It seems like everyone these days is experimenting with some new kind of diet or eating style. Vegan, paleo, GF, raw... it's hard to keep up. And it can definitely make traditional holiday fare a challenge. So today I bring you Vegan Gluten-Free Lumberjack Cookies! (AKA Pacific Northwest Hipster Cookies.) I promise they'll be more popular than your ugly sweater at the Christmas-stache themed office party.
Ingredients
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup Earth Balance
- 1 cup blackstrap molasses
- 4 cups gluten-free baking flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Turbinado sugar for coating
This is a recipe my sister brings to the table (haha) every year. It's one of my favorites, and the scent of these rich, gingery, molasses cookies baking in the oven perfectly sets the mood for winter festivities.
First, cream the Earth Balance with the brown sugar. Then pour in the molasses and stir until well combined. Add the salt, soda, and spices and mix it up. Then sift in the gluten-free flour blend and stir until well combined. We use Bod's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-1 Baking Flour and it works great. I haven't tinkered with other GF flours, but if you have one you prefer, go for it!
Shape the dough into 1" - 1.5" balls and roll each one in the turbinado sugar until well coated. Place them on a cookie sheet with enough room around each for them to spread a bit. They won't flatten out, but they will expand a little.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes. You'll know they're done when they just start to darken slightly around the bottom edge. These are soft cookies, so don't over-bake. This recipe makes about 5 dozen cookies- plenty to prove to everyone you know that vegan, gluten-free cookies can still be absolutely delicious!
