0.7 oz (about 6
or so of mine weight 0.8 oz). Roll the
dough out into a little sausage shape about 41/4 inches
long. Starting from one side curl the
dough around and seal. It makes a cute
shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place
on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake
in oven about 10 minutes, or until puffed up and golden brown underneath. Allow to cool on the cookie sheet. Frost the cookies when cool with the icing or Cream Cheese Frosting.
Icing: In food
processor, process Confectioner’s Sugar Substitute (see below), butter and cream
until smooth. To get the right
spreadable consistency, add extra cream as needed.
Cream Cheese Frosting (alternative to icing): In food processor, process cream cheese, unsalted butter, liquid sweetener, heavy cream and allulose blend, if using until smooth.
Helpful
Hints: This recipe would probably make good dough for
cut-out cookies as well. The frosting
only adds 0.6 g carbs to each cookie.
Yield: 22 cookies
1
cookie
88.5
calories
3.2
g protein
6.7
g fat
0.3 g fiber
3.2
g net carbs
CONFECTIONER’S
SUGAR SUBSTITUTE
Here is a useful recipe to make lovely
frostings.
13/4 cups powdered erythritol, OR (425 mL)
an allulose blend
3/4 cup whole milk powder (175
mL)
1/4 cup vanilla whey protein powder* (60 mL)
2
tsp cornstarch (10 mL)
In blender, place erythritol, OR allulose blend, whole milk powder,
vanilla whey protein powder and cornstarch; blend until powdery and well
combined.
Helpful Hints: Keep the confectioner’s sugar
substitute in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer. You can use skim milk powder, but it might have a bit more of an overpowering taste. You could use more whey protein and less milk powder. I find whole milk powder at the equivalent of Costco here in the tropics. It comes in a big can which I keep in our chest freezer. You can now find heavy cream powder in Walmart, I believe. Make sure your vanilla whey protein powder tastes good and is high in protein isolates versus protein concentrates.
Yield: 21/2 cups (625 mL)
1/2 cup (125 mL)
114.3
calories
8.3
g protein
5.3
g fat
8.5
g net carbs