ITALIAN CHRISTMAS COOKIES








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 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.

1/cup butter, softened (60 mL)
Liquid sweetener to equal 2/cup sugar (150 mL)
1/cup powdered erythritol (60 mL)
2 eggs
1 tsp unflavored gelatin (5 mL)
1 tsp vanilla extract (5 mL)
21/cups Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2 (560 mL)
2 tsp baking powder (10 mL)
Coconut flour for "dusting" cutting board

Icing:  OR use Cream Cheese Frosting below this one (easier!)
3/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) 

Cream Cheese Frosting (optional):
8 oz regular cream cheese (250 g)
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened (90 mL)
Liquid sucralose to equal 1/2  cup sugar (125 mL)
6 tbsp heavy cream (90 mL)
1/4 cup Steviva Blend®, powdered (60 mL)

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.

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.

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/cups powdered erythritol, OR (425 mL)
  a combination of powdered erythritol and
  powdered xylitol
3/cup whole milk powder (175 mL)
1/cup vanilla whey protein powder (60 mL)
2 tsp cornstarch (10 mL) 

In blender, place erythritol and xylitol (if using), 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.  Warning: xylitol is lethal for dogs.  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.

Yield:  21/2 cups (625 mL)
1/cup (125 mL)
114.3 calories
8.3 g protein
5.3 g fat
8.5 g net carbs