G.F.G.S. Recipe • Wiki Recipes

Author Notes: Gluten-free gingersnaps. It started with a cheesecake that happened to come to mind during gluten-free baking week. And I backed into these thinking of the wonderful sticky quality of sweet white rice flour, just like the rice from which it is milled. And I love the natural sweetness and rough texture of buckwheat flour. The humble gingersnap, with its minimal ingredients, deep flavors, and great texture was a joy to convert to gluten-free form.

Then, thinking about the layers of flavor I was hoping for in the crust, I decided to toast the sweet white rice flour in the oven to deepen its flavor some. And since there is going to be lime in my cheesecake, I added the zest to the cookies.

My daughter has always loved gingersnaps. She left yesterday for Italy, and I’ve been thinking of her mightily, so these are for you, Lydia. —boulangere

Makes: approximately 15 cookies, 2" in diameter

Ingredients

6

ounces butter, room temp
1

cup sugar
2

large eggs, room temp (or soak for 5 minutes in warm water)
2

ounces molasses
1/1/2

cups sweet white rice flour, toasted
1/4

cup buckwheat flour
1

teaspoon baking soda
1

teaspoon cinnamon
1

teaspoon ground ginger
1/2

teaspoon sea or kosher salt
1/4

teaspoon ground black pepper
Zest of one lime

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.
Spread sweet white rice flour on one of the baking sheets. Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes until it is a pale brown – think of the color of a manilla folder. Remove and allow to cool while you gather the rest of your ingredients.
Sift the dry ingredients onto a sheet of parchment. Yes, it’s fine to use one that will eventually line one of your baking sheets.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream together the butter and sugar until pale-colored and fluffy. Add molasses and mix well. With mixer running on low speed, add eggs one at a time, allowing each to be fully incorporated before adding the next. Stop mixer after the last one is added and scrape thoroughly all around the sides and bottom of the bowl. Raise bowl back up and mix again. Tip dry ingredients into the bowl. Also add the lime zest. Mix on low speed until all dry ingredients are incorporated. Scrape bowl and mix one last time.
Remove mixer bowl and cover with plastic. Buckwheat flour consists of great, huge particles, so the batter needs to sit for about 15 minutes to let it fully hydrate. If you skip this step, the cookies will tend to have a raw sort of taste. You’ll notice that the batter will be noticeably thicker after its nap.
Use a small ice cream scoop or a teaspoon to drop the cookies. Leave about 2″ between them because they will spread. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until very nicely browned and firm to the tap of a fingertip. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Cookies will dry and crisp up as they cool.
These are wonderful dunked in a cup of jasmine tea.

This recipe was entered in the contest for Your Best Gluten-Free Baked Good