Fruit and Nut Cookies

My fruit and nut cookies are perfect for Christmas. The pistachios and the dried fruit in these cookies give them an unmistakable hint of the season. These cookies have a little something for everyone, so no matter what mood you are in- these cookies will hit the spot! Every bite is just a little bit different! So, turn some Christmas music on and get baking!

P.S. My favorite Christmas album is Poets & Angels: Music 4 the Holidays. I look forward to that Spanish guitar all year! Any suggestions for other great Christmas albums? I want to add a few cds to my collection this year. What is your all-time fav Christmas music?

FRUIT AND NUT COOKIES

2 1/4 cups gluten free flour mix (I used equal parts sorghum, tapioca, and brown rice flour)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon xanthan gum

1 stick of unsalted butter plus 6 tablespoons (or 14 Tablespoons), room temperature

1 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

1/2 cup shredded coconut, chopped/ground in food processor (my hubby doesn’t like the texture of coconut, so I hide it!)

1/4 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

1/2 cup dried cherries, chopped

1/2 cup dried assorted fruit (I did pears, apples, apricots), chopped

1/2 cup slivered almonds

DIRECTIONS:

In a med. bowl, sift together your dry ingredients- flour mix, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum. Set aside. In your stand mixer, cream your (14 Tablespoons) butter and sugar until fluffy- about 3 minutes. Scrap down the sides to make sure the sugar and butter are thoroughly combined. Add your eggs one at a time; then add your vanilla. Slowly add your dry ingredients until fully incorporated. Then it is time to add your own custom mix-ins. I have given my proportions above for coconut, pistachios, dried fruit, almonds, and white and mini semi-sweet chips. After you add your mix-ins, cover your dough with saran wrap and refrigerate for at least a few hours (to prevent the cookies from spreading). When you are ready to bake, use a tablespoon of dough and space about 2-3 inches apart. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes about 3 dozen soft, chewy, delicious, fruity, nutty, gluten-free Christmas cookies.

These freeze beautifully- I am freezing some for my upcoming plane trip to CA.

Ginger Lemon Girl has promised to do a gluten-free Christmas cookie round-up on Dec. 17th. Get your entries in! I can’t wait to see all those gluten-free cookie recipes!

And for all you locals of Raleigh, the News Observer published this article about celiac disease/gluten free food industry last Saturday. Sorry I missed it! It mentions a couple of gluten-free dining choices in the Triangle area. However, in my opinion, there are not a lot of gluten-free dining choices out there. If you are a citizen of the Triangle area, let me know if you dare go out to eat and where!?

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Posted by Natalie
Filed under: Cookie Recipes

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