Gluten-Free M&M's Soft Sugar Cookies

These soft sugar cookies are lightly flavored with lemon. If you don't like lemon with chocolate, omit the lemon extract.
At the time of this writing, some bags of M&M's carry a "may contain wheat" warning, especially flavored varieties. If you aren't comfortable using M&M's, other chocolate candies work well.

Ingredients

serves Makes about 3 dozen cookies, active time 40 minutes, total time 2 hours

• 2 cups (8 ounces) white rice flour
• 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) sweet rice flour
• 1/3 cup (1.3 ounces) cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup solid shortening
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup milk (or dairy-free milk replacement)
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• About two cups of plain chocolate M&M's

Procedures

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 325 deg;F. Food Processor Directions: In bowl of an 11 cup or larger food processor, combine white rice flour, granulated sugar, sweet rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Run food processor for 30 seconds to combine.
   Stop food processor and add shortening. Run mixer until shortening is incorporated; dough will begin to hold together, about 30 seconds. Add eggs, milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Run mixer until a thick dough forms, about 30 seconds.
   
2. By Hand Directions: In large bowl, whisk together white rice flour, granulated sugar, sweet rice flour, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. Add shortening. Cut into flour mixer with a pastry cutter or your hands (use a “snapping motion” with your fingers) until no large pieces of shortening remain. If you squeeze the mixture, it should hold together.
   Add eggs, milk, corn syrup, vanilla extract, and lemon extract. Stir with a wooden spoon until a stiff dough forms.
   
3. Drop dough, about two tablespoons each, onto parchment lined baking sheet, two inches apart. Press about six M&M's to each cookie. Bake until set, edges should be lightly brown, about 12 minutes.  Allow cookies to cool on the pan for three minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Gluten-Free Apple Cider Bread

Special equipment: Four (5- by 3- by 2-inch) mini loaf pans

Ingredients

serves Makes 4 small loaves, active time about 30 minutes, total time about 90 minutes

• 2 cups apple cider
• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) sorghum flour
• 3/4 cup (5 1/2 ounces) packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) millet flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 large eggs
• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedures

1. Heat apple cider in a medium saucepan over medium heat until reduced to 3/4 of a cup, about 25 minutes. Remove reduced apple cider from heat and set aside to cool.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place four (5- by 3- by 2-inch) mini loaf pans on rimmed baking sheet. Spray mini-pans with nonstick cooking spray. In medium bowl, whisk together sorghum flour, brown sugar, millet flour, ground cinnamon, baking powder, salt, ground nutmeg, and xanthan gum. Add eggs, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and cooled apple cider. Whisk until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
   
3. Bake until cake tester inserted into center of pan comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove pans from oven. Allow to bread to cool in pan for five minutes and then turn loaves out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Store loaves, wrapped, on counter for up to three days or freeze up to three months.

Gluten-Free Dutch Apple Pancake

Special equipment

10-inch skillet

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time 20, total time about 40 minutes

• For the Batter:
• 1/3 cup gluten-free oat flour
• 1/3 cup gluten-free brown rice flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs
• 4 tablespoons milk (see note above)
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
•  
• For the Apples:
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 large granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced

Procedures

1. For the Batter: Preheat oven to 425 °F. Whisk together oat flour, brown rice flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon in medium bowl. In small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Pour egg mixture over dry ingredients. Whisk until smooth. Batter will be thin. Allow batter to stand for ten minutes.
   
2. For the Apples: Whisk together granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Set aside. Melt butter in a 10-inch oven-safe skillet (I used cast iron) over medium heat. Sprinkle sugar mixture over melted butter. Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Cook until sugar begins to melt. Reduce heat to medium-low and carefully place apple slices in a circular pattern in the pan. Cook until sugar mixture begins to bubble up around apple slices, about three minutes. Turn off heat.
   
3. Slowly pour batter evenly into the pan. Some of the apple pieces might float and move. That’s fine. Transfer pan to the preheated oven. Bake until pancake puffs and is golden brown, about fifteen minutes.
   
4. Remove pan from oven. Slice pancake into wedges. Serve warm.

Gluten-Free Baked Pumpkin Doughnuts

Special equipment

Doughnut pan

Ingredients

serves Makes 18 doughnuts, active time About 25 minutes, total time About 1 hour

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) millet flour
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) gluten-free oat flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1 (fifteen ounce) can canned pumpkin
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup orange juice
•  
• For the Coating:
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
   
2. In large bowl, whisk together millet flour, granulated sugar, oat flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum. In small bowl, stir together pumpkin, eggs, vegetable oil, and orange juice until smooth. Pour pumpkin mixture over dry ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain.
   
3. Bake until doughnuts spring back to the touch, about eighteen minutes. Turn doughnuts out onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat with remaining batter. Allow doughnuts to cool completely.
   
4. For the Coating: In a 9-inch square pan, stir together granulated sugar and ground cinnamon. One at a time, dredge the doughnuts in the sugar-cinnamon mixture. Shake off excess sugar. Store doughnuts, covered, on the counter for up to three days.

Gluten-Free Multigrain Pancakes

Ingredients

serves Serves 4, active time About 30 minutes, total time About 30 minutes

• 1 cup (4 ounces) gluten-free corn flour
• 1/2 cup (1 3/4 ounces) gluten-free oat flour
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) sorghum flour
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus additional for griddle
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup blueberries, washed and dried (optional)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)
• Butter, for serving
• Maple syrup, for serving

Procedures

1. Whisk together corn flour, oat flour, sorghum flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, and xanthan gum in medium bowl. Add eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract Whisk until smooth.
   
2. Lightly oil flat non-stick griddle pan. Heat griddle over medium-high heat until oil shimmers but does not smoke. Drop batter, approximately 1/4 cup, onto griddle. Batter should sizzle as it hits the pan.If desired sprinkle blueberries and chocolate chips evenly over each pancake.
   
3. Cook until edges of pancakes set and small bubbles appear all over the surface, approximately 3 minutes. Flip pancakes and cook until set, about one minute. Serve with butter and syrup, if desired. Repeat with remaining batter.