GF Neapolitans… classic Christmas!

Gluten Free Neapolitan Christmas Cookies

Wow, the days are just flying by… I wanted to share another recipe but will make this quick!  These gluten free Neapolitan cookies are fairly easy to make.  The best part is you store the dough in the fridge or freezer and bake off what you need.  Here is the recipe:

GF Neapolitans

"Neat" Gluten Free Neapolitans

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dairy-free shortening – or coconut oil or butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ tsp egg replacer by Ener-G mixed with 1 Tbls rice milk
• 2 ¾ cup GF flour mix
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1-5 Tbls rice milk (depending on how dry the dough is)
• 2 Tbls cocoa powder + 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup chopped dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds
• Green food coloring
• Red food coloring or about 2 Tbls juice from maraschino cherries

 Method:

1. Line a small square or rectangular baking dish with parchment paper.  Set aside.
2. Using an electric mixer on medium, cream shortening, sugar and brown sugar. Add vanilla extract and egg replacer and blend.
3. In separate bowl, combine flour mix, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Stir thoroughly.
4. Set mixer on low and add flour mixture. Mix well. Add additional rice milk in 1 Tbls increments until dough pulls together.
5. Divide dough in thirds. To one third of the dough, add 2 Tbls cocoa powder and mix well. Then press the chocolate dough into the prepared square baking dish, working the dough as flat and even as you can get it.
6. Add the green food coloring (about 2-3 drops) and the chopped seeds to the 2nd third of dough and mix well.  Press evenly on top of the chocolate layer in the baking dish.
7. Add the chopped dried cranberries and the red food coloring or maraschino cherry juice to the last third of dough and mix well.   Again, press evenly on top of the green cookie dough layer.
8. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 4 hours or overnight.
9. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
10. Remove dough from fridge, remove saran wrap and pull the dough out of the pan (use the parchment paper to help).  Slice with a sharp knife about 1/8” thick. Arrange on cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. These should not color, you want them “just baked”.