GF Christmas Baking

Deciding to go gluten-free at the beginning of December may not have been the smartest move ever. Maybe I should have waited until after Christmas so that I could eat whatever I wanted to my little hearts content. Oops. But there was no way I was going to go through Christmas without eating some yummy Christmas goodies so I set to work finding recipes for some holiday cheer that I could partake in. Thanks to Pinterest (oh how I love Pinterest) I found an awesome blog with awesome recipes. Seriously, I love this blog and you should definitely check it out, Gluten Free Girl.

I thought long and hard about what I would make since I was only going to attempt a few things, not a truckload of recipes. I decided that Christmas isn't Christmas without some shortbread and gingerbread men. And since everyone loves some lemon squares, I threw those in the plan too. Not to brag or anything, but man was I successful! Everything turned out great and delicious and was a big hit with my mom, who is also going GF with me.

First I made the shortbread. I assembled all my ingredients and measured everything out using my kitchen scale. That's the way it's supposed to be done with gluten-free baking, or so I've been told.

See the lights and candle? I also had Christmas music on, trying to get me in the holiday spirit.

Measuring butter

Then I squished all the ingredients together with my hands until it was mixed to perfection. Once all the butter was thoroughly broken up into the flour, I dumped it onto the parchment paper and formed it into a giant bar. Then I flattened it with a rolling pin.

Once it was all flat and even, I pricked it with a fork, scored it and shoved it into the oven to bake. It started smelling like shortbread in no time at all and my excitement grew.

It turned out beautifully. I tasted it when it was still warm and was melt in your mouth delicious. GF baking challenge #1 = success.

While the shortbread was baking, I started on the lemon squares. I just wanted pure lemon though so I didn't put in the ginger or cinnamon that the recipe called for. And I was so glad that I didn't. They turned out great with a nice tang that was just perfect.

I got a little lazy with the picture taking though and only got the finished product. Please forgive me. Here are the lemon squares fresh out of the oven.

And then all cut up with a light dusting of icing sugar.

Another success if I dare say so myself.

My last GF baking challenge was gingerbread men. I was a little scared too since they involved being rolled out and cut into shapes. But my mom LOVES gingerbread so I was determined to make them.

I actually made these cookies at my parents house so I had a little helper. We even had matching aprons.

My niece Arissa and I

Now there are no pictures of us actually making the cookies because a) it was crazy busy with lots going on, b) I had a horrible cold and just wanted to get the whole process over with, and c) I just didn't think of it. Oops! I at least got some pictures of the finished product.

And here I am proudly holding up my three decorated cookies. Lots of colour going on!

My sister Cora had leftover icing from making her gingerbread house (more on that in another post) so she happily decorated some of my cookies for me. Thank goodness for some GF candy to go on them.

Everything tasted so good and I am still enjoying all my baking thanks to my freezer. I'm pretty proud of my first attempts at GF baking, aren't you?